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Saturday, December 30, 2017

Commemorating Jose Rizal's Death



Wazzup Pilipinas!

Every 30th of December, the Philippines observes Rizal Day to commemorate the life and works of Dr. Jose Rizal who was executed on this date in 1896.

Today, we remember the 121st death anniversary of Dr. Jose Rizal, our national hero who prompted the revolution with the strong belief that words can be weapons.

From his hometown in Calamba to the world, Dr. Jose Rizal showed what the Filipinos had to offer.

He was an educator, agriculturist, writer, engineer, surgeon, freedom fighter.

"The pen is mightier than the sword." Indeed, the pen wields a stronger power than any sword of the sharpest blade. This nation owes you its life and freedom had it not been for your sacrifice. Rest well, Dr. Jose Rizal.

May we emulate his greatness and aspire the heroes within ourselves to be the disciple for the good of our beloved country.

Pay tribute to Dr. Jose Rizal on this day by remembering his life and works that highlighted the roots of being a Filipino.

May this drive us to fulfill our duties and responsibilities to our nation for a better and brighter future.

"On this battlefield, man has no better weapon than his intelligence. No other force but his heart. " -Dr. Jose Rizal

DOTr Now Finalizing Govt to Govt Accord for MRT-3



Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is now finalizing its government to government agreement with the Government of Japan (GOJ) for the rehabilitation and maintenance of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3).

In a recent interview with a morning program, DOTr Assistant Secretary for Railways TJ Batan said that DOTr is now in the final stages of exchanging Note Verbales between the Government of the Philippines (GOP) through the Department of Foreign Affairs, and GOJ through the Japan Embassy in Manila.

Asec. Batan said that the arrangement will involve the grant of an Official Development Assistance (ODA) for the rehabilitation and maintenance requirements of MRT-3, which has been encountering numerous malfunctions in recent years due to substandard maintenance and underinvestment in overdue system renewal requirements.

“Bakit Japan? Number one, alam naman natin yung qualifications at experience ng Japan in running railway systems. For example, yung Tokyo pa lang na halos kasing laki ng Metro Manila, has 700-km. of operating metro railway systems, while yung atin is a total of almost 80-km. kasama na PNR,” Asec. Batan said.

“Number two, nandyan na yung napakalawak nating platform for cooperation. Napakadami nating proyekto sa riles at sa ibang sektor na ginagawa kasama ang Japan. Actually si Secretary (Arthur) Tugade mismo ang nagtulak na maisama na ang pagsasa-ayos ng MRT-3 dun sa iba pang mga proyektong ginagawa na natin kasama ang Japan,” he added.

Asec. Batan likewise noted that the DOTr shall utilize the bidding process of Japan in getting the rehabilitation and maintenance service provider for MRT-3, as required in all ODA arrangements with them. He emphasized that procurement rules and regulations will be observed in choosing the service provider, noting that the provider will be Japanese like other projects of DOTr with Japan.

Further, Asec. Batan said the GOP is expecting to exchange Note Verbales with GOJ in the first week of January 2018, as the New Year holiday in Japan starts earlier than in the Philippines.

After the exchange, the DOTr and railway engineers from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will conduct a due diligence study of MRT-3 from January to February next year to clearly identify the needed rehabilitation works.

“So in February, March, April, gagawin ang study, aalamin natin kung anong kailangan gawin at magkano, tapos kukuha tayo ng mga approvals from both Philippine and Japan governments, at finally ang pagpili ng magiging service provider ayon sa mga panuntunan ng Japan. Pagdating ng May, ang commitment sa atin ng Japan ay ready to mobilize na ang ating service provider. And this is the reason kung bakit from the very beginning sinasabi natin yung Maintenance Transition Team (MTT) natin ay talagang nakatakda lamang na mag operate for three to six months,” Asec. Batan said.

The procurement of a rehabilitation and maintenance service provider for MRT-3 is Part 3 of DOTr’s 4-Part Strategy for fixing MRT-3:

Part 1: promoting accountability with the termination of BURI

Part 2: ensuring continued service delivery by establishing the MTT and purchasing needed spare parts

Part 3: contracting a rehabilitation and maintenance service provider together with an Official Development Assistance partner

Part 4: putting in place a long-term, single-point-of-responsibility, operator and maintenance provider for MRT-3

Clark Intl. Airport Surpasses Passenger Target for 2017



Wazzup Pilipinas!

Clark International Airport (CRK) has surpassed its passenger target accommodated this year, an official bared today.

CRK Corp. President Alex Cauguiran said that from January to 30 December 2017, the airport registered more than 1.5 million passengers, surpassing its highest record of over 1.3 million passengers served last 2012.

Cauguiran attributed the significant rise in the passenger accommodated by CRK to the pronouncement of President Rodrigo Roa Durerte to distribute development outside the peripheries of Metro Manila, which was then pushed into reality by Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur P. Tugade.

“This achievement proves the high level of our public’s trust and confidence in President Duterte's vision for a multiple gateway under the administration's Build Build Build program,” Cauguiran said. “Secretart Tugade, although very silent, worked very hard to turn the President’s vision into reality. That is why from only seven (7) domestic flights a week in the previous years, we now have 200 international and domestic flights from Clark. All these happened in the first year of the Duterte administration,” he added.

Upon assumption into office, Secretary Tugade encouraged airlines to launch more flights from Clark in order to decongest NAIA, and also transferred some general aviation activities there. He likewise instructed CIAC to provide incentives to airline operators who express their willingness to fly from Clark.

Apart from improvements in policy decisions, Cauguiran also mentioned that strict implementation of security measures by airport personnel, as well as improved customer service, passenger comfort and convenience, have also attracted travellers to flock to the facility which is envisioned to be a premier gateway to both local and international destinations.

Last 20 December 2017, top government officials, such as former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, Senator JV Ejercito, Senator Dick Gordon, Executive Secretary Savador Medialdea, DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade, and Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) President & CEO Vince Dizon graced the groundbreaking ceremony of the new CRK passenger terminal building.

During the ceremony, Secretary Tugade said that the new terminal will complement other infrastructure projects in the area: Manila-Clark Railway, Subic-Clark Cargo Railway, and the New Clark City.

“Ikakabit po natin ang proyektong ito sa Manila-Clark Railway. Not later than 06 January 2018, we will mobilize the construction of the first segment from Tutuban to Malolos, and hopefully we will complete the entire line to Clark before the end of President Duterte’s term,” Tugade said.

For his part, BCDA President & CEO Vince Dizon said that the CRK expansion project will decongest the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, as the new passenger terminal would accommodate an additional 8 million passengers per year.

House Speaker and former transportation secretary Pantaleon Alvarez, also expressed his excitement over the many opportunities that the new terminal will be bringing to the Philippines.

“The expansion of the Clark International Airport will expand growth and opportunity outside Metro Manila. This means more business and more jobs for everyone. Clark airport will be the gift that keeps on giving,” he said.

Senator Dick Gordon, who played a vital role in establishing freeport zones in Luzon, likewise expressed his joy in finally seeing the airport being fully-utilized, calling it “a new beginning for our country.”

“Infrastructure is not a project of a government. It is a project of the people. It is a project of vision. This is about opportunity, the great equalizer. This is about making the future our friend,” he said.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez, who represented the economic team of the Cabinet, assured that the delivery of the terminal will not be delayed.

“Before, projects take an average of 30 months under PPP. I assure you that this will not happen in the infrastructure projects of the Duterte administration,” Dominguez said.

He also reported that the Clark expansion project is considered the fastest to be implemented by the national government. It broke ground just six months after getting the NEDA Board approval.

Former President and now Representative of Pampanga Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, whose term saw the building of the CIA, was the special guest at the groundbreaking ceremony.

The construction of the new terminal is the first hybrid project under the BuildBuildBuild Infrastructure Program of the Duterte administration. Under the hybrid model, the government will build the infrastructure using its own funds to ensure fast delivery of the project.
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