ABS-CBN keeps ratings lead in February: Kantar

ABS-CBN said Friday it kept its position as the country's number 1 television network in February, citing a nationwide audience measurement by Kantar Media.

The country's largest media and entertainment company registered an average national audience share of 46 percent, outpacing rival GMA Network by 13 points, ABS-CBN said, citing a Kantar study that involved 2,610 urban and rural homes that is representative of the country's entire TV viewing population.

ABS-CBN said it led in Metro Manila with 40 percent average audience share against 28 percent for GMA, in the entire Luzon with 42 percent versus 35 percent, Visayas with 56 percent against 27 percent and Mindanao with 52 percent versus 31 percent.

The Lopez-owned network said it led the primetime block from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m., with average audience share of 51 percent, 20 points ahead of GMA.

ABS-CBN also led the morning block with 39 percent, the noontime block with 44 percent and the afternoon block with 42 percent.

Nine of the ten most watched programs nationwide in February were also produced by ABS-CBN, led by the long-running police drama "FPJ's Ang Probinsyano," which garnered an average national TV rating of 41.2 percent.

"Pilipinas Got Talent”" was in second place with 39.6 percent, followed by the Asia’s longest-running drama anthology "MMK," "TV Patrol," "La Luna Sangre," "The Good Son," "Tonight with Boy Abunda," "Bandila," "Sana Dalawa ang Puso," "It's Showtime," "Asintado," "Hanggang Saan," "Ipaglaban Mo," "Wansapanataym", "Wildflower," "Goin' Bulilit," "Home Sweetie Home," "The Blood Sisters," "Gandang Gabi Vice," "I Can See Your Voice" and "Rated K".

As of November 2017, ABS-CBN said it sold 4 million units of units of its TVplus digital service. Its content is also available online through iWant TV.

ABS-CBN and S+A will be shifted to 16:9 SD broadcast....

ABS-CBN made changes to its DTT lineup:
(Channel 43; 647.143 Mhz; PSIP 1.x):
1.1 ABS-CBN (ABS-CBN Manila) - 16:9 480i
1.2 S+A (ABS-CBN S+A) - 4:3 480i
+ 1.3 CINEMO (Cinemo) - 16:9 480i
+ 1.4 YeY! (Yey!) - 16:9 480i
+ 1.5 Knowledge Channel (Knowledge Channel) - 4:3 480i
+ 1.6 DZMM TeleRadyo (DZMM TeleRadyo) - 16:9 480i
+ 1.7 My Only Radio (Test Card) - 16:9 480i
1.8 ABS-CBN OneSeg (ABS-CBN) - 16:9 240p

(Channel 35; 599.143 Mhz; PSIP 2.x):
+# 2.1 Myx (N/A) 4:3 480i
+# 2.2 ANC (N/A) - 16:9 480i
+# 2.3 Jeepney TV (N/A) - 4:3 480i
+# 2.4 Metro.Style (N/A) - 16:9 480i
+ 2.5 OShopping (Test Card) - 16:9 480i
+ 2.6 KBO 1 (Test Card) - 4:3 480i
++ 2.7 KBO 2 (Kapamilya Box Office) - 4:3 480i
2.8 S+A OneSeg (Test Card) - 4:3 240p

+ - Only viewable on ABS-CBN TVplus
++ - Only viewable on ABS-CBN TVplus with subscription to KBO

NAIA rehab, upgrade bid heats up

THE GROUP behind the ongoing upgrade of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport will go head-to-head against a consortium made up of some of the country’s biggest conglomerates in the bid to rehabilitate and upgrade Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), the country’s premier gateway.

Megawide Construction Corp. and India-based GMR Infrastructure Ltd. said in a joint press release on Thursday that they submitted a proposal to rehabilitate NAIA for $3 billion.

“As an experienced private operator, we have a deep understanding of the problem experienced by NAIA and we would like to offer our take on the solution,” the statement quoted Manuel Louie B. Ferrer, corporate information officer of Megawide, as saying.

The engineering-infrastructure company’s share price edged up by 0.71% to close P21.30 apiece on Thursday.

EXPERIENCED
GMR has been operating New Delhi Airport since 2006 as well as Istanbul Atatürk Airport.

Both firms formed a consortium that won the 25-year contract in April 2014 for the P17.52-billion Mactan-Cebu International Airport Passenger Terminal Building project — 83.34% completed as of end-2017 according to the Web site of the Public-Private Partnership Center — and are now undertaking this through GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corp.

Their plan challenges the P350-billion unsolicited proposal for the rehabilitation, operation and maintenance of NAIA that was submitted to the Department of Transportation on Feb. 12 by a consortium composed of Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc.s’ Aboitiz InfraCapital, Inc.; Ayala Corp.’s AC Infrastructure Holdings Corp.; Filinvest Development Corp.; JG Summit Holdings, Inc.; Alliance Global Group, Inc.; Metro Pacific Investments Corp. and Asia’s Emerging Dragon Corp.

That consortium has tapped airport operator Changi Airports International Pte Ltd as technical partner for rehabilitation work.

The GMR-Megawide proposal seeks to increase airfield capacity to 950-1,000 aircraft movements a day, a 30-37% hike from about 730 currently.

Proposed concession period will run for 18 years, about half the first group’s proposed 35 years.

The planned investment of $3 billion covers all airside, terminal and landside improvements, Megawide-GMR said, explaining that the first phase (for up to two years) will improve NAIA airside capacity and improve the existing terminal, the second phase (third to fourth year) will introduce “key performance measures” while the fifth to sixth year will build “future capacity.”

Immediately upon takeover- GMR-Megawide will improve capacity of airside infrastructure by building full-length parallel taxiways for both runways, constructing additional rapid-exit taxiways for the primary runway, extending the secondary runway and providing “the maximum number of aircraft stands”.

Within 24 months of taking over operations, GMR-Megawide plans to rehabilitate and expand existing terminals, doubling space to over 700,000 square meters.

Once completed, both airside facilities and terminals should be able to handle a total annual throughput of 72 million passengers compared to last year’s 42 million people and the designed capacity of 30.5 million.

Over the 18-year concession period, GMR-Megawide also plans to pay annual concession fees consisting of revenue share with a guaranteed minimum component; will not require any subsidy, equity or guarantee from the government and will hand over all assets to the government free of cost at the end of the concession term.

GMR-Megawide has also chosen US-based The MITRE Corp. as technical partner, especially for research and development in maximizing NAIA’s existing airside facilities.

“This is a technically responsive proposal,” Megawide’s Mr. Ferrer said in the statement.

“We have evaluated multiple options to enhance NAIA’s capacity and efficiency while reducing airside and landside congestion,” he added.

The same statement quoted Andrew Harrison, another authorized representative of the consortium, as saying: “Our detailed master plan takes into account all possible constraints in transforming a fully operational brownfield airport.”

Metro Pacific net income rises by 15% in 2017

The increase to P13.2 billion in 2017, from P11.5 billion in 2016, is largely due to Meralco and Global Business Power

Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC), the infrastructure holding firm of the Manuel V Pangilinan group, saw its bottom line rise last year on the back of power sector investments.

MPIC disclosed to the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) on Thursday, March 1, that its consolidated reported net income attributable to owners of the parent company rose 15% to P13.2 billion in 2017 from P11.5 billion in 2016.

Excluding non-recurring items, MPIC's consolidated core income increased by 17% to P14.1 billion in 2017 compared to P12.1 billion in 2016.

These non-recurring items totaled P953 million, up from P650 million, and consisted mainly of refinancing expenses, project expenses, and separation costs of a redundancy program at Maynilad Water Services Incorporated.

MPIC noted, however, that it was largely offset by a realized gain on sale of shares in Manila Electric Company (Meralco).

Power the biggest contributor

The group's power arm, both in distribution and generation, was the main contributor at 52% of the total net income, while toll roads brought in 22% and water contributed 21%.

MPIC's hospital group provided 4% of the total while its rail, logistics, and systems group delivered 1%.

MPIC's power business contributed P9.4 billion to core net income in 2017, an increase of 30% which the firm attributed to step-up investments in Meralco and Global Business Power Corporation (GBP).

MPIC acquired the remaining 25% ownership in Beacon Electric in July 2017 at an aggregate purchase price of P21.8 billion. Following this and related transactions, MPIC's economic interest in Meralco is 45.5% and 62.4% in GBP.

GBP in turn acquired a 50% stake in Alsons Thermal Energy Corporation, the holding company for Alsons Consolidated Resources Incorporated's coal power plant assets in Mindanao, in November 2017.

Meralco's core net income for 2017 rose 3% to P20.2 billion while GBP's core net income was up 1% to P2.9 billion.

Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC), meanwhile, had a core net income of P3.9 billion in 2017, a 20% increase from the P3.3 billion recorded in 2016.

The firm said system-wide vehicle entries increased by 64% to an average of 903,525 a day due mainly to the investment in PT Nusantara Infrastructure Tbk in Indonesia.

MPTC also noted that it would spend approximately P122.8 billion in the next 5 years on building highways and toll roads around the Philippines.

The contribution of both Maynilad and MetroPac Water Investments Corporation to core net income combined totaled P3.7 billion for 2017, most of it attributable to Maynilad.

Metro Pacific Hospital Holdings Incorporated (MPHHI) saw aggregate core net income rise by 17% to P2 billion in 2017.

The firm noted that 4% of the increase was attributable to the contribution from new hospital acquisitions while 13% was driven by lower interest expense, cost savings from purchasing synergies, and increasing patient numbers.

MPHHI completed the acquisition of a 54% stake in St Elizabeth Hospital Incorporated (SEHI) which increased to 80% in December 2017. SEHI is a 248-bed tertiary level hospital located in General Santos City.

MPHHI had 14 hospitals as of end-December 2017, with approximately 3,300 beds.

Meanwhile, Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC), the operator of the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT1), contributed P283 million to MPIC's core net income for 2017.

LRMC also noted that "assuming government delivers a sufficient portion of the necessary right-of-way," it will begin construction of the LRT1 extension by the middle of 2018.

"We are doing our best to support the Build, Build, Build agenda of the government. However, our investors (many of whom are hardworking Filipino savers and pensioners by the way) and our creditors need confidence that our various concession and franchise agreements will be observed. We are working hard to resolve these matters. It is our hope that our partners in government could come along with us in the spirit of partnership in which our various projects were conceived," said Pangilinan, MPIC chairman, in a statement.

"The overwhelming demand for the services we provide, against the backdrop of strong economic growth, underpins our outlook for 2018. It is too early to give earnings or capital expenditure guidance for the year at this time, especially as we attempt to resolve our tariff issues in the course of 2018," he added.

MPIC also declared a final dividend for 2017 of 7.6 centavos per share which it noted was 12% higher than the year-ago figure and marked a payout ratio of 25% of core income per share. The payment date for the dividend is April 26 this year.

Tugade urges public: Don't rush use of Dalian trains on MRT3

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said on Thursday, March 1, that the government cannot rush the use of the 48 trains acquired from China-based CRRC Dalian Company Limited, as this would depend on the audit being conducted on the trains.

In an interview on Thursday, Tugade urged the public to wait for the audit results of the Dalian trains, to be sure whether the trains can be used.

Since 2018 started, the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT3) experienced a total of 38 breakdowns from its 8 to 9 working trains, with ridership falling to some 270,000 passengers on average this week.

"Let's not rush what the audit will reveal. We haven't seen the result of the audit. Until then, we will be able to come up with the next steps," Tugade said in Filipino in a media interview on Thursday.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) tapped Germany-based TUV Rheinland to evaluate the unused MRT3 trains. The assessment will come out on March 10.

During the Senate hearing on the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT3) in February, an expert said that the 48 Dalian trains are "not overweight" and within the allowable limit that MRT3 train tracks can carry.

DOTr Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John Batan said on Thursday that the audit by TUV Rheinland will determine not only the usability of the Dalian trains but the entire MRT3 system.

"We want to ensure that we will not expose our half a million passengers to unsafe conditions – that's the reason why we are focusing on the safety and compatibility of the Dalian trains," Batan said in a mix of English and Filipino.

Improvement

After experiencing a new low on February 19 when the week opened without functioning trains, the now MRT3 averages with 8 to 9 operational trains this week – an improvement from last week's 7 trains on average.

Tugade attributed this to the availability of spare parts which were recently delivered.

According to the DOTr, the MRT3 did not suffer from glitches for 7 days since the last breakdown last week. (READ: Surviving MRT3: Worst train fails in 2017)

"These days, we are lucky because the spare parts needed have been delivered....I hope this [improvement in services] continues," Tugade told reporters.

The transportation secretary appealled for public understanding. He said that the department was doing its best to deliver on its promises of timelines and number of trains available. (READ: DOTr promises better MRT3 services by 2nd quarter of 2018)

The MRT3 management is expected to conduct a full rehabilitation of its trains from March 28 to 31, promising the public better services after. According to Tugade, the public should expect 15 working trains by then.

Power business boosts MPIC’s profit in 2017 by 17% to P14.1 billion

METRO Pacific Investments Corp. (MIPC) on Thursday said its consolidated net income rose 17 percent to P14.1 billion, from last year’s P12.1 billion, mainly on higher revenues on power as a result of its increased investments in both power distribution and generation.

Revenues grew 11 percent to P373 billion, from P335 billion last year.

In terms of contribution to the company’s net operating income, power accounted for P9.4 billion, or half of the aggregate contribution. MPIC’s toll-roads business contributed P3.9 billion, or 22 percent, of the total while its water business, which includes distribution, production and sewerage treatment, contributed P3.7 billion, or 21 percent, of the total.

MPIC’s hospital group contributed P685 million, or 4 percent, of the total while its rail, logistics and systems group delivered P150 million, or 1 percent, of the total.

The company said it is allocating some P76.9 billion in capital expenditures this year. MPIC said the amount includes P38.9 billion for acquisitions.

“We continue with our mission to build and operate well run and needed infrastructure, offering good value for the public,” MPIC Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan said. The hard work, dedication and focus on customer service of our many employees is reflected in improving service metrics of all our operations.”

Pangilinan added the company is “doing best to support the ‘Build, Build, Build’ agenda of the government.”

“However, our investors, many of whom are hardworking Filipino savers and pensioners, by the way, and our creditors need confidence that our various concession and franchise agreements will be observed,” he said. “We are working hard to resolve these matters. It is our hope that our partners in the government could come along with us in the spirit of partnership in which our various projects were conceived.”

Last year group-wide capital expenditure was at P38 billion and spending some P38.9 billion in new investments in power sector, and expanding into new markets, including Indonesia.

“Our earnings growth reflects significant volume increases for all our businesses, supported by years of high investment, together with our continuing emphasis on operational efficiencies,” MPIC President and CEO Jose Ma. K. Lim said.

The company said it had about P185 billion worth of unsolicited proposal to the government. The bulk of the proposal is the three projects in toll roads worth P140 billion, a total of P18 billion in water, some P15 billion in waste-to-energy projects and P12 billion for the possible operation and maintenance of the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) Line 3.

Lim said the company is not keen on bidding for the combined 22-percent stake of the Land Bank of the Philippines and Development Bank of the Philippines in MRT 3 that is being put on sale since it has a proposal to the government.

“We want that concession agreement first,” Lim said.

No MRT-3 glitch in the past 7 days, believe it or not

Talk of the troubled Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT 3) and glitch and unloading of passengers on mid-track is a normal occurrence, rain or shine.

But the train service that passes along the stretch of EDSA is starting to improve. It was an unusually smooth ride for passengers in the past seven days, and this significant achievement since a maintenance transition team took over operations last November is reportedly due to the arrival last month of the initial batch of procured spare parts.

“We can attribute this mainly to the arrival of spare parts wherein deliveries started February. Further, we also implemented improvements on our day-to-day operations and maintenance services such as strengthening our coordination processes and monitoring and information sharing platforms,” MRT-3 media relations officer Aly Narvaez said in a text message to the Philippine News Agency (PNA) Thursday.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) terminated its contract with Busan Universal Rail, Inc. (BURI) due to non-performance of its obligations and took over the operation of the rail system in November.

Narvaez said the last unloading incident on the MRT-3 was recorded last February 21, 2018.

The DOTr earlier assured there would be improvements on the MRT operations once the general overhaul of trains will be concluded after the Holy Week break and with the increase in the number of running trains due to the arrival of spare parts.

The DOTr expects the number of trains will be increased to 15 by April after its three-day shutdown during the Holy Week when the railway management can fully work on the maintenance of the rail system.

Furthermore, an audit on the 48 trains delivered by Dalian CCRC for MRT-3 by independent audit and assessment consultant TUV Rheinland is expected to be concluded on March 10.

The audit would be vital in determining whether the Dalian trains could be used for the MRT system.

A Special Bids and Awards Committee created by the DOTr has completed the procurement of spare parts last December to be delivered from 30 to 90 days. The initial batch of spare parts started arriving last month.

DOTr has also signed an agreement with Canadian firm Bombardier Transportation for the procurement of spare parts for the signaling system of the troubled MRT-3.

The repair of the MRT system is expected to cost around P400 million and could last for six months.

DOTr is implementing a four-point strategy for the improvement and rehabilitation of the MRT which involves promoting accountability through the termination of BURI’s maintenance contract; ensuring continued service delivery through the establishment of the Maintenance Transition Team; contracting a qualified maintenance and rehabilitation service provider through direct engagement of Sumitomo Corporation and its technical partner Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and pursuing an unsolicited proposal for the 30-year operation and maintenance of MRT-3.

‘Thank you spare parts,’ MRT management tells of worry-free week

While the Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT 3) management lauded how the past week went by without its trains experiencing any unloading incident, the public isn’t too happy just yet with this development as the reliability of the country’s main train line leaves much to be desired.

According to Renato Reyes, secretary general of the militant group Bayan, though the absence of unloading incidents at the MRT 3 provided passengers some form of respite, there remains the “greater challenge” of ensuring that the line comes out with more functional trains to serve the public.

Since the Department of Transportation (DOTr) took over the maintenance of the MRT 3 in November last year, the number of operational trains has significantly dropped from 20 to just between seven to nine trains.

Within those three months, it was only on Monday that there had been a weeklong absence of unloading incidents, an “all-time high” according to the MRT 3 management.

“What a way to end February! Thank you, spare parts!” the MRT 3 management said in a brief statement.

Sought for comment, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said that they may have just been “lucky” over the past week.

“The spare parts we need are already there. We are able to address [issues] immediately. There are no commuters who force open our doors. Hopefully, this would continue,” he said at the sidelines of the Transportation Summit held at Mapua University on Thursday.

Netizens though aren’t too pleased, as they pointed out that having no glitches or service interruptions should be normal and “not to be bragged.” Others questioned as well if this should even be considered an “achievement.”

Reyes stressed that given the current condition of the country’s busiest train line, “it’s too early to be celebrating anything.”

“A long-term plan for maintenance needs to be put in place. Our position is that the government should undertake the maintenance work, improve the situation of the train system and orient it toward genuine service not profits. Why do we need to privatize it if they supposedly can do it?” Reyes told the Inquirer.

The DOTr earlier said that Japanese railway engineers and experts from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) were conducting a system audit of the MRT 3. The audit will help the Jica-nominated maintenance provider once it proceeds with the rehabilitation and restoration works of the train system in May.

In February, the MRT 3 encountered nine unloading incidents and two service interruptions. For the entire month, it was able to serve an average of only 236,266 passengers daily, almost half of last year’s average of 463,000 riders.

On March 10, audit firm TUV Rheinland is expected to come out with its report on the 48 Dalian trains. Should the audit show that the P3.8-billion trains purchased by the Aquino administration are safe to be used by the public following minor adjustments, the MRT management said that this would be rolled out to help improve the system’s reliability.

Early this week though, a number of passengers were sent out of a southbound train before it left the North Avenue station.

The MRT 3 management said that this was not an unloading incident, but rather classified as a “train removal or non-insertion” since their engineers pulled out the train prior to its operation. /jpv

Read more: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/972322/thank-you-spare-parts-mrt-management-tells-of-worry-free-week-mrt-3-trains-commuters-transportation#ixzz58apY78ll
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POE PUSHES FOR NAIA EXPANSION

Sen. Grace Poe today said expanding the country's main gateway would be the main solution to address congestion at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

Poe, chairperson of the Senate committee on public services, said the government should seriously consider the unsolicited proposals of the private sector for the rehabilitation and maintenance of NAIA.

"We have the interest of the private sector to be able to help the government... We have to admit that sometimes with the help of the private sector, we can implement projects faster and especially if the consortium is composed of credible investors," Poe told reporters in a chance interview after emerging from the Senate hearing on airport congestion.

NAIA, which only has two runways, was designed to handle 30 million passengers, but travelers who used the four terminals reached almost 40 million in 2016. NAIA was also consistently tagged as one of the worst airports in the world in recent years.

A "super" consortium composed of some of the country's biggest conglomerates and GMR-Megawide have submitted to the government their unsolicited proposals separately worth P350 billion and P150 billion to upgrade the highly congested NAIA.

"For as long as there's an agreement that they will not overcharge passengers and there are certain safeguards and guidelines, I think that we should welcome as much interest to be able to rehabilitate NAIA," Poe said.

Poe likewise touted the soon-to-open Cebu international airport terminal when she recently visited the province, saying the modern design of infrastructure projects that provide passenger efficiency can be achieved if the government works closely with reputable private firms.

"I visited the Cebu airport and they are going to inaugurate the new terminal and I see the promise of that. Hopefully more [airports will be modernized] but definitely it [bidder] has to be somebody with the track record and competence to be able to do this because government is so stretched and we need investors and expertise," the senator added.

Poe's proposal also comes as the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) plans to rationalize operations at Manila's four airports. Terminals 1 and 3 will be exclusive to domestic and international flights while Terminal 2 and 4 will be for domestic and international flights, meaning some domestic and international operations will have to be redistributed within NAIA and Clark airport, which is some 100 kilometers north of Manila.

The senator said distributing domestic operations is only a band-aid solution.

"Kahit saang terminal ilipat diyan ay puno na ang terminal, puno pa rin at magiging siksikan pa rin. Ang talagang solusyon diyan ay hindi paglilipat ng terminal ng mga ibang airline kundi pag-eexpand ng NAIA," she added.

"Kung i-expand natin ang NAIA, may malulugaran at hindi yung parang inilipat mo sa isang kwarto na masikip doon sa isang kwarto na masikip din. Kaya bigyan natin nang mas mahabang panahon na mapag-aralan ang maayos na paglilipat," Poe said.

Meanwhile, Poe said passengers should demand airline companies for a refund after it was reported that at least P250 million in unused terminal fee remains unclaimed from Cebu Pacific.

"A lot are paying the terminal fees but they don't actually take the flight, they are entitled to a refund... Sayang naman, kunin po ninyo ang pera ninyo," said Poe, who added that there should be an easier mechanism for processing of refunds.

Flag carrier Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific said they are processing requests for refund.

SM bags seafront property for P18B

The SM group has sealed a deal to buy a seafront property situated between its sprawling Mall of Asia shopping complex and the Solaire Resort and Casino from UK-based investment fund Ashmore and its local partner Eric Recto.

The transaction—worth at least P18 billion, or P180,000 per square meter for the 10-hectare prime parcel of reclaimed land —will give the real estate giant additional space on which to build residential condominium towers under the SMDC brand.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, an official involved in what is one of the biggest property deals in recent years said SM needed the property to “replenish its stock of condominiums” in the Manila Bay area due to the strong demand that has seen its current projects being taken up “almost 100 percent.”

“The demand for residential units in this area is so strong, including from Chinese buyers who have business interests in the country,” the official said.

The deal also marks the formal end of Ashmore’s involvement in the country in the private equity space, which started with a partnership with businessman Roberto Ongpin a decade ago and ended up in a divorce that saw both parties carving up a multibillion-peso business empire to settle the dispute.

Another source said the Ayala group, which is also building a mixed-use development on an adjacent property in partnership with the Wenceslao family who owns the land, first approached the Ashmore-Recto group in a bid to buy the property to expand their commercial project’s footprint.

A successful bid for the property would have given the Ayala-Wenceslao development a “commercially attractive” direct access to Manila Bay, the source said.

“But we understand their bid was a little conservative, and they refused to go higher,” said another official, who said the Ayala group’s offer price stood at “about half” of what the SM retail conglomerate eventually bought the property for.

“When the [SM] owners say ‘go,’ they really mean go,” the official said, explaining the aggressive acquisition price.

The property was formerly under a joint-venture agreement between Ongpin’s Alphaland Corp. and the Wenceslao family and was originally slated to become an exclusive yacht club called “Alphaland Marina Club.”

An ensuing dispute between Ongpin and the Wenceslaos resulted in the former partners dividing the property, with the former ending up owning the seafront portion

Read more: http://business.inquirer.net/246725/sm-bags-seafront-property-p18b#ixzz58TPk0oF7
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Duggan’s Serra Mortuary President Dan Duggan heads the list of March birthday celebrants

Duggan’s Serra Mortuary President Dan Duggan heads the list of March birthday celebrants

DAN Duggan, the President of Duggan’s Serra Mortuary, heads the list of March birthday celebrants.   He will be celebrating his birthday on Easter Sunday, March 27.

Duggan’s Serra Mortuary is highly trusted by Filipino-Americans in the Peninsula, especially during their most trying times as they honor and pay respects to their loved ones who have passed away.

Other personalities celebrating their birthdays this March are:

March 1 - Royal Dynasty founder Nellie Cojuangco Tuazon, and Premiere Appliances owner Tony Premiere;

• March 3 - Actress Maricel Soriano, Dr. Tita Martinez Picache of Danville, and United Airlines employee Edward Teofilo Cabrera;
• March 4 - Morly Alinio, Beautiful actress Dawn Zulueta, Fiesta Filipina Restaurant grand lady Dorie Guevarra, and Pedro “Jonjing” Ejercito de Castro (nephew of Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada);
• March 6 - Isabelle Diaz (daughter of the first Filipina Miss Universe and actress Gloria Diaz), and actress Gretchen Barretto;
• March 8 - Former Senator Ramon Revilla, and actor Archie Alemania;
• March 9 - Veteran actress Rosemarie Gil, Atty, KJ Petsas, and hair stylist Edmond Dizon;
• March 10 - Philippines Today co-publisher Marilyn King Camilosa, Kapamilya actor JC de Vera, and character actor Paolo Contis;
• March 11 - Singer and songwriter Jose Mari Chan;
• March 12 - Raphael Robes;
• March 13 - PR practitioner and talent manager Keren Pascual of KP&PR&EMS, Inc. and Myx VJ Sunny Kim;
• March 14 - Homeland Security officer Ermin Apolinario, former Miss United Nations World winner Natty Averia Mendoza, and Pittsburg Filipina community leader Mathie Roldan Velasco;
• March 16 - Pop Diva Kuh Ledesma;
• March 17 - Daly City Councilman Mike Guingona, former Mr. United Nations-USA winner Roberto “Bobby” Tuason, and retired Navy Captain Jimmy Velasco;
• March 18 - The pioneer of LuzViMin Association of Northern California Rey Reyes;
• March 19 - Kapamilya actress Julia Montes;
• March 20 - Batanguenos of Northern California best dressed matron Liza Manalo, and Kapuso actress Bianca King;
• March 21 - Dennis Antenor, Jr., Statewide Realty proprietress Alicia Gabriana Atienza and Jeron Teng;
• March 23 - Kapuso actors Geoff Eigenmann and Rocco Nacino;
• March 24 - Actor Aljur Abrenica and swimmer Gian Berino;
• March 25 - Leo Katigbak, Asian Journal Publications President Cora Macabagdal Oriel, photographer Ray Guarin and STAR Magic talent Matteo Guidicelli;
• March 26 - Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi;
• March 28 - Miss Earth beauty pageant Executive Producer Ramon Monzon;
• March 30 - Thomasian USA founder Alice Pena Bulos, and SamTrans employee Eugene Cabugao;
• March 31 - Entertainment producer Lerma de la Cruz.

To all March celebrants, a very happy birthday!

SM bags seafront property for P18B

The SM group has sealed a deal to buy a seafront property situated between its sprawling Mall of Asia shopping complex and the Solaire Resort and Casino from UK-based investment fund Ashmore and its local partner Eric Recto.

The transaction—worth at least P18 billion, or P180,000 per square meter for the 10-hectare prime parcel of reclaimed land —will give the real estate giant additional space on which to build residential condominium towers under the SMDC brand.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, an official involved in what is one of the biggest property deals in recent years said SM needed the property to “replenish its stock of condominiums” in the Manila Bay area due to the strong demand that has seen its current projects being taken up “almost 100 percent.”

“The demand for residential units in this area is so strong, including from Chinese buyers who have business interests in the country,” the official said.

The deal also marks the formal end of Ashmore’s involvement in the country in the private equity space, which started with a partnership with businessman Roberto Ongpin a decade ago and ended up in a divorce that saw both parties carving up a multibillion-peso business empire to settle the dispute.

Another source said the Ayala group, which is also building a mixed-use development on an adjacent property in partnership with the Wenceslao family who owns the land, first approached the Ashmore-Recto group in a bid to buy the property to expand their commercial project’s footprint.

A successful bid for the property would have given the Ayala-Wenceslao development a “commercially attractive” direct access to Manila Bay, the source said.

“But we understand their bid was a little conservative, and they refused to go higher,” said another official, who said the Ayala group’s offer price stood at “about half” of what the SM retail conglomerate eventually bought the property for.

“When the owners say ‘go,’ they really mean go,” the official said, explaining the aggressive acquisition price.

The property was formerly under a joint-venture agreement between Ongpin’s Alphaland Corp. and the Wenceslao family and was originally slated to become an exclusive yacht club called “Alphaland Marina Club.”

An ensuing dispute between Ongpin and the Wenceslaos resulted in the former partners dividing the property, with the former ending up owning the seafront portion.

Read more: http://business.inquirer.net/246725/sm-bags-seafront-property-p18b#ixzz5NtYk7f00
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Monsour back on the big screen

Monsour del Rosario

Fans of action star Monsour del Rosario would certainly be thrilled to know they’ll soon see their idol on the big screen. This, on the wake of Monsour’s winning as Taekwondo Man of the Year 2017 at the 2017 SEA Games in Korea. It was a great honor and distinction that he never expected, Monsour said in an interview.

“I never expected it, to be first non-Korean and first foreigner and a Filipino at that to be given this award. I was floored and truly overwhelmed. I can die now with my legacy sealed with this award, something my children and their grandchildren and my countrymen will be proud of.”

Adding to the honor is Monsour’s induction to the Taekwondo Hall of Fame. “I share this award to all my fellow Filipinos. This shows that the Filipino can also be on top of the world when he puts his heart into something.”

Monsour promoted Taekwondo in his action films. This martial arts became known and popular in the Philippines because of Monsour who propagated it through his movies. It was the actor-now-politician who not only introduced Taekwondo but steered it to greater heights in the country.

He may now be more passionate with public service starting when he became councilor of Makati in 2013 (on his second try) but martial arts in general, and Taekwondo in particular, will always be in his heart.

And busy as he is with his work as a Solon, Monsour is finding time to go back to acting. He has several movies in the making. Among these is Trigonal’s “Fight For Justice” which is slated for showing in May. He is also doing the action-horror flick “Blood Hunters: Rise Of The Hybrids,” under the direction of Vincent Soberano.

Also among his film projects is the romantic film “Because I Love You” to be directed by Joel Lamangan, and “Four Good Guys” produced by ALV Productions and Regal Entertainment, and slated to be shown in March.

• • •

Acoustic Night

It will be a night of subtle music surrounded by art when Gateway Gallery hosts “Acoustic Night: Live Music” on March 2, 8 p.m. Headlined by momma’s darlings MYMP, one of the country’s premier acoustic bands, and “Pilipinas Got Talent” alum JRoa (also known as John Roa), the concert also features the Hinlalato Band.

“Acoustic Night” partially benefits the Sampaloc Bible Christian Community and will go a long way in helping its members in raise funds to construct their own building.

The show will be at the Gateway Gallery, located at the 5th Level of Gateway Tower in Araneta Center, Quezon City.

• • •

Adventure!

Gabbi Garcia, star of GMA Network’s “Sherlock Jr” isn’t only beauty queen material, she is also in for adventure.

Anything she is asked to do in the series, she delivers. Just recently, the actress was seen in a new activity – trail-biking which she did with her brother.

No wonder, Gabbi and her leading man, Ruru Madrid who plays Sherlock Jr., have good chemistry.

Meanwhile, Kyline Alcantara who plays the villain Cheska in “Kambal, Karibal,” had a fans meeting recently at the Sky Ranch in Tagaytay. She enjoyed bonding moment with fans and supporters. The TV series is Kyline’s biggest break so far.

• • •

Tidbits: Happy b-day greetings today, March 1, go to Deedee Sytangco, Capt. Rudy Herrera, Jose R. Veloso, Jucelle Baterna, Peachy Abacan, Maryo Labad, Grace Bautista, Carla Monique Pascual, Ed Joaquin, Teodoro López, Mina Cepeda Go, Sophia Montecarlo, Cassandra Ponti, Gian Ordonez turns 31 and Gino Padilla…March 2: Cocoy Laurel, Alice Cuazon, Monette Guevarra, Dick Orense, Danny Mangahas, Mary Ann dela Cruz, Mark Anthony Lara and Gabby Eigenmann…

SM Prime may spend higher capex this year

SM Prime Holdings Inc. (SMPH),  the shopping mall operator led by the Sy family, is increasing its capital expenditures (capex) this year to about P75 billion, mainly to buy its properties to expand its business all over the country.

Jeffrey C. Lim, the company’s president, said SMPH last year spent close to P65 billion. He added this year’s capex will be higher as the company expands its land bank.

Lim told reporters on Wednesday the company will open seven new malls and roll out from 12,000 units up to 15,000 units of residential units.

He added that the company will list its issued P20 billion bonds at the Philippine Dealing and Exchange Corp. within the week. However, the remaining P20 billion that it already registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission may be issued by next year.

“We have no plans this year,” Lim said. “We can do it maybe next year.”

The new malls are mostly out of Metro Manila, while we will build one mall in China by the end of the year, he added.

Other than in China, the company has no other investments overseas, Lim said.

Nonetheless, SM Prime is now looking at other territories, he added.

“Vietnam is one, probably mall and residential, but it is still in exploratory stage,” Lim said. I think that’s the better option for us.”

He explained the company sees the Vietnam market as “okay.”

“It’s more of the business opportunities and prospects. We are not looking at short term; it’s always long term,” Lim said. “So its beyond the five-year horizon; so we have to look for opportunities now. But its not something that we’ll also just go into, we have to properly evaluate and validate.”

SMPH said it had a recurring net income growth of 16 percent in 2017 to P27.57 billion, from P23.8 billion in the prior year, as it expanded the reach of its main business: shopping malls. Consolidated revenues grew 14 percent to P90.9 billion in 2017, from P79.8 billion in 2016.

Overall operating income improved by 15 percent to P40.6 billion in 2017, from P35.3 billion the previous year. Mall revenues grew by 9 percent to P53.2 billion last year, from P48.6 billion in 2016, according to documents provided by the company.

Rent income improved by 11 percent to P45.3 billion from P41 billion in the previous year, due to rising contribution of rentals from new and expanded malls that were launched in 2016 and 2017. These were malls in San Jose Del Monte in Bulacan, Trece Martires in Cavite, East Ortigas in Cainta, CDO Downtown Premier in Cagayan de Oro, S-Maison at Conrad Manila, Puerto Princesa and Tuguegarao Downtown.

SM Prime has 67 malls in the Philippines offering 8 million square meters of gross floor area and seven malls in China with 1.3 million square meters of gross floor area at 2017 year-end.

SMIC credits expansion, economy for 6% net-income growth in 2017

SM Investments Corp. (SMIC) credited expansion of the economy and of the business for the 6-percent net-income growth the company recorded last year.

SMIC on Wednesday said its net income grew to P32.9 billion in 2017, from P31.2 billion in 2016. Consolidated revenues rose 9 percent to P396.1 billion, from P363.4 billion in 2016.

“Our core businesses continued to deliver strong results in 2017 with recurring net-income growth of 9 percent, driven by overall growth in the economy and our nationwide expansion plans. Our property and specialty retail businesses delivered particularly strong results,” SMIC President Frederic C. DyBuncio said. “During the year SM made substantial investments in its banks and in new business opportunities, which we expect to contribute to higher earnings growth in future years.”

Property accounted for 40 percent of total earnings, with banks comprising 38 percent and retail at 22 percent.

Operations under SM Retail Inc., which consist of nonfood, such as the department stores and specialty stores, and food stores, reported total revenues growth of 7 percent to P297.4 billion, while net income stood at P10.4 billion.

“The underlying performance of our retail operations remained good, led by strong growth in our higher margin specialty retailing and with the addition of the successful Miniso variety store chain during the year,” DyBuncio said.

The food group, which includes supermarket, hypermarket and the Savemore and WalterMart brands, continued to expand mostly in provincial areas in 2017. The group added 42 new stores, most of which are stand-alone Savemore stores. SM’s food group continues to expand in various regions of the country with a multiformat growth strategy to address the lack of organized retail.

At end-December 2017, SM Retail had a total of 2,032 outlets, comprising 59 department stores, 1,299 specialty retail outlets, 52 supermarkets, 47 hypermarkets, 181 Savemore, 46 WalterMart and 348 Alfamart stores. A total of 341 outlets were added in 2017 across the retail business portfolio.

SM Prime Holdings Inc. reported its recurring net-income growth of 16 percent in 2017 to P27.6 billion, driven by the increase in rental revenue from malls, as well as the strong sales take-up of housing units.

Lender BDO Unibank Inc. posted a net income of P28.1 billion in 2017. Net-interest income grew by 25 percent to P81.8 billion, driven by the 18-percent growth in gross customer loans to P1.8 trillion.

China Banking Corp. (China Bank), meanwhile, reported net-income growth of 15 percent to P7.4 billion in 2017, on the back of sustained growth in core and fee-based businesses.

SM moves closer to start P100-B Future City development

The Sy family’s SM Group has moved a step closer in implementing its ambitious P100 billion reclamation project, dubbed as Future City, which will rise in a 600-hectare property spanning the cities of Pasay and Parañaque.

The conglomerate recently obtained an Environmental Compliance Certificate, a requirement to be able to proceed with the project, sources said.

The SM Group hopes to proceed with the project in the middle of the year.

“With an ECC, it’s almost 90 percent approved,” said a source close to the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA), the government agency in charge of reclamation projects in the country.

Sources, however, said they are still completing the requirements.

“In the ECC, there are conditions that we have to comply with. We hired technical planners, dredging experts. We are there in that stage. Hopefully by the middle of the year, we can have the notice to proceed,” a source told The STAR.

The P100 billion reclamation project is an integrated 600-hectare development that is envisioned to be complete with everything a city should have.

The project will have commercial and residential components.

The SM Group earlier contracted New-York listed firm Aecom Technology Corp., one of the world’s largest engineering companies, for the project’s master planning.

The project involves the reclamation and development of roughly 600 hectares of land in both Pasay and Parañaque.

The whole project is going to take an estimated three to five years to reclaim the land, sources said.
Development of the 100-hectare Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay started way back in early 1990s but the mall only opened in 2006. MOA is considered among the biggest malls in the world.

According to the PRA, the Las Piñas - Parañaque coastal bay project involves the reclamation of shallow portions of Manila Bay in the southwest of Manila.

Las Piñas City has 431.71 hectares under its jurisdiction, while Parañaque City has 203.43 hectares.

“This 635.14 hectare project is intended to be a government center, residential, industrial, educational and commercial zone. It is bounded by Asia World Properties in the north, and the City of Bacoor, Province of Cavite in the south,” the PRA said.

Read more at https://www.philstar.com/business/2018/03/01/1792250/28LlhZHBmX74od1S.99#wxycD2W3jFbm2zPc.99

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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Actors Guild, Philhealth sign MOA

Imelda Papin

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

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

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

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

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

• • •

Gina Alajar, and Odette Khan

Winning!

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

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

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

• • •

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Costly traffic

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

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

The future does not seem to present much promise either.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Motorists are therefore advised to take the following alternate routes:

Vehicles going towards Quezon Memorial Circle:

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

Vehicles going towards San Jose Del Monte:

• Take Mindanao Avenue and Regalado Avenue

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

Thank you for patience and kind understanding.

Big and bold ‘Bleeding Steel’

Jackie Chan

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

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

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

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

• • •

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

PVB supports restoration of historical markers

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

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

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

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

• • •

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LRMC is a joint venture company of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation’s Metro Pacific Light Rail Corporation (MPLRC), Ayala Corporation’s AC Infrastructure Holdings Corporation (AC Infra), and the Philippine Investment Alliance for Infrastructure’s Macquarie Infrastructure Holdings (Philippines) PTE Ltd. (MIHPL).

Metro traffic costs P3.5B daily – Jica

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

16M residents by 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Subway project

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Japanese financing

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LRMC also reduced the interval between trains and queueing time.

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

The new trains are expected to be delivered in 2020.

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

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

Anderson, Heussaff and Adarna

GMA launches advoca-serye

Yasmien Kurdi

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• • •

Another bold role for Nathalie Hart

Nathalie Hart

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

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

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

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

• • •

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

Riders can expect 15 MRT trains running by April

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WATCH | More wait time for commissioning of MRT cars

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

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

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

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

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

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