Wazzup Pilipinas News and Events

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

DOTr Statement on Calls to Oust Sec. Tugade

Wazzup Pilipinas!

There seems to be an orchestrated effort to take Sec. Arthur Tugade out of the Department of Transportation. Sec Tugade is an upright man. He abhors corruption.

He knows Jack Lam as one of the locators in Clark when he was CDC president but that doesn't mean Sec. Tugade is involved in any wrongdoing. It is not CDC who grants permits for online gambling. In fact, Sec. Tugade was very strict in granting BPO permits to make sure it was not being used as front for online gambling.

Sec. Tugade is answering the baseless accusations against him with work, work, work. We will soon relaunch the Pasig Ferry, we're working on having the driver's license cards out by first quarter next year, we're fixing the PNR to Bicol or determine which fractions can be made operational ASAP, we're working on opening NAIA-X Phase 2 until Terminal-3 before end of the year, we're working on unclogging the choke points to move LRT extension to Cavite, we're talking to govt properties that can be opened to help ease out traffic, we're making sure passengers have an avenue to complain regarding taxi drivers who refuse them this Xmas season, etc.

Trabaho po ang sagot ni Sec Tugade sa mga walang lamang mga akusasyon sa kanya.

For reference, here is the CDC PERFORMANCE OF SEC. TUGADE:

According to the COA reports, Secretary Tugade led CDC to a level of performance which is unparalleled in the 20 years of its existence. In a report issued last October 6, COA said that CDC’s net income hit P697.03 million last year, capping three years of record-setting revenues.

Sec. Tugade took over as head of CDC in December 2012, when it posted a net income of only P187.28 million. In 2013, the figure jumped 77 percent to P331.74 million followed by P554.464 million in 2014. According to COA, under Sec. Tugade’s leadership, CDC has reached new heights in CY 2015 in transforming Clark Free Port Zone (CFZ) into a modern industrial estate and premier service and logistics hub. Likewise, for the same year, it also achieved outstanding financial performance and surpassed significant achievements in CYs 2013 and 2014.

Former Congressman, Transport Official Vouches for Tugade

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Former Representative of Southern Leyte Roger Mercado assailed as baseless and politically-motivated the attacks against Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade.

Mercado, who also served as Assistant Secretary for Administration and Legal Affairs of the old Department of Transportation and Communications during the Arroyo administration, said Tugade possesses the brand of leadership that the government needs.

“Sec. Tugade is working hard to do something about our present traffic situation. He is strong-willed and unyielding. He’s the kind of leader that doesn’t seem to take ‘no’ for an answer. He’s impatient, and that’s good because he gets things done,” said Mercado.

Mercado was commenting on recent attacks made by the so-called Road Users Protection Advocates (RUPA), which has been advocating for the ouster of Tugade.

“This group has not laid down a single advocacy for road users. It is very clear that the only thing they care about is for Tugade to leave the DOTr,” he added.

Mercado said significant changes in traffic flow have yet to be felt, but he insists that it is worth giving Tugade and the DOTr a chance.

The former transport official also added that transport infrastructure and other initiatives are long overdue and it is better for the public and supposed advocacy groups to rally behind DOTr than zero in on besmirching Tugade’s reputation.

The Entrepreneurial Heartset

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Researches show that 50% of startup businesses fail within a year, 80% fail in five years, and a whopping 96% in ten. Simply put, out of 100 businesses, only 4 will live up to a decade!

Such staggering numbers would leave us asking what went wrong. Is it the product? The pricing structure? The marketing strategy? Did the business owner fail to “unlock his entrepreneurial mindset”?

1. Speaking at DTI's Youth Entrepreneurship Summit in Cagayan de Oro

I am no business guru nor an MBA, but I can speak based on my own experience as an entrepreneur, whose company just celebrated its 11th anniversary last October (*confetti*).

In 2005, I built my voiceover company, Creativoices Productions, not because I wanted to compete against other recording studios or to earn big money doing voiceovers. I built the company in order to open the first and only voice acting school in the country, the Philippine Center for Voice Acting. My mission was to open the door of the voice acting industry to anyone who aspires to be part of it, and to equip them with the tools, skills and techniques they need to succeed. I know in my heart that my business is a success not because of the profit it generates, but because of the impact it has on the industry. I’m also proud to say that my contributions to the voice acting industry was recognized even by the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship, more popularly known as Go Negosyo, when I was awarded as Most Inspiring Bataeno Microentrepreneur in 2009. Since then, I have been one of Go Negosyo’s “Angelpreneurs,” as a business mentor focusing on Youth Entrepreneurship.

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The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship (ONE), has just announced its blockbuster 2017 schedule.

This past year, ONE Championship delivered world-class mixed martial arts (MMA) action to iconic Asian cities across the region, breaking into new Chinese markets while continuing to delight fans in key Asian destinations. The promotion also successfully held a live event at the Cotai Arena in glitzy Macau, and became the first-ever major MMA promotion to hold a live event in Bangkok, Thailand.

Victor Cui, CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “2016 has been a phenomenal year for ONE Championship. It was absolutely historic for the promotion and 2017 promises to be even better.

“With the addition of key senior leaders to aid ONE with our growth plans, the promotion is in an unbelievable position to make some major waves in the global MMA industry. Together we aim to deliver fans a continuously unique experience that they will never forget.

“ONE Championship is coming out in full force to hold electric live events all over mainland China, with plans to break into new and exciting markets in Vietnam, South Korea and Japan. I know fans can’t wait for ONE to come to town. Get ready for one of the biggest years in MMA.”

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Starting the Friday after Thanksgiving, millions of Americans will be braving the crowds and heading out to malls, big-box stores, and local merchants looking to take advantage of seasonal discounts.

Are you ready? You are building your shopping lists, checking your credit card balances, scanning for can’t miss deals, and planning your shopping itineraries. You may have even installed new apps that can automatically scan and compare prices to make sure you are getting the best deal.

But what about cybersecurity? How safe are you when you are holiday shopping? Here are some things to consider when you are out and about during the 2017 holiday shopping season.

1. Safe Shopping

Shopping today requires a number of electronic transactions, whether you are swiping your credit card or pulling cash out of the ATM. Of course, data breaches and identity theft continue to be a problem. But when you are making purchases elbow to elbow with a mob of other shoppers, you need to be more careful than ever.

Here are a few things to be on the lookout for. If you see any of these things, our advice is that you may want to pay with cash, use a different machine, move to a different cashier, or shop somewhere else. And let someone know.

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For Filipinos, December is unmistakably associated with the Christmas season. It is a time marked by longer nights and shorter days, as well as that all-too-familiar chill in the air. But while the cooling climate signals the start of the holidays, Christmas has always been the warmest season for Filipino families. It is a time when we all come together to celebrate the spirit of love and giving in every home.

Christmas will not be complete without the many colorful ornaments like parols, dancing lights, and Christmas trees all adding color to the already festive and joyous time of the year. Church bells peal as early as dawn to signal the start of the midnight Mass where many of the faithful come together in prayer.

Of course, the season will not be complete without the company of family and friends meeting once again over Noche Buena before gifts are exchanged and wishes of good tidings and prosperity whispered to each other. Indeed, we celebrate Christmas like no other country can.

"Out of all the Red Letter Days, Christmas is seen as the time for the biggest family gatherings. It is when we share special moments with our families and loved ones. It reminds us of the blessings that we have received throughout the year and at the same time reminds us that it is time to give back,” said Ned Bandojo, Head of Marketing of Red Ribbon.

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The Department of Transportation (DOTr) explained the legality and the wisdom behind the downloading of the department’s 2015 unused funds to its attached agencies, which was pointed as (a) possibly illegal (b) a move to “pass the buck” and not to “spend the buck”

During the plenary deliberations at the Senate last November 22, DOTr said some of these funds were downloaded to its attached agencies via a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), a move guided by existing government audit regulations.

Allowed by COA

Downloading funds to an attached agency is allowed under Commission on Audit (COA) Circular 94-013 dated 13 December 2014. The circular states that the source agency, which originally programmed a project and received the appropriation for a project, is allowed to transfer funds to any department or office of the national government capable of implementing or continuing the project.

“Downloading of projects through an MOA is guided by COA, which ensures that the transferred fund is properly taken up in the books of both agencies and are used only for the intended purpose,” said DOTr Undersecretary for Finance Garry De Guzman.

Limited time

The new administration took over 30 June 2016, giving the new DOTr office six months to allocate the unspent funds from its 2015 budget before its expiry on 31 December 2016.

Government agencies have two years to allocate its budget before it will be reverted back to the National Treasury as “unobligated” funds.

Entering into a MOA with attached agencies is seen as a practical way to ensure that specific projects will continue.

“We are trying to handle backlogs from the past budget as much as we can, but this was a transition phase. We came in six months prior to the reversion of funds,” he said.

From PHP 19.2-billion in June 2016, the DOTr was able to obligate PHP 1.3-billion, leaving the total amount of unspent funds for 2015 to PHP 17.9-billion as of October 2016.

What will happen to the remaining PHP 17.9-billion ?

Of the remaining unspent funds, PHP 7.9-billion was downloaded to the DOTr’s attached agencies, PHP 6.2-billion was allotted for procurement until the end of the year, while the remaining PHP 3.8-billion will be reverted back to the Treasury.

Most of the downloaded funds were meant to bankroll regional airport projects. Among the recipients of the unspent funds were the: Manila International Airports Authority (MIAA), Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC), Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), and Philippine Ports Authority (PPA).

ATTACHED AGENCY	AMOUNT (est.)
Manila International Airports Authority	PHP 474-Million
Clark International Airport Corporation	PHP 800-Million
Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines	PHP3.1-Billion

Why it is better to download funds than revert it?

Government agencies are supposed to spend funds and not save it. When government spend the infrastructure funds, it implements the projects previously identified and approved to be beneficial for the citizens.

Transparency and accountability

The DOTr assures the public that the budget spent and allocated will be accounted for and properly taken up in the books of all agencies concerned. Apart from the FOI portal of the government, the major infrastructure agencies -- DOTr, DPWH, BCDA and the NEDA will launch a Transparency Portal that will have the project details of all the major infrastructure projects of the Duterte administration

“Proper accounting and reporting shall be made to ensure the appropriate utilization of funds,” added De Guzman.

Facilitating the Philippines for More Strategic Energy Investments

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As part of the celebration of the National Energy Consciousness Month (NECM), the Department of Energy-Investment Promotion Office (DOE-IPO) held on Tuesday (06 December) the final leg of the series of investment forum this year at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel in this city.

Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi explained that “the Energy Investment Forum is an opportunity to share with partners and stakeholders the updates on the DOE’s undertakings, including policy directions and investments opportunities in the energy sector.”

"We are supporting the advancement of the Philippines’ national social and economic agenda, by undertaking policy and market reforms complimented by an active stewardship of the public interest in the country’s energy resources and industries.” Sec. Cusi further stated.

In his presentation, Sec. Cusi discussed the current situation and investment opportunities in the power, upstream and downstream oil and gas, coal, renewable, coal, alternative and biofuels and energy efficiency and conservation.

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To protect consumers from adulterated petroleum products, the Department of Energy-Oil Industry Management Bureau (DOE-OIMB) has conducted a series of inspections of several retail outlets/gas stations around Metro Manila and the provinces of Cavite, Rizal, Batangas, and Quezon.

"We have to protect our consumers from buying and using adulterated petroleum products, hence we are conducting onsite inspections," Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi said.

“We cannot allow the oil players, especially illegal peddlers, to short-change our people by selling them adulterated petroleum products,” Cusi alerted.

From January to November 2016, a total of 924 retail outlets/gas stations were inspected by the DOE-OIMB. In the inspections conducted, 46 gasoline stations were found to have methanol blend ranging from 1-16% per volume.

Of the stations inspected, three belong to major players, 18 to independent players and 25 are white stations or retail outlets/gas stations that only have 1-5 existing service stations.

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Internet connectivity has become a necessity for many Filipino homes. A reliable access gives every member of the family many possibilities to shape their digital lifestyle. Globe Broadband reinforces their commitment to provide these connections through its line-up of offers launched at the recently held Wonderful World with Globe 12.

“During the first quarter of 2016, we announced that we will connect two million homes with fast Internet by the year 2020. We’ve made strides in expanding our reach to different key cities around the country and we are proud to be fulfilling our mission one city at a time,” said Barbie Dapul, Vice President of Globe Broadband Marketing.

At the start of the year, Globe Broadband transformed and powered Binondo, Manila to a “one digital city” using fiber technology. This was followed by a rollout to other key cities such as Quezon City, Cebu City, and Davao City. To complete an enriched home digital lifestyle, Globe Broadband also launched its new and improved customizable plans with 3x the speed and 3x the data allocation set to transform homes into the ultimate entertainment hub.

For this wonderful time of the year, Globe Broadband gives its customers new traditions in family entertainment with engaging content, plus a portfolio of devices to bundle it with.