Good News thread Options

[silangan]

THIS IS REALLY GOOD NEWS! You're not only cleaning Manila, you're also boosting the country's agriculture and food output plus you're like helping so many poor families!

Aquino bares land distribution plan to relocate squatter-families
By Norman Bordadora
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 16:03:00 05/08/2011

Filed Under: Government, Housing (New Products), Agriculture, Arable Farming, Poverty, Housing & Urban Planning
JAKARTA, Indonesia—Imagine relocating your family from a 20-square meter shanty in the congested city to a two-hectare farm where you can earn a decent living in your home province?

President Aquino on Saturday night told the media about a government plan that could solve Metro Manila's problem of squatting while shoring up the population in the countryside's agricultural communities to boost the country's drive for food self-sufficiency.

According to Aquino during an informal talk with reporters covering his visit here, more than 560,000 squatter families are in Metro Manila and it is estimated that one out of four residents in Metro Manila squats.

Meanwhile, in the countryside, the number of farmers is going down to the detriment of the government's food security drive.

“There is a problem on one side. There is also an opportunity. So what is the opportunity? The Department of Agriculture and the Department of Natural Resources have made an inventory. We can give each of those 560,000 families two hectares each,” President Aquino said.

Aquino said providing the land could be covered by a lease agreement. He pointed at 1.5 million hectares that the two departments have identified for distribution to resettlers in the provinces.

“The terms are that a house would be provided for you, you'd have to plant crops, you'd take care of them, and the earnings would all be yours. If you abandon the property or you didn't meet (the conditions), it would be taken away,” Aquino said.

Aquino added that the program would ensure that the family would return to its home province.

“The Department of Agriculture said that to a large degree, they can be matched,” Aquino said.

Aquino said the residents who would avail of the program would also be provided with farm inputs such as seeds, fertilizers and implements.

“It's a complete package,” the President said.

Aquino would not go through the terms of the provisions—whether they would be a grant or a loan.

Aquino said the agencies involved in the plan, including the National Anti-Poverty Commission, has been drawing the programs to help squatter families.

He said it would be completed in a month's time and presented to the urban poor groups that in turn would present them in their concerned communities.

I am against this. These squatters know it's illegal to squat public land from the beginning. They are not innocent. Why baby them. They can mend for themselves. Just give them dead line say 5 years to vacate. That should be enough time for them to be able to paddle their own.

Upcoming and repeat squatters must go to jail far away from family for visits.

The government is promoting a handicap mentality among its people.

[maharlikangpilip...]

Lawmakers push high school for Filipino athletes

By Alexander Villafania

DAPITAN CITY, ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE- Lawmakers are pushing for the establishment of a Philippine High School for Sports (PHSS) to provide a more enhanced education for budding athletes.

Under Senate Bill 2620 or the “Philippine High School for Sports Act of 2011,” the PHSS will provide scholarships for secondary education to exceptional students in sports.

Training programs will be offered to develop students to compete in national, regional and Olympic levels.

The bill’s author Senator Pia Cayetano said the PHSS is modeled after the Philippine Science High School (PSHS) and the Philippine High School for the Arts (PHSA), two groups of secondary education institutions that have very specific teaching programs that develop scientists and artists, respectively.

Cayetano, who skipped the opening of the Palarong Pambansa 2011 weekend, said she had pushed for the passage of the SB 2620 last Tuesday during the Senate plenary session.

She stressed that the recent win of Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao, as well as the growing popularity of the football team Azkals, have proven that sports help raise the passion of Filipinos and cultivate national pride.

“The creation of the PHSS is long overdue. We need to breed new generations of homegrown sports heroes to elevate the country's performance in regional and international sports competitions in the long-term, and at the same time, serve as an inspiration for our people, especially the youth.”

Senator Edgardo Angara also stated that the PHSS should bring back the luster of Filipino champions to a global audience. He stressed that Filipino athletes have won medals in international competitions.

However, the country has yet to bag a gold medal at the Olympics.

Angara added that countries that win Olympic gold medals often have institutionalized training.

“Olympic heavyweights such as Russia, Australia, Germany, China and Canada all have sport schools which mold all of their world-class athletes. Even our neighbors in Southeast Asia have followed suit, including Singapore, Malaysia, India and Thailand,” he said.

[maharlikangpilip...]

I am against this. These squatters know it's illegal to squat public land from the beginning. They are not innocent. Why baby them. They can mend for themselves. Just give them dead line say 5 years to vacate. That should be enough time for them to be able to paddle their own.

Upcoming and repeat squatters must go to jail far away from family for visits.

The government is promoting a handicap mentality among its people.

Yes squatting in public land is illegal and I believe these people know it. That's why the government is trying and will continue to try to provide them the land/house that they need.

In this particular plan, the government will not only provide land(which after all is a law and thus, an obligation of the government to the citizen) and perhaps house for these squatters but also ensures that these squatters will have their source of income once they move. at the same time, this might increase food production and stabilize and improve the state of agriculture.

At first, it may sound that the government babies them...but in fact the government is trying to teach them how to live.
instead of staying here in Metro Manila as squatters who live on salaries below the minimum wage(and sometimes even on criminal acts), the government will send them home and teach them to toil and to till the soil for them to live.

But of course the government should have a set of rules regarding this particular project. remedies for problems that may arise and punishment or penalties for either of the two parties(government or squatter) should ever one fails to comply with the rules of the contract must be made.

[yonip]

if we are the most charming, beautiful and talented asians then why cant we be the richest asian's hopefully soon when we get our gold back .

This post has been edited by yonip: May 15 2011, 11:48 AM

[silangan]

Yes squatting in public land is illegal and I believe these people know it. That's why the government is trying and will continue to try to provide them the land/house that they need.

In this particular plan, the government will not only provide land(which after all is a law and thus, an obligation of the government to the citizen) and perhaps house for these squatters but also ensures that these squatters will have their source of income once they move. at the same time, this might increase food production and stabilize and improve the state of agriculture.

At first, it may sound that the government babies them...but in fact the government is trying to teach them how to live.
instead of staying here in Metro Manila as squatters who live on salaries below the minimum wage(and sometimes even on criminal acts), the government will send them home and teach them to toil and to till the soil for them to live.

But of course the government should have a set of rules regarding this particular project. remedies for problems that may arise and punishment or penalties for either of the two parties(government or squatter) should ever one fails to comply with the rules of the contract must be made.

Ang gobyerno kasi, tira lang nang tira. Hindi muna pinapag-aralang mabuti kung ano talaga ang pinagmumulan ng problema, para malaman kung ano ang mga hakbang na gagawin. At dapat yang mga may ari ng malalaking mga malls sa Metro, dapat kasali sila sa paglutas sa problema ng squatting. Karamihan sa mga saleslady at mga workers sa mga malalaking mga mall na yan eh nakatira sa mga barung barong sa squatter area. Dapat pag nagtayo sila ng mall, gumawa rin sila ng high rise quarters para sa mga employees nila na dahil sa liit ng sweldo eh hindi kaya ng mga ito ang umupa ng mga apartments.

Ang mga well established businesses sa Manila na nagpapasahod ng sweldo na hindi sapat para mabuhay ng maayos sa Manila, ay dapat na sagutin nila ang tirahan ng mga empleyado nila para hindi maging problema ng gobyerno ang mg ito.

Dumarami ang mga minimum wage earners sa Manila dahil sa mga businesses na nagsusulputan. Dadami din ang mga squatters, pustahan tayo.

[maharlikangpilip...]

Polarmarine plans to build production facilities at Subic
By EDU LOPEZ
May 16, 2011, 12:15am

MANILA, Philippines — Polarmarine, Inc., a household name in ship parts industry, is planning to set up production facilities at the Subic Freeport under an expansion program designed to capture the growing shipbuilding industry in Asia.

Carolina Agoo, Polarmarine administration and financial manager, said that the expansion will be undertaken because of the strategic location of the Subic Bay Freeport, which is closer to the firm’s Asian customers and suppliers and the English-speaking skilled workers.

Currently, Polarmarine has 86 workers, most of whom were former workers at the Subic Naval Base, who have been highly trained by the US Navy.

“With this expansion plan, we aim to lower the cost of our products and save more from freight costs as we will be importing from our Asian suppliers and export our products to Asia,” Agoo added.

Outgoing Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) chairman Feliciano Salonga, who was an executive of a maritime company, expressed elation over Polarmarine’s long-term plan during a tour of the firm’s assembly plant in Subic.

“The SBMA welcomes this expansion project, and the agency is here to help in any way it can.

That’s our role to assist,” Salonga said.

Polarmarine, a Swedish firm which started operations here in 1996, is among the pioneer locators in the Subic Freeport.

Initially, Polarmarine will produce ‘Polar Jet,’ a programmable multi-nozzle tank cleaning equipment designed to clean difficult-to-reach parts of slop tanks, wing tanks and under-stringer platforms in conventional tankers.

Polarmarine ventured into the assembly of sonic horns used in shipyards, for which it acquired recently a 484-sq.m. building for additional assembly facility.

“This is in preparation for our plan to transfer the production facility in Malmo, Sweden to Subic,” Agoo said, adding that the company sees a 20 per cent increase in production and employment in the first year, and an additional 50

per cent in the succeeding years.

Agoo added that in 2010, the Polarmarine unit in Subic generated about $7 million in revenue. The company plans to increase its revenue to $8.5 million and augment its workforce to a total of 103 in the first year.

The company also planning to transfer to Subic the production of loadmaster, a loading computer that calculates and balances the load of ship, as well as shipmaster, which takes care of cargo and ballast automation in any type of

ship.

It would also strengthen its technical team, which includes naval architects, marine engineers, and data encoders, before it could undertake the assembly of loadmasters and shipmasters.

Agoo said that shipbuilding-related industries are now being concentrated in the Asian region, and more shipbuilding component assembly operations are now being transferred to Asia.

Polarmarine started to closely coordinate with Subic-based Korean shipbuilding firm Hanjin Heavy Industries Corp.-Phils. for an arrangement to directly supply sonic horns.

The company is a member of the Kockumation Group based in Malmo, Sweden. Aside from Polarmarine, the Kockumation Group also has Kockum Sonics and Texon Automation under its umbrella.

The Kockumation Group also has production facilities in Sweden, Russia, Shanghai and Dalian in China, and Great Britain

[juansuing]

PH to offer 18 sites for oil exploration
By Amy R. Remo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 18:56:00 05/17/2011

MANILA, Philippines—To boost the country's energy security, the Department of Energy is set mount road show in Asia, the United States and Europe within the third quarter, offering prospective investors 18 potential oil and gas areas for exploration and development.

“It looks very exciting," Energy Secretary Jose Rene D. Almendras told reporters Monday night on the sidelines of an oil company marketing event. "Even in the international scene, there's so much interest in the Philippines' oil exploration... all the large exploration companies, some of which have yet to come here, are now coming.”

Almendras did not disclose the interested parties but noted that some of them were the “usual suspects” including BHP Billiton and Exxon.

According to Almendras, the road show will kick off in July, after the government has announced the areas to be offered under the Philippine Exploration Contracting Round (PECR) for 2011.

Energy officials are eyeing to begin the PECR offering by the end of June, in a bid to speed up the development of the country's indigenous resources and help shore up power supply over the next several years, in light of an impending power crisis that continues to threaten the Philippine economy.

“I'm off to Texas and London for a road show by July or August. In the spirit of transparency, we don't want to be accused of being restrictive in the way we share the information. We will do the road show to answer investors' concerns. Singapore and Australia will also be included in the road show,” Almendras said.

“We will launch to inform potential investors of the sites to be bid out and at the same time address their concerns. We're finalizing the schedule. By the end of the third quarter or early fourth, we should be able to award service contracts,” Almendras added.

Almendras expressed optimism that contracts will be awarded within the year, despite the outstanding taxation issues raised by the Commission on Audit last year regarding service contract in the $4.5-billion Malampaya natural gas power project off Palawan. He was confident these issues would be resolved soon in favor of boosting the country's energy security.

Almendras said the Philippine government would be offering 15 new prospective oil and gas areas involving a total of 7.92 million hectares in Cagayan, Central Luzon, Northwest Palawan, Mindoro-Cuyo basin, East Palawan and Cotabato. A number of these areas have already been pre-tested, while some have undergone seismic evaluations.

He added that three canceled petroleum exploration contracts would also be offered to investors. The canceling of contracts was an offshoot of the stringent reviews conducted by the Department of Energy last year to ensure that all contracts awarded were above board and that the contract holders were fulfilling their commitments.

Almendras has since warned all contract holders to fulfill their commitments or face contract cancellations.

“The bidders need to prove their competency. We would like to reiterate that PECR is not just about money, but also competency and quality work program. Our job is to accelerate the development. A bidder may give a very high proposal but it would take 20 years to develop. I'd rather give it to somebody who can do it for three years, as we need the energy as soon as possible,” Almendras said.

[juansuing]

PNoy: Economy grew by 7.6% last year, not 7.3%
AMITA LEGASPI, GMA News
05/17/2011 | 11:30 AM


President Benigno Simeon Aquino III on Tuesday said the country’s economy grew by 7.6 percent last year and not 7.3 percent as earlier announced.

In a speech during the inauguration of additional floors of Sta. Ana Hospital in Manila, the President admitted they made a mistake when they pegged the gross domestic product growth at 7.3 percent.

"Kahapon ibinalita ng ating Secretary of Finance Cesar Purisima na natapos na po ang computation ng ikinalaki ng ating ekonomiya last year. Nagkamali daw po kami ng sinabi naming 7.3% increase in GDP. Ang tama ho pala ay 7.6% ang increase ng GDP," he said.

GDP is the amount of goods and services produced by a country in a given period.

The recalibration of the Philippine System of National Accounts involved making Year 2000 as the new base year, affecting the end results of the gross domestic product (GDP).

Using 2000 as base year, the country’s GDP last year was 7.6 percent, but with the old base year of 1985, GDP was 7.3 percent.

PNoy not doing anything?

President Aquino’s term started noon of June 30, 2010 after he won the May 10 presidential elections that year.

He chided his critics for saying that he is doing nothing for the country.

"Sabi po ng ating mga kritiko, wala po tayong ginagawa, siguro hinulog na lang ng langit ang nangyayaring pagbabago na ito (Our critics keep on saying that we are not doing anything. Maybe this development fell like manna from heaven)," he said.

"Dito pa lang po ang umpisa, sabi nga ni Mayor (Alfredo) Lim, mayron pa tayong limang taon, isama na rin ang isang buwan, marami pa rin tayong magagawa kung magsama-sama," he said.

Also in his speech, the President said his government is working doubly hard to address the concerns of the health sector by providing easier access to hospitals and medical facilities.

He reiterated that the government allocated P3.5 billion for the Health Insurance Premiums of indigent families and some 10,000 nurses have been sent to poor provinces.

Around 500 doctors have been sent to 400 remote areas to serve there for two years under the Doctors to the Barrios Program. — RSJ, GMA News

[juansuing]

Sorry Noy, pero kay GMA ang 2010. Tignan naten ang pagtatrabaho mo ngayong 2011.

[maharlikangpilip...]

Indonesia's PT Pal discusses Landing Platform Dock sale to Philippines

Jon Grevatt Jane's Asia-Pacific Industry Reporter

Indonesian shipbuilder PT Pal is in discussion with the Philippine Navy (PN) over a potential deal to supply the service with Landing Platform Dock (LPD) ships, Jane's has learnt.

An official with PT Pal said on 16 May that the group hopes to supply the PN with up to three LPD platforms, which will be based on an indigenous Indonesian design.

The official stressed that this design has no resemblance to the LPDs that PT Pal previously constructed for the Indonesian Navy (Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Laut - TNI-AL), which were based on a design by Dae Sun Shipbuilding in South Korea. He added that the Indonesian LPD design was being adapted further to meet Philippine Navy requirements.

The Indonesian Ministry of Defence (MoD) had earlier announced that Rear Admiral Alexander Pama, Commander of the PN, toured the shipbuilding facilities of PT Pal on 14 May. The MoD added that Admiral Pama also visited the two 11,400-ton LPDs previously produced under licence by PT Pal. These boats, named KRI Banda Aceh and KRI Banjarmasin , were delivered to the TNI-AL in October 2009 and March 2011 respectively.

Admiral Pama's visit to Indonesia occurred one day after the Philippine Navy took delivery of the US Coast Guard cutter USCGC Hamilton during a ceremony in California. The cutter will replace the BRP Raja Humabon , a US-built Cannon-class destroyer escort launched in May 1943 and one of the world's oldest operational warships, as the PN's flagship. The PN has also issued a tender to procure two utility helicopters, although this programme has stalled due to a continuing government evaluation of procurement processes.

The potential cost of procuring the three LPDs from PT Pal was not disclosed, although it could be expected to reach at least USD100 million. The TNI-AL purchased its five LPDs (the initial three constructed by Dae Sun and the latter two by PT Pal) for USD180 million. Should the deal be finalised during the next few months, the sale would represent PT Pal's first major export. It would also represent one of only a few major deals where Southeast Asian countries have exported goods to each another.

*****

Philippines eye submarines to boost navy

Submarines for the Philippine fleet will help the navy protect the country’s territorial waters a lot better, a military spokesman said days after a study advised that new vessels be bought.

According to Navy spokesman Commodore Miguel Jose Rodriguez, submarines are the vessels of choice of many countries, including our Asian neighbors.

“A submarine is a very good naval platform to monitor what’s happening in your maritime environment,” Rodriguez explained.

Submarines are equipped with sensors and radars that can monitor movement on the surface, and even identify nearby ships using propeller signatures.

He added that purchasing a submarine will help even out the playing field, especially now that some of the Philippines’ Asian neighbors have purchased their own submersibles to beef up their fleet.

“What is important is that we really have to leverage on the things that we need,” Rodriguez said. “As other nations acquire submarines, we need to even up our capability. It becomes a very good deterrent against future potential conflicts.”

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakin...-to-boost-navy

[maharlikangpilip...]

Ang gobyerno kasi, tira lang nang tira. Hindi muna pinapag-aralang mabuti kung ano talaga ang pinagmumulan ng problema, para malaman kung ano ang mga hakbang na gagawin.

ano nga ba ang problema? o ano sa TINGIN MO ang problema? tingin ko kasi alam mo.

as far as I can see it, the government knows some of the problems but fails to remedy these problems.

going back to the topic(about PNoy's plan) I believe it TRIES to address multiple problems at once: poverty, food production, agriculture, squatter colony eyesore(+ perhaps pollution? since many of these squatters are the ones polluting the rivers and creeks around them), etc(I may have missed some things)
^IMO... at least this is not one of those band-aid solutions that his admin provides our country.

At dapat yang mga may ari ng malalaking mga malls sa Metro, dapat kasali sila sa paglutas sa problema ng squatting. Karamihan sa mga saleslady at mga workers sa mga malalaking mga mall na yan eh nakatira sa mga barung barong sa squatter area. Dapat pag nagtayo sila ng mall, gumawa rin sila ng high rise quarters para sa mga employees nila na dahil sa liit ng sweldo eh hindi kaya ng mga ito ang umupa ng mga apartments.

Ang mga well established businesses sa Manila na nagpapasahod ng sweldo na hindi sapat para mabuhay ng maayos sa Manila, ay dapat na sagutin nila ang tirahan ng mga empleyado nila para hindi maging problema ng gobyerno ang mg ito.

I agree with this. but then NOT ALL poor families here in MM work as salespeople.. some of them again, make crime as their source of living.
If you've "lived" or have perhaps seen the way of life in a squatter colony, you would even see that some of them just live on occasional labahan of a neighbor, manicure/pedicure, selling street foods, etc.

PNoy's plan is for the majority of the impoverished populace in MM.

*on the salespeople thing, the government should really address this problem. many of these big malls implement contractualization. No wonder these people can't get the securities they need because they can't even form labor unions...

Dumarami ang mga minimum wage earners sa Manila dahil sa mga businesses na nagsusulputan. Dadami din ang mga squatters, pustahan tayo.

that's because they see Manila as a haven for underprivileged people. if they can see that there are opportunities in their places, they won't have any reason to go here.

This post has been edited by maharlikangpilipino: May 18 2011, 08:26 AM

[maharlikangpilip...]

Eton plans Sentosa-like development in Cebu
TUESDAY, 17 MAY 2011 20:01 MIGUEL R. CAMUS / REPORTER
LISTED real estate firm Eton Properties Philippines Inc. is considering the acquisition and development of a 35-hectare beach property known as Coral Reef in Mactan Island, Cebu into a high-end mixed-used project inspired by Sentosa Island in Singapore.

In an interview with reporters, Eton president Danilo Ignacio tagged the plan as a “priority” project. The move comes as Eton sets to launch new projects, most recently its first luxury condominium in Eton Centris in Quezon City called Ascent.

Eton’s plan to develop the Mactan property also marks its first concrete step to diversify into tourism.

Based on earlier news reports, Coral Reef is owned by Eton sister company Philippine National Bank (PNB). Both companies are controlled by billionaire Lucio C. Tan.

The said property is about three times the size of the nearby Shangri-La Mactan Resort & Spa, in terms of land area.

“We want to make this into a very high-end development,” Ignacio said. Eton, he noted, has been approached by international firms, including a Singapore-based group, for possible management contracts.

“It will be inspired by Sentosa Island,” Ignacio added, referring to the popular island resort in Singapore featuring high-end hotels, a theme park, casinos and shopping outlets.

International investors in several instances had expressed their interest to develop the Coral Reef property, but no deal materialized, according to previous reports. The said property was foreclosed by PNB in 2005 after its original owners were unable to meet their obligations, according to reports.

Ignacio, meanwhile, said Eton expects to comply with the Philippine Stock Exchange’s minimum public ownership requirement of 10 percent by the deadline set at the end of this year. Eton has public float of 5.6 percent.

The company is also continuing the development of its 12-hectare Eton Centris mixed-use project in Quezon City with the construction of Ascent. The three-tower condominium units will be sold from P2.9 million to P11 million.

Eton recently reported that first quarter net income rose 7.4 percent to P199 million on revenues that grew to P946 million, up 2.6 percent.

Eton shares were unchanged at P3.30 each on Tuesday’s close.

*****

Project seeks to fund Spanish-Filipino heritage conservation

By Anna Valmero

MANILA CITY, METRO MANILA— Instituto Cervantes has announced a funding program for conservation projects in the country that aim to preserve Spanish-Filipino heritage sites and culture.

This year, the “Spanish Program for Cultural Cooperation” will prioritize conservation projects from provinces, Jose Rodriguez, executive director of Instituto Cervantes, said.

“It is my personal aim to bring this cultural program to the countryside and out of Manila. From my visit in Zamboanga, there are a lot of applications including a flamenco concert and show,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez said that the only requirement is a recommendation from a partner university in the Philippines and Asia-Pacific.

Beyond dances, the grant also covers Spanish cultural influences such as food, language, customs, architecture and almost anything that celebrates Spanish-Filipino ties.

Some of the program grantees include “Traces of the Spanish Language in the Emergent Inter-Lingual Varieties of the Filipino National Language” by Dr. Purificacion Delima, “Nuestra Senora de Manaoag and Pangasinan's Manag-anito Tradition: A study in Syncretism, inculturation and Bricolage” by Marot Nelmida-Flores and History of Felipe Del Pan, “Learning to Speak Chabacano” and “Tawid Ilog: Rediscovering the Spanish Influence in the Pasig River Cross Transport System”.

Rodriguez also challenged Filipinos to help translate centuries-old and important documents from the National Library written during the Spanish regime.

With the huge number of possible topics, Rodriguez said proposals with high chances of grant approval are those that would be finished in a year, with a paper published and submitted to Instituto Cervantes.

The funding comes from the Spanish Ministry of Culture and is issued by its grant-giving body, the Spanish Program for Cultural Cooperation. Applications are submitted by Instituto Cervantes.

Since the program was established in 1997, some 328 proposals for Spanish-Filipino heritage preservation were granted.

Applications are evaluated by the executive committee, which includes Rodriguez, the Spanish ambassador, and representatives from the partner universities and colleges.

Application forms can be requested by emailing spcc@cervantes.net.ph. For more details, visit www.spcc.ph. Deadline for applications is on May 31.

This post has been edited by maharlikangpilipino: May 18 2011, 05:29 AM

[maharlikangpilip...]

removed..double post

This post has been edited by maharlikangpilipino: May 18 2011, 08:23 AM

[maharlikangpilip...]

Sorry Noy, pero kay GMA ang 2010. Tignan naten ang pagtatrabaho mo ngayong 2011.

LOL oo nga
I hope his "efforts" can sustain it if not surpass it.

PH to offer 18 sites for oil exploration
By Amy R. Remo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 18:56:00 05/17/2011

MANILA, Philippines—To boost the country's energy security, the Department of Energy is set mount road show in Asia, the United States and Europe within the third quarter, offering prospective investors 18 potential oil and gas areas for exploration and development.

“It looks very exciting," Energy Secretary Jose Rene D. Almendras told reporters Monday night on the sidelines of an oil company marketing event. "Even in the international scene, there's so much interest in the Philippines' oil exploration... all the large exploration companies, some of which have yet to come here, are now coming.”

this is great news. I also think that they should turn their eyes on Sulu. There's oil there as well, afaik. It might be a good start for Bangsamoro(well of course we still have to put an end to the separatist movement and the political dynasties and warring clans there, tsktsk)

This post has been edited by maharlikangpilipino: May 18 2011, 08:32 AM

[maharlikangpilip...]

eSkwela Project is Computer World Honors Program Laureate

The eSkwela Project has been selected as one of 255 laureates from thousands of entries worldwide by the Computer World’s Honors Program.

The honor being given to the eSkwela Project of the Commission on Information and Communications Technology and the Department of Education is “a recognition of individuals and organizations who create and innovatively use information technology to promote and advance public welfare, contribute to the greater good of society, and change the world for the better.”

The 2011 Laureates will be recognized publicly at the 23rd Annual Laureates Medal Ceremony & Gala Awards Evening on June 20, 2011 at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, D.C.

During this ceremony, case studies are formally inducted into the program’s International Archives, and honorees are presented with a medallion inscribed with the Program’s mission, “A Search for New Heroes.”

For over two decades, The Computerworld Honors Program has recognized individuals and organizations who create and use information technology to promote and advance public welfare, contribute to the greater good of society and change the world for the better.

The world’s foremost information technology companies Chairmen and CEOs support this program through their participation on the Chairmen’s Committee. To broaden the scope of the program, while maintaining the tradition and prestige of the recognition, the Chairmen’s Committee Advisors expanded the call for nominations and updated award categories focusing on the humanitarian theme which is core to the Program.

The 2011 award categories are: Business Responsiveness, Collaboration, Digital Access, Economic Opportunity, Emerging Technology, Environment, Health Human Services, Innovation, Safety & Security and Training/Education.

“The number and quality of nominations this year were very inspiring and demonstrate how valuable IT is to community change,” said John Amato, Publisher, Computerworld. “Computerworld is very proud to name the 2011 class of Laureates and showcase their initiatives benefiting society through innovative uses of IT.”

The eSkwela Project provides ICT-enhanced educational opportunities for the country’s out-of-school youth and adults. Under this project, community-based e-Learning Centers are being established across the country where ICT-supported alternative education programs are taking place. With the use of relevant interactive e-learning materials, blended and collaborative modes of instruction, and performance-based assessment in a problem/project-based learning environment, it seeks to bridge the widening digital divide and social chasms between those who are educated and those who are not.

*****

MRT 7 seen completed in ’14

By Paolo Montecillo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 21:40:00 05/05/2011

Filed Under: Railway, Road Transport, Infrastructure, Investments

MANILA, Philippines—Conglomerate San Miguel Corp. (SMC) expects to complete two of its big-ticket infrastructure projects—the MRT 7 train line and a new highway to La Union—by 2014 and 2015, respectively.

In a disclosure earlier this week, the company said it would start work on the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) line 7 project—involving the construction of a 22-kilometer train line and the six-lane road beneath it—before the end of the year.

The project is estimated to cost $1.5 billion, with 25 percent to be funded by equity and the rest through loans.

SMC expects to shell out over $190 million for the project.

“It is expected to take three and a half years from the fourth quarter of 2011 to complete MRT 7,” SMC said.

The MRT 7 project will have 14 train stations from San Jose del Monte in Bulacan to the corner of North Avenue and Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (Edsa) in Quezon City.

It will be linked with the MRT-3 train line and the Light Rail Transit (LRT) line 1 via a common station in North Avenue.

On Nov. 8, 2010, SMC acquired a 51-percent equity interest in Universal LRT, which holds the concession for MRT-7, a planned expansion of the metro rail system in Manila, home to more than 10 million people.

MRT 7 is one of the several rail extension projects for the existing metro rail system, which services Metro Manila.

SMC will have 25 years to operate the train line.

In the meantime, the conglomerate said the first phase of the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEx) project, the stretch from Tarlac to Carmen, Pangasinan, was scheduled for completion by August 2012.

Revenue collection through toll will start immediately after the first phase is opened, “while the remainder of the expressway is projected to be completed by August 2014,” SMC said.

SMC currently holds a 25-percent stake in TPLEx concessionaire Private Infrastructure Development Corp. (PIDC), which is a joint venture between DM Consunji Inc. and DM Wenceslao & Associates Inc.

SMC has the right to increase its stake in the company through a P3.32-billion equity investment, which will help fund the project. This will increase SMC’s interest in the company to a controlling 51 percent.

The project cost for the development of TPLEx was estimated at P821.6 billion, which will be funded by a combination of debt (45.8 percent), equity (40.8 percent) and Philippine government subsidy (13.4 percent.)

The government subsidy will be available at the start of construction of Stage 3 of TPLEx, the section from Urdaneta to Rosario, Pangasinan.


This post has been edited by maharlikangpilipino: May 18 2011, 08:42 AM

[juansuing]

MRT 7 seen completed in ’14

By Paolo Montecillo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 21:40:00 05/05/2011

Filed Under: Railway, Road Transport, Infrastructure, Investments

MANILA, Philippines—Conglomerate San Miguel Corp. (SMC) expects to complete two of its big-ticket infrastructure projects—the MRT 7 train line and a new highway to La Union—by 2014 and 2015, respectively.

In a disclosure earlier this week, the company said it would start work on the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) line 7 project—involving the construction of a 22-kilometer train line and the six-lane road beneath it—before the end of the year.

The project is estimated to cost $1.5 billion, with 25 percent to be funded by equity and the rest through loans.

SMC expects to shell out over $190 million for the project.

“It is expected to take three and a half years from the fourth quarter of 2011 to complete MRT 7,” SMC said.

The MRT 7 project will have 14 train stations from San Jose del Monte in Bulacan to the corner of North Avenue and Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (Edsa) in Quezon City.

It will be linked with the MRT-3 train line and the Light Rail Transit (LRT) line 1 via a common station in North Avenue.

On Nov. 8, 2010, SMC acquired a 51-percent equity interest in Universal LRT, which holds the concession for MRT-7, a planned expansion of the metro rail system in Manila, home to more than 10 million people.

MRT 7 is one of the several rail extension projects for the existing metro rail system, which services Metro Manila.

SMC will have 25 years to operate the train line.

In the meantime, the conglomerate said the first phase of the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEx) project, the stretch from Tarlac to Carmen, Pangasinan, was scheduled for completion by August 2012.

Revenue collection through toll will start immediately after the first phase is opened, “while the remainder of the expressway is projected to be completed by August 2014,” SMC said.

SMC currently holds a 25-percent stake in TPLEx concessionaire Private Infrastructure Development Corp. (PIDC), which is a joint venture between DM Consunji Inc. and DM Wenceslao & Associates Inc.

SMC has the right to increase its stake in the company through a P3.32-billion equity investment, which will help fund the project. This will increase SMC’s interest in the company to a controlling 51 percent.

The project cost for the development of TPLEx was estimated at P821.6 billion, which will be funded by a combination of debt (45.8 percent), equity (40.8 percent) and Philippine government subsidy (13.4 percent.)

The government subsidy will be available at the start of construction of Stage 3 of TPLEx, the section from Urdaneta to Rosario, Pangasinan.

Kumusta na kaya yung planong bullet train ng San Miguel?

[silangan]

ano nga ba ang problema? o ano sa TINGIN MO ang problema? tingin ko kasi alam mo.

as far as I can see it, the government knows some of the problems but fails to remedy these problems.

going back to the topic(about PNoy's plan) I believe it TRIES to address multiple problems at once: poverty, food production, agriculture, squatter colony eyesore(+ perhaps pollution? since many of these squatters are the ones polluting the rivers and creeks around them), etc(I may have missed some things)
^IMO... at least this is not one of those band-aid solutions that his admin provides our country.



I agree with this. but then NOT ALL poor families here in MM work as salespeople.. some of them again, make crime as their source of living.
If you've "lived" or have perhaps seen the way of life in a squatter colony, you would even see that some of them just live on occasional labahan of a neighbor, manicure/pedicure, selling street foods, etc.

PNoy's plan is for the majority of the impoverished populace in MM.

*on the salespeople thing, the government should really address this problem. many of these big malls implement contractualization. No wonder these people can't get the securities they need because they can't even form labor unions...



that's because they see Manila as a haven for underprivileged people. if they can see that there are opportunities in their places, they won't have any reason to go here.

Matagal ng plano yung pauwiin sa probinsya mga squatters. Panahon pa ni Marcos yata yan. Isasakatuparan lang ni Pnoy. Iniisip ko lang kung yung desisyon ng kasalukuyang gobyerno na pauwiin eh plinano ng mabuti, kasi nung panahon ni Ramos, hindi nag materialize ito dahil mawawalan daw ng services ang Manila. Mga jeepney/taxi/bus drivers, mekaniko at lahat halos ng nag po-provide ng services sa manila galing sa mga squatters area.

Masarap isipin na wala nang eyesore, pero walang tigil, hanggang ngayon ang exodus ng mga probinsyano puntang Manila. Siguro gumawa muna sila ng paraan para mabawasan ng malaki o maputol ang pag migrate ng mga probinsyano sa Manila.

Parang tubig na umaagos, kahit anong bawas mo, tuloy pa rin ang pagbuhos. Putulin muna yun. Walang silbi yung pagbawas kung mapapalitan naman ng hundredfold.

Gumawa sila ng paraan. Katulad ng for example: pagbawalan ang mga employers na mag hire ng mga galing sa probinsya na walang fixed address sa Manila.

Kung wala silang fixed address, at least meron silang kamag anak na may fixed address at sila ang mananagot pag nawalan ng trabaho yung kamag-anak nila.

Yung mga maid na hina-hire ng mga households, dapat dadaan sa registered agency para kumpleto yung documentation. Bawal mag employ ng househelp/warehouse help, etc of any nature na hindi dadaan sa form of documentation like an agency. Ito ay para masiguro na may mananagot pag may problema.

Example ko lang ito. Hindi ko sinasabing ito ang solusyon. Pero hindi ako sang-ayon sa kasalukuyang plano ng gobyerno na pauwiin. Parang sa tingin ko eh napaka abrupt na desisyon. Okey siguro yun, pero kailangang gumawa muna sila ng deeper study. Baka kailangang i-apply ang expertise ng mga social scientists at iba pang experto dito.

[maharlikangpilip...]

Kuwait oil firm eyes Phl
By Donnabelle L. Gatdula (The Philippine Star) Updated May 19, 2011 12:00 AM Comments (3)

MANILA, Philippines - State-owned Kuwait Petroleum International (Q8) is looking at the possibility of investing in the Philippine downstream oil industry, Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras said yesterday.

Almendras said he had been informed by the Kuwaiti ambassador to the Philippines that Q8 is interested in the local oil market but there are still no firm details on this planned investment.

“We’re trying to encourage competition, trying to diversify the market, and we’re trying to invite as many big players or other players as we can for the country. I’ve had meetings with the ambassador from Kuwait, and he’s saying that Q8, I’m not sure if they’re coming, but I said we would like to invite them if they are interested to come,” he said.

Amid the continued volatility in oil prices, he said more competition is encouraged in the industry. “The more players, the better for us,” he said.

In 2007, the Kuwaiti government had expressed interest in the Philippine downstream industry.

At present, Kuwait has exposure in upstream oil exploration with Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Corp.’s KUPFEC Philippines Onshore B.V.’s minority stake at Shell Philippine Exploration B.V. (SPEX)’s Service Contract 60 in offshore Northeast Palawan.

After a period of reorganization in the late 1970s and the acquisition of foreign corporations in the 1980s, Kuwait’s oil industry, supervised by the Ministry of Oil, is controlled today by the Kuwait Petroleum Corp. (KPC) as the overall coordinating body.

Q8 also controls a number of subsidiaries. These include Kuwait Oil Co. (KOC) which carries out exploration and crude production; Kuwait National Petroleum Co. (KNPC) manages refineries and domestic marketing; Kuwait Oil Tanker Co. (KOTC) undertakes transportation; Petrochemicals Industries Co. (PIC) produces petrochemicals; and KUFPEC handles exploration of oil overseas.

Q8 manages downstream operations in Europe; Kuwait Aviation Fuelling Co. supplies fuel to aircraft that use Kuwait International Airport ; and Sante Fe International Corp. provides expertise in exploration, drilling and pipelines. Sante Fe’s wholly-owned subsidiary, C.F. Braun & Co., provides refinery engineering services.

KUFPEC is the only company in the Arabian Gulf to carry out drilling, development and production operations in foreign countries. It operates in eight countries: Australia , China , Egypt , Indonesia , Pakistan , Sudan , Tunisia and Yemen .

As a member of OPEC, Kuwait owns about 10 percent of the world’s proven oil reserves. Its reserves of 96.5 billion barrels are expected to last more than 100 years.

[maharlikangpilip...]

Armed Forces to get P5-B military hardware

MANILA, Philippines - The military will get more than P5 billion worth of military hardware and equipment this year, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Eduardo Oban said on Thursday.

The acquisition is part of the military's modernization program, Oban added.

"For 2011, we have 13 projects that are deliverables. Many of these 13 projects are for the Philippine Navy," Oban said in a press briefing in Quezon City.

Oban said 6 of the projects will benefit the Navy. These include the delivery of upgraded ships, a landing craft utility, troop carriers for Marines, and radios.

Meanwhile, Army troops will get night-fighting equipment and a civil-military operations audio visual system.

The Air Force, on the other hand, will receive an unspecified number of MD-520 attack helicopters, basic trainer aircraft, combat utility helicopters, and aerial cameras.

The AFP Medical Center's operating room is also set for upgrade this year, according to Oban.

"If we get these, they will enhance our capability particularly patrolling our territorial waters and improving our logistical platforms in the delivery of supplies needed by our troops throughout the country," he said.

The projects do not include a Hamilton class ship that was acquired from the U.S. Coast Guard last Friday.

The ship, which is due to be delivered to the Navy in August, was acquired through the Foreign Military Sales program.

Oban said the cutter ship will be deployed to Palawan to patrol the country's maritime resources in the area.

Palawan is near the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea that is being claimed by the Philippines, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei, and Vietnam.

Oban said the military had already relayed its intention to the U.S. to acquire 2 more Hamilton-class ships, which are being phased out by Washington.

"We just have to wait for their reply, if there are available in their inventory and if they are going to give it to us," he said.

[juansuing]

A toast to the Philippine Microfinance Industry: It has now grown to 210 banks and 900,000 microentrepreneurs
May 20, 2011, 12:55am

MANILA, Philippines — Local rural banks and cooperatives started the concept of practicing of servicing loans as early as the 1960’s. Agricultural workers and fisherfolk benefited from the access to small credit. The banks, however, could not sustain the programs due to low payment ratio and some structural problems in the scheme.

In the mid-1970’s until the 1980’s, the government mobilized rural development banks and other governmental financial institutions to provide highly subsidized credit to the marginalized sectors. But the Directed Credit Programs (DCPs) of the government failed because of their inability to reach the target clientele and subsidized credit went instead to big borrowers.

The lessons learned from the implementation of this government program contributed to the development of a new approach in credit methods. By the mid 1980’s, non-government organizations (NGOs) became partners with government in the fight against poverty, using microfinance as a tool to provide small loans for small business activities. Microfinance has grown dramatically since the 1990’s and although certain regulatory and prudential issues hounded local microfinance initially, the needs of the poor entrepreneurs were ably met.

At a recent National Microfinance Stakeholders Summit, the country’s microfinance industry was cited as the world’s best in terms of regulatory framework and second best in terms of the overall business environment by the Economist Intelligence Unit in its report “Global Microscope on the Microfinance Business Environment.” From a small industry a decade ago, it has grown to 210 banks who have granted over R6 billion in loans to more than 900,000 microentrepreneurs. These microentrepreneurs, in turn, generated employment in their local communities and saved billions in bank deposits.

We congratulate the Philippine Microfinance Industry for touching the lives of the marginalized sectors of society, liberating millions of Filipinos from their deprivations, changing their way of life, and transforming their lives into a life of freedom and abundance.