Several DPWH PPP projects for immediate implementation

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) aims to immediately implement at least six (6) solicited Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects that are now under or will undergo feasibility studies.

DPWH Undersecretary for Planning and PPP Maria Catalina E. Cabral said priority projects this year that are expected to decongest major highways in Luzon and Mindanao include the: Central Luzon Link Expressway (CLLEX) Phase 2; Quezon-Bicol Expressway; Batangas City - Bauan Toll Road Project; Davao-Digos Expressway; TPLEX Extension; and Delpan-Pasig-Marikina Expressway.
“Our government is pushing for the realization of these major road projects that are necessary to ease traffic congestion within city roads,” said Undersecretary Cabral.

According to Undersecretary Cabral, the Central Luzon Link Expressway (CLLEX) Phase 2 which will be 35.7-kilometer extension of the existing CLLEX Phase I from Cabanatuan City and San Jose City is now under procurement of Transaction Advisory (TA) Services and Feasibility Study (FS).
The feasibility study of the approximately 180 kilometers Quezon-Bicol Expressway which will start at Pagbilao, Quezon and will end at Maharlika Highway in San Fernando, Camarines Sur will be completed by third quarter of 2018.

DPWH is likewise preparing the Terms of Reference (TOR) and Estimated Budget for the contract (EBC) of three (3) other projects namely: Batangas City - Bauan Toll Road Project which is a 10-kilometer road from Batangas City to Bauan, Batangas traversing the municipality of San Pascual, Batangas; 60-kilometer Davao-Digos Expressway, which will start from Bukidnon-Davao National Highway in Davao City to Digos-Sultan Kudarat Road in Digos City ; and the 24.72-kilometer Delpan-Pasig-Marikina Expressway that will start in Manila, pass through Makati, and terminate at Marcos Highway in the city of Marikina through the Pasig River.

The EBC of TPLEX Extension which is an approximately 54-kilometer toll road starting from the end of TPLEX Section 3B in Rosario, La Union to F. Ortega Highway at San Fernando, La Union is also being prepared by the DPWH while its TOR has been transmitted for approval.

Aside from the 6 projects, DPWH PPP Service is also supervising the implementation of 3 on-going projects namely: TPLEX which Pozorrubio to Rosario subsection is now 14 percent completed; Cavite-Laguna Expressway which construction has now reached 6 percent accomplishment on Laguna segment; and the NLEX-SLEX Connector Road which construction is aimed to start within first quarter of 2018.

MMDA: Around 40,000 affected by Sevilla Bridge reconstruction

By Jel Santos

Around 40, 000 motorists are expected to be affected by the five-month-long reconstruction of Sevilla Bridge as its construction will start tomorrow at 10 p.m., the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said today.

The reconstruction of the bridge coincides with the construction of Skyway 3, the contractor said

The bridge connects the cities of Mandaluyong and Manila.

Jojo Garcia, MMDA general manager for planning, said the construction of Sevilla Bridge will certainly cause heavy traffic congestion, but he said that once it’s complete, the public will surely benefit.

MMDA’s Sevilla Bridge reconstruction project plan (photo by Jel Santos)

“Around 40,000 motorists ang dumadaan diyan sa Sevilla Bridge a day…Definitely [we are ready for the criticism of the public.] Pros and cons ‘yan. Kapag may ginawa ka, may maapektuhan.– after naman ng paghihirap ay may kaginhawahan (Around 40,000 motorists are using that bridge…If you are going to do something, there are always people who will get affected—but after the burden, relief will follow),” he said.

“Ang repair ng tulay is five months. Kapag nagawa natin itong section na ito, all the way ma-connect na natin ‘yung Skyway from South Luzon to North Luzon. [The construction] of the Skyway will take 17 months (The repair of the bridge is five months. When the Skyway is already done, South Luzon and North Luzon will be connected),” Engr. Rey Luna, general manager of SUNMARU, the contractor of the Skyway 3 and Sevilla Bridge project, said

According to Luna, the lane which will be closed today is the one from Manila to EDSA, from P. Sanchez to Shaw Boulevard at 10 p.m.

“Bukas if magsara kami ng lane ito po [ay] ‘yung from Maynila to EDSA (vice versa), from P. Sanchez to Shaw Boulevard at 10 p.m. [on Saturday]. Equipment namin is nasa ilalim ng tulay, may barge kami sa ilalim ng tulay. Sa ilog ang equipment,” the contractor said.

He said that 50 workers will work together in reconstructing half of the bridge.

Garcia said MMDA has been conducting clearing operations to the alternative routes to make sure the traffic congestion expected to be caused by the bridge would be diminished.

“We have been removing illegally parked vehicles and other obstructions along alternative routes for the past three weeks,” Garcia said.

MMDA has already initiated its clearing operations a few weeks before the DPWH would begin repairing the Sevilla Bridge to open alternate routes for commuters affected by it.

Alternate routes

Motorists coming from Shaw Boulevard are advised to turn right to F. Blumentritt St., then left to F. Manalo St., right to Old Sta. Mesa, left to Araneta Avenue and right to Aurora Boulevard going to destination.

From Shaw Boulevard they can also turn right to F. Blumentritt St. left to Manalo St. right to Old Santa Mesa to destination; right to F. Blumentritt St., left to F. Manalo St., right to Old Santa Mesa, left to Araneta Avenue going to destination.

As such, from Shaw Boulevard, motorists can also turn right to F. Blumentritt St., left to F. Manalo St., left to Old Santa Mesa, right to V. Mapa, left to Aurora Boulevard, heading to their destination.

Eastbound motorists, meanwhile, from Magsaysay Boulevard can turn right to Valenzuela St., right to Cordillera, left to Lubiran to Boni Avenue to Maysilo roundabout and exit to FB Martinez St., then right to Shaw Boulevard going to destination.

Also, motorists from Magsaysay Boulevard can go to V. Mapa, right to Old Sta. Mesa, left to Reposo St., left to Valenzuela, right to V. Mapa, right to Bagumbayan St., left to Lubiran, left to Kalentong then right to Shaw Boulevard to destination.

From New Panaderos Extension turn right to Shaw Boulevard heading to their destination.

Garcia said the reconstruction of the bridge will be undertaken by a private contractor which will work 24/7 a day.

The reconstruction intends to strengthen its capacity and increase its water elevation to allow barges to pass underneath that will cater to equipment and remove debris during dredging periods.

MMDA said the truck ban along Shaw Boulevard will be adjusted from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. while the reconstruction takes place.

MMDA is asking the public for understanding, saying that the constructions will benefit commuters as soon as it’s done.

Website of alternative news outfit attacked

NUJP sees the attack on Kodao as part of the Duterte government’s “efforts to silence critical media, as seen in the continuing attempt to shut down Rappler, threaten other news outfits, and other voices of dissent.”

By BULATLAT

MANILA — The website of alternative news outfit Kodao Productions (www.kodao.org) was attacked, rendering it inaccessible.

The website was subjected to a code injection attack through online publishing platform WordPress around midnight last night, Feb. 2, that prevents its website technicians from logging in.

In a statement, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) condemned the attack on the alternative news outfit’s website, noting that the attack came when other media organizations are also “under relentless attacks from enemies of press freedom and other human rights.”

Last month, the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) revoked the registration of Rappler, an online media outfit. At least 54 radio stations under the country’s Catholic Media Network (CMN) are in danger of being silenced as its application for renewal of franchise remains pending at the Lower House.

NUJP sees the attack on Kodao as part of the Duterte government’s “efforts to silence critical media, as seen in the continuing attempt to shut down Rappler, threaten other news outfits, and other voices of dissent.”

Established in 2000, Kodao is the second oldest existing alternative media outfit in the country. It is known for its comprehensive coverage of the GRP-NDFP peace process, indigenous peoples struggles, human rights, environment and other social issues.

This is not the first time that Kodao was targeted. In 2006, when Gloria Arroyo declared a State of National Emergency, Kodao was the first media victim when its award-winning daily show “Ngayon na, Bayan” in DZRJ was suddenly prevented from airing. Kodao was also wrongfully accused and charged with rebellion, which was subsequently dismissed for lack of merit.

“The NUJP stands with Kodao Productions and all other legitimate media outfits that only seek to amplify the voice of the people against tyranny, neglect and abuse by those in power,” NUJP Acting Chair Atty. Jocelyn Clemente and Secretary General Dabet Panelo said. (http://bulatlat.com)

DPWH lists 6 road projects as its PPP priorities

THE DPWH has identified six priority public-private partnership (PPP) projects for this year.

DPWH Undersecretary for Planning and PPP Maria Catalina E. Cabral said in a statement that priority projects this year, expected to decongest major highways in Luzon and Mindanao, include the Central Luzon Link Expressway (CLLEX) Phase 2; Quezon-Bicol Expressway (QuBEX); Batangas City-Bauan Toll Road Project; Davao-Digos Expressway; Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union (TPLEX) Extension; and Delpan-Pasig-Marikina Expressway.

Ms. Cabral said the CLLEX Phase 2, a 35.7-kilometer extension of the existing CLLEX Phase I from Cabanatuan City and San Jose City, is now under procurement of Transaction Advisory (TA) Services and Feasibility Study (FS).

The feasibility study of the around 180-kilometer QuBEX will be completed by third quarter of 2018. The project will start at Pagbilao, Quezon and will end at Maharlika Highway in San Fernando, Camarines Sur.

For the Batangas-Bauang Toll Road Project, Davao-Digos Expressway, TPLEX Extension, and Delpan-Pasig-Marikina Expressway, the DPWH is preparing the terms of reference (TOR) and the estimated budget for the contract (EBC).

The Batangas City-Bauan Toll Road Project is a 10-kilometer road traversing the municipality of San Pascual, Batangas. The 60-kilometer Davao-Digos Expressway will start from Bukidnon-Davao National Highway in Davao City to Digos-Sultan Kudarat Road in Digos City; and the 24.72-kilometer Delpan-Pasig-Marikina Expressway will start in the City of Manila, pass through Makati City, and terminate at Marcos Highway in Marikina City through the Pasig River.

The EBC of TPLEX Extension is also being prepared by the DPWH while its TOR has been transmitted for approval, the agency said. The extension is a 54-kilometer toll road starting from the end of TPLEX Section 3B in Rosario, La Union to F. Ortega Highway in San Fernando, La Union. — Patrizia Paola C. Marcelo

White elephant

NEDA may yet frustrate President Duterte’s desire to bring about a golden age of infrastructure. NEDA has through the years shown a bias for ODA and GAA and against PPP and unsolicited proposals.

President Duterte has said he is in favor of the unsolicited proposal and Swiss challenge mode for his infra projects. But it will take a stronger presidential expression of preference for NEDA to see the light.

President Duterte is right. Private sector proponents of infra projects under the unsolicited mode are more likely to deliver projects on time and on budget. Only the failure of DPWH to deliver right of way on time can cause delays and cost overruns in private sector-led projects.

Over the last week, NEDA announced that two projects have passed their screening and awaiting President Duterte’s approval. One is the Mindanao Railway and the other is the Subic-Clark railway. Both are funded by ODA which means taxpayers will eventually pay their costs.

It is because public funds are involved that NEDA should more carefully screen such projects as to viability and need. Experts I have talked to think these two rail projects are potential white elephants.

Indeed, when the staff of the Foundation for Economic Freedom asked for a copy of the Subic-Clark feasibility study approved by NEDA, the request was declined. Confidential daw. The truth is, they can’t let a bunch of independent economists review it because it is indefensible. Freedom of Information be dammed.

As I reported last Monday, a transport expert familiar with government’s projects commented that “the feasibility study for Mindanao Railway is very raw, and flawed but NEDA approved it (political pressure). Just to cite a few: timetable is fantasy - completion in 2020 when ROW for 105-km has not yet been surveyed.”

As for the P57.6 billion Subic-Clark Railway, it is being justified as a part of a rail network connecting Subic with the Manila and Batangas ports. But an expert I consulted remains unconvinced it should be built.

“I’m still not convinced it makes sense for cargo. You still need double handling with rail; and you still don’t get the efficiency of long haul travel—whether its 70 km or 500 km plus. There’s no long haul for the Philippines; the country doesn’t have the scale of India or China. If decent roads (not congested) parallel a railway, general cargo is typically dominated by trucking.”

“Note that railways were built in the country before decent roads were built. That’s when PNR freight traffic thrived. Once roads were built and truck-bus competition was in place, the PNR lost most of its market share.”

I am told by experts that traditionally, and in general, cargo movements less than 1,000 km are moved thru highways. Said one: “Cargo rail for that distance of 70 kilometers will be more expensive than trucking.”

Honestly, we are really only talking of the Subic-Clark leg. Absolutely nothing will happen to connect that to Manila, much less to Batangas in the next five years or more. If a stand alone is all we are talking about, this is one project that should be left in the back burner.

Experts also point out that our railway lines are heavily subsidized. If all of those railway dreams get built, all the TRAIN packages won’t be able to raise enough money for the required subsidies.

Said one expert: “Yes, we need to spend more on infrastructure—the right kind that is needed by the country, not what politicians want. If the add-on revenues from TRAIN 1-4 would only be squandered on wrong railway projects, we might as well derail the next packages.”

“The only comfort I get from these rail obsessions is that DOTr’s execution ability is so bad, most of them won’t happen anyway.”

Indeed, SCTEX and the Angeles to Dinalupihan national highway can very well handle the cargo traffic between Subic and Clark for quite a while.

These two haphazard approvals are getting some economists who supported TRAIN worried that bureaucrats who think they have so much money to squander are going to build white elephants.

They should remain focused on completing the basic railway projects (PNR’s commuter and Bicol lines as well the Manila to Clark lines) instead of dissipating funds and attention on Subic-Clark railway whose usefulness is doubtful.

While NEDA quickly approved these two questionable projects that will waste our tax money, it seems they are making San Miguel sweat it out on its unsolicited proposal for a new international airport in Bulacan.

I don't understand why NEDA should worry about San Miguel's airport having a good financial return or not. Unlike the railway projects, not a centavo of government money is at stake. If San Miguel is wrong about its financial assumptions, that’s their problem.

The fact that San Miguel has proposed it must mean they have crunched their financial numbers and are confident about the project’s viability. I am not sure it is right for NEDA to ask San Miguel to share their financial details because that’s proprietary information that could be used by rivals in the Swiss challenge.

But San Miguel quickly shared their financial model and other details with NEDA anyway. Hopefully, this gesture of goodwill will be reciprocated with an early approval of the airport proposal.

Of course the project requires some amount of government regulation, notably as it refers to CAAP and the CAB. But financial viability should be left to San Miguel.

I am just worried that NEDA may want to protect the government owned and managed NAIA and Clark and consider San Miguel’s proposal as a threat. The way I look at it, the more the merrier! A private sector owned international airport will force NAIA and Clark to compete by vastly improving services.

It has already happened at Mactan… private management has noticeably improved services even in the old terminal building. The new terminal is to be inaugurated this June and it looks good.

 People deserve the best service, something bureaucrats find difficult to provide.

The bitter pill

It’s just the second month of the year but already, an assortment of both man-made and natural misfortunes have come our way. The top two most pressing issues in our midst are the continuing restiveness of the majestic Mt. Mayon and the effects in the implementation of the TRAIN (Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion) Law.

We have yet to feel the full impact of TRAIN implementation in our day-to-day existence. This early, however, vehicle owners are already feeling its effects with the seemingly unceasing increase in the prices of petroleum products. TRAIN is not only the cause of the rise. Major oil players point to the upward adjustments in the prices of oil per barrel in the international market. The peso depreciation, too, has influenced the hike in the pump prices in the domestic market. Wait ‘til the transport sector, which like Mt. Mayon is, also, restive, demands  higher fare.

The specter of  a domino effect on the prices of basic commodities is facing us consumers as illustrated by my tax guru, my neighbor, Dr. Milwida Guevara in her column Wednesday. Ms. Nene, as we business journalists  call her, breaths taxation. She was the person behind the 1997 Comprehensive Tax Reform Package (CTRP). She was finance undersecretary then. The CTRP is the precursor of the TRAIN law that is now chugging down our daily lives with its smoke billowing, affecting our subsistence.

Lest we forget, there are three more of the TRAIN cars coming our way – packages 2, 3, and 4 which Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez unveiled at the general membership meeting of the Management Association of the Philippines a couple of weeks ago.

Although, I recoil at the sting of the black smoke the TRAIN emits, I agree with certain reservations that it is a bitter pill we have to take to support the government’s “Build, Build, Build” program. The government needs to get these major infrastructure projects going, a vital component in pushing the domestic economy to the next level, keep it up to speed with the rest of the economies in the region.

Good road networks are essential in bringing products from the source to the distributors to the consumers. This may be the rationale behind the move of San Miguel Corporation (SMC) President Ramon S. Ang to venture into the another construction project. The visionary that he is, Mr. Ang  took another leap with the construction of a new expressway designed to link the north and the south. At the onset of the year, SMC-Citra, in partnership with the government, disclosed it will carry out the first phase of the Southeast Metro Manila Expressway, otherwise known as C6. The interconnection spans 34 kilometers from Skyway/FTI (Food Terminal, Inc.) to Batasan.

While SMC’s bottomline is most desirable to bankroll the estimated P45- billion project cost, the conglomerate is set to tap the market to issue debt instruments.

The issuance of the debt securities will be done by drawing from its shelf-registration filed before the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in September last year amounting to P60 billion. SMC has yet to satisfy the full amount of the shelf-registration, there’s still a balance of P30 billion.

BDO Capital and Investments Corporations, BPI Capital Corporation, ING Bank, China Bank Capital Corporations, First Metro Investments Corporation, Security Bank Capital Investment Corporation, and Standard Chartered Bank have been engaged to underwrite the offering with tenors of 5-7-10 years.

“By any standard San Miguel has the money. The prevailing low interest regime, however, is ripe for the SMC to tap the  market for an issue for re-financing,” says a banking source.

Let us not be overwhelmed by the incredible gridlocks that we have to brace up for arising from all these Build, Build, Build projects. Looking ahead, they  will ease the ride around the metropolis. And, more importantly, they will diminish the  supply bottleneck.

No pain, no gain.

Talk back to me at sionil731@gmail.com

House to approve bill mandating setup of new housing agency

A Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council priority measure seeking to address the basic housing needs and requirements of the Filipino family through the creation of a new housing department has been approved on second reading in the House of Representatives.

Voting through viva voce, lawmakers approved the passage of the House Bill (HB) 6775, or An Act Creating the Department of Human Settles and Urban Development (DHUD), late Wednesday.

House Committee on Housing and Urban Development Chairman Rep. Alfredo B. Benitez of the Third District of Negros Occidental said the bill would address the worsening housing problem in the country.

The lower chamber is expected to approve the bill next week.

The measure aims to establish an efficient, effective, comprehensive and integrated national and local housing and urban development program.

It also seeks to rationalize, and coordinate the functions and powers of the National Home Mortgage Finance Corp. (NHMFC), Home Guaranty Corp.(HGC), Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF) and the National Housing Authority (NHA).

The bill calls for the establishment of the DHUD by merging the Housing Urban Development Coordinating Council and the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board.

According to Benitez, the current Republic Act 7279, or the Urban Development Housing Act, has apparently overlooked the enormous demands in the housing sector.

“Neither did Executive Order 9, which created a coordinating body  for shelter agencies of the government,  address the housing backlog that stood at 3 million in 1992,” he said.

The measure said the department shall be headed by a secretary and assisted by four undersecretaries and four assistant secretaries to be appointed by the President.

The bill added functions of the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board shall be transferred to the Human Settlements Adjudication Commission (HSAC) that will be created under this Act.

It also said the NHA, HGC, NHMFC, HDMF, Social Housing Finance Corp. and HSAC are hereby attached to the housing department for policy and program coordination, monitoring and evaluation. All these agencies shall continue to function according to existing laws and their respective charters.

Under HB 6775, the agency will not only provide for housing but will also “focus on building communities and habitats in both rural and urban areas.”

The lawmaker said the department shall act as the primary national government entity responsible for the management of housing, human settlement and urban development.

“It will not only deal with the physical element of housing but likewise provide the necessary link to community services and components, such as education, health, culture, welfare, recreation, food and nutrition,” Benitez said.

He added the agency shall be the sole and main planning and policy-making, regulatory, program coordination and performance-monitoring entity for all housing, human settlement and urban-development concerns, primarily focusing on the access to and the affordability of basic human needs.

Benitez said the new department shall develop and adopt a national strategy to immediately address the provision of adequate and affordable housing to all Filipinos, and shall ensure alignment of all the policies, programs and projects of all its attached agencies to facilitate the achievement of this objective.

Earlier, the solon said the housing needs of Filipinos could balloon to 6.8 million before President Duterte’s term ends on June 30, 2022.

He added there will be an estimated 774,441 housing needs in 2018; 788,773 in 2019; 803,405 in 2020; 818,363 in 2021 and 833,619 in 2022.

GMA Network secures top spot in nationwide TV ratings

GMA Network posted a strong start for 2018 in the nationwide television ratings competition after securing the top spot anew based on the latest data from Nielsen TV Audience Measurement, the industry’s widely-trusted ratings service provider.

For the full month of January (with January 21 to 31 based on overnight data), GMA registered winning numbers in the National Urban Television Audience Measurement (NUTAM) with an average of 43.7 percent total day people audience share, beating ABS-CBN’s 38.6 percent.

The Kapuso Network reigned supreme across all day parts in NUTAM. In the morning block, GMA recorded a 42.3 percent people audience share versus ABS-CBN’s 35.4 percent.

GMA’s afternoon line-up, which garnered 47.3 percent, was way ahead of rival network’s 36.8 percent.

Continuing well into the evening block, the Network maintained a leading share of 41.5 percent as against competition’s 41.2 percent.

The Kapuso Network similarly dominated all time blocks with bigger margins in both Urban Luzon and Mega Manila, which respectively account for 76 and 59 percent of all urban viewers in the country.

In Urban Luzon, GMA registered a total day people audience share of 49.2 percent; besting ABS-CBN’s 32 percent.

Likewise in Mega Manila (with official data from January 1 to 20), the Kapuso Network upheld its strong showing with 51.9 percent total day people audience share while ABS-CBN only managed to get 28.5 percent.

More Kapuso shows also made it to the list of top programs in NUTAM with the award-winning news magazine show Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho (KMJS) being the most watched GMA program for January.

Joining KMJS as the Network’s ratings drivers for the month were Magpakailanman; Sherlock Jr.; Pepito Manaloto; 24 Oras; Super Ma’am; Kambal, Karibal; Daig Kayo ng Lola Ko; All-Star Videoke; and Sirkus.

Included in the list as well were weekend primetime newscast 24 Oras Weekend; Ika-6 na Utos; Impostora; Haplos; Imbestigador; The One That Got Away; My Korean Jagiya; Bubble Gang; Saksi; Tadhana; Eat Bulaga; and Wowowin.

GMA Network still ruled the list of top programs in Urban Luzon with 8 Kapuso programs making it to the top 10, while once again sweeping Mega Manila’s top 10 list.

Nielsen data is gathered through a greater number of sampled homes nationwide in comparison to Kantar Media. With approximately 900 more homes surveyed in Total Urban and Rural Philippines compared to Kantar, Nielsen data is statistically considered more representative of the total TV population.

In 2017, Nielsen TV Audience Measurement increased its client pool to a total of 41 clients/subscribers consisting of 12 local TV networks including TV5, Aksyon TV, CNN Philippines, Net 25, Solar Entertainment Corporation, Viva Communications Inc., among others; 5 regional clients; 2 blocktimers;  21 agencies (18 media agencies, 2 consulting agencies, 1 digital agency); and 1 advertiser.

LRMC to raise LRT1 train speed to 60 kph

Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC) is targeting to increase the train speed of Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT1) to 60 kilometers per hour (kph) by the second quarter of the year.

The plan to raise the speed is now possible since company has been able to complete the 26.5-kilometer rail replacement last year.

“From 40 kph magiging 60 kph na, probably in the second quarter,” LRMC chief operating officer Rodolfo Chansuyco told reporters on the sidelines of a forum in Makati City on Thursday.

“So, completed na ‘yung mga rails and we still need to do some tests. We need to ensure that they can run at 60. So there will be testing,” he said.

“We are just fulfilling some tests, improvements, commissioning, quality check. We also have a ‘quality team’ to certify na all things are done there and complied with the checklist ang ... process, then we go ahead,” Chansuyco noted.

With the trains running at a top speed of 60 kph,  the number of trips per day will increase by 15 percent. LRMC president and CEO Juan Alfonso said.

Since it took over the maintenance and operation of the mass rail system on September 12, 2015, LRMC was able to increase the number of light rail vehicles running from 77 to 109 coaches or from 25 trains to around 30, he said.

“With this, the headway or the waiting time for commuters to ride a train was reduced to 3.5 minutes from between 5 and 6 minutes when we took over,” Chansuyco noted.

A study commissioned by the LRMC showed that LRT-1 ridership increased by 16 percent in 2015 to 2017.

“Before we took over, nasa around 400,000 passengers average per day. Now, it is around 500,000,” Chansuyco said.

Clean trains and stations and better ticket-buying efficiency, helped increase the number of commuter on the LRT1, according to LRMC. —VDS, GMA News

50 railway engineers start audit of MRT 3

More than 50 railway engineers and experts from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) kicked off on Thursday a system audit of the Metro Rail Transit 3, according to the Department of Transportation (DoTr).

“We obviously need all the help we can get and we are very grateful that the Japanese government answered our call for assistance to rehabilitate and restore the MRT 3 system,” Undersecretary for Railways TJ Batan said in a statement.

“Additional trains on the MRT 3 may be expected within February since the first batch of spare parts that were ordered last December are scheduled to be delivered and installed this month. The spare parts that were already ordered have a delivery lead time of 30 days to 6 months,” Batan added.

The DOTr noted that the system audit is an important part in determining the rehabilitation and restoration needed.

The maintenance provider will be nominated by JICA and will be mobilized in May, it said.

Earlier, the DoTr announced that it will pursue a 30-year unsolicited proposal to take the maintenance and operation of the MRT 3, of which original proponent status was given to the Metro Pacific Light Rail Corporation.

LRT-1 extension works set to begin by mid-year

Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC) plans to commence actual construction works for the extension of the existing Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) by the middle of the year.

 “We want the actual construction to start if we can, by the middle of this year. If we can do it quicker, if issues are solved faster, we’ll do it quicker,” LRMC president and chief executive officer Juan Alfonso told reporters yesterday on the sidelines of the presentation of a study on profiles and preferences of LRT-1 passengers.

He said there are issues which are still being ironed out before actual construction could begin.



“It’s more than just the right of way. It’s really clearing the path for the actual construction because sometimes, they say the right of way is completed but actual structures have to be completed and moved, whether it’s residents or utility lines or sometimes, alignments,” Alfonso said.

He said LRMC is optimistic the issues would be resolved soon.

“We are now entering the detailed design phase with our EPC (engineering, procurement, construction) contractor,” he said.

LRMC earlier signed the EPC contract with French firms Bouygues Travaux Publics and Alstom Transport for the construction of the LRT-1 Cavite extension.

The consortium 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., broke ground on the P65 billion LRT-1 Cavite extension in May last year.

It bagged the contract to operate, maintain and extend the train line until Cavite, under the public-private partnership program during the previous administration.

In September 2015, it took over the operations of the train line which currently covers Roosevelt station in Quezon City until Baclaran station in Pasay City.

LRT-1’s extension would cover eight new stations such as Aseana, MIA, Asia World, Ninoy Aquino and Dr. Santos Stations in Parañaque City, Las Piñas and Zapote Stations in Las Piñas City and Niog Station in Bacoor, Cavite.

Alfonso said LRMC is planning to increase the trains’ speed to 60 kilometers per hour (kph) from the current 40 kph, to have more trips and enable faster commute for passengers.

“We feel if the system is more efficient then, people will use it more. It’s going to drive itself,” he said.

 “We’re trying to improve infrastructure that goes along per station with the trains. So, that will improve the customer experience as well and hopefully drive traffic more,” he said.

LRT 1 riders jumped 16% in last three years–study

GIVEN the perennial traffic problem faced by Filipino commuters on a daily basis, the riding public has remained confident of the pioneering Metro system in the country as a reliable mode of transportation, a study released on Thursday by PHAR Philippines Inc. and TNS  of Kantar Media showed.

In a sideline interview during the research results’ announcement in Makati City, TNS Business Director Jose Mari Villabroza told the BusinessMirror that from a satisfaction rate of 40 when they first conducted the survey in 2015, Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT 1) got a score of 52 in 2017.

While the rating for the second installment of the study is not “exemplary” yet, he emphasized, though, that it’s still “a good number” considering the it’s an improvement from a low score three years ago.

“This is actually telling us that people are happy with LRT  1. The main reason they’re happy is because they feel it’s cleaner now, it’s safer and its more convenient. And I think that resulted to more patronage, especially in 2017,” he said.

Due to improved commuting experience of the riding public on the back of developments happening at LRT 1, the Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC) has seen a 16-percent increase in the number of daily riders between the two periods in review.

Likewise, passengers belonging to socioeconomic classes A, B and C1 also grew by 37.5 percent between 2015 and 2017.

“Before, we had an average number of passengers reaching 400,000 per day. And now, it’s 500,000 plus. So there’s a big increase,” LRMC COO Rodolfo Chansuyco said.

The top executive attributed this to their improved fleet, wherein the number of  light rail vehicles  now operating from the time they took over the management of LRT 1 three years ago had increased from 77 to 109.

Alongside the enhanced capacity is the reduction in the length of time of commute. Per the results, the average passengers spend about 62 minutes per day in LRT 1 trains and stations.

Chansuyco revealed that peak hours in the morning and in the evening span for four hours, with the foot traffic becoming heavier on Monday,  Wednesday and Friday.

Among the 20 stations, he cited that Monumento, Gil Puyat, Edsa and United Nations are the routes where the bulk of the passengers come from.

What make the commuters to continue to ride on LRT 1 to their destinations is the spic and span condition and improved operation of the system.

In the study, there was an improved cleanliness factor by 177 percent, with Abad Santos and Gil Puyat garnering the highest scores.

The respondents have also agreed that the entry to LRT 1 has also become more efficient. In fact, it was rated with 260 percent improvement in terms of queues for tickets, wherein the Vito Cruz station was singled out as the most improved in terms of convenience in train-ticket purchasing.

“We’re focused on improving the customer service,” LRMC President and CEO Juan F. Alfonso said of the company’s effort to further improve the riding experience in LRT 1.

As part of their strategic plan, he bared that they will enhance further the speed of their trains this year.

“The new thing that we’re going to implement is what we call the 60 kph. The trains currently are running at 40 kilometers per hour. So we’ll run the trains faster,” Alfonso said.

The increase in speed, according to him, will be adding about 10 percent or 15 percent more trips per day using the same trains.

“So people will be spending less time at the station,” the president and CEO said.

“We feel that if the system is more efficient, then people will use it more. So it’s going to drive [our growth].”

Titled “Unlocking LRT 1 Riders: Research and Data on Consumers,” the sophomore edition of the research was done in 2016. About 5,500 LRT 1 passengers were interviewed between 2015 and 2017.

In the latest research, about 65 percent of the riders are aged 18 to 29 years old. The gender ratio is 50 percent male and 50 percent female.

Construction of LRT1 Cavite extension to start mid-2018

The Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT1), Southeast Asia's 1st rail transport line, is finally set to start the construction of its extension from Baclaran to Cavite in the middle of 2018, after it tapped French rail experts Bouygues Travaux Publics and Alstom Transport Private Limited to help with the structure.

"We have signed an EPC (engineering, procurement, and construction) contract with Bouygues. We are trying to do this as soon as possible. We can by the middle of this year," Juan Alfonso, president and chief executive officer of Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC), told reporters on the sidelines of a forum in Makati City on Thursday, February 1.

"It is more than just right of way but more of clearing the path. If we can do it quicker, then we will do it faster," Alfonso added.

LRMC took over the operations, maintenance, and extension of the LRT1 in September 2015, after bagging the P64.9-billion ($1.36-billion) LRT1 Cavite Extension deal. (READ & WATCH: Engineers racing to fix LRT1)

LRMC is a consortium of Ayala Corporation, Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC), and the Macquarie group.

The 11.7-kilometer Cavite extension will link with the existing system immediately south of the Baclaran Station, and run all the way to Niog, Bacoor City, Cavite.

Eight new stations will be provided with 3 intermodal facilities across Pasay City, Parañaque City, Las Piñas City, and Cavite.

The new stations are Aseana, MIA, Asia World, Ninoy Aquino, Dr Santos, Las Piñas, Zapote, and Niog. The intermodal facilities will be located in Dr Santos, Zapote, and Niog.

The commercial speed of the Cavite extension trains will be 60 kilometers per hour (km/h).

Alfonso said the LRT1 Cavite extension is targeted for completion in about 4 years or in 2021.

No fare hike surprises

Alfonso added that his firm is in constant talks with the government on how to move forward with a pending fare hike, as stipulated in their concession agreement (CA).

Instead of a fare hike which would be a burden to commuters, the LRT1 operator had suggested that the government subsidize the company's nearly P300-million claim.

"Fare increase is in the provision of CA. When the agreement for LRT1 was signed between LRMC and government, it contained a schedule of fare increases to allow us to fund the transactions," Alfonso told reporters.

"We need to keep our covenance to our lenders. We are discussing this with the government, on the schedule. There is no surprise that is coming. All fare adjustments are coursed through the Department of Transportation (DOTr)," he added.

LRMC had said that the pending fare increase for the LRT1, which should have taken effect on August 1, 2016, would push fees "5% higher" than they were in January 2015.

In December 2014, then-DOTC implemented fare hikes for the 3 major train lines in Metro Manila, including the LRT1, after several years of postponement.

Under Department Order No. 2014-014, the uniform distance-based fare scheme for all 3 train lines – or an P11 base fare plus P1 per kilometer – was adopted. – Rappler.com

Pre-Valentine show to watch

PHOTO taken recently at Chives Restaurant in Marikina City shows producer Vicky B. Solis (standing, fourth from left) and members of the boyband Freshmen and the RLSAA Chamber Orchestra, some of the performers in the forth coming pre-Valentine show ‘All We Need is… Love, Love Is All We Need,’ slated at Music Museum in Greenhills on Feb. 8 and 9.

“All We Need Is… Love, Love is All We Need” will be at the Music Museum in Greenhills on Feb. 8 and 9.

Produced by Vicky B. Solis under Today’s Production & Entertainment, the pre-Valentine concert sees collaboration among great artists and musicians namely the Madrigal Singers (a.k.a. ‘The Madz,’ founded in l963 by National Artist for Music Prof. Andrea O. Veneracion and composed of students, faculty and alumni from UP); Bo Cerrudo, a versatile and dynamic artist who has made a name in musical theater, live concerts and recording over the past three decades; Nicole Laurel Asencio who started in musical theater and whose debut album “Schizoprano” merges Nicole’s background in theater and classical music with her recent foray in rock and roll; Joey de Guzman, who has become one of the most sought-after saxophonists by record producers; the Freshmen, a multi-awarded boyband composed of Sam Ayson, Patrick Abeleda,Thirdy Casa, Levy Montilla and Derik Gernale; and the RLSAA Chamber Orchestra, who’ve been a part of the concert-for-a-cause of the Philippine Foundation Inc. entitled “Musikleta” held in 2016.The group is under the baton of Giuseppe Andre Diestro, an art area specialist.

The concert aims to raise funds for the various programs and projects of Helping One Person Everyday (HOPE) Movement that includes Healing On Wheels, medical mission for the elderlies in the metropolis and in the provinces; Food On Wheels, feeding programs for the indigents; Home On Wheels, finding shelter for abandoned elderlies and orphans; Justice On Wheel, free consultation on legal matters; and Livelihood On Wheels, which focuses on jobs creation related to wellness and food industries.

HOPE Movement is also a strong partner of the Department of Education in supporting the young artists from the Regional Lead School for the Arts in Angono, Rizal through assistance for exposure programs, seminar-workshops and provision for art materials and/or instruments.

• • •

Tidbits: Happy b-day greetings today, Feb. 1, go to Victor Wood, Fanny Serrano, Lorna Sulit, Rebecca Ventura, Gerry Marcos, Grace de Guzman, Nellie Garcia, Edith Aguilar, Marissa Odonio and daughter Lourdes Marie, Ramond Suaco Ante and Jay R… Feb. 2: Lloyd Samartino, JC Bonnin, Puring Nuguid, Nello Nayo, Monette Ejercito, Engr. Emerson Visaya, Dindo Danao, Dante Nagtalon, Serafin Buan, Michelle Bello, Robert Esguerra, Charito Ong, Carol Tanjutco, Dra. Candy Capellan of UDMC, Jay Aquitania, Zonnie Espiritu, Vinia Vivar, my sister Susan Almontero in London and Ballroom Dancing Queen Aida M. Posadas…

Marian at Enchong nagsingilan!

Tumawag ng pansin sa social media ang picture ni Marian Rivera kasama si Enchong Dee. Nakasaad sa caption ni Enchong sa Instagram ang, “@maximuaexandros your beautiful ninang @marianrivera said hvordan dai det? Dere begge er sa sote.”

Inakala ng followers ni Enchong na inaanak siya ni Yan Yan. Pero itinama siya ng isa pang follower niya ang komento na ninang si Marian ng anak ng kapatid ng aktor na si AJ Dee.

Tugon naman ni Yan, “Hahahaha miss you!” Sinundan niya ito ng, “@mr_enchongdee oo dami ko n utang sa inaanak ko wahahaha – babawi si ninang.”

Norwegian ang language dahil nasa Norway na si AJ nga­yon. Dating magkasama sa isang management company sina Marian at AJ na pinamunuan ni Popoy Caritativo.

Kahit magkaiba ng network, hindi isyu ito kina Marian at Enchong upang hindi magkasundo, huh!

Marvin, ‘love’ ang birthday wish!

Throwback ang inilagay na litrato ni Marvin Agustin sa kanyang Instagram kahapon, ang araw ng kanyang 39th birthday. Pabiro ang caption niyang, “Sabi na nga ba e, bata pa lang cute na ko! 39 years na akong cute! Thank you sa lahat ng birthday greetings,” bahagi ng caption ni Marvin sa lumang pic.

Heto naman ang kalakip niyang birthday wish:

“My wish is for all of us to be more kind, understanding, respectful and helpful to everyone and everything around us. Let’s choose to love and not to hate. Mas masarap magpasaya ng tao kesa mana­kit. Mas masaya magpangiti kesa magpaiyak.”

Naging sentro ng malisyosong tsismis ka­­ma­­kailan si Marvin dahil sa naka­raang biyahe niya sa Japan, na­ka­sama niya ang kaibigang si Markki Stroem. Hindi na lang niya pinatulan ang ibinabato sa kanyang tsismis.

Masaya kasi ngayon si Marvin dahil sa patuloy na pagtangkilik ng manonood ng kinabibilangang series na Kambal, Karibal dahil ilang araw na nitong tinatalo sa ra­tings sa AGB Nielsen ang katapat na programang La Luna Sangre, huh!

Interaksyon hindi tsutsugiin

Ini-launch na ng ESPN TV5 ang Philippine edition ng ESPN.com at ESPN Player bilang bahagi ng ESPN5 Licen­sing and Sponsorship collaboration.

Ayon kay Chot Reyes, TV5 President, “We are proud to be able to feature Philippine sports news, stories from the PBA, PSL, Gilas and other sporting events TV5 lovers as part of ESPN’s digital platforms. Now we can truly give our audience the broadest array of sports content when they want it, where they want it,” pahayag ni Coach Chot sa launch last Monday sa Raffles Hotel Makati City.

Sa ngayon, na-produced na ng sports network ang local edition ng SportsCenter last December. Ayon kay Reyes ang mga host dito ay hindi basta matatawag na news reader dahil sila mismo ang gumagawa ng istorya nila.

Pero kahit may pagbabago sa landscape ng primetime programs sa ESPN 5, tuloy pa rin ang news prog­ram nitong Interaksyon na nabalitang mawawala na.

“Interaksyon is Media Quest concern. We are TV5. Interaksyon is not going away. It’s still gonna be there. Now, it’s going to be part of the entire Media Quest umbrella,” pahayag ni Coach Chot.

Trial run on Little Mount-DMS Metro line in February

Chennai metro rail limited (CMRL) will commence the crucial first ‘trial run’ between Little Mount and AGDMS stations in a week’s time.

Chennai: Senior CMRL sources told DT Next that they have scheduled the run on the 4km stretch, which would soon extend metro connectivity to the city’s arterial road, Anna Salai, in the first week of February.

A four-car metro train would be taken on the underground stretch with officials on board. Trains would be operated at peak speed (70-80kmph) during the trial run, though the average operational speed is only 35-40kmph. Incidentally, metro officials had operated a four-car metro train from Nehru Park to Chennai Central (2.5kms) only last Friday. CMRL has planned to open Nehru Park – Chennai Central and Little Mount – DMS stretches together sometime in March after the successful completion of the inspection of commissioner of metro rail safety.

Though CMRL had originally planned to open the entire Anna Salai stretch in mid2018, partial opening from Little Mount to DMS was taken up owing to delay in completion of tunneling from Thousand Lights to DMS, where rocky terrain had affected the work progress.

So much so that CMRL had to delay one of its “wall breakings” at DMS a few months ago after the cutters were blunted by the tough terrain. If all goes to plan, Anna Salai would be offered partial metro rail cover and the crucial Airport – Chennai Central link established in a couple of months.

COMMENTARY: Affordable housing via transit-oriented dev’t

The “Build, build, build” program has opened a great opportunity to reduce the massive lack of affordable housing that previous administrations failed to solve.

One major project under the program is the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR), a mass transit system with 35 stations stretched over four provinces from Clark International Airport in the north to Los Baños in the south.

The NSCR is expected to attract further urban development, especially around its stations, similar to the commercial facilities and condominiums that sprouted around the stations of the LRT and MRT lines in Metro Manila. The 35 NSCR station areas offer a significant opportunity for the construction of affordable housing units within a short commute via the commuter railway to centers of livelihoods and employment. For example, a resident in a condo unit near the Malolos City NSCR station can get to Tutuban in 30 minutes.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency has projected Metro Manila’s population of around 13 million to reach over 16 million in 2035, thus making it even more congested. Last year, the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council estimated the housing backlog in the Greater Capital Region to be over 800,000 units, with 2.4 million people living in danger zones. In 2013, the Department of Public Works and Highways reported that there were 19,440 informal-settler families living in eight priority waterways that needed to be cleared and improved to prevent future widespread flooding.

Attempts by previous administrations to relocate these informal settlers to disaster-free areas have failed miserably. The main problem is that most of the relocation sites are in places too remote from centers of livelihood and jobs. The families find the travel time too long and expensive, and most of the resettlement sites do not have schools, health centers and other community facilities.

The NSCR presents a possible solution to this problem through transit-oriented development that includes sites for affordable housing around the stations. But this will require collaboration between the government and the private sector, particularly landowners and developers, local government units, and relevant national government agencies.

There are laws and standards that can be used to implement the solution. One, Republic Act No. 7279 (the Urban Development and Housing Act, as amended), mandates “balanced housing.” This requires private developers to allocate 15 percent of the total area or total project cost of a subdivision and 5 percent of saleable area or total project cost of a condominium for socialized housing. The Local Government Code also empowers LGUs to formulate and enforce zoning laws and implement local housing programs.

The guidelines and standards of the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board can also be applied to support the provision of affordable housing in the NSCR station areas. Pag-Ibig housing loans can be prioritized for such projects. The Board of Investments also can grant incentives to private companies who develop such housing units for their employees.

The LGUs where these stations are located can also benefit from the initiative. With the expected large number of people using the railway, commercial establishments will multiply around the stations, generating additional livelihood and job opportunities for the local population, and increasing LGU revenues.

Because of the NSCR’s national significance and the critical support needed from national agencies, the government has to take the lead role in planning and orchestrating this initiative. The large number of stakeholders involved requires a clear definition of their respective roles, duties and responsibilities as well as their working interrelationships. The LGUs have a critical role to play since the station areas are within their territorial jurisdiction.

If the project is implemented effectively, the NSCR station areas can accommodate at least 95,000 housing units, benefiting some 473,000 people. It’s an opportunity that the government should not miss.

* * *

Nathaniel von Einsiedel, an urban planner and architect, was commissioner for planning of the Metro Manila Commission (now MMDA). He joined the United Nations as regional director for the Asia-Pacific of the Urban Management Program. He has since returned to the Philippines and now specializes in consultancy services for sustainable and resilient cities.

Read more: https://opinion.inquirer.net/110620/affordable-housing-via-transit-oriented-devt#ixzz55enlbLPr
Follow us: @inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook

A colossal deception

A case study of corruption, cronyism and regulatory capture…

WRITTEN by veteran investigative journalist Rigoberto D. Tiglao, “this book exposes one of the biggest deceptions ever foisted on the nation, which has hidden from it foreigners’ complete domination of our telecommunication industry and certain other public utilities, a blatant violation of the Philippine Constitution. Former President Benigno S. Aquino III defied in 2012 a Supreme Court ruling ordering a stop to the foreign control of such strategic public utility.”

According to Tiglao, “Foreign ownership in Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. [PLDT] and Globe Telecom [Globe]—the duopoly in the lucrative telecom industry—are 76 percent and 73 percent, respectively, way above the 40-percent limit set by the Constitution on public-utility firms. The Constitution’s Section 11, Article XII indeed is quite categorical: ‘No franchise, certificate, or any other form of authorization for the operation of a public utility shall be granted except to citizens of the Philippines or to corporations or associations organized under the laws of the Philippines, at least sixty per centum of whose capital is owned by such citizens.’”

In his well-researched book, Colossal Deception, in 171 pages published in 2016 by Strong Republic Books and The Manila Times Publishing Corp., Tiglao said: “To skirt this constitutional limit, these foreign-controlled firms have claimed and widely propagated the falsehood, that they are majority Filipino-owned: PLDT claims its foreign ownership is just 18 percent, while Globe, 27 percent.”

“With such fabrications,” he explained, “foreigners have been able to control, mostly own, and profit from the country’s telecoms industry, a strategic sector of the economy that exploits sovereign natural resources and the radio spectrum, mobile telephony’s medium. This fact has been concealed from the Filipino nation since 2000.”

He explained: “In just about 15 years, an Indonesian magnate, Anthoni Salim, the biggest, controlling stockholder of PLDT through his Hong Kong-based firm First Pacific Co. Ltd. and its subsidiaries used the telco as his launching pad to establish and expand in the country a conglomerate even bigger than those built over so many decades by the old Spanish and Chinese-Filipino elites.”

“Salim, through First Pacific, now controls and mostly owns the biggest conglomerate of public-utility companies in the Philippines. Its 26-percent shares in PLDT make it the controlling stockholder in the country’s biggest telecommunications firm that has 70 percent of the telecom market. Its two other huge public-utility firms are Manila Electric Co., which has monopoly of power distribution in Metropolitan Manila and six adjacent provinces, and Maynilad Water, the water-distribution monopoly for the western part of the metropolis. It also has a major mining company, Philex Mining and Exploration, with its four oil and gas exploration subsidiaries, one of which has as its area of exploration in a disputed area in the Spratlys islands,” Tiglao said.

He further explained in the overview of the book in Chapter 1, thus:

“Through his holding firm MPIC, Salim controls Metro Pacific Tollways Corp., now the biggest toll and expressway operation in the country managing the North Luzon Expressway, the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway and the Manila-Cavite Expressway.

“Under President Aquino III’s administration, First Pacific has expanded rapidly and bagged the contracts for the country’s biggest infrastructure projects.

“In 2013 55-percent controlled Salim consortium was chosen to build the P65-billion Light Rail Transit [LRT] Line 1 Cavite Extension, the biggest infrastructure project awarded under the Aquino regime. In 2015 Salim led the consortium that won the bidding for the Cavite-Laguna Expressway project with its offer of P27 billion, P5 billion more than the next highest bidder, a group led by San Miguel Corp.

“Either because of Salim and his partner, the Ayalas’s persuasive genius or, allegedly, their strong influence with President Aquino, thrown in into this project was the award of the construction of the LRT-MRT common station in Quezon City to the consortium, which moved its location from its original site at SM City North EDSA to the nearby Trinoma mall of the Ayalas—who are Salim’s partners with a 35-percent stake. This government decision was so irregular that the owner of the SM group, the Henry Sy family who were originally members of the consortium, has sued government, even elevating the case to the Supreme Court, and the project was suspended.

“In partnership with the Ayala group, the Salim conglomerate also won the P1 billion worth of projects to operate an automated fare-collection system for the mass- transit lines. Other infrastructure projects awarded to Salim’s group by the Aquino Administration are the P11-billion North Luzon Expressway (Nlex) Harbor Link, the P7-billion Nlex Citi Link and the P12.4-billion Connector Road/Metro Expressway Link. The group has diversified into bridge construction, as well, with its P18-billion project to build the Cebu-Cordova Bridge.”

Tiglao added: “The last time in Philippine post-war history that a foreigner wielded such economic power in the country was in the 1950s, when a US army lieutenant who fought here during World War II and stayed on, Harry Stonehill, built a conglomerate of cigarette, glass and cement manufacturers. His net worth was estimated at $50 million at the time, equivalent to $400 million today—peanuts compared with Salim’s estimated assets in the country of $6 billion, based on the worth of his shares in PLDT, his infrastructure-holding firm Metro Pacific Investments Corp. and Philex Mining.”

To reach the writer, e-mail cecilio.arillo@gmail.com.

Mainstream screening for ‘Changing Partners’

The indie movie “Changing Partners” impressed us when it won several awards at the 2017 Cinema One Originals. These awards were the Audience Choice Award, the Champion Bughaw Award for Best Film, the Best Director for Dan Villegas, Best Actress for Agot Isidro, Best Actor for Jojit Lorenzo, Best Editing for Marya Ignacio, Best Music for Vincent de Jesus, and a Special Citation for Ensemble Acting.

Agot Isidro

Co-starring Anna Luna and Sandino Martin, “Changing Partners” was also the top box-office hit. Based on the PETA play of the same title, the script was written by Lilet Reyes and Vince de Jesus.

With a cutting-edge take on gender and relationships, “Changing Partners” is about Alex and Cris who are celebrating their first anniversary as a live-in couple. Though they are very much in love with each other despite their 15-year age gap, “they navigate the different challenges that come with their relationship.

“Changing Partner” is a love story that is shown through the perspective of different genders, showing how a real relationship works,” the writers said.

They added: “‘Changing Partners’ aims to probe into the age-old question on whether or not the perfect match between couples really exist. The film is eventually a story about falling in love and falling out of love and all the realities that go with it.”

Star Cinema releases “Changing Partners” tomorrow in cinemas nationwide.

• • •

Ruru, Gabbi on ‘Sherlock, Jr.’

Gabbi Garcia and Ruru Madrid

GMA Network has started airing its newest primetime offering “Sherlock Jr.” featuring one of the network’s hottest love teams Ruru Madrid and Gabbi Garcia, along with an endearing dog named Serena. In a special guest participation is the beautiful and talented actress Janine Gutierrez.

Ruru plays Sherlock “Jack” Jackson, Jr., a clever investigative reporter who never backs out from solving mysteries. Aside from being a good son (his mom is played by Ai Ai delas Alas) and brother, he also loves his girlfriend very much.

Gabbi plays the role of Lily Pelaez, a bubbly veterinary clinic assistant. She loves joining anything that could make her famous including various contests and beauty pageants.

Catch “Sherlock Jr.” after “24 Oras” on GMA Telebabad.

• • •

Tidbits: Happy b-day greetings today, Jan. 30, go to Boots Anson-Rodrigo, Omen Ortiz, Jono Babarin, Ricky Mansueto, Victor Ang, Baby de Guzman, Marissa Bernardo, Sister Mercy Medinilla, Tess Celestino, Len Llanes, Mary Charmaine Musngi, Ivy Lisa Mendoza, Aris Aldrin Medina, and Michael Locsin… Jan. 31. GMA Network’s Lilibeth Rasonable, Ronnie Liang, Bong Villafuerte, Larry Esguerra, Tere Orendain, Londoners Nicholas Manuel Almontero and Michael Jeffrey Marshall, Cynthia Sico, Iraida Tanopo, Nitz Mirrales, Noel Pura, Roxanne Fujas, Joed Serrano, Cayle Soco, Majella Villaroman,  and Marc Logan…

TV5 expects to cut losses by half in 2018 amid ESPN deal, restructuring

The country's 3rd largest media network also says it expects to break even in 2019

Broadcast firm TV5 Network, Inc. expects to cut losses by 50% in 2018, mainly on the back of its continuous restructuring program and a new partnership with global sports broadcaster ESPN. This, in turn, is seen to help TV5 finally break even in 2019.

The country's 3rd largest media network had originally targeted to break even in 2013. It was then pushed back to 2017 and then 2019.

Former TV5 president and chief executive officer Emmanuel "Noel" Lorenzana in 2013 implemented a voluntary early retirement program for employees to curb financial losses. During that year, TV5 also slowed down the launch of new shows to cut expenses.

When Vincent "Chot" Reyes replaced Lorenzana, TV5 shifted its focus to sports and news programs in a bid to finally be in the black.

"We had a very good 2017. Our business improved by 43% in 2017, from 2016....If we go on the same kind of phase, then I think we will be able to achieve our target. Our partnership with ESPN enhances our ability to break even in 2019," Reyes said in a roundtable interview in Makati City on Monday, January 29.

Last October, Reyes had announced that ESPN 5 will replace Sports 5, starting with the PBA Finals Game 1 between the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel and Meralco Bolts that month.

Since the announcement, the TV5 chief said his network has seen significant improvement in its bottomline.

"There were 24 million page views in ESPN in December 2016. In 2017, that number jumped to 30 million views for the month of December. That's still ESPN, not yet ESPN 5, not localized yet. We just announced it in October last year in the Philippines, and that already jumped. So the traffic is going to give us opportunity to monetize and generate revenue," Reyes said.

"When we started showing NFL (National Football League) on TV5, the traffic in ESPN grew by 37%....It's not just TV but it's online, on your mobiles, desktops, that's the kind of business model that we're looking at for TV5," he added.

360-degree perspective

It was in 2009 when the PLDT group, through its unit MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., acquired ABC Development Corporation, the operator of TV5 in 2009. MediaQuest bought TV5 from the Cojuangco group for P4 billion, and acquired MPB Primedia of Malaysia, the network's major block-timer, for $16 million.

To cut expenses, TV5 terminated its partnership with Viva Communications, which handled the network's entertainment programs.

Reyes said restructuring is an ongoing concern for TV5, like most companies, as its business model evolves.

"It's not something peculiar. The reason it is an ongoing concern is because our business model keeps on evolving. By that alone, definitely there will be more changes," Reyes said.

The network's online news portal, InterAksyon, is also set to close down on March 31 "to consolidate all brands under News5.com.ph."

"We're approaching it really from a 360-degree perspective, not only in our content but even the way we monetize the content. If before we had an ad sales group that is focused on selling TV ads, now it's 360, even digital as well, online, are all part of that package," Reyes said.

https://www.rappler.com/business/194745-tv5-outlook-2018-2019-espn-restructuring?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=business

PTV and NEC Launch Digital Terrestrial Broadcasting Services in the Philippines

People’s Television (PTV), the Philippines’ public broadcasting network, has gone from analog to fully digital after the launch of the network’s digital terrestrial broadcasting system on January 2017. NEC Philippines, Inc. provided overall support for the introduction of digital terrestrial TV equipment, including its installation and the training of personnel, as part of enabling viewers to enjoy their favorite programs with better and clearer reception.

A “switch-on” ceremony was held at PTV’s studio in Quezon City and was led by the Secretary of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO), Martin Andanar.

Andanar said, “The administration’s goal of bringing the government closer to its people is now more achievable than ever.” At the time of his appointment, Andanar pushed efforts to modernize the state network. He envisioned PTV to be on par with its local counterparts in the country, and expanded the breadth and depth of PTV’s educational, cultural andinternational programs.

PTV General Manager, Dino Apolonio, said that the network must keep pace with its counterparts, both locally and abroad. “As the state network, we have to take it upon ourselves to lead the charge towards digital transition. It will be very beneficial for the people first of all, and we have to keep up with the rest of the world,” he said.

“NEC is proud to be working with PTV to expand the delivery of high quality broadcasting to a larger audience in the Philippines,” said Elizabeth Pangan, President, NEC Philippines. “As part of NEC’s focus on providing Solutions for Society, this equipment will help to ensure that broadcasting and access to information is reliably maintained, especially during times of emergency, such as when powerful storms strike the region,” she added.

DOTr to pursue unsolicited proposal for MRT-3 maintenance, operation

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is pursuing an unsolicited proposal for the 30-year operation and maintenance of the Metro Rail Transit-3 to end the blame game associated with the repeated breakdowns of the MRT-3’s rolling stocks.

“Many of MRT-3’s problems in recent years resulted from successive short-term and fragmented maintenance contracts, and from finger-pointing due to having different entities maintaining and operating MRT-3,” the DOTr said in a statement over the weekend.

“DOTr is addressing this by pursuing an unsolicited proposal for the 30-year operation and maintenance of MRT-3. Original proponent status has been given to the proponent, Metro Pacific Light Rail Corp., and the proposal will be soon endorsed to NEDA [National Economic and Development Authority],” it added.

The DOTr also said it has formalized an arrangement with Japan for assistance in rehabilitating and maintaining the MRT-3, with the government of Japan nominating a service provider that “must be highly qualified and with a proven track record.”

The agency also apologized for the a smoke emitted from one of the seats of an MRT-3 train on Friday afternoon, causing the unloading of 600 passengers who had to walk along the sides of the railway to the nearest stations. The incident happened between the Cubao and Kamuning stations.

“The DOTr expresses [its]sincere apologies to those who were affected and inconvenienced by the recent smoke incident,” the DOTr said.

“Fault analysis is ongoing and in the interest of accuracy and transparency, DOTr has directed MRT-3 management to release to the public their technical findings at the soonest possible time,” it added.

The former maintenance provider for the MRT-3, Busan Universal Rail Inc. (BURI), said DOTr must stop blaming other parties and take full responsibility over the recent problems experienced by the MRT-3.

“DOTr fails to recall the fact that when they hurriedly took over the maintenance of the MRT3, it was an operational and safe MRT3. They failed to organize a transition team, composed of experienced rail engineers, to ensure the continuing safety and efficient maintenance of the MRT3,” BURI said.

“Is it not obvious that under BURI’s watch, such incidents like the uncoupling of trains on the mainline never happened?” the company added.

Case vs Rappler not a freedom of the press issue? Please.

In the days following the Securities and Exchanges Commission’s (SEC) decision to revoke Rappler’s articles of incorporation, Malacañang repeatedly denied that it was a form of political harassment. In an interview on ANC’s Headstart, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said: "What evidence does she (Maria Ressa) have that government orchestrated this decision? None, given the credibility of the persons who wrote the decision, and given the legal mandate of the SEC.”

Inasmuch as the administration would like to paint the issue as one that is not politically driven, it's imperative to look at the issue and see that it does not exist in a vacuum. 

Let’s take a look at the timeline. In President Rodrigo Duterte's second State of the Nation Address in July 2017, he echoed a false claim that Rappler is owned by Americans: “ABS, o Rappler, kayo ba ‘yan? Have you tried to pierce your identity? And I would lead you to America. Do you know that? And yet the Constitution requires you to be 100% media, Filipino. Rappler tried to pierce the identity, and you will end up American ownership.”

The President and his cabal of pundits have conflated the existence of Philippine Depositary Receipts or PDRs to be tantamount to ownership which is false.

The President had echoed this claim since then. Six months later, the SEC came with its decision based on an investigation conducted upon the prompting of the government’s counsel, Solicitor General Jose Calida. (READ: Solicitor General initiated SEC investigation into Rappler)

During the investigation period, Rappler cooperated with the SEC, cognizant of the SEC’s mandate to perform its due diligence. But due process was not followed and the company was meted with punitive action that is arguably not commensurate to the alleged violation. 

Rappler's lawyer, Francis Lim, pointed out that other remedies were available to cure the violations without resorting to the revocation of the license: "Stockholders remain the same. Voting power remains with the stockholders of Rappler Holdings and Rappler Inc. Why do you revoke? Why do you go to that extreme penalty – kill the company – when there are other measures?" (READ: 
If there was a violation, Rappler not given time to cure it – lawyer) 

In a similar case involving foreign ownership and PLDT Incorporated, SEC Memorandum Circular 8, Series of 2013 gave corporations a one-year curing period to correct violations of the foreign ownership rule. The same was not applied to Rappler’s case. SEC chairpersonTeresita Herbosa told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that the Securities Regulation Code "does not provide for it (one-year curing period) in case of violation of any of its provisions.”

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A history of hostility

While the Duterte administration would like to insist that the incident involving Rappler is an isolated case, it would be remiss to ignore the context and the current political climate that news and media organizations perceived as critical of the government currently function in.

There have been several incidents in the past few months that show that this isn’t the first time the President and his administration have flexed their muscles to intimidate news organizations that they deem critical.

In August of 2016, Solicitor General Jose Calida himself personally served the notice to vacate to tenants of the Prietos' Mile Long property. In July 2017, President Duterte threatened an exposé against the Inquirer. He insinuated that the Prietos, the owners of the Inquirer, skirted tax laws regarding the Mile Long property.

It didn’t take long before the family announced the sale of their majority stake in Inquirerto Ramon Ang, a businessman, who President Duterte calls his friend. Ang is also hiscampaign donor.

The pressure was on and it was palpable in the Inquirer newsroom. Rappler gave a glimpse in a Newsbreak report, "Duterte's target: The Philippine Daily Inquirer."

Aware of the difficult terrain that the newspaper was navigating under Duterte, some Inquirer editors exerted extra effort to show balance in their stories to show management they were not being unreasonable.

"We would catch ourselves practicing self-censorship," one of them said. "It was sad and tears were shed," said another. 

Nothing they did, though, could seem to pacify the powers that be.

The Newsbreak report, written in August 2017, proved to be prophetic. For even after the Prietos had given up the Inquirer, it appeared that President Duterte was still not satisfied. Just this week, he hurled yet another grave threat at the family: "One of these days, I’ll file a plunder case. When I file a plunder case, you will go to jail without a bail. You'll see, you fools."

Apart from print and online media, Duterte also had a bone to pick with broadcast media. In April 2017, President Duterte sought to block the renewal of ABS-CBN's franchise, accusing the network of "swindling" him when he was still a presidential candidate. In an interview, he said: “[The franchise] has been there for 25 years. The law said it’s okay, only if you adhere to journalistic standards. What did you do to us? Estafa, swindling, not only me but Chiz Escudero, many of us. Son of a bitch, you collected outright then you commit estafa."

The accusations are rooted in Duterte's allegations that the network refused to air his ads during the 2016 campaign. (READ: Duterte's ace against ABS-CBN, the Philippines' biggest network)

ABS-CBN's franchise ends on March 30, 2020, subject to renewal of Congress which is dominated by Duterte's allies.

#DefendPressFreedom

Malacañang has repeatedly denied the political motivations behind the Rappler case but the President's words and demeanor towards the media companies suggest otherwise.

In March 2017, he had a few choice words for Inquirer and ABS-CBN, warning them of karma. "Tingnan kung magslant. Ewan ko ba. But someday – hindi ko tinatakot – but someday, 'yung karma, dadating 'yan....Inquirer, mga bullshit kayo, pati 'yang ABS-CBN, basura 'yang inano ninyo. Dapat may magsabi sa inyo ngayon, mga putang-ina ninyo, sinobrahan 'nyo ang kalokohan ninyo."

(See how they slant. I don't know. But someday – I'm not scaring them – but someday, karma will come....Inquirer, you are bullshit, also ABS-CBN, you publish trash. Someone should tell you, "You are sons of bitches, you went too far in your nonsense.")

After Rappler reported on the alleged intervention of Special Assistant to the President Bong Go on a P15.5-billion Navy project this week, Duterte tagged the news group as a producer of "fake news." (READ: Bong Go intervenes in P15.5-B project to acquire PH warships):

"For your information, you can stop your suspicious mind from roaming somewhere else. But since you are a fake news outlet then I am not surprised that your articles are also fake... Sumobra kayo (You are going overboard), you are not only throwing toilet paper, you are throwing shit at us."

After the President's latest rant against Rappler, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said that the Department of Justice's investigation into Rappler will not be limited to possible violations of the Constitution and the Anti-Dummy Law, but "other laws" as well.

Well, this is nothing short of a "fishing expedition, and pure and simple harassment," said Rappler. "We thought this was supposed to be in relation to PDRs and the alleged violation of the Constitution."

Then, the National Bureau of Investigation suddenly summoned Rappler CEO Maria Ressa and a former Rappler reporter over a cyber libel complaint for a story that was posted in 2012. The story even predated the effectivity date of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.

The exercise of the law by the state, especially towards the constitutionally-protected press, is a freedom of the press issue, especially in the context of a President who has not shied away from cursing, criticizing, and slamming what he perceives as critical coverage. Even more so, in a climate where his supporters and followers constantly attack mainstream media and journalists online.

Journalist organizations, international publications, legislators, and human rights groups have voiced their concern regarding the developments in the Philippines. Human Rights Watch said: “What we're looking at here is nothing less than a politicized attack on a critical media voice in the Philippines using the pretext of alleged foreign ownership....To a certain extent, this is a weaponization of state regulatory processes to undermine and to stifle media freedom."


While the Philippine media and the government had gone through a rough patch from time to time – some rougher than others – in the period after the Marcos regime to the previous administration, there's no doubt that the current government's brazen moves are not unlike something this country had seen during his strongman idol's time. (READ: From Marcos to Duterte: How media was attacked, threatened) – Rappler.com