Newly-rehabilitated Butuan Airport in Agusan del Norte

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

Improved and modern transportation systems will not only push local and regional economic growth, they will also reap tangible benefits for the Caraga Region and the whole of Mindanao, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Art Tugade said Thursday, 05 August 2021.

The Transport Chief made the statement as the DOTr and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) unveiled the newly-rehabilitated Butuan Airport in Agusan del Norte. Development works in the said gateway covers the runway asphalt overlay to provide aircraft with smoother take-offs and landings, and the improvement of the airport’s passenger terminal building (PTB).

“Ito po yung kahalagahan nito, sa pagkakaroon ng mobility and connectivity, umusad at lumago ang ating pamumuhay at hindi lang turismo. Binago ang mga equipment na ito nang ganun, tuluyan at tuluyang magamit ang paliparan na ito maski na ‘ho sunset, iyon po ang isang programa na kung saan isang kadahilanan na nagsasama-sama tayo dito,” he pointed out.

Another vital facility added to the Butuan Airport is the Malasakit Hall, which is part of the airport’s modernization and people-centered service delivery thrust. The Malasakit Hall will serve as a waiting area for airline passengers and features a clinic, a childcare room, a loung for overseas Filipino workers, a prayer room, a washroom, and a concession space for passengers.

Sec. Tugade likewise instructed CAAP to further expand the Malasakit Hall, especially the OFW Lounge and the Clinic in order to accommodate more at any given time.

"Mayroon pa namang lugar sa likod, tiningnan ko iyon kanina baka pwedeng gibain na yung likuran at i-extend pa ng sa ganun mas maluwag at mas malaki yung ating mga pasilidad sa tinatawag natin na Malasakit Hall. Ganun pa man, bagamat may rekomendasyon ng pagbabago bago i-inaugurate, meron na agad rekomendasyon na palakihin. Sana ho ay magawa ito sa lalong madaling panahon," he added.

The airport’s passenger terminal building (PTB) will further be expanded as well so to offer passengers better service and accommodation.

“Kaya sinabi na sana ang PTB ay mapalaki at mapaluwag dahil makakadagdag ito sa kapasidad ng 500 passengers. Starting next month, magsisimula na ang bidding and procurement process then actual construction will start,” the transport chief pointed out.

CAAP Director General Jim Sydiongco said the P33.59 million Butuan Airport PTB expansion project is now under procurement and will have October 10, 2021 as its target start date and May 23, 2022, as target end date.

DG Sydiongco added that the agency has also completed the replacement of the airport's Doppler Very High Frequency Omni Range (DVOR) - an air navigation aid - last December 2019. The system improves the radio navigation at the airport to aid aircraft in determining their position relative to the Butuan Airport.

Sec. Tugade also inaugurated on the same development projects in the Cantilan Port in Surigao del Sur.

With these transport projects, comfort and convenience to passengers are assured in addition to the region's trade and tourism growth. Small businesses are also expected to flourish as more jobs will be generated with the two upgraded transport infrastructures.

Streamers unite to safeguard forests

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

The international streaming community is uniting again to participate in Every Last Leaf, the second collaborative global livestream fundraising event hosted by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Network.

The digital fundraising event which launched on the 23^rd of July runs until the 14^th August to raise awareness and funds to safeguard 150 million hectares of forest by 2030 as part of the global WWF Forests Forward initiative.

Nearly half of the planet’s forests have been cleared – with over 10 billion trees still being cleared every year. This is equivalent to losing an area of forest the size of New York City every day, accelerating the rates of global warming.

Trees absorb carbon dioxide to help keep the Earth cool. Without them, 15 billion tons of carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere. Forests are also vital in maintaining the biodiversity and health of the planet. Currently there are two billion hectares, an area approximately the size of Europe, of degraded forests which can be revived.

“This is a chance for online creators and their communities to make a real difference for people and nature,” said WWF Livestream Fundraising Coordinator Lucy Chen. “Our Wild-Livestreamers communitree provides a beacon of hope for the future of forests around the world.”

Over 90 Wild-Livestreamers have signed up and fundraised over $20,000 USD within the first week of the event. Among the returning streamers is Twitch partner ExcessiveProfanity and his team, the ‘CForce’, who first participated in a WWF event during the Australian bushfires in 2019. And we also have streamers from TierOne Entertainment Malaysia and Blacklist International such as (SpectraMaster) Jasper Yap, Absolute Yana, Chel. C, Aeonz, Hishiko, and Ajimzz. Joining us as well for the second time are the streamers from the Gamer Girls Philippines and TierOne Entertainment Philippines.

"After an incredible response from our community raising $20,000 to Keep Koalas Climbing in 2019, the CForce is back bringing people together again for another good cause: planting trees, because breathing is great and we want to keep doing it,” said ExcessiveProfanity

The Every Last Leaf event is open to all online content creators. Interested streamers can still register on Tiltify. As a fundraiser for WWF, streamers can earn exclusive rewards including WWF T-shirts, keep cups and hoodies. Streamers who raise over $10,000 are also invited to experience on-the-ground turtle research in Queensland, Australia.

For more information on Every Last Leaf, sign up on Tiltify, join the Wild-Livestreamers Discord or stay tuned on the WWF Wild-Livestreamers Twitter page. For other enquiries you can contact WWF-Philippines at donations@wwf.org.ph. In the online communitree, #EveryLastLeaf counts.

 

Media contact:

 

Angelica Carballo Pago, Communications Manager

World Wide Fund for Nature Philippines

apago@wwf.org.ph | +63 949 889 1332

 

Chezka Guevarra, Assistant Manager for External Communications
World Wide Fund for Nature Philippines
cguevarra@wwf.org.ph | +63 927 656 6436

FDCP, City of Manila Begin Vaccination of 3,500 Film & AV Workers

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

A total of 3,500 film and audiovisual (AV) workers will be inoculated under the #GoodJAB Vaccination Program of the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) in partnership with the City of Manila through its “Vaccine Nation is the Solution” Program.

On August 2, over 1,500 members of the film and AV industry received their COVID-19 vaccination at Palacio de Maynila. Their second dose schedule is on September 27, with the venue to be announced.

The remaining almost 2,000 film and AV workers will receive their first dose on August 9 at Adamson University. Their second dose schedule and venue will be announced as soon as finalized.

The partnership between the FDCP National Registry (NR) and the City of Manila Health Department for the vaccination of film and AV workers was made possible by the approval of Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso.

FDCP’s #GoodJAB and Manila’s “Vaccine Nation is the Solution” is also supported by Sound Check and the National Live Events Coalition Philippines.

“The FDCP and Manila LGU VaccineNation Day has been a success, many thanks to Mayor Isko Moreno and the City of Manila’s vaccination team as well as the FDCP National Registry team and FDCP employees who volunteered to assist our film and AV workers. It is our goal to make sure that we deliver the best service possible in providing support to address the immediate needs of our industry,” said FDCP Chairperson and CEO Liza Diño.

“Sa gitna ng pandemya, kaisa ang Film Development Council of the Philippines sa pagbibigay ng tulong sa mga manggagawa — mula ayuda hanggang bakuna — mapa-pelikula, telebisyon, media, teatro, advertising, live events, animation, o music industry man, para sa ikalalakas ng ating iisang industriya ng creatives,” Diño added.

The FDCP National Registry has more than 5,000 registrants. Apart from the 3,500 workers to be vaccinated by the City of Manila, 1,500 workers have already been inoculated by the Quezon City Government’s #QCProtekTODO Program through “Bakuna Nights para sa Film at Entertainment Workers” in partnership with FDCP.

In addition, the City of Manila has vaccinated all FDCP employees to ensure their safety and health as they continue to render public service for film and AV industry stakeholders amid the pandemic.

 

Quick and organized process

At Palacio de Maynila, the vaccination process, which the FDCP spearheaded and facilitated, lasted less than an hour per individual. A total of 45 staff from #TeamFDCP and 35 from the City of Manila Vaccination team came in full force to make sure that the system will be safe, smooth, and efficient for the workers.  Burgers and bottled water were served and photo booths were set up to encourage film and AV workers to pose as #GoodJAB ambassadors to enjoin others to get vaccinated.

Filmmaker and journalist Leilani Chavez was one of the 1,500 film and AV workers vaccinated during the August 2 event which she described as “well-managed.” “Getting vaccinated is important, especially for informal workers in the industry. Because of the nature of our work, we mingle with different groups of people in a week so there’s a higher risk of us being exposed to the virus. We could also be inadvertently spreading it that’s why we need to be proactive in curbing COVID-19 especially the Delta variant,” Chavez told FDCP.

On Facebook, production manager Carlito Marquina Alvarez posted that the event was “mabilis, maayos, at organisado” while creative director, colorist, and photographer Marco Constantino said his vaccination process took less than 10 minutes. He added that half of his team has been vaccinated as well.

Meanwhile, NR registrants who want to register with their respective local government units for their vaccination may present as proof of occupation their FDCP National Registry Certification, which can be downloaded from their MyFDCPRegistry Profile on the NR website (nationalregistry.fdcp.ph). Freelance workers without a company ID can use this to prove that they belong to the A4 Priority Group.

The FDCP, which has lobbied for the vaccination of film and AV workers since 2020, aims to assist NR registrants with their vaccination. Film and AV workers and freelancers who wish to register with the FDCP NR may visit the NR website to fill out the registration form.

For updates on the #GoodJAB x “Vaccine Nation is the Solution” schedules and venues, visit the Facebook pages of FDCP (https://www.facebook.com/FDCP.ph)  and NR (https://www.facebook.com/FDCPNationalRegistry).

For inquiries and other concerns, kindly email nationalregistry@fdcp.ph or visit https://nationalregistry.fdcp.ph.