Month: July 2024

MANILA: The construction of the multi-billion Senate building in Taguig City has been delayed by 852 days, with no specific completion date as of yet, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) confirmed Wednesday.

In a Senate Committee on Accounts hearing chaired by Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, DPWH Buildings and Special Projects Management Cluster (BSPMC) Project Director Soledad Florencio said the ‘extension of time’ for the project was at 852 days but only due to ‘variation orders’.

‘Dahil sa mga approved variation orders meron po iyong kaakibat na time extensions so for now po as presented sa aming accomplishment positive pa po ang aming slippage (Because of the approved variation orders there are also corresponding time extensions so for now as presented in our accomplishment report, our slippage is still positive),’ she said.

Meanwhile, she clarified that both Cayetano nor Senate President Francis Escudero had no hand in the project delay.

Senate President Francis Escudero earlier ordered t
he suspension of the construction work on the new Senate building for a comprehensive review and concerns over its escalating costs.

Initially budgeted at PHP8.9 billion, Escudero earlier said the project cost has ballooned to PHP13 billion, with an additional PHP10 billion required for completion.

At the hearing, Cayetano said the current project cost, based on the submissions of Senator Nancy Binay and Senator Panfilo Lacson’s staff, totals PHP23.379 billion, at least PHP8.9 billion of which was for the building’s core and shell, PHP2.5 billion for the fit-out, PHP10.33 billion for the works to complete, while PHP1.6 billion was for the land acquisition.

Trading barbs

Cayetano and Senator Nancy Binay, meanwhile, engaged in a heated exchange over the presentation of the building construction cost, which the latter argued was only PHP21.73 billion excluding the amount of land at PHP1.6 billion.

‘The mere fact na pinutok nila ‘yong amount, ‘di ko alam kung ano intensyon talaga,’ Binay said in an interview
after she walked out of the hearing (The mere fact that the amount was brought up, I don’t know what the intention is anymore),” she said in a separate interview.

‘Hindi ba ang linaw ng topic, cost of the construction of the building, so dapat ang ini-input lang natin ‘yong ano ba ‘yong bahagi doon sa pagpa-patayo ng building, kaso sinama nila ‘yong land (Isn’t the topic clear, cost of the construction of the building, so the input should only be what is for the construction but they included the land acquisition cost),’ she explained.

Cayetano, for his part, argued that it was the staff of Binay who submitted the breakdown.

At the hearing, he accused Binay of sitting on the PHP600 million landscape plan of the building, which he said has been pending since 2023 while the latter was still the chair of the Senate Committee on Accounts.

Binay denied this, saying her office had been conducting a thorough review of it as often as twice a week.

Cayetano also alleged that Binay was politicizing the review by t
rying to connect it to the Makati-Taguig rivalry.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: The Department of Justice is bringing its services directly to the public as it reports its accomplishments, milestones, and reforms undertaken since July 2022.

In a news release Wednesday, the DOJ said it is set to hold its first-ever ‘Bagong Pilipinas DOJ Town Hall’ meeting on Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Dasmariñas Arena, Dasmarinas, Cavite.

‘This will be an ideal opportunity to share the department’s significant accomplishments and milestones with the people in the spirit of transparency and accountability under President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s ‘Bagong Pilipinas brand of governance’,’ Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said.

The DOJ is expected to report to the public its recent achievements, milestones, and ongoing reforms.

It will also hold ‘Katarungan Caravan’ offering valuable government services that include legal aid from the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO), tourist online visa application, public information assistance, E-services assistance, complaint desk, and legal a
ssistance by the Bureau of Immigration.

There will also be a help desk and E-Serbisyo by the Land Registration Authority, NBI clearance by the National Bureau of Investigation, legal counseling, simple affidavit drafting, and complaint referrals by the DOJ Action Center.

Remulla urged the public, especially those from Cavite, to grab the opportunity to avail of the services of the DOJ and its constituent agencies.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: A modern super station complete with charging terminals for electric vehicles (EVs) and a retail center will soon rise in New Clark City, promising to bring additional revenues for the government, provide future employment opportunities for the local community, and boost foot traffic in the rising metropolis.

A media release on Wednesday said Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) president and chief executive officer Joshua Bingcang on Monday signed a contract with Double 11 Properties Corp. president Romeo Siccion for the long-term lease of a one-hectare property in New Clark City, intended to be developed into a full-service station.

This marks the first partnership in New Clark City for a development of this kind.

‘The BCDA welcomes Double 11 to New Clark City and offers its full support for the project. With this engagement, we expect economic benefits, such as additional revenues for the government; employment opportunities for the local residents and communities, and most importan
tly increased foot traffic in New Clark City,’ BCDA vice president for Business Development Mark Torres said during the signing ceremony.

With the contract now finalized, Double 11 commits to invest at least PHP100 million for the development of the facility, which will include charging terminals for EVs, a mixed-use commercial complex, and retail support businesses.

The company has also expressed interest to implement a Phase 2 expansion covering another hectare, with an additional investment of PHP100 million.

The super station is expected to house over 20 retail stores and offices, serving an estimated 200,000 motorists annually and creating about 500 jobs for the residents of Tarlac and nearby communities. It is also estimated to generate PHP100 million in revenues for the government, the statement added.

‘With BCDA, we are bringing our international brand partners here to provide an excellent service to motorists. Using our experience and expertise, we will not only be developing a super station, but
also a lifestyle development where people can park, dine, shop, and work,’ said Ren Siccion, Double 11’s Business Development manager.

Bingcang, for his part, said: ‘This partnership signals another milestone in the development of New Clark City as a smart and green metropolis, one that is ready for a future filled with electric vehicles and eco-friendly cars. This is also a step towards our ’15-minute city’ vision for New Clark City, where basic amenities and facilities are easily accessible within a walking or cycling distance.’

Double 11 is a Filipino-owned corporation in the business of establishing, operating, and maintaining a zoo and attraction theme park, industrial parks, and super stations, with partners such as international food franchise chains, branded retail outlets, business process outsourcing companies, offices, residential development and fuel distribution.

Its projects include Northwalk Clark along M.A. Roxas Highway, Pampanga, Caltex Station located at Km 64 of North Luzon Expressway (
NLEX) Southbound, Shell of Asia at Km 36 of NLEX Southbound, Northwalk 1 and 2 in San Fernando, Pampanga, and the PTT Station along the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: Authorities have identified persons of interest (POIs) linked to the abduction and murder of two Chinese business executives in Camarines Sur province, a ranking police official said Wednesday.

In a phone interview, Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said the Chinese Embassy has coordinated with the Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG) regarding the case.

“Ang pakiusap ng AKG (not to mention how many POIs) pero in-assure tayo ng director mismo ng AKG na meron silang mga tinututukan lalong lalo na yung mismong mga nakausap na sumundo sa ating mga biktima nung sila ay dumating dito sa ating bansa (The AKG’s request is not to mention how many POIs we have now but the AKG director personally assured that they are looking into some individuals, especially those who fetched the victims when they arrived in the country),” Fajardo told reporters.

Initial investigation showed the two victims – a Chinese national and a Chinese-American — arrived in the country on June 20 to meet with oth
er Chinese nationals for a business venture.

However, the victims were fetched by a still unknown group upon their arrival.

Fajardo said the victims even managed to contact their families on the same day before they disappeared.

“The following day (June 21), the wife of one of the victims received demands for ransom asking for 5 million yuan. There were negotiations until the amount was lowered to 3 million yuan. Accordingly, the money was sent but the victims’ families did not hear anything from the suspects again,” she said in Filipino.

On June 23, a lawyer of one of the victims reported the matter to Chinese authorities, who then relayed the information to the PNP.

On June 24, the remains of the two victims were found beside a cliff in Sitio Rawis, Barangay Patitinan, Sagñay, Camarines Sur.

The victims’ remains were then taken to a funeral parlor, where they were positively identified by their families who flew from China on June 28. They were cremated on the same day.

“Now, the direction of our inv
estigation is to find the people whom the victims are supposed to meet when they arrived here in the country. Sa ngayon ay maaga pa para mag-speculate tayo but lahat ng anggulo ay titingnan natin (For now, it is too early to speculate but we are looking at all angles),” Fajardo said, when asked on the possible motive for the crime.

Source: Philippines News Agency

DAVAO CITY: Davao Region is poised to become a countrywide aerospace hub, an adviser of the rocketry team from Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU) said Wednesday.

Dr. Rogel Mari Sese, chair of the AdDU Aerospace Engineering (ASE) department and lead advisor of the rocketry team, said that based on their analysis, the region is the best place in the country to launch rockets into space.

‘In our study before, when we talked about the space industry, we found that a launch facility is one of the biggest infrastructures a country can have. This also involves the growth of other industries, such as manufacturing, which we hope to bring to the region in the future,’ Sese said in a press briefing here.

The eagerness to establish the region as an aerospace hub came after Sese and the AdDU Rocketry Team successfully launched rocket ‘Sibol’ during the 7th annual Spaceport America Cup in New Mexico, United States of America, on June 22.

The Spaceport America Cup 2024 is the world’s largest Intercollegiate Rocket Engin
eering Competition for student rocketry teams, with around 200 teams from 20 countries participating.

As the first Filipino team to compete in the prestigious Spaceport America Cup, the AdDU Rocketry Team ignited the engines of ‘Sibol’ and sent it soaring into the skies, with its 9.7-foot height reaching a target altitude of 10,000 feet.

“In my past work, I led the National Space Development Program under the Department of Science and Technology. Our primary goal was to establish the Philippine Space Agency and the Philippine Space Utilization Policy, which came into fruition in 2019,’ Sese said.

He said there is already significant interest in the Davao region as a potential aerospace hub and a future hub for astro-tourism.

‘We call it like it’s a Philippines gateway to the stars,’ Sese added.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: The National Security Council (NSC) said Wednesday it sees ‘no threat of any imminent attack’ from China, even as Senator Imee Marcos claimed that more than 20 areas in the country were potential targets of Chinese hypersonic missiles.

‘We will reach out to Senator Imee to get more information about her statement because we are not aware of any of the security threats she mentioned,’ NSC Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya told reporters in a text message.

According to Malaya, the Philippines and China ‘reaffirmed their commitment to deescalating tensions in the West (Philippine) Sea’ during the 9th Bilateral Consultation Meeting on Tuesday.

‘There was also substantial progress on developing measures to manage the situation at the West Philippine Sea, including improving maritime communications,’ he said.

‘The PH and PRC (People’s Republic of China) maintain cordial relations and are committed to managing whatever differences there may be, thus, we see no threat of any imminent attack from
the PRC.’

Earlier, Senator Marcos, sister of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., reportedly expressed concern over China’s alleged plan to attack 25 areas in the country, including Batanes and Ilocos, using ‘hypersonic missiles.’

The move is supposedly in response to the Philippines’ Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) with the United States, which gives American forces access to Philippine military camps to enhance cooperation.

In February last year, President Marcos granted the country’s long-standing ally access to four more Philippine military camps on top of the five existing locations under the EDCA – the Naval Base Camilo Osias in Sta. Ana, Cagayan; Lal-lo Airport in Lal-lo, Cagayan; Camp Melchor Dela Cruz in Gamu, Isabela; and Balabac Island in Palawan.

The first five EDCA locations were Basa Air Base in Pampanga, Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, Lumbia Air Base in Cagayan de Oro, Antonio Bautista Air Base in Palawan, and Mactan Benito Ebuen Air Base in Cebu.

Source: Philippines News Agen
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