Maniolas

MANILA, Philippines – The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP), the country’s power transmission operator, has warned that power outages may persist in certain areas in the country due to right-of-way (ROW) problems. In Mindanao, for instance, the 26.5-kilometer Baloi-Marawi 69-kilovolt line in Lanao del Norte, which transmit electricity to Lanao del Sur Electric Cooperative and the Mindanao State University (MSU), frequently trips due to vegetation growing beneath it. Residents in the area have continuously planted trees along the line, which have caused tripping of power. In June alone, the transmission line tripped eight times, for a period ranging from 40 minutes to almost five hours, NGCP president and chief executive officer Henry Sy Jr. said.  “This is because of the ROW violators,” he said. The grid operator lamented that some landowners deliberately plant along the path of the transmission lines to be able to demand unreasonable amounts from NGCP in exchange for permission to enter their properties for line maintenance. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 This results in longer maintenance period, Sy said.  “ROW violations add to our maintenance cost because we have to clear-up the lines before we maintain or repair it. Our personnel also have to extend working hours to finish these activities,” Sy said. He appealed to local government units to talk to the landowners and seek their cooperation.  “Local government units will be a big help to us by talking to these landowners to allow us to enter their properties Read More …

I do not share the view of some that the Senate is wasting its time trying to investigate Makati’s car park building among other recent scandals. The way I see it, airing all that dirty business in public is good for the country. If we, the taxpayers, are being screwed, it is best to know by whom and for how much. I remember the story of one of our local Chinoy taipans with a rather complicated family life. I once asked someone who knows him well how the taipan manages his vast business empire amidst competing claims from different branches of his immediate family. I am told that the taipan relishes watching everyone fight. For so long as everyone is making sure no one is getting more than they should, the taipan knows all is well. It is when everything is quiet that the taipan gets worried. That’s the nature of our democratic system too. For so long as our thieving politicians are exposing each other’s dirt, we are that closer to achieving better governance. It is when there is bipartisan or multipartisan agreement on something sneaky and expensive, like pork barrel funding, we should get worried. I look at congressional investigations as self cleansing, if properly conducted. Look at that allegation on the thousand peso birthday cakes for senior citizens. The guy who made a big thing out of it was forced to admit he took the thousand peso figure out of thin air. The key in any successful Read More …

MANILA, Philippines – The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) has allowed Philex Mining Corp. to resume normal operations of its copper-gold mine in Benguet as the company has satisfied the rehabilitation work and penalties required by the government for the massive tailings spill that occurred in 2012. In a letter to Philex Mining president Eulalio Austin Jr., MGB director Leo Jasareno said issues emanating from the incident “have been substantially addressed to warrant the resumption of the normal operation” of the mine under its existing mining contract with the government.  “The foregoing premises considered, the cease and desist order dated  Aug. 2, 2012 of this office is hereby permanently lifted, to allow Philex Mining Corp. to resume mining operations permanently in its Padcal mine in Tuba, Benguet, subject to compliance with the terms and conditions of the pertinent Mineral Production Sharing Agreements and the provisions of Republic Act 7942 and its implementing rules and regulation,” said Jasareno. On Aug. 1, 2012 – following  torrential rains-some 20 million tons of water and sediment were discharged from one of the two underground tunnels of the mine’s tailings storage facility (TSF) No. 3, contaminating the Agno River and Balog Creek. Mine operations were immediately suspended the next day until March 8, 2013 when Philex was allowed to temporarily resume operations to carry out rehabilitation works on its compromised tailings storage facility No.3 and cleanup of the mines. The company was initially allowed to temporarily resume operations for four months but later asked for Read More …

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) – The Philippine stock market closed lower today even after the government reported a better-than- expected gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the second quarter. The bellwether Philippine Stock Exchange index retreated by 0. 83 percent, or 59.76 points, to 7,100.7, while the broader all- share index lost 0.62 percent, or 26.14 points, to 4,205.66. Trading volume reached 1.37 billion shares worth P10.42 billion ($238.69 million) with 111 stocks declining, 71 advancing, and 47 unchanged. Of the six counters, only the mining and oil sector bucked the trend. Analyst Justino Calaycay of Accord Capital Equities Corp. said the 6.4 percent GDP growth in the second quarter, although better than the previous quarter, was lower than last year. “This does not diminish the value of the result however. We think that the market’s reaction may only be temporary particularly in light of an extended advance since the Chinese Ghost month,” Calaycay said. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 He said that as soon as investors are able to dissect the GDP data, confidence that the local economy is nearly back on track will provide the impetus for the local equities to head further north. PSA said economic growth in the April to June period was faster than the 5.6 percent recorded in the first quarter. GDP growth in the second quarter, however, was slower than the 7.9 percent recorded in the same period last year. Stocks in the 30-company index closed mixed. Among those sold Read More …

MANILA, Philippines – Philippine hotels and resorts in key island destinations are ready to compete in the global marketplace, initial findings of a team of International Accommodation Assessors (IAAs) who joined the Department of Tourism (DOT) in conducting a national review of accommodation standards last month have shown. The team of IAAs composed of 10 experts from different countries said Philippine hotels and resorts including the small players have ‘very high standards’ in keeping the unique Filipino hospitality, one of the country’s competitive advantages. Final results of the assessment will be released next month, the DOT said. “The warmth of welcome for guests in all types of accommodation is almost unique among international destinations. There is a real potential for the Philippine tourism industry. Some hotels and resorts need to invest to improve, but the new rating system can help identify where to focus that investment,” the initial report said. New standards under the Hotel and Resorts Quality Assurance and Accreditation System aim to assist visitors in terms of the quality, service and comfort provided by accommodation businesses of all sizes and types in the Philippines. The system which was launched last year reviewed 144 hotels and resorts in the country’s main island destinations such as Cebu, Bohol, Davao and Palawan. DOT tapped international assessors to ensure that the review is based on accepted international standards.   The review itself is part of a technical assistance funded by the Government of Canada and administered by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Read More …