Tiger Tale: The history of the 2006 UST Growling Tigers Part 2

Looking at the UST Growling Tigers’ record in Season 68 and their lineup coming into Season 69, there was no way that team could win a championship or even make the Final Four.

A relatively young team with no experience combined with a new and unproven coach, there was little to no chance that UST was going to make a deep run.

And after they lost senior Jemal Vizcarra, who happened to be one of their leading scorers, for the season after an ACL tear in their very first game, no way the Tigers can do something worth remembering now.

Wrong.

In any case, the injury to Vizcarra brought the team closer, not that they needed any more inspiration during that point of the season, and it became one of the many “unexpected blessings” to the team that year.

Jojo Duncil was forced to step up to plate and Jervy Cruz needed to quickly assume a prime time role just as he was learning to play with the big boys after being elevated from UST’s Team B.

Looking at what the Growling Tigers went through that year all the way from the preseason to the last game of the eliminations, there was no way the team could win.

Fortunately they had none of all that and so we have the Tiger Tale: the history of the 2006 UST Growling Tigers, the most unlikely of champions.


Part 2 of 2.

WE’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE

[Tiger Tale: The history of the 2006 UST Growling Tigers Part 1]

After a roller-coaster regular season that saw them deal with a new coach, death, injuries and all sorts of drama, the 2006 UST Growling Tigers finally made some of their critics eat their words by qualifying for the Final Four as the third seed.

Standing in their way was the upstart UE Red Warriors squad, a young and talented team who on the very next season would sweep the UAAP all the way to the finals.

The Tigers split their season series with the Red Warriors, and that was enough reason to be confident even if their opponents had a twice-to-beat advantage.

Plus they were finally healthy.

Dylan Ababou, forward, 2009 UAAP MVP: Yun yung time na na-kumpleto kami talaga so sabi naming ‘guys magandang balita ito, first time natin ma-kumpleto baka maganda yung maging resulta.’

Jojo Duncil, shooting guard, 2006 Finals MVP: Noong time na yun, underdog kami eh pero ayun nga nag-umpisa yun nung second round na nag-start na kami manalo. One at a time lagi kami nananalo and nung nakarating na kami sa semis sabi namin nandito na tayo so kailangan seryoso na, mas lalo na natin pagbutihan.

Jervy Cruz, forward-center, elevated from Team B in 2006, 2007 UAAP MVP: Nandoon na yung pagkakataon tapos hindi natin alam kung kelan ulit mangyayari yun. So binigay na namin yung best namin.

Japs Cuan, starting point guard: One game at a time lang kami, sabi nga namin we’re not supposed to be here in the first place. Starting the second round dead-last kami but it happens for a reason eh, sabi nga namin bakit ngayon pa tayo gi-give up.

The Growling Tigers managed to push themselves to victory in the back-and-forth first game, 79-75, but it was no big deal as many have done that before. What was more important was how they can carry the momentum into the do-or-die contest with a finals slot hanging in the balance.

Luck would favor the Tigers early on as UE star Bonbon Custodio was suspended by the team for “disciplinary issues.”

UST went on a roll early on before Jojo Duncil gave a little finals preview by knocking down a clutch basket to give the team some much needed breathing room to preserve the win.

Ababou: Ayun sinasabi ni Allan [Evangelista] na guys ‘manalo naman tayo ng isang game para ma-extend niyo ako’ yun lang sinasabi niya. Ayun swerte nung game 1 ng Final Four tapos game 2 hindi pinalaro si Bonbon Custodio so kumbaga 18 points na kaagad yung minus sa kanila, so swerte din nung game na yun lalo na kasi nagmi-mintis sila ng crucial shots.

Cuan: Ang maganda kasi dun is we were always the underdogs so wala sa amin yung pressure, always the other team like UE, twice-to-beat sila so sila dapat manalo. But in the end kami yung nanalo kasi we just played UST basketball and credit goes to all my teammates kasi they responded to the challenge. Win or lose, we’ll always be brothers.

With a thrilling 82-81 victory to complete the Final Four upset, the Tigers booked their first finals since 1999.

A date with the mighty Ateneo Blue Eagles was on the horizon.


GAME 1: HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT

Once again, all odds were set against the Tigers as the Season 69 finals rolled around despite the fact that they split their season series against the Blue Eagles, handing Ateneo its first ever loss that year.

Both teams did not disappoint as the opening salvo of the title round was a classic, one that boiled down to the last two possessions.

Doug Kramer and the rest of the Blue Eagles robbed Evangelista of a signature finals moment after the Ateneo big man hit a shot at the buzzer for the win, 73-72.

In the previous scoring play, Evangelista buried the go-ahead fadeaway jumper over Kramer.

Cruz: Naiyak pa ako nun dahil ako yung bantay ni Kramer eh. Parang nag-switch kami ni Japs pero akin talaga si Kramer. Naiyak ako nun habang naliligo ako sinabi ko sa coaches na bakit nangyari yun kasi one second na lang eh, hindi mo na iisipin na pwede pa palang mangyari yun.

Cuan: Yung talo namin nay un, sobrang sakit but we took it, we had them eh. They played their best game and sa amin, nagkamali lang kami so kaya naming mag-bounce back.


GAME 2: NO PRESSURE FOR THE OVERACHIEVERS

The Tigers jumped on the Blue Eagles early in game 2 on their way to earning a pretty convincing 87-71 win.

With Dylan Ababou and Jojo Duncil leading the way, Pido Jarencio’s scrappy Tigers have pushed the favored Blue Eagles to a deciding game 3.

Ababou: Well nung pumasok kami sa finals nasa isip naming nag-overachieve na kami eh. So pagdating nung game 2, wala kaming pressure. Pag matalo okay lang. Nag-overachieve na tayo para dumating sa finals mula sa 2-4 nung first round. Mas pressure sa Ateneo kasi iki-clinch nila yung series eh.

Cruz: Sila Kramer, sila JC, talagang beterano na sa UAAP. Kami nun wala sigurong kilala samin nung time na yun so advantage din naming na kindi kami kilala. Naglaro lang kami, nag-enjoy.

Cuan: Ang maganda sa amin, no one believed na we were going to make the finals, no one ever thought of it beyond ourselves. Sayang naman yung team namin nay un na we’re good but inexperienced pero ang maganda, nanaig sa amin yung walang pressure. So if we beat them [Ateneo], we beat them. Tinalo nila kami nung game 1 by one point sabi namin yun na sila eh, hirap sila sa amin so just play our game, no pressure. Win or lose I think we gained the respect of the Thomasians, iba sumuporta ang Thomasians. Saludo ako sa UST.


GAME 3: PUSO. PRIDE. PALABAN.

The final showdown between the UST Growling Tigers and the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the UAAP Season 69 turned out to be a blockbuster.

Both teams exchanged haymakers like champions in a heavyweight bout. Ateneo took control in the first half before UST made it a game in the second.

However, in the fourth quarter, the Tigers found themselves down by five with a minute left to play without Jervy Cruz, who earlier drew his fifth and final foul, and Allan Evangelista.

The Tigers, thanks to Anthony Espiritu and Mark Canlas, managed to force overtime and in the extra session, it was the Jojo Duncil show.

Duncil: Sinabihan ako ni coach Pido, diba graduate na sina Allan Evangelista tsaka si Jervy Cruz, sabi ni coach ‘Jo ikaw na bahala wala na yung dalawa’ so syempre sakin naman, may tiwala si coach nung time nay un talagang habang naglalaro iniisip ko na wala na, no choice na kasi yung ibang key player naming wala na. Kailangan ko na mag-step up. Di ko rin alam nangyayari kasi lahat nung mga tira natin pumasok, blessing talaga ni God.

Ababou: Kinakabahan ako personally kasi first time ko maglalaro sa isang game na kumbaga last na nung season, tapos final pa yun, lahat nanonood. Sobrang excited ako pero sobrang credit kay coach Pido, kasi ang ganda talaga nung balasa niya, minotivate niya kami ng husto. Tapos yung Divine Intervention din nung teammate naming na si Apil, kasi may isang time [during game 2] nasa free throw si Ford Arao biglang may butterfly na dumaan, paano makakapasok yung butterfly sa Araneta? May tulong din galing sa Taas tapos sobrang nag-step up teammates ko lalo na si Jojo Duncil, yun yung nagpa-champion sa amin eh. Kung wala siguro si Jojo doon, di kami champion. Ganun kasimple.

Cruz: Bihira ako ma-foul out hindi ko alam kung bakit game 3 na-foul out ako. Ang sama ng loob ko na nasa bench lang ako nanonood tapos hindi ako makatulong sa team. Maganda naman si Jojo nag-step up so siya yung gumawa ng paraan para manalo kami kasi gusto din niya manalo.

Cuan: I had this professor na sabi ‘wala pala kayo eh’ so ako parang sir di ah, tapos nakipagpustahan siya sakin na sige manalo kayo uno ka pag natalo kayo singko ka. Ganun ako katiwala sa team ko, from down 0-1 kami ah, ganun ako katiwala syempre ayoko minamaliit yung team ko dib a walang isip-isip tinaya ko yung grade ko.

Duncil scored 18 points, eight in overtime, to lead the Growling Tigers to a dramatic 76-74 win effectively ending UST’s ten-year drought for the UAAP title.

The Tigers finally did what nobody else thought they could do and in effect, captured the hearts of not only Thomasians but many other basketball fans.


THE AFTERMATH

Lost in the celebration was the fact that the 2006 championship win paid huge dividends to the members of the squad in the future.

Both Dylan Ababou and Jervy Cruz would go on to win the MVP award in separate years before making the PBA.

Ababou also became part of the original Gilas Pilipinas national team.

Jojo Duncil would also make the PBA and later win a championship for Petron.

Japs Cuan never played in the PBA but he has been part of UST’s basketball coaching staff for many years now while head coach Pido Jarencio would make the finals two more times before realizing his dream of coaching in the PBA as well.

Overall, the support for the Growling Tigers has never really wavered thanks to the 2006 win even if the team has yet to win another title since.

Ababou: Naalala ko nun sabi ni coach Pido sakin kapag nag-champion kayo lahat kayo magpi-PBA. Nung sinabi niya yun lalo kaming na-motivate. Nagkatotoo naman yung sinabi ni coach, hindi naman sure ticket pero malaki yung chance mo na makapag-PBA. Feeling ko kung hindi kami nag-champion nung 2006 hindi ako maco-consider sa Gilas, hindi tataas yung morale, yung confidence ko na kaya ko mag PBA. Sobrang turning point sa career ko yung 2006, malaki ang utang na loob ko.

In the end, what the members of the 2006 team finds special is the fact that they helped restore the glory in UST with the whole Puso. Pride. Palaban slogan of course, bridging the gap from the dominant 1990s dynasty to the Comeback Cats this year.

Cuan: Siguro yung legacy na iniwan naming, alam mo yung feeling na you were counted out but refused to give up? Yun yun maganda sa batch namin eh, everyone counted us out but we kept fighting for this crowd na sobrang, hands down, the best crowd. It’s always been puso, pride, palaban. It’s all about heart kasi yung four-peat champion team natin, they were really a strong team, sobrang lakas. Pero yung team namin, we’re all starting lang eh, we are not that talented but we played our hearts out for our school. Live and die growling, that 2006 team lived and died growling. I’m proud of that.

Cruz: Sobrang tagal na after ten years bago kami nag-champion. Kami naman wala kami ine-expect nun, basta maglaro lang kami. Magandang factor yun kasi naibalik namin yung panalo sa UST. Naging identity naming is palaban talaga, yung tinuro samin ni coach Pido nun unang-una dapat lumaban, wag matakot kasi once na natakot kayo sa court yun na, wala ng mangyayari.

Duncil: Naging palaban kami kahit na pangit [yung start], naging palaban kami talaga tsaka deserving naman kami na manalo kahit underdogs kami. Pinakita namin na kaya namin, kinaya namin.

Ababou: Ang slogan ni coach Pido nun eh puso, pride, palaban, yun yung tingin ko na character naming, yun yung identity namin. Yung team may puso, yung team may pride, UST pride at yung team talagang palaban kasi pinangunahan ni coach Pido. Sobrang lahat ng games naming dinedicate namin kay Lord, Lord kayo na bahala sa game, manalo kami matalo kami Kayo na po bahala. Sabay-sabay kami pupunta ng chapel every game, bago every practice. Yun talaga nakita ko na identity namin, puso, pride, palaban tsaka syempre trust in the Lord.

As defending champions and hosts, the Growling Tigers lost to the Blue Eagles in round 1 of the stepladder semifinals in Season 70, 64-69. La Salle won the championship that year.

Under Pido Jarencio, the Tigers would make back-to-back finals in Seasons 75 and 76, losing to Ateneo and La Salle respectively.

AC Infra gears up for expressway PPP

AC Infrastructure Holdings Corporation, a subsidiary of conglomerate Ayala Corporation, is looking to bid for in an expressway project in northern Luzon that the government may finally offer under its private-public partnership (PPP) program.

In an interview, AC Infra President Rene Almendras said the company has been informed by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) that it is preparing for the bidding of the project.

“The DPWH said they are tendering a project under the PPP. The DPWH said they have an expressway project under the PPP. So they told me to get ready. More or less they said it’s an expressway up north,” said Almendras.

Meanwhile, AC Infra is also waiting for the Department of Transportation to give the green light for the bidding on the extension of the LRT 2 track all the way to the Manila port area.

So far, AC Infra’s portfolio of projects is composed of the 4-kilometer, four lane, MCX tollway in Muntinlupa; the 35-year concession to operate the LRT 1 that runs between Roosevelt in Quezon City and Baclaran in Parañaque; and the contactless payment system used in Metro Manila’s light rail transport system – LRT 1, LRT 2, and MRT 3.

AC Infra is also preparing for a new unsolicited project proposal to be made within the year as the company sees opportunity to provide “service, convenience for people.”

“Our mandate is to solve problems. So when we see a problem, we will try to solve it,” said Almendras as he noted the company already has a number of unsolicited proposals with the government.

Almendras said AC Infra is also looking at soft-infrastructure opportunities in the country.

Socio-economic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said recently that the Duterte administration has already approved a total of 28 projects worth P658 billion, since it assumed office in July last year.

“These include 22 new projects and 6 projects originally approved by the previous administration with changes,” he said.

“The remaining 6 projects were originally approved under the previous administration but were resubmitted for NEDA Board confirmation due to project changes. The total additional amount required from previously approved projects with change in project cost amounts to P1.36 billion,” Pernia added.

Subway

At last, a subway for us… the commuter line, not the sandwich. NEDA has finally approved the first phase of the subway project for Metro Manila. Compared with the Roxas-Abaya era at the transport department, at least Art Tugade is able to get faster approval of big projects by NEDA.

I think Sec. Tugade and the Duterte NEDA should be commended for not stretching the decision process for vital transport projects. It took them less time to decide on the country’s most expensive mass transit system than it took the Roxas-Abaya DOTC to decide on the four-kilometer LRT2 extension.

I also like it that the approved project added a spur line to NAIA, a logical move suggested by Sec. Tugade. In fact, the original alignment should have led to NAIA rather than the old FTI area that is now being developed by a leading property conglomerate.


Indeed, I was wondering about the logic of the original alignment that starts in the Trinoma area to EDSA then to C-5, passing through Market Market/BGC and to the FTI area, now called Arca South. Connect the dots to guess who the developer of all these properties is. Looks like one of their former executives, who briefly served as transport undersecretary, did his job well.

Given the pretty large outlay for the subway project, government is expected to make sure its alignment will serve the most number of people. This ambitious project will now cost P355.6 billion (roughly $7 billion), up from the original cost assumption of P227 billion (roughly $4.4 billion).

The project will be funded by Japan at an interest rate of 0.10 percent per year, payable in 40 years, with a grace period of 12 years. Japan must truly love us more than China whose ODA funding for other transport projects carries an interest rate of at least three percent.

Because we still have to pay back the loan, government must make sure we get maximum benefit. This is why the original alignment is questionable. It only yields a rather low projected ridership of 370,000 a day compared to over a million in an EDSA alignment. As such, it will be very difficult to have a fare that, given political realities, will be sufficient to operate and maintain it.

Our country’s first subway line must serve the densest traffic corridor which is the stretch of EDSA from North Avenue to Taft/Baclaran. This corridor can support mass transit with a capacity up to 1.2 million because it goes through several high-density business and residential districts.

Terminating the subway line in NAIA will also provide a public transport alternative to airline passengers. LTFRB has failed to put adequate public transport in our gateway airport. This failure leaves airline passengers at the tender mercies of the criminal transport syndicates working in cahoots with some corrupt airport officials.

In any case, the old FTI area will already be served by the Taguig central bus terminal and by the PNR south commuter train line which the Edsa subway line can intersect to enable passengers to transfer lines. Maybe costs can be saved if the plan for a C5 alignment to terminate the subway line in FTI is totally scrapped in favor of an EDSA alignment that terminates at NAIA.

I really find it difficult to understand why the subway alignment as originally proposed will not serve the heavily populated Ortigas-Greenhills-ShawCrossing-Boni area and instead move east before Ortigas towards C-5. I am personally benefited by the C5 alignment, but it is not the best for this project.

There will be some right of way issues in the C5 alignment and that could delay completion of the project. No such problem is expected for an EDSA alignment as it will run under the wide public thoroughfare without encroaching on private subterranean rights.

With the subway and the rehabilitated MRT3 working together, there will be little excuse to use private transport. That will make it possible to impose tolls similar to the congestion tolls imposed in cities like Singapore and London.

Most important, the potential passenger load of a subway running under EDSA is easily double that of the C5 alignment. That alone, will vastly improve the viability of the project and make lower fares and/or lower subsidies possible.

And since it is a totally government project, we can implement lessons learned from the MRT3 contract regarding the utilization of commercial property income to help reduce subsidy required from government.

In MRT3, the original partners dictated where the stations will be, and mostly near their malls. They also had monopoly on advertising revenues from billboards within the system. We can do better than that by making these decisions in the public interest, not the commercial interest of a few conglomerates.

Some friends in the business community have also suggested that maybe government should totally use the Japan loan to build the tunnels not just for this first subway but for a few more lines. We also need, for example, an East-West line to augment the service now provided by LRT2.

If this strategy is accepted, the government can then implement a hybrid PPP that will let the private sector fund and build-operate everything else needed from the rails to the procurement and maintenance of trains and running the system daily.  This approach will enable us to have two or more subway systems instead of just one.

But what impressed me at this stage is the determination of the administration to get this big project started. I do not believe they can complete the project before the end of the President’s term. Its completion will likely be delayed by a few years, beyond the term of the administration, but at least they got it started.

To me, the fact that they did not just study the project to death is progress enough. Mar Roxas could have done this when he was DOTC secretary, but he didn’t. He didn’t have enough guts, imagination, nor empathy for the millions of commuters burdened by inadequate mass transport and the traffic jams.

Secretary Art Tugade, NEDA Secretary Ernie Pernia, Finance Sec. Sonny Dominguez and Budget Secretary Ben Diokno all deserve our congratulations for taking this first step. That first step is always the most difficult.

Let us hope they will be as decisive with other transport infra projects still waiting to be done. We need officials who can get sh-t done!

Boo Chanco’s e-mail address is bchanco@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @boochanco.

LRT Line 1 North Extension - Common Station

New Configuration (as approved during the Duterte Administration)
The proposed new configuration includes a total concourse area of 13,700 square meters connecting the LRT Line 1 North Extension, MRT 3, and MRT 7 on the corner of North Avenue and EDSA, with total cost of PhP2,800 million.
Original Project (as approved during the Aquino III Administration)
The project aims to provide a common station for easy passenger transfer between and among LRT 1, MRT 3, MRT 7 and road-based transportation systems, with total project cost of PhP1,399.65 million, for Local Financing.
Implementing Agency: Department of Transportation
Total Project Cost (in PhP M): 2,800.00
Funding Source: Local Financing Infrastructure - Transportation
ICC-TB Dates: > 18 Jul 2013
ICC-CC Date: > 05 Aug 2013
NEDA Board Dates:
27 June 2017 (noted confirmation ad referendum)
30 May 2017 (confirmed ad referendum)
29 Nov 2012 (confirmed the ICC approval)
Implementation Period: 2017 - April 2019
Regions/Provinces: NCR
Project Status (Internal):
Implementation Yet To Be Started.
The NEDA Board in its June 27, 2017 meeting, noted its earlier confirmation ad referendum of the ICC approval of following: Proposed new configuration of project includes a total concourse area of 13,700 square meters connecting the LRT Line 1 North Extension, MRT 3, and MRT 7 on the corner of North Avenue and EDSA; Total project cost of PhP2.8 billion, to be funded through the GAA for 2017- 2019, which includes the PhP1.4 billion under the DOTr’s budget in the 2017 GAA, PhP1.2 billion for fiscal years 2018 and 2019, and PhP200 million under the Light Rail Transit Authority
In its May 16, 2017 letter, DOTr provided NEDA copy of the MOA signed by relevant parties on January 18, 2017.
Project changes confirmed ad referendum by the NEDA Board on May 30, 2017.

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Bear Brand Fortified powdered milk drink (2,200g) and Milo ActivGo (1kg)

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MPTC unit to award contract for Cebu Cordova expressway

Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC) subsidiary Cebu Cordova Link Expressway Corp. (CCLEC) is planning to award the contract to the winning bidder for the P27.9 billion Cebu Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX) in September.

Rosemarie Versoza, manager for legal services at CCLEC, said the company expects to award the contract for the CCLEX next month.

“We’re now in the process of evaluating which of the contractors are the best with the best price. While we are doing that, on the other side, we are also securing all the necessary permits from government agencies,” she said.

The company needs to obtain a special land use permit from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, as well as the City Environment and Natural Resources Office because the project would partly cover timberland.

The 8.5-kilometer CCLEX will have a causeway and bridge toll facility between Mactan island and Cebu City.

It was initiated by MPTC with the local governments of Cebu City and Cordova.

Versoza said the actual construction works for the CCLEX are targeted to begin in January next year.

“We are committed to finish the project by 2020,” she said.

RLC renews deal with MMDA on Nova terminal, key component of system for EDSA-bound buses

Leading property developer Robinsons Land Corporation (RLC) has renewed its partnership with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) in operating the Nova Public Bus Terminal, saying it was part of its commitment to support services that provide ease and comfort to people .

RLC said it is working closely with the MMDA to ensure the success of each operation and the safety of its passengers. “We are pleased to renew this partnership with the MMDA. Robinsons Malls remains committed to help the government in providing a safe, clean and convenient transport terminal for the commuting public,” said Arlene Magtibay, General Manager of Robinsons Malls after the signing of the renewal agreement.

The partnership between RLC and the MMDA was first forged in October 2004 with the signing of the first MOA graced by the presence of the then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo with former MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando and Quezon City Mayor Sonny Belmonte. Through this partnership, RLC aims to better serve thousands of commuters and travelers who frequent the terminal.

The Nova Public Bus Terminal opens at 5 a.m. and closes at 12 midnight. The terminal covers 12,000 square meters of Robinsons Novaliches grounds located at Brgy. Pasong Putik, Novaliches, Quezon City along Quirino Highway.

Currently, around 24 bus companies regularly use the terminal with 600 buses covering the routes coming from Fairview and going to Baclaran, Ayala, Alabang –Muntinlupa, Pacita Complex Laguna and NAIA.

Since the opening of the Nova Public Bus Terminal, the terminal has become a key component of the MMDA’s Bus Management and Dispatch System (BMDS) that does not only regulate the number of Public Utility Buses (PUBs) in EDSA but also monitors the drivers manning them.

RLC has already developed several bus terminals near its malls to address the public’s demand for a better mode of transportation. These include the Interregional Terminal Hub at Robinsons Starmills Pampanga which started December 14, 2014 and the Dumaguete City Transport Terminal at Robinsons Place Dumaguete which opened last July 10, 2012. In Robinsons Place Butuan, the Robinsons Transport Terminal started its dry run last August 2, 2017 and is expected to be fully operational this month to accommodate the needs of the public. The Bogo Central Transport Terminal, on the other hand, is expected to start its operations this October.

http://www.interaksyon.com/rlc-renews-deal-with-mmda-on-nova-terminal-key-component-of-system-for-edsa-bound-buses/

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‘A Filipino at heart’

Ambassador Jesus “Chuching” Tambunting, OBE and his wife Marge recently hosted a farewell dinner in honor of outgoing British Ambassador Asif Ahmad.

Attended by the two envoys’ friends and colleagues in the diplomatic and business circles, the evening was a touching celebration of the wonderful work Ambassador Asif has done during his tour of duty in the Philippines.

“Over the years, Asif, you have grown to be a close personal friend to me,” Ambassador Chuching said in his toast. “I would like to enjoin all my friends gathered here tonight to formally send you off with nothing but our prayers and best wishes…to Her Majesty’s ambassador to the Philippines, Asif Ahmad, a friend and a Filipino at heart.”

Kudos to Ambassador Chuching for a delightful dinner and many thanks to Ambassador Asif for his many priceless contributions to our nation!

For the children

Over the years, ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation’s Bantay Bata 163 has been leading the charge to fight and stand for Filipino children.

To celebrate its 20th anniversary, the organization recently held a fundraising event at the Reception Hall of the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.

Attended by one of the charity’s longtime supporters, RichPrime Global Inc. president and CEO Myrna Yao, the fundraiser featured the creations of international avant-garde designer Rocky Gathercole.

Happy anniversary!

Greetings

Happy birthday to our celebrators today, Bergamo’s dapper Mel Meer and Sandie Poblador.

Advance birthday greetings to Philippine Hotel Owners Association Inc. president Arthur Lopez, Teresita Briones, Marixi Prieto and Isabela’s Sid del Rosario, Sept. 11; George Yang, Ding Marcelo and Marge Francia, Sept. 12; Dr. Amelou Benitez Reyes, Pam Litton, International School of Sustainable Tourism president Mina Gabor, Pachot Mapa, former senator Bongbong Marcos and Milagros Cruz, Sept. 13; former senator Santanina Rasul, Sept. 14; STAR editor-in-chief Amy Pamintuan, Marietta Santos and Marnee Santiago Litton, Sept. 15; Furnitalia managing director Florence Ko, golfer Bolo Tuason and Irene Marcos-Araneta, Sept 16.

So, how was your week?

(For comments and inquiries, please e-mail me at jjlitton@indanet.com.)

SCTEx: Built against all odds

BAC: Before the 1998 Asian Crisis

Twenty years is a long time for us car enthusiasts. The mid-nineties posed so much hope even if we only had a tenth of the high speed tollways that we take for granted today. We were making do with 2 brands that survived the PCMP 5+2. After the long economic crises of the Eighties, we were now getting used to seeing more brands from the People's Car category, the multi-brand importers of Pepito Alvarez and Elena Lim, Peter and Paul Rodriguez, Wellington Soong and the return of the pre-debacle mainstream brands.

The glimmer of hope in Subic

What titilated us were the relaxing of some customs rules in the port of Subic, the ex-USNavy base in Zambales. Pocholo Ramirez and sons were shoe-horning Subaru boxer engines into mid 70's FIAT Cinquecento's in his carrozeria in the middle of his baby, the SiR [Subic International Raceway]. But for me the real rough-cut gem was the Port of Subic itself. There, interesting pre-owned European cars that were trickling in from Japan: Peugeot 405, 309, 205, Alfa Romeo Guiletta's, FIAT Tipo, FIAT Coupe, Renault Clio, Citroen Bx, BMW 325's, and VW Golfs. With an explosion of more interesting alternatives to our Japanese staples, the next question then was, where do we drive to in these?

Hungry for highways, starved of funders

Since Subic port and Clark airport were looming large in the nation's economic future, what we needed was a network of new expressways, besides the crumbling NLEx and SLEx. The Skyway, a fresh new BOT was already being built. The STAR, another FVR BOT [Build-Operate-Transfer] flagship project, was inching its way south. This left us with the NLEx, which was barely surviving the onslaught of heavier trucks and slowly but tepidly overcoming the diminishing pyroclastic flows of Mt. Pinatubo. At least the ERAP administration tapped First Holdings of the Lopez group to kick-start the Tipo-Subic expressway.

Rufo's eureka moment

So why not BOT a limited access expressway between Subic and Clark? That was the question that BCDA Chair Rufo Colayco posed to himself, and later, the economic managers of the ERAP administration back in 1999. Underneath the rugged virgin terrain reprofiled by the Pinatubo eruption and succeeding lahar rampage, was a working Subic to Clark oil pipeline used by the US Armed Forces.Who knows, maybe as far back when the father of Gen. Douglas MacArthur headed the US Armed Forces stationed in the Commonwealth, the US had plans for a railway. Colayco's idea made sense even if one believes those urban legends of hardened silos for nuclear tipped ICBM's, hidden in the jungle mountains of Bataan.

Failing the [common] sense test

But as history would have it, Colayco's idea was met with stiff resistance from NEDA-ICC. They questioned the utility and profitability of a limited access tollway when there is already an Olongapo-Gapan highway. DPWH fortified its resistance by insisting on credible projections of 25,000 vehicles/day quota before an expressway would make sense. Meantime, what was lost to the high minded economists was the rising toll of road accident fatalities on the San Fernando-Olongapo stretch as surging import deliveries of ex-JDM SUV's converted to LHD [left-hand drive] now arriving in Subic were congesting Lubao and Dinalupihan. The Subic-Clark expressway would have died there and then when President ERAP sidelined Colayco.

BCDA's musical Chairs

With Babes Singson as the new BCDA Chair, Colayco's brainchild was resurrected and improved. Singson further explored ODA financing by JICA, who, in turn proposed that since there are many Japanese owned manufacturing locators at the Cojuangco family's vast Hacienda Luisita Industrial park in Tarlac, why not extend the Subic-Clark expressway to Tarlac? Indeed, why not? But Cory Cojuangco-Aquino's family thought otherwise and gave the SCTEx a hard time, thinking perhaps that come RROW [road right of way] expropriation, it would just be another bargain basement priced land grab enforcing the Government's right of eminent domain.

SCTEx: Built against all odds

No stopping it now

When ERAP was deposed and replaced by GMA, Colayco found himself back in the saddle of BCDA. Consequently he lost no time getting the project off the ground. The first segment, the original 50.5km Subic to Clark segment was to cost PHP15.73B. The 43.27km Clark-Tarlac segment was added and when completed, the project would have cost PHP 34.98B. Seventy eight per cent of this amount or PHP 23.06B was to be funded by the JBIC [Japan Bank for International Cooperation] and carries an interest rate of 0.95% per annum, 40 year term, 10 years grace period. BCDA shouldered the counterpart funding, the balance of 22.0%. Delayed by some 2 years by the change in President and by stern opposition by NEDA's Romy Neri, Colayco lost no time in pushing for the extension of the SCTEx into the TPLEx as far as Rosario, La Union. For this, he even got better terms from JICA at 0.50% per annum.

Now shovel ready

It was not until 2005, when the SCTEx started building, and not long after Colayco was again replaced as BCDA chair in 2004. The SCTEx was to be a feather in the GMA admin's cap, by now battered by allegations of unbridled corruption. With the Lopez group finally inaugurating a new, expanded and world class NLEx, BCDA was the next follow up, the next star in the pantheon of infrastructure achievers. Typical of ODA [official development assistance] loans, the lender reserved the right to choose the contractor and the specifications. A joint venture between Kajima, Obayashi, JFE Engineering, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries contracted the Subic-Clark segment and Hazama,Taisei, and Nippon Steel were for the Clark-Tarlac segment. Project consultants were a joint venture between Oriental Consultant, Katahira & Engineering International, and Nippon Koei Co. Ltd. The longest expressway in the country was about to become a reality.

Like admin, like project

As a gigantic infrastructure undertaking, SCTEx suffered from sniping from an unusually large gallery of naysayers and oppositors. Beside the usual landowners complaining about compensation for land acquired as RROW, there were local government units who wanted an entry/exit to their town or didn't want the highway to barrel through either. Costs were climbing as the mountainous terrain between Subic and Clark, courtesy of the Pinatubo eruption, needed extensive civil works solutions – viaducts over gullies slicing through mountains [instead of tunneling], shot creting or installing gabion slope protection and curving the route to provide scenic vistas. Ditto for the soft foundation rice land/sugar land spanning the whole of the Tarlac portion, which was generally arrow straight.

Rumblings of controversy from the Private sector

The loudest oppositor to the SCTEx's contractors were from the big local construction conglomerates. It was already tough enough that only the Donor organization [JICA] could choose contractors, but the said Japanese contractors joint ventured with virtual unknowns, at least to the eyes and minds of the PCA [Phil. Contractors Assoc.]. Why the Japanese contractors chose to go with 2nd-tier construction outfits, prompted tongues wagging and whispering, rather loudly and indiscriminately, that corruption was rife and that their alleged lower price vis-a-vis better known contractors was tantamount to shoddy build quality. Nevertheless, by 2008, 9 years after inception and 3 years after construction commenced, the GMA administration was able to open the SCTEx to through traffic via three inaugurations from the 2nd to the third quarter. But there were still a good number of exits that still needed to be built and/or finished.

SCTEx: Built against all odds

TPLEx: sacrificial lamb/peace offering?

Essentially an extension of the SCTEx, TPLEx's birth in 2004 was just as tortured as the SCTEx. Despite the even better ODA loan terms negotiated by Colayco from JICA, the GMA administration handed over the TPLEx project to a private sector consortium of top tier construction companies which later became PIDC or Phil. Infra Development Corp., led by DM Consunji. Like SCTEx, TPLEx was supposed to blaze its own trail, taking off from SCTEx's northern most point at Tarlac City and following a northeasterly trajectory, skimming the western edge of Nueva Ecija before crossing the Bued River at Rosario, La Union. But lobbying mayors and congressmen of Tarlac and Pangasinan will have none of it. They arm-twisted the planners to follow what was the conceptual franchise route of Manila North Tollway's NLEx, along the central part of Tarlac, Pangasinan and La Union province, west of the Manila North Road or MacArthur Highway. This probably explains why under DPWH's highway classification, SCTEx from Tipo to Dolores is badged E-4 or Expressway 4, while Dolores, SCTEx to Rosario, TPLEx is labelled E-1, the expressway badge of NLEx. What would have been the NLEx northward trajectory to Rosario, La Union from Sta. Inez to Dolores was usurped by the SCTEx.

The going gets tough

TPLEx broke ground in 2010, during the final semester of the GMA administration. Dubbed as the country's first PPP [public private partnership] essentially a BOT with additional “London” features, there was to be no ODA financing from JICA. Instead, government was hoping for Lopez group's MNTC, the NLEx rebuilder and O&M franchise holder, to partner in building TPLEx but First Holding's had other plans. It divested its infrastructure companies to Metro Pacific Tollways. Hence PIDC shifted finance to a consortium of local universal banks charging commercial rates. Since financing wasn't going to come cheap, TPLEx was to be built in single carriageway stages with Phase 1 ending at Gerona, Tarlac. Owing to its “missionary” beginnings, just like SCTEx, PIDC was targeting hitting traffic of 25,000 vehicles a day before building the 2nd carriageway.

The [white] knight in shining armor

The entry of San Miguel Corporation into the Infrastructure sector in 2011 was to prove to be a huge boost to the fortunes of the 88.58km long TPLEx. Not only was Ramon S. Ang dissatisfied with the safety issues of a single carriageway expressway, he was also not in favor of taking 3 to 5 years to complete TPLEx. In fact, for San Miguel, TPLEx was to be the vehicle by which to extend the dual carriageway to San Fernando, La Union and eventually Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte. Buying into a big chunk of PIDC [and later buying out the rest of the owners] San Miguel proceeded to finance a turbocharged building schedule, inaugurating the first dual carriageway segment to Gerona in 2013. By 2016, TPLEx had already reached Binalonan. A conflict with 3 different alignments of the last section to the Bued viaduct and Rosario, La Union, caused considerable delays postponing completion to late 2018. Cong. Mark Cojuangco's proposed alignment veered far west, closer to San Fabian, adding 1.5kms. to TPLEx's length, avoiding expropriating rich arable land and terminating at Bgy. Caguintingan west of Rosario. This had the advantage of segregating north bound traffic from congesting Baguio bound traffic. But the Cordillera Administrative Region resisted this. In the end, the chosen alignment didn't veer too far from Pozzorubio, ending at Bgy. Subusob at the Rosario-Pugo 3-way junction along the Manila North Road.

SCTEx: finished or not finished?

The new Pnoy-Daang Matuwid administration's take over in 2010, re-introduced the trademark Aquino Inquisition of past infrastructure projects, studiously avoiding scrutiny of the few approvals under Pres. Cory. Like de ja vu, it was back to a distaste for unsolicited proposals while the new finance led team halted all on going projects. Post scrutiny, projects were either abrogated, revised, resubmitted, continued and in some cases where there was a threat of a lawsuit, just left in limbo. The Metro Pacific Tollways O&M [Operations and Maintenance] contract for SCTEx was one of them. Having delayed and deferred approval, GMA, practically handed over Metro Pac's O&M fate to the next administration. On orders of the Palace, the contract was first cancelled, then renegotiated several times over the first 4 years of the Pnoy administration. Then, by the 5th year, the DoF wanted to raise the price again, after which, it demanded a re-bid, to which there were no other bidders. This delay caused heavy damage to the SCTEx minimally maintained pavement. Additional bridge improvements to the Pasig-Potrero viaduct in order to avoid severe base erosion were postponed, resulting in the loss of 2-spans due to rushing waters induced by a typhoon in 2013. At least the advanced commissioning of Porac and Floridablanca exits were finished just before the Pnoy limbo set in. But the biggest damage to SCTEx efficiency was the failure of the Pnoy administration to approve the joint toll collection of NLEx and SCTEx, which would have eliminated stops at the Dau and Maybiga toll barriers. By Christmas season of 2015, Senate President Drilon and DoTC Secy. Abaya were stuck in 14-hour traffic jams, which led to the Senate President personally pushing the BCDA to allow NLEx-SCTEx joint collections and thus eliminate the toll barriers in 2016.

Comparing SCTEx and TPLEx

What would have been one 180.0km long world class dual carriage expressway, suggested in 1999 and begun work in 2005 would have finished in 2012 if only the government stuck to the original BCDA script of Rufo Colayco. With full backing of JICA, the SCTEx and SCTEx extension nee TPLEx project would have fit into PRRD's preference for ODA funded infrastructure with O&M by PPP. It is also a lesson to regulators to think out of the box, prioritize “customer” [tax paying public] convenience even at the cost of subsidizing “missionary” projects rather than studiously oppose anything new as impossible or beyond the realm of narrowly focused out-dated criteria. The long tortured route of the SCTEx shows how the NIMBY thinking of regulators block genuine progress. Akin to the way today's LTFRB is going hammer and tongs to suppress Apps based ride sharing and ride hailing.

Specification similarities

SCTEx and TPLEx varies from standard DPWH specifications. The standard DPWH specs are found on NLEx, SLEx, CAVITEx, STAR and most recently MC-x. They are as straight as possible and avoid sweeping curves that modern road builders introduce to avoid sleep inducing highway hypnosis. The RROW allow widening to up to 4 lanes per carriageway, plus emergency shoulder. Overpasses and slip roads have allowances for future 4x4 lane expansion. The relative narrowness of the SCTEx-TPLEx median will be familiar to those who toured Japan by motor coach. Japanese highways save on valuable real estate owing to the steep mountainous terrain that their expressways traverse. Their philosophy is if an expressway needs to expand, just build another expressway. One can find a practical application of this when traveling from Mt. Fuji to Tokyo. There one finds three parallel expressways – one clinging to the mountain side, one going through the back door of the coastal towns and cities and the third being a bayshore expressway, partly over water.

SCTEx: Built against all odds

Specification nuances

Besides sharing the same width, SCTEx and TPLEx varies in some applications of civil works technology and road furniture. With Nippon Steel as a joint venture contractor of the JICA funded SCTEx, it will not surprise to see a lot of ARMCo guard rails on the median and shoulders. At the TPLEx, the median is a reinforced concrete Jersey barrier, first seen on the revitalized Balintawak-Bocaue segment of NLEx. This has the added advantage of eliminating headlight glare from on-coming traffic, the bane of many misaligned headlights of the average [old] Philippine motor vehicle. TPLEx, where possible, also uses Freysinet reinforced concrete guard rails, last seen when the NLEx was extended from the Viaduct to Sta. Inez in 1981. Flyovers at TPLEx do not have any median columns, whereas SCTEx does. With center columns, SCTEx can keep road width to theoretically accommodate a third lane under its overpasses while TPLEx overpasses with their rammed earth ramps have no room for expansion.

The absence of a median pillar at TPLEx overpasses, affords wider views and offers no obstruction [nor concealment advantage] to the TPLEx Patrol's hand held LIDAR speed cameras. Upon turnover to Metro Pacific tollways, SCTEx did not have the DPWH mandated Vienna convention traffic signs while TPLEx had no such problem. SCTEx built the elevated viaduct above the Tipo and Pasig-Potrero gorges and the Sacobia viaduct over what used to be rampaging lahar's major route. TPLEx built viaducts over Agno and Binalonan rivers and is building one over the Bued river. While TPLEx has regular toll barriers on flat land, SCTEx's Maybiga/Mabalacat toll barrier was elevated over the Manila North Road and even incorporated a U-turn slot for traffic access to Manila North Road. This Maybiga toll plaza was decommissioned when NLEx and SCTEx integrated toll collections and is now being converted to a diamond interchange to eliminate the U-turn slot. To replace Maybiga, SCTEx had to build a new toll barrier at the Tarlac City end.

Making cost comparison difficult

In a previous column we quoted PIDS data on comparative costs per kilometer between TPLEx and SCTEx, to highlight the cost advantage of PPP vs. ODA funding. TPLEx at PHP284.0 million/km and SCTEx at PHP374,0 million/km. Build duration; SCTEx 7 years including 2 years in limbo. TPLEx 5 years. Toll cost PHP 1.50/km SCTEx, but due for adjustment since 2009. PHP 2.50/km TPLEx. On further research, we realized that these data were insufficient to arrive at a fair analysis.

Accounting conflicts

The cost of the SCTEx was pegged at PHP284.0 million per km, but bloated upward when CoA charged some PHP8.0B worth of administrative expenses on top of RROW acquisition. The Subic-Clark RROW was the easy part being only partly arable land but construction is more difficult in mountainous terrain. Even if the peso per sq. meter price of real estate was low, the engineering solutions were costly. Viaducts, slicing through mountains, shoring up cliffs from erosion and building super-sized above grade exits, with long access roads like Dinalupihan, Floridablanca and Porac cost far more than a regular sized interchange like Clark South, Concepcion and Hacienda Luisita. The Clark-Tarlac part, despite simpler construction on flat RROW was more difficult and expensive as it was already well know that the SCTEx was a priority project and LGU's along the way were lobbying for special favors, which drove up costs. Moreover, the SCTEx consultants specified spread footing flyover columns to deal with marshy ground in Tarlac instead of pre-fab piles and beams, adding to the time element. The Prime Mover advantage of SCTEx was in play when later RROW acquisitions for TPLEx were dealt at higher prices. The TPLEx, which was on relatively easy to build flat land, consisting of rice paddy or sugar cane plantation, would have not such a hard time so it was easy to stick to the projected PHP284.0M/km.

The birthing pains of a prime mover

It would be tempting to jump to a comparative conclusion between competing project funding/building methods: ODA vs. PPP. Debt ceiling busting Public or Sovereign Debt vs. Private Sector finance with the risk of “Crowding Out” other finance worthy projects. We've already outlined the difference in construction ease, the changed RROW pricing of any extension of the SCTEx now that the SCTEx is viable and the shift in ease/difficulty of finding Private Sector finance when infra became a hot topic. Rising costs were driven by local government politics, their revisions and resistance, not to mention typical hostile anti-expropriation actions such as snap rallies, blockades, burning contractor heavy equipment and stoning of toll paying motorists. In order to protect SCTEx's growing clientele, a military quick reaction team was assigned to SCTEx, ready to deploy.

TRB's toll rate, the ultimate deal maker/breaker

A major determinant in costing for a tollway, whether for purposes of attracting Private sector bidding to PPP or ensuring the tollway will never be under-invested in anything that it needs for world class standards, will always be the Toll Regulatory Board [TRB]'s mandated cost of toll charge per km. Whenever applicable, pre-planned toll charge increases should be automatically triggered whenever Peso-dollar exchange rate or heavy/light traffic flow or extra ordinary construction costs are incurred. These predictive toll charges must be balanced with the need to make the PPP a viable business proposition to the Private sector investor. Presuming tollways to be “missionary” in nature, ODA soft loans and long operation franchise tenures can allow for lower toll charges, while Private sector commercial borrowings will normally dictate higher toll charges or even longer O&M franchise tenures to give the road builder time to recoup its investment. To prevent problems with construction quality, both ODA lender and BCDA or project proponent should agree to a contractor accreditation standard so as not to avoid the animosity that it bred when SCTEx was built by 2nd tier contractors, chosen by the Japanese lenders. Still, considering the multi-faceted angles of computing for legitimate project expenses, we withhold judgment on cost comparisons as TPLEx still has to finish.

SCTEx: Built against all odds

Scenic values matter

Today, there is a plethora of new build expressways and infrastructure which promise to be as scenic as the SCTEx. With the Subic-Clark segment as a trailblazing benchmark, the natural beauty aspect is already being addressed at the design stage of NLEEx [Northeast Luzon Expwy], CLEx [Central Luzon Expwy], SLEx TR-4, CALAx, CAVITEx extension, STAR Tanauan to Tagaytay extension, Cebu-Cordova bridge and causeway expressway.

A bright project packed future

Another lesson learned here is that one shouldn't pooh-pooh out-of-the box ideas as they could lead to better things. BCDA's Vince Dizon is bullish on many road, rail and airport related projects emanating from BGC, Clark Green City and Subic. But Dizon tempers heightened expectations of China's seeming infrastructure largesse with appropriate NEDA-ICC cost benefit studies. For instance, a Subic-Clark railway is pointless unless there is a Subic-Port of Manila railway if moving freight by rail is a priority in order to decongest roads. A Metro Manila Subway from BGC must always incorporate loops to Makati CBD, MOA and NAIA in order to relieve EDSA. BCDA will remain to be circumspect when it comes to other tollway proposals from foreign funded sources.

SCTEx: this is where it all began

Without the SCTEx playing prime mover - tolls, RROW acquisition and the all important threshold of 25,000 veh./day, notwithstanding – formidable economic linkages and benefits to Subic, Bataan, Clark, Tarlac, NLEx and TPLEx would not have congealed. The SCTEx introduced a new raison d'être for road building into the Philippine landscape; scenic tollways through difficult terrain, built to perform to a loss making missionary function need not stay missionary or loss making for long. Progress and development didn't take long to follow. Build it and they will come.

https://www.autoindustriya.com/inside-man/sctex-built-against-all-odds.html

For Rogie

With the memory of fallen brother Rogie Maglinas, who succumbed to cancer months prior, weighing heavy on their hearts and minds, the members of the men’s and women’s football teams of the University of the Philippines went into UAAP Season 78 with a resounding battle cry: For Rogie!

The men’s team, led by season MVP and national team call-up Daniel Gadia, turned in another impressive season and soundly defeated Katipunan rivals Ateneo de Manila in the finals to end a three-year men’s football title drought.

More impressive however was the women’s team. Led by season MVP Molly Manalansan, the second-seeded Lady Maroons stunned the erstwhile unbeaten De La Salle Lady Archers in the finals to claim their first ever women’s football championship.

UAAP Season 78 was definitely a dream season for the UP Men’s and Women’s football teams, and they did it all For Rogie.

Lawmakers approve National ID System

National Identification System is now approved by the House of Representatives.

The establishing of National Identification Database System or the Filipino Identification System (FilSys) has already been passed on third and final reading by 142 lawmakers, then vetoed by seven, and abstained by zero on Friday.

FilSys referred as “ID system” intends to provide official identification of all citizens of the Philippines through the issuance of the Filipino Identification Card (FilID).

The issuance of national ID system is among the Duterte administration’s legislative agenda.

House Bill no. 6221 under section 3 says, The Filipino Identification System is “hereby established and instituted as an economic and social tool towards the attainment of a progressive society through the provision of efficient services to all Filipinos.”

All Filipinos residing in the Philippines or abroad are mandated to register personal information required by the ID system; it is a non-transferrable Filipino ID card with an ID number that shall be valid for life.

The Filipino ID contains personal data of the cardholder— including the owner’s full name, name suffix, front-facing photograph, sex, date of birth, place of birth, permanent address, and blood type that will be considered as a type of official government-issued identification document.

FilID will be under the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), while the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) will be handling the registration of Filipinos residing abroad.

According to the House Bill, government offices mentioned shall create a special unit which shall be responsible for: accepting applicants for a Filipino ID Card; processing of such applications; and releasing the Filipino ID card to the applicants.

Meanwhile, Laguna Representative Sol Aragones earlier cleared that Filipinos have nothing to worry regarding their privacy.  Aragones said that the Department of Information and Communications Technology is in charge for technical security measures of the FilSys, even the National Privacy Commission. Aragones is one of the authors of the bill.

http://www.canadianinquirer.net/2017/09/08/lawmakers-approve-national-id-system/

NLEX Harbor Link Map

Tiger Tale: The history of the 2006 UST Growling Tigers Part 1

Back in 2006, with the suspension of perennial powerhouse De La Salle University, many believed that the UAAP Season 69 championship was there for the Ateneo Blue Eagles to take.

Because why not? The Blue Eagles certainly had the talent, the experience, the great coaching and basically everything that would and should make a championship team.

But in the seven-team lineup the UAAP offered close to a decade ago, there were the Growling Tigers of UST. A team that should have been mediocre at best, not good enough the win it all but not bad enough to occupy the cellar, the Tigers were in short, primed to be forgettable.

Apparently the Tigers were not informed of such situation and thus proceeded to deliver one of the most, if not the most, impressive and emotional championship stories in the new millennium.

Save for probably the 2014 NU Bulldogs, no team in the UAAP of recent memory displayed the “Team of Destiny” aura the 2006 Growling Tigers had during that magical Cinderella season.

And with the 2015 edition of the Growling Tigers receiving some similar treatment right before their highly-impressive Season 78 run, it’s the perfect time to relive the incredible journey of the team that started the whole “Puso, Pride, Palaban,” battle cry that has since evolved to “No Heart, No Chance.”

Straight from the personalities who lived it, this is the Tiger Tale: the history of the 2006 UST Growling Tigers, the most unlikely of champions.

Part 1 of 2.

DEATH, FIREMAN AND THE START OF A FAIRY TALE.

Prior to UAAP Season 69, the UST program saw a dramatic decline in terms of performance. The Tigers have not seen playoff basketball since Season 65 and the mystique brought about by their mid-1990s dynasty was effectively gone.

In order to revitalize its program, UST brought in Pido Jarencio to start coaching the team. Jarencio, known as the “Fireman” back when he was a Glowing Goldie and during a pro stint that included a stop with Ginebra, gave the Growling Tigers a much-needed spark thanks to his strong personality and mindset towards the game.

It also helped that the core of UST saw brighter days ahead of Season 69.

Dylan Ababou, forward, 2009 UAAP MVP: Mataas yung outlook naming nung time na yun, mataas yung confidence namin. Naisip namin na we can compete with the best.

Japs Cuan, starting point guard: Yung mindset kasi namin, basically new transition yan eh kasi new coach but actually nung time na yun nag-champion kami sa isang tournament so somehow parang nasabi namin sa sarili namin na this team is good enough. Syempre iba yung sa UAAP [but] we worked hard all summer, all year ayaw na kasi naming ma-tag as losers.

Of course, Jarencio’s tough persona immediately rubbed off on the team and the early makings of the “Puso, Pride, Palaban” were established.

Jojo Duncil, shooting guard, 2006 Finals MVP: Si coach Pido kasi kilala siya na palaban eh. Noon kumbaga kumpleto rekados na tayo at yung puso, yung pride nga tsaka yung palaban ang wala. So noong dumating si coach Pido eh nasa kanya pala yung puso, pride at palaban kaya ayun na-apply namin, nagamit namin. Kasi malaking bagay yung may pride ka, yung palaban ka kasi kahit anong galling mo kung hindi ka palaban wala kang patutunguhan.

Jervy Cruz, forward-center, elevated from Team B in 2006, 2007 UAAP MVP: Malaki yung impact noon [Jarencio’s arrival] dahil pinabayaan niya lang kami maglaro. Yun ang maganda sa kanya, bahala kayo basta enjoy lang walang pressure.

Ababou: Si coach Pido kasi, pagdating palang niya na-instill na niya kaagad sa minds namin na mananalo kami. Sobrang magaling siya na motivator, talagang gusto niya manalo at ang hirap ng practices namin. Binigyan niya ng confidence yung bawat isa sa amin.

As with all young teams going through transition, the Growling Tigers underwent their fair share of struggles that would continue until well after the first round of Season 69.

However, the team had something bigger to overcome at the start of the regular season, one that required heavy mental and emotional fortitude when teammate John Lee Apil tragically died on April 15, 2006.

Apil died of electrocution after saving two of his girlfriend’s relatives from being electrocuted in a Tuguegarao resort on Black Saturday.

His tragic death fueled the Tigers even more.

Duncil: Parang ginuide din niya kami, parang siya yung nagsakripisyo para matulungan niya kami sa victory namin. Isa rin sa naging blessing yun eh, parang inalalayan niya kami.

Cruz: Syempre malungkot kasi nawalan ka din ng kapatid at teammate. Si Apil hindi rin naiiba sa amin eh, sayang lang na nawala siya.

Cuan: It’s hard to lose a friend, a brother. So we dedicated that season to him and noong time na yun sabi namin whatever happens, para hindi naman sayang yung pinaghirapan din nung tao. He’s a hero so kami parang let’s something na worth it dun sa sacrifice na ginawa niya.

Ababou: Nung namatay si Apil sinabi namin na ‘guys para masaya si Apil, maglaro tayo ngayong season,’ parang naniniwala kami, feeling namin si Apil present nung mga games namin. Naniwala kami na merong Divine Intervention.

FLIRTING WITH DISASTER

UAAP Season 69 officially opened on July 8, 2006 and despite the optimism UST had with the arrival of Pido Jarencio as well as the inspiration the Growling Tigers got from the sudden death of a brother; it looked like the team was on its way to another lost season.

Two promising victories over then-defending champion FEU Tamaraws and the upstart UE Red Warriors offset a shocking opening-day loss to the UP Fighting Maroons but from then on, things turned ugly for UST.

Injuries played a big role in their slide but the Tigers were losing by double-digits to teams like the NU Bulldogs (who went on to finish at last place). The lowest point was a 36-point shellacking at the hands of the Ateneo Blue Eagles.

Ababou: Kaya lang naman nangyari yun [losing streak] kasi ang daming may sakit. Key players naming kaya hindi kami naku-kumpleto. Siguro nung last game before the Final Four doon lang kami kumpleto.

OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN

Already tied for the 5th-7th spots at the end of the first round, the Growling Tigers were plunged into must-win mode for the rest of the tournament after the Red Warriors got their win back to start round 2.

Coming through in the face of adversity, UST would win four of its next five (another shocking loss to UP was the only dent in their run) as team captain Allan Evangelista rallied his teammates to the postseason.

Cuan: Hindi ko alam kung alam ng tao yung story na ito but there was a time na our captain Allan Evangelista, he’s been struggling eh, kasi that time parang iniisip nya na last year na niya and kung ano mangyayari after his playing year. I told him ‘Allan wag ka ma-pressure dahil it’s your last year, give me the pressure of leading this team.’

Ababou: Nag-practice kami noon hindi ko makalimutan yung sinabi ng team captain naming na si Allan Evangelista sabi niya ‘Our backs are against the wall, ayaw natin after 10 to 20 years magkaroon tayo ng regret na sana inayos natin itong game na ito.’ Tapos ang favorite niya na sinasabi ‘Guys i-extend niyo naman ako, extend niyo ako hanggang Final Four, extend niyo ako hanggang championship.’

Cuan: Yung turning point na yun kasi Allan is a senior to me di ba pero yung humility na sige mag-step down for me to be the leader of the team and for me to take responsibility, it paid off kasi after that he scored 31 points and from that moment I think yun na yung winning streak namin eh kasi everything was set. Nung time na yun I was glad to take that challenge, kahit third year ko pa lang nagtiwala siya sa akin.

With their season on the line, the Tigers would comeback against the Bulldogs and hold on to win anew versus the Tamaraws. Their signature victory came after they grounded the Blue Eagles in overtime, 88-80, minus three players. It was Ateneo’s first loss of the season and it planted seeds on how the rest of the tournament would go.

The Growling Tigers would survive the Adamson Falcons twice to formalize their entry to the Final Four as the third seed, earning a date with the UE Red Warriors.

Jojo Duncil: Parang destiny yung nangyari na hindi namin ma-explain, parang nag-boom lahat na tuluy-tuloy yung panalo. Sa sarili namin kaya namin pero hindi nagtatagpo nung first round eh, pero syempre yun nga nagusap-usap kami, nag-tulungan kami lahat para mabuo yung team.

Jervy Cruz: First round namin 2-4 ganun so kami parang ‘hay una pa lang pangit na record’ tapos yun nga pagdating ng second round, natalo ng UP. Naisip namin na once na matalo pa kami, wala na kami sa top four. Ilan yun, ilang straight yung nanalo kami although yun nga Adamson malakas din nandoon sina [Ken] Bono, pero tyinaga namin. Pinaka mahirap dun yung Ateneo eh, umabot sa overtime pag natalo kami dun wala na.

Cuan: Ang lokohan nga namin eh sabi ko walang bibitaw, lagi akong kumakanta nung song ng Spongecola kasi lagi kaming do-or-die so sabi ko walang bibitaw. Yung team namin sobrang resilient eh, we find a way to win. The good thing about that 2006 batch, ang iniisip namin hindi na sarili namin eh, inisip namin all these people na nagsa-sacrifice kasi sila pumipila to buy tickets. Kami we really have to play kasi pinapaaral kami ng students, parang it’s our job to play and for them to support us, sinasabi namin wag na tayo mahiya sa sarili natin mahiya tayo sa mga tao na sumusuporta sa atin. Nagbabayad sila para panoorin tayo tapos matatalo tayo.

How did the Growling Tigers manage to overcome UE in the Final Four and outlast the mighty Blue Eagles in the Finals?

Also, did one player from the 2006 UST squad really put his grade on the line just to prove a point? Who cried after game 1 of the Finals? Find out on part 2 of the Tigers Tale: the history of the 2006 UST Growling Tigers, the most unlikely of champions.

Nothing to Lose: NU's remarkable run to the UAAP Season 77 men's basketball crown

They say that pressure only does one of two things – either it keeps you on your toes or it cripples you as prelude to an utter meltdown.

Three years into his residence as head coach of the Sampaloc-based cagers, Eric Altamirano was expected to have whipped his Bulldogs into tiptop shape for a shot at the UAAP crown. All eyes were on them, too, as they entered Season 76 with Ray Parks and Jean Mbe at the helm. They didn’t even have to lift a finger to convince everyone else that they were a force to be reckoned with. We are the Bulldogs, and we’re bringing this one home.

A solid basketball program and an all-star cast. Game over, folks. We have a winner.

Only that year, it wasn’t National University. All that perfection on paper just didn’t translate inside the court. From being top seeds after two rounds in the eliminations, the Bulldogs hit rockbottom. The hype? Gone. The twice-to-beat advantage? Gone. And by the end of the academic year, their superstars had gone as well, with several others contemplating their exit from the college basketball scene as well.

In pre-season press conferences, it’s routinary to ask the coaches which team they particular watch out for. Come Season 77, NU wasn’t really on anyone’s radar. Sure, they were still very much respected. But how far they could go with the lineup they had left was questionable. At that point, even the players weren’t aware of what they were capable of.

After their last scrimmage before opening, then-captain Glenn Khobuntin called all his boys to a huddle. His exact words were, “mag-cha-champion daw tayo ngayon.” While everyone responded jokingly with “oo”-s and “sigurado na yan”-s, the Bulldogs reacted as if it was such a laughable, impossible thing. Little did they know that they were in for the ride of their lives.

National University walked into their first game in Araneta, carrying blue and gold with the same amount of pride, but definitely with a lot more humility. They were up against the Growling Tigers after all — the same come-from-behind team that knocked them out twice and ended their season the year before.

However, contrary to what some thought, they played without any hint of desire for vengeance. Regardless of who the Bulldogs were up against, it was always about them. It was about taking it one game at a time and figuring out who takes care of what. Do they need me to shoot today? Defend the perimeter? Cheer from the sidelines? Without a default guy to depend on, they had to be each other’s heroes. That made all the difference.

The world started hearing about Troy Rosario and Gelo Alolino, who stayed in the shadows for a very long time. Their squad started to pull upsets and score consecutive wins, and about halfway through the season, people were starting to take notice of their collective potential. They earned a couple of nods and praises, but quite a number still had their reservations. Strokes of brilliance were eventually followed by lapses and letdowns. No wonder they ended eliminations with 7-7 and a do-or-die game away from making it to the semis.

That rubber match against the Red Warriors was their true litmus test. Have they grown from last year’s miss? What was pressure going to do to them now?

All practices leading up to that crucial game were disappointing. It was the kind that let you hold on and hope for slim chances but, at the same time, prepared you for another possible heartbreak. It was a stark contrast from how the Bulldogs carried themselves entering the Final Four a year ago.

They say that it takes maturity and championship experience to overcome hurdles like this. The Bulldogs didn’t have the latter as leverage, but they came with a significant experience of their own, too.

The Sampaloc-based squad was long tagged as cellar dwellers; and when they finally had what seemed like a clear shot, they missed. Very badly. What was supposedly a victorious night turned out to be a very upsetting curtain call for a handful of players. The young blood witnessed their veterans shed tears inside the dugout as they were to bow out of the race empty handed.

Suffice it to say, that memory was enough to get everyone to power through the next five sudden deaths: one against UE, two against ADMU and two against the finalists, FEU.

The underdogs took down a powerhouse team the year before, and ended their campaign as runners-up. It seemed hard to believe, but even the Bulldogs knew it could be done. So with their heads to the sky and their hands to their heart, they soldiered on. In Coach Eric’s words, “we have nothing to lose and everything to gain”.

When the boys were struggling to let go of the past and the frustrations that came with it, the coaching staff made it a point to remind them to continue to persevere, as they try to make sense of why things turned out the way they did and figure what to make out of it.

Not knowing whether or not there truly was a light at the end of the tunnel, that’s exactly what they did. They picked themselves up, even dragged each other to practice need it be, and trusted that the years of struggles and hustles were necessary elements to what turned out to be their own Cinderella story.  This storybook wasn’t written in a span of months. It took them sixty years to reach their happy ending. And boy, it sure did make that championship sweeter.

Together on three. One… two… three. Together. We are the Bulldogs and we finally brought it home.

A faithful brotherhood playing selfless basketball. You’re Season 77 champions, ladies and gentlemen.

http://sports.abs-cbn.com/uaap80/stories-of-greatness/milestone/2017/09/04/nothing-lose-nu-s-remarkable-run-uaap-season-77-men-s-basketball-crown-26

MMDA penalizes MRT-7 contractor

The Metro Manila Development Authority has penalized the private contractor of Metro Railway Transit-Line 7 project for blocking two lanes of Commonwealth Avenue when it parked a crane that caused monstrous traffic in the area early this week.

MMDA assistant general manager for planning Jose Arturo Garcia Jr. said a P25,000 fine was slapped against EEI Corp. for obstructing the traffic flow in the area near University of the Philippines-Ayala Land Technohub.

"They parked the crane and occupied two lanes of Commonwealth. The motorists and the commuting public were affected," said Garcia. "There was an agreement that before they make a decision, they will first inform the MMDA. We know that we need a project like this one but the contractor should also know and comply with our guidelines."

The construction of the MRT Line 7 Phase 1 already rendered the closure of two lanes from the center island on both directions of Commonwealth Avenue.

Based on its profile posted at the official website of Private-Public Partnership Center, the project involves the financing, design, construction, operation and maintenance of the 23-km elevated railway line.

Govt cites MRT 3 losses of P80.3m

The Transportation Department has incurred revenue losses amounting to P80.3 million due to poor maintenance works of Busan Universal Rail Inc. at the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) Line 3 system.

Transport Undersecretary for Rail Cesar Chavez said the agency suffered huge revenue losses due to service interruptions, train removal from service and train derailments caused by BURI’s poor and negligent maintenance work.

Chavez said because of service interruptions and train availability from the period from January 9 last year to June 18, 2017, the Transportation Department penalized BURI amounting to P27.57 million.

He said the penalties imposed on BURI amounting to P27.57 million “are not enough to offset the revenue losses of P80.3 million.”

“It is therefore imperative to immediately terminate the services of said maintenance provider in order to prevent further losses and inconvenience to the government and riding public and more importantly, exposing the riding public to danger and safety hazards,” Chavez said.

http://thestandard.com.ph/business/banking-report/246487/govt-cites-mrt-3-losses-of-p80-3m.html