Skyway Stage 3 pansamantalang isasara simula gabi ng Enero 6

Pansamantalang isasara ang Skyway Stage 3 mula Buendia, Makati City hanggang Balintawak, Quezon City simula gabi ng Miyerkoles hanggang madaling araw ng Huwebes.

Sa isang Twitter post, sinabi ng Skyway O&M Corp. na sarado ang Skyway mula alas-10 ng gabi hanggang alas-4 ng madaling araw para bigyang daan ang ilang construction-related activities.

Motorist Advisory #SkywayStage3 #Skyway pic.twitter.com/wnXhon91gS

— SKYWAY SOMCO (@SkywaySOMCO) January 6, 2021

Sarado rin umano ang naturang daan mula alas-10 ng gabi ng Huwebes hanggang alas-4 ng madaling araw ng Biyernes.

Binuksan noong Disyembre 29 sa mga motorista ang 4 na lane ng Skyway Stage 3 project.

Nauna nang sinabi ng San Miguel Corp. na magagamit simula Enero 14 ang lahat ng 7 lane ng daan.

Wala rin munang toll fee sa unang buwan ng Skyway Stage 3 operations.

Dinurugtong ng proyekto ang North Luzon Expressway at South Luzon Expressway, at binabawasan ang travel time sa pagitan ng Buendia at Balintawak.

Nagsisilbi ring alternatibo ang Skyway Stage 3 sa EDSA para makabiyahe ang mga motorista sa iba't ibang lungsod sa Metro Manila.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/06/21/skyway-stage-3-pansamantalang-isasara-simula-gabi-ng-enero-6

ABS-CBN shares claw back losses on Sotto's fresh franchise bill

Shares in media giant ABS-CBN Corp. soared on Tuesday as investors cheered the filing of a franchise bill at the Senate, boosting early hopes of a return to free TV and radio for the Kapamilya network.

Price of ABS-CBN stocks gained 17.5% from previous day to close at P13.70 each, the highest level since July 10 last year when the Lopez-led network was denied a fresh franchise by Congress. 

At the time, House legislators denied the network a franchise after trading hours put the stock price at P14.78 apiece.

The company bucked a bearish sentiment at the main index, which shed 0.88% after investors booked profits after the local bourse ended 2020 and started 2021 on a high note.

“The sudden rally is a knee-jerk reaction from the news about the bill filed to renew ABS-CBN’s legislative franchise,” Anna Corenne Agravio, equity analyst at Regina Capital, said in a text message when sought for comment.

Citing the network’s wide audience reach, Sotto on Monday filed Senate Bill 1967 seeking to renew ABS-CBN’s broadcast license that expired last May 4 for another 25 years.

While the upper chamber cannot tackle or pass the measure without the Lower House doing it first, Sotto’s move prompted Batangas Rep. Vilma Santos-Recto to pledge on filing a counterpart bill at the House of Representatives.

It was at the lower chamber where allies of President Rodrigo Duterte delayed and then ultimately denied ABS-CBN’s pleading for a fresh license to air, triggering the network’s first shutdown since the Marcos dictatorship. Prior to that, Duterte had repeatedly attacked ABS-CBN for its coverage of his administration.

Since then, over 5,000 ABS-CBN employees were laid off in a cost-cutting program targeted at ensuring the network stay financially afloat. The network had since shifted mostly to digital platform before striking a block-time deal with Zoe TV last October that allowed it to air some programs in select areas in the archipelago.

That news of a partnership, at the time, also triggered a massive stock rally of 50% in October 7 to P13.50. Since then, ABS-CBN’s shares had been trading smoothly until Tuesday’s spike. 

From these latest stock gains however, Regina Capital’s Agravio said it would take sustained legislative support for a franchise could keep the momentum for ABS-CBN.

“At this point, it looks like any fundamental development regarding the bill and/or further support from Senate could sustain the stock’s rally, although any significant breakout is hinged on whether or not the bill gets approved,” she said.

https://www.philstar.com/business/2021/01/05/2068378/abs-cbn-shares-claw-back-losses-sottos-fresh-franchise-bill

Boskalis - Manila Bay animation

SC junks petition to stop SMC’s new airport project in Bulacan

The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday, January 5, dismissed a Writ of Kalikasan petition which pleaded to stop San Miguel Corp. (SMC) from constructing the New Manila International Airport, known as the Aerocity Airport Project, on a 2,500-hectare foreshore area in Bulakan town, Bulacan province.

The denial of the petition filed by fisherfolk and several multi-sector groups was confirmed by Chief Justice Diosdado M. Peralta in a text message. No details were disclosed, except that the petition was “not sufficient in form and substance.”

A Writ of Kalikasan is a legal remedy for the protection of one’s right to “a balanced and healthful ecology in accord with the rhythm and harmony of nature,” under Section 16, Article II of the Constitution.

In their petition, the groups told the SC that site of the new airport has been classified by the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA) as forestland and permanent forestland.

They claimed the project would violate many environmental laws, adversely affect the migratory bird population, and increase risks to climate change impacts that would devastate the marine habitat.

They also claimed that the Airport Project Area and the Airport City Area cover forest and permanent forest land that are not alienable and disposable, thus, there is a violation of  Republic Act 4701 or An Act  Declaring a Portion of the Foreshore Fronting Manila Bay Along the Province of Bulacan as Bulacan Fishing Reservation.          

At the same time, they alleged that portions of the areas covering the project are classified as public forest and fishery reserves and, thus, inalienable.

The airport project, they said, violates RA 7160 or the Local Government Code which mandates public consultation and local government ordinance on projects that impact on the environment and aggravate climate change.

The petitioners were represented by Teodoro Bacon and Rodel Alvarez, together with Oceana through its Vice President, Atty. Gloria Estenzo Ramos, and Archbishop Roger Martinez of the Archdiocese of San Jose del Monte.  They were joined by the Aniban ng mga Mangagawa sa Agrikultura led by its chairperson Renato de la Cruz.

Oceana is an international advocacy organization dedicated to protecting the world’s oceans.

Named respondents were Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Roy Cimatu, Environmental Management Bureau Region III Regional Director Wilson Trajeco, Department of Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, San Miguel Aerocity President/CEO Ramon S. Ang, and Silvertides President/CEO Hercules V. Galicia.

SMC’s Aerocity, with its subsidiary-contractor Silvertides Holdings, also envisioned the construction and development of a 12,000-hectare township that features a residential zone, government center, seaport, and an industrial zone.

The petitioners claimed that the projects also violate the provisions of RA  8550 or the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998; RA 9275 or the Clean Water Act; RA 9729 or the Climate Change Act; RA 10654 or An Act to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing, Amending RA No. 8550 or The Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998; Presidential Decree 705, also known as the Revised Forestry Code of the Philippines; Presidential Decree 1586 or the Philippine Environmental Impact Statement Law; and several other administrative issuances, memoranda and circular pertaining to environmental protection.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/01/05/sc-junks-petition-to-stop-smcs-new-airport-project-in-bulacan/

Back to work

A construction worker performs an on-site task at an MRT-7 post. The construction of the 22-kilometer MRT-7 from North Avenue in Quezon City to San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan with 14 stations is expected to be finished by 2022. 

MATINDI ITO! 148 KM CLARK-CALAMBA RAILWAY PROJECT! NSCR UPDATE. SIGHTSEE...

Aerial View | MRT-7 Update As Of Jan. 02, 2021 | From SM North to Pangarap

More Edsa decongestion projects to be completed soon: DPWH

By Ferdinand Patinio

More big-ticket projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) particularly the Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (Edsa) decongestion program are expected to be finished in the first month of the year.

According to Secretary Mark Villar, several undertakings that will help lessen or end traffic woes along the said major thoroughfare will soon be inaugurated.

“We can expect the bridges across Pasig river to follow, these are the big-ticket projects of EDSA decongestion,” he said in a video posted recently on his Facebook account.

Among the projects under the program was the 18-kilometer Skyway Stage 3 project which was partially opened on Dec. 29. It will be fully operational on Jan. 14.

Villar and San Miguel Corporation (SMC) president Ramon Ang led the event on Tuesday, where motorists were able to access the elevated expressway for free for a month.

The DPWH chief said the project, linking the northern and southern portion of Metro Manila will reduce the usual two-hour travel from the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) to the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX)s to only 30 minutes. Makati to Quezon City will only be 20 minutes away.

The Skyway Stage 3 is an 18-km. elevated expressway spanning from Buendia in Makati to Balintawak in Quezon City.

Early this year, two-big ticket projects under the Edsa decongestion masterplan was also completed: the NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10, a 5.58 km, 6-lane divided elevated expressway utilizing the existing PNR railroad tracks connecting McArthur Highway, C-3 road in Caloocan and Malabon, and the NLEX Harbor Link R-10 Exit Ramp — a 2.6km, 4-lane elevated ramp which connects Caloocan, Malabon, and Valenzuela to Manila.

Villar added that the other projects that are expected to be finished soon are the BGC-Ortigas Link Bridge, the Pantaleon Estrella Bridge, the Binondo Intramuros Bridge, among others.

“The BGC bridge, Estrella-Pantaleon bridge will soon be finished. So in 2021, we assured that these big-ticket projects of President Duterte will be inaugurated,” he said.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1126127

DOTR: PNR Clark rail project on track to be operational

The Department of Transportation said Thursday the Philippine National Railways Clark Phase 1 is on track to be operational by December this year.

It said PNR Clark Phase 1, or the Tutuban-Malolos line, had a 40.48-percent completion rate as of end-2020 and was scheduled to be partially operational by December 2021.

Phase 1 is a 38-kilometer rail line that will connect Tutuban, Manila to Malolos, Bulacan.. It is projected to reduce travel time from about 1 hour and 30 minutes to just 35 minutes.

The department said the construction of stations and viaducts were ongoing for Phase 1. Also ongoing is the installation of pre-cast segment of the girder.

The procedure includes molding and pre-stressing of segments on the fabrication yard, transport and lifting of precast segments, segment stitching and post-tensioning. This is carried out using a launching girder, winch system, span jack and pre-stressing jack and other heavy equipment.

The pre-cast segment, one of the main components of the rail line construction, is an engineering masterpiece designed and patterned after international railway construction guidelines.

The PNR Clark Phase 2 project, on the other hand, is a 53-km northern segment of the 147-km North-South Commuter Railway System, which will run from Clark in Pampanga to Calamba, Laguna.

The NSCR will have 37 stations, spanning 26 local government units and connecting three regions. The project will feature the country’s first airport express service, which will reduce slash travel time between Clark International Airport in Pampanga and Makati City from more than two hours by car to just under one hour.

The project is expected to be completed by 2024.

The civil works will help the Philippines’ economic revival as it will create about 24,000 local construction jobs in the next three years and 14,000 more jobs related to the railway system’s operations.

It will lead to larger, indirect employment and economic benefits to local businesses such as suppliers of raw materials, which in turn will create more jobs.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency, which is co-financing the project, will provide up to $2 billion in additional funding for the rolling stock and railway systems.

https://manilastandard.net/mobile/article/343372

North South Commuter Railway (NSCR) Focus - BUILD! BUILD! BUILD!