Construction of new Manila International Airport in Bulacan in full swing

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) led by Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista is closely monitoring developments in the P735-billion New Manila International Airport (NMIA) which is now rising in the province of Bulacan.

Secretary Bautista on Saturday joined other transport officials in conducting an inspection of the new international airport’s build site in Bulakan town as construction of the country’s largest and most sophisticated gateway goes full swing.

Land development works are now being done at the airport’s 1,693-hectare site which is located 35 kilometers north of Metro Manila.

Works on the NMIA officially started on September 18, 2019, when the government, through the DOTr, signed a concession agreement with San Miguel Aerocity Inc. (SMAI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of San Miguel Holdings Corp., and the infrastructure arm of San Miguel Corporation.

The DOTr and the SMAI are working together to make sure that the project complies with environmental protection requirements, particularly flood mitigation, considering the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) which was conducted prior to commencement of works at the airport site.

Also joining Secretary Bautista in the inspection of the airport construction site was San Miguel Corporation (SMC) president and CEO Ramon Ang.

Secretary Bautista is assuring stakeholders of the new international airport that the gateway will soon be open for business. Operations at the new gateway are targeted to start in 2027.

Once built, the new international airport will be fully owned by the government under a “build-operate-transfer” program.

Once operational, the new gateway will not only help decongest the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) as the capital’s main gateway, but will also be a “game changer” and catalyst of economic growth in Central Luzon. Phase 1 of the airport will have a capacity of 35 million passengers per annum, is expected generate more than 1 million jobs, and rake-in increased foreign direct investments and higher exports.

Under the 50-year concession agreement, SMAI will undertake the financing, design, construction, supply, completion, testing, commissioning, and operation and maintenance (O&M) of the new international gateway.

With a design capacity of up to 100 million passengers annually and plans for four parallel runways, the New Manila International Airport is expected to help decongest the NAIA and enable the airports in the Greater Capital Region (Metro Manila and nearby provinces) to meet forecast passenger demand.

"Fondly Remembering Spain", exhibition by Phyllis Zaballero

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

Instituto Cervantes presents “Fondly Remembering Spain" an exhibition of Phyllis Zaballero’s “Spanish paintings”. The exhibit will be on view at the Instituto Cervantes' Intramuros branch from November 10, 2022 to January 22, 2023.

This collection of paintings, including those from private collections and those from the artist, was inspired by the Zaballero’s years spent in Barcelona and memories of her trips around the Iberian Peninsula from 1957 to 1960 which had a strong impact on her as an artist.

She belongs to what we can define as the postmodern generation of artists who were trained in the spirit of the still revolutionary avant-garde style of the first half of the 20th century. Her first artworks developed in an extraordinary period of Philippine painting, from the 50s to the 80s.

“Fondly Remembering Spain" is organized by Instituto Cervantes in collaboration with the Embassy of Spain. For further information, please visit Instituto Cervantes' website at manila.cervantes.es, Facebook page (InstitutoCervantesManila) or Instagram (institutocervantesmanila). You may also send an email to cenmni@cervantes.es.

Filipino among 40 languages of instruction in Instructure’s Canvas LMS platform for 100 Million Learners Free Global Initiative

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Canvas LMS to deliver learning in more than 40 languages through the Francis and Dionne Najafi 100 Million Learners Global Initiative


Instructure, the maker of Canvas, has partnered with Thunderbird School of Global Management (Thunderbird) at Arizona State University (ASU), to provide a platform for the Francis and Dionne Najafi 100 Million Learners Global Initiative. This ambitious program is powered by the Canvas Learning Management System and aims to offer quality online education from world-class accredited institutions in 40 languages to learners across the globe. The courses will be provided at no cost to the learner with women and girls accounting for 70 percent of enrollment worldwide.

"The Francis and Dionne Najafi 100 Million Learners Global Initiative is exactly the type of global care initiative Instructure is excited and proud to put resources and time into supporting," said Steve Daly, CEO of Instructure. "As leaders, we need to think globally about how we deliver first-rate equal access to education with a diverse range of student needs in mind. This global initiative is an engaging online program that offers necessary flexibility and empowers forward-thinking leaders and educators worldwide. We are delighted to be a part of that kind of innovative actionable program.”

Francis and Dionne Najafi, both Thunderbird graduates, made an unprecedented $25 million donation to the Thunderbird School of Global Management earlier this year that launched the Francis and Dionne Najafi 100 Million Learners Global Initiative. The program provides world-class education to a population that previously could not access it, especially women and young learners. It continues through 2030.

"We believe access to education is a basic human right, which is why we worked with Thunderbird to create a global initiative that will educate 100 million learners worldwide," said F. Francis Najafi on behalf of him and his wife, Dionne Najafi. "We are excited and deeply humbled to be part of such a bold initiative that combines T-bird's entrepreneurial drive with a desire to do good. We hope to impact communities around the world and be a force that brings us all closer together."

“The Francis and Dionne Najafi 100 Million Learners Global Initiative is an ambitious large-scale program, and the number of people it aims to reach with online education at no cost is unprecedented,” said Shiren Vijiasingam, chief product officer at Instructure. “The program aligns with our goal of extending inclusive education worldwide. We’re proud to partner with the initiative and support it with Canvas—a world-class solution for the world’s classrooms that makes student success more equitable.”

The Global Initiative has three pathways for learners depending on their education levels. The foundational courses are for learners of any level; the intermediate courses are for advanced high school learners to current undergraduate learners; the advanced courses are for advanced undergraduate learners and above.

"We are honored to partner with Instructure and their Canvas LMS platform to help accelerate educational empowerment worldwide, support learners and professionals to gain the skills needed to succeed in the dynamic digitalized global economy, and advance sustainable and inclusive prosperity worldwide," said Sanjeev Khagram, director general and dean at ASU’s Thunderbird School of Global Management.


Interested learners can get more information and register for courses at http://100millionlearners.com.