DPWH awards design contracts for 32-km Bataan-Cavite bridge
The Department of Public Works and Highways is building a 32.15-kilometer bridge that will link and reduce travel time between Bataan and Cavite provinces to 30 minutes from six hours......»»
Bataan-Cavite bridge O& M eyed for PPP
The government is looking at the operations and maintenance (O&M) of the Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge as a potential public-private partnership project......»»
ADB extends $650 million financing for Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge
Asian Development Bank is extending a $650-million loan to the Philippines for the financing of Bataan - Cavite Interlink Bridge project......»»
ADB approves $2.1 billion financing for Bataan-Cavite bridge project
The Asian Development Bank has approved $2.1 billion worth of financing for the construction of the Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge project......»»
ADB approves 2.1 bln USD loan to build bridge in Philippines
MANILA, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Tuesday said it has approved up to 2.1 billion U.S. dollars in loan for the construction of a 32.15 km bridge connecting Bataan and Cavite provinces across Manila Bay to decongest Metro Manila, enabling greater mobility of labor and goods, and enhance economic productivity in the country's largest region of Luzon. The ADB said the Bataan-Cavite Inte.....»»
DPWH consults with maritime stakeholders for BCIB Project
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is stepping-up efforts in its preparation of the civil works activities for Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge (BCIB) Project by discussing anticipated issues and concerns with maritime agencies and other relevant stakeholders. DPWH Unified Project Management Office – Roads Management Cluster 2 (Multilateral) Project Director Sharif Madsmo H. Hasim, […].....»»
Manhattan of Pasay City (5)
Had it not been for the intrepidity and foresight of Ferdinand Magellan and Christopher Columbus, who defied the myth of a flat earth, we might not have been discovered and America would have remained hidden behind the fog and fear of navigators falling into the void with their ships when they reached the edge of the Atlantic. Similarly, if we allow ourselves to be deterred by critics that reclamations cause floods and uglify our bay, then we shall be killing one brilliant idea from the Dutch, and in the process diminish the strength of our total effort to pursue our once-in-a-million-year chance to make our country the richest, the greatest and the most beautiful in the world. The momentum for growth and economic gain has been increasing in the area of infrastructure and reclamation. Manhattan of Pasay City will continue until we have accorded very humble personalities who conceived of and brought world-class projects to reality, for the Filipino people and the whole world to behold forever. The current drive was originally inspired by the iconic San Juanico Bridge, buildings, structures and thousands of kilometers of roads and bridges borne out of the creative mind of Ferdinand Edralin Marcos. He was followed by President Rodrigo Duterte and President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. In the area of land reclamation, one name runs foremost in the Philippines, the humble and hardworking Mayor Duay Calixto, whose prophetic vision turned Pasay City’s 52-hectare reclaimed land into the home of the Mall of Asia, the fifth among the five largest malls in the world. Some of the games of the FIBA World Cup, from 25 August to 10 September, will be played in the Mall of Asia. Governor Jose Enrique Garcia III of Bataan said President Marcos Jr. and his late father will be long remembered as the builders of the longest bridges. The 32-kilometer Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge, or BCIB, is a one-of-a-kind structure that will give new hope and more progress to all Filipinos. If President Marcos Sr. built the two-kilometer San Juanico Bridge that connects Samar and Leyte provinces in 1972 and is considered the longest bridge in the country; if he built the longest bridge in the Visayas then — 50 years later during the regime of his son “Bongbong,” the Bataan-Cavite bridge that will cross Manila Bay is poised to become the longest bridge in the country. Marcos Jr. led on 31 March a milestone ceremony for the BCIB project. The five-year construction of the BCIB will start during the first semester of 2024. Travel time by land from Bataan to Cavite is five hours, by the Bataan to Cavite Interlink Bridge, the trip would take only 45 minutes. And as the passengers pass over the scenic view over Manila Bay, one will be awed by the breathtaking beauty as the vehicle passes Manhattan of Pasay City. The ERC contractor Netherlands–based Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V., a leading global dredging contractor and marine service provider hired by the City of Pasay, would certainly establish the necessary linkages to ensure connectivity and continuity for the pleasure and convenience of foreign and local tourists. An exit route can be provided and linkages straight to a cozy room in the tall buildings that look like the iconic towers of New York City in Manila Bay; a limousine ride to the Mall of Asia where foreign visitors can get a feel for how the Filipinos have intimately embraced the culture of mall life during their free time. The post Manhattan of Pasay City (5) 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......»»
Bagong Pilipinas
I attended the President’s second State of the Nation Address and I genuinely enjoyed it. Compared to the first one, this was concise and measurable. It exhibited better grasp of the insurmountable task at hand. Compared to his predecessor, this was delivered professionally, as if before a global audience. The President did not even need to drink an ounce of water. The lighting on the rostrum added drama to the speech. There were no videos played during the SoNA, focusing more attention on the content of the speech itself. The Cabinet secretaries in attendance were the only persons identified in the speech. When he entered the Plenary Hall, there was minimal fanfare as the attendees stood patiently as he made his way to the front, except for one female representative who had the gall to take a selfie. If we may recall, during the SoNAs of former president Rodrigo Duterte, public officials would crowd around him as if he were a rock star. This time, the officials stayed in their assigned areas. I learned from a friend in Malacañang that the speech was dictated by the President himself and transcribed by assistants. It was later fine-tuned by a single writer to make it concise and coherent, then reviewed and finalized by the President. The speech touched on all areas of importance. There were no surprises, which should be just right for a presidential speech. Among the items mentioned, I particularly liked the following: He made mention of the revision of several laws, including the Fisheries Code and the Cooperative Code. This showed his sympathy for the majority of Filipinos. As for the economy, he emphasized the need for more tax reforms, a continuation of the Duterte administration’s TRAIN laws. I was keenly interested in the revision of the Procurement Act considering that Finance Secretary Ben Diokno was among those who helped draft the Procurement Act that we have today. A new Auditing Code would likewise be beneficial, as it would arm CoA Chairman Liel Cordoba to better assess the performance of government offices. The “Build, Better, More” Infrastructure Program, the sequel to President Duterte’s “Build, Build, Build” Program, was highlighted to show how it would improve the economy. He mentioned the Luzon Spine Road that would reduce travel time from 20 hours to nine hours, as the construction of 12 major bridges, including the 32-km Bataan-Cavite Bridge, the 32-km Panay-Guimaras-Negros Bridge, and the Davao-Samal Bridge. What took center stage was the approval of the Maharlika Investment Fund which would serve as the investment vehicle to propel our economy forward. He assured the appointment of credible officials proficient in fund management and said that other countries with sovereign funds were interested in investing right about now. There were several other items that I will mention in the succeeding articles. But what was most distinct was how the President ended his speech. He repeated, but improved, his soundbite from last year: “The State of the Nation is sound and it is improving.” Then he launched his platform, “Dumating na po ang Bagong Pilipinas.” We are all hopeful for this, and we support you, President Marcos. *** For comments, email him at darren.dejesus@gmail.com The post Bagong Pilipinas appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
2nd State of the Nation Address
Anti-inflation measures Crafting of Medium-Term Fiscal Framework supported by Congress Implementation of strategies to capacitate economic sectors Results (1) 7.6 percent growth in 2022 — highest rate in 46 years. (2) January to March 2023 — 6.4 growth percent (within 6 to 7 percent target) (3) Philippines considered to be among fastest-growing economies in the Asian region and in the world (4) Strong and stable financial system (5) Banks have strong capital and liquidity positions. (6) Digital economy contributed P2 trillion in 2022, the equivalent of 9.4 percent of our GDP. (7) World Bank projects a 6 percent overall growth rate due to strong local demand, consumer spending, strength from the BPO industry, steady flow of remittances, and continuing jobs recovery (8) Inflation rate eased up from 8.7 percent in January to 5.4 percent in June. (9) Bureau of Internal Revenue posted P1.05 trillion collections — an increase of almost 10 percent over the last year (10) Bureau of Customs increased collection by 7.4 percent for the first seven months of 2023, amounting to P476 billion. (11) PAGCOR increased collection by 47.9 percent (12) PCSO increased collection by 20 percent Reduction of prices of commodities like rice, meat, fish, vegetables and sugar Roll out of more than 7,000 KADIWA stores nationwide that link farmers with consumers, benefited 1.8 million families Agriculture Science-based methods toward food security Revision of Fisheries Code Unify 300 farm and fisheries clusters composed of 900 cooperatives Extensive technology training like the use of local bio-fertilizers Distribution of farm machinery, tools and inclement Distribution of more than 5 million rice seedlings and other crops Fuel at fertilizer discount vouchers Geo-Agri map of farm-to-market roads Irrigated 49,000 hectares of farmlands across the country. Constructed 4,000 additional fabrication labs, production at cold storage facilities Built 24 multi-species hatcheries to increase fisheries production Anti-animal pest monitoring, medicines, and vaccines Cloud seeding and buffer stocks in preparation for El Niño 70,000 agrarian land titles distributed Signing of EO No. 4. Or New Agrarian Emancipation Act the condoned P57-billion farmers’ loans Smuggling and hoarding Days of smugglers and hoarders are numbered Water Supply Creation of Water Resources Management Office Working for legislation of Department of Water Resource Management Allocated P14.6 billion for water supply projects Completion of Wawa Bulk Water Supply Project Phase 1 Installed 6,0000 rainwater collection systems across the country Infrastructure 8.3-trillion peso “Build, Better, More” Program in progress 194 flagship projects Continuation of “Build, Build, Build” projects Infrastructure spending stays at 5 to 6 percent of GDP 1,200-kilometer Luzon Spine Expressway Network Program will effectively connect Ilocos to Bicol from 20 hours to just 9 hours of travel Under Mega-Bridge Program, 12 bridges totaling 90 kilometers will be constructed including Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge and the Panay-Guimaras-Negros Island Bridges, and Samal Island-Davao City Connector Bridge As of June 2023, 4,000 kilometers of roads and 500 bridges have been constructed, maintained and upgraded Completed Cebu’s Pier 88 smart port, new passenger terminal buildings of Clark Airport and Port of Calapan. North-South Commuter Railway System now in full swing Strategic financing Enactment into law of Maharlika Investment Fund Social security Funds for the social security and public health insurance intact and separate Energy and Power Generation Price of crude oil stabilized Since last year, gasoline and diesel prices have gone down by 18 to 29 percent, respectively. Built 8 new additional power plants, bringing to 17 the total number of power generation facilities Energy production increased by 1,174 megawatts. Almost half a million homes given access to electricity; 100 percent household electrification by June 2028 Renewable energy is the way forward Promotion of renewables targets 35 percent share in the power mix by 2030, and 50 percent by 2040 Opened renewable energy projects to foreign investments Since last year, an additional 126 renewable energy contracts with potential capacity of 31,000 megawatts awarded. To date, more than 1,000 active projects all over the country — 299 are solar, 187 are wind, 436 are hydroelectric, 58 are biomass, 36 are geothermal, and 9 are ocean-powered. Malampaya project is boon, energizing 20 percent of Luzon; renewal of the contract guarantees continued revenues and energy production for another 15 years Push for more gas exploration in other parts of the country Partnered with the BARMM in regard to energy exploration and development The Philippines now has a Unified National Grid with the interconnection of the Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao grids “One Grid, One Market” will enable more efficient transfers and more competitive pricing of electricity Performance review of National Grid Corporation of the Philippines to complete all of its deliverables, starting with the vital Mindanao-Visayas and Cebu-Negros-Panay interconnections. Social welfare Enough funds for underprivileged DSWD, DoLE, DepEd, TESDA and CHEd involved in providing assistance Programs like AICS, TUPAD, TVET for Social Equity, Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens, Cash-for-Work for PWDs, and Integrated Livelihood Program-Kabuhayan available for indigents Social protection Pension of the military and the uniformed personnel is as important, urgent, and humanitarian as that of all other civilian Filipino employees Working closely with Congress to ease the transition from the old system to the new one, to guarantee that no effects are felt by those in the uniformed services. The post 2nd State of the Nation Address appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Marcos: Maharlika Fund to finance high-priority projects
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. underscored the expected significant contribution of the Maharlika Investment Fund to the government's ambitious drive to develop infrastructure. In his second State of the Nation Address on Monday, Marcos mentioned that the government will reinvest the gains from the MIF into the nation's economic well-being. “For strategic financing, some of the nation’s high-priority projects can now look to the newly-established Maharlika Investment Fund without the added debt burden,” Marcos said. The President signed the Maharlika Investment Fund law – which will make a P500 billion fund – last week. He said that the government is currently working on 194 big building projects, of which 123 are new. In his SONA, the President said Maharlika Investment Fund could be used for "high-impact and profitable investments" as part of the "Build Better More" program. "To ensure sound financial management a group of internationally-recognized economic managers shall oversee the operations of the fund, guided by the principles of transparency and accountability,” Marcos said. He named the 1,200-kilometer Luzon Spine Expressway network, the Megabridges program and the North-South Commuter Railway project as some of the projects he wanted to work on. He said that the network of toll roads on Luzon will cut the time it takes to get from Ilocos to Bicol from 20 hours to just 9 hours. The NSCR, on the other hand, will cut the time it takes to get from Pampanga to Laguna from 4 hours to just 2 hours. Marcos also said that the Bataan-Cavite Interlink bridge, the Panay-Guimaras Negros Island bridges and the Samal Island-Davao City Connector bridge were important to his government. He reassured the public that the government assets funding MIF will be free from political machinations. “In pooling a small fraction but considerable and underutilized government funds, we will use them for high-impact and profitable investments, and its gains will be reinvested in the country’s economic well-being,” Marcos said. “They will guarantee that the investments will be made based on financial considerations alone, absent any political influence,” he added. The post Marcos: Maharlika Fund to finance high-priority projects appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Where to put Maharlika money? Bataan-Cavite bridge, NGCP among early options
The proposal was floated by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri on Tuesday......»»
Optimism anchored on accomplishments! (2)
If we were to judge how our country is doing, based on the faces of the Filipinos who joined the parade in commemoration of our country’s 125th Independence Day, it can be said with all fervor that our country is in good hands. The thousands of Filipinos from all sectors of our society, from the national and local governments, all of them in the parade were beaming with joy, and waving to President Bongbong Marcos and his family. The greetings of felicitation were warm, sincere, and mutual between and among many familiar faces, reminiscent of the millions who were with Bongbong in his caravans last May 2022. Ours is indeed a healthy, free, and vibrant democracy. Long live the Republic of the Philippines! Mabuhay ang Pilipinas! The record that President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and his son Bongbong hold as builders of the longest bridges was sealed last 31 March when Bongbong led a milestone ceremony for the engineering design for the construction of the Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge in Mariveles, Bataan. The 32-kilometer BCIB is a one-of-a-kind structure that will give new hope and bring more progress to all Filipinos. According to Bataan Gov. Jose Enrique Garcia III, the bridge that will cross Manila Bay is poised to become the longest in the country. If the iconic San Juanico bridge was built to connect two provinces, Leyte and Samar, the Bataan-Cavite bridge will connect the two largest regions, one in Central Luzon and the other in Southern Tagalog. The five-year construction of the Bataan-Cavite bridge will start during the first semester of 2024. In pursuit of the hard-to-surpass record of his father and that of his immediate predecessor of building work-of-art infrastructure projects, President Bongbong Marcos announced recently that the government has approved 194 high-impact projects with a total budget of P9 trillion. Of the 194 projects on the list of the National Economic and Development Authority, or NEDA, 123 were initiated by the present administration, while the others were started during the Duterte term. The projects focus on power and energy, digital connectivity, flood management, and transportation infrastructure. Bongbong said the projects are part of his administration’s “Build, Better, More” program to improve the living conditions of the different sectors in the Philippines through modernization and the improvement of the quality of Philippine infrastructure. He pushed for public infrastructure projects that will ease traffic congestion in cities and boost connectivity in the provinces. Bongbong also cited alleviating the country’s food security challenges and reducing the impacts of climate change as priorities of the government. Modern and durable infrastructure will encourage more investors to come to the Philippines, thereby creating jobs and generating revenue for the country. To make the Philippines more attractive to investors, Bongbong explained that NEDA has also changed the guidelines for joint venture programs. Infrastructure means progress. It gives benefits that will not only improve the economy but also the quality of life of every Filipino, Bongbong pointed out. Forty-five of the administration’s major projects will receive funding from the private sector, the NEDA announced earlier, following the past administration’s lead. The government has given the green light to eight projects of the 95 that had been previously approved for implementation. In the meantime, 44 are in pre-project preparation while 47 are undergoing feasibility studies. Marcos said he hopes the new initiatives would increase employment in the country. The infrastructure projects will mean more jobs for our workers, our laborers, and our skilled workers. He said infrastructure projects provided 1.4 million jobs for Filipinos during the pandemic. However, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported that there were 2.37 million unemployed Filipinos in January 2023, up from the 2.22 million documented jobless Filipinos in December 2022. That is why the approval of these 194 projects in various parts of the country will bring millions of jobs for our fellow citizens, Bongbong said. (To be continued) The post Optimism anchored on accomplishments! (2) appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
SoKor mulling 4 DPWH projects
The Department of Public Works and Highways revealed on Friday that four of its proposed infrastructure projects have piqued the interest of the South Korea-based Export-Import Bank of Korea. In a statement, DPWH Senior Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain, also the chief implementer of the country’s “Build Better More” program, said there have been talks for “enhanced cooperation” between the agency and KEXIM under South Korea’s Economic Development Promotion Facility, a loan program intended to fund large infrastructure projects. Four projects primarily in Central Luzon and Central Visayas are targeted for said funding, including a 28.82-kilometer bypass road project traversing five municipalities and flood control works on two rivers across three municipalities in Pampanga, and a detailed engineering design of a 10.6-kilometer bypass road and feasibility study on two bridges across Lapu-Lapu Coastal Road in Cebu. Loan agreements The DPWH has already partnered with KEXIM in loan agreements in the past, including the 32.47-kilometer Panay-Guimaras-Negros Island bridge project, a project under the Duterte administration’s “Build, Build, Build” program with loans worth $56.6 million. Last year, the DPWH said that KEXIM has committed to funding more infrastructure projects under President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. 's ‘Build Better More’ program and has already funded feasibility studies and ongoing infrastructure works in the country. In a related development, some South Korean construction firms have expressed interest to work on the Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge project during the Global Project Plaza 2023, as part of the Asian Development Bank meeting in Incheon, South Korea. Sadain said that the detailed engineering design for the project is already 85 percent complete, heading to meet a June deadline. Infrastructure works Last March, DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan revealed the commencement of infrastructure works for the said bridge, which will consist of a two-channel, four-lane bridge linking Naic, Cavite, and Mariveles, Bataan, as well as two cable-stayed structures measuring 400 meters and 900 meters respectively. It is expected to cross Manila Bay, with each channel beside Corregidor Island in Bataan. ADB funded the project with a Php 175 million allocation, with target completion set within the next five years, or up until the end of Marcos’ term. The post SoKor mulling 4 DPWH projects appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Pautang ng ADB sa pagtayo ng Bataan-Cavite bridge aaprubahan sa Q3
MANILA, Philippines – Inaasahang aprubahan ng Asian Development Bank (ADB) ang unang bahagi ng pautang upang pondohan ang pagpapagawa ng Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge sa third quarter ng taong ito. Ang pautang, kasama ng co-finance ng Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), ay nagkakahalaga ng kabuuang $1 bilyon mula sa ADB at $350 milyon mula sa AIIB. […] The post Pautang ng ADB sa pagtayo ng Bataan-Cavite bridge aaprubahan sa Q3 appeared first on REMATE ONLINE......»»
PBBM spearheads milestone ceremony for Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge Project
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. led on Friday, March 31, 2023 a milestone ceremony for the detailed engineering design of Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge (BCIB) Project at the Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific (MAAP) in Mariveles, Bataan. The President was joined at the ceremonial switching of BCIB geotechnical investigation drilling equipment that marks the […].....»»
DPWH told: Start building Bataan-Cavite bridge by October
Construction of the P175-billion Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge that would cut travel time between the provincial regions immediately north and south of the capital from five hours to just 45 minutes must begin by October, President Marcos said yesterday......»»
DOLE lauds outstanding Public Employment Service Offices across nation
The Department of Labor and Employment urged collective action to address the Philippines’ job problems on 25 October during the 23rd National PESO Congress in Palo, Leyte. DOLE Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma stressed in his speech the vital role of Public Employment Service Offices or PESO and DOLE’s frontline partners in promoting productive employment at the local level. “The responsibility of realizing the objectives of the Philippine Labor and Employment Plan and the Trabaho para sa Bayan Act is not the DOLE’s responsibility alone. It is jointly shared with our social partners, especially our PESOs. The challenges we face in our employment landscape demand collective action and innovative solutions,” Laguesma said. Laguesma also emphasized the need for open and constructive dialogue with PESO managers across the nation as he bared the department's five-point agenda, which includes strengthening its core functions, fortifying partnerships with employers and educational institutions and digitalizing public employment services. DOLE conferred awards to PESOs with outstanding accomplishments in the past year during the 2022 National Search for Best PESO Awards. Among the accomplishments are the 2.4 million jobseekers employed through the facilitation of PESOs, which translates to a 91 percent placement rate across the regions. PESO Bataan won in the first-class province category, PESO Lanao del Norte in the second-class province category and PESO Aurora in the third to fifth class category. DOLE also hailed PESO Iloilo City as champion for the highly urbanized city category and PESO Oroquieta City, Misamis Occidental for the component and independent component city category. Among the awardees for the municipal PESOs were PESO Villasis, Pangasinan (first class municipality category); PESO Pila, Laguna (second to third-class municipality category); and PESO Llanera, Nueva Ecija (fourth to sixth-class municipality category). The University of Batangas was elevated to the Hall of Fame for winning the search for best PESO in 2018 and 2019 and the Bayanihan Service Award in 2020 and 2021. The university job’s placement office received a trophy and a P250,000 cash prize. The post DOLE lauds outstanding Public Employment Service Offices across nation appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Fil-Am director ready to take on Hollywood with ‘sweeping drama’
While the feverish Hollywood actors’ strike is still ongoing, Filipino-American filmmaker Gerard Pizarro is undaunted. The lawyer-turned-director is currently scouting cast members in the Philippines and LA for his ambitious Hollywood limited television series called Mt. Samat. Pizarro may not be a household name, but the passionate Fil-Am director has been winning awards in the American film circuit for a decade now. Pizzaro’s Mt. Samat has been described as a “sweeping drama of an orphan who rose to riches and wealth amidst time-worn wars and generational family feuds.” Mount Samat, also known as the Dambana ng Kagitingan, is a shrine located in Pilar, Bataan built to honor the gallantry of Filipino and American soldiers who fought against the Japanese army during World War II. But Pizzaro’s Mt. Samat will be based on the 2021 biographical novel The Man Behind the Uniform, penned by his own father, Tony Deleon Pizarro. The inspiring story will focus on Pizzaro’s father pursuing the American Dream beginning in Bataan, in the midst of war. It is undoubtedly a big project, as the rags-to-riches story will be backdropped by historical events — a period drama that aims to cast the best Filipino actors, as well as actors from Hollywood. Pizzaro, who said his favorite actor is Sean Penn, studied for four years at the American Conservatory Theater. “And I think my training as a lawyer, we did a lot of listening and observing, we watched,” so he intends to use those skills in casting and directing his film. Big marketplace Mt. Samat will be pitched at the American Film Market on 31 October. The AFM is an eight-day film industry event held each year at the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel. It’s a big marketplace for the film business, with more than 7,000 participants from 70 countries who attend to network, sell, finance and acquire films. [caption id="attachment_200914" align="aligncenter" width="1694"] ‘BLOOD on Canvas,’ Pizarro’s 2013 drama-thriller film, bagged awards at various film festivals. | PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF Pizarro Creatives[/caption] Even with Mt. Samat set to be pitched at the AFM to attract film buyers, it is currently being produced with a pilot episode that will open in 1941 with the Japanese invasion of the Philippines. It will then unfold into a dramatic family saga, following the older Pizzaro’s experiences in Bataan before migrating to the United States in 1959 and his struggles as an immigrant before finding success. Aside from the American Conservatory Theater, Pizarro also obtained training from the San Francisco Film School and the USC School of Cinematic Arts. His 2013 drama-thriller Blood on Canvas, starring Kristen Doute and Stephen DeWitt White, bagged awards at various festivals, including Best Feature at the Michigan Film Awards and Best Thriller at the Honolulu Film Festival, and recognition at the Golden Ace Awards and Las Vegas Festival. The post Fil-Am director ready to take on Hollywood with ‘sweeping drama’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
SSS extends deadline of contribution remittance in distressed areas
The Social Security System extended in selected areas the payment deadline for the June 2023 contribution of business employers and the second quarter contributions of household employers, coverage and collection partners, and individual members from 31 July 2023 to 2 October 2023. According to SSS Circular No. 2023-005 signed by SSS President and CEO Rolando Ledesma Macasaet, the said applicable month and quarter were extended until 30 September 2023, but since it falls on a Saturday, the deadline was further extended to the next working day, which is 2 October 2023. “We understand that these calamities have affected the ability of some of our members, covered employers, and CCPs in selected areas to pay their contributions on or before their original schedule. For consideration, we are giving them more time to pay their SSS contributions so that payment gaps or late payments can be avoided,” Macasaet said. The extension applies to employers, CCPs, and members in areas declared under State of Calamity by various local government offices due to the Southwest Monsoon enhanced by Tropical Cyclones Egay and Falcon, such as the provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Cagayan, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Cavite, Rizal, Occidental Mindoro, Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao and Mountain Province. The said extension also covers other areas that may be declared under a state of alamity by local government units, local disaster risk reduction management offices, the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council or the national government. Likewise, employers with approved installment proposals must deposit their post-dated checks that fall due in June and July 2023 on or before 2 October 2023. However, no contribution paid retroactively by individual members will be used in determining their eligibility to any benefit arising from a contingency wherein the date of payment is within or after the semester of contingency. The original contribution payment deadlines and guidelines in the said areas will resume starting with the applicable month of July 2023. # The post SSS extends deadline of contribution remittance in distressed areas appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Nina Lim-Yuson — A lifetime of girl scouting
The president of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines, Nina Lim-Yuson, grew up in a family and home of Girl Scouts. Her grandmother, Pilar Hidalgo-Lim, was one of the co-founders of the GSP. “It was actually my Lola Pilar who suggested to Josefa Llanes Escoda, the GSP founder, to go to America to learn about girl scouting.” This tidbit of history, Nina shared in an online interview with the DAILY TRIBUNE. Pilar Hidalgo-Lim became GSP president, and so did Nina’s mother, Estefania Aldaba-Lim, who served as secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development. Nina’s sister too, the eminent broadcast journalist, Cheche Lazaro, was a Girl Scout. Coming from a lineage of women achievers, Nina could not have chosen a different path. It was scouting that formally introduced the family to social responsibility, skills development and citizenship. Her brothers were also Boy Scouts. “I started when I was six years old and it was my Lola Pilar who inducted me as a Brownie. It used to be called Brownie because we were still using the American pattern,” she related. She belonged to Troop Number One, the first to be organized by the GSP national headquarters. In high school at the Jose Abad Santos Memorial School of the Philippine Women’s University, she became a junior and later a senior Girl Scout. College would briefly end her Girl Scouting as she focused on her studies. Along the way, she also danced with the Bayanihan Folk Dance Company. It was not unexpected that she would return to scouting, her first love, and her first extra-curricular activity. For the last 36 years, she has been active in various organizations and volunteer work. She founded the Museong Pambata. She is a recipient of The Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service and is active in its various social development efforts. What Nina brings to her post is the legacy of leadership that had been passed on to her through generations of women leaders in the family. “My Lola Pilar was my idol. She was such a nice person and I never knew her totally as a president. I knew her more as a loving lola from all the stories she related when we rode up to Baguio. “My mother, on the other hand, was the opposite. She was very career-minded. I learned naman from her a lot of things, like being thrifty and having a list of things to do. In terms of organization, she was like that. Because she was in government. And, you know, when we started Museo, while it was actually my concept, I learned a lot from her. She would call me up at 5 o’clock in the morning and she would rattle off what needed to be done, like ‘number one, number two and so on.’ That was her. And I’m glad that I worked with her for six years in Museo. She was the president and I was the executive director for six years. I took over in 2000 as president and chief executive officer. And then, I stepped down in 2017.” Girl Scouts who read and tell stories Nina was elected president of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines for the term 2021-2024 during its 2021 national convention. From day one, she shared, “My purpose was to reach out to the community-based troops because we have always been school-based. Many young women now have social problems so we need to reach out to the communities through our community-based troops.” Also on top of her priorities is literacy development, a cause that she addressed even in the Museo Pambata. She explained, “My advocacy has always been education. So, I was very concerned because the Asian Development Bank reported in 2022 that the World Bank found out that our Filipino children at ages 9 and 10 cannot read. So, I felt that because girl scouting is all over the country, with 96 local councils, the organization could serve as a vehicle for improving literacy in our country. “We started the Girl Scout Storyteller project because storytelling affects the heart first before the mind. When young people start with storytelling, they will love the stories and then the written word. They would then want to read. “We now have storytelling in economically challenged communities and we have partners. We sent out 2,500 books throughout the country with the help of our partner couriers.” Initially, she sought the help of her family foundation “to give a donation. I also sought the help of Ging Montinola, who is into literacy development. Together, we founded the literacy program. We are building this fund to cover the cost of buying children’s books. We will have a storytelling contest next year.” Raising funds for Camp Escoda Nina then shifted the conversation to another major endeavor that she is spearheading as GSP president — fundraising for the 27-hectare Camp Josefa Llanes Escoda in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija, which was donated by the provincial government during the term of Governor Amado Aleta, the father of consul and civic leader Fortune Ledesma. “Palayan is beautiful because it has rolling hills, but it doesn’t have electrical and water facilities and roadworks. It doesn’t have a swimming pool, and it’s so hot in Nueva Ecija. It also does not have a conference hall. This is a big one-time fundraising project because it’s for the future of the girls who are going to the camp. Because as of now, if you go camping there, you have to walk up the hills to get your drinking water. You have to make buhos to take a bath.” She recalled, “In my time as a young Girl Scout, which was of another era, we had to walk in the dark to fetch water to fill up two drums. I was so scared because there were tuko in Los Baños. That taught me to be courageous. Camps really build up your lifetime skills and attitude. Camping is very integral in girl scouting and boy scouting. So, this camp will serve a purpose. It just needs various basic facilities to make it world-class and convenient with the proper amenities, but the girls will continue to learn all those survival techniques and appreciate nature right on the camp.” She praised architect Pippo Carunungan, “who is an environmental planner. He surveyed the site and drew up everything. It will be a beautiful camp, he said, because it’s a gift of nature.” First Lady as Chief Girl Scout Nina recently led the Girl Scouts in a fundraising ball attended by the “First Lady, Liza Araneta-Marcos, who is our Chief Girl Scout. It’s mandated in the GSP constitution that whoever is the female president of the country or the First Lady is the Chief Girl Scout. In the past, we had Imelda Marcos, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. All the first ladies were all Chief Girl Scouts. “Mrs. Liza Marcos spoke before us and she promised to help. She said, ‘We will make it the best campsite.’ Everyone was excited to see her and she obliged everyone who asked to have selfie with her. She is very friendly. She is really a Girl Scout.” Nina shared, “A generous couple is sponsoring the swimming pool at P6 million, while a gentleman entrepreneur is sponsoring the perimeter fence at P1.5 million. Many other businessmen and leaders have pledged to help build this dream GSP project. “We really need to raise about 50 million to have a very good camp. But when the First Lady heard about it, she said, ‘It has to be P250 million.’ But, really, when we have the funds, we can have deep toilets that have running water instead of tabo-tabo. Since we have a little Pampanga river that runs across the camp, we can build a bridge that crosses it and then the girls can have white-water rafting there in the Pampanga river. “Camp Escoda will be a very important and significant venue for our Girl Scouts to gather, bond, learn new skills and develop as morally upright citizens of the country and the world. It is especially so because camping is integral in any Girl Scout’s life. If you don’t have camping, it’s like half of your scouting life is missing. Every Girl Scout remembers that time of her youth. And being the national camp, it will welcome Girl Scouts representing the 96 councils from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao who will participate in various events and trainings.” Girl Scouts of all ages As GSP president, Nina travels to various parts of the country. “We have regional conferences aside from the meeting of the Central Board when regional heads and executives come to Manila. “I had just come from Baguio where I stayed for two-and-a-half days. I met our young Girl Scout representatives from ages 14 to 18. I enjoyed listening to them and exchanging ideas with them. I am so happy that we have a wealth of intelligent girls who want to serve the country. They are the ones who are going to take over. “It’s amazing that GSP is no longer limited to old people on the board. We finally have young ones on the board. Our Escoda committee is headed by Jade Delgado from Iloilo. Then we have Justine Bautista. She’s a psychometrician. She heads the Program Committee, which is a big committee because when we were in Baguio, we had 86 girls from all the councils throughout the country. Many of them are running for SK. “So, in my 70s now, which I don’t feel at all, I don’t take any medicines or something like that. Being with young people is what inspires me. Because at 15, 16 or 17, they already know that they have some kind of a mission.” Nina proudly shared that the venue of the Baguio conference, 'Ating Tahanan' on the South Drive was bought during the tenure of my Lola Pilar. We have four buildings there, including the houses of Senator and actor Rogelio de la Rosa and Carlos Valdes, the accountant. Lola Pilar, according to Carlos Valdes, twisted his arm to get a low price. I’m so thankful for all those who preceded me because they bought these places. It’s on South Drive which is so valuable. We even have a reserved forest behind us.” As she looks forward to the next camping and gets even busier raising funds for Camp Escoda, Nina feels elated that “every one of us in the Girl Scouts has been together in our various undertakings. The nice thing is we are now intergenerational because we try to bring in the old with experience, institutional memory and their wisdom born of their long life, and the young who are full of enthusiasm, energy and new ideas.” A star scout for a granddaughter While Nina does her part for the bright future of girl scouting in the country, her personal family too has not stopped contributing to the roster of members to this worldwide organization. Today, a granddaughter of hers, seven-year-old Rocio Yuson de Guzman, is a Star Scout. She is the daughter of Nina’s daughter, Nicky. No grandmother could have been prouder. Nina said, “Rufio loves being a star scout. When I arrived from the recent world conference in Cyprus, I came back with some badges and I gave some to Rufio who is very proud of the little badges that I got for her.” For sure, Nina will pass on not just the badges to Rufio. More importantly, she will give her granddaughter the once-in-one’s-childhood experience of being a Girl Scout and learning “the values that are identified in the Girl Scout Promise and Laws. I think that while there is so much to enjoy and learn, it is the inculcation of these values that would mold her into a well-rounded human being. As we all know, a Girl Scout’s honor is to be trusted. A Girl Scout is loyal, thrifty, courteous… and so on. It’s like a mantra -- the values that one lives by. “I have reached that point when it is not about success or what one accumulates in life, whether awards or accomplishments or material things. It is more about what I can share and scouting gives me that honor and privilege — to do my part in helping mold our young girls and making them aware even at an early age that they have a mission and worthy purpose in life. It is not just about being good and outstanding on your own but it is also about helping others to become better in what they’re doing and live better lives. “And I need not look far. As a grandmother, I dote on my Star Scout granddaughter, Rufio. There’s a world out there for her to discover and in which she has a role to play and use the skills and values she will learn from scouting.” The post Nina Lim-Yuson — A lifetime of girl scouting appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»