Half million vehicles to use MPTC managed expressways this Holy Week

MALOLOS CITY—Infrastructure giant Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC) is bracing for surge of traffic along three expressways they operate this Holy Week. 

Estimates showed that at least 500,000 vehicles will be using the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), Subic Clark Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) and the Cavite Expressway (Cavitex) during the lenten weekend from April 15 to 21. 

Rodrigo Franco, president and chief Operating officer of the MNTC said that additional manpower will be deployed at major interchanges along the NLEX especially in Balintawak, Bocaue, Mindanao Avenue, Dau and Mabalacat.

At SCTEX, they will deploy additional personnel at Tarlac and Tipo exits.

Franco said they expect traffic to surge by 30 percent  or about 60,000 from the daily average of 170,000 vehicles .

He said that traffic surge is expected starting Holy Wednesday until  late Maundy Thursday for north bound vehicle along the NLEX.

At SCTEX, he said that the daily average of 24,000 vehicles is also expected to climb by 30 percent.

For his part, Ramoncito Fernandez, President and Chief Executive Officer of the MPTC said that Cavitex daily average traffic volume of 101,000 might drop.

He explained that volume is for daily motorists going back and forth to Metro Manila.

“We expected that it will replaced by holiday motorist by the holy week.

Franco added that by Easter Sunday until the next they expect southbound traffic along the NLEX and SCTEX to surge as people return to manila.

He also noted that sponsors for this year’s SMSK program along the expressways are offering services like free wifi, motorist camps and sampling of products.

Some of the products that available at motorist camps are from Maynilad Water,Regent Belgian Wafles, Mochi Gelatin rice cakes, Yasai potao chips, and Rebisco Dowee donuts.

Others includes BeloSun product sampling at selected motorist camps.

Major sponsors for the 2014 SMSK are ShellPhilippines, Smart communications and Philippine Long Distance telephone Company.

Minor sponsors are Philippine Star and Belo  Sun Expert.  Dino Balabo

All roads leads to Hot Air Balloon Festival

2013 file photo by Peter Alagos.

MALOLOS CITY—All roads leads to Lubao town in Pampanga for the biggest  annual hot air balloon festival in South East Asia starting April 10.

Organized by the newly formed Pilipinas Hot Air Balloon Festival Inc., (PHABFI) in coordination with the Department of Tourism (DOT), the four day event is expected to draw at least 100,000 international and domestic tourists.

It will start on April 10 and will end on April 13.

Ronaldo Tiotuico, director of DOT Central Luzon Office said that as the annual festival moved from Clark Freeport Zone to Barangay Prado Siongco in Lubao town this year, more participants have registered to join.

In a live interview over Radyo Bulacan, Tiotuico confirmed that 35 to 38 multi-colored and differently shaped balloons from nine participating countries are joining.

Flying the balloon will start as early as 5:30 AM, while at night, glow in the night hot air balloons will also served as an attraction. 

The glow in the night balloon will be showcased on Friday and Saturday nights,buts such will be allowed for lift off as all nigh glow balloons will be tied on an anchor.

Tiotuico said that there will be balloons that tourists can ride, but it will also be tied to an anchor.

“This is the biggest annual hot air balloon festival in South East Asia and we are inviting everybody to come and see,” he said.

The director also said that as early at last week, participating international balloonist have arrived and in the country and tour other parts of the country before the starting their preparation for today’s events.

Some of the participating balloonists came to as far as France, Germany, the United States, Malaysia and South Korea.

Tickets for the annual festival is P200 each, which is lower than the P250 charged in the past when the festival was held in Clark Freeport Zone.  Tickets will be sold at the gates.

With regards to road directions, Tiotuico said that those coming from Manila can exit at San Fernando Toll Plaza along the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and head all the way to Lubao, the last town of Pampanga when going to Bataan province.

However, there are road constructions along the Gapan-Olongapo Road on the east side of Lubao.

For this, Tiotuico advised visitors to turn right to Lubao megadike and follow the Luba by-pass road, then right again on Gapan-Olongapo Road.

He said that tourist can also use the Subic Clark Tarlac Expressway, then exit at the Dinalupihan interchange and turn left on the Gapan-Olongapo Road towards Hermosa town in Bataan, then Lubao town.

As this developed, Tiotuico said they are keeping their fingers crossed that there will be no rains during the festival

However, Lubao town experience heavy downpour on Tuesday night.  Dino Balabo

SM Baliwag cites Earth Hour benefits

BALIWAG, Bulacan—A local mall here cited benefits in participating in the annual Earth Hour celebrations saying they saved energy equivalent to consumption of 25 households since hosting the event four years ago.

As this developed, hundreds of Bulakenyos joined the Earth Hour celebrations in major malls in the province as the provincial government urged them to participate in the annual one hour switch off on Saturday night.

However, the annual activity in the province remain as a private initiated project as only a handful of local government units joined the Earth Hour activities.

Beverly Cruz, public relations officer of SM City Baliwag said they that every year they joined host the annual Earth Hour, they were able to save at least 15 percent in their daily energy consumption.

Citing cumulative records, he said they were able to save at least P51,300 in the last four years.

That savings is equivalent to energy consumption of at least  51 houselholds that consumes P1,000 in electricity every month.

Cruz also disclosed that SM City Baliwag and other SM mall branches are planning to install light emitting diode (LED) lights in the malls this year.

The said LED lights will replace chloroflourescent light (CFL) bulbs within the malls which replaced incandescent bulbs years ago.

“We continue to aim for more energy efficient and environment friendly operations in our malls,” she said noting that the plan is mandatory based on orders of the SM Group management.

Cruz also said that plan is part of their mall management’s attempt to further encourage use of environment friendly technologies that marked annual Earth Hour celebrations here.

Last year, the celebrations was highlighted by solar powered improvised fireflies inside hundreds of plastic bottles.

On Saturday night, the celebration was highlighted by fire dances and use of LED lights by hundreds of Bulakenyos.

Two other Earth Hour activities were celebrated at SM City Marilao and at the Robinson’s Place Malolos.

The celebration was even endorsed by Governor Wilhelmino Alvarado in his weekly radio program over Radyo Bulacan on Saturday morning.

However, Bulakenyos noted the lack of related activities for the Earth Hour initiated by local government units in the province.

A local mayor and a municipal councilor who asked not to be named said they don’t even know what Earth Hour is all about.

However, they vowed to initiate similar activities next year and implement energy saving programs within their offices.  Dino Balabo

Angat Dam is earthquake resistant--Napocor

MALOLOS CITY—Angat Dam is safe and resistant to earthquake, the National Power Corporation (Napocor) said and assured the safety of Bulakenyos living downstream of the dam.

This came as the Napocor launched its information and education campaign on Angat Dam Operation in Norzagaray, Bulacan the other day.

During the launch of the campaign participated by municipal disaster risk reduction officials, planning officer and social workers, Engineer Manny Monteverde of the Napocor Dams, Reservoirs and Waterways division described the 47-years old dam.

 He said that Angat Dam is a rock-fill type of dam and that this type of dam which is resistant to damage from earthquakes.

Monteverde explained that the dam’s capacity to resist earthquakes is due to its inherent elasticity and self-healing characteristics.

He also also made clear that the dam has no crack saying “walang lamat ang dam.”

This in reference to news reports about five years ago that the dam have cracks.

With regards to presence of the West Marikina Valley Faultline which is said to be situated some 200 meters east of the dam’s dike, a geologist from the Engineering Development Corporation of the Philippines (EDCOP) also tried to allay fears of Bulakenyos.

Dr. Ramon Quebral, a structural geologist from the EDCOP said that the theory on the West Valley Fault in connection with Angat Dam is only a premise that is yet to be studied and verified further.

EDCOP is the partner of the Tonkin & Taylor International based in New Zealand that conducted a six month feasibility study on the integrity of the Angat Dam which was completed in May 2012.

In the said study, EDCOP and Tonkin & Taylor did not conduct a site specific seismic study on the Angat Dam to verify the presence of the splay of the fault line.

In an earlier interview, Bulacan Governor Wilhelmino Alvarado disclosed that the said faultline is used by a former administrator of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) to justify construction of another dam in Rizal province.

Citing warnings from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Philvolcs), Alvarado said that the said faultline can move anytime might cause a breach on the Angat Dam.

For her part, Gladys Cruz–Sta. Rita, president of the Napocor also tried to allay fears on possible dam break.

She said the other day, “We must not give in to fear but should not abandon caution."

As a former Provincial Administrator of Bulacan, Sta. Rita said that she came to the infprmation drive not only to speak on behalf of the corporation that has been in the dam industry for 77 years with a pool of the most talented engineers in the country, but also as a concerned Bulakenya.

“Ang aming misyon sa National Power Corporation ay ang maging tagapagbantay at kakampi ninyo sa matagalang kaligtasan at pakinabang sa yamang tubig na tuwina ay gamit natin sa araw-araw na pamumuhay,” she said.

The information drive also discussed why Angat Dam spills water in relation to possibilities of over-topping or overflowing of water that may cause dam failure.

“We only release water when our dam reaches its critical spilling level, this is to avoid over tapping that can impose greater risk in the province of Bulacan. We are only protecting the integrity of our dam,” explained Engineer Russel Rigor of Napocor’s Flood Forecasting and Warning System Division.

He enlightened the participants on Angat River’s flow capacity, Napocor’s warning stations and flood forecasting facilities.

It was also clarified in the presentations that recent floods that hit Calumpit, Paombong, and Hagonoy towns cannot be attributed solely to Angat Dam spilling, but to the natural tendency of these towns to serve as catch basin for the Pampanga River System.   Dino Balabo

German introduces smart LED technology developed after Yolanda

Wallraf points to his smart LED display installed in a restaurant in Malolos City. DB

MALOLOS CITY—How smart is the signage that you’re using now?

This is the main question answered by a German national four months after the onslaught of Typhoon Yolanda in Eastern Visayas where his family was trapped last year.

Thomas Wallraf, 50, a German national said current technologies involving Light Emitting Diode (LED) is not as smart as many though it to be. However, he is introducing a smarter technology that will improve the functionality of LED signages.

It is called the intelligent LED where information that is flashed on LED display can be changed anytime remotely. “Even if I am in Davao City and the LED display is here, I can change the message anytime,” he said noting that the LED display he is now introducing is equipped with a GSM modem connected to a cellular phone.

Wallraf disclosed that he came up with the idea after the onslaught of Typhoon Yolanda in Eastern Visayas last year. He said that it took him almost a week before getting in touch with his family. “When I finally reached Tacloban City, I saw disorder due to lack of proper information,” he said noting that people do not know what to do.

He said hundreds of military personnel spent a lot of time in trying to control long queues and telling people what to do.

“They could have saved time and effort if they have the intelligent LED technology at that time,” he said adding that he personally asked his friends in Germany to come up with a new software in the utilization of LED display.

Wallraf said GS Electronics based in Leverkussen, Germany responded within months and came up with the intelligent LED display. He said the LED technology has been around for more than two decades, but it is usually connected to a computer or a laptop.

“Now, we don’t need a laptop computer to feed in messages on intelligent LED, we only need a cellular phone,” he said. Aside from disaster hit areas, Wallraf said his LED technology can be used to alert people days before disasters.

He said it can be installed in front of churches, public markets and places frequented by many people who can easily read the messages that are displayed. He said the messages can be changed remotely as often as an operator want.

It can also be installed along the highways or on board a pickup truck or any large vehicle. The cost for Wallraf’s intelligent LED technology starts at P55,000 per package that includes a meter long and 16 centimeters high display.

He said any customer can order a larger display but it will cost more. Walraff said their display can show 16 running characters at a time, and have a capacity of 160 characters per message. Dino Balabo

Ex-beauty queen survived attack

Photo from Cervantes' Facebook account.

HAGONOY, Bulacan—A 32-year old former beauty queen turn municipal councilor here was shot in the head 7:30PM Tuesday in Paombong town.

The victim survived the attack, but it was enough to raise alarm bells for residents here due to series of crimes since December when a family was massacred, followed by a killing of retired teacher and a police officer last January.

Senior Superintendent Joel Orduna, province director of the Bulacan police identified the victim as Francis Dianne Cervantes, 32, single, and resident of Barangay Mercado here.

A third term municipal councilor, Cervantes won the Miss Earth Philippines-Fire title in 2006. 

Initial investigation disclosed that Cervantes was on board a Sym motorcycle with license plates 8913-RP and was on the way to her family house at Long Valley Subdivision in Barangay San Isidro 2, Paombong, Bulacan  when she was shot in the head around 7:30 Tuesday night.

Witnesses told investigators that two motorcycle riding men approach the victim and shot her repeatedly.

Some even said that they heard at least six gun fires.

The suspect immediate fled to unknown direction, while bystanders came to rescue the former beauty queen.

She was rushed to the Divine Word Hospital at Barangay San Pablo here for first air treatment and was transferred to Bulacan Medical Center, then to University of Santo Tomas Hospital in Manila.

Vice Mayor Pedro Santos told PromdiNEWS in a telephone interview that Cervantes suffered at least three gunshot wounds.

This was echoed by Sol Santos, a village councilor who said that she was told that Cervantes suffered gunshot wounds in the neck, in the head and on her back.

The vice mayor also said that despite head injury, Cervantes is still conscious when rushed to Divine Word Hospital.  Dino Balabo

Angat Dam rehab delayed anew

MALOLOS CITY—The proposed rehabilitation of the Angat Dam is stalled again due to the delay in the privatization of its 246-megawatt power generating facility.

This developed as Korea Water Resources Corporation (K-Water) failed to secure a business permit from the municipality of Norzagaray, a ranking official of the National Power Corporation (Napocor) said on Saturday.

K-Water is the winning bidder in the privatization of the 246-megawatt Angat River Hydroelectric Power Plant (Arhepp) which remains under the management of the Napocor. Engineer Rodolfo German, Arhepp general manager, said the planned take-over of K-Water on March 25 will not push through.

He said this is due to non-issuance of a business permit by the municipal government of Norzagaray, Bulacan.

German said Norzagaray is demanding payment of at least P25 million for the business permit of K-Water.

Representatives of the Korean company, German said, are still coordinating with their principals in Seoul on how to go about what they perceived as “the lone obstruction” before they can operate the Arhepp.

The delay is the third in four months after the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) and the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management (Psalm) Corporation made two separate announcements on the possible take-over of K-Water.

The first was in last December, then it was moved to the end of January; and when that failed, Psalm announced that March 25 is the new target date for a formal take over. The failure of K-Water to take over Arhepp also reflects the failure of Bulacan Governor Wilhelmino Alvarado to intervene, observed German.

But the governor said that he already talked to Norzagaray Mayor Alfredo Germar last January to issue a business permit to K-Water and collect taxes from them later. Alvarado’s intervention came as the province demanded an immediate implementation of the proposed P5.7 billion rehabilitation on the Angat Dam’s main dike which experts said might be breached by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake.

He even said that if the March 25 takeover pushes through, the bidding for the rehabilitation could start as early as May. But that is to be realized since K-Water’s formal takeover of Arhepp is stalled for the third time.

German said with the latest failure of K-Water to take over Arhepp, the implementation of the proposed rehabilitation on the dam will have to wait.

However, he said the implementation might still be possible before the end of the year if the take-over of K-Water will push through. Earlier, the MWSS said that they withheld the P5.7-billion funding for the rehabilitation of the dam because part of the contract of K-Water involves spending for the rehabilitation.

K-Water won the bid in the privatization of Arhepp two years ago, but was stopped by petitions filed before the Supreme Court. Last year, the Supreme Court gave K-Water a favorable decision after it found a local partner with the group of businessman Ramon Ang. Dino Balabo