Nat’l ID system implementation seen next year

SEN. Panfilo Lacson yesterday expressed optimism the proposed national identification system will be ratified in the first quarter of next year.

Lacson, chair of the Senate sub-committee on the Filipino Identification System Act, made the statement after yesterday’s public hearing on 10 Senate bills seeking to establish a unified ID system.

Another hearing will be conducted on Monday to hear oppositors, Lacson said. The Monday hearing could be the final one, he said, and the sub-committee will then come up with a report on the measure. The report is expected to be readily approved as most senators support the proposal to have a national ID.

The House passed its version of the bill last September.

Senate minority leader Franklin Drilon, main author of the national ID bill, shared Lacson’s optimism that the measure would be implemented in 2018, and allayed fears the ID system would compromise the citizens’ rights to privacy.

He said proposed measure should not be viewed as a threat to security as the main objective of the bill is to ensure efficient delivery of service and to ease transactions with government agencies.

“There will be proper safeguards so as not to interfere with the individual’s right to privacy. It will also be ensured that unscrupulous persons will not have access to confidential information,” he said.

Lisa Grace Bersales, national statistician and civil registrar general of the Philippine Statistics Authority, dispelled fears of a breach in privacy, saying that the agency has not had any breach in its data record.

Drilon said the data that are being proposed to be included in the national ID system would not be different from the information that currently present in all government-issued IDs.

For the initial phase, Drilon suggested coverage for those 21 years old and older, or about 100,981,437 Filipinos.

No breach of privacy in national ID system – Drilon

Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon yesterday allayed fears that the proposed national identification system would compromise the citizens’ rights to privacy, saying the bill’s main objective is to enhance the delivery of basic services in the country.

Drilon issued the statement during a public hearing on his national ID measure (Senate Bill 15) conducted by Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson, chairman of a Senate justice and human rights sub-committee attended by various government and private agencies.

Lacson said he would conduct another public hearing on Monday to hear oppositors to the bill that he also authored in past Congresses.

 He said he would press the Senate to approve the national ID system measure at the first quarter of 2018.

For the record, Drilon said he wanted to debunk the claim that the measure might affect data privacy as the pertinent provisions of the Data Privacy Act would still apply.

 Drilon said that the proposed measure should not be viewed as a threat to security as the main objective of the bill  is “to ensure efficient delivery of service and ease transactions with government agencies.’’

 “There will be proper safeguards so as not to interfere with the individual’s right to privacy. It will also be ensured that unscrupulous persons will not have access to confidential information,” he stressed.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), through Undersecretary Lisa Grace Bersales, also dispelled fears of a possible breach in privacy, saying that the agency has not had any breach in its data record.

The agency also committed to submit its proposed bill at the soonest.

Lacson upbeat on passage of nat’l ID system bill next year

Senator Panfilo Lacson on Monday said that he felt like there is a big chance that his proposed national identification system bill would be passed during the first quarter of next year. Lacson told reporters the bill has been passed on third and final reading in the House of Representatives while the Senate is currently deliberating on it.

Next week, Lacson said he will call for another hearing to listen to oppositors and come up with a committee report by January next year.

“Give or take, it can be passed (in the Senate) on second and third reading during the first quarter next year,” Lacson said in an interview after a hearing on the proposed national ID system.

Lacson, meanwhile, said that if passed, it would take more than five years for the national ID system to be fully implemented in the Philippines.

He pointed out that because India and Indonesia took five years to implement their national ID system, he expected the Philippines to take “longer” but noted that it will depend on the technology available.

The senator said that the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) will be tasked to provide a unique national reference number to each individual, and the reference card shall be tamper-proof.

PSA earlier suggested to doing biometrics start from scratch.

Lacson, however, suggested that he is looking at consolidating data from other agencies such as the Social Security System, Government Service Insurance System, Commission and Elections, and Land Transportation Office.

“These agencies have already captured the biometrics of so many Filipinos, so many — millions. Maybe they can consolidate, integrate to save,” Lacson said.

He also said that the PSA is looking at consulting the World Bank on new technologies that could help make the data-gathering system easier. However, Lacson said that it may cost some USD45-60 million (PHP 3 billion).

Lacson has also pushed for a national ID system in previous Congresses to record and provide a single official identification for all citizens and foreign residents of the Philippines.

The system shall assign a national reference number to each citizen and foreign resident, together with a national reference card.

His proposed measure seeks to make it easier to identify the real poor and give them free hospitalization and other assistance.

Aside from efficient delivery of social services, it will also prevent crime, terrorism, and insurgency and ease transacting business with the government as well as private entities.

Information in the National Reference Card will include the Reference Number, full name, permanent address, date, and place of birth, signature, a photograph of the individual, blood type, and next of kin of the owner. It should also be capable of storing the biometric data of the individual.

“The Card shall serve as the only official identification of the person to whom it is issued and shall be valid, accepted and honored, upon presentation, in any transaction requiring the identity, status, birth and other personal circumstance,” Lacson said in his bill.

Denial of Marcos motion elates Robredo camp

Vice President Leni Robredo’s lawyer said the refusal of the court to grant former senator Bongbong Marcos’ motion for a technical examination of election documents in three Mindanao provinces has narrowed his chances of pursuing his electoral protest.

The Supreme Court (SC), sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET), denied Marcos’ appeal for a technical examination of voters’ records in Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur and Basilan to bolster his electoral protest against Robredo.

“The denial by the PET of Marcos’ motion for technical examination of certain election documents from Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur and Basilan has greatly affected his chances of pursuing his protest,” lawyer Romulo Macalintal said in a statement on Monday.

Macalintal explained that the merits of Marcos’ electoral protest “would be initially determined based on the results of the said recount of ballots from Camarines Sur, Iloilo and Negros Oriental which, as stated would not have any material effect on the official count when Robredo was declared winner.”

The PET is scheduled to conduct a ballot recount in three pilot provinces Marcos has chosen in his electoral protest. These are Camarines Sur, Iloilo and Negros Oriental.

For Macalintal, the ballot recount will come out in favor of Robredo. “Wala pang nananalo sa isang recount sa isang electoral protest,” he said in an ambush interview.

“As such, Marcos’ protest faces its apparent dismissal,” Macalintal stressed, explaining that his protest will be junked if he could not prove any substantial recovery in the upcoming ballot recount in three provinces.

“He cannot change or add to these 3 provinces as it is not allowed by the PET Rules,” Macalintal said.


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Robredo camp briefed on vote recount process

By Raymund Antonio

The lawyers of Vice President Ma. Leonor ‘Leni’ Robredo on Monday got a glimpse of the venue where the ballot revision and recount process will be conducted in relation to the electoral protest filed by former Senator Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr.

Representatives from the Supreme Court, sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal, toured Robredo’s lawyers Romulo Macalintal and Beng Sardillo at the gymnasium in preparation for the recount of ballots that will happen in February next year.

The son and namesake of the late former president Ferdinand E. Marcos is contesting the votes in 132,446 established precincts.

He lost the vice presidential race to Robredo in 2016 by 263,473 votes.

The SC gymnasium will be used for the revision proceedings for the ballots from Camarines Sur, Iloilo, and Negros Oriental.

These are the provinces that Marcos cited for the initial ballot recount.

 “The reason we are here now is for us to see the venue and to know what are the other rules and regulations that will be implemented by PET,” Macalintal told reporters in Filipino before the tour.

The camp of Robredo has been looking forward to the revision and recount of votes to finally settle the electoral protest she is facing.

The Vice President wants a speedy resolution of the case since it will resolve doubts on her mandate.

Plan for new Senate building in BGC approved

By Mario B. Casayuran

The proposed new Senate building to be built at the Bonifacio Global City (BGC) will look like the traditional “bahay kubo’’ but it will be iconic and world-class.

The design will be done by a winner in an international competition to be spearheaded by the Senate Accounts Committee chaired by Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson.

This came after the Senate, by a majority vote, approved a resolution directing Lacson’s committee to conduct a feasibility study on the construction of a new Senate building and relocation of the Senate.

“The new edifice will incorporate Philippine identity,” he said.

In his speech, Lacson said the US Congress, the Palace of Westminster, the Hungarian Parliament Building and the Reichstag Building in Berlin are known globally not only for their architectural design but also for representing the dignity of the parliaments they house, “something which all of us in this august chamber will surely agree, is also fitting for the Senate of the Republic of the Philippines.”

The vote during a recent regular session was for the Senate to be transferred to a two-hectare lot at the BGC at a cost of R1.8 billion, payable in 10 years or more.

The Upper House initially rejected an offer by the Antipolo City Government of a 25-hectare lot located at the hilly area along the Marikina-Infanta Road in Barangays San Jose and Inarawan. It was for free.

Since the Senate leased six floors of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) complex at its southwestern portion, it has already paid R2.24 billion from May 1, 1996 to Dec. 31, 2017 for rental fee.

“The cost of our lease payments have probably become enough to construct an iconic, permanent Senate building,” Lacson explained.

In implementing the transfer plan, Lacson said his committee would follow the pattern used by the Supreme Court which awarded the contract after an international bidding.

“Such structures, needless to say, live up to the words of Chinese-American architect I. M. Pei when he stated that buildings are the true ‘reflection of society’ – that you have to cast your eyes on those structures in order to feel the presence of the past and the spirit of the place,” he said.

Based on the proposed timeline, construction of the new Senate building should start in the third quarter of 2018 and be finished by the third quarter of 2020.

Lacson said expanded land routes to the new Senate site are already being undertaken by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

Lacson, Drilon push national ID system

SEN. Panfilo Lacson on Monday proposed the consolidation of all biometrics data already gathered by some government agencies to cut the costs in implementing the proposed national identification system.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said the government has to “start all over again” in terms of gathering biometrics. It has committed to undertake the initial phase with a P2 billion budget for 2018. This will be used for biometrics, verification and issuance of the ID.

The Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs headed by Lacson conducted a public hearing on 11 pending measures calling for the establishment of a national ID system.

Lacson said the Social Security System, Commission on Elections, Land Transportation Office, and the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) already spent public funds to “capture the biometrics of so many millions of Filipinos.”

“Baka p’wede i-consolidate, integrate, para makamenos sa gastos (Why not consolidate, integrate them to save funds?)” Lacson said in an interview.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon agreed with Lacson.

He said the existing system of various agencies such as the SSS, GSIS, Comelec, Department of Foreign Affairs, and Philhealth, among others, can be used and integrated. In total, these agencies have covered about 93 percent of the population.

Drilon said the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) should take the lead in interoperatibility and interconnectivity systems.

For the initial phase, those 18 years old and above should be covered, which account to about 62.6 million Filipinos.

The senator allayed fears that the ID system would compromise the citizens’ rights to privacy, saying the bill’s main objective is to enhance the delivery of basic services in the country.

“We want to debunk for the record the claim that the bill may affect data privacy as the pertinent provisions of the Data Privacy Act will still apply,” Drilon said during the public hearing.

He explained that the measure should not be viewed as a threat to security as the bill’s main objective is “to ease transactions with government agencies.

“There will be proper safeguards so as not to interfere with the individual’s right to privacy. It will also be ensured that unscrupulous persons will not have access to confidential information,” Drilon said.

The PSA, through Undersecretary Lisa Grace Bersales, also dispelled fears of a possible breach in privacy.

Drilon said the data that are being proposed to be included in the national ID system would not be different from the information that are currently present in all government-issued IDs.

Filipinos will be given a Common Reference Number (CRN) containing essential information such as full name, address, date and place of birth, sex, civil status, signature, CRN and date of card issuance, along with a recent photo.

The CRN/ID can be used by a citizen when he or she transacts business in government agencies.

Senate to pass national ID system bill by early 2018

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon allays fears that the national ID system would compromise citizens' right to privacy

The Senate is eyeing the passage of the bill seeking to create a national identification system for Filipinos by early 2018.

Senator Panfilo Lacson, chairman of the subcommittee on the national ID system, said the proposed scheme would enhance the delivery of basic services to the public, as well as prevent crimes and expedite transactions in the private sector.

Lacson said the Philippines could be considered "primitive" for being one of the few countries that do not have national ID cards.

"I will make it a commitment to pass it at least sa (in the) first quarter," Lacson told reporters after the hearing on Monday, December 4.

"[The] budget, I think the President now – the current administration is in full support, unlike in previous administrations na talagang bogged down lagi (when talks always bogged down)," he said, adding that the measure had not even reached committee hearings in the past.

To prepare for the rollout, the government has allotted P2 billion to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) for 2018.

Back in September, the House of Representatives approved a similar national ID system bill on 3rd and final reading. The House version requires all Filipinos 21 years old and above, living here or abroad, to register personal data for their national IDs.

Under Lacson's proposal, however, such identification would not be mandatory.

The senator said it would take more than 5 years for the Philippines to roll out the national ID system because it does not have the required technology yet.

"Depende sa technology available, kasi minsan mapapadali kasi may mga agencies na nasa system na nila. It's just a matter of integrating them into one system called the national ID system. Right now, the PSA, 'yan ang agency in charge. But it takes a lot, kasi wala masyadong technical or IT capability ang PSA," he explained.

(It depends on the available technology because sometimes, it's expedited because there are agencies which already have the data in their system. It's just a matter of integrating them into one system called the national ID system. Right now, the PSA is the agency in charge. But it takes a lot because the PSA does not have the technical or IT capability yet.)

Privacy issues

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, who also backs the measure, addressed fears that it would violate the people's right to privacy.

Drilon said the data to be included in the national ID system would not be different from the sets of information that are already present in government-issued IDs.

"We want to debunk, for the record, the claim that the bill may affect data privacy, as the pertinent provisions of the Data Privacy Act will still apply," the senator said.

"There will be proper safeguards so as not to interfere with the individual's right to privacy. It will also be ensured that unscrupulous persons will not have access to confidential information," he added.

The PSA, through Undersecretary Lisa Grace Bersales, also dispelled fears of a possible breach of privacy. She said the agency has not had any breach in its data record.

Responding to a question from Lacson, Bersales said the issue is "a misplaced concern."

Drilon explained that a Common Reference Number (CRN) will be given to all Filipinos. The national ID will contain the CRN, along with essential information such as the person's full name, address, date and place of birth, sex, civil status, signature, and date of card issuance, along with a recent photo.

Drilon emphasized that a citizen would be able to use the national ID in transactions with all branches of government, making it more convenient for Filipinos to avail of public services.

The senator expressed confidence that the measure would be signed into law and implemented in 2018.

Both chambers of Congress have identified the bill as a priority measure of the 17th Congress.

Robredo camp confident recount will affirm victory over Marcos

Vice President Leni Robredo’s camp has expressed confidence that the results of the ballot recount sought by defeated vice presidential candidate former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. will come out in favor of Robredo.

“We are very confident that the results of the ballot recount from the three pilot provinces of Camarines Sur, Iloilo and Negros Oriental which were personally chosen by Marcos as the ‘best provinces’ where he could prove the irregularities alleged in his protest, will confirm and affirm the victory of Robredo as the duly elected Vice President in the 2016 elections,” lawyer Romulo Macalintal said in a statement on Monday.

This is because, Macalintal said, since 2010, more than 500 automated election protests involving ballot recounts for local posts had been unsuccessful.

“All of them were dismissed because the results of the physical count of the ballots tallied exactly with the results of the count made by the vote counting machines (VCMs) and the consolidated canvassing system,” Macalintal said.

He explained there would be no reason the physical recount for ballots for the national position would be different “if the results in the recount of ballots for local elective officials were accurate.”

“The ballots used for the local and national elective positions were the same and they were likewise counted and tallied by the same VCMs and CCS [consolidation and canvass system],” he said.

Marcos alleged that Robredo won the vice presidency due to electoral frauds, anomalies and irregularities. He also accused the Liberal Party (LP) of electronic cheating.

Robredo won the vice presidential seat with 14,418,817 votes, more than 200,000 votes against the 14,155,344 votes secured by Marcos. /atm


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Senate eyes nat’l ID system bill approval by early 2018

The Senate is targeting the approval of the proposed national identification system by the first quarter of 2018, Senator Panfilo Lacson said Monday.

Lacson, one of the authors of the proposal and chairman of the Senate subcommittee on the national identification system, said the Philippines might as well be considered “primitive” for being one of the few countries that do not have national ID cards.

“I will make it a commitment to pass it at least sa first quarter,” Lacson said in an interview.

“Ang budget, I think the President now – the current administration is in full support, unlike in previous administrations na talagang bogged down lagi,” he said.

Apart from enchancing the delivery of basic services, Lacson explained that the national ID system can also be used to prevent crime, as well as for transactions with private institutions like banks.

Under his proposal, national IDs will not be mandatory. The House approved version however mandates all Filipinos residing in the Philippines or abroad, upon reaching 18 years of age, to register their personal data under the Filipino Identification System (FilSys).

Fully implementing a national ID system however will most likely take more than five years, Lacson said, as the Philippines does not have the needed technology yet.

“Depende sa technology available kasi minsan mapapadali kasi may mga agencies na nasa system na nila. It’s just a matter of integrating them into 1 system called the National ID system. Right now, the PSA (Philippine Statistics Authority), 'yan ang agency in charge. But it takes a lot, kasi wala masyadong technical or IT capability ang PSA,” he said.

Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, also an author, meanwhile allayed fears that the proposal would compromise the citizens’ rights to privacy.

“There will be proper safeguards so as not to interfere with the individual’s right to privacy. It will also be ensured that unscrupulous persons will not have access to confidential information,” Drilon said.

Drilon said the data that are being proposed to be included in the national ID system would not be different from the information that are currently present in all government-issued IDs.

Drilon explained that a Common Reference Number (CRN) will be given to all Filipinos containing essential information such as full name, address, date and place of birth, sex, civil status, signature, CRN and date of card issuance, along with a recent photo.

He emphasized that the CRN/ID can be used by a citizen in transactions with all branches of the government, thereby making it more convenient for Filipinos to avail of government services.

“The Philippine Statistics Authority has committed to undertake the initial phase with a P2 billion budget for 2018. This will be used for biometrics, verification and issuance of the ID,” Drilon said. —KBK, GMA News

1st phase of Manila-Clark rail project to start January ’18

The Department of Transportation said it would soon start the first phase of a massive train line linking Manila to Clark in Pampanga City where the Clark International Airport is located.

The first phase of the project is the 38-kilometer line from Tutuban in Manila to Malolos in Bulacan. This is set to begin by no later than Jan. 6, 2018, the DOTr said.

The project is part of the 106-km Manila to New Clark City train line, which will cost more than P300 billion and will be funded by a loan from the Japanese government.

The Tutuban-Malolos segment will be completed by 2021 while the Malolos to Clark section will be done by 2022, the DOTr said.

“The DOTr will continue ensuring successful, competitive and corruption-free bidding processes as we deliver on the Duterte administration’s Build Build Build program,” DOTr assistant secretary for railways John Batan said in a statement.

The department said it signed an agreement Friday with NSTren Consortium as project construction supervision consultant.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said the project was long overdue.

Also known as the North-South Commuter Railway Project (NSCR), the Tutuban-Malolos segment was approved by the board of the National Economic and Development Authority in early 2015.

The Philippines and the Japan International Cooperation Agency signed an almost $2-billion loan agreement for the Tutuban to Malolos stretch that same year.

According to the DOTr, the NSTren consultancy was originally programmed to be procured over a period of one and a half years, or from October 2015 to March 2017.

“With the joint efforts of DOTr, Philippine National Railways and Department of Budget and Management-Procurement Service (DBM-PS), a successful and transparent bidding was completed in four months, with a final contract price that is 20-percent lower as budgeted in the loan agreement,” the DOTr said.

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Zamora to tap China firms for $1.5-B LRT 4 proposal

Businessman Salvador B. Zamora II is in talks with Chinese groups for a plan to build and operate the $1.5-billion Light Rail Transit Line 4 (LRT 4) in Metro Manila.

In a recent interview, Zamora said he was open to multiple partners, and that there were ongoing discussions with a Chinese company for the engineering procurement for and construction of the proposed 20-kilometer project.


With the railway line, Zamora hopes to link densely populated areas in Taytay, Rizal, and the Ortigas Business District.

He said the group was prepared to submit an unsolicited offer to the Department of Transportation in early 2018. Also being evaluated was a path toward getting a Congressional franchise.

“It has [to be submitted] pretty soon,” Zamora said.

The LRT 4 marks Zamora’s latest foray into the railway sector after he sold all of his interests in the Metro Rail Transit Line 7 to San Miguel Corp. last year.

Under an unsolicited proposal, a proponent would need to undergo a Swiss challenge. This gives rival bidders the opportunity to submit better offers. The original proponent, under the rules, holds the right to match those offers and win the project.

The LRT 4 project used to be part of the Public Private Partnership program under the Aquino administration.

It was approved by the board of the National Economic and Development Authority in 2015. That approval was good for only six months and it lapsed in early 2016.

Based on a project brief dated November 2015, the LRT 4 hoped to address limited transportation options for residents in Taytay and nearby areas.

“Ortigas Avenue is highly congested; with over 4,000 public transport passengers every hour and travel speeds during peak hour of around 12 kilometers/hour—much lower than the average for Metro Manila,” according to the brief prepared by the then Department of Transportation and Communications.

The department said most districts had more than 100,000, with some areas topping 200,000. The Taytay area was also growing at least 3 percent yearly.


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Mitsubishi set to deliver 120 new LRT vehicles until 2021

The Department of Transportation said it signed a deal with Japan’s Mitsubishi Corp. for the procurement of 120 new light rail vehicles for Light Rail Transit Line 1 extension from Baclaran to Bacoor in Cavite.

Transportation Assistant Secretary for railways Timothy John Batan said the final contract price for the procurement of new trains was not only within budget, but was also about 20 percent lower than the offer of the next-ranked bidder.

The agency did not provide the actual bid of Mitsubishi, but data showed the budget for the acquisition of new trains was about P30 billion.

The 120 LRVs are designed with four-LRV configuration. Each train set would have a minimum of 1,388 passengers, sitting and standing. They are expected to be energy efficient and have low maintenance cost.

The first four LRVs are expected to be delivered on Aug. 31, 2020 while the next delivery of 40 LRVs are due on Dec. 31, 2020.

Mitsubishi Corp.- Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarrile, the project sub-contractor based in Spain, is expected to complete the delivery of 120 LRVs on Dec. 31, 2021.

The LRT-1 Cavite Extension project is currently on the final design stage and pre-construction activities. Actual construction will start next year and will be completed within the term of President Duterte.

Light Rail Manila Corp.  won the bidding for the 11.7-kilometer project and took over the operation of LRT Line 1 on Sept. 12, 2015.

The LRT Line 1 Cavite Extension would serve an additional 300,000 commuters and would significantly reduce travel time from Bacoor, Cavite to Manila from about two hours to 40 minutes.

The 11.7-kilometer Cavite extension will connect into the existing system immediately south of the Baclaran station and run in a generally southerly direction to Niyog, Cavite.

It will consist of elevated guideways throughout most of the alignment, except for the guideway section at Zapote which will be located at grade.  It will consist of the satellite depot and new station.

The new stations will be named Aseana, MIA, Asia World, Ninoy Aquino and Dr. Santos Stations in Paranque City, Las Pinas and Zapote Stations in Las Pinas City and Niog Station in Bacoor, Cavite.

http://thestandard.com.ph/business/biz-plus/253168/mitsubishi-set-to-deliver-120-new-lrt-vehicles-until-2021.html

GMA Network tallies bigger TV ratings lead in November

Media giant GMA Network, Inc. (GMA) strengthened its nationwide ratings lead based on the latest data from Nielsen Phils.TV Audience Measurement.

For the month of November (with November 19 to 30 based on overnight data), the Kapuso Network ruled over its counterparts in the National Urban Television Audience Measurement (NUTAM) with an average total day people audience share of 43.2 percent, leading ABS-CBN’s 38.2 percent.

GMA also posted winning numbers across all day parts in NUTAM. The Network recorded 38.8 percent people audience share in the morning block versus ABS-CBN’s 35.9 percent.

GMA’s afternoon line-up consistently dominated the 12 noon to 6 p.m. block with 47 percent; way ahead of ABS-CBN’s 36.2 percent.

The Kapuso Network’s strong showing continued in the evening block with 42.1 percent versus competition’s 40.8 percent.

Likewise, GMA toppled its rival network in all time blocks in both Urban Luzon and Mega Manila, which respectively account for 76 and 59 percent of all urban viewers in the country.

In Urban Luzon, the Network registered a total day people audience share of 48.8 percent; besting ABS-CBN’s 32.6 percent.

Similarly, in Mega Manila (based on November 1 to 18 data), the Kapuso Network continued its dominance with 51.1 percent total day people audience share as against competition’s 28.5 percent.

More Kapuso shows also made it to the list of top programs in NUTAM with the award-winning weekly family sitcom Pepito Manaloto still reigning as the most watched Kapuso program nationwide in November.

Included in the list as well were Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho; Daig Kayo ng Lola Ko; Magpakailanman; 24 Oras; Super Ma’am; All-Star Videoke; 24 Oras Weekend; and Alyas Robin Hood, which concluded last November 24.

Newly launched primetime series Kambal, Karibal immediately made its way to the list of most watched Kapuso programs in NUTAM along with consistent rating drivers Ika-6 na Utos; Impostora, Haplos, Wowowin; My Korean Jagiya; Imbestigador; Eat Bulaga; Sunday PinaSaya; Celebrity Bluff; and Impostora.

GMA Network again dominated the list of top programs in Urban Luzon with 8 of the top 10; while sweeping Mega Manila’s top 10 list.

Further, GMA’s flagship AM radio station Super Radyo DZBB was also hailed as the listeners’ number one choice in Mega Manila proving GMA’s dominance both in TV and radio. Based on the latest data from Nielsen Radio Audience Measurement, DZBB garnered a total day average audience share of 32.3 percent in October, which toppled DZMM’s 27.5 percent and DWWW’s 12.6 percent.

In 2016, Nielsen TV Audience Measurement increased its client pool to a total of 36 clients/subscribers consisting of 12 local TV networks including TV5, Aksyon TV, CNN Philippines, Net 25, Solar Entertainment Corporation, Viva Communications Inc., among others; 5 regional clients; 2 blocktimers and 17 media agencies.