More drinking fountains for LRT 1 passengers

Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC) has partnered with Maynilad Water Services Inc. in providing its riders with potable water as part of the company’s P500-million thrust to improve the services of the decades-old Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 1.

Tuesday saw the inauguration of five additional drinking fountains in the railway line, bringing the total number of water stations to 10.

Now, more passengers have access to potable water at the Doroteo Jose, Tayuman, R. Papa, United Nations, 5th Avenue, Baclaran, Monumento, Roosevelt, Carriedo and Balintawak stations.

“We are very excited to partner with Maynilad for the GinhaWash program and hopeful to explore more locations for more drinking fountains for our passengers,” LRMC President Juan F. Alfonso said on Tuesday.

LRMC and Maynilad both aim to increase access to water, sanitation and hygiene as part of the improvements being made by LRMC for LRT 1.

“We look forward to more partnerships with Maynilad in the future, for a ‘biyaheng better every day’ experience for our riding public.” Alfonso added.

The private operator started implementing its P500-million station-improvement program in 2015. It is expected to be completed by end-2018.

Meanwhile, the DOTR, LRTA, LRMC and JICA on "The Detailed Design Study of the LRT LINE 1 CAVITE EXTENSION PROJECT Baclaran-Niog"

The existing LRT-1 stations from Baclaran to Monumento, while the North Extension stations Malvar, Balintawak, Roosevelt and Trinoma Common Station using the  "Architectural - Site Development Plan", as well the "Vicinity Map and Location Plan" and "Perspective" in their documents.

LRMC holds the concession for the operations, maintenance and extension of the LRT 1. It signed the agreement with the government on October 2, 2014.

The company will operate and maintain the oldest overhead train system in the Philippines for 32 years.

It is a company led by Metro Pacific Investments Corp. and Ayala Corp.

TANAUAN | Tanauan City Sports Complex

TANAUAN CITY SPORTS COMPLEX

Components:

1. 5,500 seater INDOOR SPORTS ARENA
2. Oval Track & Field with 4,000 seater GRANDSTAND
3. 3-4 storey building for TANAUAN CITY SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
4. 4 storey SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL DORMITORY BUILDING
5. 3 storey DEPED TANAUAN CITY DIVISION ADMINISTRATION BUILDING
6. 50-meter OLYMPIC SIZE SWIMMING POOL

SM developing more malls in provinces

SM Prime Holdings, Inc. is on track to achieve its five-year road map that targets to double revenues and profits by 2018, supported by its aggressive mall and residential expansion.

The holding firm for country’s richest man Henry Sy, Sr.’s property investments is currently on the last year of this five-year vision, which should see SM Prime book double the P16.3-billion net income and P59.8-billion revenue it had in 2013.

“We are on schedule to meet the five-year program unveiled in 2013. The growth will be driven by malls and residential operation complemented by offices and hotels and convention centers,” SM Prime said in a presentation to investors for the month of January.

For its mall expansion, SM Prime ended 2017 with a total of 9.3 million square meters (sq.m.) in gross floor area (GFA). Of this, 86% are covered by the 67 malls in the Philippines, while 14% come from seven malls in China.

This brings the company closer to its target of 10.5 million sq.m by end-2018.

SM Prime disclosed it has eight malls lined up in the following years, primarily located outside of Metro Manila. The company will be opening in the following locations: SM Center Imus in Cavite, SM City Legazpi in Albay, SM City Urdaneta in Pangasinan, SM City Telabastagan in San Fernando, Pampanga, SM City Ormoc in Leyte, SM City Dagupan, SM Moonwalk Parañaque, and SM Center Cabuyao in Laguna.

“New malls are geared towards provincial cities,” the company said.

SM Development Corp. (SMDC), which manages the company’s residential business, launched a total of 117,424 units across 54 projects under the primary home component in 2017. This marks a 15% increase in number of units year on year.

SMDC would have to launch 11 more projects in 2018 to hit its target of 65 projects by the end of 2018, for a total of 132,424 units.

For the leisure component, SMDC had a total of 16 projects by the end of last year with 2,363 units. The company looks to end 2018 with three more launches for a total of 19, composed of 2,600 units.

SM Prime’s commercial business had a total of six towers in 2017 covering 0.38 million sq.m., the same figure as in 2016. The company is currently constructing ThreeE-Com Center within the Mall of Asia complex, which will be completed in 2018. The tower will add a GFA of 130,000 sq.m., up to SM Prime’s target of 0.51 million sq.m. and seven towers by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, the company has already reached its target of 1,510 rooms and six project for hotels and convention centers. These include six hotels, four SMX Convention Centers, three Megatrade Halls with over 37,000 sq.m. of leasable space.

SM Prime’s earnings grew by 14.9% in the first nine months of 2017 to P20 billion, against the P17.5 billion in the first three quarters of 2016. The company’s revenues climbed by 12% to P64.7 billion in the same period. — Arra B. Francia

Brace for heavier traffic in Quezon City

Work on MRT 7 shifts to North Avenue, Commonwealth area

Traffic flow in Quezon City will go from bad to worse before it gets better. —NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

The Metro Rail Transit 7 (MRT 7) Project Traffic Management Task Force has advised motorists and commuters to brace for heavier traffic in areas near the rail system’s different construction sites starting today.

Motorists should avoid North Avenue in particular and take alternate routes as workers start installing the rail track toward Quezon Memorial Circle (QMC) station.

The working area will occupy two lanes on the center of North Avenue with three lanes going to QMC and two lanes going to Edsa remaining open to motorists, according to the task force’s advisory.

Work starts on 2 more stations

Motorists should also brace for heavier traffic on both the westbound and eastbound lanes of Commonwealth Avenue as construction of Don Antonio and Batasan stations begin.

On the other hand, work on University Avenue, Manggahan, Doña Carmen and Regalado stations are expected to start in the first quarter of the year.

The 22.8-kilometer-long, 14-station MRT 7 will start in San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan province, and end at Unified Grand Central station on North Avenue, Quezon City.

The rapid transit line, a project of the Aquino administration which began in April 2016, is expected to be operational by the fourth quarter of 2019.

Read more: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/960212/brace-for-heavier-traffic-in-quezon-city#ixzz54EbXqnNd 

Follow us: @inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook

Motorists advised to expect heavy traffic on North Ave. as MRT7 construction begins

The Metro Rail Transit-7 Project Traffic Management Task Force advised the public to expect heavy traffic on roads where construction of the MRT7 is ongoing, according to a report on Unang Balita on Monday by Bernadette Reyes.

Motorists were advised to avoid North Avenue in Quezon City since the installation of the rail tracks going toward the Quezon Memorial Circle will commence on Monday.

The task force said motorists may seek alternate routes.

Construction for the MRT7 is also ongoing on Commonwealth Avenue.

The MRT7 is a 22-kilometer rail transit system with 14 stations connecting North Avenue in Quezon City to San Jose del Monte in Bulacan.

Its stations will include North Avenue, Quezon City Memorial Circle, University Avenue, Tandang Sora, Don Antonio, Batasan, Manggahan, Doña Carmen, Regalado, Mindanao Avenue, Quirino, Sacred Heart, Tala, and San Jose Del Monte.

‘Build’ goes in full swing

The government’s Build, Build, Build program is expected to go on full gear this year, with around 60 projects already under the construction and in the pre-construction phases, said Gil Beltran,  undersecretary of the Department of Finance (DOF).

This developed as DOF  is eyeing to submit to Congress the second package of the comprehensive tax reform program (CTRP) as session resumes today.

According to data provided by Beltran, 44 major infrastructure projects are under construction as of January 10, while 15 are in the pre-construction phase.

“The BBB policy will go on a high gear. There are already 60 projects, big ones, the project cost of those is P1.8 trillion mostly funded by (Official Development Assistance). The projects are already under construction or under pre-construction, they are putting the finer details,” Beltran said.

Carlos Dominguez III, finance secretary, said the  roll-out of big-ticket infrastructure projects are proceeding as planned following the signing into law by President Duterte and the subsequent  implementation of the Tax Reform Acceleration and Inclusion Act (TRAIN), which slashes personal income tax rates while raising additional revenues for infrastructure and social services.

About 70 percent of the incremental revenues from the TRAIN have been earmarked for infrastructure, and up to 30 percent for social services.

“It’s coming together. Believe it or not, even I am surprised. The money is coming in from our tax, the loans are coming in, the implementing agencies are getting their act together, its coming together,”Dominguez said.

Included in the projects listed under construction are, among others, the Metro Manila Skyway 3, Mactan-Cebu International Airport Project, CALAX Expressway, MRT7, and the PNR South Long Haul.

Meanwhile, those under the pre-construction phase include the Mega Manila Subway, Metro Manila Bus Rapid Transit, Malolos-Clark Rail, Metro Manila Flood Control, and the North-South Commuter Rail, among others.

The government earlier said that it is planning to spend some P8.4 trillion on its infrastructure program, dubbed as the Build, Build, Build agenda, over the medium term, or about $168billion in the next five years.

Based on earlier estimates done by the National Economic and Development Authority, the Build, Build, Build program is expected to generate 823,696 jobs this year; 1,115,999 jobs in 2019; 1,228,964 jobs in 2020; 1,399,463 jobs in 2021; and 1,705,021 jobs in 2022.

Following the enactment of the TRAIN, which slashes personal income tax rates while raising additional revenues for infrastructure and social services, the DOF is preparing to introduce to Congress the second package of the CTRP, which focuses on reducing corporate income tax (CIT) rates while rationalizing fiscal incentives.

“We should be ready by the 15th, because that’s when they (Congress) will open. We are just putting the final touches on it,” Carlos Dominguez III, finance secretary, said.

“We write to the speaker, we officially transmit to the speaker of the house. Usually, the committee will review it first and then endorse it to the chair. The chair will file it, (it will have a) house number, and then it will be read again in the plenary and referred to the committee. There’s a process,” said Karl Kendrick Chua, finance undersecretary.

Under package two, the DOF aims to lower the CIT rate to 25 percent, while rationalizing incentives for companies to make these “performance-based, targeted, time-bound, and transparent,” Chua said.

Through this proposal, the DOF said the government would be able to ensure that incentives granted to businesses generate jobs, stimulate the economy in the countryside and promote research and development; contain sunset provisions so that tax perks do not last forever; and are reported so the government can determine the magnitude of their costs and benefits to the economy.  

Expect heavier traffic along roads near MRT-7 construction sites

Motorists have been warned of a heavier traffic flow along roads near the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) Line 7 construction sites following the installations of rail tracks and construction of stations that would start in the first quarter of 2018.

In an advisory on Friday, the MRT-7 Traffic Management Task Force announced its traffic management plan concerning the affected areas of the transit line’s construction.

North Avenue

The task force advised motorists to avoid North Avenue and take alternative routes when the installation of the rail track toward Quezon Memorial Circle Station starts on January 15.

The construction would occupy two lanes at the center of North Avenue. The three lanes going toward Quezon Memorial Circle Station and two lanes going to EDSA would remain passable.

Commonwealth Avenue

Motorists were also warned of heavier traffic on both westbound and eastbound sides of Commonwealth Avenue due to the construction of Don Antonio and Batasan Stations.

Construction of University Avenue, Manggahan, Doña Carmen and Regalado Stations were also expected to commence by the first quarter of the year, the task force said.

Quirino Highway

In addition, the MRT-7 traffic task force said installation of rail tracks along Quirino Highway in Caloocan City was scheduled to start this January.

Motorists were advised to continue to take alternate routes to avoid the expected traffic in the area.

“The Task Force appeals to the riding public and to both the private and public motorists for their full cooperation by observing traffic rules and regulations while the said construction activities are ongoing,” the task force said in a statement on Friday.

The MRT-7, once finished, would have an elevated transit line spanning 22.8 kilometers from San Jose del Monte, Bulacan to North Avenue, Quezon City. /jpv



Read more: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/959740/expect-heavier-traffic-along-roads-near-mrt-7-construction-sites-mrt-7-traffic-construction-advisory-traffic-management#ixzz54A9gY38D
Follow us: @inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook

Fire hits Brother Mike’s commercial property

Firefighters battle the flames at the Velarde property in Barangay San Dionisio, Parañaque City, on Saturday.—CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

A fire damaged a commercial building owned by televangelist Bro. Mike Z. Velarde in Parañaque City early Saturday morning.

A report reaching Supt. Robert Pasis, head of the city’s Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) office, said the fire started around 1 a.m. at a grocery store inside Amvel City Compound in Barangay San Dionisio.

It reached the fifth alarm and was declared out at 8:23 a.m.

There were no reported injuries in the fire that, based on BFP estimates, caused damage to property worth P2 million.

Insp. Wilson Tana, arson investigation chief, said about 70 percent of the building was destroyed.

Aside from the grocery, the structure is rented by tenants running private offices and a canteen, Velarde said in a radio interview.

It also houses a food court, a water refilling station, and electronics and accessories stores.

Velarde, founder of the religious group El Shaddai and owner of real estate development and broadcasting companies, said he had earlier plans to demolish and replace the 10-year-old structure to maximize the use of the lot where it now stands and use it for a call center company.

“(Buildings of) up to five stories are allowed here,” he said.

Adjacent to the building is an open area where El Shaddai followers hold their worship services.

Velarde said the fire would not affect their activities.

“That will not be the case because they are really separate areas. Before, there were vendors entering the worship area. So I constructed a building for them since they were interrupting the fellowship activities. So now the vendors can temporarily (set up stalls) outside,” he said.

Shop owners renting space in the building are members of a cooperative, according to a report by Radyo Inquirer.

Quoting Velarde, the report said the damaged goods alone could already be worth  P10 million while the cost of the structural damage could go up to P40 million.

The cause of the fire remained under investigation at press time.

Pasis noted the absence of a water sprinkler system in the building, for which the owner could be held liable.

Velarde has yet to comment on such findings by the BFP.

Read more: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/960025/fire-hits-brother-mikes-commercial-property#ixzz54FrAKZ1K
Follow us: @inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook

Tinutupad na ni Digong ang pangako sa taumbayan

'Uncovered'

KABI-KABILANG mahahalagang proyekto ang naramdaman natin sa unang dalawang linggo pa lamang ng Enero 2018.

Una ang groundbreaking ng Department of Transportation (DoTr) at iba pang local government officials ng Bulacan province bilang hudyat sa konstruksiyon ng  Philippine National Railways (PNR) Clark project.

Ang unang bahagi ng konstruksiyong ito ay ang bagong riles at bagong train stations mula sa Tutuban, Manila hanggang Malolos, Bulacan.

Tiniyak ni DoTr Sec. Arthur Tugade na matatapos ang Manila to Clark Railway sa taong 2022 o bago matapos ang termino ng Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte.

Ang dating dalawang oras na biyahe mula Tutuban hanggang Malolos, Bulacan (o vice versa) ay magiging 35 minuto na lamang sakaling matapos ang nasabing proyekto.

Bukod sa Manila to Clark Railway, asahan ding matatapos ang Clark City na proyekto naman ni Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) President Vince Dizon na higit na magpapasigla sa ekonomiya sa bansa.

Ayon kay Senador JV Ejercito na pangunahing nagsusulong ng ‘railway system’ sa bansa bilang sagot sa malalang problema sa trapiko, mahigit sa 300,000 pasahero araw-araw ang mabebenepisyuhan sa proyektong ito.

“In the Build, Build, Build, what follows are more jobs. There will be a huge demand for carpenters, construction workers. It will create more jobs for our citizens,” sabi naman ni Senador Joel Villanueva.
   
Samantala, pinangunahan din ng DoTr, BCDA, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Toll Regulatory Board at ni Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano ang ‘groundbreaking’ sa South East Metro Manila Expressway Project (SEMME).
   
Ang unang bahagi ng SEMME ay ang 35 kilometro na Metro Manila C-6 Expressway na may anim na lane ang kalsada. Karugtong ito ng itinatayo ngayong Skyway Stage 1 sa FTI, Taguig City na maguugnay sa kalsada sa Batasan Complex sa Quezon City patungo naman sa North Luzon Expressway via Balagtas, Bulacan.
   
Giginhawa sa kalsadang ito ang mga pasahero mula Southern Metro Manila, Rizal province, Quezon City hanggang Bulacan province.
   
Inumpisahan naman ng DoTr, Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), katuwang ang Land Transportation Office (LTO), Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) at  local governments ang Tanggal Usok, Tanggal Bulok project laban sa mga pampublikong sasakyan.
   
Ayon kay DoTr Undersecretary Tim Orbos, hindi lamang mga bulok na sasakyan ang target ng nasabing proyekto dahil higit na pinagtutuunan nila ng pansin ngayon ang kaligtasan ng mga pasahero tulad ng pagsita sa  PUVs na kalbo ang gulong, dispalinghadong break light, mausok na sasakyan at marami pang iba.
   
Kamakalawa ay inilunsad naman ni Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Sec. Alan Peter Cayetano ang 10-year validity ng ating mga pasaporte.
   
Kasabay nito ay dinagdagan na rin ni Cayetano ang 28 consular offices na nagpuproseso sa ating passports na malaking tulong lalo sa mga kababayang Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).
   
Ayon kay Sec. Alan, matutuldukan na ang 600,000 ‘backlog’ sa passport applications noong nagdaang taon dahil ngayong 10 taon na ang validity ng pasaporte, mababawasan tiyak ang aplikante taun-taon na dating may limang taong validity sa pasaporte.
   
Malaking tulong din ang karagdagang consular offices na kayang mag-proseso ng 4,500 passport araw-araw. At ang mga ito ay nasa iba’t ibang probinsiya at lalawigan tulad ng San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte; Santiago City, Isabela; Malolos o Meycauayan cities sa Bulacan; Calamba o San Pablo cities sa Laguna; Dasmariñas City, Cavite; Antipolo City, Rizal;  Oroquieta o Ozamis cities sa Misamis Occidental at Tagum City, Davao del Norte.
   
Bukod pa rito ang pagbubukas ng apat na “passport-on-wheels” na ipakakalat sa Metro Manila at kayang mag-proseso ng 2,500 pasaporte kada araw.
   
Tulad ng pagpapaigting sa mass transport system sa bansa, ang 10-year validity passport ay ilan lamang sa mga pangako noon nina Duterte at Cayetano sa nakalipas na kampanya.
   
Isang taon pa lang sa Malakanyang si Digong pero kahit papaano, unti-unti ay natutupad na ang kanilang pangako sa taumbayan.
   
Magiging tatlo na rin ang telco provider sa Pilipinas na sagot sa problema sa wifi ngayong taong 2018 at ang inaantay na lang nating pagbabago ay ang solusyon sa problema ng MRT at LRT, habang nagpapatuloy din ang giyera kontra droga at korapsiyon sa pamahalaan.

Independent audit on MRT-3 finished by April, says DOTr Read more at http://beta.philstar.com/business/2018/01/14/1777508/independent-audit-mrt-3-finished-april-says-dotr#fCzq0Q1sl5fTyF6v.99

The independent audit and assessment (IAA) being conducted for the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) and the 48 light rail vehicles (LRVs) from CRRC Dalian Co. Ltd. is expected to be completed by April.

“We requested them to prioritize the Dalian trains. They said they would try but we don’t want to rush it. We want them to do a thorough industry standard assessment,” said Timothy Bataan, officer-in-charge undersecretary for railways at the DOTr.

The DOTr tapped TUV Rheinland as IAA consultant for the entire MRT-3 system.

Batan said the 48 LRVs remain unused unless their safety and compatibility with the MRT-3 system have been certified.

“We will not in any way try to influence their independent assessment of the 48 cars from Dalian, and we will come up with a decision based on their recommendation. If they say we can use the LRVs immediately, we will consider. And if they say we have to return them, we will return the LRVs,” he said.

Concerns were earlier raised with the 48 LRVs procured by the previous administration for P3.8 billion after they exceeded the weight prescribed in the terms of reference (49,700 kilograms vs. 46,300 kilograms).

With the current fleet of Czech-made trains, Batan said MRT-3 can operate up to 20 three-car trains.

If the 48 LRVs are cleared to run, the number could be increased to 20 four-car trains, Batan said.

“The original design capacity of MRT-3 at peak hours is 20 three-car trains, running at 60-kilometers per hour (kph), with a three-minute headway,” he added.

DOTr earlier awarded the contract for the spare parts needed for the maintenance of the MRT-3. The spare parts will start arriving in tranches from February to June.

Batan said general maintenance works on the MRT-3 would be conducted during the Holy Week break.

He also gave an assurance that there would be no fare  hike while there is no substantial improvement of MRT-3 operations.

The MRT-3, which covers North Ave. station in Quezon City until Taft station in Pasay City, serves 500,000 passengers daily.

At present, the government is handling the maintenance of the MRT-3 after it terminated the contract with Busan Universal Rail Inc. (BURI) in November last year for failure to fulfill maintenance obligations and to procure spare parts.

Since the government took over, data from the DOTr showed the average number of passengers unloading incidents declined to 24 per month.

Under BURI’s watch, the MRT-3 had an average of 39 unloading incidents per month.


Read more at http://beta.philstar.com/business/2018/01/14/1777508/independent-audit-mrt-3-finished-april-says-dotr#fCzq0Q1sl5fTyF6v.99