Uncoordinated Demolition Led to Traffic Chaos at NAIA T3

Wazzup Pilipinas!
 

Heavy traffic congestion experienced by passengers of NAIA Terminal 3 last Friday, 28 October 2016, was due to the demolition of the existing Skyway ramp of NAIA-Ex, without due coordination with the Inter-agency Council on Traffic (I-ACT). It was bad timing especially that it was a long weekend and people àre trooping to the provinces for the Undas to honor their dead love ones.

As soon as it has come to the attention of DOTr Secretary Tugade, he directed the IACT to call the attention of SOMCO/Skyway management and asked to immediately suspend the works in the ramp which was causing congestion due to the influx of airline passengers in NAIA.

Thus, DMCI, their contractor, immediately stopped the demolition works, but one lane has already become unpassable.

Engr. Alec Cruz, head of Tollways operation of Skyway went to the site and verified the situation and checked whether it was possible to open another ramp to alleviate the pressure on the one that they closed.

Manny Bonoan, President of SOMCO/ Skyway, announced later that NAIAX Ramp 1 was temporarily opened @ 1641H to relieve the Terminal 3 and Andrews Ave of traffic congestion. This is an additional access to the elevated section towards Makati and south bound areas like Alabang.

Traffic started to move slowly due to heavy volume of vehicles. Skyway traffic patrollers were also deployed in the Terminal 3 area as far as sales interchange helping the IACT traffic patrollers manage the flow of traffic.

The traffic situation yesterday and today in the Andrews Ave and Sales Bridge area has been light to moderate with the entrance to Terminal 3 as moderate to slow moving.

Ricky Lee Receives IFFM Lifetime Achievement Award in New York

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Veteran screenwriter Ricky Lee was recently honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award in Scriptwriting by the International Film Festival Manhattan (IFFM) in New York.

Lee personally received the plaque of recognition from festival director Luis Pedron last October 20 during the IFFM awards night held at the Kalayaan Hall of the Philippine Center in New York City.

The award-winning writer also conducted a scriptwriting workshop from October 17 to 19 at the Producers Club Theaters & Bar. He has been holding workshops in the Philippines since 1982, producing hundreds of graduates who are now part of the movie and TV industry. He has mentored several budding writers and he vows to continue to help more of them reach their full writing potential in his upcoming workshops.

Lee has written more than 160 scripts for Filipino films since 1973. Many of these have won awards here and abroad. Among them are Himala, Karnal, Moral, Salome and other films directed by acclaimed Filipino filmmakers, including the late National Artists for Film Lino Brocka and Ishmael Bernal.


Aside from being a screenwriter, Lee is also a book author, fictionist and playwright. He has written Trip to Quiapo, a scriptwriting manual; Si Tatang at mga Himala ng Ating Panahon, a collection of short stories; Pitik-Bulag Sa Buwan Ng Pebrero, a playbook; the novels Para Kay B (O Kung Paano Dinevastate ng Pag-ibig ang 4 out of 5 sa Atin) and Si Amapola sa 65 na Kabanata; and screenplay books like Brutal/Salome, Moral, Bukas May Pangarap and Jose Rizal. His script for Salome has also been translated into English and published by the University of Wisconsin for its film studies.

Energizing the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao

Wazzup Pilipinas!

President Rodrigo R. Duterte and Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi on Saturday (October 29) led the ceremonial switch lighting and turning over of electrification funds for almost ten thousand households in Tawi-Tawi, Maguindanao, Lanao, Basilan and Sulu under the DOE’s Nationwide Intensification Household Electrification (NIHE) at the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao Compound in Cotabato.

A check amounting to P13.833 Million symbolized the release to the Maguindanao Electric Cooperative, Inc. (MAGELCO) for 3,689 households in the municipalities of Ampatuan, Buldon, Matanog, Barira, Datu Abdullah Sangki, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Datu Piang, North Upi, Parang, South Upi, Sultan Kudarat, Sultan Mastura, Sultan Sa Barongis, Rajah Buayan, Talayan, Guindulungan and Talitay to be electrified.