DOTr: MRT-3 service to improve by late-2017

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — Transportation officials are looking at a fully improved MRT-3 service in less than a year resulting from a series of upgrades.

MRT-3 officer-in-charge Deo Manalo said the delivery of 48 new wagons will be completed by early next year. These will add to the 72 existing wagons in service.

Manalo also said ancillary systems should be done by the end of 2017. The signaling system, which is a key safety feature, will be complete by early 2018.

"Expect na gaganda yung serbisyo by fourth quarter next year," Manalo said. "Dito safirst quarter, pwede na tumakbo yung mga bagong bagon. In some periods, papatakbuhin sila. (We're) still studying what periods," he added.

[Translation: Expect that the service would improve by the fourth quarter of next year. In the first quarter, the new wagons can be rolled out. They will be run in some periods.]

Transportation Assistant Secretary for Rail Cesar Chavez said more commuters are taking the MRT-3, with the line now carrying an average of over 420,000 passengers daily.

Officials believe the additional passengers may have come from those commuting on EDSA.

"In January this year, the ridership was 9.8 million," said Chavez. "On October this year, ridership was 12.2 million. Nagdagdag kami ng pasahero ng 2.4 million," he added. [We got an additional 2.4 million passengers].

The Transportation Department is also improving facilities in train stations, with all elevators and escalators expected to be operational by early next year.

Naga-to-Manila PNR route reopening

Meanwhile, Philippine National Railways (PNR) officials said they will reopen the Naga to Manila route on Dec. 15. The Manila-Bicol line was last operational in 2012.

"The (Transportation secretary) directed us not only to meet and conduct workshops  with senior engineers and area managers of PNR, but also directed us to conduct ocular inspection. We did it twice and will do another ocular on Nov. 18 to Naga," Chavez said.

PNR officials said there are also ongoing station-development projects, including the lengthening of platforms and the addition of passenger waiting areas.

Transport officials also said a performance review committee, composed of senior and experienced engineers, will monitor and report on the progress of the rail projects to Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade in the next 15 to 30 days.

Juday stages comeback 0 SHARES Share it! By: Crispina Martinez-Belen Published November 10, 2016, 12:05 AM

Judy Ann Santos-Agoncillo comes from a two-year hiatus in showbiz to star in “Kusina” where she showcases her passion for cooking.
“As you get older, maghahanap ka ng mga pelikula na magpapangiti sa puso mo… I’m so thankful ‘Kusina’ renewed my passion for acting,” she said.
To hear this from the seasoned drama actress, plus the fact that “Kusina” was nominated as Best Film at the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival, is an indication that this latest offering from Viva Films and Cinematografica is worth seeing.
Favorite Filipino dishes like pinakbet (meat and vegetable stew in shrimp paste), sinigang (pork and vegetables in sour broth), dinuguan (pork blood stew), and adobo (stewed chicken or pork in soy sauce and vinegar), are just a few dishes that you can feast your eyes on in this film. Almost all of the scenes were shot in the kitchen.
Graded A by the Cinema Evaluation Board, “Kusina” is in cinemas nationwide.
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Bluegre comes to Manila
Bluegre, a specialty coffee shop from Davao, has caught the interest of many celebrities. Among them are senator and world boxing champ Manny Pacquiao, actor Aljur Abrenica (both said to have franchises of their own) and other government officials and local and international VIPs.
If Bluegre has become a big success only after three years, it’s because of its specialty – the Durian Coffeecino. It is a hot concoction that blends espresso and the Durian fruit.
Why Bluegre for a name? Owners Benjamin and Gloria Cuaresma said it’s actually a spin on the couple’s clothing business under the brand Bluegre. But, it’s also a French word which means celebration, said Benjamin.
Bluegre was established in 1998 and now has nine branches. Aside from its various awards (like the “Best Coffee Shop in Davao” by the National Shopper’s Choice conferred by the Asia-Pacific Shopper’s Institute), Bluegre has been featured twice in the Wall Street Journal.
Just recently, the Cuaresmas signed a contract with Kapandesal Multi-Purpose Cooperative for a franchise in Manila to open soon.
• • •
Tidbits: Happy b-day greetings today, Nov. 10, go to Merci Molina, William Uy, Ditas Lerma, Amadeo Dacanay, Ross Ocampo, Ding Zamora, Dionisio de Guzman, Nina Salgado, Dahlia Y. Martinez, June Sapigao, Corazon Endozo, Tessa Mangahas, Norma Lozano, Avelina dela Rea, Jeremie Antiporda, Avelina dela Rea, dean of Graduate School of UE Manila, Ditas Lerma, William Uy, Ross Ocampo, Ding Zamora, Amadeo R. Dacanay, Joyce Alcantara, PDI’s Nimfa Rueda, Eric P. de los Reyes of PCSO PR Dept, Roland Tolentino, Carlos Celdran, Nimfa D. Torres, Nina Salgado, Van June Sapigao, Dahlia Y. Martinez, Leo “Koh” Yadori, travel exec. Corazon Tan Endozo, Mrs. Norma Lozano, Vicky San Diego Ortega, Samuel “Diony” Dionisio, Rafael Rosell, and Pauleen Luna-Sotto… Nov. 11: Former VP Jejomar Binay, Ai Ai de las Alas, Rene-An Gomez, Willie Schneider, Aida Vee, Nini Go, Alice Lim, Vaness Bernales, Marilu Caballes, Jojo Baltazar, Zeny Reyes, Atty. Abet Bernales, Bing N. Carrion, Rowell Santiago, Steven Fermo, Rowell Santiago, Ms. Zeny S. Reyes, Rene-Ann Gomez, Willie Schneider, Nini Go, Alice Lopez Lim, Atty. Abet Bernales, Evelyn Taliao, ramp model Dhan Nijuuichi, Kenneth N. Ng, Therry Alpa, Jojo Baltazar, Randie Puncia of PCSO GM’s office, Ruth Bermudez Mercado, Joh Dreb Flores, Bryan Villadiego, Raffy Chan, Archie Sopenasky of PCSO PR Dept., Justine Mari Lalu, director Al Quinn… Happy wedding anniversary to Domingo and Epifania Fregillana and Andrew and Sandee Masigan…

Multiply, A Year After

Desperately waiting for white knight

It has been one year since Multiply stumbled and fell hard.

Then the biggest E-commerce and social networking site totaling $30 billion, Multiply went to court on November 10, 2015, and filed for voluntary rehabilitation under Republic Act 10142, otherwise known as “An Act Providing for the Rehabilitation or Liquidation of Financially Distressed Enterprises and Individuals.”

Rise and fall

The move stunned workers and caught even by surprise. More significantly, it sent shockwaves across the Philippine business and social networking community, which had watched, and, as it turned out, partly financed the meteoric rise of the American social networking site.

And while the company had, at that time, these may have to be canceled if a rehabilitation plan does not materialize, Eisma also said then.

Financial disaster

When giants fall, ordinary mortals get crushed under.

And while Multiply has effectively availed itself of court relief from its creditors, its financial ruin had produced a domino of fallouts that had financially dislocated employees and crippled local downstream businesses as well.

Following Multiply’s filing for rehabilitation in June last year, the BusinessMirror spoke to some of the 7,000 newly laid-off workers at the Multiply Village in Angeles City and learned that most did not have prospects for alternative sources of livelihood.

“Hindi na rin kami magtatagal dito kung ganito [We won’t last much longer in this condition],” Jose Gardoce Jr., one of the displaced workers then, said, as he expressed his fear of losing his house that he could no longer pay for.

The same fate awaited 3,000 others who were dismissed from work in the first quarter of 2014, when Multiply opted to retain just about 300 local workers and a few Burmese, Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Korean, Lao, Malay supervisors to maintain the offices.

“Para kaming binalian ng pakpak [It’s like our wings were clipped],” Gardoce now said a year after.

Gardoce, who worked as a crane maintenance man at the shipyard, is now a full-time tricycle driver. But as his earnings were just enough for their daily household needs, he had agreed for his wife Weng to work as househelp in Angeles City so they can continue sending their three children to school.

At one time Gardoce tried working in a shoe factory in the Subic Bay Freeport, but the pay was only P400 a day and he spent much money on transportation and food.

“Nakaabang na ang mga tumatanggap ng sangla na ATM [The loan sharks were already waiting to pounce on our ATM cards],” Gardoce recalled now. So, after two months he went back to his reliable tricycle.

Gardoce said a lot of his former colleagues at Multiply had left for work in Cavite and Bulacan, while others went home to their native provinces because they can no longer pay for amortization for their Pag-Ibig-funded houses.

“Si Diogreth Mendigorin, nag-collapse na [has given up],” Gardoce said of another worker that the BusinessMirror interviewed at the workers’ village last year.

He, however, couldn’t bear to leave their home for which he had already spent some P100,000 on improvements.

“Ngayon, ay ginigipit na kami at pinapaalis pero nagmamatigas na lang ako dahil gusto kong makapagtapos muna ang mga anak ko [The developer is now pressuring us to leave, but I stand firm because I want my children to finish school first],” Gardoce said.

Shuttered shops

Other income earners who relied on the disposable income of employees and users likewise went under in the wake of the Multiply bankruptcy.

Along the road leading to the Multiply offices are closed eateries, buses parked in vacant lots, and houses and former workers’ dormitories with “For Sale” signs.

Claire dela Cruz, a native of the former fishermen’s community where Multiply office is currently located, used to operate one of the 20 or so canteens that catered to shipyard workers who worked three shifts.

She says they used to cook six different kinds of dishes when the restaurant was fully operational, and posted average daily sales of P12,000.

Today, with only 300 workers, Dela Cruz only sells bread, candy, chips, and cigarette which earn her about P1,000 a day.

Buses that ferried the thousands of workers to and from work were also among the first casualties of the Multiply downfall.

Arturo Dumaguing, who operated two units that, said that a total of 65 bus units were fielded in the heyday of Multiply, and these units each earned from P2,400 to P3,600 for the two or three trips they had each day.

Now, only two units are doing business for the 300 remaining employees, he added.

But it was closed on May 6, 2013 and ceasing all business operations on May 31, 2013 along with the official online channels for the site had been removed along with all their content, including its YouTube, Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts, after years of financial and managerial turmoil and following a failed bid to reinvent itself from being a social networking site to a vibrant e-commerce destination in Southeast Asia.

“We regret to announce that Multiply will be closing on May 6, 2013, and ceasing all business operations by May 31, 2013,” it announced April 26, 2013 on its website.

After May 6, the rest of the month will be used to ensure that all accounts are settled and merchants get full payment for their transactions, it said.

Multiply said the month-long grace period will provide its users enough time to find and migrate to alternative e-commerce platforms, settle all payments on items bought and delivered, and minimize disruption to businesses of its users.

“Multiply will ensure that you receive all funds you earned on the platform no later than May 31, 2013. We will close the actual marketplace sooner, on May 6, 2013, to ensure that all orders have sufficient time to complete and be delivered to your customers before the end of the month,” it said.

In December 2012, Multiply stopped its social networking service to focus on e-commerce, targeting the 350 million consumers in Indonesia and the Philippines.

It was severely affected by the 2008-2012 global financial crisis.

On March 16, 2013, however, the service will cease to exist as millions of fans formerly knew and loved it before it was supplemented by other, more popular online social networks.

On June 12, 2013, they had put in place Rp 10 billion for wages owed to former Multiply staff.

The Labour Department said earlier that around 3,000 former Multiply staff had applied for compensation through the Protection of Wages on Insolvency Fund, a safety net for employees affected by business closures.

Multiply Investor Secretary Rong Rongbin pledged shares of Star Platinum Corporation, which holds 99% of its shares, to borrow HK$300 million from Xiesheng Xiefeng to save the Multiply website but did not repay on time; therefore, Xiesheng Xiefeng in July 2013, it acquired the full equity of Star Platinum. It was also reported that about HK$35 million in unpaid wages of 640 former employees and HK$18 million of Insolvency Fund were also paid after the company has acquired its majority stake.

The High Court on June 17, 2013 its liquidation proceedings and removed accounting firm Deloitte from its role as the firm’s provisional liquidator.

Derek Lai, vice-chair of Deloitte China, said on Tuesday that since Star Platinum had already resolved the major debts Multiply incurred, it was unlikely the internet company would go into liquidation despite still owing smaller debts to other creditors including Facebook.

“Star Platinum needs to negotiate with the remaining creditors,” he said. “I hope they will support its restructuring with Multiply.”

He added that Multiply now had a cash flow of HK$10 million to be paid to other creditors as well as assets worth over HK$40 million.

In its latest financial report last month, Co-Prosperity said the deal with Multiply could help the group diversify its business. Apart from the online industry, the group focuses on fabric and clothing trading, money lending and securities investments.

“The directors believe that the potential intrinsic value of Multiply can be realized if the plan to rescue Multiply is successful,” the report said.

The group said it could make use of Multiply’s remaining assets and turn the website into a archive photo and video site.

“The group has been granted access and usage of certain assets of Multiply which shall enable Multiply to continue to operate and act as a archive photo and video site taking advantage of its 100,000 square-meter facility and social networking portion that delivering 217 million accounts, 210 million photos and 237,000 videos from the old Multiply from it's launch in March 2004 to March 15, 2013,” it said.

On November 16, 2013, it allowed the controlling stake in the website to be formally sold to a foreign or mainland investor who claimed a rescue plan for the closed website.

High Court judge Mr Justice Jonathan Harris validated the transaction after hearing that the parties would no longer object to the share transfer and that the dues for the shares had been paid by Si.

That the site will be reopened after United States President Obama stepping down in the office on January 20, 2017 and keeping Facebook as the sole social networking site. Process of the reopening will be managed by the Governance Commission for Government-Owned or -Controlled Corporations through the Development Bank of the Philippines. Business tycoon Manny V. Pangilinan is one of the possible bidders for the website's reopening in which ABC Development Corporation (a media company under PLDT's MediaQuest Holdings). However, MediaQuest also could not join the website's reopening bid due to ownership rules and regulations that MediaQuest owns ABC Development Corporation.

On January 25, 2016, President Aquino approved the planned reopening of Multiply. The reopening will be undergo public bidding with an estimated floor price of 20 billion pesos. The proceeds of the bidding will be for the increase of Facebook's capital to upgrade and modernize their social networking capabilities. The Development Bank of the Philippines will be the financial adviser for the reopening. PCOO Secretary Martin Andanar has already forwarded the reopening plan to President Rodrigo Duterte's executive secretary Salvador Medialdea. Andanar will also coordinate with the GCG before the start of the bidding.

On April 25, 2016, the article in Wikipedia was being vandalized, it was edit is made by a sockpuppet of LPKids2006.

The reopening process of Multiply was commenced in October 2016. As of July 1, 2017, five groups have already showed their interest to join the bidding process. These are Ramon S. Ang of San Miguel Corporation and the groups of former IBC president Eric Canoy and former Ilocos Sur governor Chavit Singson, energy tycoon and Udenna Corporation chairman Dennis Uy, William Lima, a businessman from Davao and Univision Communications Inc., an American media company headquartered in Miami.