Senator Robin Padilla urged the government on Tuesday to address pressing transport issues in the Bicol Region before pursuing ambitious space exploration projects.
During his Senate plenary manifestation on July 28, Padilla voiced support for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) announcement regarding plans to launch the country’s first sounding rocket next year and build a spaceport in Cagayan.
While expressing his childhood fascination with space and acknowledging its national significance, Padilla emphasized that local infrastructure must come first.
”Ang kahilingan ko lang po, bago po tayo makarating diyan, eh maayos muna po yung transportasyon namin sa Bicol,” Padilla said.
Representing Camarines Norte, the senator highlighted that land travel to his home province still takes up to 12 hours.
He recalled the presence of train services in Bicol during his youth and lamented their current absence, urging the government to revive stalled railway projects and pointing to Indonesia’s high-speed rail as a model.
”Sana po, mabigyan natin ng atensyon na bago tayo mapunta sa rocket, magkaroon din tayo ng bullet train,” he said.
Padilla maintained that establishing a modern, high-speed rail network is a practical goal that would drastically improve connectivity and daily commutes for residents in provinces distant from Metro Manila.
His remarks follow President Marcos’s announcement that Cagayan is set to become the nation’s space gateway, with a sounding rocket launch scheduled for next year in collaboration with a South Korean aerospace firm.