During the Independence Day celebration in the city, Surigao City mayor Alfonso Casurra presented the electric tricycle to his constituents, highlighting its advantages over the old gasoline-fed models.

“It runs 80 kilometers with just one charge,” he said. “It can also accommodate up to eight people, more than the capacity of our present tricycles,” the mayor said. No estimates were given on the average price of the electric tricycles, although he noted it would be “a bit more expensive” compared with conventional tricycles which are sold from P50,000 to P75,000 per unit.

Last month, the British embassy turned over an electric tricycle to the Surigao City government, noting the need for environment-friendly modes of transport in the region. Angela S. Ibay, the British embassy representative and climate change attache who attended the turn-over ceremony, said that aside from helping the ecosystem, the electric tricycle, adapted to Philippine conditions, is relatively cheaper to operate since it uses renewable energy as a source of power.

The Islas Ecology Development Advocacy (ISDA), which handles the electric tricycle project, is conducting a study on solar-powered charging stations for the tricycles in the city.

ISDA has made arrangements with a rural bank to provide a financing scheme for drivers and operators shifting to the new technology.