With the Philippines proving to have the best performing economy in Asia, it is also improving in terms of consumer confidence and spending. A boost in purchasing power is encouraging consumers to buy more things—cars included.

In a report by The Philippine Star, the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. said that vehicle sales reached 102,913 units in the first seven months of this year. Only 87,374 units were sold in the same period last year, which marks an increase of almost 18 percent. The increase in sales is attributed to the recent investment grade rating upgrades given by different global credit rating firms, which caused local banks to offer car loans at lower interest and easier payment terms.

All of this is good news, but what is the government doing to compensate for the environmental impact that comes with our rising demand for private and public transportation?

We’re not quite sure, but while the government is busy trying to fix the traffic system in Metro Manila, investors in the private sector are spearheading new methods to provide environment-friendly modes of transportation at the same, or even lower, costs.

In a report by Interaksyon, former congressman Sigfrido Tinga of Knowledge Driven Transformation said that they are set to roll out 20 electric jeepneys by the first week of December. These vehicles can carry as many as 16 passengers while running at 60 kilometers per hour.

Colloquially called “e-jeeps,” these battery electric vehicles (BEV) are the environment’s new pals. The main advantage is that BEVs use electricity, which cuts down on carbon emissions. They are also known for being less noisy during use. Most people think that this is the same as using petrol (since coal is burned in order to generate electricity), but in reality BEVs are more efficient and use significantly less energy as compared to vehicles that use fossil fuels.

This technology is not new at all. Last year, EJeepney Transport Corporation was ahead in launching the first commercial electric jeepney service in the Philippines. The Ateneo also took part in adopting this technology by recently having e-jeeps ply around the campus’ one-way route to provide free shuttle services to anyone who needs a ride.

All the systems are up, but are Filipinos really ready for such a transformation? Meralco Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan thinks so and I stand with him in his thinking.

Now that our economy is booming, transportation and logistics are two things that we cannot leave behind. When it comes to exchanging goods and services, transportation should always be a priority. By adapting to the rise of e-vehicles, we are hitting two birds—the economy and our environment—with one stone.

For our country to be truly ready for this change, we should be proactive by cooperating with the government in trying out these e-vehicles and promoting their use, or maybe even trading in our old cars. We ought to help put into effect the shift to a new route that will benefit the environment and ultimately ourselves.