P3B allotted for toll expansion By Myla Iglesias May 30, 2017 - Malaya News

South Luzon Tollways Corp. (SLTC) has allocated P3.041 billion for capital expenditures this year, mostly to fund the expansion of South Luzon expressway (SLEx) by 57.04 kilometers from Sto. Tomas, Batangas to Tayabas, Quezon.

SLTC, majority owned by diversified conglomerate San Miguel Corp. (SMC), said P2.3 billion of the capex will be used to expand Toll Road 4 (TR4).

The remaining budget will be spent on enhancement activities including flood mitigation, conversion to LED lights, seamless tollway project and toll collection system/traffic control for P438 million, as well as asphalt resurfacing, pavement repair, bridges and slope embankment for P275 million.

The company said it is on track to start the construction of the first phase or TR4A from Calamba to Makban in Laguna next month. The entire project is targeted to be completed by 2022.

The expansion to TR4 is part of SLTC’s 30-year concession or until 2036. The project’s construction cost is P16.8 billion, inclusive of other transaction costs, and the right-of-way (ROW) acquisition cost is P3.5 billion (reimbursable).

Currently, the Toll Regulatory Board has signed and approved the final engineering design for TR4. The Department of Public Works and Highways and the Department of Transportation also signed the ROW acquisition.

“SLTC aims to extend the reach of SLEx by accomplishing full construction of TR4, a new 57.04 km four-lane toll road from TR3 in Sto. Tomas, Batangas to Lucena City in Quezon, thereby extending SLEx to around 93 km,” the company said.

“SLTC may also consider the possibility of an extension of the concession period for SLEx,” it added.

SLTC will also be pursuing improvement projects such as road widening, additional lanes and toll plazas, rehabilitation and other road repair works, flood mitigation and other safety measures.

SLTC is 80 percent owned by MTD Manila Expressways, a unit of SMC, and 20 percent owned by state-run Philippine National Construction Corp.

The company is the concessionaire of SLEx which currently spans 36.1 km from Alabang, Muntinlupa to Sto. Tomas.

ALAMIN: Tamang paggalang sa watawat ng Pilipinas

Sinimulan na ngayong linggo ang tinaguriang mga Araw ng Watawat na layong bigyang halaga ang bandila ng Pilipinas lalo't papalapit na ang Araw ng Kalayaan.
Muling itinaas nitong Lunes ang isang higanteng bandila sa Cavite, kung saan una itong ipinakilala noon ipinaglalaban pa ang kalayaan.
Taon-taon, inaalala ng mga Caviteño ang sagupaan ng mga rebolusyonaryong Pilipino at ng mga Kastila sa Imus noong Mayo 28, 1898, na tinaguriang "Battle of Alapan."
Iyan ang ginugunita ngayon ng bansa bilang Araw ng Watawat.
Hanggang sa anibersaryo ng pagdeklara ng kalayaan sa Hunyo 12, hinihikayat ang mga Pilipino na ipakita ang bandila sa mga opisina, paaralan, tahanan at sa mga pampublikong lugar.
Paraan na rin ito ng pakikiisa sa mga kababayan lalo na sa panahon ng pagsubok sa Mindanao.
Pero hindi lang basta-basta ginagamit ang bandila. Narito ang ilang paalala sa tamang paggalang sa watawat ng bansa:
- Dapat nasa nakatakda at prominenteng posisyon lang ito ipinapakita.
- Hindi dapat hayaang kumupas o mapunit ang bandila.
- Bawal itong sumadsad sa lupa.
- Hindi ito dapat gawing dekorasyon, pantakip o lona.
- Hindi ito puwedeng suotin o gawing disenyo ng damit.
- Hindi ito maaaring ilagay sa mabababang puwesto pati na rin sa mga lugar tulad ng night club at pasugalan.
- Bawal sulatan, sirain o gawing katatawanan ang bandila.

DOTr, LRTA break ground for LRT-2 extension

Transportation officials on Tuesday broke ground for the 4 kilometer Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT-2) East Extension Project.
It entails constructing a 4 km extension of the LRT-2 System from Santolan in Pasig City to Masinag in Antipolo, Rizal.
Two additional stations – Emerald, in front of Robinsons Metro East and Sta. Lucia in Cainta, and Masinag, before the Masinag Junction in Antipolo City – will also be constructed.
"Travel time from Recto to Masinag will soon be reduced to 40 minutes compared with the usual travel of up to 3 hours in the same route by bus or jeepneys," the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said in an emailed statement Tuesday.
D.M. Consunji Inc. (DMCI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of DMCI Holdings Inc., bagged the contract for the two stations. Construction is set to start on June 6, 2017.
To be completed in August 2018, the project is envisioned to accommodate 80,000 passengers more per day in the first five years of operation. That is on top of the daily ridership of 240,000 on average.
Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade and LRTA Administrator Reynaldo Ignacio Berroya led the groundbreaking.
“It will be a timely addition to have both new stations in the LRT Line 2 as we acknowledge the need for greater accessibility of passengers coming from the eastern side of Metro Manila, extending to key areas of Antipolo and its nearby cities,” Tugade said.
“The completion of the LRT Line 2 East Extension Project is part of the fulfillment of the government’s promise to ease traffic congestion by extending the service of the LRT Line 2 System to the eastern part of Metro Manila,” Berroya noted. — Jon Viktor Cabuenas/VDS, GMA News

DOTr leads groundbreaking of LRT 2 Masinag, Emerald stations today

The east extension of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 2 will be commercially available by the second half of 2018, the transportation department said in an advisory.

Such a target, which falls a year short of the original third quarter of 2017 goal, was set as the government breaks ground for the new stations of the railway line today, Tuesday.

“On Tuesday, May 30, the Department of Transportation and Light Rail Transit Authority will lead the groundbreaking ceremony of the LRT Line 2 East Extension that will signal the start of construction of its two stations,” the advisory read.

The two new stations, Masinag and Emerald, will be built by construction company DMCI.

“The project will be completed in August 2018,” the advisory read.

The extension of the country’s youngest overhead railway system is expected to cater to an additional 75,000 daily passengers living in densely populated areas of Rizal.

The train line has a daily ridership of about 217,000 passengers, below its designed capacity of between 570,000 passengers per day.

The government also plans to extend the railway line all the way to the port area through the Public- Private Partnership (PPP) Program.

It was approved by the previous government’s National Economic and Development Authority Board, but was included in the pipeline of projects to be implemented under the PPP Program.

The project will extend the line from its current end-station in Recto up to Pier 4 in the port area in Manila and the operations and maintenance of the existing LRT-2 System.

The LRT 2 is a 13.8-kilometer mass-transit line that traverses five cities in Metro Manila namely Pasig, Marikina, Quezon City, San Juan and Manila, along the major thoroughfares of Marcos Highway, Aurora Boulevard, Ramon Magsaysay Boulevard, Legarda and Recto Avenue.

‘My Love From The Star’ premiered last night

The local adaptation of the Korean series “My Love From The Star” premiered last night on GMA Telebabad and as expected, it provided “kilig” moments to viewers.

Jennylyn Mercado plays Steffi Chavez, a beautiful, sophisticated, and overly confident popular actress who is careless at times. Meanwhile, newest Kapuso heartthrob Gil Cuerva steps into the shoes of Matteo Domingo, an intelligent, aloof, but cold and often distant extra-terrestrial being forced to live his days here on Earth.

The story begins over 400 years ago when Matteo’s spaceship crash-landed on Earth. Since then, he has lived many lives and eagerly awaits the return of beings from his planet to take him home. While waiting, he encounters Steffi. Steffi, being the popular actress, is used to people literally and figuratively falling down her feet and giving her everything she wants, but Matteo doesn’t even know who she is and this comes as a shock for her.

Initially, they won’t get along, but will later on come to discover that they have feelings for one another and fall in love. But how can two different beings from two separate worlds – a human and an alien – be together?

Completing the cast are Gabby Eigenmann as Jackson Libredo, Christian Bautista as Winston Libredo, Glydel Mercado as Lynelle Chavez, Renz Fernandez as Peter Yuzon, Jackie Rice as Lucy Yuzon, Migo Adecer as Yuan Chavez, Melissa Mendez as Doris Yuzon, Spanky Manikan as Mr. Jang, Nar Cabico as Jun, Analyn Barro as Mina, Valentin as Detective Park, Moi Marcampo as Kathy, Pauline Mendoza as Marcella, the girl Matteo fell in love with back in the 16th century.

 Playing a very special role in the remake is Rhian Ramos as Rachel Andrada, another sought-after actress and the top rival of Steffi in the industry.

 “My Love From The Star” airs after “Mulawin Vs. Ravena.”

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Trending worldwide

 “Mulawin Vs. Ravena” has been trending worldwide since premiere.

Many couldn’t help but feel nostalgic over the first “Mulawin” that GMA Network presented many years back. And viewers noted the exciting chemistry between Heart Evangelista (Alwina) and Dennis Trillo (Gabriel) that they could feel their emotions in their scenes.

 The choreography and special effects are also amazing, thanks to the leadership of Dominic Zapata and Don Michael Perez.

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Tidbits: Happy b-day greetings today, May 30, go to actor-director Ricky Davao, Rep. Bingbong Crisologo, Liza Bacason-Madrienes, Beauty Gonzalez-Crisologo, Fr. Allan Samonte, Gabby Demiere, Glenda Barretto, Rene Austria, Roxanne Lapus, Marlene dela Peña, Jose Lim, Dr. Jofe Syquia, Ferdie Villar, Narciso Talampas, Jr., Marilen I. Cojuangco, Jacqueline Sagmit, Monina S. Capili, Pocholo Malillin of Club Mwah, Leslie Lomeda, Mary Grace V. Macahindog, Rihanna Sofia L. Tabor, Ronalis Cheng and MB’s Chito Vasquez and gorgeous Teresa Gerilla Martinez…Happy 50th wedding anniversary to Ed and Solly Peregrino… May 31 celebrators are William Martinez, Benhur A  Villanueva, Perlita M. Magno, John Lester Domingo, Ferdie Santa Ana, Leslie Ann Ong-Santos, Adel Almontero of UK, Ruby Velasco Remie and Desiree Kate A. Silan of New York, and Jojo Gaela…