The potential tropical cyclone, which is still a low pressure area, remains outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility

Satellite image as of January 15, 2019, 8:50 pm. Image from PAGASA

MANILA, Philippines – Weather forecasters continue to monitor a low pressure area (LPA) outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).

In a briefing at 5 pm on Tuesday, January 15, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the LPA is now 2,720 kilometers east of Mindanao.

It might enter PAR either on Friday, January 18, or Saturday, January 19.

Before entering PAR, it could develop into a tropical depression. If it does, it would become the Philippines’ first tropical cyclone for 2019 and would be given the local name Amang. (READ: LIST: PAGASA’s names for tropical cyclones in 2019)

The Philippines gets an average of 20 tropical cyclones per year. The forecast for January is zero to one tropical cyclone.

Meanwhile, the entire country will enjoy generally good weather on Wednesday, January 16.

The northeast monsoon or hanging amihan may bring light rain to some parts of Luzon and the Visayas, but PAGASA does not expect any “significant impact.”

Mindanao, meanwhile, will only have localized thunderstorms.

Source: rappler.com

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The workers of a Subic-based shipbuilding company that filed for a voluntary rehabilitation with the Olongapo Regional Trial Court are highly skilled so they may find job opportunities in other industries, according to a Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) official.

In an interview with GMA News’ Sandra Aguinaldo on her report for 24 Oras on Friday, DOLE Bureau of Local Employment director Dominique Tuyay expressed hope for Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Company Philippines and its employees.

As of Friday, DOLE said that none of Hanjin’s 17 sub-contractors have informed them about retrenching their Filipino workers.

However, Tuyay said employees are reportedly working “less” hours.

“Meron pa din pong activities ang shipbuilding industry. It just so happens that Hanjin is just one of the big companies or big players under the shipping industry in Korea…Stable naman po yung kanyang capital,” she said.

“Highly-skilled po ‘yan kasi shipping industry yan eh so you can easily reconnect the workers affected to other related sectors. Baka po pwede nating bigyan ng oportunidad yung atin pong mga shipbuilders doon po naman sa construction industry,” she added.

According to DOLE, Hanjin still has six more ships to build, but the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has expressed fears of projects being cancelled.

The company has already removed a large chunk of its work force of over 31,000 in 2016 to only 3,812 in 2019.

SBMA Chairman Wilma Eisma had said Hanjin is set to cut its workforce to “just about 300 local workers and as few as seven Korean supervisors.”

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) said Thursday that Hanjin Philippines filed on Tuesday a petition before the Regional Trial Court in Olongapo City to initiate voluntary rehabilitation under Republic Act 10142 or “An Act Providing for the Rehabilitation or Liquidation of Financially Distressed Enterprises and Individuals.”

Eisma said Korean shipbuilder is facing serious financial trouble, the company has around $400 million in outstanding loans from Philippine banks on top of another $900 million in debts owed to South Korea lenders.

Hanjin Philippines has laid off more than 7,000 workers last December and will lay off another 3,000 early this year until its workforce is reduced to just about 300 local workers and as few as seven Korean supervisors by March. — Margaret Claire Layug/BAP, GMA News

Source: gmanetwork.com

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THE management of Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC) has assured its more than 300 employees that no one will be left behind once the airport is privatized.

CIAC issued the statement in the light of the takeover of the airport’s operation and maintenance (O&M) this year by North Luzon Airport Consortium led by the Changi Airport Philippines Pte. Ltd.

“The Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC) Management assures its employees of a just, fair and lawful severance package and a retire-rehire option,” a press statement sent to Sunstar Pampanga Sunday, January 13, said.

CIAC added that no one will lose their job as those who will be affected will be absorbed and prioritized for hiring by the new (O&M) private consortium.

The CIAC management stated that it will work towards ensuring job security or the option of an attractive severance package for all personnel who will be affected.

All the hard work and efforts of employees will be duly acknowledged and properly compensated, it added.

“We reiterate our empathy with the sentiments of airport workers. In fact, there is an ongoing labor mediation and negotiations facilitated by the National Conciliation and Mediation Board to peacefully iron out the differences and ensure a smooth transition,” the CIAC management said.

“We humbly ask for the patience and understanding of concerned individuals and groups, and we hope these assurances will assuage the sentiment vote held last week by rank and file employees,” it added.

CIAC also clarified that it, or any of its personnel, had never coerced nor intimidated union members, as it truly adheres to freedom of expression.

It also assured the public that while the issues are being settled, airport operations will remain efficient and unhampered, and the safety and security of the riding public will always be of utmost priority.

Source: sunstar.com.ph

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MANILA, Philippines — The Senate passed on third and final reading a proposed measure declaring every January 17 as “James Leonard Tagle Gordon Day” and a special non-working holiday in Olongapo City and the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

The proposal was aimed to recognize the achievements, contributions, and heroism of James Leonard Tagle Gordon, the first-elected mayor of Olongapo City.

Seventeen senators voted in favor of the bill’s passage, the Senate said Monday.

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri in February last year introduced Joint Resolution No. 6, which calls for declaring January 17 as James Leonard Tagle Gordon Day.

The said resolution was adopted by 18 other senators, proposing the same.

“For his invaluable service to uplift the lives of the people of Olongapo through his exemplary leadership providing hope and inspiration to future generations, Mayor James Leonard Tagle Gordon deserved to be commemorated on his birth centenary,” Zubiri said in his resolution.

According to the Senate, James Gordon, father of incumbent Senator Richard Gordon, was born to an American Marine father and a Filipina mother. He was born on January 17, 1917, and chose to stay in the Philippines as a Filipino citizen.

The older Gordon exposed the abuses and harassment suffered by Olongapo residents under US military rule and was part of the Philippine panel that negotiated and compelled US authorities to relinquish Olongapo to the Philippine government.

Olongapo was turned over to the Philippines on December 7, 1959 – the same day President Carlos Garcia signed an executive order making Olongapo a municipality of Zambales.

Gordon, the Senate said, also lobbied in Congress for the passage of a bill converting the municipality of Olongapo into a city, despite strong opposition from the provincial government. In 1966, then President Ferdinand Marcos signed Republic Act No. 4665 converting Olongapo into a chartered city.

The Senate said Gordon managed to quell crimes specifically illegal logging, as well as smuggling of firearms, cigarettes, and contraband from the military base and launched a crusade against corrupt members of the Philippine Constabulary.

An untiring fighter of graft and corruption, Gordon also fought well-entrenched politicians against widespread corruption and won the case, albeit posthumously, returning the electrical system to the Olongapo government.

Gordon, the Senate noted, survived assassination attempts in 1965 and 1966.

However, on February 20, 1967, while addressing his constituents on the first floor of the Olongapo City Hall, he was gunned down and killed by a fugitive of the National Penitentiary.

Source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

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Redondo Peninsula Energy Inc. put on hold the development of a 660-megawatt coal-fired power project in Redondo Peninsula, Subic, Zambales because of construction and power supply agreement issues, a top executive said over the weekend.

RP Energy is a joint venture among Meralco PowerGen Corp., Therma Power Inc. of the Aboitiz Group and Taiwan Cogeneration International Corp.

“RP Energy issued a limited notice to proceed to the EPC [engineering, procurement and construction], but we discovered we had problems with the slope, with the site and to mitigate, to fix the site, would require the site to be stable. The board decided to hold development and with that the limited notice to proceed was also cancelled on the EPC,” Aboitiz Power chief operating officer Manny Rubio said.

“This was before. Now, we are looking for alternatives, and based on the decision, we will make a decision should we actually proceed. Again, conditional to the condition of the site. It’s a construction issue, something that was not foreseen by RP Energy,” Rubio said.

Rubio said the technical problem involved “instability in one of the slopes” which needed to be addressed.

“We really have to find a solution on that one. At the moment, it’s Meralco looking at a way to manage the movement. A number of [technologies are available], but given that the contracts are actually pending in court, I think we will make a decision also once we have clarity on the decision on the contract,” he said.

RP Energy earlier tapped Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction Co., Ltd. as its EPC contractor.

RP Energy signed a power service agreement with Meralco for a contracted capacity of 225 MW within a 20-year term on April 20, 2016. The PSA was filed for approval with the Energy Regulatory Commission on April 29, 2016.

Public hearings were subsequently held and were concluded on Jan. 6, 2017, but the application was still pending with the ERC.

RP Energy and Meralco agreed to extend the date of the PSA for a period of 12 months or from April 29, 2018 to April 29, 2019.

“If the ERC does not approve the PSA by April 29, 2019, RP Energy would then have the option to terminate the PSA. To date, RP Energy is still awaiting the ERC’s approval of its PSA,” Aboitiz Power said in a previous disclosure to the stock exchange.

RP Energy’s construction was previously delayed by the issuance of a writ of Kalikasan against the project, which has since been resolved.

Source: manilastandard.net

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