Saturday, July 7, 2018
Duterte warns Villar on delayed, failed gov’t projects
By Argyll Cyrus Geducos
President Duterte said he will hold Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark Villar responsible for delayed or failed projects of the national government.
Duterte made the statement after he bewailed about how government projects or programs end up getting investigated, and how these projects or programs are delayed due to graft and corruption.
In his speech during the opening ceremony of the National Science and Technology Week in Davao City, Duterte said that the Philippines will never progress in the next 30 years if graft and corruption will not be stopped.
“Wala akong nakitang p***** i**** daan dito sa Pilipinas na natapos on time na hindi produced ng (I have not seen a road in the Philippines that was completed on time and is not produced by) graft and corruption,” Duterte said Friday evening.
“Every program of the government ends up in an investigation,” he added.
The President said that he does not want any more delayed or failed projects under his administration, adding that he will hold Villar responsible if something of the sort happens.
“I’m exacting now something of like this. ‘Yang project mo pagka pumalpak (If your project fails), I will hold the Secretary responsible,” Duterte stated.
“Pag may highway diyan na palpak, the city engineer at itong (If there is a failed highway there, the city engineer, and the) project engineer or whatever, if there is delay or slippage, they call it, and it is about 20 percent perfect, you are out. I will cancel the contract,” he added.
Duterte then warned all Cabinet secretaries, particularly Villar, that he does not want to see any delayed national government projects starting Saturday. If not, the President said they would have to answer to him.
“So I would like to call the attention of the secretaries, especially Secretary Villar, that if there is any slippage of any work of any kind by the national government. If you delay or if I see tomorrow, beginning tomorrow… and you are all invited to see me in Malacañang,” he said.
Duterte also advised the public to sue the government if they get into an accident due to one of its projects.
“‘Yung dinadaan araw-araw ng tao, hindi inaayos. Marami nang nahuhulog diyan, marami nang namatay (They are not fixing the roads that people are using everyday. A lot of people met accidents died, a lot have died). It’s almost a nonchalant so make it a criminal issue,” he said.
“‘Pag nahulog ka diyan, nabunggo ka (If you fall in a hole there or get bumped) [because it is] unlighted, uncovered, ganoon (things like that), you sue the government. Pagka — siguradong manalo kayo diyan (You will surely win),” he added.
“Sue the government and I will sue the supervisor and maybe ask the Secretary, ‘Kindly explain to me kung bakit ganito ang sitwasyon (why is the situation like this),'” he continued.
The government has laid out 75 projects under its ambitious “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program spearheaded by the DPWH. The government is set to spend at least P8 trillion to fund the said projects until 2022, based on the program’s website.
Swiss challenge
Duterte then said that he now wants the Swiss challenge to be the main mode of procurement in government projects, instead of public bidding as the former is less prone to corruption.
“Lahat gusto ko Swiss challenge na lang (I want everything to be done under the Swiss challenge now). Swiss challenge, you produce the bridge and I’ll pay you. If you do not publish it in accordance with the specs, as my specifications, I will not pay you,” he said.
“Kasi lahat ng (Because every) highway acquisition or easements, to widen the shoulders of the road or to make it a full-length ends up in corruption… kung lahat itong p** — walang mangyari sa gobyerno (If everything will be like that, nothing will happen in this government),” he added.
The Swiss challenge is a form of public procurement where, in this case, the government publishes an unsolicited bid or proposal for third parties to match or exceed it.
The government earlier announced that the rehabilitation of the war-torn Marawi City in Lanao del Sur will undergo the Swiss challenge.
President Duterte said he will hold Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark Villar responsible for delayed or failed projects of the national government.
Duterte made the statement after he bewailed about how government projects or programs end up getting investigated, and how these projects or programs are delayed due to graft and corruption.
In his speech during the opening ceremony of the National Science and Technology Week in Davao City, Duterte said that the Philippines will never progress in the next 30 years if graft and corruption will not be stopped.
“Wala akong nakitang p***** i**** daan dito sa Pilipinas na natapos on time na hindi produced ng (I have not seen a road in the Philippines that was completed on time and is not produced by) graft and corruption,” Duterte said Friday evening.
“Every program of the government ends up in an investigation,” he added.
The President said that he does not want any more delayed or failed projects under his administration, adding that he will hold Villar responsible if something of the sort happens.
“I’m exacting now something of like this. ‘Yang project mo pagka pumalpak (If your project fails), I will hold the Secretary responsible,” Duterte stated.
“Pag may highway diyan na palpak, the city engineer at itong (If there is a failed highway there, the city engineer, and the) project engineer or whatever, if there is delay or slippage, they call it, and it is about 20 percent perfect, you are out. I will cancel the contract,” he added.
Duterte then warned all Cabinet secretaries, particularly Villar, that he does not want to see any delayed national government projects starting Saturday. If not, the President said they would have to answer to him.
“So I would like to call the attention of the secretaries, especially Secretary Villar, that if there is any slippage of any work of any kind by the national government. If you delay or if I see tomorrow, beginning tomorrow… and you are all invited to see me in Malacañang,” he said.
Duterte also advised the public to sue the government if they get into an accident due to one of its projects.
“‘Yung dinadaan araw-araw ng tao, hindi inaayos. Marami nang nahuhulog diyan, marami nang namatay (They are not fixing the roads that people are using everyday. A lot of people met accidents died, a lot have died). It’s almost a nonchalant so make it a criminal issue,” he said.
“‘Pag nahulog ka diyan, nabunggo ka (If you fall in a hole there or get bumped) [because it is] unlighted, uncovered, ganoon (things like that), you sue the government. Pagka — siguradong manalo kayo diyan (You will surely win),” he added.
“Sue the government and I will sue the supervisor and maybe ask the Secretary, ‘Kindly explain to me kung bakit ganito ang sitwasyon (why is the situation like this),'” he continued.
The government has laid out 75 projects under its ambitious “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program spearheaded by the DPWH. The government is set to spend at least P8 trillion to fund the said projects until 2022, based on the program’s website.
Swiss challenge
Duterte then said that he now wants the Swiss challenge to be the main mode of procurement in government projects, instead of public bidding as the former is less prone to corruption.
“Lahat gusto ko Swiss challenge na lang (I want everything to be done under the Swiss challenge now). Swiss challenge, you produce the bridge and I’ll pay you. If you do not publish it in accordance with the specs, as my specifications, I will not pay you,” he said.
“Kasi lahat ng (Because every) highway acquisition or easements, to widen the shoulders of the road or to make it a full-length ends up in corruption… kung lahat itong p** — walang mangyari sa gobyerno (If everything will be like that, nothing will happen in this government),” he added.
The Swiss challenge is a form of public procurement where, in this case, the government publishes an unsolicited bid or proposal for third parties to match or exceed it.
The government earlier announced that the rehabilitation of the war-torn Marawi City in Lanao del Sur will undergo the Swiss challenge.
‘The Clash’ premieres tonight
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| ‘The Clash’ host Regine Velasquez-Alcasid (Photo from ‘The Clash’ Facebook page) |
Host is Regine Velasquez-Alcasid, while the judges are Lani Misalucha, Christian Bautista and Ai Ai delas Alas. Andre Paras and Joyce Pring give updates on the aspirants’ quest for musical stardom.
Regine advised the contestants to “create your own mark, emulate but make your own identity.”
Lani is also excited to be working again with Regine, Christian and Ai Ai. “We’ll be working as a team to choose who will be the first champion,” she said.
Christian, on his part, added “for me they’ll get my vote if in terms of singing , they choose the right song and sing it properly. And of course, in terms of performance, they have to connect with us – the TV audience to make us feel their song.”
Ai Aicommended the uniqueness of the show and how it can give the contestants the chance to prove themselves.
“The Clash” airs Saturdays and Sundays.
• • •
Binondo Lineup
The acclaimed “Binondo, A Tsinoy Musical” will have it’s last two days today and tomorrow at The Theater of Solaire Resort and Casino.
For the 3.p.m. show today, the performers are Carla Guevara as Lily; David Ezra as Ah Tiong,!and Noel Rayos as Carlos. For the 8 p.m. show, the performers are Shiela Valderrama as Lily; Arman Ferrer as Ah Tiong and Floyd Tena as Carlos.
On July 8, the final performers are Carla, David and Floyd.
• • •
ABS-CBN, GMA hold on to ratings lead
Media giants ABS-CBN Corp. and GMA Network Inc. mainly held on to their respective leads in national and urban television ratings.
On Tuesday, the two companies announced ratings data for June 2018, citing data from different third-party research firms.
ABS-CBN said it had a nationwide ratings lead of 45 percent against GMA’s 32 percent, based on data from Kantar Media.
For its part, GMA said it had a total day people audience share average of 41.6 percent in the National Urban Television Audience Measurement (NUTAM) versus ABS-CBN’s 38.3 percent.
GMA uses data from Nielsen TV Audience Measurement.
Between the two companies, GMA’s has historically highlighted its performance in heavily populated areas, in particular, urban Luzon and mega Manila.
In Urban Luzon, GMA posted an average total day people audience share of 46.4 percent, more than ABS-CBN’s 32.6 percent.
In Mega Manila, it cornered a share of 48.1 percent versus ABS-CBN’s 29.5 percent.
More Kapuso shows also made it to the list of top-rating programs in NUTAM with Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho (KMJS) securing its spot as the most watched Kapuso program nationwide.
Joining KMJS were Pepito Manaloto, Kambal, Karibal, 24 Oras, Magpakailanman, Celebrity Bluff, The Cure, Inday Will Always Love You, 24 Oras Weekend, and newly-launched program Amazing Earth.
Also included in the list were Lip Sync Battle Philippines, Daig Kayo ng Lola Ko, GMA Blockbusters, Imbestigador, Wowowin, Sunday Pinasaya, Bubble Gang, Saksi, Eat Bulaga, Tadhana, and Contessa.
ABS-CBN, meanwhile, sought to underscore its lead in Metro Manila. ABS-CBN said it got an average audience share of 43 percent against GMA’s 29 percent.
It was also ahead in Total Luzon, with 41 percent against GMA’s 36 percent.
ABS-CBN also said that for June 2018, it cornered 54 percent in Total Visayas against GMA’s 24 percent. In Mindanao, it was 53 percent for ABS-CBN against 26 percent for GMA.
ABS-CBN also said it won the ratings war in the prime-time block, saying it got an audience share of 48 percent compared to GMA’s 33 percent.
FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano has been a constant favorite among Filipino viewers for close to three years now.
It proved to be no different this June, as the long-running top drama kept its crown as the most-watched program in the country with an average audience rating of 42.6% for the whole month.
Your Face Sounds Familiar Kids at a distant 33.6%.
All but one show in the top 10 most-watched shows were from ABS-CBN, attesting to its stranglehold on nationwide ratings.
Bagani, TV Patrol and Maalaala Mo Kaya rounded up the top five.
Also included in the list were Home Sweetie Home, Goin’ Bulilit, Wansapanatym, It’s Showtime (Saturday), ASAP, Rated K, I Can See Your Voice, Gandang Gabi Vice, Sana Dalawa ang Puso, Asintado, Araw Gabi, The Blood Sisters, Since I Found You, Tonight with Boy Abunda and Bandila.
The Lopez-led network said its digital terrestrial television (DTT) business continues to gain ground, as it sold 5 million digital boxes nationwide as of May.
ABS-CBN saw an increase in its attributable net income by 7% during the first quarter at P452.53 million despite a decline in advertising revenues due to lower gross expenses.
On the other hand, GMA reported a 49% fall in its net income at P426.3 million due to lower revenues from advertising.
On Tuesday, shares of GMA slipped one centavo to P5.39 each while ABS-CBN shares fell 20 centavos to P24.80 apiece.
Tidbits: Happy b-day greetings today, July 7, go to Dingdong Avanzado, Imelda Ilanan, Bong Chavez, Jack Teotico, Grace Figues, Bert Pasquin, Christian Wenceslao, Dr. Ben Dorado, Dr. Candy Apacible, Adela Martinez, Charles Owen, Venus Raj and John Lapus…July 8: Willie Nepomuceno, Ces Drilon, Sunny Ilacad, Priscilla Ty, Miloy Trinidad, Evel dela Cruz, Liza Velasco, Emylou del Castillo, Jude Bautista, Carmela Hobrado, Viz Bonalos, Nini Rubia-Enrique and Gardo Verzosa…July 9: Atty. Jessie Eustaquio, Baby Joson, Rod Ongpauco, Susan Banaria, Mark Tobias, Cristina Ablaza, Cheryl de Leon, Bam Romana, Loretta Lina, Vince Bersola and Empoy Marquez…
Gov't on track to achieve growth goals: DOF
Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said Friday that Filipinos have reason to remain confident in the Philippines’ growth story, given that economic indicators point to a positive direction as the Duterte administration continues to “do the right things at the right time.”
Dominguez said the government is well on its way to providing the inclusive development that the people have long aspired for now that the economy is on course to be among the region’s growth leaders.
Global developments such as increased protectionism and oil price swings could pose numerous challenges ahead to the country’s economic resurgence, he said, but the long-elusive inclusive growth and higher incomes that Filipinos deserve are "still within reach as the government will relentlessly push reforms to modernize all sectors of the economy with the same vigor that the Duterte presidency has demonstrated over the past two years."
While inflation was slightly elevated during the year’s first half, averaging around 4.3 percent, Dominguez said this is understandable for a fast-growing economy, and is expected to return within the target range set by the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) of 4.0 to 4.5 percent within the year with the likely consolidation of the peso’s exchange rate, easing of oil prices in the world market and stabilization of rice supply.
Dominguez said economies like the Philippines that are expanding at a fast pace tend to put pressure on supply, especially with a tax reform law--Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN)--that has now increased the purchasing power of Filipino consumers.
Along with an inflation uptick brought about by rising demand, Dominguez said the massive importation of capital goods needed for the “Build, Build, Build” program has also increased the trade deficit and weakened the peso, while the rice situation pushed prices of the grain to abnormal levels.
“None of these factors are permanent infirmities,” Dominguez said at the “Tatak ng Pag-Unlad” Pre-State-of-the- Nation Address (SONA) Forum of the Cabinet’s Economic Development Cluster that was held at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) this morning.
“But without the tax reform and the infrastructure program that it is funding, we will continue to suffer from high cost of production and transportation,” he added. “With the tax reform and better infrastructure, the road to higher productivity, and thus lower and stable inflation is within reach.”
He said the bill that will liberalize rice imports by shifting trading from quantitative restrictions to tariffs is now in the final stages of legislation and when implemented into law would ensure adequate supplies of the grain, and thus normalize retail prices.
Moreover, the speedier implementation of the unconditional cash transfer (UCT) program for the poorest Filipino families will help ease inflation's impact, which will be further improved with the implementation of a national ID system, Dominguez said.
Dominguez said the government is well on its way to providing the inclusive development that the people have long aspired for now that the economy is on course to be among the region’s growth leaders.
Global developments such as increased protectionism and oil price swings could pose numerous challenges ahead to the country’s economic resurgence, he said, but the long-elusive inclusive growth and higher incomes that Filipinos deserve are "still within reach as the government will relentlessly push reforms to modernize all sectors of the economy with the same vigor that the Duterte presidency has demonstrated over the past two years."
While inflation was slightly elevated during the year’s first half, averaging around 4.3 percent, Dominguez said this is understandable for a fast-growing economy, and is expected to return within the target range set by the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) of 4.0 to 4.5 percent within the year with the likely consolidation of the peso’s exchange rate, easing of oil prices in the world market and stabilization of rice supply.
Dominguez said economies like the Philippines that are expanding at a fast pace tend to put pressure on supply, especially with a tax reform law--Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN)--that has now increased the purchasing power of Filipino consumers.
Along with an inflation uptick brought about by rising demand, Dominguez said the massive importation of capital goods needed for the “Build, Build, Build” program has also increased the trade deficit and weakened the peso, while the rice situation pushed prices of the grain to abnormal levels.
“None of these factors are permanent infirmities,” Dominguez said at the “Tatak ng Pag-Unlad” Pre-State-of-the- Nation Address (SONA) Forum of the Cabinet’s Economic Development Cluster that was held at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) this morning.
“But without the tax reform and the infrastructure program that it is funding, we will continue to suffer from high cost of production and transportation,” he added. “With the tax reform and better infrastructure, the road to higher productivity, and thus lower and stable inflation is within reach.”
He said the bill that will liberalize rice imports by shifting trading from quantitative restrictions to tariffs is now in the final stages of legislation and when implemented into law would ensure adequate supplies of the grain, and thus normalize retail prices.
Moreover, the speedier implementation of the unconditional cash transfer (UCT) program for the poorest Filipino families will help ease inflation's impact, which will be further improved with the implementation of a national ID system, Dominguez said.