Photo Credit: inhabitat.com

BALANGA CITY — A group of businessmen from the United Kingdom is scouting for a site here to build a US$500-million waste-to-energy power plant, local officials said.

David Wood, a British banker, met with Bataan Vice Gov. Cris Garcia on Friday to discuss the proposal, which will not cost the provincial government a single centavo.

The only counterpart of the Bataan government is to offer land to host the 100-megawatt power plant, Wood said.

Wood said the plant would need 1,500 tons of garbage a day as feedstock. The plant may also contract waste supply from neighboring Central Luzon provinces and even Metro Manila.

The waste-to-energy power plant will adopt an Australian technology, which is reputed to be operating with net-zero emission compared to other technologies.

Wood said under this scheme, the waste that would go to the landfill is converted to energy “thereby reducing carbon dioxide emission.”

Last month, a joint Korean-Japanese investor signed a memorandum of understanding with the provincial government of Bataan to put up a US$1 billion 600-megawatt thermal power plant.

Source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Continue Reading

Photo Credit: Scoopnest

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Transportation (DOTr) looks to push through with plans to move general aviation flights to Sangley Point by yearend as it targets to wrap up rehabilitation works in the former military base.

Developing general aviation operations in Sangley would help ease congestion in the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), as business jets operating in the country’s main gateway would be relocated.

Transportation Undersecretary for aviation Manuel Tamayo said the DOTr has a budget of P500 million for the rehabilitation of the Danilo Atienza Air Base.

“It has not been maintained for a long time. The runway was shortened to 1,200 meters. Now, I’m happy to tell you it’s back to 2,300 meters. It has been completed two months ago,” Tamayo said.

“Now what we are constructing are the hangars and the passenger terminal building. We’ll be setting up a new tower and that will be developed to be night rated as well,” he said.

Tamayo said the target is to complete all of these constructions within the year.

“That’s the target, to move general aviation to Sangley. Once operational, that is when we will push for general aviation,” he said.

The DOTr had also expressed plans to revive the idle Subic Airport and make it operational to serve as a possible hub for business jets and help aid in decongesting the country’s main international gateway.

The provincial government of Cavite, for its part, is currently working on its proposal to develop a new international airport in Sangley Point and has been given a mid-year deadline by Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade to resolve all issues surrounding its offer.

The Cavite government’s unsolicited proposal, which has been given the green light by the DOTr in July last year, seeks to develop the former United States naval station into a modern gateway and become an alternative to the NAIA, which is presently operating way beyond its capacity.

Cavite Governor Jesus Crispin Remulla earlier expressed uncertainty as to whether or not they can meet the deadline set by Tugade.

However, he said they are doing everything at the moment to be able to comply with all the requirements and is pursuing all avenues possible to push through with the airport project.

A private group, the Tieng-led All Asia Resources and Reclamation Corp., has also submitted a $12-billion unsolicited proposal in March last year to finance, construct and develop a new airport to be called “Philippine Sangley International Airport” in Sangley, Cavite.

The proposal seeks to make a regional airport hub which could accommodate about 120 million passengers per year, entailing an investment of $12 billion for development cost alone and a concession period of 50 years.

The proposal, however, was set aside as the DOTr prioritized the government offer.

Source: philstar.com

Continue Reading

Photo Credit: business.inquirer.net

A consortium composed of Manila Electric Co. and several Japanese firms has signed a joint venture agreement with the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) for the development of a P1-billion electricity distribution system for the New Clark City in Pampanga.

Meralco has a 60-percent stake in the consortium that includes Marubeni Corp., The Kansai Electric Power Co. Inc. and Chubu Electric Power Co. Inc.

In a regulatory filing, Meralco said under the agreement, the so-named Meralco-Marubeni consortium would form a special purpose company that would hold a 90-percent equity in the deal with BCDA.

“The (joint venture company) shall then pursue and undertake the financing, design and engineering, establishment, construction, development and operation and maintenance of the electric power distribution system in New Clark City,” Meralco said.

According to Meralco senior vice president Alfredo Panlilio, the consortium’s special purpose company would be called Shin Clark Power Holdings Inc.

With the joint venture deal with BCDA already signed, the partners would now have to obtain a franchise from Congress, which would be an initiative of the state agency in charge of former American military bases.

The transaction would also need approval from the government’s antitrust body, the Philippine Competition Commission.

Meralco PowerGen Corp. president Rogelio L. Singson earlier mentioned the project at New Clark City would cost about P1 billion.

According to Singson, plans are currently evolving in terms of electrifying Athlete’s Village there. The Philippines will host the Southeast Asian Games in December this year.

“For the SEA Games, we are looking at a demand of 10 megawatts to 14 megawatts,” Singson said.

He added BCDA was pushing for underground cabling for power distribution similar to what the Bonifacio Global City has, since the intention was to make the new development in Pampanga a “smart city.”

New Clark City would also be hosting a new national government center, but Singson said there was relatively not much going on on that front compared to the sports facilities.

“It’s all focused on the Athlete’s Village even if only two events will be held there—track and field and swimming,” he said.
Source: business.inquirer.net

Continue Reading

This photo taken in February 2019 shows three Chinese dredgers docked near the shorelines of Masinloc in Zambales. PHOTO from Bayan Muna
MANILA, Philippines — Aside from Chinese ships recently spotted in Batangas and the fleet of fishing vessels seen on Pag-asa Island, Bayan Muna chair Neri Colmenares is claiming that there are also dredging and quarrying ships in Zambales.

The former lawmaker said he personally saw three vessels docked offshore in the town of Masinloc. He said local fishers had also sent him photos of Chinese crew members in the municipality of Cabangan.

“When we filmed our documentary on the West PH Sea last February 16, we observed [that there were] at least 3 Chinese dredging ships anchored offshore in Masinloc, Zambales,” Colmenares said in a statement on Wednesday.

“I personally rode a bangka (boat) to get near and see the ships for myself. Fishermen also sent me pictures of quarrying ships with Chinese crew in Cabangan, Zambales,” he added.

Colmenares provided reporters a copy of the photo and video of the Chinese dredgers.

“Now our sources from Zambales are saying that there are currently five to six Chinese dredgers in the area. The question is why is the government allowing China to mine and destroy our shorelines?” he asked.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) recently revealed that they had spotted an “extraordinary surge” of vessels in the West Philippine Sea. AFP Chief of Staff General Benjamin Madrigal, however, brushed it aside, saying it is not a cause for concern.

On Tuesday, residents of Lobo, Batangas were alarmed with the sudden appearance of a 12,990-ton hopper dredger from China, believed to be transporting sand from the province to be used in building a runway at the Hong Kong International Airport.

Colmenares alleged that China’s confidence in pulling off these actions as a result of the Philippine government’s backing of its projects.

“Residents in Cagayan, Ilocos, Pangasinan, Zambales, Leyte, and Negros have long been complaining about China’s destructive black sand mining activities, but they have been ignored,” the senatorial bet noted.

“It seems China has become more confident of government support and is now looking at other areas to mine like Batangas,” he said. “Inagaw na nga nila ang karagatan sa West PH Sea, ngayon pati dalampasigan natin kukunin nila at dadalhin sa China (They got the West PH Sea, now they are also trying to get our shorelines),” he claimed.

In a press conference on Tuesday, Colmenares called on Filipinos to stand up against China’s exploitation of the country’s resources by joining protest movements. His group and personalities bared plans to stage a protest outside the Chinese consulate office on April 9, Araw ng Kagitingan.

Source: philstar.com

Continue Reading

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is now considering the establishment of a permanent consular office in this free port to better serve the public in the Subic Bay area and nearby parts of Central Luzon.

DFA Assistant Secretary Neil Frank Ferrer announced this during the agency’s passport processing project that was held last week at the Harbor Point Ayala Mall in partnership with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA).

H1undreds of applicants queue for the processing of their passport during the DFA-SBMA Passport on Wheels project at the Harbor Point Ayala Mall on March 29, ample proof that a consular office is needed to serve the public in the Subic Bay Freeport area.

“This is our commitment—to bring our services closer to the public, closer to you people. We will not be just an ad hoc passporting on wheels. Our intention is to put up a permanent presence here,” said Ferrer, who joined the DFA team here to coordinate and look for a possible location for an office.

The DFA official added that with a permanent consular office in Subic, the agency will also be able to provide services like document authentication, assistance to nationals, and delayed registration of birth, marriage or death for Filipinos abroad.

“It will be a complete service, like a mini-DFA,” Ferrer said. “We are excited in having that office put up here soon.”

In January last year, SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said she has requested the DFA to conduct passport processing here at least twice a year and, later on, to establish full consular services at the Subic Bay Freeport.

Eisma made the request after noting the huge number of passport applicants who queue for processing each time a passport-on-wheels team arrived in Subic.

Ferrer said the DFA has already established 34 consular offices across the country.

Recently, it opened seven new consular offices in Malolos, Bulacan; Ilocos Norte; Isabela; San Pablo, Laguna; Antipolo, Rizal; Tagum City, Davao del Norte; and Clarin, Misamis Occidental, he said.

SBMA deputy administrator for administration Ruel John T. Kabigting, who welcomed the DFA group during the passport processing project, said that he has been receiving positive feedback on passport processing events here.

“Applying for a passport in Subic became very convenient for the people because there is no need for them to travel to the regional office or to Manila. And they are thankful for this project,” Kabigting said.

A total of 818 passport applications were processed here in the March 29 project at the Harbor Point, according to the SBMA technical working group for corporate social responsibility (TWG for CSR), which is the prime-mover of the mobile passport processing project.

This was the third passport processing project of the SBMA TWG for CSR that was held in cooperation with the DFA, Harbor Point Ayala Mall, and Converge ICT.

The TWG for CSR consists of about 50 SBMA employee-volunteers who render public service to the public through projects like passport on wheels, firearms licensing, and civil registration.

Source: subicnewslink.blogspot.com/

Continue Reading