DOST’s smarter Agusan project to accelerate Butuan’s sustainable transportation
By Mariesh F. Celedeña
BUTUAN CITY (PIA) — The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Caraga signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the city government of Butuan for the turnover of a P5 million fund, supporting the Smarter Agusan: Smart-Eco City Transition through Scaling of Locally Developed Electric Vehicle Fast Charging Systems in Butuan (FastCharge).
Held on February 24, Butuan City is the pilot area for the project designed to accelerate sustainable transportation in Caraga’s only highly urbanized city.
“I accept with gratitude the support for the Smarter Agusan Fast Charge Project and the partnership affirmed today through our Memorandum of Agreement. We see this not merely as funding and a project, but as a boat of confidence in the city’s readiness to innovate, in our region’s capacity to lead, and in our people’s ability to shape a future that is greener, smarter, and more sustainable,” said Butuan City Mayor Lawrence Lemuel H. Fortun during the signing of the said agreement.
It can be recalled that the city government of Butuan, in collaboration with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Caraga, launched the Smart Eco Butuan 2040 Roadmap on April 25, 2025. One of its six pillars is smart mobility, which envisions a smart, sustainable mobility experience with seamless options for active transportation systems, multimodal transportation, and real-time traffic updates.
According to Meriam B. Bouquia, provincial director of DOST Agusan del Norte, this partnership conforms with the roadmap – an essential step toward the city’s smart and low-carbon mobility agenda.
Under the project, two electric vehicles will be deployed, and an established integrated fast-charging system with solar photovoltaic (PV) support will be provided with six charging units powered by the locally developed charging in minutes. With this, the charging time will be reduced from the conventional 4-6 hours to less than an hour.
“This is a continuation of the collaboration for the Smart Eco Butuan 2040 Roadmap. It also directly advances the Butuan City Energy Development Plan 2023–2050, which targets a 100 percent transition to electric mobility by 2050 under the Butuan Energy Transition scenario. That emphasizes early electrification of tricycles and utility vehicles beginning in 2025,” said Director Bouquia.
Bouquia further added that aside from the city government of Butuan, they will be signing an agreement with the municipality of Buenavista, Agusan del Norte, for the FastCharge project within the year.
Through this project and developments, Butuan City continues to accelerate its vision of becoming a smart eco-city. (MFC, PIA Caraga, with a report from DOST Agusan del Norte)
