SMC clears Bulacan airport property of settlers

San Miguel Corporation (SMC) reported that it has completed the clearing of the future site of its P740 billion Manila International Airport in Bulacan in preparation for the start of construction activities.

In a statement, the firm said the last remaining residents of Barangay Taliptip in Bulakan, Bulacan have finally moved into their new, sturdier homes in a safer location over the weekend–just in time for the onslaught of super typhoon Rolly, which affected parts of Central Luzon, including Bulacan province.   

SMC helped the residents find the land and construction of the houses. The company had also helped to ensure they have water and electrical connection, among others.

While these former residents will continue to rely on fishing as a primary source of livelilhood, they will also enroll in courses offered by the Technical Education Skills and Development Authority (TESDA) in cooperation with SMC.

These TESDA courses are to prepare former Taliptip and Bulacan residents for employment and business opportunities in store during the construction and operational phases of the new Manila International Airport. 

In addition to the courses, all trainees will also be given seminars on Entrepreneurship, as well as tools to start them on their new trades. The first batch of TESDA students will graduate in November.

SMC President Ramon S. Ang earlier said that the courses will be opened to all Bulacan residents who are willing to learn and participate in the development of the airport project, seen to be a game-changer that will boost the country’s economy, which is still reeling from the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We are happy to provide better homes and opportunities to Bulacan residents, particularly residents of Barangay Taliptip.  They are now given the chance to rebuild their lives. You can’t help but feel sad when you see their previous homes but we admire them for their strength and resilience. This strengthens our commitment to help them and make sure they will really have a better future,” Ang said.  

A total of 277 owners of concrete and shanty houses in Barangay Taliptip qualified for financial assistance. SMC provided owners of non-concrete houses or shanties P250,000 each, while owners of concrete houses were given the appraised value of their homes, multiplied by two, plus P100,000. SMC also provided cash assistance to 87 others who were disqualified, for a total of 364 beneficiaries.

With the help of Malolos Bishop Dennis Villarojo, SMC also distributed the total appraised cash value of the abandoned chapels in Sitio Pariyahan, Sitio Dapdap, Sitio Bunutan, and Sitio Capol to the 242 residents of these sitios. 

SMC said that many former Taliptip residents have completed construction of their new houses and used part of the financial assistance to put up small businesses, or send their children to school.

https://mb.com.ph/2020/11/04/smc-clears-bulacan-airport-property-of-settlers/

To prevent COVID-19, Cagayan governor wants Christmas ‘karoling’ banned

By Raymund Catindig

TUGUEGARAO City, Cagayan — Gov. Manuel Mamba wants the traditional house-to-house karoling (caroling) during the Christmas season banned to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Cagayan.

The governor said children who are usually engaged in the age-old tradition are vulnerable to exposure from infected members of the community whom they will encounter.

Mamba cited the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) guideline of prohibiting children in the streets especially during curfew hours.

The governor also said that if adults would insist on going karoling, the regional IATF should come out with guidelines for the Christmas tradition at this early stage, in order to regulate the activity and deter the transmission of COVID-19.

The regional IATF is yet to bare its position.

Provincial health officer Dr. Carlos Cortina said there is higher possibility of local transmission through the said Christmas activity.

He said people who engage with carolers and sometimes the carolers themselves, are authorized persons outside residence (APORS).

Cortina said while authorities have been strict in monitoring people entering provincial borders, safeguards over APORs who are already inside Cagayan are mostly overlooked.

He cited the recent work-related COVID-19 transmission at the Cagayan Valley Medical Center and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas where at least 25 APORs were tested for the virus last week.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/11/04/2054479/prevent-covid-19-cagayan-governor-wants-christmas-karoling-banned

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Construction of 16-km section of Malolos-Clark Railway to start in Dec.

 A Korean construction company and its joint venture partner are set to start constructing its section of the Malolos-Clark Railway project in December, after bagging the P33.7-billion contract from the Duterte administration earlier this month.

Daelim Industrial Co. Ltd., one of the largest builders in South Korea, and Acciona Construction Philippines will construct a section of the railway, covering 16 kilometers in the towns of Minalin, Sto. Tomas and the City of San Fernando in Pampanga. Construction will take four years.

This marks the first infrastructure project that the Korean group won in a competitive bidding here in the Philippines, a top official of its local unit said, although the company had already done several energy projects since it first set shop in the country in 1995.

“Daelim is [a] well-known construction company in Korea,” said Sangsik Shim, general manager of Daelim Philippines Inc., in an e-mail to the Inquirer this week. “Unfortunately, we did not have more chances [other] than [in the] oil, gas and power plant sector.”

The contract was one of the three signed by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) under the same railway project last Oct. 8, as the Duterte administration continued to pursue its infrastructure ambitions despite the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. All three contracts were worth P85 billion.

Their section forms a stretch of the Malolos-Clark Railway project, which in total covers 54 km and will feature a so-called airport express service since it will create a railway link between Metro Manila and Clark International Airport in Pampanga by 2025.

The DOTr has targeted to start partial operations of the project by 2023 and its completion in five years.

The Malolos-Clark Railway project is a key phase of the 148-km North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) System in Luzon.

The NSCR, which is being financed with loans from the Asian Development Bank and the Japan International Cooperation Agency, will eventually have 37 stations cross 26 cities and municipalities in Luzon.

https://business.inquirer.net/310629/construction-of-16-km-section-of-malolos-clark-railway-to-start-in-dec

China-funded Estrella-Pantaleon bridge completion seen in 2021

 By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora

The Chinese Embassy in Manila on Wednesday said the construction of the China-funded Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge is expected to be completed in the "early half of 2021".

"The Covid-19 pandemic will not push back the completion dates of the Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge projects. The contractor, China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) overcomes tremendous difficulties to ensure completion on schedule," it said in a statement sent to reporters.

Once completed, the 506-meter bridge would have four lanes connecting Estrella, Makati City to Barangka Drive in Mandaluyong City and is seen to accommodate an average of 50,000 vehicles daily.

The Embassy emphasized that the construction of the bridge is financed by a grant from the government of China.

Citing Public Works and Highways chief Mark Villar, it added that only 25 percent of the project's workers are Chinese nationals, while 75 percent are Filipinos.

"The contractor, China Road and Bridge is still hiring more local workers for the project, though it is a bit difficult to recruit enough and qualified local employees amid under GCQ," it said.

The clarification comes after some lawmakers questioned the number of Chinese nationals employed for the Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge and Binondo-Intramuros Bridge construction projects, appealing to prioritize Filipino nationals when hiring.

"The Chinese employees are mostly program managers, engineers, and technicians, whose job could not be done by Filipino workers given the technical requirements. All the Chinese employees have obtained work permits from the Department of Labor and Employment," the Embassy said.

The Embassy underscored that China stands ready to "further synergize the Belt and Road Initiative and Build, Build, Build program" as well as to accelerate the implementation of cooperation projects between the two nations.

"The Philippines is a friendly close neighbor to China. Both China and the Philippines have been striving for economic development and social progress. China stands ready to further synergize the Belt and Road Initiative and Build, Build, Build program and accelerate the implementation of cooperation projects to stimulate economic recovery and growth of the Philippines," it said.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1119328

No contract awarded yet on NAIA expansion project: DOTr official

 An official of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Wednesday clarified that no contract or agreement has yet been reached on the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) expansion project.

In a statement, DOTr Undersecretary for Planning Ruben Reinoso Jr. said Megawide Construction Corporation’s (Megawide) unsolicited proposal to be the sole developer of the project is still to be evaluated and approved by the National Economic and Development Authority Investment Coordination Committee (NEDA-ICC) and the NEDA Board.

“Allow us to set the record straight, once and for all, that there is no contract awarded yet, or any agreement decided upon, on the NAIA Expansion project,” Reinoso said.

It said that the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), as the “primary grantor” of the PHP107-billion rehabilitation project, will be the contractor if approved by the NEDA-ICC and the NEDA Board.

“The DOTr, as mother agency of the MIAA, only endorsed the proposal to the NEDA-ICC, as required under-NEDA ICC protocols,” Reinoso said.

It noted that the MIAA will only start negotiating with the winning proponent once the project terms have been defined and approved by the NEDA Board.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1119286

PLDT to roll out more fiber lines nationwide

More households in different parts of the country will soon be able to avail of faster internet services through fiber-optic cables after telecommunications giant PLDT on Wednesday announced its plans to roll out more fiber lines and ports nationwide.

In a statement, Alfredo Panlilio, PLDT chief revenue officer, said the company will install more fiber lines and provide around 500,000 more ports in the next three to six months to meet the country’s rising demand for high-speed internet connectivity.

“Broadband connectivity is more important than ever, particularly in these pandemic times when more people are directed to work and study from home. That’s why PLDT is ramping up its capabilities to be able to serve more Filipinos nationwide,” Panlilio said.

He said the company has deployed more installation and repair teams in different parts of the country to implement the rollout.

“PLDT is rolling out more fiber, more ports in more parts of the Philippines than it has ever done before because we want to connect as many Filipino families as we possibly can to our fiber network,” Panlilio said.

Menardo Jimenez Jr., PLDT senior vice president for PLDT Home, said the company’s network service teams are now more capable of adapting to the challenges brought about by the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic-related restrictions.

“PLDT’s network service teams have worked out how to operate under pandemic conditions and have been able to steadily ramp up their installation capacity,” Jimenez said.

He noted that the pandemic has resulted in a “notable” spike of service upgrade and new installation requests.

“The pandemic has compelled people to redesign life at home. Many of these changes involve greater use of the internet and digital solutions to make work, study, and leisure at home more efficient and enjoyable,” Jimenez said.

To date, the company has also invested in the modernization of its overseas cable systems and domestic fiber transport network which includes the company’s data centers.

Its fiber-optic network grew 19 percent for the last 10 months and stretches to about 382,500 kilometers.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1119302

PNP to skip Christmas parties this year

The Philippine National Police (PNP) would not be holding Christmas parties this year as funds for the celebration would be given out to help coronavirus patients, Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Gen. Camilo Cascolan said on Wednesday.

Police offices and units are also not allowed to hold Christmas parties.

"I am actually contemplating for no Christmas party in the Philippine National Police. They will understand that, instead of using the funds for our Christmas party, we will be giving it out for Covid patients or the Covid fund," Cascolan told reporters at the sidelines of the opening of Civil Security Group’s satellite office in Manila Police District.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said holding of Christmas parties in areas under general community quarantine (GCQ), like Metro Manila, will not be allowed to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

"Under GCQ, bawal pa ang mga parties so ang ating NCR nagkasundo 'yung ating mga mayors na hanggang GCQ muna tayo at magluluwag lang para makatulong sa ekonomiya pero hindi muna mag-modified GCQ kasi ang MGCQ kasi complete package 'yan. Kapag bigla ka nag shift diyan automatic lahat ng activities 50 percent capacity pati 'yung mga get together diyan sigurado gagawin nila diyan (Under GCQ, parties are not allowed. NCR mayors have agreed that the region would remain under GCQ. If we shift to MGCQ, all activities would be at 50-percent capacity, even get-togethers would surely be done under that status),” he said in a radio interview.

"Sayang 'yung gains natin for the past 7 months kung magkaroon tayo ng surge ulit (Our gains for the past 7 months would be put to waste if [the number of cases] would surge again,” he added.

Año also clarified that individuals aged 15 to 65 years old will be allowed outside their residence in areas under the MGCQ.

He pointed this out to avoid confusion as the Metro Manila mayors decided to impose the restrictions outside their homes for those within the 18 to 65 years old range.

He added that what was approved by the President is the “gradual expansion from 15 to 65 years old to be allowed to go out.’’

“So meaning to say gradual siya. Sa mga lugar ng MGCQ sa malalayong lugar na wala na masyado Covid cases puwede na ipatupad 'yung 15 to 65 (It means that it is gradual. In places under MGCQ, in areas with less Covid-19 cases, persons 15 to 65 years old will be allowed [to go out]),’’ Año said.

If the situation improves, Año said it is up to the local government units to decide whether to allow individuals in that age range to go out.

During the holiday season, Cascolan said the deployment of police personnel on the ground would be augmented, especially on places of convergence for the strict implementation of quarantine guidelines, particularly the ban on Christmas parties.

He said this is to prevent any kind of mass gatherings, especially in areas under GCQ, as well as crime incidents and terrorism.

“We have to rationalize the deployment of our forces. When we say proper deployment of our forces and resources, kailangan natin 'yung mga lugar talaga na kailangan ang pulis hindi lang 'yung basta basta mo nilagay ang pulis diyan (those in places that police are needed, and not just deploying them haphazardly)," Cascolan said.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1119230