LRTA awards ₱65-Billion Cavite Extension project to Metro Pacific - Ayala Group Consortium

Proposed LRT-MRT intersection Stations - DOTC

 

LRTA awards LRT1 Extension project to MPIC-Ayala tandem

MANILA, Philippines - The board of the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA)  has approved the recommendation to award the ₱65-Billion ($1.5 Billion USD)  LRT1 Cavite Extension project to the tandem of  infrastructure giant Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) and conglomerate Ayala Corp.

Hernando Cabrera, LRTA spokesperson, said the board has approved the awarding of the public private partnership (PPP) project to the Light Rail Manila Consortium based on the recommendation made by the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) Special Bids and Awards Committee (SBAC) last Monday.

 “The LRTA board approved the award as recommended by the SBAC,” Cabrera said.

The LRTA board is composed of eight ex-officio cabinet members, chaired by Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya, with the heads of the  Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Department of Finance (DOF), National Economic and Development Authority  (NEDA), Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), LRTA administrator, and a representative from the private sector.

The LRTA board was supposed to meet in the second week of July but was moved to July 16 due to the lack of quorum. However, the July 16 meeting was called off due to Typhoon Glenda.

The meeting finally pushed through last Wednesday but the awarding of the project was not discussed due to numerous items in the agenda prompting the LRTA board to meet again yesterday morning where the award of the project to the Light Rail Manila Consortium was finally approved.

Cabrera said the LRTA board authorized the DOTC chief to sign and issue the Notice of Award and Concession Agreement for the project.

 “Secretary Abaya was authorized to sign and issue the Notice of Award and the Concession Agreement,” Cabrera said.

DOTC spokesman Michael Arthur Sagcal said in a text message that the agency would wait for the LRTA Board Resolution approving the award of the PPP project to the Light Rail Manila Consortium.

 “We will await the LRTA Board Resolution approving the BAC’s recommendation to award the project. Once the resolution is received, Secretary Abaya may then issue the Notice of Award to the Light Rail Manila Consortium,” Sagcal said.

MPIC Light Rail Corp. leads the group with 55 percent followed Ayala’s AC Infrastructure Holdings Corp. with 35 percent and Macquaire Infrastructure Holdings (Philippines) Pte Ltd. with 10 percent.

MPIC president Jose Maria K. Lim said the group has one year from the issuance of the Notice of Award to take over the facilities of LRT1.

 “We have one year to take over and then we have five years to deliver the extension,” Lim told reporters

The group would have 20 days from the Notice of Award to make the 20 percent down payment while the remaining 80 percent would be paid during the 32-year concession period.

Ayala Corp. managing director John Eric Francia said the consortium is looking forward to the customary closing of the transaction.

 “There is much work to do to enhance the system and customer experience, and we look forward to get going soon,” Francia said in a text message.- philSTAR By Lawrence Agcaoili

 

Continue reading

1,056 job vacancies at Bureau of Customs Available open for applicants

photo: gov.ph

 

MANILA, Philippines - There are over a thousand vacancies at Bureau of Customs (BOC) offices nationwide that need to be filled.

 

Customs Commissioner John Sevilla said they need 1,056 personnel – accountants, administrative officers, lawyers, special police, special agents, intelligence agents, statisticians and Customs operations officers.

 

“By filling these vacancies, we will be able to provide a faster and better standard of service for importers, exporters and the public dealing with Customs,” he said. “On the average, we have over 3,000 entries and over 6,000 individual items being imported every day.”

 

Sevilla said around 4,000 containers arriving everyday need to be inspected.

 

“In order to facilitate these transactions we need additional manpower,” he said.

 

“Right now, there are only 3,600 employees in BOC.”

 

Photo: Wikimedia

 

1,056 job vacancies at Customs

 

The lack of manpower was partly due to retirement, resignation and death, as well as dropping from the rolls and dismissal from service, Sevilla said.

 

To screen applicants, the BOC has released new guidelines under Customs Memorandum Order 15-2014 to simplify the hiring and selection process.

 

Interested applicants could visit the BOC website www.customs.gov.ph to download the details and documents required for their applications, including an updated personal data sheet; certificate of eligibility issued by the Civil Service Commission, Professional Regulation Commission or Supreme Court; transcript of records and diploma; certificates of training and seminars attended, if any; and performance appraisal report for the last two rating periods for those already working in government offices.

 

Deadline for the submission of application is on Aug. 6.

 

Provincial applicants may also send their applications via courier.

 

Applicants with relatives in the BOC up to the fourth degree of consanguinity are barred from applying for any position, as the Administrative Code  prohibits nepotism.

 

All applicants will be screened by the newly formed BOC Personnel Selection Boards.

 

Applicants who pass the initial screening will undergo special aptitude and psychometric tests conducted by the Civil Service Commission.

 

After passing, they will take competency-based tests given by requesting groups or offices consisting of a written test, interview and a physical exam for applicants for the Intelligence and Enforcement groups.

 

The BOC has streamlined the process of promotion for employees with first and second level positions.

 

An employee may be promoted to a position which is more than three salary grades higher than the employee’s present position in meritorious cases. – With Zinnia dela Peña at philSTAR

 

Continue reading

USA will "donate" 2 Lockheed C-130 "Hercules" Planes to the Philippines

U.S. Airmen with the 36th Contingency Response Group board a C-130 Hercules aircraft at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, before departing for a mission in support of Operation Damayan in Tacloban, Philippines, Nov. 14, 2013. U.S. military forces were deployed to the Philippines to support humanitarian efforts in response to Typhoon Haiyan. U.S. Air Force/Senior Airman Marianique Santos

 

US to give C-130 planes to Philippines

 

MANILA, Philippines — The United States will give two Lockheed C-130 "Hercules" planes to the Philippines, newly appointed Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief-of-staff Lt. Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang revealed.

 

In a state report, Catapang disclosed the impending donation in a visit to the 1st Air Division headquarters in Clark Field, Pampanga, citing American military officials.

 

"I just talked to our US counterparts [and] they told us they are making available another two C-130s to address our humanitarian assistance disaster relief concerns," Catapang said.

 

The United States military has deployed a humanitarian mission to the Visayas after the onslaught of deadly typhoon Yolanda, which took thousands of lives and destroyed countless homes.

 

vCatapang said that the Americans extended the offer after learning of President Aquino's plans to acquire new cargo aircrafts for the military.

 

The existing C-130 planes of the Air Force figured heavily in the transport of relief goods for victims of typhoon Yolanda and equipment needed by government troops involved in the efforts last year.

 

In November last year, former AFP chief Gen. Emmanuel Bautista announced that the country seeks to procure two more C-130 planes to improve disaster relief operations.

 

"We are in the process of acquiring two more C-130s. As you very well know, we only have three C-130s. In terms of strategic lift, C-130s are very important," Bautista said.

 

Ideally, he said the Philippine Air Force should have at least nine C-130s. - Camille Diola PhilSTAR 

 

Continue reading