Friday, December 15, 2017
P1T worth of projects OKd by Neda board in 2017
The National Economic and Development Authority Board chaired by President Duterte approved P1 trillion in projects so far this year, with the rollout of up to a dozen infrastructure projects next year expected to create more jobs.
Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia told reporters yesterday that at least six projects would be implemented starting early next year. These are mainly big-ticket projects such as the Clark airport expansion; the Metro Manila subway; the north-south railway projects connecting Los Baños, Laguna, Tutuban, Manila and Clark free port; the 130-kilometer first phase of the Mindanao railway connecting Digos, Davao City and Tagum; Chico River dam; Kaliwa water supply, and the Cavite flood control project.
Pernia, who heads the National Economic and Development Authority, said the Neda Board had approved this year 20 projects—14 new and six existing projects with changes in scope or financing, bringing to 36 the total number of projects approved by the Duterte administration in its first 18 months in office.
Most of these projects will be financed through the national budget or official development assistance (ODA), he said.
Neda Assistant Secretary Jonathan L. Uy said the projects approved this year cost a total of P1 trillion, higher than the P400 billion total cost of the 17 projects approved last year.
Uy said they were planning to seek Neda Board approval for six more projects, including three new, and tweaks to three ongoing projects.
The three new projects include a peace and order project in a command center in Davao City to be funded by China; the purchase of helicopters for marine disaster response, and a bridge construction acceleration project, Uy said.
Pernia said that amid political instability in the Middle East, the government’s massive “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program was expected to generate more jobs that could absorb overseas Filipino workers who might be repatriated.
Neda Undersecretary Rosemarie G. Edillon said the jobs requirement for the “Build, Build, Build” would be integrated in the portal Philjobnet to make them accessible to applicants.
Noting that the “flagship” infrastructure projects would be implemented 24/7, Pernia said jobs in construction, engineering and design would be in demand next year.
Read more: http://business.inquirer.net/242554/p1t-worth-projects-okd-neda-board-2017#ixzz51iRInOP5
Follow us: @inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook
Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia told reporters yesterday that at least six projects would be implemented starting early next year. These are mainly big-ticket projects such as the Clark airport expansion; the Metro Manila subway; the north-south railway projects connecting Los Baños, Laguna, Tutuban, Manila and Clark free port; the 130-kilometer first phase of the Mindanao railway connecting Digos, Davao City and Tagum; Chico River dam; Kaliwa water supply, and the Cavite flood control project.
Pernia, who heads the National Economic and Development Authority, said the Neda Board had approved this year 20 projects—14 new and six existing projects with changes in scope or financing, bringing to 36 the total number of projects approved by the Duterte administration in its first 18 months in office.
Most of these projects will be financed through the national budget or official development assistance (ODA), he said.
Neda Assistant Secretary Jonathan L. Uy said the projects approved this year cost a total of P1 trillion, higher than the P400 billion total cost of the 17 projects approved last year.
Uy said they were planning to seek Neda Board approval for six more projects, including three new, and tweaks to three ongoing projects.
The three new projects include a peace and order project in a command center in Davao City to be funded by China; the purchase of helicopters for marine disaster response, and a bridge construction acceleration project, Uy said.
Pernia said that amid political instability in the Middle East, the government’s massive “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program was expected to generate more jobs that could absorb overseas Filipino workers who might be repatriated.
Neda Undersecretary Rosemarie G. Edillon said the jobs requirement for the “Build, Build, Build” would be integrated in the portal Philjobnet to make them accessible to applicants.
Noting that the “flagship” infrastructure projects would be implemented 24/7, Pernia said jobs in construction, engineering and design would be in demand next year.
Read more: http://business.inquirer.net/242554/p1t-worth-projects-okd-neda-board-2017#ixzz51iRInOP5
Follow us: @inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook
Tugade now a PAF reserve lieutenant colonel
Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade formally joined the Philippine Air Force (PAF) reserves as a lieutenant colonel during short ceremonies Tuesday.
Donning ceremonies were held at the Hall of Flags, Department of National Defense (DND) Building, Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) public affairs office chief Col. Edgard Arevalo said in a statement Thursday.
The ceremonies were spearheaded by DND Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and AFP Chief-of-Staff Gen. Rey Leonardo Guerrero, he added.
The two officials also formally donned the DOTr chief his lieutenant colonel rank.
Donning ceremonies were held at the Hall of Flags, Department of National Defense (DND) Building, Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) public affairs office chief Col. Edgard Arevalo said in a statement Thursday.
The ceremonies were spearheaded by DND Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and AFP Chief-of-Staff Gen. Rey Leonardo Guerrero, he added.
The two officials also formally donned the DOTr chief his lieutenant colonel rank.
LRT-1 operator to spend P20M for shift to LED lights
THE Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC), operator of the Light Rail Transit 1 (LRT-1), has allocated P20 million to shift to light-emitting diode (LED) systems for all of its 20 LRT-1 stations.
“So far, we have completed the installation of LEDs at six stations: Doroteo Jose, Abad Santos, R. Papa, Gil Puyat, Pedro Gil and UN Avenue stations. The installation will be completed in all stations by end-2018,” LRMC Chief Operating Officer Rodolfo Chansuyo said in a statement.
According to Chansuyo, using LED will not only result in lower energy cost but would also eliminate the use of mercury-containing fluorescent lights.
“The lighting system replacement shift is in line with our Biyaheng Better Everyday commitment to the LRT-1 passengers, a step towards a safer and better riding experience for the commuters,” Chansuyo said.
“This is also our way of ensuring that LRT-1 stations run under environment-friendly operations, with the significant reduction in toxic elements emissions,” Chansuyco explained,” he added.
LRMC said that its 106 light rail vehicles will also be retrofitted with LED systems starting in 2018.
LRMC is a joint venture company of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation’s Metro Pacific Light Rail Corporation (MPLRC), Ayala Corporation’s AC Infrastructure Holdings Corporation (AC Infra), and the Philippine Investment Alliance for Infrastructure’s Macquarie Infrastructure Holdings (Philippines) Pte. Ltd. (MIHPL).
“So far, we have completed the installation of LEDs at six stations: Doroteo Jose, Abad Santos, R. Papa, Gil Puyat, Pedro Gil and UN Avenue stations. The installation will be completed in all stations by end-2018,” LRMC Chief Operating Officer Rodolfo Chansuyo said in a statement.
According to Chansuyo, using LED will not only result in lower energy cost but would also eliminate the use of mercury-containing fluorescent lights.
“The lighting system replacement shift is in line with our Biyaheng Better Everyday commitment to the LRT-1 passengers, a step towards a safer and better riding experience for the commuters,” Chansuyo said.
“This is also our way of ensuring that LRT-1 stations run under environment-friendly operations, with the significant reduction in toxic elements emissions,” Chansuyco explained,” he added.
LRMC said that its 106 light rail vehicles will also be retrofitted with LED systems starting in 2018.
LRMC is a joint venture company of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation’s Metro Pacific Light Rail Corporation (MPLRC), Ayala Corporation’s AC Infrastructure Holdings Corporation (AC Infra), and the Philippine Investment Alliance for Infrastructure’s Macquarie Infrastructure Holdings (Philippines) Pte. Ltd. (MIHPL).
DM Consunji returns after 26 years
CONSTRUCTION giant DM Consunji Inc. is back in Cebu to build one of the biggest infrastructure projects, the Cebu Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX). DM Consunji president Jorge A. Consunji said the 8.5-kilometer tollway bridge connecting Cebu City and the town of Cordova will be the fourth construction project of the company in Cebu. “The reason we were unable to return was because we suddenly had so many projects and we also became busy with the projects we did outside (overseas),” the executive said. Consunji said his company was commissioned to construct SM City Cebu, Ayala Center Cebu, and the first building of Shangri-La Mactan Resort and Spa in 1991, its last project in the province. It’s been 26 years. Now that it has returned to the Queen City of the South for the construction of a P22.6-billion toll bridge, Consunji sees a more buoyant environment. “The market has changed. The local contractors are also strong now. The business is very competitive and there are so many players,” Consunji said. With the Build Build Build program of the Duterte administration, Consunji is optimistic about having more infrastructure projects in the country. “We are very optimistic but it’s how the government will sequence that. It’s not for us to see where it’s gonna be. Everybody, all the contractors, are very hopeful,” he said. The five-decade-old construction company claims to have constructed the largest number of commercial establishments, high-rise offices and residential condominiums and infrastructure projects in the country, as it has literally created today’s Makati Central Business and Ortigas Center financial districts, and continues to do so. Some of the notable commercial buildings it constructed include the Philippine Stock Exchange Plaza and Roxas Triangle; Makati Shangri-la Hotel, SM Megamall, Glorietta 4, and Alabang Town Center, among others. For infrastructure, its portfolio includes the Carmen Bridge, and the three interchanges on Manila’s main thoroughfare and, the LRT Line 1 North Extension Project and Trackworks on LRT-2. It is also involved in the industrial sector with the building of five semi-conductor facilities namely, Intel, NEC, Analog Device, Motorola and Philips; Enron Power Plant in Subic and Pinamucan, Batangas and recently the Panay Power Plant and Dingle Power in Iloilo. Overseas, the company constructed the Istana Nurul Iman (The Royal Palace) in the Sultanate of Brunei and got involved in the building of numerous bridges in Saudi Arabia as well as interchanges and bridges in Kuwait and an irrigation structure in the Kirkuk-Adhaim Irrigation Project in Iraq. To date, Consunji said his company has not yet made a bid for a new project in Cebu. (JOG)
Read more: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/business/2017/12/14/dm-consunji-returns-after-26-years-579875
Follow us: @sunstaronline on Twitter | SunStar Philippines on Facebook
Read more: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/business/2017/12/14/dm-consunji-returns-after-26-years-579875
Follow us: @sunstaronline on Twitter | SunStar Philippines on Facebook