Maniolas

Traffic on EDSA near the Kamuning Avenue flyover is heavy again on Tuesday after the long, 5-day holiday amid the visit of Pope Francis. Despite some roads being closed for motorcades during the papal visit, the holidays kept traffic light in the metropolis. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero has filed a bill that seeks to provide “reliable road instructions to motorists and improve road safety” in the Philippines, which is notorious for having one of the worst road conditions in the world. Under Senate Bill No. 2886, or “An Act Regulating Street and Road Signs, Waiting Sheds, Speed Bumps, Sidewalks, Pavements, Streetlights and Other Similar Infrastructures, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is mandated to set specific standards and measurements for all road infrastructures such as road signs, streetlights, pavement markings, waiting sheds, sidewalks and speed bumps across the country. “There is a need to put in place regulations that will promote a uniform and consistent standard for the design and installation of road signs, waiting sheds, streetlights, speed bumps and other road infrastructures not only to promote safety but also to advance aesthetics throughout the country’s thoroughfares,” Escudero said in a statement on Friday. He pointed out the World Health Organization’s report which showed that about 7,000 Filipinos die each year, and thousands more are injured due to road mishaps. Out of this number, 79 percent are due to driver’s errors, 11 percent due to defective vehicles, and 10 percent due to bad Read More …

Vice President Jejomar Binay delivers his speech during the launching of the United Nationalist Alliance as a political party on Wednesday at the Makati Coliseum. Binay lambasted the Aquino administration anew and promised alternatives offered by his party. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – The Office of the Vice President (OVP) downplayed the survey conducted by the Makati Business Club (MBC) showing it is the worst performing agency this year. In a statement on Friday, OVP media affairs head Joey Salgado stressed that their office serves poor Filipinos and not the rich members of the MBC. “Kung hindi nila naramdaman ang serbisyo ng OVP, ito ay dahil may kakayanan silang magpagamot sa mga mamahaling ospital dito sa Pilipinas at sa ibang bansa. Ang marami nating kababayan, wala. Kapag sila ang may problemang ligal, kayang magbayad ng mga miyembro ng MBC ng mga mamahaling abugado. Ang mga OFWs natin at ang kanilang mga pamilya, walang ganitong kakayanan,” he said. According to Salgado, the 67 businessmen who gave a negative score to the OVP, putting the office in the last spot among 64 government agencies, cannot represent the sentiment of the people nationwide. “They cannot be expected to give a true and objective assessment of the performance of all government agencies, most especially the OVP,” he said, adding that that some MBC members have “long-held biases” against Vice President Jejomar Binay and his family. The executive director of MBC was also among those present at Club Filipino when Binay’s political rival, Interior and Read More …

Marlon Garcia of Smartmatic Corporation shows the use of a Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machine at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) headquarters in Manila on Tuesday. Use of the PCOS in the 2016 elections is still up in the air after the Supreme Court voided Comelec’s maintenance contract with Smartmatic last April. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – About P8 billion will be spent for the lease of more than 93,000 optical mark reader (OMR) machines for the 2016 elections. The lease contract was awarded to Smartmatic, the same technology provider for the 2010 and 2013 polls. National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) member and former Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioner Gus Lagman alleged Smartmatic appears to have a monopoly over providing machines for Philippine elections. But Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said Smartmatic won the bidding for the contract fair and square. “Lahat yan dumaan sa bidding, and in all the biddings that we conducted, those were open biddings,” Jimenez said. “Unfortunately, the quality of participation kinda fell short of actually becoming competitive. Ultimately, what does that result in? It results in only one bidder being left and the only bidder left was Smartmatic,” he said. “Perhaps the feeling is that it’s going to be rigged. It’s Smartmatic anyway,” said Lagman. The Comelec said existing precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines will be refurbished for the 2019 elections. But Lagman pointed out this could have been done as early as 2014. “Smartmatic is obligated to train Comelec personnel on Read More …