TransCo Fast and Free Internet is in Sight

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Department of Communication and Telecommunications (DICT), National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) and National Transmission Corporation (TransCo) signed last Friday, June 8 a Memorandum of Agreement that will make internet speed faster at no charge in selected public places nationwide. From L-R: DICT Usec. Denis Villorente, TransCo President Atty. Melvin Matibag, DICT Acting Sec. Eliseo Rio, NGCP President Anthony Almeda, TransCo General Counsel Atty. Noel de Leon, and NGCP Chief Admin Officer, Atty. Bryan Co.

The National Transmission Corporation (TransCo) said that fast and free internet is in sight following the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement among DICT, NGCP and TransCo on the National Broadband Project.

TransCo President Atty. Melvin Matibag the country is well on the road to accomplishing the promise of President Duterte in his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) to give fast internet speed at no charge in selected public places including parks, plazas, public libraries, schools, government offices, hospitals, train stations, airports and seaports nationwide.

“This is major milestone. We are very happy that this MOA was finally signed. This will also help hasten the processing of licenses, permits, clearances and other government issuances nationwide,” Matibag added.

Matibag thanked Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, and DOE Secretary Alfonso Cusi for their steadfast support to the national broadband project. “They were always helping us overcome our challenges.”

Matibag also congratulated DICT Acting Secretary Rio for DICT’s major accomplishment.

“DOST started this project seven years ago, which was continued by DICT following its creation in 2016. Secretary Rio had been tirelessly pushing for this agreement, fixing things, overcoming obstacles.”

President Matibag gave special thanks to NGCP President Anthony Almeda for allowing the free use of the dark fiber in the transmission lines for the use of government.

“I am happy that despite our differences, NGCP and TransCo, as the concessionaire and the owner of the transmission facilities, have partnered to deliver this gift to the Filipino people. This is a fine example of government and the private sector joining hands to spur progress and development in the countryside.”

Finally, Matibag said all this would not have happened if not for the leadership and political will of President Rodrigo Duterte. “Our president created the environment to make this happen.”

New OPM Musucak Geegee at Waterina Set to Open on August

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Artist Playground proudly announces the staging of an original Pinoy musical “ GEEGEE AT WATERINA ” with book and lyrics by J. Dennis C. Teodosio in August 2018 at Arts Above, Artist Playground II, 112 West Venue Bldg., West Avenue, Quezon City.

The roles of GEEGEE AT WATERINA will be portrayed by Norman Penaflorida and Roeder Camanag respectively.

GEEGEE is an entertainment actor, radio host and a counselor of Pasay City. More than 60 years old.

WATERINA is a ‘comfort gay’ during Japanese Occupation in the Philippines. More than 70 years old. She is one of Gee-gee’s Golden Gays.

With original music composed by Jesse Lucas, and choreography by Lezlie Dailisan, GEEGEE AT WATERINA will be directed by Andrew de Real.

“ Geegee At Waterina ” was first presented at the CCP Virgin Labfest in 2005. A short film version was produced for Cinemalaya in 2006.

The performance schedules of GEEGEE AT WATERINA are as follows:

August 18 (3pm & 7pm)
August 19 (3pm & 7pm)
August 25 (3pm & 7pm)
August 26 (3pm & 7pm)

For further inquiries, please call or send SMS to Ms. Kimberly Somoza at 0975-9193179.

PPA Upbeat Over Prospects Brought About by New MICT Post-Panamax Cranes

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) General Manager Jay Daniel Santiago witnessed the arrival of a pair of Neo-Panamax and Post-Panamax quay cranes to be used at the country’s biggest container terminal, the Manila International Container Terminal (MICT).

The pair of cranes arrived Thursday, 07 June 2018.

“The new cranes will definitely boost the capability of the MICT and will definitely guarantee a congestion-free international container terminal,” Santiago said at the sidelines of the arrival ceremony held at Berth 6 of the MICT.

“This is by far the biggest and largest crane that any port in the Philippines has. This enables the port of handle ships with capacity of up to 14,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs),” Santiago said.

“We expect other ports to follow suit as we continue to drive towards our vision of a globally competitive port by 2020,” Santiago stressed.

The new quay cranes were manufactured by Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. (ZPMC). The quay cranes are part of International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI)'s $80 million capital equipment program for MICT. The pair of Neo-Panamax cranes and the Post-Panamax crane will be positioned at Berths 6 and 5, respectively.

Upon full commissioning, MICT customers can expect quayside productivity gains, translating to shorter port stays.

Aside from these pair of cranes, MICT is still set to receive eight (8) Rubber Tire Gantry (RTG) Cranes by November 2018, and two (2) quay cranes on the first half of 2019.

With the new acquisitions, the MICT now has a total of sixteen (16) quay cranes, the largest fleet in the country.

In December 2016, MICT reached its first year-to-date two million TEU move, triggering a multi-billion-peso capacity improvement commitment with the PPA, in line with the growing consolidation trend among major carriers and the advent of larger vessels.