Global Marine

CHELMSFORD, UK – Global Marine, a market leader in subsea fibre optic cable installation and maintenance solutions to the telecoms and oil & gas sectors and part of the Global Marine Group (GMG), announced today that its maintenance contract with SEAIOCMA (South East Asia and Indian Ocean Cable Maintenance Agreement) has been extended for five-years, running to the end of 2022.

The SEAIOCMA maintenance zone agreement, which is a co-operative club managed by 46 cable owners, provides the repair of submarine cables that carry international telecommunications traffic. SEAIOCMA spans the area between Djibouti in the west, Perth in the south, Guam in the east and the northern tip of Taiwan. This is the third and final of Global Marine’s three long-term maintenance contracts renewed since the beginning of 2016 (NAZ (North America Zone) announced March 2016 and ACMA (Atlantic Cable Maintenance Agreement) announced January 2017).

Under the terms of the extended contract, which came into effect on 1 January 2018, and expires on 31 December 2022, Global Marine will provide a newly constructed depot in Subic Bay, Philippines. The new depot will continue to serve as the base of Global Marine’s vessel the Cable Retriever, a purpose-designed cable ship equipped with a 600 horsepower ROV (remote operated vehicle), capable of burying cable up to three metres below the sea bed and mobilising within 24 hours of a call-out. The Cable Retriever is operated by experienced and fully trained personnel and features specialist equipment.

Global Marine has been providing maintenance services continuously to SEAIOCMA since its inception in 1986 and has completed more than 600 repairs. During that time the network has expanded from 34,000 km of cable maintained to encompass more than 111,000 km. The extension of the SEAIOCMA agreement demonstrates continued customer recognition of Global Marine’s reliability in support of long-term contracts, and its ability to deliver leading subsea maintenance to customers around the world.

“There is no greater endorsement of your success than a contract extension from an existing customer,” said Bruce Neilson-Watts, Managing Director of Global Marine. “SEAIOCMA has again placed confidence in our capabilities, primarily because we provide certainty and minimise disruption. Over our long and successful history, Global Marine has proved time and time again that we are both resilient and flexible enough to provide new solutions that aid future market development.”

Global Marine currently delivers support in three of the world’s six cable maintenance zone agreements. Combined with its joint venture, SBSS, Global Marine maintains 33 percent of fibre optic cable lying across the world’s ocean floor. In the past five years the Company has achieved 99.7 percent of the contractual KPIs across all of its maintenance agreements.

source: www.fibre-systems.com

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In the first quarter of the year, facilities to get athletes ready for the 2019 Southeast Asian Games and several international competition will most likely be ready.

Around 100 elite athletes will be sent to Iba, Zambales, while 200 more will travel to Baguio to get them in shape.

Philippine Olympic Committee President Jose “Peping” Cojuangco said this following talks with Foreign Affairs secretary and SEA Games Organizing Committee chairman Allan Peter Cayetano and Philippine Sports Commission chairman William “Butch” Ramirez.

“We can start (training athletes) right away,” said Cojuangco.

In March last year, athletes preparing for the 29th SEA Games were sent to the Zambales Sports Complex for the first time to prepare.

“They do have facilities there (in Zambales) that can accommodate a hundred athletes and they can live comfortably,” added Cojuangco

The SEA Games working committee that Cojuangco, Ramirez and Cayetano formed is set to bring in former PSC Chairman Ricardo “Richie” Garcia.

Cojuangco brought up Garcia’s role before Cayetano and Ramirez last month.

Garcia is expected to help in out the organizational and operational aspects of handling the Games.

The role of Makati Congressman and taekwondo association secretary general Monsour del Rosario is also being finalized.

Cojuangco will go into final discussions with Del Rosario if he will be the chef de mission in 2019.

Source: >Manila Standard

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CLARK CITY, Philippines – Clark International Airport (CRK) has surpassed its passenger target accommodated this year, CRK Corp. President Alex Cauguiran reported.

Clark International Airport, in file photo by bworldonline.com

From January to 30 December 2017, the airport registered more than 1.5 million passengers, surpassing its highest record of over 1.3 million passengers served last 2012.

Cauguiran attributed the significant rise to President Rodrigo Roa Durerte’s declared policy to distribute development outside the peripheries of Metro Manila, which was then pushed into reality by Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur P. Tugade.

“This achievement proves the high level of our public’s trust and confidence in President Duterte’s vision for a multiple gateway under the administration’s Build Build Build program,” Cauguiran said. “Secretart Tugade, although very silent, worked very hard to turn the President’s vision into reality. That is why from only seven domestic flights a week in the previous years, we now have 200 international and domestic flights from Clark. All these happened in the first year of the Duterte administration,” he added.

On assuming office, Tugade encouraged airlines to launch more flights from Clark in order to decongest NAIA, and also transferred some general aviation activities there. He likewise instructed CIAC to provide incentives to airline operators willing to fly from Clark.

Apart from improvements in policy decisions, Cauguiran cited strict implementation of security measures by airport personnel, as well as improved customer service, passenger comfort and convenience, among those that attracted travellers to flock to Clark. The former baselands – home to America’s largest overseas air base – is envisioned to be a premier gateway to both local and international destinations.

Recently, top government officials, such as former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, Senator JV Ejercito, Senator Dick Gordon, Executive Secretary Savador Medialdea, DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade, and Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) President and CEO Vince Dizon graced the groundbreaking ceremony of the new CRK passenger terminal building.

During the ceremony, Tugade said the new terminal will complement other infrastructure projects in the area: Manila-Clark Railway, Subic-Clark Cargo Railway, and the New Clark City.

“Ikakabit po natin ang proyektong ito sa Manila-Clark Railway. Not later than 06 January 2018, we will mobilize the construction of the first segment from Tutuban to Malolos, and hopefully we will complete the entire line to Clark before the end of President Duterte’s term,” Tugade said.

For his part, BCDA President and CEO Dizon said the CRK expansion project will decongest the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, as the new passenger terminal would accommodate an additional 8 million passengers per year.

House Speaker and former transportation secretary Pantaleon Alvarez also expressed excitement over the opportunities the new terminal will be bringing to the Philippines.

Senator Gordon, who played a vital role in establishing freeport zones in Luzon, likewise expressed his joy in finally seeing the airport being fully-utilized, calling it “a new beginning for our country.”

“Infrastructure is not a project of a government. It is a project of the people. It is a project of vision. This is about opportunity, the great equalizer. This is about making the future our friend,” he said.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez noted,
“Before, projects take an average of 30 months under PPP. I assure you that this will not happen in the infrastructure projects of the Duterte administration.”

He said the Clark expansion project is considered the fastest to be implemented by the national government. It broke ground just six months after getting NEDA Board approval.

Former President and now Pampanga Representative Arroyo, whose term saw the building of the CIA, was the special guest at the groundbreaking.

The construction of the new terminal is the first hybrid project under the BuildBuildBuild Infrastructure Program of the Duterte administration. Under the hybrid model, the government will build the infrastructure using its own funds to ensure fast delivery of the project.

source: interaksyon.com

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SAIPAN — A transnational youth group organized a medical mission and Christmas gift-giving to fishermen in Scarborough Shoal and their families at Baranggay North Poblacion, Masinloc, Zambales on December 9.

The National Youth Movement for the West Philippine Sea (NYMWPS), led by its Saipan-based Global Chair and Founder Dr. Celia Lamkin distributed medicines, multivitamins and Christmas gifts and packages.

Scarborough Shoal fisherman and his son receive Noche Buena package and multivitamins given by the NYMWPS during the Medical Mission and Christmas Gift giving in Masinloc, Zambales, Philippines. On the right: Barangay North Poblacion Treasurer, Diana Hao. CONTRIBUTED

Volunteer doctors Luison Nang, MD and Allysa de la Cruz, MD led volunteers in giving free medical services to some 155 patients — fishermen, their spouses, children and the elderly.

National Youth Movement for the West Philippine Sea (NYMWPS) Officers, members and volunteers, Scarborough Shoal fishermen and Barangay North Poblacion , Masinloc, Zambales officials, pose for a group photo after the Medical Mission and Christmas gift giving on December 9.

Free refreshments were provided as well as Noche Buena packages for families.

The sponsors of the Medical Mission and gift giving included Ronald Lamkin; Vickie Estella NYMWPS Makati Chapter Chair; Prof. Cesar Torres, NYMWPS Adviser; Romeo Belocora, NYMWPS Rizal Regional Chair and Cainta chapter Chair;Bontella Food Truck Builders Inc.; Mister Donut; Tokyo Tokyo; BAYANi-Bayan Bago Sarili.

According to Dr. Celia Lamkin, NYMWPS will conduct medical missions next year in Pag-asa Island, Kalayaan Islands (Spratlys) Palawan and Scarborough Shoal fishermen in Pangasinan and Bataan.

Source:
Inquirer.Net

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by: Danessa Rivera

MANILA, Philippines — The power generating unit of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) has invested P3.5 billion for its two power projects currently under development, company officials said.

Meralco PowerGen Corp. (MGen) president and CEO Rogelio Singson said the company has poured in billions of pesos for the immediate construction of its two power projects in Quezon and Zambales once the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) grants their respective power supply agreements (PSA).

So far, MGen has spent P2.8 billion for the 2×300-megawatt (MW) circulating fluidized bed coal-fired power plant in Subic, Zambales under Redondo Peninsula Energy Inc. (RP Energy), MGen senior vice president Angelito Lantin said.

Meanwhile, Lantin said P700 million was already spent for the 2×600-MW ultra supercritical coal-fired power plant under wholly-owned subsidiary Atimonan One Energy Inc. (A1E).

Supply contracts of these two power projects are still hanging with the ERC.

In April 2016, Meralco signed a power supply deal with RP Energy for a 225-MW supply and with A1E for the plant’s full output once completed.

RP Energy is a consortium composed of MGen (47 percent), AboitizPower unit Therma Power Inc. (25 percent) and Taiwan Cogeneration International Corp. (25 percent).

RP Energy has signed a construction contract with local company Azul Torre Construction Inc. and supply contract with Korean firm Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction Co. Ltd. to build the power project.

On the other hand, A1E’s first 600-MW unit is expected to be completed by 2021. It has an estimated project cost of around P135 billion.

For the Atimonan project, MGen has signed a mandate letter for a loan of up to P107.5 billion from eight banks.

It is also tapping Irish firm ESB International, a wholly-owned firm by the Electricity Supply Board, Ireland, to become its operations and management partner for the Atimonan plant.

Under the deal, ESBI will also provide knowledge transfer to MGen in running the Atimonan plant.

MGen said it is also evaluating bids from three potential engineering, procurement and construction contractors and is scouting for prospective partners in the project.

Source:
PhilStar Global

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