Metro skyway to rise 6-10 storeys high

MNTC President & CEO Rodrigo Franco while describing the Harbor Link elevated road project. Photo by Shane Velasco, PIA

MALOLOS CITY—The truck ban will soon be a thing of the past while Metro Manila’s skyline will be radically altered by 2016.

This developed as the Manila North Tollways Corp. (MNTC) broke ground yesterday for the P10.5-billion Segment 10 of the Harbor Link road project at the Philippine National Railways compound in Caloocan City.

The ground-breaking came just over a month after the Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. and the Philippine National Construction Corp. signed a joint venture agreement that gave the green light for the multi-billion peso Metro Expresslink project last January 21.

The Harbor Link project is part of the Metro Expressway Link Project that will stretch from the Smart Connect toll plaza along the North Luzon Expressway (NLEx) to Karuhatan in Valenzuela City then o C-3 Road in Caloocan City and eventually to Sta. Mesa in Manila near the Polytechnic University of the Philippines campus.

“Trailer trucks hauling products to and from the North Harbor will no longer worry of traffic congestion in Metro Manila once the Harbor link is completed,” said Ramoncito Fernandez, MNTC president and chief operating officer.

He also said that construction of the Harbor Link project will have less impact on traffic situation in western Metro Manila because it will be constructed on top of the old Philippine National Railways (PNR) right of way.

 

Photo by Shane F. Velasco,PIA

Construction of the 5.6-kilometer four-lane elevated Harbor Link project will start this month and is expected to be completed by the end of 2015. Fernandez said that the elevated road project will radically alter Metro Manila’s skyline because parts of the Harbor Link project will be six to 10 storeys high or at least 60 to 100 feet.

He clarified though that while the whole stretch of the said road project will be elevated, some parts will be lower than six storeys. The same was affirmed by Rodrigo Franco, MNTC president and CEO.

Franco disclosed that Harbor Link will start where the 2.4-kilometer Mindanao Avenue Extension will end in MacArthur Highway at Barangay Karuhatan in Valenzuela City. He said that a ramp will link the 5.6-kilometer Harbor Link and the Mindanao Avenue Extension.

From there, Harbor Link will cross the MacArthur Highway as an elevated road until it reaches the PNR right of way in Francisco Street in Marulas, Valenzuela City. From Marulas, the Harbor Link will be on top of the old PNR right of way.

“It will be a dynamic infrastructure project because parts of the Harbor Link will be on top of the PNR, and part of it will be beside the MacArthur highway,” he said, adding that the road development project will not only improve traffic but is also expected to spur commerce in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

“There will be unhampered transport of goods since there is no truck ban inside the expressways. NLEx Harbor Link as a whole will also promote a more efficient inter- regional movement of people. Dino Balabo

Bulacan lighthouse to fall anytime

Leaning lighthouse of Pugad on the coast of Manila Bay. Photo by Dino Balabo

HAGONOY, Bulacan—For more than eight decades, the concrete lighthouse at the coast of Barangay Pugad here has served as a beacon to fishermen in Manila Bay. But the lighthouse may not reach the century mark as it is now leaning and might fall anytime.

This prodded the provincial government of Bulacan and the Regional Development Council (RDC) of Central Luzon to move vowed to rehabilitate the said light house three years ago.

Edgardo Baltazar, a local fisherman said the light house might not last a year more with the rainy season which usually bring large waves fast approaching. A councilman of the coastal village of Pugad, Baltazar said that the lighthouse which was noticed to have started leaning a month ago is usually hit by waves.

The same was echoed by Ramon Atienza Jr., the village of chief of Pugad who lamented the condition of the light house. Atienza said they requested assistance from the municipal and provincial government for the rehabilitation of the said lighthouse.

But the promised assistance is yet to come. He said that since last year, the solar- powered bulb on top of the light house has stopped functioning, probably due to a damaged battery pack or busted light bulb which are easy to replace. The worst that can happen is for the lighthouse to fall.

Councilman Alfredo Lunes expressed apprehension that the lighthouse would suffer the same fate as the lighthouse located in Barangay San Roque, also in Hagonoy, which fell more than two years ago and its solar powered battery pack cannibalized.

The lighthouse has been photographed by PromdiNews many times in the last three years, especially when its solar powered battery pack was repaired by the Sigla Movement of the Philippines.

On Friday, it was again photographed by PromdiNews and students of the Bulacan State University who joined the “Lakbay Coastal” project organized by the municipal government.

Photos showed that the lighthouse is now slightly leaning and is feared to fall anytime if planned rehabilitation is further delayed.  Dino Balabo

2014 UP Gawad Plaridel call for nominations

The U.P. College of Mass Communication (UP CMC) is now accepting

nominations for the annual U.P. GAWAD PLARIDEL which recognizes Filipino media

practitioners who have excelled in any of the media (print, radio, film, television, and

new media) and have performed with the highest level of professional integrity in the

interest of public service.

 For 2014, the tenth U.P. Gawad Plaridel will be given to an outstanding

TRANSMEDIA practitioner (one who excels in at least two (2) media platforms, e.g.,

television & radio, print & online, film & television, etc.).

 The award is named after Marcelo H. del Pilar (nom de plume, Plaridel), the

selfless propagandist whose stewardship of the reformist newspaper La Solidaridad

helped crystallize nationalist sentiments and ignite libertarian ideas in the 1890s. Like

Plaridel, the recipient must believe in the vision of a Philippine society that is egalitarian,

participative and progressive; and in media that are socially responsible, critical and

vigilant, liberative and transformative, and free and independent.

 Eligible for the awards are all living Filipino individuals who have excelled in at

least two (2) media platforms. Aside from their probity and integrity, these media

practitioners must have produced a body of work that is marked by excellence and

social relevance and must have achievements recognized nationally and/or

internationally.

Individuals and institutions may nominate potential recipients. Institutions

include media corporations, professional media associations, media advocacy groups,

educational institutions, cultural foundations and NGOs. Previous nominees may still be

considered for this year’s award. All current full-time faculty and staff of the UP CMC are

disqualified from the nomination.

 Deadline for nomination is on 31 March 2014. The recipient of the U.P. Gawad

Plaridel will be announced in May.

 The U.P. GAWAD PLARIDEL is given every July in commemoration of del Pilar’s

death anniversary. The awardee will receive the U.P. Gawad Plaridel trophy (designed

by National Artist Napoleon Abueva) and will deliver the Plaridel Lecture addressing

issues relevant to the state and practice of Philippine media. The recipient will have a

place of honor at all ceremonies and functions of the College. The awardee’s

photograph will be hung at the UP Gawad Plaridel Gallery in the College main lobby.

 Nomination forms and award guidelines are available at the U.P. CMC Website

(http://masscomm.upd.edu.ph) and at the UP CMC Office of Extension and External

Relations (UP CMC-OEER). Interested parties may call (02) 981-8500 loc. 2668 for details.# 

Media, netizens to mark EDSA with ‘Black Tuesday’ protest

Media groups plan coordinated protests over the Supreme Court’s Cybercrime Act ruling

MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS, netizens, and civil society groups will commemorate the 28th anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolt today, February 25, with a coordinated online protest against a recent Supreme Court ruling affirming the constitutionality of online libel.

The “Black Tuesday” protest was agreed on during a roundtable discussion held by the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines and other media and online organizations that had questioned the constitutionality of Republic Act 10175, also known as the Cybercrime Prevention Act.

The groups say Tuesday’s protest highlights the “regression” of both press freedom and freedom of expression since press freedom was restored after the ouster of former President Ferdinand Marcos on February 25, 1986.

The protest also comes exactly a week after the Supreme Court ruled on R.A. 10175.

The High Court had ruled that the online libel provision in R.A. 10175 is constitutional, over the objections of at least 15 media and civil society groups questioning the law.

While the court recognized online libel, it however said that the crime only covers the original authors or producers of the libelous material, and does not cover those who receive, share, or respond to the material.

In addition, the court also struck down other questionable provisions in the law, such as the “takedown” provision which would have allowed the Justice Department to restrict access to digital materials in question even without a warrant, and the provision that would have allowed law enforcers to collect real-time traffic data.

While the media groups welcomed the removal of these provisions, they said the SC decision effectively expanded the coverage of the crime of libel into the digital domain.

Media organizations and civil society groups have been pushing for the decriminalization of the crime of libel, contained in Section 353 of the Revised Penal Code.

The Cybercrime Act expressly provides that this crime is also covered in the digital domain, and elevated the punishment for online libel by one degree.

The Philippines is one of few countries in the world that still considers libel a crime punishable with imprisonment. In addition, Philippine libel is unique in that an allegedly libelous material is presumed to be tainted with malice unless otherwise proven by the accused.

The groups that attended the roundtable discussion, which include the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility, the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, the NUJP, and several bloggers and online organizations, decided to draft a pooled editorial for publication or broadcast both online and offline on Tuesday.

The editorial would express dismay over the decision of the Supreme Court affirming the constitutionality of online libel, and push for the decriminalization of libel itself as defined by the Revised Penal Code.

As well, the groups are asking the Supreme Court to release the full text of Tuesday’s decision on R.A. 10175, as many points of the decision remain vague or unclear. The full decision is also needed for the groups to decide on how to appeal the Supreme Court ruling.

The groups also agreed to a coordinated campaign against the ruling on online libel on BlackTuesday. Details of the campaign are still being hammered out.

The groups also noted how Tuesday’s Supreme Court ruling appeared to backtrack on earlier pronouncements by the Tribunal on libel.

In 2008, then Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Puno issued a circular to all trial judges urging them to impose fines rather than prison sentences on those found guilty of libel.

While the circular does not carry the weight of an en banc decision, the issuance had a noticeable effect on many courts that year, said NUJP Chair Rowena Paraan.

Paraan said that as a result of the circular, no journalist was sent to jail for libel on that year.

“The ruling (last Tuesday) was a step back. It was already very libertarian,” Paraan said.

Malou Mangahas, executive director of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, said it is wrong for officials to justify the new restrictions by saying that citizens who do not commit crimes have nothing to fear.

Earlier, President Benigno S. Aquino III said the court ruling was not a curtailment of freedom of the press.

“If you know you speak the truth, why be worried about libel,” the President was quoted in media reports as saying.

“This should not be about a theorem of fear, but a theorem of rights,” Mangahas said.

“May sense sila na if you pass restrictive laws, then everybody will behave.”

Juned Sonido, a local blogger, said the online libel provisions will only drive expression “underground.” Sonido said this is unfortunate especially now that citizens are learning to express and engage with government, both online and offline.

“This sets back freedom of expression by 20 years,” Sonido said. “It sets the discussions that are online back, at a time when citizens are already going online to engage the government.”

Sonido pointed out that this would even make it more problematic for the government, as knowledgeable netizens know how to hide their identities when they post online. “So who would they sue then? This sets back freedom of expression by 20 years.”

The groups also agreed to harness the growing opposition to the online provision of the Cybercrime Act in order to redefine and decriminalize libel itself. For this, the media groups warned netizens of the “false dichotomy” that libel only applies to journalists.

The groups asked netizens to help in the campaign to make the public understand the full impact of the Cybercrime law, not just on journalists, but on ordinary users of the internet.

Ka Blas:The barefoot boy from Hagonoy

A special non-working holiday is declared for the province of Bulacan on Monday, February 3, 2014 as the province mark the 87th birthday of the late statesman Blas F.Ople.

A former senator of the republic, Ka Blas as he is reverently called died on December 14, 2003 while his way to Bahrain for a diplomatic mission as Secretary of Foreign Affairs.

Much has been written about Ka Blas, but younger people today do not know much about him.

Below is a brief biography of Ka Blas posted on the Blas F.Ople Policy Center website. Please read.

Blas Fajardo Ople graduated valedictorian from elementary school. He was so poor that he had to deliver his first public speech as valedictorian wearing leather shoes borrowed from a rich uncle. The shoes were too small for his feet and these hurt. This and other incidents involving this precocious child of humble beginnings shaped his character.

During the War, he was a first lieutenant at sixteen years old, assigned to the Del Pillar Regiment, Bulacan Military Area. He fought in Northern Luzon and participated in the August 1945 Battle of langan which resulted in the surrender of the Japanese Imperial Army on Luzon Island.

Looking back, the Filipino statesman described the war as a defining moment in his life. “The war tested my character, and I was happy this happened. It would color my views of public service for the rest of my life.”

Unable to finish his four-year college course due to the demands of a growing family, the man known as Ka Blas worked as a deskman and columnist of Daily Mirror until he was recruited by Ramon Magsaysay to join the Magsaysay-for-President Movement. He served as technical assistant on labor and agrarian affairs.

At 40, he was labor secretary of President Ferdinand Marcos, a post he held for seventeen years – in 1967 to 1971, and in 1972 to early 1986. In 1975, he became the first Filipino president of the International Labor Organization. He delivered his acceptance speech in the Filipino language.

Ople was tapped by President Corazon C. Aquino to help frame the 1987 Constitution. He was elected senator for the first time in 1992 and reelected for a second term in 1998. He was Senate President from June 29, 1999 to April 12, 2000. He was DFA Secretary from July 2002 to December 14, 2003.

In an interview with Philippine Graphic on February 18, 2022, Ople, who was still a senator, was asked to describe his biggest achievements. He replied: “I am the author of the Labor Code of the Philippines which up to this time protects the rights of workers. I also launched the overseas employment program, which created jobs for seven million Filipinos and transformed the lives of millions of families in the Philippines by giving them disposable income over and above subsistence. And of course, in the Senate, I have facilitated our interaction with the rest of the world through the approval of more than 50 bilateral and international treaties or conversions. These have linked us to the economic dynamism of the world and in particular of East Asia where we belong.”

Ka Blas died in the service of his country on December 14, 2003 while enroute to Bahrain on diplomatic mission as the country’s Secretary of Foreign Affairs.

All systems go for festivals in Bulacan this January

MALOLOS CITY—It’s all systems go for four separate festivals in Bulacan this month. 

The annual festivals include Minasa Festival in Bustos town that opened Monday, January 13, the Fiesta Republica in Malolos that will open on January 16, the Halamanan Festival in Guiguinto town that will start on January 20, and the Bulak Festival in San Ildefonso town on January 23.

All four festivals will promote local products and culture of the three towns and expected to draw tourists. Mayor Arnel Mendoza of Bustos said Senator Nancy Binay graced the opening of the Minasa Festival yesterday.

He said that the week-long festival is designed to promote “minasa,” a locally manufactured cookie made from egg yolk mixed with old sago plant starch and coco milk. Mendoza said minasa production started in Bustos more than a century ago as some historians claim that its production stemmed partly from the construction of ornate old houses where egg yolk was used as binder.

“Minasa festival is meant to promote minasa, but we also want to showcase the rich history and culture of Bustos and business opportunities here,” he said.

He added that minasa production is connected with the cultural heritage of Bustos town which is known for century old “bahay-na-bato” with ornate stone walls and posts. Mendoza said that some of the old “bahay-na-bato in his town were built in the mid-18th century, about the same time when minasa production took form.

“There is a possibility that minasa production in our town is connected with the construction of old houses because after using egg white for binder, they have no use for the huge amount of egg yolk,” Mendoza said.

In Malolos City, Mayor Christian Natividad said that all is set for the 10-day 4th Fiesta Republica from January 16 to 26. He said that Fiesta Republica will be graced by Chief Justice Lourdes Sereno who will serve as guest speaker for the 115th Republic Day celebrations at the historic Barasoain Church.

“Republic Day is one of the most important days in our history. It marks the day our first republic was born and it is only fitting that celebrate it,” he said. Natividad lamented that while Republic Day should be considered as a national holiday, national leaders hardly pay attention to it.

“We have so many festivals in the Philippines, we even have festivals for vegetables and slippers, we are holding Fiesta Republica to highlight the glory of our distant past,” he said. In Guiguinto, Mayor Ambrosio Cruz said they are also gearing up for the annual Halamanan Festival which they hope to rival other festivals in the country.

The festival was first held in 1990 to promote the garden and landscaping industry in the said town. Dino Balabo

Loose implementation of the law will not stop sales of oversized firecrackers

Despite the personal inspection by Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Alan Purisima of firecracker and pyrotechnics manufacturers in Bulacan, sales of illegal and oversized firecrackers continue to boom.

“It is all for show, and good for nothing,” remarked Celso Cruz of the Philippine Pyrotechnics Manufacturers and Dealers Association Inc., (PPMDAI).

Cruz said that at this time of year, everything has been set in motion, including the sale of illegal pyrotechnics products in preparation for the New Year revelry.

What is not set is the full implementation of the 21-year-old law that is supposed to be implemented by the PNP, he said.

Cruz said the PNP chief should not have visited Bocaue yesterday. The town of Bocaue is dubbed the firecracker capital of the country.

Cruz said Purisima should have ordered his men to just do their job well, beginning with the full implementation of Republic Act 7183 or the Act Regulating Sale, Manufacture, Distribution, and Use of Firecrackers and other Pyrotechnics Devices.

Cruz pointed out the implementation of the law should start with issuance of license to manufacturers of firecrackers. He said this was hardly followed.

Cruz said that once a manufacturer is issued a license, they could purchase raw materials and chemicals that are all controlled substances like nitrates, potassium and sulfur.

This is followed by the actual processing and manufacturing which, Cruz said, is hardly monitored by the PNP.

He also lamented the PNP’s Firearms and Explosive Unit (FEU) does not have a database on how much chemicals a manufacturer has purchased and how much they manufactured.

“It is a very sad fact, the PNP is the administrator of the law and the one enforcing it, but what they are doing is less than to be desired on behalf of the industry,” Cruz said.

The result of this loose implementation of RA 7183, Cruz said, has led to the decline of the firecracker industry that the PNP is supposed to protect and regulate.

He explained that RA 7183 legalized the manufacture of pyrotechnic products to provide livelihood and to regulate the industry to improve product quality.

However, 21 years after the law was approved, the industry is in decline, Cruz said.

“The sad state of the industry lies in the fact that in Bocaue alone, 50 percent of pyrotechnics products are imported masquerading as locally manufactured, 30 percent are illegally manufactured and only 20 percent are legal and locally made,” he said.

Part of the problem is the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) product standard licensing that only takes into consideration finished products but turns a blind eye on the manufacturer’s processing and manufacturing facilities.

“That’s the reason why it is suggested when we are revising the IRR (implementing rules and regulations) that the PNP and DTI must require every manufacturer to present samples of their products before the issuance of the license,” he said.

With regards to the emergence of oversized products like “Goodbye Napoles,” “Super Yolanda,” “Pacquiao” and others, Cruz said the problem lies with the fact that their sales are tolerated by the local police.

“Manufacture of pyrotechnics products takes a while, and if only police will conduct regular monitoring in every barangay in Bulacan, we will never have oversized and destructive products like Napoles and Yolanda,” he said.

Before the Yuletide season began, Cruz said he suggested to police regional director Chief Superintendent Raul Petrasanta to issue a strict policy order to all police chiefs in Central Luzon to seize all oversized and illegal pyrotechnics products.

Cruz, however, said he doesn’t know if Petrasanta heeded his advice.

He also said that while the PNP-FEU is serving as clearing house of all raw materials for the manufacture of pyrotechnics devices, the police unit must be headed by a person familiar with the firecracker industry. –Dino Balabo

(First published by the Philippine Star (www.philstar.com) on Sunday, December 29, 2013 under the title "Mirriam wants firecracker ban in residential areas".  )