Is there regular maintenance at NAIA? Solon wants to know

BY ELLSON QUISMORIO

May 12, 2023 01:12 PM

  

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AT A GLANCE

• Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan wants to know if regular maintenance checks are indeed being done at Ninoy Aquino International Airport, the country’s main gateway.

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NAIA

A party-list congressman who  experienced a power outage at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) wants to know if regular maintenance checks are indeed being conducted at the airport.

This, Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan took to task NAIA operator, the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), during an inquiry Thursday, May 11, by the House Committee on Transportation.

The panel is conducting a motu propio investigation into the power outage that happened at the NAIA Terminal 3 last May 1, on Labor Day.

Yamsuan said it was regrettable that the agency appears to be insensitive to the welfare of thousands of airline passengers inconvenienced  by the crippling power outage that occurred last May 1, a long weekend. At least 9,300 passengers were reported to have been affected.

A similar power outage hit the country's main gateway last Jan. 1, where 65,000 passengers were affected.

“Meron ba kayong maintenance schedule, especially para doon sa critical facilities? Per quarter ba ‘yan, monthly ba ‘yan, ano yung maintenance schedule ‘nyo diyan (Do you have a maintenance schedule, especially for the critical facilities? Is it done per quarter, monthly? What’s your maintenance schedule?)” Yamsuan asked MIAA Officer-in-Charge Bryan Co during the committee hearing.

"Kasi kung wala kayong plano, gaya ng nasabi ni Cong. (Rodante) Marcoleta at Cong. (Salvador) Pleyto, paano natin maa-assure na okay lahat ng ginagawa ‘nyo sa mga areas na dapat ninyong tingnan? (Because if you do not have a plan, how can you assure, like what Cong. Marcoleta and Cong. Pleyto, pointed out, that what you are doing is sufficient in the areas that you need to check?),” added Yamsuan.

Unlike the Jan. 1 outage, the May 1 outage reportedly only affected domestic flights.

Yamsuan, who was among those  affected during the New Year's Day power shutdown, said he personally witnessed the sorry plight of thousands of passengers inconvenienced by the incident.

“Grabe ang nangyari sa mga kababayan natin na talagang sakto lang ang budget ng bakasyon nila. Nakakaawa sila doon sa airport, practically andoon sila, doon na natulog lahat (What happened to our countrymen whose budgets were just enough for their vacations was severely unfortunate. Their plight was pitiful. They were just there, they all just slept at the airport),” he said.

“I think that it’s crucial  for you to really take serious thought on all the things that you need to see to find out the problems in your agency,” Yamsuan told Co.

Upon Yamsuan’s questioning, the panel learned from Co that MIAA officials were briefed by their predecessors on the problems facing NAIA.

Co said this was the reason why the current MIAA leadership has been initiating the procurement of vital facilities and systems since last year.

Co also informed the committee that the MIAA has a maintenance program in place and is currently conducting an audit on NAIA’s facilities to determine the best practices that should be put in place to ensure the airport’s seamless operation.

More senior citizens to enjoy 5% electricity discount under House bill

BY ELLSON QUISMORIO

May 11, 2023 10:00 AM

  

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AT A GLANCE

• Sorsogon 1st district Rep. Marie Bernadette Escudero files House Bill (HB) No.7919, which seeks to expand the coverage of the discount on electricity consumption given to senior citizens.

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(MANILA BULLETIN)

A recently filed House bill (HB) in the 19th Congress seeks to expand the coverage of the discount on electricity consumption being given to senior citizens.

Sorsogon 1st district Rep. Marie Bernadette Escudero penned and filed HB No.7919, also known as the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2023.

The full title of the measure reads, "An Act granting senior citizens a 5 percent discount on their first 200-kilowatt hour (kWh) of electricity consumption and exemption from payment of any senior citizen subsidy collected by the government, amending for the purpose Republic Act (RA) No.9994, otherwise known as the 'Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010'."

Under the current law, a 5 percent discount is only given to senior citizens whose monthly consumption is 100 kWh or below.

"Republic Act No.9994, also known as the 'Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010', amended the previous law, RA No 7432, to provide better services and assistance to senior citizens. However, due to changes in their needs over time, certain provisions of the law need further amendment," Escudero wrote in her explanatory note.

"For example, Section 4.c. of RA No.9994 entitles senior citizens to a minimum of 5 percent discount on their monthly electricity consumption, but the current Filipino household consumption, as of March 2023, exceeds the limit of 100 (kWh) set by the law, making only a limited number of senior citizens eligible for the discount," she said.

The measure, if and when enacted, will double the limit to 200 kWh.

"Moreover, ineligible senior citizens are still required to pay for the Senior Citizens Subsidy under Article 5. Resolution No.23, Series of 2010 of the Energy Regulatory Commission. This implementation undermines the original intent of RA No.9994," HB No.7919 further read.

"Therefore, it is respectfully requested that this bill be enacted into law to address these issues and ensure that the rights and privileges of senior citizens are properly upheld," it added.

Here we go again: Solon slams NGCP for failing to prevent Luzon summer blackouts

BY ELLSON QUISMORIO

May 10, 2023 09:35 AM

  

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AT A GLANCE

• AnaKalusugan Party-list Rep. Ray Reyes slams the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) for the rotating power interruptions in Luzon, saying it failed to prevent the scenario despite his warnings.

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A pro-health congressman has castigated the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) for the rotating power interruptions in Luzon, saying it has failed to prevent the scenario despite his warnings.

“Maaga pa, sinabi na natin (We told them early on) that ancillary services must be given attention with the then-looming threat on the grid and its capacity to transmit electricity to electricity distributors and the consuming public, especially the health facilities," Anakalusugan Party-list Rep. Ray Reyes said in a statement Wednesday, May 10.

The NGCP announced a red alert over the Luzon grid Monday, resulting to the rotating power outages

It said the entirety of Luzon was on red alert from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., and again from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. A yellow alert was observed from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

The reason for this was the forced outages experienced by five power plants, while three others were running on derated capacities.

Reyes said the surge in electricity demand during the summer months is not an unforeseen scenario, and could have been easily addressed had NGCP and the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) acted according to their mandates.

"Para na tayong sirang plaka, pero tag-ulan pa lamang ay hinahanapan na natin ng kontrata sa ancillary services ang NGCP (We're like a broken record, but we've been asking for ancillary service contracts since the previous rainy season).

“Nasaan na ang ancillary service contracts ng NGCP? Nagdilim ang Western Visayas last week, dito sa Luzon dalawang araw na ang nakalipas. Hihintayin pa ba nating buong bansa ang mawalan ng kuryente? (Where are the ancillary service contracts of NGCP? Western Visayas went dark last week, the same with Luzon two days ago. Should we wait for the entire country to experience a blackout?)" asked the solon.

Ancillary services are back-up power supply agreements with power generation companies which are supposed to be contracted by NGCP to serve as alternative power supply sources in the event that regularly-contracted operators in the generation side of the energy industry stop operating due to overwhelming electricity demand, emergency breakdowns, and other unforeseen events adversely affecting their operation.

In March this year, NGCP blamed ERC for its failure to process or approve the ancillary services contracts it applied for with other players in the generation sector of the industry.

As early as February, Reyes had already warned against the inaction of NGCP, and urged them to secure the operation of the grid and guarantee unhampered power transmission service during the summer months when electricity demand goes beyond regular consumption levels.

"There is a surplus of generated electricity in Mindanao that we can harness to augment the fluctuating supply of power in Luzon and Visayas... NGCP continues in its failure to connect these regions as provided for by their Transmission Development Plan. Its delayed contracting of much-needed ancillary services makes the current situation worse,” the solon earlier said.

Romualdez sees influx of foreign tourists; here's why

BY ELLSON QUISMORIO

May 7, 2023 12:08 PM

  

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AT A GLANCE

• House Speaker Martin Romualdez believes that there could be an  influx of foreign tourists to the Philippines thanks to  the World Health Organization's (WHO) lifting of its Covid-19 global health emergency declaration, as well as the easing of travel restrictions by several countries

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Boracay, arguably the crown jewel of Philippine tourism. (Unsplash)

House Speaker Martin Romualdez is prodding authorities to prepare for a possible influx of foreign tourists to the Philippines in the coming days.

This, as the House leader pointed to the World Health Organization's (WHO) lifting of its Covid-19 global health emergency declaration, as well as the easing of travel restrictions by several countries, including the United States and Japan.

Romualdez said these developments could result in freer travel and more tourists visiting the Philippines.

“Let the concerned government agencies and sectors of the economy prepare for this possibility, which will benefit tourist destinations and local communities,” said the Leyte 1st district congressman.

Philippine tourism was brought to its knees in early 2020 as the Covid-triggered lockdowns meant that travel was impossible. The sector has managed to partially recover, thanks to mass vaccination.

The Speaker in particular urged the Department of Health (DOH) and the government’s Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF), which manages the country’s response to the pandemic, to prescribe minimum health protocols that would be consistent with the WHO decision to scuttle its global health emergency declaration.

At the same time, he asked the DOH to continue encouraging people to avail themselves of free Covid-19 vaccination the government is offering.

Romualdez reminded the public “to wear a face mask when needed, wash your hands, isolate when sick, observe physical distancing, and get vaccinated” to avoid contracting Covid-19.

He noted that although most of the population already had their primary shots, many still have yet to receive their first and second booster shots.

Romualdez also asked local officials to continue monitoring the situation in their respective areas and immediately take the necessary measures whenever there is a spike in Covid-19 cases.

“Let us promptly attend to those needing help so that this virus does not infect more people and lead to more deaths,” he said.

Clarita Carlos tells Pinoys what the real enemy is

BY ELLSON QUISMORIO

Apr 29, 2023 10:31 AM

  

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AT A GLANCE

• Professor Clarita Carlos says climate change is the enemy that Filipinos should worry about.

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Clarita Carlos (MANILA BULLETIN)

Professor Clarita Carlos' recent Facebook post reads like a message for Filipinos to set their petty differences aside as she reminded everyone what the real "enemy" is.

According to the former national security adviser, the enemy is climate change and its the bane of Mother Earth.

"Who is the ENEMY? The enemy is climate change...," Carlos wrote.

(Clarita Carlos' Facebook)

"The goal? The survival of our planet!" she added, as if trying to instill urgency to those who read the message.

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions--mostly resulting from human activity--warns the planet, causing climate change. This has triggered alterations in global weather patterns.

For a climate change-vulnerable country like the Philippines--which sits in the middle of the pacific--the effects could he devastating.

Carlos currently serves as House Speaker Martin Romualdez's chief policy adviser on security and defense concerns.

Libanan wants Pinoy students to be like Rizal, speak more foreign languages

BY ELLSON QUISMORIO

Apr 23, 2023 10:33 AM

  

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AT A GLANCE

• House Minority Leader and 4Ps Party-list Rep. Marcelino Libanan wants Filipino students to master more foreign languages aside from English.

• Libanan said the students should be inspired by the great Dr. Jose Rizal, who mastered a bunch of foreign languages.

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House Minority Leader and 4Ps Party-list Rep. Marcelino Libanan (left), and Dr. Jose Rizal (Facebook, Wikipedia)

House Minority Leader and 4Ps Party-list Rep. Marcelino Libanan wants Filipino students to emulate national hero Dr. Jose Rizal in terms of the latter's mastery of foreign languages.

For this purpose, Libanan penned and filed House Resolution (HR) No. 910, which urges the Department of Education (DepEd) to integrate foreign language studies into the K-12 Program.

“Our school system by tradition has been teaching Filipino children to emulate and aspire to be like Rizal. We might as well encourage them to study foreign languages, just like Rizal,” Libanan said.

Doing so would "acquaint learners with foreign languages other than English" and "encourage them to learn foreign language that will vastly improve their employability in the global labor markets of the 21st century", the veteran solon said.

Owing to his fascination with foreign languages, Rizal--often described as a polymath--became conversant in Arabic, Catalan, Chinese, Dutch, English, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Portuguese, Russian, Sanskrit, Spanish, and Swedish.

Vice President and DepEd Secretary Sara Duterte, in her 2023 Basic Education Report, had declared that the department intends to revise and improve the K-12 program, with the aim of developing lifelong learners who are competent and job-ready.

In his resolution, Libanan said that “The whole world has become a global village with multilingual labor markets, thus creating a strong demand for workers with foreign language skills.”

Global corporations based in the United States, China and Japan – the world’s three largest economies – have been known to prefer hiring staff who can speak a second foreign language besides English, Libanan pointed out.

Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Philippines deployed a total of 2,150,000 workers to overseas labor markets in 2019, or an average of 5,890 every day, according to Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).

The number of Filipino workers deployed abroad has since dropped to less than one million yearly.

Despite the deployment slump, the World Bank estimates that the Philippines received up to $38 billion in cash remittances from all channels in 2022, making the country the world’s fourth-largest recipient of money from overseas workers, after India, Mexico and China.

Make modern jeepneys cheaper to magnify benefit of reduced CO2 emissions--Salceda

BY ELLSON QUISMORIO

Apr 14, 2023 03:31 AM

  

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AT A GLANCE

• Modern jeepneys have lower carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions compared to traditional jeepneys, but they are still too expensive, say Albay 2nd district Rep. Joey Salceda.

• Salceda suggests strengthening local manufacturers so they could produce cheaper modern jeepneys.

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Albay 2nd district Rep. Joey Salceda (Rep. Salceda's office)

Albay 2nd district Rep. Joey Salceda has presented figures that should motivate anti-climate change crusaders to call for the production of cheaper modern jeepneys.

In a statement Thursday afternoon, April 13, the economist-lawmaker tackled the matter of carbon dioxide or CO2 emissions as it pertains to modern jeepneys versus traditional jeepneys that the former seek to replace.

Conventional wisdom says that modern jeepneys have less CO2 emissions than the old, traditional ones. And this isn't wrong.

But Salceda told the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to consider emissions “on a per capita basis".

This is primarily because more modern jeepneys “can accommodate fewer passengers than traditional jeepneys".

According to the number-crunching solon, a traditional jeepney produces some 0.33 kilograms (kg) of CO2 emissions per passenger per year, while the modern jeepneys would still produce some 0.25 kg per passenger due to smaller capacity.

“It’s a 31 percent saving in per passenger emissions for a vehicle that costs as much as 620 percent more. We need a cheaper, domestically manufactured jeepney that modernizes the traditional one," Salceda said.

Theoretically, having the choice of a cheaper modern jeepney will help broaden its use in the country, thereby magnifying the benefit of reduced emissions.

Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere warms the planet, causing climate change. Experts say this has triggered severe weather events, and that the Philippines is of high risk to such natural disasters.

Salceda said the government should first ensure that the domestic jeepney manufacturing sector is an option for the public utility vehicle (PUV) modernization program, and assist it in producing cheaper but similarly modern and efficient units.

A modern jeepney is reported to cost as much as P2.8 million per unit.

“If we can bring the cost of the unit to P600,000 to P1 million, that becomes more realistic for both the jeepney operator, and on a cost-benefit basis. I think the domestic manufacturing sector can do it. But we need to support them," explained the Bicolano.

Frasco couple gives off 'newlywed' vibes in Berlin

BY ELLSON QUISMORIO

Mar 13, 2023 07:36 AM

  

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AT A GLANCE

• It's easy to mistake Cebu 5th district Rep. Vincent Franco "Duke" Frasco and Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Frasco for newlyweds with the way they look at each other.

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It's already March, but it still feels like love month when you're around Cebu 5th district Rep. Vincent Franco "Duke" Frasco and his wife, Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Frasco.

Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Frasco gets 'interviewed' by Cebu 5th district Rep. Vincent Franco "Duke" Frasco in Berlin, Germany. (Facebook)

The couple always gives off "newlywed" vibes, as what can be seen in this recent Facebook upload from the Cebu congressman.

Apparently, Rep. Frasco was pretending to interview the tourism chief on the sidelines of the International Tourismus Borse (ITB) in Berlin, Germany.

(Facebook)

"It was also great to meet the Filipino community based in Germany during the Bisita Be My Guest launch," the House deputy speaker wrote in a separate post.

The Frascos have been married since August 2009. They have four children.