WATCH: Trudeau rides an e-jeepney in Makati

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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took a ride in an electric jeepney during his meeting with Filipino-Canadian innovators of the vehicle on the second day of his visit in Manila.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) General Manager Thomas Orbos accompanied Trudeau during the ceremony held in front of The Peninsula Manila hotel in Makati City on Monday noon.

The Canadian official is in Manila for the 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit which the Philippines is hosting.

According to Tugade, the “e-jeepney” prototype that Filipino-Canadian inventors crafted will be replicated for mass distribution in Manila in the third quarter of 2018.

Canadian PM Justin Trudeau meets with Fil-Canadian e-jeepney innovators in front of Peninsula Manila hotel in Makati City. JULLIANE LOVE DE JESUS/INQUIRER.net

Tugade said Trudeau was “very happy” to see the contribution of Canadians to the Philippines’ transportation.

“Happy na happy siya kasi nakikita niya ‘yung hangad natin na baguhin ang kabuhayan ng Pinoy. Nasabi niya na mahirap talaga ang transportation dito so kailangan a lot of patience and understanding and creativity (to address the problem),” the secretary told reporters after the event.

(He’s very happy because he can see our aspirations in changing the Filipinos’ lives. He said that transportation here is really difficult so there needs to be a lot of patience and understanding and creativity [to address the problem].)

Trudeau also made headlines on Sunday when he visited the famous Filipino food chain Jollibee at the North Harbor branch in Tondo, Manila.

Aside from ordering a Jollibee meal, the charismatic prime minister also spent time chatting with some customers and restaurant staff. /je