Meralco spends P10.9-B capex in nine months

 Power utility giant Manila Electric Company (Meralco) has registered P10.9 billion worth of capital expenditures (capex) utilized within January-September period this year, with many of its capital projects on accelerated pace of implementations after the lockdown.

According to Ronnie L. Aperocho, first vice president and head of networks of Meralco, the utility firm already spent 88-percent of its earmarked capex this year, with resumption of many projects post-enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), based on the enforcement of the government in March to May this year.

“With the reversion to GCQ (general community quarantine), Meralco began to fast-track the implementation of catch-up and critical capex projects,” he said.

The Meralco executive emphasized that despite the pandemic, a total of 600 poles have been relocated to underpin the continuing implementation of the government’s Build, Build, Build (BBB) as well as Private-Public Partnership (PPP) infrastructure projects.

These included BBB projects like the North Luzon Expressway-South Luzon Expressway (NLEX-SLEX) connector road; Skyway Stage-3; Light Rail Transit-1 Cavite Extension; Metro Rail Transit Line-7 (MRT-7); C-5 South Link; Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAEx); C3-R10 Road; Philippine National Railways (PNR) North 1; Skyway Stage 2 Extension; and SLEX toll road projects.

The power firm specified that on top of those, 579 poles were also moved or transferred for the road widening projects being advanced by the Department of Public Works and Highways.

And due to the manifest increase in household electricity usage because of the work-from-home (WFH) arrangement and online learning of students during the pandemic, the company said it similarly implemented emergency capex programs that included installations of transformer load monitoring and accelerated distribution transformer, among others.

The company stressed that it monitored a total of 12,950 incidents of distribution and secondary level outages as of end-September this year because of higher heat index and abrupt increase in load, hence, it needed to immediately implement warranted system reinforcements.

The utility firm explained that it was able to achieve improvement in distribution transformer load, through the installation of 330 distribution transformer monitoring equipment into its system.

Meralco indicated that it also put up a new 150 megavolt ampere (MVA) transformer bank last September “to resolve critical overloading of the existing transformer banks” at its Malolos substation.

“This shall provide the needed capacity to meet the load growth in Bulacan and Pampanga within the Meralco franchise area,” the utility firm emphasized.

The company likewise completed the 115-kilovolt San Mateo-Diliman-Marikina line, which is a new eight-kilometer sub-transmission line backbone stretching from Commonwealth Avenue up to Batasan-San Mateo road.

“This shall serve the San Mateo substation which is currently under development and expected to be completed by the second quarter of 2021,” the power utility company said.

https://mb.com.ph/2020/11/17/meralco-spends-p10-9-b-capex-in-nine-months/

Method statement for Erection of segmental Viaduct

Pagbangon mula sa Ulysses, palaisipan para sa ilang taga-Rodriguez, Rizal

Namatayan ng kapatid si Aprilyn Flor Cajefe nang manalasa ang bagyong Yolanda sa Tacloban City taong 2013. 

Ngayon naman, nalunod sa baha ang 14 anyos niyang kapatid dahil sa bagyong Ulysses. 

"Hindi ko magawang matulungan kasi anong magagawa ko nu’ng time na ‘yun?” ani Cajefe, na isa sa 15,000 nasa evacuation center sa bayan ng Rodriguez, Rizal na wala pang mauuwian. 

Putik na lang imbes na bahay ang nakatayo sa ilang lugar matapos ragasain ng baha ang mga bahay nang bumagyo. 

Ngayon, humihiling na lang ng relokasyon ang ilang residente. 

Abala ang lahat sa paghahakot ng puwede pang maisalbang gamit at nililinis din ang mga puwede pang pakinabangan. 

Pero may ilang tuliro pa rin sa pagsisimula pagkatapos ng unos. 

"Ito po sa mama ko, may breast cancer siya, mga document niya po pero sa tingin ko wala nang maisalba," ani Estrella Ravojo. 

"Sobrang hirap kasi magsisimula na naman sa simula," dagdag niya. 

“Sana matulungan niyo ako dito kay ako sugat, wala akong pambiling gamot.”

Pahirapan din para sa ilang residente ang pagkuha ng tubig at ang kawalan ng kuryente. 

"Mahirap na mahirap po ang ano dito, walang wala talaga, sira. Umaasa na lang po kami sa bigay-bigay na lugaw, tubig. Ni tubig nga po wala eh," ayon sa residenteng si Maria Raquel Manabat. 

Sinisikap naman ng utility companies na maibalik ang kanilang serbisyo sa lalong madaling panahon. -- Ulat ni Michael Delizo, ABS-CBN News

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/14/20/pagbangon-mula-sa-ulysses-palaisipan-para-sa-ilang-taga-rodriguez-rizal

Metro Manila Skyway

Project Status: 

• N. Domingo Bridge also known as Pinaglabanan Bridge (Old Sta. Mesa Bridge) opened to the public on March 11, 2020
• Sevilla Bridge opened to the public on August 17, 2020
• Quirino South Bound On Ramp (beginning at Concordia straight to Buendia, Skyway Stage 1) was completed and opened to traffic on July 22, 2019
• Quirino North Bound East Off Ramp (along Osmeña Highway and terminate before Quirino Ave.) was completed and opened to traffic on December 23, 2019
• Work stoppage from March 16, 2020 to May 15, 2020 due to ECQ in Luzon
• Concreting works for the entire main viaduct slabs including the reconstruction of fire affected structures in Sec. 2B was completed on October 11, 2020
• Ongoing construction of Section 1 Buendia-Quirino-Nagtahan, 91.08% accomplishment
• Ongoing construction of Section 2A Nagtahan-Tomas Claudio, 93.96% accomplishment
• Construction of Section 2A Tomas Claudio – PUP Sta. Mesa, 0% accomplishment
• Ongoing construction of Section 2B Tomas Claudio-Ramon Magsaysay Avenue, 94.77% accomplishment
• Ongoing construction of Section 3 Ramon Magsaysay to Quezon Ave., 97.35% accomplishment
• Ongoing construction of Section 4 Quezon Avenue – Balintawak, Q.C., 78.28% accomplishment
• Ongoing construction of Section 5 Balintawak, Q.C. – NLEX Footbridge, 92.70% accomplishment
• Overall construction accomplishment 92.17% (excluding Section 2A’)
• Construction of ramps accomplishment 50.35% (4 ramps completed, 19 ramps ongoing construction, 6 ramps under planning – total: 29 ramps)

Ramps completed:

• RN1 – Northbound On-Ramp Buendia (Open to traffic)
• RS1 – Southbound Off-Ramp Buendia (Open to traffic)
• RN2 – Northbound Off-Ramp Osmeña~Quirino (Open to traffic)
• RS3 – Southbound On-Ramp Plaza Dilao (Open to traffic)

Ramps ongoing construction:

• RN2 – Northbound On-Ramp Quirino
• RS3 – Southbound Off-Ramp Plaza Dilao
• RS3’ – Southbound Off-Ramp United Nations
• RN3 – Northbound Off-Ramp Nagtahan
• RN3-1 – Northbound On-Ramp Nagtahan
• RS3-1 – Southbound Off-Ramp Nagtahan
• RN5 – Northbound On-Ramp Araneta
• RS5 – Southbound Off-Ramp Araneta
• RN6 – Northbound Off-Ramp Quezon Ave.
• RS6 – Southbound Off-Ramp Quezon Ave.
• RN7 – Northbound On-Ramp Talayan-Quezon Ave.
• RS7 – Southbound Off-Ramp Talayan-Quezon Ave. (completed except asphalt overlay)
• RN8 – Northbound Off-Ramp to C3
• RS8 – Southbound On-Ramp from C3
• RS8-1 – Southbound Off-Ramp to C3
• RS9 – Southbound On-Ramp Balintawak/Ayala (with utilities obstruction)
• RN9 – Northbound Off-Ramp Balintawak/Ayala (with utilities obstruction)
• RN10 – Northbound Off-Ramp NLEX
• RS10 – Southbound On-Ramp NLEX

Ramps under planning:

• RS2 – Southbound On-Ramp Quirino-Osmeña
• RN2 – Northbound Off-Ramp Osmeña-Roxas Blvd.
• RN4 – Northbound On-Ramp Pandacan
• RS4 – Southbound Off-Ramp Pandacan
• RN4’ – Northbound Off-Ramp Valenzuela Street
• RS4’ – Southbound Off-Ramp Valenzuela Street

Overall Right-of-Way accomplishment (Site Possession) 95%(excluding Section 2A’), 231 out of 350 lots to be acquired with Permit to Enter

NLEX SLEX CONNECTOR ROAD 11-10-20

Map of Metro Manila with Barangays

 

Labella bans Christmas caroling: Covid-19 is still very much around

Mayor Edgardo Labella has agreed to ban prohibit Christmas street caroling in Cebu City to avoid the further spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19).

“In order to ensure that the city’s programs and measures to mitigate the spread of the Covid-19 are maintained, the City of Cebu sees the need to impose a ban on street caroling within Cebu City within the period of community quarantine,” Labella’s Executive Order (EO) 104 read.

The EO defines caroler as “a person or group of persons who sing or dance to the tune of a song or music of praise or devotion heralding the birth of the Saviour on Christmas Day or any other tune whether for a charitable purpose, for a consideration or gratuitously. It includes persons furnishing music for the carolers.” (https://bit.ly/3eM312Y)

The mayor said caroling creates mass gathering as those who carol are often groups that go from house to house.

“If there is caroling, there will be a mass gathering. They will group together and go around, to go to houses, but this is something we have to avoid. I hope our carol singers will understand that, like our other traditions, we have to suspend this because we are still in the middle of a pandemic. Whether we like it or not, the virus is still very much around,” he furthered.

The city’s Emergency Operations Center and the Department of Health- 7 earlier pushed for the ban on Christmas caroling this year so as not to reverse the city’s progress in its fight against Covid-19.

https://visayas.politics.com.ph/labella-bans-xmas-caroling-covid-19-is-still-very-much-around/

DILG urges public to shift to online caroling

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) yesterday urged the public to shift to online caroling during the Christmas season, given the threat of COVID-19.

With proposals to ban the traditional house-to-house caroling likely to be approved, DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said people should consider doing the activity online.

“If there would be caroling, probably go online instead,” he said in Filipino over Teleradyo.

Año said caroling would physically put people, especially children, at risk of contracting the disease.

The department chief said while measures have already been placed to contain COVID-19, the virus remains a threat.

“For now it’s not feasible because we have yet to flatten the curve,” Año said.

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) has yet to come up with a resolution banning caroling, as recommended by local chief executives in Metro Manila.

The Philippine National Police, which has been implementing quarantine protocols, has backed the proposed ban.

Metro Manila mayors have agreed, as well, to ban caroling in Metro Manila this Christmas season, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority general manager Jojo Garcia said yesterday.

The mayors came to the agreement during a virtual meeting Sunday, Garcia said.

Mayors agreed to ban caroling to avoid mass gatherings amid the pandemic, Malabon Mayor Antolin Oreta III and Navotas Mayor Toby Tiangco both said.

The proposal will be forwarded to the IATF for its decision.

Health Undersecretary Rosario Vergeire had backed the proposed ban after studies have shown that singing increases the risk of virus transmission.

The proposed ban also followed the mayors’ agreement to ban Christmas parties in the metropolis, the epicenter of the virus outbreak, even as quarantine restrictions had been eased.

Likewise, the Archdiocese of Manila (RCAM) discouraged parishes and groups under it from holding Christmas parties to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

RCAM Chancellor Fr. Reginald Malicdem issued instructions to their clergy on the celebration of Advent, Simbang Gabi and Christmas, wherein it was mentioned that they are dissuading parishes, organizations and groups under their archdiocese from holding Christmas parties.

“We discourage parishes, communities and groups, in the RCAM from holding Christmas parties this year. We know that the gathering of people is an occasion usually prone to the spread of the virus,” said Malicdem. – Marc Jayson Cayabyab, Evelyn Macairan

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/11/11/2056028/dilg-urges-public-shift-online-caroling

62 anyos driver patay sa pamamaril sa QC

Patay ang isang 62 na ayos na lalaki na driver ng isang catering service matapos pagbabarilin sa Brgy. Holy Spirit sa Quezon City nitong Martes.

Kinilala ang biktima na si Lito Vidania, driver ng Red Spider Catering Services.

Ayon sa anak ng biktima, papunta dapat sa Divisoria umaga ng Martes si Vidania kasama ang kanyang amo, pero nasira raw ang kanilang sasakyan. Kaya umuwi na lang muna siya para mananghalian. 

Umalis aniya si Vidania para ayusin ang kaniyang sasakyan.

Pero, pasado alas-3 ng hapon ay pinagababaril ito sa Sta. Monica Street sa nasabing barangay at agad namatay.

Agad umano tumakas ang gunman sakay ng motorsiklo. 

Nakabulagta sa loob ng sasakyan sa driver’s side and biktima.

Base sa inisyal na imbestigasyon, 3 basyo ng bala ang nakita sa crime scene, ayon kay Staff Sgt. Jofrancis Burawes, imbestigador ng QCPD Station 14.

Inaalam pa ng pulisya kung nahagip ng mga CCTV camera ang pamamaril. — Wheng Hidalgo, ABS-CBN News

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/10/20/62-anyos-driver-patay-pamamaril-quezon-city

COVID-19 prompts Metro Manila mayors to urge IATF ban on caroling

Metro Manila mayors have unanimously agreed to recommend the banning of caroling this upcoming Christmas season amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Yes po," Metro Manila Council chairman Parañaque Mayor Edwin Olivarez told GMA News Online when asked if they local chiefs would recommend the ban to the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF).

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) general manager Jojo Garcia said it was a "unanimous" decision that the Metro Manila mayors reached at a meeting over the weekend.

"Mayors meeting last sunday. Unanimous wala muna caroling this year. Will recommend sa IATF," MMDA General Manager Jojo said.

Manila and Quezon City already banned caroling in the streets over the Christmas holidays amid due to the virus.

The Joint Task Force COVID Shield over the weekend also supported proposals to ban caroling during the 2020 Christmas season due to the danger of COVID-19 infections among children.

Secretary of the Interior and Local Government and National Task Force on COVID-19 Vice Chairman Eduardo Año also supported the caroling ban. -NB, GMA News

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/metro/763528/covid-19-prompts-metro-manila-mayors-to-urge-iatf-ban-on-caroling/story/