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