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DAR proves unending government support to farmers
DAR Eastern Samar Provincial Office proved once again that delivery of government assistance is unending with the recent turnover of farm machineries and inputs to an agrarian reform beneficiaries organization (ARBO) in Hernani, Eastern Samar......»»
Son of a gun
What is it about carrying around a firearm that transforms a Dr. Jekyll into a Mr. Hyde? Lately, the public has been treated (if that is the right word) to a slew of spectacles showing ordinary citizens involved in gun-toting road rage incidents. There would be a traffic altercation, it would turn confrontational, one person would alight from his vehicle, pull out a gun and point it at his adversary to intimidate him. Unfortunately for these “kawawang” cowboys (to borrow the song lyrics of the late Fred Panopio), they forget that the entire population these days is armed with phone cameras. Their gung-ho attitude is caught on camera and posted online, going viral among a population looking for sensational footage. Worse for the bully, since there are a lot of reelectionist senators, such videos invariably trigger a Senate inquiry supposedly in aid of legislation, never mind if our country already has strict gun laws. This would inevitably give the anti-gun advocates another chance to restate their mantra of “guns are evil,” disregarding the fact that firearms are inanimate objects that do not spontaneously pull their own triggers without human intervention. Those like us who are in favor of the right to carry arms — under the proper legal regulations, of course — would then counter with our own mantra: “Guns don’t kill; people do.” The debate is monotonously repeated every time there are morons such as that bald Gonzales character, who unlawfully use guns. The call for a total gun ban to address the issue is a knee-jerk reaction by jerks. For every a-hole who pulls out his gun out of pique, there are tens of thousands like me who have never used their firearm even under pressure. I believe that the safeguards now in place for applicants for gun licenses have been effective in filtering out the vast majority of psychos who cannot handle the perceived “power” born out of carrying a gun. To call for a firearms ban just because some weirdos out there abuse their privilege to carry guns is like calling for a total ban on cars simply because there are a few drivers who get into accidents due to their lack of driving skills. In this connection, I have been wondering why my proposal to test drivers’ IQs, and if it is low, to put a notice on their cars saying “Warning: Stupid Driver” (much like the notice on beginners’ cars, “Warning: Student Driver”) has fallen on deaf official ears. My best friend, Dr. Francis Aquino, a psychology major before becoming an anesthesiologist, once told me that those who swagger around, gun in hand, are covering up for something. The psychoanalytic term he used was “compensation.” It may be for lack of parental affection when an infant, lack of wealth or power, a timid nature, or even — seriously — a small penis. Doc Francis added that sometimes those who drive the biggest cars or pack a gun with the longest barrel are those with the smallest dicks. Well, I drive a compact car and have a snub-nose revolver, so draw your own conclusions. Reminds me of that famous quote from Mae West: “Is that a gun in your pants, or are you just happy to see me?” Levity aside, a legal gun-carrying citizen should always possess the proper mindset when lugging around his weapon for protection. He should be aware of the multitude not only of the online hatred that he will be getting when he unlawfully unholsters his firearm and uses it to threaten someone but of the legal problems he will face afterward. And then there is the possibility of encountering someone who also has a gun, or who has armed bodyguards, in which case the resulting shootout will definitely result in casualties, both on the part of the combatants and, worse, of innocent bystanders. In this case, one might end up being a dead son of a gun. The post Son of a gun appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Fancy word ‘revisionism’
Were there widespread abuses during the martial law years spanning 21 September 1972 to 17 January 1981, or nine years under President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.? Certain groups consider the narrative of the period being the dark ages of civil rights as sacrosanct and should never be challenged. Anything different from their storyline would be revisionism. These are the hypocrites who consider themselves as having the divine appointment to decide what is best for the country after the 1986 EDSA revolt. “I am ready to debate with anyone, and it is my duty to explain to the people,” Presidential Chief Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile, who was the martial law administrator, said on the necessity of the controversial 1972 imposition. The situation then called for the declaration of powers to address an extraordinary threat to the nation. Everything was done according to the provisions of the 1935 Constitution, stressed Enrile on his weekly morning show “Bayan ni Juan.” “I was ordered by then — President Marcos Sr., who was acting under the commander-in-chief provision of the law, to study what was contained in the Constitution on the powers of the President,” he said. He pointed out that martial law covering the entire country was necessary at that particular period. Our country, not only today but in the future, is guaranteed always to be stable. “The time will come when there will again be a need to impose martial, and it will be the people who would clamor for it, I’m telling you,” he predicted. Enrile said that all forms of government leave something to be desired; even China, which is fast developing, faces several criticisms. The government, however, is responsible for preventing chaos, anarchy, and disorder. “We should be thankful that martial law was declared, or Mr. Jose Maria Sison would have taken over the government,” Enrile recalled. “Our economy then was hit by a global crisis. America was on a downturn, and it brought down the Philippines with it,” he said. “History will give us a fair picture of the past, such as what happened in Roman times, the Persian period and the Assyrian period.” Similarly, history will bear out that martial law was what was called for. According to the seasoned public servant, he could vouch for the Marcos military rule being fair and far from what was painted by the opportunists. “If they call the declaration of martial law a dictatorship, then what was the description of the government when President Cory Aquino took over? She was the legislator and the executive. Cory, the supposed saint of democracy, changed the 1973 Constitution that the Filipinos voted for,” Enrile said. With a single signature, she changed the Constitution and assembled 60 individuals who were supposedly knowledgeable on the laws to craft the 1987 Constitution, Enrile said, recounting the forming of the Constitutional Commission that drafted the 1987 Charter. Even though he held the executive and legislative functions, Enrile said Marcos made sure “we were all working under a system of democratic procedure.” Marcos, he said, did not monopolize the government. “All the laws created under martial law were deliberated, debated, and discussed.” As proof of the just creation of the presidential decrees by Marcos, Enrile said that most are still being used by the government “because they were well thought out.” “Compare that with the laws being passed now. After a few years, these are required to be revised because of mistakes,” he said. The Supreme Court was always there to balance the executive and the legislative. “Can anyone say how many decrees passed during martial law were turned down by the SC as unconstitutional?” Of course, all were correctly upheld and in accord with the Basic Law. The post Fancy word ‘revisionism’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Five groups target NAIA takeover
Five companies have signified their intention to take over the operations and management of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport or NAIA a few weeks after the Department of Transportation or DoTr opened the bidding for the P170.6-billion project. In a text message to the Daily Tribune on Wednesday, the DoTr confirmed that five potential bidders have bought bid documents for the project. As of 13 September, the interested companies include San Miguel Corp. or SMC, Spark 888 Management Inc., and Asian Airport Consortium. Two others who submitted bids — Manila International Airport Consortium or MIAC and GMR Group — have previously vied for the NAIA rehabilitation. MIAC is composed of Aboitiz InfraCapital, Inc., AC Infrastructure Holdings Corporation, Asia’s Emerging Dragon Corporation, Alliance Global — Infracorp Development Inc., Filinvest Development Corporation, and JG Summit Infrastructure Holdings Corporation along with Global Infrastructure Partners. Super consortium in running In 2018, the government awarded the Original Proponent Status for the NAIA rehabilitation to a “super-consortium” formed by seven of the country’s biggest conglomerates: Aboitiz InfraCapital Inc.; AC Infrastructure Holdings Corporation; Alliance Global Group Inc.; Asia’s Emerging Dragon Corporation; Filinvest Development Corporation; and JG Summit Holdings Inc. and Metro Pacific Investments Corp. It was, however, terminated. Thus, Megawide Construction Corp. and partner GMR Infrastructure Ltd. also submitted an unsolicited proposal to upgrade and rehabilitate the highly congested NAIA. Despite the substantial progress, the much-needed NAIA rehabilitation was back to square one after the previous administration also rejected the proposal. According to the MIAA, the Megawide consortium failed to convince the government of its financial ability to support the project. Meanwhile, the SMC., an Asian conglomerate led by businessman Ramon S. Ang, is currently taking on the P740-billion New Manila International Airport in Bulacan. Award out by December Previously, the DoTr conveyed that the contract may be awarded to the winning bidder as early as December if the government stays on schedule. The National Economic and Development Authority or NEDA, chaired by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., approved the solicited bid to privatize the operations of NAIA. NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said the project will help address the long-standing issues at the country’s main air hub such as congestion and limited aircraft movements that usually cause inconvenience to passengers. The DoTr and the Manila International Airport Authority submitted a joint proposal to the NEDA Board to privatize the operations and management of NAIA within 15 years. The project is expected to improve the overall passenger experience and increase the current annual passenger capacity of NAIA to at least 62 million from the current 32 million. Previously, Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista floated the possibility of closing down the airport — only if nearby airports become operational. Bautista explained that the government can have the option to close NAIA if airports in adjacent provinces like Cavite and Bulacan are ready to accommodate the travel-hungry tourists in the country — both local and international. “If there will be new airports, then the government can decide to close the Manila International Airport or MIA because it can be a valuable government asset. On the other hand, it is possible to continue its operations because of its prime location in the Metro,” Bautista told reporters. “So yes, it is possible to close, it is also possible not to close MIA,” he added. Bautista also assured that in case the airport continues its operations, SMC’s Bulacan Airport can still drive up profits despite the competition. The post Five groups target NAIA takeover appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DoTr lines up deals for Japan financing
Banking on decades of expertise in taking on big-ticket projects, the Department of Transportation or DoTr is enticing Japanese companies to bid for various public-private partnership contracts in the railways and aviation sectors. At the recent Philippine Investment Opportunities forum in Tokyo, Japan, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista cited the Metro Manila Subway Project and the North-South Commuter Railway as well as the privatization of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport or NAIA as priority projects that may need Japanese support. “Following through our President’s directive, the DoTr has cast the vision of transforming the Philippines’ transport industry and elevating it to global standards, characterized by comfortable, accessible, safe, and affordable transport services throughout the country,” Bautista said. Gap to be addressed “DoTr will bridge the gap towards our vision for the Philippines’ transportation sector by developing infrastructure and delivering transport services across our four operating sectors in airports and aviation, maritime, railways and roads,” he added. Worth P76.89 billion, the 36-kilometer Metro Manila Subway Project includes operations and maintenance for subway trains, stations, depot, and other systems infrastructure under a concession period of 15 years of full operations. Also included are maintenance of facilities and equipment under the Philippine Railway Institute, collection of passenger fares, and commercial development rights within prescribed station boundaries, among others. The project’s bidding will start within the last quarter of the year or until the first quarter of next year. Meanwhile, the 147-kilometer North-South Commuter Rail system worth P204.6 billion includes operations and maintenance of trains, stations, depot, and other systems and infrastructure, and a concession period of 15 years of full operations in addition to a partial operations period. The project also includes interoperation management within the rail system by trains from other lines such as the subway project, collection of passenger fares, and exercise of commercial development rights within prescribed station boundaries, among others. Along with the subway project, bidding for the operations and maintenance contract of the NSCR Project will commence within the fourth quarter of the year to the first quarter of 2024. As for the privatization of the NAIA, the DoTr already kicked off the bidding last week. The P170.6-billion project will help address the long-standing issues at the country’s main air hub such as congestion and limited aircraft movements that usually cause inconvenience to passengers under a 15-year concession period. The project is expected to improve the overall passenger experience and increase the current annual passenger capacity of NAIA to at least 62 million from the current 32 million. Last February, during President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s state visit to Japan, the country secured over P156 billion in loan financing from the Japanese government to fund transportation projects. The government signed two projects worth ¥377 billion or around P156.22 billion with Japan. The Philippines is the biggest recipient of Japan International Cooperation Agency’s or JICA programs in Southeast Asia worth 418 billion yen in 2022. JICA is currently supporting 28 ongoing loans in the Philippines, the most recent of which was the 30-billion yen loan agreement signed this week to strengthen the country’s disaster resilience. The post DoTr lines up deals for Japan financing appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Fiscal standoff
The P213 billion allocated for fiscal year 2023 is indisputable proof that the burden of the military and uniformed personnel pension has become beyond difficult to sustain to the point of forcing the government to resort to borrowing. To forestall this fiscal stand-off, the next best thing to do is to allow the finance secretary all the latitude to navigate — free of obstructionist opposition — so that the ship of state can sail on an even keel on turbulent financial waters. Every proposed action plan of Secretary Benjamin Diokno to address the specter of fiscal collapse has the imprimatur of the President and the acquiescence of the so-called “economic team” — except that there is a newly appointed Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas governor who replaced Dr. Felipe Medalla, which change of leadership has had very limited dissemination. Apparently, crucial matters of public information have become less and less sensitive to open and vibrant democratic discourse. In all that has already been expounded on the subject, it’s safe to say that Mr. Diokno has done his homework, this despite some “trial-and-error” attempts by the House of Representatives to “approximate” what could be the “best of all possible worlds” by congressional fiat. However, it was clear that the vocal committee chairman in Congress sort of “miscalculated” the acceptable threshold desired by the “military and uniformed sector,” thereby leaving it to the President — as Commander in Chief — to be the one to eventually “tame the beast.” Incidentally, FM Jr.’s newly appointed defense chief, albeit a returning one, is singing a different tune and is clearly in cross-purposes with what the finance chief has rolled out to be the “silver bullet” that would solve the pension problem. The policy domain benefits from evidence-based data and doing the science or the math is not alien to an economist like Diokno. On the other hand, political views hardly benefit from evidence, science, or math, and in this realm, it seems understandable why the defense chief’s normative proposal is rather parochial or scoped on maximizing what is good for the defense and military that he heads. After all, if he can play his cards well, a la President Fidel Ramos, his position could catapult him to higher office. When FVR signed Republic Act 7898 on 23 February 1995, its aim was a 15-year modernization program for the Philippine Air Force, Philippine Navy, Philippine Army consequent to the withdrawal of the US military bases and illegal occupation by China of Mischief Reef. The commitment to spend P50 billion within the first five years and presumably thereafter, however, never gained headway reportedly because the programs were “influenced” by lawmakers. Neither did the Philippine Navy get the lion’s share of the modernization fund to upgrade its patrol capabilities, surface warfare, and its maritime detection and surveillance capacities even while the authors of said law knew that the imminent enemy was China and the theater of engagement would be the West Philippine Sea. This explains why the country was a sitting duck when China occupied Scarborough Shoal in 2012. Then, this prompted the administration of President Noynoy Aquino to enact Republic Act 10349 as an expanded version of the AFP modernization program. While the needs of the Philippine Navy were given priority, the allocation of financial resources was subjected to a tedious, legalistic, and complex process with Congress having the last say. Reportedly, even the spending plan was incongruent with the capabilities that needed to be reinforced. Furthermore, the AFP Retirement and Separation Benefits System which was supposedly created to take care of the military pension system was mired in mismanagement that led to its deactivation or abolition. Substantial government seed capital went down the drain, achieving nothing because of the military’s own making. A case of “carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero?” What about that recent audit report of the Commission on Audit on pension overpayments and underpayments made by the AFP Pension Management System that has gone loco? The post Fiscal standoff appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Settled doctrines on sexual harassment (3)
Sexual harassment engenders three-fold liability: Criminal, to address the wrong committed against society; civil, to address the private wrong against the offended party; and administrative, to protect the public service. Criminal liability for sexual harassment notwithstanding, the offended party may pursue a separate civil action. Aside from the actual perpetrator, the employer or the head of office or institution may also be impleaded in an independent action for damages. They would be solidarily liable for damages if they did not take immediate action on a sexual harassment complaint. Unlike in a criminal action where the penalty is a fine, imprisonment, or both, the penalty in an administrative action is, at most, dismissal from the service. This is because an administrative action seeks to protect the public service by imposing administrative sanctions on the erring public officer. In prosecuting an offender for sexual harassment, the intent is immaterial. The mere commission is sufficient to warrant a conviction. The threshold is whether an act violates and/or threatens the personal space and physical safety of another person, regardless of the motive for committing the act. Guided by the foregoing, let’s take a quick look at actual cases of sexual harassment decided by the Supreme Court. In the case of Escandor v. People (G.R. No. 211962, 6 July 2020), the complainant testified to several acts of sexual harassment, including the respondent’s acts of grabbing her hand, kissing her, engaging in improper conversations, touching her thigh, giving her gifts, telling her that “she was the kind of girl he really wants,” asking her out on dates, and sending her text messages telling her that he missed her, that she looked beautiful, and that he loved her. The complainant stated that these acts made her feel disrespected, humiliated, cheap, uneasy, and frightened. She also could not concentrate on her work, could not sleep, and found herself “staring into empty space.” Without any doubt, the Supreme Court held that the respondent’s acts resulted in an intimidating, hostile, and offensive environment for the complainant, thereby making him guilty of sexual harassment. In another case (A.C. No. 5900, 10 April 2019), a professor was charged for allegedly unwanted sexual advances or innuendos against his students. One of his students recounted that in one of her class recitations, she sought clarification of a question propounded to her, saying, “Sir, come again?” The professor retorted, “What? You want me to come again? I have not come the first time and don’t you know that it took me five minutes to come, and you want me to come again?” In his defense, the professor said the joke was intended for himself and that in fact, the students had laughed at the joke. In ruling against the professor, the Supreme Court stated that the professor’s remarks could not be categorized as an innocent joke meant only to lighten the mood of the class. It was readily apparent that the remark was tasteless, vulgar, and crude and had no place in an academic setting. It was not clever wordplay or a mere statement with a sexual innuendo as its intended meaning was obviously discernible. The professor’s attempt at humor failed miserably as his words clearly referred to himself needing five minutes to ejaculate again. The professor’s statements made the student uncomfortable and embarrassed her in front of her classmates as it went beyond an innocent joke and was instead a gross graphic and insensitive remark. Thus, the Supreme Court ruled that the professor abused the power and authority he possessed over the students. His sexually laced conduct had created a hostile and offensive environment that deeply prejudiced his students. In what was supposed to be a safe place for them to learn and develop, they were instead subjected to unwarranted sexual advances. In another case, however, the Supreme Court clarified that casual gestures of friendship and camaraderie, done during festive or special occasions, and with other people present do not constitute sexual harassment. In Aquino v. Acosta [429 Phil. 498 (2002)], the Supreme Court ruled that the act of greeting a person with a kiss on the cheek, in “beso-beso” fashion, was not shown to have been carried out with lustful and lascivious desire or was motivated by malice or ill motive. The Court explained that pecks on the cheeks should be understood in the context of having been done on the occasion of some festivities, as busses on cheeks were simply friendly and innocent, bereft of malice and lewd design. Ultimately, therefore, it is a matter of respecting each other’s boundaries and creating safe spaces for everyone. For more of Dean Nilo Divina’s legal tidbits, please visit www.divinalaw.com. For comments and questions, please send an email to cabdo@divinalaw.com. The post Settled doctrines on sexual harassment (3) appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Managers: Phl remains on track
Despite the lackluster 4.3 percent in the second quarter, growth this year is expected to reach the target range of 6 percent to 7 percent gross domestic product expansion, according to Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno. “To do this, we will expedite the implementation of government programs and projects, to provide fiscal stimulus to increase the productive capacity of the public and private sectors and address the adverse recent impacts of typhoons.” Diokno added. Economic managers gathered in Fort Ilocandia in Laoag City to hold the Post-State of the Nation Economic Briefing that discussed the country’s economic situation and plans on 14 August. Diokno said in 2022, GDP increased 7.6 percent from 5.7 a year ago and a 9.5 percent contraction in 2020. Diokno said the economic team is determined to pick up government expenditure in the third and fourth quarters. Revenue collections remain robust from January to June as these totaled P1.9 trillion up 7.7 percent or P132.6 billion year-on-year which is also higher than the mid-year program by 2.7 percent. Hence, Diokno said they have already pipelined 194 infrastructure flagship projects worth P8.3 trillion of which 132 are located in Luzon that will address irrigation, water supply, flood management, agriculture, digital connectivity, physical connectivity, health, and power and energy. Diokno also highlighted some of the projects like the Laoag International Airport Development Project, the EDSA Greenways, the TPLEX Expressway Expansion Project, the Laguna Lakeshore Road Network Project, the Ilocos Norte-Sur-Abra Irrigation Project, and the Naga Airport Development Project. “The Philippines is determined to be a world leader in the race to net zero and the Ilocos Region will be a strategic partner in this mission. Dubbed to be the renewable energy capital of South East Asia, Ilocos Norte is emerging to be a promising player in the clean energy arena. Being home to the first and largest wind farms in the country,” Diokno stressed. In his address, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Eli Remolona Jr., said from a peak of 8.7 percent in January, headline inflation slowed to 4.7 percent in July due to improving domestic food supply conditions and lower global oil prices. However, he also admitted that core inflation remains high at 6.7 percent although it has already started to decline due to the monetary tightening. The BSP has responded to inflation by aggressively raising its policy rate, as of today, the BSP has raised policy rates by 425 basis points. Prices reined in “The good news is that inflation expectations are still well anchored. The markets continue to believe that we will hit our target range by 2024 and stay there in 2025,” Remolona said. Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman also gave an update on the use pf the budget for 2023. Pangandaman said at the end of July, the total amount of the national budget that has been released already is around 93 percent. “And we expect all our government agencies including all the cabinet members present here, to spend your budget so we can help grow the economy,” Pangandaman said. While for next year, the government budget will amount to 5.768 trillion and it is 21.7 percent of the GDP it has already been submitted to Congress last August 2 and the budget is expected to be passed earlier than expected. The National Economic Development Authority said it wanted to lower the poverty level to single digit. For Socioeconomic Planning Undersecretary Carlos Bernardo Abad Santos, the government has effective regional development plans. In the Ilocos Regional Development Plan from 2023-2028, the NEDA expects the Ilocos region to have a 7 percent to 7.5 percent growth while lowering the poverty incidence by 7.3 percent. ‘Build, Better, More’ under BBM;s watch Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan said the “Build, Better, More” program of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is very much aligned with the medium-term development plan for 2023 to 2028 and is consistent with the 8-point economic agenda of the president. Bonoan said that from July 2022 to May 2023, the DPWH has built, maintained, rehabilitated, widened, and upgraded 4,082 kilometer of roads, 497 bridges, built 2,103 flood control projects, 55 evacuation centers, 216 kms farm to market roads, 8 kilometers of farm to mill roads, 138 kilometers tourism roads, 18 kilometers of roads to seaports, railway stations, and airports, 4,038 classrooms, and 6,002 rainwater collector system. “Because of climate change, we have to address and be building and developing resilient and sustainable communities in the 18 major river basins in the country,” Bonoan said. Some of the major projects that the department would like to continue are converting the Daang Maharlika which is actually now Asian Highway 26 which starts in Laoag City and will go around Cagayan Valley and has extended all the way to Zamboanga City. Bonoan says that they want to convert this backbone of the national highway into seamless travel. “In other words, there should be no major stops along the way, along this Maharlika highway,” Bonoan said. Bonoan said they’re going to build 12 major bridges, and the first bridge is the Cavite-Bataan Interlink bridge with a span of more than 32 km. Should it be completed, this will be the second-longest bay bridge in the world. The department also plans to start the Luzon Spine Expressway which will run from Laoag City to Bicol, Bonoan says that this will be 1,073 kms more. As for Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista, major Department of Transportation projects like the New Manila International Airport in Bulacan, Metro Manila Subway, EDSA Greenway Projects, EDSA Busway, MRT-3 Rehabilitation, LRT-1 Cavite, LRT-2 West Extension, MRT-7, and the modernization and capacity expansion of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport are proceeding. For the Department of Information and Communications Technology Ivan John Uy, there is already a cybersecurity plan for 2023 to 2028 which is a consolidated output of all the stakeholders in designing which includes the best practices all over the world. “We’ve ramped up in our cybercrime detection, we are busting cybercrime syndicates all over the country especially those that are dealing with scammers,” Uy said. Uy said agency is also enhancing cybersecurity status by designing courses to upgrade cybersecurity professionals. He admits that worldwide, there is a 3 million job vacancies on cyber security. DICT said by the end of the year, the department will have Two Terabits of capacity from Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan all the way to Manila and we should expect very good Internet connectivity by the start of next year especially on the Luzon area. These structures also open opportunities to data centers and BPOs along the places mentioned which produces employment. DICT expects that foreign investment opportunities and interest in those areas will boom. The post Managers: Phl remains on track appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Transfer of PDLs to address congestion at NBP
Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. over the weekend revealed that they will continue transferring more persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) to the New Bilibid Prison once the construction of facilities in Iwahig, Davao, Leyte Prison and the Penal Farms are completed. He said some 500 PDLs have already been transferred to Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm and they have been implementing the “Bills Laya” Program, where more than 4,000 PDLs have been released from various prison and penal farms after serving their sentence, acquitted of the charges against them, paroled, and those who qualified for the good conduct time allowance or GCTA. This was disclosed by Catapang saying aside from the congestion problem due to the lack of facilities for PDLs at the NBP, he admitted that BuCor personnel are not prepared when the bureau was restructured from civilian to uniformed. Recently, Catapang addressed the members of the Committee on Public Order and Safety at the House of Representatives during the recent hearing and said that Republic Act 10575 otherwise known as the Bureau of Corrections Act of 2013, which provides for the modernization, professionalization and restructuring of the bureau, that was signed into law on 24 May 2013 by former President Benigno Aquino Jr., while it’s implementing rules and regulations was promulgated in 2016, three years after the passage of the law. “They were converted into uniformed personnel without training to wear the uniform. When you say wear the uniform, they should be disciplined, they should follow orders and they should not commit corruption,” Catapang explained. Citing his experience as the Armed Forces Chief of Staff or even when he was a Battalion Commander or Company Commander, Catapang said he can dismiss a soldier outright using articles of war and if a soldier committed an infringement, he can easily be dismissed from the service. “It cannot be done in the BuCor because there are processes that you have to follow like the Civil Service Commission rules and regulations and the Department of Justice. You cannot just terminate them immediately even if they committed corruption,” Catapang said. The post Transfer of PDLs to address congestion at NBP appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
MIAA demonstrates NAIA’s emergency response preparedness at CREX 2023
PASAY CITY — The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) showcased its emergency response capability and preparedness during the Crash and Rescue Exercise (CREX) 2023 at the airside premises of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on Friday, 4 August. The successful demonstration of this year’s full-scale simulated emergency CREX allows MIAA to ensure that the prescribed plans, guidelines, and organizational setup of the 8th edition of the NAIA Airport Emergency Plan 2023 adequately and effectively address emergencies occurring at or within the immediate vicinity of the country’s main gateway. “A dependable communication and coordination system is essential for a responsive Airport Emergency Plan (AEP). This exercise puts our communication and coordination system to the test, not only among MIAA offices but also with our external partner agencies,” said MIAA officer-in-charge Bryan Co. “We want to assess primary and secondary responders’ ability to respond to an aircraft crash and the resulting mass casualty event, including rescue and fire suppression, treatment and transport of survivors, and crash site security. The exercise also validates the methods for shifting from an emergency situation to normal airport operations following a potential major incident,” Co added. The scenario for CREX 2023 involved a commercial aircraft bound for Subic, CREX flight #0000, carrying 76 passengers and four crew members, that suffered a left engine malfunction during the take-off run after a flock of domestic pigeons crossing the runway was ingested into the aircraft's number one (left) engine, causing the aircraft to crash. The aircraft lost thrust on its number one engine during take-off. The pilot attempted to abort the take-off, but the aircraft veered off the runway and came to a stop on the western portion. A fire broke out on the left wing. In this mock incident, there were 80 casualties, with 72 survivors and eight deceased. In addition to the standard fire suppression, medical, emergency response, and search and rescue activities, this year's CREX edition featured the activation of Cebu Pacific's Accident Site Go Team, marking the first time MIAA partnered with an airline. “Cebu Pacific prioritizes safety and has established processes when it comes to emergency response. We thank the MIAA for the opportunity for us to train together to help ensure that communication systems are in place in the event of a multi-agency response,” Cebu Pacific President and Chief Commercial Officer Xander Lao said as the airline demonstrated its emergency response, particularly in providing support to victims as well as processing and cross-matching victims and family members. The CREX is held to continuously meet security standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). In compliance with ICAO’s Suggested and Recommended Practices, the CREX is held every two years, but the full-scale exercise may not be conducted if the airport’s emergency plan was activated. The last full-scale CREX was on 19 October 2017. Several actual aircraft incidents in the succeeding years then brought to the fore MIAA’s emergency response capabilities. In August 2018, a Plan 1 emergency under its Airport Emergency Plan was activated when a Xiamen Air aircraft veered off the main runway while attempting to land during a heavy downpour. Barely two years after, another Plan 1 emergency occurred in March 2020, when a Lion Air medivac flight caught fire while it was rolling for take-off. The most recent involved a Saudia Airlines flight that went off the taxiway onto the grassy portion when its six right landing gears malfunctioned in June 2022. All passengers and crew were immediately evacuated and brought to NAIA Terminal 1. No one was hurt as a result of the incident. NAIA is rated as a Category IX airport, while MIAA’s current rescue and firefighting capability is Category X compliant, making it ready to respond to an airport emergency involving an Airbus A380. With the support of highly skilled fire and rescue personnel, a medical team well trained and experienced in aviation medicine, a fleet of modern firefighting and medical vehicles, pneumatic aircraft lifting systems, and various other rescue equipment, the MIAA Emergency Services department is on par with its counterparts in the region. “As this is a multi-agency response to a simulated emergency, assessment activities will be done after the exercise, where stakeholders are welcome to share their observations and raise comments and suggestions to improve our airport emergency plan and coordination system. The response is a community effort, and we appreciate everyone’s contribution in our quest to maintain the global standards of safety and security in NAIA,” Co said. “We would also like to thank our secondary responders for their support: Pasay City General Hospital, Ospital ng Parañaque, San Juan De Dios Hospital, Philippine Airforce, Las Piñas General Hospital, Philippine Coast Guard, Taguig City Fire Station, Manila Medical Center, Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) – Makati, Philippine National Police Aviation Security Group, Las Piñas City Fire Station, BFP Parañaque, Philippine General Hospital, Philippine Red Cross – Pasay City Chapter, and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority,” Co added. See more photos here: The post MIAA demonstrates NAIA’s emergency response preparedness at CREX 2023 appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Graft buster clears Cusi
Citing the presumption of regularity, the Office of the Ombudsman threw out the graft complaint of a New York-based billionaire against former Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, other Department of Energy officials, Davao City-based executive Dennis Uy, and several others over the sale of 90 percent of the shares of the Malampaya natural gas consortium. On 18 October 2021, US-based geologist Balgamel Domingo and Filipino-American anti-Duterte leaders Rodel Rodis and Loida Nicolas-Lewis filed charges against Cusi, Uy, and the others involved in the sale of the Malampaya stake to the Udenna group of Uy. In a copy of the ruling obtained by the Daily Tribune, the Ombudsman said it could not delve into the complaint on the legality of the transaction since “the authority to make such a determination belongs to the court.” “Seemingly, this complaint is in actuality a collateral attack on the validity of the Share Sale and Purchase Agreement,” it said. The decision declared that “matters of such tenor are not determinable in a preliminary investigation before the Ombudsman’s Office.” “Without any judicial determination decreeing the illegality of the Share Sale and Purchase Agreement, this Office is left with nothing but to acknowledge its validity,” the ruling said. The Ombudsman cited a precedent in the case of Teresita Buenaventura vs Metrobank, in a ruling that stated: “The burden of showing that a contract is simulated rests on the party impugning the contract.” “This is because of the presumed validity of the contract that has been duly executed,” the Ombudsman ruling read. “Wherefore, the criminal charges for violation of Section 3(e) and of Republic Act 3019 against the respondents are dismissed for lack of probable cause.” The ruling was signed by members of a Special Panel of Investigators composed of Ronald Allan Ramos, Josephine Mae Rosapapan, Francisco Alan Molina and Bonifacio Mandrilla. Prime takes control The operation of the Malampaya project was recently assumed by the Razon group’s Prime Energy which bought a 45-percent stake from Malampaya Energy XP, or MEXP, of the Udenna group. MEXP had bought the shares of Shell Philippines Exploration B.V., or SPEX, in the consortium. The Department of Energy had branded the complaint a political move since the two Fil-Am lawyers in the suit were prominent in the “Oust Duterte” movement in the United States. The complaint alleged that Cusi and other energy officials had granted “unwarranted benefits and advantage” to Uy’s UC Malampaya in the buyout of Chevron’s share in the consortium. Udenna, through spokesperson Raymond Zorilla, said there is “no law requiring approval of the transfer of shares of companies that have an interest in Malampaya.” Zorilla said the transfer of Chevron and Shell shares underwent strict bidding processes and due diligence by both multinational oil and gas players. “The share sales were above board and legal and had to pass scrutiny by Philippine regulators, international lenders, and the said private multinationals involved,” Zorilla added. Cusi, in an interview with Daily Tribune, had said the DoE was not involved in choosing the buyer of the shares of Shell and Chevron in the Malampaya project. “The DoE did not get involved in the sale (of shares). We don’t know that they are selling. Our question was what their standards are for choosing Udenna. Why didn’t you choose the big companies, and why Udenna?” he said. Industry experts said the sale of shares was a private transaction that the accusers, who are US lawyers, should have been very familiar with. Cusi said the DoE, during his watch, went beyond its mandate by reviewing the technical, legal, and financial aspects of the transactions, the results of which were provided to the public. Political agenda The complaint, he said, had an underlying political agenda connected to his being the head of President Rodrigo Duterte’s Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan or PDP Laban. “It is not only political propaganda against me, but it also has a destabilization background… because I’m the president of the PDP.” The complaints, in turn, stemmed from the unending Senate inquiries on the Malampaya deals. The DoE said the Senate probes and the controversies that resulted from them had caused costly delays in the review process that would ultimately affect the country’s energy security. To refute a recent remark by Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, the DoE, in a statement said: “The inquiries of Senator Gatchalian are causing undue delay to the timeline of the consortium corporations, and this may eventually take its toll and put our energy security at risk.” The DoE’s approval of the sale of shares of stock of Chevron Malampaya LLC, one of the three corporations in the Malampaya Gas Field Project Consortium, had been dubbed by Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy, as “lutong Macau.” It also backed the Udenna assessment that the deals were above-board. “When the sales were made, both Chevron Philippines, which owned Chevron Malampaya, and Shell Petroleum NV, owner of SPEX, followed rigorous global standards,” the DoE said. Nicolas-Lewis was part of a 25-person delegation from the US-Philippines Society, a private group comprising business executives and diplomats, who met with Duterte a week before his inauguration as president in 2016. Nicolas-Lewis was then accompanied by former Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Cuisia, PLDT chair Manuel V. Pangilinan, retired American diplomats, and executives of Coca-Cola, SGV, JP Morgan, and other top corporations. Nicolas-Lewis is the sister of former National Anti-Poverty Commission chairperson Imelda Nicolas, who was one of the “Hyatt 10” Cabinet members who turned against then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2005. Imelda and most of the Hyatt 10 members ended up getting key posts in the administration of President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III. Imelda was made head of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas. Nicolas-Lewis plot bared In February 2018, former President Duterte bared intercepted conversations that indicated Nicolas-Lewis was behind efforts to push the International Criminal Court, or ICC, to probe his war on drugs. Duterte revealed a recorded conversation between Lewis and another political opponent whom he did not name. “I was listening to the tapes of their conversation. It was provided to me by another country, but the conversation was somewhere in the Philippines and New York,” Duterte said. He said that among the recordings was one in which Lewis allegedly told another person: “See you in the headquarters when the case is filed.” Duterte then said in a public address that he was aware of developments on the ICC case and that lawyer Jude Sabio, the main complainant in the case, was a paid hack of Magdalo Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and Rep. Gary Alejano, both failed putschists. Sabio withdrew his complaint before the ICC and revealed that the case was the handiwork of the dirty tricks factory of Trillanes. In 2016, Duterte pointed to Lewis as the financier of an alleged destabilization plot against his administration. Nicolas-Lewis invested heavily in the failed presidential campaigns of Liberal Party bets Mar Roxas in 2016 and Vice President Leni Robredo in 2022. The post Graft buster clears Cusi appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
JPE: Merger can’t happen
The proposed merger of the Land Bank of the Philippines and the Development Bank of the Philippines can’t be done because of legal infirmities — LandBank still holds the private shares it obtained after it absorbed the United Coconut Planters Bank or UCPB. “The problem there is how would they merge the two banks when UCPB, which was taken over by LandBank, had private shareholders, who were mostly coconut farmers,” according to Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile. “Who are they to confiscate the properties of Filipinos? The Constitution says: ‘No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, and property without due process,’” he pointed out. “If President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos will ask my opinion on the merger, I will probably express a negative position,” Enrile said on his weekly program, Bayan ni Juan. Enrile blamed the Presidential Commission on Good Government or PCGG for mismanaging UCPB, which led to its bankruptcy, the reason for its consolidation with LandBank. “Who should be accountable for the millions of pesos lost in UCPB?” he asked. Enrile accused PCGG agents and nominees of squandering the money of the bank. Class suit appropriate “UCPB stockholders should file a class suit against the PCGG. It was not the fault of the share owners what happened to the bank, it was the fault of the government and the PCGG.” “They failed to manage the bank well considering that 72.5 percent of the bank’s shareholders were private individuals,” he said. “PCGG’s first chairman was former senator Jovito Salonga; he was then followed by a lineup of crocodiles who were responsible for the dissipation of the funds in UCPB,” according to Enrile. “UCPB, before it was taken over by the government, was a very lucrative and liquid bank. When the pilferers took over, we do not know what happened to the contributions of the coconut farmers,” he said. “Should we forget what happened, without anybody answering for it?” Enrile asked the Bureau of Internal Revenue, for instance, to run after the PCGG officials and employees who enriched themselves with the stolen money. “There were many who became rich at the expense of UCPB,” he said. “(The administration of the late President Cory Aquino) made it appear that UCPB was funded using ill-gotten money; they just did not understand the objective in creating the bank,” the former Senate President said. After the EDSA Revolt on 25 February 1986, among the first moves of the then “revolutionary government” of Aquino was to create the PCGG to investigate and recover the ill-gotten wealth. On 31 July 1987, the PCGG sequestered shares of stock in UCPB registered in the names of one million coconut farmers under the so-called Coconut Industry Investment Fund companies and those owned by tycoon Eduardo Cojuangco Jr. The sequestered UCPB shares were then worth an estimated P10 billion but have grown lately to around P70 billion, including the San Miguel Corp. shares bought with coconut levy funds. On 28 February 2001, the Sandiganbayan First Division ordered the PCGG to allow the CIIF companies and Cojuangco to vote on the sequestered UCPB shares. On 14 December 2001, the Supreme Court reversed Sandiganbayan’s decision, ruling that the PCGG had the right to vote on the sequestered UCPB shares. First universal bank UCPB, founded in 1938, was the first universal bank in the country. The PCGG argued that the sequestered UCPB shares were acquired with coconut levy funds, which were public in character. The CIIF companies and Cojuangco countered that they were the rightful owners of the sequestered UCPB shares. “The government takeover of UCPB was an injustice to the coconut farmers. Nothing has happened since to address the injustice,” Enrile said. After the funds of the bank were depleted, it borrowed money from LandBank. Enrile said the merger of LandBank with DBP will have the effect of removing the PCGG’s responsibility for the injustice done to the small farmers. “They want to erase the wrong done to the poor,” he said. “Those favoring the merger should be aware of the need to repeal the law that created the DBP to allow the transfer of its assets to LandBank. Both are chartered government enterprises,” Enrile noted. He added, “I respect the position of Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno (in advocating the merger) but he is not a lawyer.” On 25 June 2021, former President Rodrigo Duterte signed Executive Order 142, approving the merger of LandBank and UCPB. On 14 December 2021, UCPB shareholders approved the merger plan. On 1 March 2022, the merger took effect. LandBank became the surviving entity and UCPB was dissolved. In July 2022, UCPB branches throughout the country started being converted to LandBank branches. On 1 March 2023, the merger was fully completed resulting in a combined asset base of P2.8 trillion, making LandBank the second-largest bank in the Philippines. The post JPE: Merger can’t happen appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘SoNA all’
Hello again my dear readers. Have you ever caught yourself staring at beautiful couples holding hands, happily enjoying their lives, worry-free, as if the world was spinning round and round just for them, and you simply said to yourself: “Sana all.” Or maybe you recently saw your old friend who lost so much weight after moving on and going through so much in life and you whispered to yourself: “Sana all.” Well, you’re not alone. Oftentimes we crave something we want but which we cannot have (yet), or maybe we’re just really optimistic that someday, somehow, we will also have our time to enjoy these things that we crave, because these are things that we cannot buy and have to work hard for to get. It will require time and patience and, most of all, hard work. Things worth having are really worth waiting for. Speaking of worth having, well, I’m pretty sure you will not be deprived of our topic for today because, hey, it is Thirstday again and that means we get to talk about the latest State of the Nation Address or SoNA of PBBM. With all the updates and exciting plans this administration has in store for our beloved country, I say with all high hopes: “SoNA all” Well, that is the beauty of democracy you can express your opinions freely. But before that, did you know that the longest SoNA was delivered by former President Rodrigo Duterte which clocked two hours and 45 minutes? The shortest SoNA was delivered by Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, now the Pampanga 2nd District representative, which took only 25 minutes; while former President Noynoy Aquino delivered the first SoNA in Filipino, “Kayo ang Boss ko,” if you may recall. Going back to the SoNA of President BBM, comments abound in different news outlets and on social media. Well, that is the beauty of democracy — you can express your opinions freely. Foremost in the President’s SoNA was the food security program aimed at putting food on the table of every household. This is a much-needed program if we are to protect our young population from malnutrition, as hunger threatens not only our country but is currently a worldwide problem. With no less than the President at the helm of the Department of Agriculture or DA, the public expects DA officials to fully live up to the aims set by PBBM. Education as a long-term tool and solution for almost all of the challenges we face found its way into the SoNA and was much emphasized by PBBM. With VP Sara piloting the Department of Education, all DepEd officials as co-pilots must steer the department to achieve the progressive education we all aspire for our youth. Infrastructure development, particularly focusing on the transport system with emphasis on seaports, airports, and road networks, is on the priority list of the President. This will provide easy access for every Juan as they work and travel or for every Nena and Pilar as they buy their daily needs nearby or shop elsewhere. Tourism will also get a boost as many destinations open and become accessible to local and foreign travelers and, yes, such movement of people will spur economic activity that will spell renewed income for local folk and added revenue for the government. Disaster preparedness and resilience is the cornerstone of a sound program to mitigate the effects of disasters. The President outlined fully the desire to achieve resilience and be totally prepared against disasters, whether man-made or natural. An average of twenty typhoons a year visit our country, which is in the “ring of fire,” an imaginary global ring of islands and land masses where volcanoes abound and earthquakes frequently emanate. Well, better watch National Geographic or read books! Nose bleed. Well, it is not only typhoons and the “ring of fire” that we should worry about, hence, the President underlined the plan for a new amnesty program for former rebels who returned to the fold of the law and to encourage the remnants of the armed communist group to embrace peace and be productive citizens of mainstream society. The priority legislative agenda of the President was laid out precisely. Foremost are the essential tax measures under the Medium-Term Fiscal Framework, such as: An excise tax on single-use plastics; VAT on digital services; rationalization of mining fiscal regime; motor vehicle user’s charge/road user tax, and the Military and Uniformed Personnel pension. The President enjoined Congress to act on the following: Amendment of the Fisheries Code; amendment of the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act; Amendment of the Cooperative Code; New Government Procurement Law; New Government Auditing Code; Anti-financial accounts scamming; Tatak-Pinoy law; The Blue Economy law; Ease of paying taxes; LGU income classification; and the Philippine Immigration Act. Congress is expected to act on these and make them more responsive to the current fortunes of time, especially with the fast pace of technology. Looking back and then focusing our eyes on the immediate future, we should all be hopeful for the plans the President laid out, especially on food security, education, infrastructure development, disaster preparedness, and all others which directly affect our daily lives, and be part of it, not because we are red, green, blue, yellow or whatever color of the rainbow or even a Power Ranger. Just as Master Rapper Francis M. said in his famous song: “Every color, every hue is represented by me and you, take a slide on the slope, take a look at the kaleidoscope..,” but because the current skipper needs all hands on deck and most importantly... we are all in the same boat. The post ‘SoNA all’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
P130B mandatory investment needed for NAIA rehab
The Department of Transportation said the winning bidder for the rehabilitation of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport needs to prepare at least a P130 billion mandatory investment to deliver the much-needed upgrade for the country’s main air hub within three to five years. “There is a commitment to spend a certain amount of money for infrastructure. We are looking at something called mandatory infrastructure that should be implemented within the next five years,” Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista told reporters on the sidelines of the Philippine Economic Briefing in Pasay City. “We’re looking at something that may reach almost a hundred, 130 billion pesos in investment in the next three years or five years,” Bautista said. The DoTr will publish the Terms of Reference for the solicited bidding to rehabilitate the Ninoy Aquino International Airport by next month so that contract will be awarded as early as December. The National Economic and Development Authority or NEDA, chaired by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., approved the solicited bid to privatize the operations of NAIA. NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said the P170.6-billion project will help address the long-standing issues at the country’s main air hub such as congestion and limited aircraft movements that usually cause inconvenience to passengers. Last month, the DoTr and the Manila International Airport Authority submitted a joint proposal to the NEDA Board to privatize the operations and management of NAIA within 15 years. The government’s plan was shorter than the 25-year deal offered by Manila International Airport Consortium or MIAC who vied to take over NAIA. MIAC’s P267 billion proposal includes P211 billion of capital investments, P57 billion of which will be rolled out over the first five years. The remaining P154 billion, on the other hand, will be invested over the remainder of the proposed 25-year concession period. Under the NAIA Masterplan, there are three key phases of development, which will feature capacity and reliability increase, and overall improvements in passenger experience. Before the pandemic, NAIA had already breached this ceiling when it registered a peak of 47.9 million passengers in 2019. MIAC is composed of Aboitiz InfraCapital, Inc., AC Infrastructure Holdings Corporation, Asia's Emerging Dragon Corporation, Alliance Global – Infracorp Development, Inc., Filinvest Development Corporation, and JG Summit Infrastructure Holdings Corporation along with Global Infrastructure Partners. Massive railways projects slated In the same forum, Bautista also bared that the DoTr will take on railway projects with a total length of more than 1,000 kilometers. The project, which was also mentioned during Monday’s SONA, includes the following: PNR North Long Haul, 853 kilometers; Panay Railway, 100 kilometers; North Mindanao Railway, 54 kilometers; and San Mateo Railway, 17 kilometers. According to Bautista, all of these projects have secured funding to initiate feasibility studies. He said procurement is now ongoing for consultancy firms to create the feasibility studies for the rail projects lined up by the administration. The post P130B mandatory investment needed for NAIA rehab appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DoTr shifts priority focus on public transport initiatives
Responding to the President’s call to deliver efficient services to Filipinos, the Department of Transportation has committed to shift its focus into developing a public transit-friendly landscape, instead of maintaining the current car-centric setup that privileges the private automobile as a better transportation mode. “The transportation department’s initiatives have shifted focus on public transport, to maximize usage of the country’s limited highways,” the DoTr said on Monday. “The goal is for private vehicle owners to abandon their cars in favor of trains, buses, taxis, bicycles, and even motorcycle taxis,” it added. Despite facing numerous headwinds, the DoTr still described the EDSA Busway implementation as successful. The new system, which is envisioned to be replicated in more populated areas in the country, reduces travel time between Monumento and PITX to more or less an hour. To recall, improving the EDSA busway system was one of the priorities of the DoTr. It plans to introduce new stations and upgrade existing facilities to be universally accessible, gender-responsive, and climate resilient — all aligned with international standards. Active transport nationwide Simultaneously, the DoTr said it will complete its planned 2,400-kilometer bike lane expansion by 2028 to promote active and sustainable transportation. “As an advocate of the environment-friendly transport system, we are pushing for the Active Transport Program where 564 kilometers of bike lanes were built throughout the country with an additional 470 kilometers to be constructed this year,” it added. The DoTr has set out its plans to upgrade and expand existing bike lane and pedestrian walkway networks, and provide better Public Utility Vehicle stops and End-of-Trip cycling facilities. For this year alone, the DoTr will mobilize P932.82 million to build additional 470 kilometers of protected bike lanes across nine regions in the country this year. Airport overhaul underway To boost the country’s tourism industry, the DoTr aims to improve the operations and facilities of our international and even regional airports through the implementation of Public-Private Partnerships to speed up aviation projects. Just last week, Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista said the DoTr will publish the Terms of Reference for the solicited bidding to rehabilitate the Ninoy Aquino International Airport by next month so that contract will be awarded as early as December. The National Economic and Development Authority or NEDA, chaired by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., approved the solicited bid to privatize the operations of NAIA. NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said the P170.6-billion project will help address the long-standing issues at the country’s main air hub such as congestion and limited aircraft movements that usually cause inconvenience to passengers. “We also have opened to the public the new passenger terminal of Clark International Airport. And to complement the operations in our main gateway, new airport projects in Bulacan and Sangley are being developed,” the DoTr noted. Likewise, the DoTr added that the relaxation of travel restrictions and continued support to recovery initiatives of airlines and other aviation stakeholders have resulted in passenger volume being around 3.2x compared to 2021 figures. Full-year 2022 domestic and international passenger volumes hit 32.3 million vs 7.7 million in 2021. Powering through delays In the railways sector, despite the push backs, the DoTr said it remains optimistic to deliver its promises. “Railways effectively address traffic congestion while providing increased passenger and freight capacity. The DoTr is accelerating the development, upgrade, and construction of big-ticket rail projects to be able to move more people and goods,” the DoTr said. “The DoTr has made substantial headway on several ongoing rail projects with various contracts signed and construction and financing milestones for big-ticket projects North-South Commuter Railway, Metro Manila Subway Project, LRT-1 Cavite Extension, Common Station, MRT-3 Rehabilitation and Maintenance, MRT-4 and other ongoing railway projects,” it added. Despite the slow progress, the Metro Manila Subway Project, which has been at the table for years, is one of the flagship projects the DoTr wants to prioritize. According to Bautista, fulfilling the rail project on time also means fulfilling his promise of providing “a global-standard transport system” to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. With 17 stations and a depot of 30.34 hectares, the civil works for the Metro Manila Subway Project’s two major segments will generate more than 6,000 direct and indirect jobs. Funded by the Japanese government, the subway is a 33-kilometer rail line stretching from Valenzuela City to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Pasay City. It will reduce travel time between Quezon City and NAIA from one hour and 10 minutes to just 45 minutes. The post DoTr shifts priority focus on public transport initiatives appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Food and the Chief Executive Hail to the ‘Chef’
What is served during the State of the Nation Address and other official banquets is a statement about the kind of signal an administration wants to send to the public. Usually, it’s along the lines of “We want to showcase our culinary identity.” For President Bongbong Marcos’ SONA last year, the menu was sago’t gulaman, bam-i guisado, grilled pandesal, palitaw, bibingka and puto bumbong, which seemed as much to virtue signal themselves away from the ostentation associated with their name… supposedly, but what leaders eat in private is a different matter altogether. There are certain food (and wine, ahem) we’ve come to associate with certain presidents, some more well-known than others. If you say Erap, the chorus of Petruses will be faster than you can shake a stick at. It was what he was known for, as was the quality of the food at meetings afternoons or, indeed, midnights. According to veteran journalist and foodie Teddy Montelibano, Erap had a black book for food. “It was just the best of everything…the best lechon….etc.” [caption id="attachment_161364" align="aligncenter" width="1080"] Chateau Petrus, said to be former president Joseph Estrada’s favorite wine.[/caption] Fewer presidents were known for their cooking, if at all, and President Cory Aquino is famous for her mastery of a very difficult dish, the Peking Duck. President Noynoy Aquino, too, was a hearty eater and very fond of good Chinese food, according to Montelibano. When PBBM won last year, a slew of features regarding his cooking skills and favorites have been well-documented. Bongbong is reportedly an avid cook listing sinigang, pinakbet, osso buco as some of his specialties. Among his listed favorite things to eat, on the other hand, the kanduli sinigang sa miso often mentioned as something he looked forward to coming home to. He prefers a light breakfast of muesli, honey and yogurt. His spirit of choice is cognac. In an interview with culinary personality Reggie Aspiras, who is also a cousin of the current President, it was revealed that he had gone to El Bulli in Barcelona, Spain, which in the 2000s was known as the greatest restaurant in the world — and predictably the hardest to get into. El Bulli is much acclaimed for its modernist and cutting-edge cuisine, a brainchild of the godfather of molecular gastronomy, chef Ferran Adria. Adria decided to shut the doors on El Bulli in 2011, still very much at the top of his game, and it had been rumored that the restaurant still had a wait list of over 30,000 people. As for President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., the usual Ilocano fare like pinakbet is often mentioned. “I don’t think Marcos Sr. was a foodie,” said Montelibano. “I mean he’s Ilocano, you know,” Marcos Sr. did have a fish preference, an expensive one that’s nearly extinct. Agence France Press in 2010 reported that Marcos Sr.’s favorite fish, the lobed river mullet, known as ludong or banak, was facing extinction. Its identity had been so tied to Marcos Sr. that it’s still referred to as “president’s fish.” It is a rare fish that is only found in a handful of countries, and even in the Philippines. It only swims in a few rivers in the north. Thirteen years later, the state of ludong has not improved; it is still near extinction despite the fisheries bureau calling for a five-year ban on catching it. “It is a threatened species and we have to do something about it before it goes extinct. If we don’t stop the indiscriminate catching, in a short while, it could vanish,” the AFP quoted Jovita Ayson, then a regional director of the fisheries bureau. Back then, it sold for P5,000 ($114) a kilogram, “which only the wealthiest can afford, making it the most expensive fish in the Philippines.” To date, it is still the most expensive fish in the country. The post Food and the Chief Executive Hail to the ‘Chef’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Metro subway now 33% complete
The first-ever subway linking Valenzuela to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal is now 33 percent complete, the Department of Transportation reported Saturday. In a press conference, DoTr Undersecretary for Railways Cesar Chavez said part of the multi-billion peso Metro Manila Subway Project from Valenzuela to North Avenue, including 4 stations is almost complete. “We expect that before Christmas the Valenzuela corner Quirino will be completed,” Chavez added. However, Chavez said right of way remains to be an issue in several areas as some homeowners from posh subdivisions in Quezon City raised their concerns about the effect of the project on their houses. “It’s their fear we have to address and explained to them railway tracks will strengthen the foundations of their homes, aside from being ruled out that they are sitting on a sinkhole. The tunnel will also reinforce the ground,” Chavez explained. Acquiring lands that need to be used for the subway is also giving them challenges, but according to Justice Undersecretary Raul Vasquez. the government is still expected to have its way, especially if the area would be used for public services. “It’s the power of eminent domain the right of the state will prevail,” Vasquez said, adding that no one can also file or seek a restraining order over the project. Dubbed as the “Project of the Century”, the Metro Manila Subway is expected to reduce travel time between Valenzuela City and NAIA to only 41 minutes for only estimated minimum fare at least P22, with an additional P2 per kilometer. The post Metro subway now 33% complete appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Metro Subway now 33 percent complete
The first-ever subway linking Valenzuela to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal (NAIA) is now 33 percent complete, the Department of Transportation reported Saturday. In a press conference, DoTr Undersecretary for Railways Cesar Chavez said part of the multi-billion peso Metro Manila Subway Project from Valenzuela to North Avenue, including four stations is almost complete. “We expect that before Christmas, the Valenzuela corner Quirino will be completed,” Chavez added. However, Chavez said right of way remains to be an issue in several areas as some homeowners from posh subdivisions in Quezon City raised their concerns about the effect of the project on their houses. “It's their fear we have to address and explained to them railway tracks will strengthen the foundations of their homes, aside from being ruled out that they are sitting on a sinkhole. The tunnel will also reinforce the ground," Chavez explained. Acquiring lands that need to be used for the subway is also giving them challenges, but according to Justice Undersecretary Raul Vasquez, the government is still expected to have its way, especially if the area would be used for public services. “It's the power of eminent domain the right of the state will prevail," Vasquez said, adding that no one can also file or seek a restraining order over the project. Dubbed the “Project of the Century”, the Metro Manila Subway is expected to reduce travel time between Valenzuela City and NAIA to only 41 minutes for only an estimated minimum fare of at least P22, with an additional P2 per kilometer. The post Metro Subway now 33 percent complete appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DoE ‘slow walking’ on cheaper energy
The Department of Energy has been slow in making energy production sustainable and reducing the cost of electricity, which can be achieved by adopting nuclear energy, Rep. Mark Cojuangco told the Daily Tribune on Wednesday. Cojuangco, of the 2nd District of Pangasinan, said the country spends around $800 million on coal imports each year to generate most of its energy supply. On the other hand, he said, nuclear energy production costs only around $20 million which would result in 50 percent or more savings to consumers. “We should think of our balance of payments first. Nuclear energy has long been used by France since they decided to address the oil crisis in the 1970s and 1980s. As a result, their energy has been cleaner and their country independent from the OPEC or Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries,” Cojuangco said. Despite this, he said, the DoE has been “slow walking” in adopting nuclear energy. It should aggressively advocate lawmakers for the construction and operation of nuclear plants in the country, starting with the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, he stressed. “They are saying 2,500 megawatts of power by 2032 in the country, but they are not saying how they’re going to get there. There should be a firm vision in place that the Congress should make an official energy policy,” Cojuangco said. He noted that the DoE had commissioned a survey that revealed that 79 percent of Filipinos were being hurt by the high energy prices and believed the government should resolve this. “DoE has been exploring alternative energy sources for 37 years, yet energy prices are still expensive. It’s time to adopt nuclear energy which can be produced through the BNPP. As consumers, we have the social license to alert the government and demand affordable energy,” he said. The BNPP had not been activated since former president Corazon Aquino ordered further studies on the safety of nuclear power plants in 1986, following the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in Ukraine. Cojuangco, however, said nuclear power plants are safe as they are inspected by the International Atomic Energy Agency. To ensure enough energy supply, he said the country should be producing 1,000 megawatts through nuclear energy each year to achieve an additional 16,000 megawatts by 2045. Currently, he said, the country gets 75 percent of its energy from fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas, and oil to generate 16,000 megawatts. He cautioned, however, that reserves from these traditional sources are thinning, including the Malampaya natural gas field in Palawan, amid projections of a fast-growing population. “Twenty percent of the energy from fossil fuels comes from Malampaya, and the National Economic and Development Authority said we need to double our 22,000-megawatt capacity by 2040,” he added. The post DoE ‘slow walking’ on cheaper energy appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
NEDA board approves P170.6 billion NAIA rehab
To address issues in the country’s main gateway, the National Economic and Development Authority Board yesterday approved the P170.6-billion Ninoy Aquino International Airport rehabilitation project......»»