The Diocese of Cubao has extended the suspension of holding of public masses until the end of the month.
Cubao Bishop Honesto Ongtioco said the measure is in compliance with President Rodrigo Duterte's approval of the extension of the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon until April 30 amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
“Yes, we will follow the government's extension of quarantine. We seek for the good of all,” he said in a message.
Meanwhile, Archdiocese of Manila Apostolic Administrator Bishop Broderick Pabillo said they will discuss on Wednesday the extension of suspension of masses in the archdiocese.
At the same time, he urged the government to fast-track its efforts in providing assistance to the people especially the less fortunate.
“We follow the government on quarantine protocols but we ask that the government should speed up providing help to the poor and the daily wage earners. We in the church continue to provide for the people spiritual and material help,” he added.
Church activities in Luzon have been suspended in connection with the imposition of the enhanced community quarantine to help curb the spread of Covid-19.
Online masses through social media accounts of different churches in Metro Manila are being held every day where the faithful are encouraged to participate.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1099133
Tuesday, April 7, 2020
IATF approves resumption of railroad projects, MRT3 maintenance work amid COVID-19 pandemic
The Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) has approved the resumption of railroad projects and maintenance work for Metro Rail Transit (MRT) 3 even amid the enhanced community quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
IATF spokesperson and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said this move is in response to the request made by the Department of Transportation to allow the resumption of utility relocation work and specified limited work across 13 rail projects, including rail replacement work for MRT3 which can only be done when MRT3 is not undergoing passenger operations.
Apart from the MRT3 rehabilitation and maintenance works, other rail projects to resume are the following:
The enhanced community quarantine has banned mass transportation since March 17, and the said COVID-19 quarantine period has since been extended to April 30.
The resumption of the rail work, however, is based on the following preconditions:
As of 4 p.m. of April 6, the Philippines has already recorded 3,660 COVID-19 cases. Of this number, 163 have died while 73 others recovered. —With a report from Ted Cordero/KG, GMA News
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/money/economy/732954/iatf-approves-resumption-of-railroad-projects-mrt3-maintenance-work-amid-covid-19-pandemic/story/
IATF spokesperson and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said this move is in response to the request made by the Department of Transportation to allow the resumption of utility relocation work and specified limited work across 13 rail projects, including rail replacement work for MRT3 which can only be done when MRT3 is not undergoing passenger operations.
Apart from the MRT3 rehabilitation and maintenance works, other rail projects to resume are the following:
- LRT 1 Cavite Extension
- LRT 2 East Extension
- LRT 2 West Extension
- MRT 7
- Metro Manila Subway
- Common Station
- PNR Clark 1
- PNR Clark 2 and Calamba
- Subic-Clark Railway
- PNR Bicol
- Mindanao Railway
The enhanced community quarantine has banned mass transportation since March 17, and the said COVID-19 quarantine period has since been extended to April 30.
The resumption of the rail work, however, is based on the following preconditions:
- limited mobilization of personnel and skeletal staffing pattern is observed;
- on- or near-site accommodations and/or point-to-point shuttle services are provided, where applicable;
- regular disinfection of workplaces, shuttles, and accommodations;
- regular monitoring of personnel’s health, especially for COVID-19 symptoms;
- strict social distancing measures and proper hand hygiene; and
- all other precautionary measures that the DOTr may implement are observed at all times.
As of 4 p.m. of April 6, the Philippines has already recorded 3,660 COVID-19 cases. Of this number, 163 have died while 73 others recovered. —With a report from Ted Cordero/KG, GMA News
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/money/economy/732954/iatf-approves-resumption-of-railroad-projects-mrt3-maintenance-work-amid-covid-19-pandemic/story/
Megawide confident of completing new Clark passenger terminal
Despite the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine, engineering and infrastructure conglomerate Megawide Construction Corp. is optimistic that it will be able to complete and deliver on schedule the new passenger terminal in Clark that will help decongest Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
Megawide, together with its partner GMR Infrastructure Ltd. of India, is actually ahead of schedule in constructing the Clark International Airport’s new passenger terminal building prior to the imposition of the community quarantine in Luzon, Megawide chairman and CEO Edgar Saavedra said.
“That we were ahead of schedule in the construction of the new Clark passenger terminal building is a testament to all the hard work and dedication of the people on the ground such as our engineering and construction teams,” he said.
Saavedra said construction of the new terminal, access roads, bus station, and car parks is 96 percent complete with only minor works remaining.
He said the new terminal building shell has been substantially completed, and installation of mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire-protection works as well as construction of the landside works are already in the final stages.
“The ECQ has minimal impact on our construction timelines for Clark International Airport primarily because engineering and construction are Megawide’s core strengths and the fact that we leveraged on what we learned from the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) expansion,” he said.
Saavedra said Megawide is confident that the construction project may still be turned over to the Bases Conversion and Development Authority before the July 31 completion date should the lockdown end as scheduled on April 14.
The Clark International Airport’s new terminal is designed to increase the capacity of the airport from four million to 12 million passengers per annum.
Its construction is being undertaken by Megawide GMR Construction Joint Venture Inc., which won the expansion project in December 2017 by submitting the lowest bid at P9.36 billion under a hybrid public-private partnership scheme.
Megawide and Indian airport developer GMR are also behind the development of the MCIA and the contractor of the multi-awarded MCIA Terminal 2.
“We learned a lot during the construction of MCIA Terminal 2. We applied all these learnings in the Clark project, including engineering techniques such as the use of glued-laminated timber for a full roof structure, and many others,” Saavedra said.
https://www.philstar.com/business/2020/04/07/2005891/megawide-confident-completing-new-clark-passenger-terminal
Megawide, together with its partner GMR Infrastructure Ltd. of India, is actually ahead of schedule in constructing the Clark International Airport’s new passenger terminal building prior to the imposition of the community quarantine in Luzon, Megawide chairman and CEO Edgar Saavedra said.
“That we were ahead of schedule in the construction of the new Clark passenger terminal building is a testament to all the hard work and dedication of the people on the ground such as our engineering and construction teams,” he said.
Saavedra said construction of the new terminal, access roads, bus station, and car parks is 96 percent complete with only minor works remaining.
He said the new terminal building shell has been substantially completed, and installation of mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire-protection works as well as construction of the landside works are already in the final stages.
“The ECQ has minimal impact on our construction timelines for Clark International Airport primarily because engineering and construction are Megawide’s core strengths and the fact that we leveraged on what we learned from the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) expansion,” he said.
Saavedra said Megawide is confident that the construction project may still be turned over to the Bases Conversion and Development Authority before the July 31 completion date should the lockdown end as scheduled on April 14.
The Clark International Airport’s new terminal is designed to increase the capacity of the airport from four million to 12 million passengers per annum.
Its construction is being undertaken by Megawide GMR Construction Joint Venture Inc., which won the expansion project in December 2017 by submitting the lowest bid at P9.36 billion under a hybrid public-private partnership scheme.
Megawide and Indian airport developer GMR are also behind the development of the MCIA and the contractor of the multi-awarded MCIA Terminal 2.
“We learned a lot during the construction of MCIA Terminal 2. We applied all these learnings in the Clark project, including engineering techniques such as the use of glued-laminated timber for a full roof structure, and many others,” Saavedra said.
https://www.philstar.com/business/2020/04/07/2005891/megawide-confident-completing-new-clark-passenger-terminal
Gov’t set to announce decision on Luzon lockdown
THE government was expected to announce its decision by late Monday on whether it would extend a Luzon-wide lockdown to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.
A task force made up of Cabinet officials was still assessing the health crisis, its spokesman Karlo Alexei B. Nograles told a news briefing on Monday morning.
A technical working group headed by the Department of Health was still studying data on COVID-19 cases, he added.
“You can be assured that in deciding the matter, the Inter-Agency Task Force and President Rodrigo R. Duterte will consider what the experts say,” Mr. Nograles said in Filipino.
“The President is seriously evaluating the inputs and suggestions given by various sectors of society for either the extension or the lifting of the enhanced community quarantine or lockdown,” presidential spokesman Salvador S. Panelo said in an e-mailed reply to a pool of questions.
Mr. Duterte will “take the best option that will purge us of this pandemic,” he said.
Mr. Nograles said at the weekend the task force would probably announce its recommendations to Mr. Duterte by April 6.
The technical working group is composed of officials from the National Economic and Development Authority, Philippine Institute for Development Studies, Department of Science and Technology and experts from the academe, health, economic and security sectors.
Cebu Rep. Rodrigo A. Abellanosa in a statement said the government should stagger the lifting of the so-called enhanced community quarantine for Luzon and enforce localized quarantines.
He said lockdown may be imposed per village or clusters of villages and by employment communities such as construction, food production, food processing, manufacturing, call centers, building maintenance and the like.
Mr. Abellanosa said food deliveries and public transportation may be allowed to operate but only within the local quarantines.
Authorities can persuade supermarkets, big grocery stores and food wholesalers to hire out-of-work drivers, cashiers and baggers. Standby jeepneys, trucks and buses may also be hired to set up mobile stores, while law enforcers must “actively discourage” residents from going out of their local quarantines. — Gillian M. Cortez and Genshen L. Espedido
https://www.bworldonline.com/govt-set-to-announce-decision-on-luzon-lockdown/
A task force made up of Cabinet officials was still assessing the health crisis, its spokesman Karlo Alexei B. Nograles told a news briefing on Monday morning.
A technical working group headed by the Department of Health was still studying data on COVID-19 cases, he added.
“You can be assured that in deciding the matter, the Inter-Agency Task Force and President Rodrigo R. Duterte will consider what the experts say,” Mr. Nograles said in Filipino.
“The President is seriously evaluating the inputs and suggestions given by various sectors of society for either the extension or the lifting of the enhanced community quarantine or lockdown,” presidential spokesman Salvador S. Panelo said in an e-mailed reply to a pool of questions.
Mr. Duterte will “take the best option that will purge us of this pandemic,” he said.
Mr. Nograles said at the weekend the task force would probably announce its recommendations to Mr. Duterte by April 6.
The technical working group is composed of officials from the National Economic and Development Authority, Philippine Institute for Development Studies, Department of Science and Technology and experts from the academe, health, economic and security sectors.
Cebu Rep. Rodrigo A. Abellanosa in a statement said the government should stagger the lifting of the so-called enhanced community quarantine for Luzon and enforce localized quarantines.
He said lockdown may be imposed per village or clusters of villages and by employment communities such as construction, food production, food processing, manufacturing, call centers, building maintenance and the like.
Mr. Abellanosa said food deliveries and public transportation may be allowed to operate but only within the local quarantines.
Authorities can persuade supermarkets, big grocery stores and food wholesalers to hire out-of-work drivers, cashiers and baggers. Standby jeepneys, trucks and buses may also be hired to set up mobile stores, while law enforcers must “actively discourage” residents from going out of their local quarantines. — Gillian M. Cortez and Genshen L. Espedido
https://www.bworldonline.com/govt-set-to-announce-decision-on-luzon-lockdown/
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