Fitness Fashion: February 2018

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

'LONGEST STREAK': No MRT-3 glitch reported in past 7 days, official says

No service interruption and unloading incident was reported in the congested Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT-3) for the past seven days since February 21.

MRT-3 media relations officer Aly Narvaez said this was the longest streak since MRT-3 Maintenance Transition Team (MTT) replaced the terminated Busan Universal Rail Inc. (BURI).

Moreover, Narvaez said there was a significant decline not only in service interruptions, but also in unloading incidents and train removals.

“We recorded zero passenger unloading incident for the past week, or for seven consecutive days,” Narvaez said in an advisory on Wednesday.

“The last unloading incident was recorded 21 February 2018. An all-time high since MTT takeover, and since 2017,” she said.

Narvaez told INQUIRER.net that newly-procured spare parts for the transit line’s train coaches started arriving around second week of February and deliveries were still ongoing until March.

“We started installation of some parts na pwede na considering walang disruption sa ops. Pero ‘yung talagang total replacement sa Holy Week gagawin,” the MRT-3 official said.

“This shows that we do not sacrifice the quality of our operational and maintenance services while in parallel, we work on urgent action plans and solutions such as procurement of spare parts, capacity expansion, and the mobilization of our new rehab and maintenance service provider,” she added.

The MRT-3 management aims to implement a “major improvement” after the Holy Week, saying that the transit line’s train coaches were expected to be overhauled by then. /je

Read more: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/972047/mrt-3-glitch-maintenance-incident-procure-spare-parts-operations#ixzz58PtpnxES
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Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Actors Guild, Philhealth sign MOA

Imelda Papin

A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was signed recently by the Actors Guild of the Philippines and Showbiz Industry Alliance, led by its president, Imelda Papin, and Philhealth president Dr. Celestina dela Serna at Icon Hotel in Timog Ave. QC.

The signing of the MOA coincided with Imelda’s recent birth anniversary.

Aside from the medical benefits, Actors Guild members can also now avail themselves of help and support from TESDA, for them to learn livelihood skills and be able to augment their income when movie offers become scarce.

Another project last year was the President’s Cup shootfest, a tribute to former guild president Fernando Poe, Jr., dubbed the “King Of Philippine Movies.”

Imelda’s group will soon hold a Drug Awareness Program.

• • •

Gina Alajar, and Odette Khan

Winning!

Some Kapuso stars won awards at the recently concluded 34th Star Awards for Movies.

“Ika-6 na Utos” star Odette Khan won as Movie Supporting Actress of the Year for her remarkable performance in the film “Bar Boys.” Meanwhile, chosen as Movie Original Theme Song of the Year was “Natapos Tayo” from the movie “All Of You” composed by “The One That Got Away” star Nar Cabico.

Also a winner was the multi-awarded director and actress Gina Alajar, who is a member of the cast of “Hindi Ko Kayang Iwan Ka” who went home with Nora Aunor Ulirang Artista Lifetime Achievement Award.

• • •

Tidbits: Happy b-day greetings today, Feb. 27, go to Zecel Bregaudit, June Torrejon, Cora Castaneda, Virgie Veloso, Ms. Annabelle Abaya, Alexis Rae M. Mendoza, Jojo Medina Salvador, James Vichuaco Nolasco, Charmaine Dumalay, Chols Villarino, Nizza Nazareno, Errol Abalayan of Star Magic, Kamille Abrenica, Raven Abrenica and Tess Paulino... Happy wedding anniversary to Felimon and Virginia Ligon of San Jose, Nueva Ecija… Feb. 28: US-based former Sampaguita Star Blanca Gomez, Buddy de Vera, Cynthia Patag, Blanca Gomez, Ylette Faustino, Elena Canchela, Alvin Gerilla, Cathy Bordalba, Nomar Reynon, Sofía Caldeno, Ryan Eigenmann, Ylette A. Faustino, US-based concert producer Carol Nievera, Romy A. Tobias, Julius Villarosa, Mickey Halili, Rico Canoy and Zaldy V. Atanacio of Wack-Wack Golf and Country Club, Raul T. Abad, Nomar Reynon of PCSO GM’s office, Marie Uy and Alvin M. Gerilla of Marilao, Bulacan… Feb. 29 b-day celebrators include director Freddie Santos, famed pianist Raul Sunico, Tina Revilla-Valencia, Biboy Enriquez of Sulo Hotel, Fortunato S. Limpo, Leny Carpio, Dulce Belen of Hawaii, and Gypsy Baldovino…

Monday, February 26, 2018

Regalado Highway in Quezon City to be partially closed for 5 hours

A portion of Regalado Highway in Quezon City will be closed to traffic from 11 pm on Monday, February 26, to 4 am on Tuesday, February 27, due to Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT7) construction.

According to Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Acting General Manager Jojo Garcia, the 5-hour closure will be implemented along northbound and southbound lanes from Bristol Street up to Commonwealth Avenue.

"This is to give way to pile testing activities that private contractor EEI Corporation will conduct in line with the construction of the Metro Rail Transit [Line] 7," Garcia said.

The MMDA said vehicles going to the Quezon Memorial Circle may take Quirino Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue. Alternatively, they can take Belfast Street and Mindanao Avenue.

Vehicles going to City of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan may take Mindanao Avenue and Regalado Avenue.

The private contractor will also conduct lane-marking activities from 11 pm to 4 am along Commonwealth Avenue, from University Avenue to the Philcoa area.

Lanes will be constricted due to the lane-marking activities, Garcia said.

"The contractors need to expand their work area in the middle but 7 lanes will remain for motorists' use," he added.

The MRT 7 will connect to the existing MRT 3 and Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT1), with the common station to be located between The Annex at SM North EDSA and Landmark Annex-TriNoma malls in Quezon City.

The MRT 7 will have 14 stations which will take 30 minutes to travel end-to-end: North Avenue, Quezon Memorial, University Avenue, Tandang Sora, Don Antonio, Batasan, Manggahan, Doña Carmen, Regalado Highway, Mindanao Avenue, Quirino, Sacred Heart, Tala, and Araneta-Colinas Verdes Subdivision.

Costly traffic

Metro Manila’s traffic mess is one problem that is proving too difficult to untangle. A confluence of events since many administrations ago has led to this nightmare in the capital.

Last week, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) estimated that the worsening traffic congestion in Metro Manila now costs at least P3.5 billion in lost opportunities a day — a jump from the estimated P2.4 billion a day in 2012.

The future does not seem to present much promise either.

According to the Jica study, Metro Manila’s population in 2015 was nearly 13 million while Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna and Cavite combined had almost 11 million. That puts Mega Manila’s population in 2015 at 24 million.

By 2025, Jica projected that Metro Manila’s population would be 16 million, and that of Mega Manila 38 million — becoming one of the largest cities in the world and, as a consequence, more congested.

The Metro Rail Transit Line 3 or MRT 3 that runs the stretch of Edsa could have helped much, but it has deteriorated so much that technical problems and stoppage have become a daily occurrence.

Yet Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade remains ever hopeful, saying he still felt there were solutions to address the MRT 3 problem. He was most likely referring to again tapping Sumitomo Corp. as MRT 3’s maintenance operator and finally privatizing its operations.

The Department of Transportation has been in talks with Metro Pacific Investments Corp., which had offered to take over the operations and rehabilitation of MRT 3.

Another potential solution has been pending for some time in Congress. In August 2016, Sen. Grace Poe filed Senate Bill No. 1284 seeking to give President Duterte emergency powers to address the traffic problem.

The measure, however, is in limbo, legislators having focused their priorities on the proposed shift to federalism and on televised investigations purportedly in aid of legislation.

Add to all these issues the lack of discipline on the road and you have the perfect storm insofar as choking Metro Manila’s streets is concerned.

Jica, which has been helping the Philippine government find solutions to the traffic problem, pointed out that the huge cost of congestion highlighted the need for new and modern infrastructure to ease the traffic situation.

One such undertaking is the initial phase of the Metro Manila Subway Project. Groundbreaking for the subway project has been moved to the third quarter of this year instead of early 2019. The 25.3-kilometer underground rail will connect Mindanao Avenue in Quezon City and Food Terminal Inc. in Taguig City, with a spur line to Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay City. It will cost P356.9 billion.

It is just part of the Duterte administration’s ambitious “Build, build, build” infrastructure program to help ease the congestion, especially in the metropolis.

Under the program, the government will roll out 75 infrastructure projects, with about half targeted to be finished within Mr. Duterte’s term. A total of more than P8 trillion will be spent on modern infrastructure such as skyways, railways and bridges until 2022.

This is not to say that traffic congestion will disappear once the new roads and bridges and railways have been built. Sadly, traffic congestion in the future will still be very costly. The traffic cost is P3.5 billion a day in Metro Manila today. If nothing is done, Jica estimated, it would worsen to P5.4 billion a day by 2035.

With “Build, build, build,” it could be reduced to P3 billion a day. With additional projects other than those identified in the infrastructure program, it would be reduced to P2.4 billion a day, which is still a very high price to pay for traffic congestion.

We can only dream of the day when we citizens would have smart choices in going from one place to another. A subway/elevated train system, efficient public buses and taxis, all environment-friendly by running on electricity or natural gas. Or even dedicated bicycle lanes for the health buffs. These will all take a long time to implement. But now is the best time to start.

Read more: http://opinion.inquirer.net/111328/costly-traffic#ixzz58Bqq16Z8
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KMJS: Throwback SEA Games

Jessica Soho is the Philippines' answer to Oprah Winfrey, but exact twelve years and ten months ago she covered the 1995 visit of Pope John Paul II for the 10th World Youth Day in Manila, Philippines.

Now right after Pope John Paul's visit in 1995, viewers from the Philippines are coming to watch the 24th Southeast Asian Games in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand live on GMA-7 and PTV-4 from December 6 to 15, 2007.

On November 1, a month before the Nakhon Ratchasima Southeast Asian Games, GMA executives led by Felipe Gozon, Jimmy Duavit, Felipe Yalong and Wilma Galvante together with Solar Entertainment's Wilson Tieng, PAGCor's Efrahim Genuino and PSC's William Butch Ramirez led the signing of contract to air the live coverage of the 24th Southeast Asian Games. The signing was held Tuesday at the Manila Golf and Country Club.

At this time, the national hosts of the regional multi-sports event coverage (aside from Soho herself) are Mike Enriquez, Mel Tiangco, German Moreno, Angelique Lazo, Vicky Morales, Pia Arcangel, Paolo Bediones, Arnold Clavio, Connie Sison, Mickey Ferriols, Miriam Quiambao, Suzi Entrata, Kara David, Lyn Ching, Margaux Salcedo, Arnell Ignacio, Susan Enriquez, Lala Roque, Antoniette Taus, Francis Magalona, Dingdong Dantes, Butch Francisco, Ricky Lo and Tito Sotto.

Former noontime show co-host Christine Jacob Sandejas, along with Patricia Bermudez-Hizon, Quinito Henson, Chino Trinidad and Mark Zambrano are served as commentators for sporting events.

The Network having their banners, pins and other souvenirs would be used.

Saturday, February 24, 2018

READ: THE MRT-7 TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT TASK FORCE TRAFFIC ADVISORY

In view of MRT-7 construction- related activities, the southbound and northbound lanes of Regalado Extension (from Bristol St. to Commonwealth Avenue), shall be closed starting at 11 p.m. of Feb 26 (Monday) until 5 a.m. of Feb 27 (Tuesday).

Motorists are therefore advised to take the following alternate routes:

Vehicles going towards Quezon Memorial Circle:

Take Quirino Highway and Commonwealth Avenue
Take Belfast Street and Mindanao Avenue

Vehicles going towards San Jose Del Monte:

Take Mindanao Avenue and Regalado Avenue

The affected lanes will be reopened by 5 a.m. of February 27.

Thank you for patience and kind understanding.

Big and bold ‘Bleeding Steel’

Jackie Chan

Your favorite martial arts superstar Jackie Chan is back via “Bleeding Steel,” his latest action/sci-fi movie, now in Philippine theaters.

Directed by Leo Zhang, the movie is about Special Agent Lin Dong (Chan) who gets torn between his family and his duty. He gets a phone call from the hospital informing him that his daughter who’s suffering from leukemia is in critical condition. He rushes to the hospital, but on the way gets another phone call this time from a co-worker, informing him of an immediate and dangerous mission.

Lin’s co-worker informs him that Dr. James, a critical witness to a crime is in danger and needs protection from the police. But before the police can reach him, Dr. James injects himself with a chemical substance stored with a mechanical heart. And when the police arrive to escort him, they were ambushed by unknown men and almost all members of Lin’s team were killed.

Full of fights and goofy scenes, “Bleeding Steel” is presented by Viva International Pictures and MVP Entertainment.

• • •

PHOTO taken during the turnover ceremony shows (from left), Pandesal Forum’s Wilson Flores Lee, PVAO Adm. Lt. Gen. Ernesto Carolina, historian Jose Antonio Custodio, FAME’s Bob Hudson, PVB Chairman Bobby de Ocampo, Bataan Gov. Albert Garcia and PVB Pres./COO Nilo Cruz.

PVB supports restoration of historical markers

The Bataan Death March kilometer markers that follow the path of the infamous Bataan Death March through Bataan, Pampanga, and Tarlac some 76 years ago will be restored to their former glory thanks to the efforts of Philippine Veterans Bank and its partners.

Proceeds of the Bataan Freedom Run 2017 and Mariveles-San Fernando-Capas Freedom Trail 2017 amounting to over R500,000 was turned over recently to the Filipino-American Memorial Endowment, Inc. (FAME).

PVB Chairman/CEO Roberto De Ocampo, OBE, handed the ceremonial check to Robert Hudson, VP of FAME at the launch of the 2018 iterations of the Bataan Freedom Run and the Freedom Trail during the Pandesal Forum at Kamuning Bakery in Quezon City.

This year, PVB will once again hold the Bataan Freedom Run on April 7, and the Mariveles-San Fernando-Capas Freedom Trail on March 24–25.

• • •

Tidbits: Happy b-day greetings today, Feb, 24, go to Gov. Josie dela Cruz, Manolo Favis, Beatriz Ventura, Norma del Rosario, Leonisa Gamboa, Ryan Manabat, Jenina Cruz, Helen Reyes, Wilma Galvante, and Nancy Castiglione…Feb. 25: Maricel Soriano, Vittorio Romero, Maricel Pangilinan, Yolly Mendoza, Myrna Fuentes, Rosie Frivaldo, Anjo Perez, Evelyn Batalla, Chit Salud, and Reynaldo M. Francisco… Feb. 26: Chanda Romero, Angelique Lazo, Mikee Jaworski, Ching Villanueva, Mel Canchela, Erik Escarez, Sofia Babao, and Assunta de Rossi…

Friday, February 23, 2018

LRMC, Voith sign deal for P450-M repair of more trains for LRT-1

Rail operator Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC) recently signed a P450-million agreement with engineering and industrial company Voith Digital Solutions Austria GmBH and Co KG for the rehabilitation and upgrade of the generation-2 trains of Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 1.

According to LRMC President and Chief Executive Officer Juan F. Alfonso, Voith will be re-engineering 24 generation-2 light rail vehicles (LRVs) over the next two years of six train sets.

“The rehabilitation of the 24 LRVs will expand capacity which should result in faster travel time because of reduced train headway and queueing time,” Alfonso said. “This is another step that will significantly improve our passengers’ daily commute.”

The project will be the first overhaul of the Generation 2 fleet’s propulsion system since the Philippine Government bought the generation-2 trains from Hyundai and Adtranz Sweden in 1999, and first LRT rolling stock on the NSL to be fitted with fold-up seats, and a newer Dynamic Route Map Display also found.

The current fleet of LRT-1 includes 51 generation-1 LRVs bought in 1984, eight generation-2 LRVs bought in 1999, and 44 generation-3 LRVs bought in 2007. Last month, the Department of Transportation signed the procurement of 120 new LRVs for delivery in 2020.

LRMC has already completed the P1-billion rehabilitation program on Generation 1 LRVs, resulting in the increase of the fleet from 77 to 109 LRVs and the number of daily trips from 498 to 554. As such, the interval between trains and queueing time has been reduced.

Meanwhile, the parapet walls in Taft Avenue (Rizal Park side) to give way for the construction of Ayala Boulevard Station.

In less than two years since assuming management of LRT-1, LRMC said it was able to improve efficiencies that increased the number of trains and trips, reduced passenger waiting time, increased ridership, increased customer satisfaction, improved safety and cleanliness of the stations, and the achievement of ISO certifications for quality management and environmental management–all milestones in the 32-year history of Manila’s oldest light rail system.

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).

Metro traffic costs P3.5B daily – Jica

Five hours daily is what Celest Colina spends on the road to report for work in Makati City and to get home in a subdivision near Fairview in Quezon City.

She takes four different modes of transportation—an FX van, jeepney, tricycle and a commuter train—in this daily grind, shelling out P200 daily.

“It’s really exhausting to be a commuter,” said Colina, 28, a social media worker. “The time spent on the road I could have spent with my 3-year-old daughter.”

Her officemate, Dennis Maliwanag, drives a car to report for work and to get home in the same area in Quezon City (a total distance of about 60 kilometers), also spending five hours on the road. Gasoline costs him P1,500 every five days.

They are among the millions of residents suffering from the worsening traffic congestion in Metro Manila that now costs at least P3.5 billion in lost opportunities per day.

The huge cost for 2017 due to traffic congestion was presented on Thursday by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) at the 36th Joint Meeting of the Japan-Philippines Economic Cooperation Committees in Makati.

“The traffic situation is really bad. It’s an understatement,” Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said of the cost of congestion.

“I still feel there are solutions that can address the problem of MRT (Metro Rail Transit),” Tugade said, referring to the procurement of spare parts, tapping anew Sumitomo Corp. and its technical partner Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and privatizing its operations.

The MRT 3 line on Edsa has been plagued with technical problems, grounding trains and adding to the woes of commuters in Metro Manila.

Tugade said the Department of Transportation was in talks with Metro Pacific Investments Corp., which had offered to take over the operations and rehabilitation of MRT 3.

Susumu Ito, Jica Philippines chief representative, said the cost of congestion highlighted the need for new and modern infrastructure to ease the traffic situation.

16M residents by 2025

At P3.5 billion, the cost in 2017 is higher than the estimated P2.4 billion for 2012, which was later included in the Mega Manila transport road map approved by the government in 2014.

“Metro Manila’s population in 2015 was almost 13 million people; Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna and Cavite [combined], almost

11 million. So Mega Manila [in 2015], 24 million people,” Ito said.

By 2025, Metro Manila’s population would be 16 million and that of Mega Manila, including Bulacan, Laguna, Rizal and Cavite, would be 38 million.

“So Mega Manila will be larger,” Ito said. “It will be one of the largest cities in the world.”

As a consequence, the metropolis will be more congested, while the four surrounding provinces will “see more rapid growth,” he said.

Ito said the Japanese government was “fully supportive” of the Duterte administration’s ambitious “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program to help ease the congestion.

Under the program, the government plans to roll out 75 “game-changing” projects, with about half targeted to be finished within President Duterte’s term.

A total of more than P8 trillion would be spent on hard and modern infrastructure until 2022 to usher in “the golden age of infrastructure” after years of neglect, the administration said.

“The conclusion that we have is that ‘Build, Build, Build’ is a move in the right direction. It’s a must do,” Ito said.

“Bottlenecks will still remain in the outer area,” the Jica official said, “so additional projects should be implemented.”

Subway project

“The traffic cost is P3.5 billion a day in Metro Manila. If we do nothing, it will become P5.4 billion a day in 2035,” he said.

“With ‘Build, Build, Build,’ it can be reduced to P3 billion a day. With additional projects, it will be reduced to P2.4 billion a day,” he said.

Ito said the initial phase of the Metro Manila Subway Project was one of the initiatives that could ease traffic congestion in the metropolis.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said during the meeting that the groundbreaking for the subway project was targeted in the third quarter of this year instead of early next year.

The 25.3-km underground rail will connect Mindanao Avenue in Quezon City and Food Terminal Inc. in Taguig City, with a spur line to Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay City.

Last month, the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) Investment Coordination Committee-Cabinet Committee (ICC-CC) raised the cost of the first phase of the subway project by P1.4 billion to P356.9 billion.

The Neda ICC-CC is cochaired by Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III and Pernia, who heads the state planning agency Neda.

Socioeconomic Planning Undersecretary Rolando Tungpalan earlier said the 0.36-percent increase in project cost “included relocation of utilities not considered earlier.”

The higher project cost reflected an appraisal by Jica, according to Tungpalan.

Last week, Tugade said his department wanted to speed up the partial opening of the subway system to the last quarter of 2021, earlier than 2022 that the Philippine and Japanese teams had agreed on.

Japanese financing

The subway, to be financed by the Japanese government, is targeted to be completed by 2025.

Dominguez previously said that the loan agreement for the country’s first underground rail system would be signed in March.

To fast-track the big-ticket infrastructure projects, Pernia said the government planned to hold job fairs in the Middle East before the end of the first quarter to lure back highly skilled Filipino engineers to help in “Build, Build, Build.”

Pernia said private contractors should be able to match the higher salaries that overseas Filipino workers were enjoying so they could be enticed to return home. —WITH REPORTS FROM JUAN V. SARMIENTO JR. AND MIGUEL R. CAMUS

Read more: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/970756/metro-traffic-costs-p3-5b-daily-jica
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LRMC signs P450-M deal for train rehab, upgrade

Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC), the private operator of the Light Rail Transit Line 1, tapped Voith Digital Solutions Austria GmBH and Co KG for the rehabilitation and upgrade of newer trains.

The company, backed by local conglomerates Ayala Corp. and Metro Pacific Investments Corp., said the contract was valued at P450 million.

Under the agreement, Voith will be reengineering 24 of its so-called generation 2 light rail vehicles (LRVs) over the next two years.

“The rehabilitation of the 24 LRVs will expand capacity which should result in faster travel time because of reduced train headway and queueing time,” LRMC president and CEO Juan Alfonso said in a statement.

“This is another step that will significantly improve our passengers’ daily commute,” he added.

The project will be the first overhaul of the generation 2 fleet’s propulsion system since the government bought the generation 2 trains from Hyundai and Adtranz Sweden in 1999.

The current fleet of LRT 1 includes 51 generation 1 LRVs bought in 1984, eight generation 2 LRVs bought in 1999, and 44 generation 3 LRVs bought in 2007.

The Department of Transportation recently signed the procurement of 120 new LRVs for delivery in 2020.

LRMC said it had completed the rehabilitation program on generation 1 LRVs, resulting in the increase of the fleet from 77 to 109 LRVs and the number of daily trips from 498 to 554.

“In less than two years and five months since assuming management of LRT 1, LRMC was able to improve efficiencies,” the company said in a statement.

Read more: https://business.inquirer.net/246361/lrmc-signs-p450-m-deal-train-rehab-upgrade#ixzz57uSidf8v
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LRT-1 operator taps Austrian engineering experts

The operator of Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) has entered into a P450 million agreement with engineering and industrial company Voith Digital Solutions Austria GmBH and Co KG to rehabilitate and upgrade the railway’s generation-2 trains.

In a statement, Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC) president and chief executive officer Juan Alfonso said Voith would re-engineer 24 generation-2 light rail vehicles (LRVs) over the next two years from six train sets under the agreement.

Through the project, the generation-2 LRVs will undergo rehabilitation for the first time.

The government bought the generation-2 trains from Hyundai and Adtranz Sweden in 1999.

“The rehabilitation of the 24 LRVs will expand capacity which should result in faster travel time because of reduced train headway and queueing time,” Alfonso said.

“This is another step that will significantly improve our passengers’ daily commute,” he said.

LRT-1 has a fleet which includes generation-1 LRVs bought in 1984, generation-2 LRVs bought in 1999, and generation-3 LRVs bought in 2007.

Earlier, the LRMC has completed the P1 billion rehabilitation program on generation-1 LRVs.

Following the rehabilitation of the generation-1 trains, the LRT-1’s fleet increased to 109 LRVs from 77, as well as the number of trips to 554 from 498.

LRMC also reduced the interval between trains and queueing time.

Last month, the Department of Transportation signed the procurement of 120 new LRVs for the LRT-1.

The new trains are expected to be delivered in 2020.

LRMC, composed of Metro Pacific Investments Corp.’s Metro Pacific Light Rail Corp., Ayala Corp.’s AC Infrastructure Holdings Corp., and Macquarie Infrastructure Holdings (Philippines) PTE Ltd., took over the operations and maintenance of the LRT-1 in September 2015 as it bagged the contract to operate, maintain and extend the train line to Cavite.

The consortium broke ground on the LRT-1 Cavite extension in May last year.

Thursday, February 22, 2018

Anderson, Heussaff and Adarna

GMA launches advoca-serye

Yasmien Kurdi

Starting Feb. 26, GMA Network will air its first advoca-serye titled “Hindi Ko Kayang Iwan Ka” topbilled by Yasmien Kurdi, Martin del Rosario, Jackie Rice, and Mike Tan.

The soap tackles one of the most serious and fatal diseases in the world, bringing to light the struggles of a woman who is HIV-positive. Yasmien plays Thea Balagtas, a simple provincial girl with a promising career as a public accountant. She falls in love with Marco (Mike) and marries him.

Martin is Lawrence de Leon, Thea’s college friend from a well-off family. Secretly, he is in love with her even though he dates a lot of women and acquires HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) from this.

Jackie is Ava Imperial, Marco’s beautiful and socialite ex-girlfriend. She shuffles to and from America for pleasure and business. Even though she flirts around, she is still bent on settling with Marco.

After marrying Marco and raising their fraternal twins together, Thea’s blissful life shatters when she tests positive for HIV.

Joining them in this ground-breaking project are multi-talented and versatile artists: Award-winning film actress and TV director Gina Alajar, Shamaine Buencamino, Charee Pineda, Ina Feleo, Mike “Pekto” Nacuas Tantoy, Catherine Rem, and Seth dela Cruz.

The series, which aims to raise HIV awareness and educate viewers on its effects, is directed by Neal del Rosario.

• • •

Another bold role for Nathalie Hart

Nathalie Hart

Nathalie Hart almost backed out of her first indie movie, the erotic thriller “Siphayo” because it required her to do what seemed to be frontal nudity. But it turned out she did well in her performance because she was awarded Best Actress at the International Film Festival Manhattan in 2016.

Her current movie, “Sin Island,” her first under Star Cinema, is another bold role for her but it’s a different kind of a love story.

“I do a shocking role here, and it’s not only seductive but a very challenging one,” Nathalie said.

“Sin Island” stars Coleen Garcia and Xian Lim as a couple (Kanika and David), and Nathalie as Tasha, the third part of a love triangle.

• • •

Tidbits: Happy b-day greetings today, Feb. 22, go to Lea Salonga, Rep. Yul Servo, Johann Patrick Graham, Doris Parungao, Dading Clemente, Luke Miraflores, Jimmy Boy Panesa, Jr., Jamaal Williams, Gabriel Lara Hermosa, Prof. Mutsuhiko Miki, Peter Musngi and Rep. Jorge Banal…Feb. 23: Estanislao Alinea, Lita Belisano, James Leyretana, Tessie Reyes, Norma Morante, Armi Jarin, Carlito Domingo, Aisa Natividad, Moy Pagaduan, and Duriza Belen…

Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Riders can expect 15 MRT trains running by April

THERE should be at least 15 trains up and running along the tracks of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT 3) after the Holy Week. At least, that’s the target of the transportation department, which seeks to ease the pains of commuters in Metro Manila.

Transportation Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John Batan said his group is working to fix the trains of the railway system, after taking delivery of necessary spare parts earlier this month.

“Our target is that, after Holy Week, we can restore the system to 15 trains running. The aim is to not let the number of operational trains further dwindle,” he was quoted as saying in a transcript sent by the agency to the media.

Sought for clarification, Transportation Director Goddes Hope O. Libiran said the agency even hopes to deploy “more” trains.

“The spare parts that are set to arrive are scheduled to be used by that time, when we can do full-blown maintenance,” she said in a text message.

As of Wednesday afternoon, there were seven trains plying the train facility along Edsa, a far cry from its original 21 running train design.

This means that the department must fix at least eight train sets—or about 24 light rail vehicles—right after the Holy Week.

MRT 3 Media Relations Officer Aly Narvaez explained that the government is planning to start the maintenance works for the railway system earlier than usual.

“Usually, the maintenance works during the Holy Week is from Thursday to Sunday. But we are looking at starting the full-blown maintenance works by Wednesday,” she said.

Libiran noted that the target of deploying 15 trains after the Holy Week is “doable.”

“I believe so—by that time, Sumitomo Corp. is also set to take over the maintenance of the railway system,” she replied when asked if the goal is feasible.

Sumitomo—the builder of the facility—is seen to take over the maintenance component of the railway system in the next three months.

Currently, a maintenance team from the government takes charge of the upkeep of the train facility. The Japanese company used to provide the maintenance requirements for the MRT 3. Its maintenance contract was terminated in 2012, after the previous government decided to take over the said component despite contrary provisions in the build-lease-transfer contract with MRT Corp.

WATCH | More wait time for commissioning of MRT cars

Even as light rail authorities are scrambling to test the MRT3 train cars procured from Dalian, China, before having them commissioned into service, another major disruption in the operation of the city commuter train occurred on Tuesday morning due to faults in the brake system and electrical components.

Hundreds of passengers had to disembark and walk along the tracks between the Ortigas and Shaw Boulevard stations at about 7:00 a.m.

Only six trains were on service for the hundreds of thousands of passengers who depend on the MRT.

The Dalian train cars have passed muster by the third-party auditor, TUV Rhineland, on a partial basis, with MRT officials saying at least one more round of tests would be required.

One of the technicalities is that the train cars were discovered to be 3 tons heavier that specified, although Rolf Bieri, the foreign rail technical consultant, explained that, when the load gets distributed to the eight axles underneath, the resulting axle load “will be far away from an overloaded car.”

But transportation expert Rene Santiago pointed out the residual factor of safety considering that, engineering-wise, not all of the tracks have undergone complete inspection and rehabilitation.

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Expert says Dalian trains 'not overweight' for MRT3 tracks

A railway expert said on Tuesday, February 20, that the trains delivered by China-based CRRC Dalian Company Limited are "not overweight" for the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT3) tracks.

Rolf Bieri said in a Senate hearing on the MRT3 status that the trains are within the allowable limit that train tracks can carry. Bieri used to be a consultant for former MRT3 maintenance provider Comm Builders and Technology Philippines Corporation.

According to specifications, the MRT3 tracks can carry an axle load up to 10 tons. Citing his own calculations, Dalian trains weigh only up to 9.4 tons.

"We retain the limit required by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) for the axle load for the track. The axle load [of Dalian trains] is 9.4 tons but the track system is designed for 10 tons. So where is the problem for overload?" he said.

The DOTr earlier said the Dalian trains are above the total weight required by its contract. The DOTr specified that each train should weigh 46.4 tons but the trains delivered weigh 49.7 tons.

Bieri explained that the total capacity of each Dalian train, when fully loaded, should be around 75.2 tons. When divided by its 8 axles, the load of each axle should be around 9.4 tons – still within the allowable limit.

Tracks due for rehabilitation

Civil engineer Rene Santiago said Bieri's calculation is also valid but raised the current condition of the MRT3 tracks.

"He's just using the criteria of the axle load that there is still leeway for it to handle the gross weight of the train. But is that enough factor of safety considering that your tracks are not yet completed or rehabilitated?" Santiago said.

Transportation Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John Batan pointed out that the track system of the MRT3 is due for rehabilitation.

Germany-based TUV Rheinland was earlier tapped to evaluate the unused MRT3 trains. It will come out with its assessment by March.

When asked whether the Dalian trains can be used if cleared by TUV Rheinland, Batan said the government can use these immediately.

"Assuming that it can be cleared without condition, if it's cleared without condition, we can use it right away," said Batan.

Violation

Meanwhile, Senator Grace Poe, chairperson of the Senate committee on public services, noted that the Chinese firm still violated the terms on the weight of the trains as stipulated in the P3.76-billion contract.

"So kung 'yung train na iyan ay papasa, aba 48 coaches iyan, maraming trains iyan... Aminin natin na malaki talaga ang problema dito kaya nga sabi ko nga hindi dahil sa paghihiganti, kundi dahil sa pag-ako ng responsibilidad," said Poe.

(If those trains will be cleared, then those are 48 trains – that's a lot of trains. Let's be honest that this is a huge problem – it's not about being vindictive, but accountability.)

The 48 Dalian trains were delivered in 2016 but remained unused due to compatibility issues. The new coaches were part of the MRT3 expansion project, which aimed to decongest the railway system and increase its capacity to serve over 800,000 passengers daily.

Since the start of 2018, the DOTr has recorded a total of 37 glitches. (READ: MRT3 suffers almost daily breakdowns since start of 2018)

Currently, there are only 7 to 8 working trains on average, down from the 20 trains in operation in 2017.

DOTr to increase number of running MRT-3 trains

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Tuesday assured commuters to increase the number of running Metro Rail Transit (MRT-3) trains as spare parts for the defective rail system arrive.

At the Senate committee on public services’ hearing on the status of MRT-3 operations, DOTr Undersecretary for Rails Timothy James Batan said the number of trains would be raised to 10 by the end of the month.

Batan reported that the DOTr has started receiving the bulk of new train spare parts from foreign suppliers, which he said, could bring the trains back on the tracks.

Batan said the MRT-3 currently runs at least seven trains a day. But as of 10 a.m. Tuesday, the MRT-3 management reported only six trains running, after a breakdown at 6:32 a.m. which caused commuters to walk along the tracks between Ortigas and Shaw Boulevard stations.

The management said the malfunction was due to an electrical failure in its braking system.

Batan said they target to increase the MRT-3 trains to 15 by April after its three-day shutdown during the Holy Week, when they can fully work on the maintenance of the rail system.

Ideally, however, there should be at least 20 trains running per day, Batan said.

In the hearing, Batan admitted that maintaining the MRT-3 “has been difficult” as he enumerated the challenges facing them in addressing the problem.

Among others, the DOTr official cited varying spare parts from various suppliers for the MRT-3 which cause delays if found incompatible.

He also said a “major” cause of train breakdowns was related to its MRT-3’s signaling system which some components, in a recent audit, was found to be incoherent and modified.

Batan said they had tapped Canadian firm Bombardier to restock spare parts and restore and rehabilitate the signaling system.

Bombardier, he said, vowed to deliver the parts within a six-month period under their P400-million contract.

He said the MRT-3 tracks and motors, which he described to be “in a really deteriorated state” need replacement than just reconditioning.

Its coaches, he added, must be overhauled. He said the current trains were supplied by its previous maintenance provider Sumimoto Corporation in 2008 and should have been replaced in 2016.

The DOTr spends an average of P8 billion per year for the maintenance and rehabilitation of the troubled rail system, Batan said. He said it will take the agency two years to complete the rehabilitation of the MRT-3.

Dalian trains

The DOTr started yesterday its testing on the 48 light rail vehicles (LRVs) purchased from Dalian Locomotive and Rolling Stocks as part of the audit on the controversial coaches.

Despite findings that these were incompatible with the current MRT-3 system, Batan said they are keen on using the Dalian trains to aid in the operations of the rail system.

The audit on the Dalian trains will end in March, he said.

In addition, he said the Japan government is also helping in the systems audit, sending some 150 engineers to study the MRT-3 rehabilitation.

DOTr targets 15 operational MRT trains after Holy Week

Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) passengers can look forward to a less stressful commute by April, as the Transportation Department hopes for 15 trains be operational on the tracks.

At the Senate Committee on Public Services hearing on Tuesday, Transportation Undersecretary TJ Batan said there has been an average of only seven operational trains in February, which caters to about 1.1 million passengers daily.

"We would have spare parts arriving that would allow us to bring the number of trains back to 10 by the end of February…Ang target po natin is to get back to 15 after the three and a half days shut down that we do kapag Holy Week," Batan said.

This year, the Easter Sunday, which marks the end of the Holy Week, falls on April 1.

Batan said, however, this is still five trains short of the needed 20 trains during peak hours.

READ: Gov't signs deal to procure MRT-3 signalling system parts

He also said spare parts procured by the department mostly for the MRT signaling system has started to arrived.

Batan said the signaling system is among the leading causes of train breakdowns, and upgrading it costs P400 million.

"Meron pong mga components ang signaling system natin na hindi na OEM (original equipment manufacturer), yung iba po may modifications na hindi maintindihan kung paano ginawa. We really need to stock up on spare parts for signaling," Batan said, citing the system audit done by signaling system provider Bombardier.

[Translation: Our signaling system have components which are not OEM, and others even have modifications which Bombardier could not understand. We really need to stock up on spare parts for signaling.]

READ: DOTr: Canadian firm Bombardier to inspect MRT signalling systems by February

He added the department has signed contracts with Bombardier to supply needed spare parts and conduct maintenance and restoration services to the signaling systems, which may take up to six months.

The 17-kilometer train line runs the stretch of EDSA, from North Avenue in Quezon City up to Taft in Pasay.

The previous administration procured 48 light rail vehicles (LRVs) from China-based company CRRC Dalian worth P3.8 billion. The trains arrived in 2015, but these were not used as issues about weight and compatibility with the MRT-3 maintenance facilities and signaling system were raised.

READ: DOTr asks for understanding, cites maintenance lapses for fewer trains
Help on the way

Batan also revealed that the Philippine government had exchanged a note verbale with their Japanese counterparts on January 9 to address the MRT issues.

He said engineers from the Japan International Cooperation Agency have started conducting a system audit on February 1.

"150 engineers are coming in and out of the MRT-3 to assess everything that we need to fully restore the system to its designed capacity," Batan said, adding the engineers were mostly Filipinos.

He added after the audit report was submitted by March 15, they will finalize the terms of the official development assistance, then appoint a service provider.

In November 2017, the government announced that Japanese company Sumitomo Corporation and technical partner Mitsubishi Heavy Industries - which designed and built the MRT-3 and had maintained it from the start of operations in 2000 until 2012 - would return as the rail line's maintenance provider.

READ: BURI barred from joining MRT, LRT public bidding

On Nov. 6, 2017, the government took over the MRT's maintenance from Busan Universal Rail Inc. due to the company's alleged failure to operate the railway efficiently.

In 2017, the MRT-3 administration reported 504 glitches over 255 operation days or an average of two glitches per day.

Since January 2018, the train system has had at least 26 glitches, including passenger unloading and provisional service due to technical problems.

Senate tackles transport woes

The Senate Committee on Public Services is hearing this afternoon the problems in the country's mass transportation system.

Committee Chairperson Senator Grace Poe began the inquiry by talking about how the poor operations of the Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT-3) have become a constant topic of jokes among netizens.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has temporarily taken over the maintenance of the train system.

This has not prevented the daily glitches in the MRT rides.

Officials of the DOTr and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) are among the resource persons.

Poe is tackling government's jeepney modernization program with LTFRB Chairperson Martin Delgra.

It may be recalled that during the last hearing held in December last year, the senator made an appeal to jeepney transport organizations to put on hold its strike.

The transport leaders were protesting the phase out of old jeepney units.

Smart to enhance connection in LRT 1

Smart Communications Inc. launched on Monday what the PLDT Inc. subsidiary said is an enhancement of mobile connectivity to its network for passengers of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 1.

Smart Senior Vice President Alex O. Caeg was quoted in a statement as saying the company “is committed to further enhance the company’s network coverage in the transport system.”

While not giving details, Caeg said this “commitment” is exemplified by Smart’s “station domination” tack. He defines the latter as buying rights to exclusively cover a train station with advertisements and other marketing products.

According to Caeg, part of this tack is the equipping of the LRT 1 Station with carrier grade Wi-fi, which has a backhaul capacity of up to 100 megabits per second, expandable to 1 gigabit per second. Other stations with carrier grade Wi-fi are the Doroteo Jose, Abad Santos, Gil Puyat, Pedro Gil, R. Papa and U.N. Avenue stations.

Roughly 500,000 commuters ride the LRT 1, operated by Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC), on a daily basis.

Smart said its enhanced Smart Wi-fi coverage for LRT 1 complements the firm’s ongoing program to deploy high-speed long-term evolution (LTE) mobile phone coverage in Metro Manila.

Smart has recently completed the upgrade of 4,200 3G and LTE sites across the country, with 90 percent of sites in Metro Manila already with LTE as of end-2017.

The season’s most controversial film

(FROM LEFT): Erich Gonzales, Tom Rodriguez and Lovi Poe

It’s the season’s most talked about film and we’ll find out why when “The Significant Other” hits local movie screens starting tomorrow.

Directed by Joel Lamangan for Cineko Productions, “The Significant Other” stars Erich Gonzales, Tom Rodriguez and Lovi Poe. It’s touted as having the “ultimate catfight,” because the story is centered on top fashion models Nicole (Erich) and Maxene (Lovi) who are friends until they realize they are both involved with the same man, Edward (Tom) who is a plastic surgeon.

This is the first film project of Erich, Tom and Lovi together.

“The Significant Other” will be distributed by Star Cinema.

• • •

Fun dog show

The year of the dog started early at the Araneta Center when the Smart Araneta Coliseum hosted the Philippine Circuit 2018, dubbed as Asia’s biggest dog show, last Jan. 18-21.

More than 600 dogs from 23 countries all over the world participated in the four-day event.

THE WINNERS on day three of Best Veteran in Show were Siberian Husky named Topaz Silver Lining (USA) in First Place; Labrador Retriever Sunshadow Blacktie Affair aka Chicco (PH) in Second Place; and Dachshund Dowpy of Johannbern Haus (PH) in Third Place.

Some of the most awarded dogs were the Pekingese named Diaquiris on the Edge of Fame from Mexico, and the Doberman named Double D Nicols Scrappi Koko from Brazil.

In the local front, the Labrador retriever named Sunshadow Black Tie Affair AKA Chicco was one of the most awarded Philippine-bred dogs.

“The competition was very tough, but the quality of the winners is very good,” said Augusto Benedicto Santos III, President of the Philippine Canine Club, Inc. (PCCI).

• • •

Tidbits: Happy b-day greetings today, Feb. 20, go to former Rep. Dolly Bohol, Emy Rodriguez, Betty Go Chua, Ditas Remulla, Chari Bagatsing, Tita Abiva, Marina Calma Visaya, Lalaine Legasto, Perla Dungo, Enrico Castelo, Tiffany Red, Amelia Lopez, Mary Grace Agoncillo, Prof. Lulu Geslani, Tony Antonio, and Lito Gruet…Happy 15th foundation anniversary to Pamantasang Lungsod ng Marikina… Feb. 21: Jinky Llamanzares, Jim Fernandez, Girlie Guillen, Beth Virtucio, Dr. Delia Barcelona, Lilia Duldulao, Mike Alunan, Doreen Belen, Severiano Velasco, Gigi Paras, Jennifer Fong, Raki Vega, Tony Gloria and GMA 7’s Don Morales and Love Añover…Belated b-day greetings to Jazmine Fernandez (Feb. 13)…

Monday, February 19, 2018

Jesus Is Lord Church Worldwide: Local and International Chapters

The movement has the following chapters nationally and internationally:

Philippines

Manila
Quezon City
Caloocan City
Las Piñas City
Makati City
Malabon City
Mandaluyong City
Marikina City
Meycauayan City
Muntinlupa City
Navotas City
Parañaque City
Pasay City
Pasig City
San Juan City
San Pedro City
Taguig City
Valenzuela City
Obando
Pateros
Ilocos Norte
Ilocos Sur
La Union
Pangasinan
Abra
Baguio City
Benguet
Kalinga
Apayao
Mountain Province
Ifugao
Santiago City
Isabela
Tuguegarao City
Cagayan
Batanes
Quirino
Nueva Vizcaya
Angeles City
Mabalacat City
City of San Fernando
Pampanga
Tarlac City
Tarlac
Olongapo City
Zambales
Balanga City
Bataan
Malolos City
City of San Jose Del Monte
Bulacan
Cabanatuan City
Nueva Ecija
Aurora
Antipolo City
Rizal
Bacoor City
Imus City
Dasmariñas City
General Trias City
Cavite
Biñan City
Santa Rosa City
Cabuyao City
Calamba City
San Pablo City
Laguna
Batangas City
Lipa City
Batangas
Lucena City
Quezon
Puerto Princesa City
Palawan
Occidental Mindoro
Oriental Mindoro
Marinduque
Romblon
Camarines Norte
Camarines Sur
Albay
Catanduanes
Sorsogon
Masbate
Aklan
Antique
Capiz
Iloilo City
Iloilo
Guimaras
Bacolod City
Negros Occidental
Cebu City
Lapu-lapu City
Mandaue City
Cebu
Bohol
Negros Oriental
Siquijor
Ormoc City
Tacloban City
Biliran
Leyte
Southern Leyte
Northern Samar
Eastern Samar
Western Samar
Isabela City
Zamboanga City
Zamboanga del Norte
Zamboanga del Sur
Zamboanga Sibugay
Cagayan de Oro City
Camiguin
Misamis Occidental
Misamis Oriental
Iligan City
Lanao del Norte
Bukidnon
Davao City
Tagum City
Compostela Valley
Davao del Norte
Davao del Sur
Davao Occidental
Davao Oriental
General Santos City
Cotabato City
Cotabato
Sarangani
South Cotabato
Sultan Kudarat
Butuan City
Agusan del Norte
Agusan del Sur
Dinagat Islands
Surigao del Norte
Surigao del Sur
Basilan
Lanao del Sur
Maguindanao
Shariff Kabunsuan
Sulu
Tawi-Tawi

China

North China

Beijing Municipality
Tianjin Municipality
Hebei Province
Shanxi Province
Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region

Northeast China

Liaoning Province
Jilin Province
Heilongjiang Province

East China

Shanghai Municipality
Jiangsu Province
Zhejiang Province
Anhui Province
Fujian Province
Jiangxi Province
Shandong Province

South Central China

Henan Province
Hubei Province
Hunan Province
Guangdong Province
Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region
Hainan Province

Southwest China

Chongqing Municipality
Sichuan Province
Guizhou Province
Yunnan Province
Tibet Autonomous Region

Northwest China

Shaanxi Province
Gansu Province
Qinghai Province
Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region
Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region

Hong Kong

Hong Kong Island

Central and Western
Eastern
Southern
Wan Chai

Kowloon and New Kowloon

Kowloon City
Kwun Tong
Sham Shui Po
Wong Tai Sin
Yau Tsim Mong

New Territories (excluding New Kowloon)

Islands
Kwai Tsing
North
Sai Kung
Sha Tin
Tai Po
Tsuen Wan
Tuen Mun
Yuen Long

India

North India

Jammu and Kashmir
Himachal Pradesh
Punjab
Chandigarh
Uttarakhand
Haryana
Delhi
Uttar Pradesh

Northeast India

Arunachal Pradesh
Assam
Manipur
Meghalaya
Mizoram
Nagaland
Sikkim
Tripura

East India

Bihar
Jharkhand
Odisha
West Bengal
Andaman and Nicobar Islands

South India

Andhra Pradesh
Karnataka
Kerala
Tamil Nadu
Telangana

Western India

Gujarat
Maharashtra
Goa
Daman and Diu
Dadra and Nagar Haveli

Indonesia

Sumatra

Aceh
Bangka–Belitung Islands
Bengkulu
Jambi
Lampung
North Sumatra
Riau
Riau Islands
South Sumatra
West Sumatra

Java

Banten
Central Java
East Java
Jakarta
West Java
Yogyakarta

Kalimantan

Central Kalimantan
East Kalimantan
North Kalimantan
South Kalimantan
West Kalimantan

Lesser Sunda

Bali
East Nusa Tenggara
West Nusa Tenggara

Sulawesi

Central Sulawesi
Gorontalo
North Sulawesi
Southeast Sulawesi
South Sulawesi
West Sulawesi

Maluku

Maluku
North Maluku

Western New Guinea

Papua
West Papua

Japan

Hokkaido
Hokkaido
Tōhoku
Aomori
Iwate
Miyagi
Akita
Yamagata
Fukushima
Kantō
Ibaraki
Tochigi
Gunma
Saitama
Chiba
Tokyo
Kanagawa
Chūbu
Niigata
Toyama
Ishikawa
Fukui
Yamanashi
Nagano
Gifu
Shizuoka
Aichi
Kansai
Mie
Shiga
Kyoto
Osaka
Hyōgo
Nara
Wakayama
Chūgoku
Tottori
Shimane
Okayama
Hiroshima
Yamaguchi
Shikoku
Tokushima
Kagawa
Ehime
Kōchi
Kyushu
Fukuoka
Saga
Nagasaki
Kumamoto
Ōita
Miyazaki
Kagoshima
Okinawa

Jordan

North Region

Ajloun

Irbid

Jerash

Mafraq

Central Region

Amman

Balqa

Madaba

Zarqa

South Region

Aqaba

Karak

Ma'an

Tafilah

Kazakhstan

Akmola

Aktobe

Almaty

Atyrau

East Kazakhstan

Karaganda

Kostanay

Kyzylorda

Jambyl

Mangystau

North Kazakhstan

Pavlodar

South Kazakhstan

West Kazakhstan

Kuwait

Capital (Asima)

Hawalli

Farwaniya

Ahmadi

Jahra

Mubarak Al-Kabeer

Kyrgyzstan

Batken

Bishkek (city)

Chuy

Issyk-Kul

Jalal-Abad

Naryn

Osh

Osh (city)

Talas

Laos

Attapeu

Bokeo

Bolikhamxai

Champasak

Houaphan

Khammouan

Luang Namtha

Louangphabang

Oudomxai

Phongsali

Sainyabuli

Salavan

Savannakhet

Sekong

Vientiane (Viengchan)

Vientiane

Xiangkhoang

Lebanon

Beirut

Beqaa

Mount Lebanon

Nabatieh

North

South

Macau

Macau Peninsula

N. Sra. de Fátima

Sto. António

S. Lázaro

Sé

S. Lourenço

Taipa and Coloane

N. Sra. do Carmo

S. Francisco Xavier

Malaysia

Peninsular Malaysia

Northern Region

Perlis

Kedah

Penang

Perak

East Coast Region

Kelantan

Terengganu

Pahang

Central Region

Selangor

Kuala Lumpur

Putrajaya

Southern Region

Negeri Sembilan

Malacca

Johor

East Malaysia

Sabah

Sarawak

Federal Territory of Labuan

Maldives

Haa Alif

Haa Dhaalu

Shaviyani

Noonu

Raa

Baa

Lhaviyani

Kaafu

Alif Alif

Alif Dhaal

Vaavu

Meemu

Faafu

Dhaalu

Thaa

Laamu

Gaafu Alif

Gaafu Dhaalu

Gnaviyani

Malé

Addu

Mongolia

Arkhangai

Bayankhongor

Bayan-Ölgii

Bulgan

Darkhan-Uul

Dornod

Dornogovi

Dundgovi

Govi-Altai

Govisümber

Khentii

Khovd

Khövsgöl

Ömnögovi

Orkhon

Övörkhangai

Selenge

Sükhbaatar

Töv

Ulaanbaatar

Uvs

Zavkhan

Nepal

Province No. 1

Province No. 2

Province No. 3

Province No. 4

Province No. 5

Province No. 6

Province No. 7

North Korea

North Hwanghae

South Hwanghae

North Hamgyong

Kangwon

South Hamgyong

Ryanggang

Chagang

North Pyongan

South Pyongan

Oman

Ad Dakhiliyah

Ad Dhahirah

Al Batinah North

Al Batinah South

Al Buraimi

Al Wusta

Ash Sharqiyah North

Ash Sharqiyah South

Dhofar

Masqat

Musandam

Pakistan

Balochistan

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Punjab

Sindh

Islamabad Capital Territory

Federally Administered Tribal Areas

Azad Jammu and Kashmir

Gilgit-Baltistan

Palestinian territories

West Bank

Jerusalem (al-Quds)

Bethlehem

Hebron

Jenin

Jericho

Nablus

Qalqilya

Ramallah and al-Bireh

Salfit

Tubas

Tulkarm

Gaza Strip

Deir al-Balah

Gaza

Khan Yunis

North Gaza

Rafah

Qatar

Al Daayen

Ad Dawhah

Al Khor

Al Wakrah

Al Rayyan

Madinat ash Shamal

Umm Salal

Saudi Arabia

Al Bahah

Northern Borders

Al Jawf

Al Madinah

Al Qasim

Riyadh

Eastern Province

'Asir

Ha'il

Jizan

Makkah

Najran

Tabuk

Singapore

Aljunied

Ang Mo Kio

Cheng San

Chong Boon

Kebun Baru

Teck Ghee

Anson Road

Ayer Rajah

Balestier Road

Bartley

Bedok

Bedok Reservoir

Bedok Town Park

Shunfu Estate

Sin Ming

Boon Keng

Bugis-Kampong Glam

Bencoolen

Rochor

Sungei Road

Bukit Batok

Bukit Gombak

Hillview

Hume Estate

Bukit Panjang

Bukit Timah

Dunearn

Toh Tuck

Watten

Buona Vista

Ghim Moh

Holland Drive

Holland Village

one-North

Chinatown

Clarke Quay

Choa Chu Kang

Yew Tee

Clementi, Singapore

Dover

Pandan Valley

West Coast

Geylang

Geylang East

Geylang Serai

Geylang West

Hougang

Buangkok

Jalan Kayu-Seletar

Jurong Residential

Boon Lay

Gek Poh Ville

Jurong Central

Jurong Green

Jurong Spring

Nanyang

Pioneer

Yuhua

Jurong Industrial

Chin Bee

Joo Koon

Lok Yang

Pioneer Sector

Jurong Island

Ten mile Junction

Kallang

Kallang Bahru

Kallang Basin

Lavender

Kembangan

Fidelio Estate

Frankel Estate

Kent Ridge

Labrador Park

Little India

Boon Keng

Farrer Park

MacPherson

Mattar

Mandai

Marina Bay

Esplanade

Marina Centre

Marina East

Marina South

Marine Parade

North-Eastern Islands

Pulau Tekong

Pulau Ubin

Novena

Orchard Road

Cairnhill

Dhoby Ghaut

Emerald Hill

Somerset-Killiney

Tanglin

Pasir Panjang

Pasir Ris

Elias

Lorong Halus

Loyang

Paya Lebar

Potong Pasir

Bidadari

Mount Vernon

Punggol

Queenstown

Commonwealth

St Michael's

Seletar

Sengkang

Sennett Estate

Serangoon

Serangoon Gardens

Serangoon North

Simpang

Singapore City

Somapah

Tai Seng

Tampines

Simei

Tanjong Pagar

Teban Gardens

Telok Blangah

Bukit Chandu

Bukit Purmei

HarbourFront

Radin Mas

Tengah

Tiong Bahru

Bukit Ho Swee

Bukit Merah

Toa Payoh

Bukit Brown

Caldecott Hill

Mount Pleasant

Thomson

Tuas

Tuas Crescent

Tuas Link

Tuas South

Tuas West

Western Water Catchment

Lim Chu Kang

Murai

Pasir Laba

Sarimbun

Sungei Gedong

Wrexham

Woodlands

Admiralty

Innova

Marsiling

Woodgrove

Yishun

Chong Pang

Yew Tee

Sri Lanka

Central

Eastern

North Central

Northern

North Western

Sabaragamuwa

Southern

Uva

Western

Syria

Aleppo

Damascus

Daraa

Deir ez-Zor

Hama

Al-Hasakah

Homs

Idlib

Latakia

Quneitra

Ar-Raqqah

Rif Dimashq

As-Suwayda

Tartus

Tajikistan

Sughd Region

Khatlon Region

Districts of Republican Subordination

Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region

Taiwan

Changhua County

Chiayi City

Chiayi County

Hsinchu City

Hsinchu County

Hualien County

Kaohsiung City

Keelung City

Kinmen County

Lienchiang County

Miaoli County

Nantou County

New Taipei City

Penghu County

Pingtung County

Taichung City

Tainan City

Taipei City

Taitung County

Taoyuan City

Yilan County

Yunlin County

Thailand

Northern Thailand

Chiang Mai

Chiang Rai

Lampang

Lamphun

Mae Hong Son

Nan

Phayao

Phrae

Uttaradit

Northeastern Thailand

Amnat Charoen

Bueng Kan

Buriram

Chaiyaphum

Kalasin

Khon Kaen

Loei

Maha Sarakham

Mukdahan

Nakhon Phanom

Nakhon Ratchasima

Nong Bua Lamphu

Nong Khai

Roi Et

Sakon Nakhon

Sisaket

Surin

Ubon Ratchathani

Udon Thani

Yasothon

Western Thailand

Kanchanaburi

Phetchaburi

Prachuap Khiri Khan

Ratchaburi

Tak

Central Thailand

Ang Thong

Chai Nat

Kamphaeng Phet

Lopburi

Nakhon Nayok

Nakhon Sawan

Phetchabun

Phichit

Phitsanulok

Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya

Samut Songkhram

Saraburi

Sing Buri

Sukhothai

Suphan Buri

Uthai Thani

Eastern Thailand

Chachoengsao

Chanthaburi

Chonburi

Prachinburi

Rayong

Sa Kaeo

Trat

Southern Thailand

Chumphon

Krabi

Nakhon Si Thammarat

Narathiwat

Pattani

Phang Nga

Phatthalung

Phuket

Ranong

Satun

Songkhla

Surat Thani

Trang

Yala

Vietnam

Northwest

Điện Biên

Hòa Bình

Lai Châu

Sơn La

Lào Cai

Northeast

Bắc Giang

Bắc Kạn

Cao Bằng

Hà Giang

Lạng Sơn

Phú Thọ

Quảng Ninh

Thái Nguyên

Tuyên Quang

Red River Delta

Bắc Ninh

Hà Nam

Hải Dương

Hưng Yên

Nam Định

Ninh Bình

Thái Bình

Vĩnh Phúc

Ha Noi (municipality)]]

Hai Phong (municipality)

North Central Coast

Hà Tĩnh

Nghệ An

Quảng Bình

Quảng Trị

Thanh Hóa

Thừa Thiên–Huế

South Central Coast

Đà Nẵng

Quảng Nam

Quảng Ngãi

Bình Định

Phú Yên

Khánh Hòa

Ninh Thuận

Bình Thuận

Central Highlands

Đắk Lắk

Đắk Nông

Gia Lai

Kon Tum

Lâm Đồng

Southeast

Ho Chi Minh City

Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu Province

Bình Dương Province

Bình Phước Province

Đồng Nai Province

Tây Ninh Province

Mekong Delta

Cần Thơ (Municipality)

An Giang

Bạc Liêu

Bến Tre

Cà Mau

Đồng Tháp

Hậu Giang

Kiên Giang

Long An

Sóc Trăng

Tiền Giang

Trà Vinh

Vĩnh Long

Asia

Abkhazia

Afghanistan

Akrotiri and Dhekelia

Armenia

Azerbaijan

Bahrain

Bangladesh

Bhutan

British Indian Ocean Territory

Brunei

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China

Christmas Island

Cocos (Keeling) Islands

Cyprus

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Egypt

Georgia

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Indonesia

Iran

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Northern Cyprus

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Qatar

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Oceania

American Samoa

Ashmore and Cartier Islands

Australia

Baker Island

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Cocos (Keeling) Islands

Cook Islands

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Federated States of Micronesia

Fiji

French Polynesia

Guam

Howland Island

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Johnston Atoll

Kingman Reef

Kiribati

Marshall Islands

Midway Atoll

Nauru

New Caledonia

New Zealand

Niue

Norfolk Island

Northern Mariana Islands

Palau

Papua New Guinea

Pitcairn Islands

Samoa

Solomon Islands

Tokelau

Tonga

Tuvalu

Vanuatu

Wake Island

Wallis and Futuna

North America

Anguilla

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Aruba

Bahamas

Barbados

Belize

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British Virgin Islands

Canada

Cayman Islands

Clipperton Island

St. Martin

Costa Rica

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Greenland

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Mexico

Montserrat

Navassa Island

Nicaragua

Panama

Puerto Rico

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Mexico City

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Michoacán

Nayarit

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Veracruz

Campeche

Quintana Roo

Tabasco

Yucatán

Chiapas

Guerrero

Oaxaca

Panama

Bocas del Toro

Chiriquí

Coclé

Colón

Darién

Herrera

Los Santos

Panamá

Panamá Oeste

Veraguas

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Kuna de Madugandí

Kuna de Wargandí

South America

Argentina

Bolivia

Brazil

Chile

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Peru

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Chaco

Chubut

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Corrientes

Entre Ríos

Formosa

Jujuy

La Pampa

La Rioja

Mendoza

Misiones

Neuquén

Río Negro

Salta

San Juan

San Luis

Santa Cruz

Santa Fe

Santiago del Estero

Tierra del Fuego

Tucumán

Bolivia

Beni

Chuquisaca

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La Paz

Oruro

Pando

Potosí

Santa Cruz

Tarija

Brazil

Acre

Amapá

Amazonas

Pará

Rondônia

Roraima

Tocantins

Alagoas

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Ceará

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Piauí

Rio Grande do Norte

Sergipe

Distrito Federal

Goiás

Mato Grosso

Mato Grosso do Sul

Espírito Santo

Minas Gerais

Rio de Janeiro

São Paulo

Paraná

Rio Grande do Sul

Santa Catarina

Fernando de Noronha

Rocas Atoll

Saint Peter and Saint Paul

Trindade and Martim Vaz

Chile

Aysén

Antártica Chilena

Antofagasta

Arauco

Arica

Bío Bío

Cachapoal

Capitán Prat

Cardenal Caro

Cauquenes

Cautín

Chacabuco

Chañaral

Chiloé

Choapa

Coyhaique

Colchagua

Concepción

Copiapó

Cordillera

Curicó

El Loa

Elqui

General Carrera

Huasco

Iquique

Isla de Pascua

Limarí

Linares

Llanquihue

Los Andes

Magallanes

Maipo

Malleco

Marga Marga

Melipilla

Ñuble

Osorno

Palena

Parinacota

Petorca

Quillota

Ranco

San Antonio

San Felipe de Aconcagua

Santiago

Talagante

Talca

Tamarugal

Tierra del Fuego

Tocopilla

Última Esperanza

Valdivia

Valparaíso

Colombia

Amazonas

Antioquia

Arauca

Atlántico

Bogotá

Bolívar

Boyacá

Caldas

Caquetá

Casanare

Cauca

Cesar

Chocó

Córdoba

Cundinamarca

Guainía

Guaviare

Huila

La Guajira

Magdalena