Gov't eyes new hub in Caloocan as 'common train station'

The government is looking at the proposed LRT Malvar station in Caloocan City as a new hub for the Metro Manila Integrated Rail Terminal or common station where three railways will meet.

The Malvar station is seen as more viable for a common terminal, as it has the accessibility for commuters and capacity for the trains.

"Last week, we had a briefing in Malvar in order to open that area, kasi marami galing north dun sumasakay. Malvar is a possible common station," Transportation Secretary Jun Abaya told ABS-CBNnews.com.

The common station was first broached in 2006, and was supposed to rise adjacent to SM Annex on EDSA, Quezon City.

Despite the deal having been forged, the previous administration decided to change plans, saying it would be cheaper to put up the station on the Ayala-owned Trinoma Mall.

Construction of the common station was supposed to be completed back in May 2010 but was temporarily put aside citing cost and engineering issues.

In August 2014, SM Prime Holdings Inc. (SMPHI) obtained a temporary restraining order from the Supreme Court to prevent the then Department of Transportation and Communications from moving the location of the common station near Trinoma.

In a decision issued July 30, the Supreme Court said the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) and the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) violated the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) dated September 28, 2009 with SM Prime Holdings Inc. (SMPHI).

The respondents were given 10 days from notice to comment – and not to file a motion to dismiss.

The Supreme Court also directed SMPHI to submit sufficient verification of the petition pursuant to Section 4, Rule 7, 1997 Rules of Civil Procedures and a proof of service of the petition on the adverse parties.

The High Court’s TRO reinforces the company’s position on the case, now pending before the Regional Trial Court of Pasay City.

SMPHI had asked the court to stop the agencies from transferring the common station to TriNoma mall from SM City North EDSA mall, citing the MOA signed with LRTA years ago.

SMPHI also claimed it had naming rights to the station after paying the government the sum of P200 million ($4.58 million).

The Pasay court junked on June 23 SMPHI’s application for a TRO and preliminary injunction. SMPHI then elevated the case to the Supreme Court.

The DOTC, for its part, said the MOA had lapsed in 2011, as the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) had approved the construction of the common station at TriNoma.

Compromise talks were initiated by Abaya, but a resolution was never reached until President Aquino III stepped down last June 30, 2016. At one point, Abaya had suggested building two common stations—one each to be located near SM North Edsa and Trinoma—to urge SM to withdraw its lawsuit.

The two-station plan was eventually abandoned and deferred as private sector stakeholders said it would inconvenience commuters.

It will house the planned link of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3), Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) and the proposed MRT-7.

SM Prime Holdings had earlier given the Light Rail Transit Authority P200 million for "naming rights" over the station. But Abaya said, distance may cause a problem in putting up the station near SM City North EDSA.

"The problem with the common station in SM is it's too short a distance from the MRT's last station. You run 600 meters and then to turn around that's not good for train operations. You have to decide on having them separate, people have to walk or have another common station."

Abaya however said, the P200 million deposit will be returned once the project does not materialize.

"We will look into that. If we received it and it wasn't constructed then dapat isauli."

The nearly 17-kilometer MRT-3 traverses North Avenue in Quezon City to Taft Avenue in Pasay City, while the 20.7-km LRT-1 runs from Baclaran in Pasay City to Roosevelt Station in Quezon City.

The proposed MRT-7 meantime stretches from San Jose del Monte Bulacan to North Avenue Quezon City with a total length of 22 kilometers involving 14 train stations.

Olympians, Fil-Ams boost swimmers SEA Games bid

NAKHON RATCHASIMA – US-trained Miguel Molina and Ryan Arabejo, whose recent feats earned them a spot in next year’s Beijing Olympics, will lead a 14-member RP team hoping to improve on its 2005 four-gold medal haul against world-class opposition in the 24th Southeast Asian Games competitions which start tomorrow.

Four Fil-Americans, all trained in the US under prominent coaches, and local swimmers culled from the national eliminations, the Palarong Pambansa and Philippine Olympic Festival, are also on the national team seeing action in the competitions slated Dec. 7-11 at the Aquatic Center, His Majesty the King’s 80th birth anniversary stadium, here.

Molina, winner of the 200 and 400 individual medley and 200m breaststroke in the Manila SEA Games, gained a slot in the 2008 Olympics when his clocking of 2:03.06 in the 200m IM met the Olympic qualifying time of 2:05.65.


The 23-year-old Molina, who trains at the University of California in Barkley, hopes to improve on his silver medal finish in the 200m freestyle in 2005 and contend for the gold in the 100m and 50m freestyles in what could be his last SEAG stint.

Molina now owns the RP mark in the 100m free (51.11) 200m free (1:52.67) and 50m breaststroke (29.44).

Arabejo, at 17 the present and future hope of Philippine swimming, holds the RP mark in the 400m freestyle (3:58.51) and 1,500m freestyle (15:39.86) from his stints in the Janet Evans Invitational in the US last July and the 12th World Championships last March.

Four Fil-Americans on the team are 20-year-old James Walsh, a pre-med scholar at the University of Florida; Daniel Coakley of the University of Hawaii, Jaclyn Pangilinan of Harvard University in Boston, and Erica Totten of the University of Arkansas.

Walsh established the RP mark in the 100m and 200m butterfly in the Conoco Philips USA competition in July this year. Pangilinan holds the national 50, 100 and 200m breaststroke records.

Totten, who also holds the RP mark in the 400IM from the last SEA Games, made huge inroads this year, setting new RP norms in the 200, 400 and 800m freestyle. Coakley, a promising swimmer at 18, made the grade with his impressive finish in the 50 and 100m breaststroke and freestyle in last year’s World Junior championships.

But the presence of world-class competition is making it hard for RP swimming president Mark Joseph to assure the certainty of even one gold.

“It’s really hard to predict. But what we’re looking for is to beat our four-gold medal haul the last time in Manila,” said Joseph.

“Swimming in the region has taken a quantum leap with the standard A time for the Athens Olympics now being just the B time for the Beijing Olympics qualifying.

All the swimmers are trying to improve and that really makes it hard to win the gold medal in this SEA Games,” Joseph explained.

“It could be easier to gain an Olympic berth than to win the gold medal here.”

Gold medals in women’s 100m freestyle, men’s and women’s 200m backstroke, men’s 400m individual medley, women’s 200m individual medley, men’s and women’s 4x200m freestyle relay are up for grabs on opening day here tomorrow.

Two US coaches in Jeff Poppel of University of Arkansas and Jason Calanog of Bolles flew here with the six US collegiate swimming scholars.

“They’re (Poppel and Calanog) familiar with the conditioning of our US-based swimmers. So we asked them to come,” said Joseph.

Molina has qualified for the Olympics in 200m IM, Walsh in 200m butterfly and Arabejo in 1500m freestyle. The three will target for more Olympic events here aside from shooting for SEAG medals.

“Molina and Arabejo are now ranked 24th in the world in their respective events. They’ll try to improve on that,” said Joseph.

Completing the cast are Ernest Dee of La Salle, Gian Berino of UST High School, Kendrick Uy who joined Arabejo in summer training at Bolles School in Florida under the Olympic Solidarity Movement, Denjylie Cordero, a product of the Philippine Olympic Festival, 18-year-old Marichi Gandionco, a swimming scholar at the University of Nevada, Celina Gonzalez of TRACE Aquatic Center in Laguna., Nikita Dacera and Nicole Santiago.

Marciano Paynor Jr, chief of Presidential Protocol. A man who wears many hats, Paynor is also Director-General for Operations of the ASEAN 2017 National Organizing Council. He is also President Rodrigo Duterte's choice to be the next ambassador to the United States.

Paynor talks to Rappler about the 2007 SEA Games sa Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand

http://www.philstar.com/sports/31607/olympians-fil-ams-boost-swimmers-sea-games-bid