Jude Catholic School Proudly Presents the RS Judenites Festival Run

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Jude Catholic School will be having their Homecoming Fun Run on March 10, 2019. 

RS Judenites Festival Run, a festive gathering and loud cheers will definitely fill the entire atmosphere these early days of Summer. 

After being part of the Fed Run event the past few years already, the institution has decided to launch their own fun run event for all their alumni, students, employees, and other professional runners. 

With its festival-themed approach, the event is expected to bring exceptional fun run experience in Metro Manila.

Sharp Philippines Proudly Presents First-Ever Fun Run For Every Juan

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Sharp Philippines first-ever Fun Run For Every Juan will happen on March 17, 2019 at Filinvest Grounds, Alabang.

The event aims to celebrate every Filipino family through sports and other exciting activities. The atmosphere will be filled with loud cheers of friendship, fun and enthusiasm. 

This is part of the company's We Love Philippines campaign, which honors the every Filipino who has been part of Sharp’s 36 years of consistent success. Above all, the event is expected to be the largest gathering of Filipino families and friends in the spirit of patriotism and joyful celebration.

Register now at https://events.redsportsph.com/funrun/sharp-run-4-every-juan

PHLPost Unveils 2018 Miss Universe Catriona Gray stamps

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) unveiled the special stamp featuring the Filipino pride and recently crowned 2018 Miss Universe, Catriona Gray at Novotel Hotel, Araneta Center Cubao Quezon City.

The colorful and well liked photograph of the new Miss Universe in her winning moments highlighted the stamps and special souvenir sheets.

Miss Universe 2018 Ms. Catriona Gray together with PHLPost Chairman of the Board Norman Fulgencio, Assistant Postmaster General Luis Carlos and Maxi Sta. Maria, Business Lines Manager   unveiled the special stamp which was designed by PHLPost in her honor.

Ms.Catriona Elisa Magnayon Gray is also a model, stage actress, singer, visual actress, and a beauty pageant title holder.

 The 24 year-old Filipino-Australian beauty bested contestants from 93 countries to become the fourth Filipina to be crowned Miss Universe held in Bangkok, Thailand last December 17, 2018.

In 2017, PHLPost issued special stamps featuring the past Filipina Miss Universe title holder that includes Miss Universe 1969 Gloria Diaz, Miss Universe 1973 Margie Moran and Miss Universe 2015 Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach.

In the said pageant, Gray showcased her signature walk called Lava walk with a slow-motion twirl that stunned not just her Filipino fans and supporters but also in other countries.

In-house Philatelic Counter graphic artist Mr. Rodine Teodoro designed the beautiful stamp with credits on the photo supplied by Ms. Universe organization.

Stamps, Souvenir Sheets and official First Day Covers will be available starting February 27, 2019 at the Manila Central Post Office in Liwasang Bonifacio and all the Postal Areas of the Philippine Postal Corporation.

The regular postal stamp will costs P12 while the special stamp will cost P55 with an embellished crown and lava gown.

The stamp design features Catriona Gray in her winning moment with special embellishments on the crown and the beautiful gown designed by Mark Tumang. The prominent and iconic Mayon Volcano is the penultimate inspiration behind Tumangs creation. It also features Catriona wearing the Mikimoto crown, a pageant crown worn by previous Miss Universe title holders.

Mapua Dominates Annual Short Film Tilt in UP

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Short films from Mapua University recently led the winners of Piling Obrang Vidyo XV, an interschool video competition, at Cine Adarna in UP Diliman.

Films directed by Mapuans Celina Mae Medina, Harold Lance Pialda and Gabrielle Lloyd Reyes topped their corresponding POV categories.

Medina and fellow Mapuan Tricia Sotaso bagged Best Narrative Film and Best Cinematography, respectively, for “Ophelia.” The short film is about a depressed college student (Rea Molina) who wants to seek psychiatric help but her parents (Soliman Cruz and Angelina Kanapi) have other plans in mind. 

 

Pialda’s “Gatilyo” (Trigger) was awarded Best Director, Best Sound and Best Production Design, also in the narrative film category. “Gatilyo” tells the story of a soldier (Rocky Salumbides) who is being haunted by the war he survived.

Meanwhile, Reyes got the Best Experimental Film prize for “Ang Mambabarang at ang mga Taong Pinatay sa Limot.” Reyes' work bested his other entry “Kanin Baboy, Taong Baboy,” another Mapuan film “Ang Pagtuklas sa Larangan ng Pagiging Maria Clara” by Lady Vicente, and two others from University of San Carlos in Cebu and UP Film Institute.

“Aswang” from Far Eastern University received the Best Screenplay award, “Babuyan” from UPFI got Best Editing, People’s Choice and Cinemasters’ Choice, while “Househusband” from De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde won Best Documentary.

Rody Vera, Carlo Manatad, Chuck Gutierrez, Dix Buhay, Christian Bables, Lars Magbanua, Prime Cruz, Miko Livelo and Raffy Magsaysay judged the narrative films. The group of Hiyas Bagabaldo, Wena Sanchez and Keith Deligero, and that of Jet Leyco, Jim Lumbera and Rox Lee, served as jury for the documentaries and experimental films, respectively.

POV is organized by UP Cinema, an academic, social and cultural organization based at the UP College of Mass Communication. Aside from organizing POV, UP Cinema also serves as a venue for the open and free discussion of issues and ideas concerning cinema as a movement, art and industry.

The Ways In Which GPS Is Changing How We Travel

Wazzup Pilipinas!

GPS is everywhere: in cars, in phones, in laptops, in trains etc. We can take it for granted, and we will do increasingly as it becomes a more and more common element of daily life and travel, but the amount to which it has shaped our very understanding of travel cant be overstated.

GPS is unambiguously helpful: the number of times that we turn to it to orient ourselves in situations as disparate as hiking and trying to find the local shop, is incredible. It is also packaged nowadays with an incredibly intuitive user interface. But what are the ways in which it has changed the way we travel? Lets find out.

Negates The Danger Of So Many Situations

Previously, going for a walk through a forest could be considered a highly trepidatious adventure, that required some real orienteering skills. However, GPS tracker makes it a walk in the park (or forest?). Plus, GPS negates the danger in so many other situations. Getting into a car crash on an unknown road no longer means desperately trying to explain what the last landmark you saw was to the emergency services. GPS handles that for you.

Increases Our Reliance On Smartphones

“GPS is currently most user friendly when packaged inside of a slickly designed app for your smartphone, notes Mark Channing, tech writer at Write My X and Brit Student. As if we need more excuses to be hooked on our smartphones, having this invaluable ability to track ourselves and find locations with ease in our smartphones makes all of us that bit more connected to our phones.

Allows Us To Be Found A Lot Easier

As mentioned above, in regard to the emergency services, the ability to be found as well as to find has its positives and benefits. On the one hand, the emergency services can use it, either an ambulance finding you in a remote location or the police tracking a criminal. On the other hand, it can lead to serious invasions of privacy. Again, this could be from the government, companies, organizations or just your creepy ex. Either way, its not always pleasant knowing you can be tracked at any time.

Makes Us Far Less Able To Orienteer Instinctively

Sooner or later, we will find ourselves mapping our routes everywhere. Human beings have recorded, instinctual orienteering in our DNA. Some humans, as you have probably noticed, are far better at directions and using a map than others. But the more we all get sucked into always relying on the phone, the more likely it is that we as a species erode our sense of direction.

It Damages Our Memory

“The hippocampus, the seahorse that stores our memory in the brain, shrinks if under-utilized and flourishes with training. Taxi drivers who still learn their routes by heart, for example, have powerful hippocampi, explains Rod Stuggart, travel blogger from  1 Day 2 Write and Australia 2 Write. For similar reasons as above, our memory is affected by not being relied on. If we never have to remember routes and directions by heart or with the help of rudimentary maps, our memory functions for this part of the brain will naturally decay.

Conclusion

So, there you have it. It is definitely a blessing and a curse and the results of which of those two sides win out wont be known for, potentially, hundreds of years. That being said, dont worry too much. Your reliance is unlikely to be at 100%. Next time you head out for a walk, just leave the Maps app closed for a change!

Adelina Benson is an email marketer and writer at Academic Brits and Origin Writings. She develops marketing strategies, edits and proofreads company emails. In her free time, she loves to blog to help people reach their full potential at PhD Kingdom. She is also a keen orienteering and mountaineering expert, with a passion for travel.

MARINA Hosts 2019 MET Conference

Wazzup Pilipinas!

To translate the trends in maritime education and training into assets of the Philippine maritime industry, the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), in cooperation with the International Association of Maritime Universities (IAMU), hosted the 2019 Maritime Education and Training (MET) Conference and Workshop in Manila on 21-22 February 2019.

The MET Conference started in 2016 through a memorandum of cooperation (MOC) between the MARINA and IAMU to provide an avenue for discussion on how to further advance maritime education and training in the Philippines.

MARINA Officer-in-Charge Vice Admiral Narciso Vingson Jr and IAMU Executive Director Takeshi Nakazawa welcomed more than 200 representatives from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), maritime higher education institutions (MHEIs), maritime training centers (MTCs), seafarer associations, research groups and course developers, maritime instructors, as well as manning agencies participated in the two-day interactive discussion about the trends in maritime education and training, particularly about specialized maritime knowledge, student engagement, assessment, maritime teaching and crew manning in 2020 and beyond.

Also tackled were the innovations in maritime education and training and how it impacted the society and the development of Filipino seafarers, the maritime education internet of things (IoT), and the fundamentals of running a training ship in 2020 and beyond.

Capt. Pradeep Chawla, Chairman of the Global Maritime Educaation and Training (GlobalMET) – an association of 80 maritime training institutes across the world, was one of the remarkable speakers who shared invaluable insights at the 2019 MET Conference.

The MARINA noted the affirmation made by Capt. Chawla that the Philippines will remain as one of the top suppliers of competent seafarers in the next ten years due to their high moral ethics, professionalism, and integrity compared to other nationalities.

With this, the country has to keep up with the latest advancements in maritime education and training by enhancing teaching methods through digitization and gamification, among others, as well as virtual reality and flip classroom to yield higher learning outcomes from maritime students. Through these initiatives, Capt. Chawla said future Filipino seafarers may have greater ability to process larger amount of data at a time, better focus on critical issues, cope with increased stress level, be more assertive, and work efficiently with remote teams.

Above all, he emphasized the importance of continuous learning to active seafarers so they may contribute in the development of maritime education and training by becoming maritime instructors or trainers in the future.

Furthermore, the MARINA presented the 10-year maritime industry development plan (MIDP) with emphasis on the manpower requirement that is needed to be developed to effectively implement the MIDP’s eight priority programs, especially on shipyard, logistics, cruise tourism and the ancillary businesses of the first-ever maritime hub.

Aside from Professor Nakazawa, IAMU brought in Engr. Johan Ljungklint, Dr. Damir Zec, Mr. Vlado Fracic, and Mr. Nguyen Thanh Son to facilitate the open forum which focused on the future of the shipping industry through autonomous and/or smart ships, the developments in maritime education and training through digitization, threats on cyber security, and expectations to maritime instructors in 2020 and beyond.

The two-day event concluded with the commitment from various maritime stakeholders to seek the way forward in the eventual enhancement of the Philippine maritime education and training system.

DOTr, PPA, PNR to Donate Land for Relocation of 2,086 Informal Settler Families

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Resonating the Duterte administration’s drive for social responsibility, five hectares of government land will be donated for the relocation of at least 2,086 Informal Settler Families (ISFs) long living on Isla Puting Bato in Manila.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr), through the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) today, 26 February 2019, in collaboration with the National Housing Authority (NHA), Local Government Unit (LGU) of Manila, International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI), and the Manila North Harbor Port, Inc. (MNHPI).

Through the MOU, the ISFs from Isla Puting Bato are now beneficiaries of new housing units in the five-hectare property owned by the PPA in Tondo, Manila.

DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade, who also chairs the PPA Board, commended the collaborative efforts of all parties, and vowed to increase the capacity to benefit more ISFs.

“Napakaganda ng balita na ipinamahagi sa atin ng PPA na kung saan sila po ay magbibigay o magdo-donate ng 5 hectares para sa relocation ng mga kababayan natin sa tubig. Ito ‘ho ay mag-a-accommodate ng 2,400 families na target natin,” Secretary Tugade said.


Legal Protection of ISFs
PPA General Manager Jay Santiago announced the good news during the regular session of the House Committee on Housing and Urban Development, which was held remotely today at Rosauro Almario Elementary School in Tondo, Manila.

GM Santiago assured that ISF beneficiaries will receive legal protection for ownership of the housing units, as documents are being prepared to prevent their eviction. PPA targets to secure the beneficiaries up to 25 years. The land property, meanwhile, will remain under government ownership.

“Peligroso po ‘yung nasa malapit sila sa katubigan. Ito po ay hindi magiging pagmamay-ari ng kung sinuman kundi ng pamahalaan pa rin. Mayroon po tayong dokumentasyon na kasiguruhan na kung sinuman ang benepisyaryo ay hindi siya mapapaalis diyan sa units na gagawin,” GM Santiago stressed.


Additional Land from PNR

Currently, a rail line of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) runs through the relocation area for the Isla Puting Bato ISFs. Both the DOTr and the PNR agreed to adjust the rail line to give way to the housing plan.

“Gagawa tayo ng paraan para magkaroon ng balance nang sa ganoon, ‘yung hangarin natin sa kabuuan na mapaayos ang kalagayan ng mga pamilya ay mabigyan ng katuparan,” Secretary Tugade emphasized.

“The PNR will redesign its alignment of the said property to allow NHA and their actual occupants to use it. We would make available the 1,064 square meters that was requested by the Key Shelter Agencies that they would require for the fruition of the project,” PNR General Manager Junn Magno added.


Long Wait for Relocation
Meanwhile, House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo expressed joy over the MOU signing, as the relocation plan was unattended for nearly 15 years until now.

“I am very happy with the developments to finally give the people of Isla Puting Bato a place they can call home,” House Speaker Arroyo said.

Senator Cynthia Villar also conveyed her excitement for the relocation of the ISFs, which coincides with the full rehabilitation of the Manila Bay.

“Not only are we giving our citizens on Isla Puting Bato proper shelter, but we are giving the Manila Bay a chance to return to its former glory,” Senator Villar said.

Local Real Estate Professionals and Companies Receive Honor during Lamudi Broker Awards Night

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Lamudi recently recognized outstanding real estate professionals and brokerage companies at the third annual Lamudi Broker Awards Night held last February 21, 2019 at Makati Shangri-La.

The Lamudi Brokers Awards is an evening of recognition of the real estate professionals who have demonstrated skilled achievement, superior leadership, high moral character, and professional behavior as chosen among the clientele of the Philippines' number one real estate platform.

“The Lamudi Broker Awards Night is our way to show appreciation to our most successful partners who not only grew alongside the company but helped Lamudi reach great heights in the real estate industry,” says Gilles Hage, Lamudi’s VP for Commercial Strategy

Miyabi Realty accepts the award for Lamudi Brokerage of the Year for Luzon

Elizabeth Ventura, President of Anchor Land Holdings, Inc.

Bhavna Suresh, CEO of Lamudi

Lamudi’s CEO Bhavna Suresh formally opened the evening’s gathering. Industry thought leaders were also present in the event, offering an avenue for exchanging valuable insights on how to improve the local real estate industry and the community-at-large.

Elizabeth Ventura, President of Anchor Land Holdings, Inc. highlighted that brokers are an integral part of the overall success of property developers. Meanwhile, Colliers Philippines' Senior Manager for Research, Joey Bondoc, dove deep into the highlights of the local property sector in 2018 and what can be expected in 2019.

The awards presented were divided into three categories: Individual, Company, and Special Awards. The winners of the Individual and Company Awards were determined via data gathering while winners of the Special Awards were chosen through voting by Lamudi’s partner network with the exception of the Lamudi Partner of the Year award as this was chosen by Lamudi.

This year’s winners are the following:

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS

Most Leads Generated
Leyde Francisco of Cebu Globenet Realty

Most Number of Listings Uploaded
Rey Sonico of MFR Realty

Most Responsive
Christopher Larawan

Top Trained
Korina Christine Reyes of M.F. Reyes Realty

Lamudi Broker of the Year - Luzon
Evelyn Samaniego

Lamudi Broker of the Year - Visayas and Mindanao
Rodulfo Lafradez Jr. of Fareast Habitat & Settlements Inc

Loyalty Award
Edmund Tario

New Broker of the Year
George Tejada

COMPANY AWARDS

Most Leads Generated
My Saving Grace Realty & Development Corp

Most Number of Listings Uploaded
Property Hunter Realty

Most Responsive
Cloverph Realty Corp.


Top Trained Brokerage
Top Realty

Lamudi Brokerage of the Year - Luzon
Miyabi Realty

Lamudi Brokerage of the Year - Visayas and Mindanao
Land Asia Global Properties Network

Loyalty Award
Philproperties International Corp.

New Brokerage of the Year
Rising Land Realty

SPECIAL AWARDS

Lamudi Partner Success Story of the Year
Charlie Aparicio

People's Choice Award
MJ Jambaro

Lamudi Partner of the Year
Land Registration Authority

For more information on the Lamudi Broker Awards Night 2019, visit https://www.lamudi.com.ph/brokerawards/

How to Select Right Data Entry Outsourcing Company

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Digitization or Data Entry and Data Conversion are undoubtedly flourishing on high end. Whether it is a technology expert or a senior executive with a company, everyone is looking for a key solution to this digital transformation. Since this is an era of gadgets and technology, it is becoming an utmost requirement for any company to get their data digitized electronically and also to keep it in a movable as well as easily perusable format.

Outsourcing this digitization/data conversion service will definitely escalate the productivity of a company since it would save your time to use for core production. While you decide to outsource professional like a Data Conversion Specialist, it is equally important to select the right service provider and this does not require any expertise. In order to outsource your Data Entry work, there are a few knowhow that must be checked with a service provider:

1. Experience

2. Productivity

3. Accuracy

4. Commitment to Timeframe

5. Infrastructure

6. Client Relationship

7. Liability for Data Security

8. Transparency

9. Flexibility


1. Make sure your Outsourcing Partner has got experience working for relative campaigns or similar projects. Under such circumstances it would be easier for you to explain your requirements to the Outsourcing Partner and similarly there will be higher rates of accuracy in their work.

2. Productivity plays a key role when defining both accuracy and committed timeframe for you project. Your Outsourcing Partner should be ready to give you a Sample Test Run for your project since it will give you an exact idea on their work accuracy, their productivity and both within a particular timeframe. Accordingly you can expect your desired output within your budget and a fixed lapse of time.

3. Accuracy has to be committed from the beginning and an Outsourcing Partner who will mention their accuracy levels within the Service Agreement has to be trusted more than those who stay more verbal. Generally 99% accuracy is a standard expectation and this should be defined by your Outsourcing Partner within the Service Agreement.

4. Timeframe as discussed above should be defined right from the beginning whilst selecting an appropriate data entry specialist.

Make sure to visit your preferred Outsourcing Partner to check on their Infrastructure. Infrastructure plays a key role when your project is counted for accuracy and Quality. Also the Timeframe is relative to the facilities that your outsourcing partner is rendering to their employees; and this again makes core Infrastructure. In case of Offshore Outsourcing Partner, you can also have a conference call meeting proposed in the beginning to check on their Infrastructure as well as their facilities and availabilities of latest technology and services.

Before selecting your Outsourcing Partner you should check on their urge of maintaining Client Relationship, irrelevant to either the deal is closed or not. This proves that your Outsourcing Partner has got a wonderful PR and this would directly affect your product in future. A good PR and Client Co ordination is very important for your partner to maintain your corporate image in market.

Data Security and your product reliability is very important aspect. A well versed and competent Outsourcing Partner will give you the best solidness for your company Data weather it is online or offline or if it is stored for your future perusal. Since you trust someone for your company’s information that may be sensitive and valuable, you should make sure that the Data Security relative liabilities are kept transparent with you before you enter in any agreement with your Outsourcing Partner.

Transparency in work and commitments is very important for you to check with your Outsourcing Partner. The more your selected partner is keeping transparency in their processes and fidelity, more is the assurance of your partner to be loyal.

When you are selecting an offshore Outsourcing Partner, always prefer the one who have a dedicated team that would work for you on your time zone. This not only gives you the best replacement for your in house employee but will also make you communication with your partner much smoother and quicker whiles your ongoing process. This, in response, will increase productivity and will lessen the chances of errors.

Once you have selected a well judged Outsourcing Partner for your Data entry work, you are confirmed of making your business more productive.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR – Nancy Anderson is a Content Creator at EDatamine, a premium Offshore Data Entry Company, provides offline/online data entry services, data conversion services, data processing services, web research services, graphic design services, SEO services and solutions as per client needs.

Historic Metro Manila Subway Breaks Ground

Wazzup Pilipinas!
The “pipe dream” is now a reality. The Metro Manila Subway, the Philippines’ first underground railway system, officially broke ground today, 27 February 2019, in Barangay Ugong, Valenzuela City.

The Metro Manila Subway is among the most ambitious and monumental infrastructure projects under the Duterte administration’s “Build, Build, Build” Program.

Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea led the groundbreaking ceremony, together with Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Koji Haneda, and Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade.

“When we announced that we are doing the Subway, many sectors did not believe. Sabi nila, ‘Subway station? Drawing lang ‘yan. Hindi totoo ‘yan.’ Sa mga nagduda, ang Subway Station po ay totoo. Sa mga naniniwala, pabaunan niyo po kami ng tiwala at dasal. Ito ang magbibigay sa ating mga Pilipino ng comfortable life,” Secretary Tugade said.

To signify the start of the project, Executive Secretary Medialdea, Ambassador Haneda, Secretary Tugade, members of the Cabinet, and local government officials led the unveiling of the scale model of the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM), along with the ceremonial shoveling of the ground where the subway’s depot will stand.

Additionally, Executive Secretary Medialdea and Ambassador Haneda simulated the construction of the subway through the operation of a backhoe machine.

“We believe in a fast and sure approach and the efficient delivery of public service. Matagal nang deprived ang mga Pilipino sa ganitong mass transport system. We will deliver this to the Filipino people as fast as we can, as well as we can, and without any whiff of corruption,” Executive Secretary Medialdea said.


Social mitigation
To mitigate the social impact of the subway construction, the DOTr, in collaboration with the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), National Housing Authority (NHA) and the City Government of Valenzuela, awarded certificates of entitlement to affected Informal Settler Families (ISFs) for their relocation to Disiplina Village II, Barangay Bignay also in Valenzuela City

Secretary Tugade presented the certificates to 20 out of 183 beneficiary families. The remaining 163 families are undergoing pre-qualification process.


Partial Operability by 2022

The country’s first-ever subway system is a massive undertaking, spanning 15 stations from Quirino Highway in Quezon City to NAIA Terminal 3 in Pasay and FTI in Taguig, all connected through a 36-kilometer rail line.

Set to run at 80 kilometers per hour, the Subway will cross seven local governments and pass through three of Metro Manila’s business districts in just 30 minutes.

Guided by Japan’s expertise in railways, the Metro Manila Subway will feature technological advancements and disaster-resilient strategies aimed to boost the Subway’s structural integrity amid regular occurrence of typhoons and earthquakes.

The Metro Manila Subway is set to commence partial operations by 2022 for its first three stations (Quirino Highway – Mindanao Avenue Station, Tandang Sora Station, and North Avenue Station), while the entire rail line will be fully operational by 2025.

The pioneering underground rail line is expected to serve 370,000 passengers daily in its first year of full operations, with a design capacity that can accommodate up to 1.5 million passengers per day.

Just last week, the DOTr signed the contract for the design and build of the Partial Operability Section with the Joint Venture of Shimizu Corporation, Fujita Corporation, Takenaka Civil Engineering Co., Ltd., and EEI Corporation.

The Partial Operability Section is comprised of the first three stations, the depot in Valenzuela, and structures for the Philippine Railway Institute (PRI) that will be the primary policy-making body for the Subway.

“Nang nakita namin ang kultura ng mga taga-Japan, sabi ko, magkakaroon din tayo ng Philippine Railway Institute, sapagkat ‘yung pagbuo ng PRI ay dapat may kaakibat na training, skills, talent, at culture of belonging and love for the job,” Secretary Tugade expressed.


Incredible Interconnectivity

DOTr Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John Batan, in his message, said that each subway station will feature an intermodal facility that will make transfers to and from road-based transport seamless and convenient.

Further, the Metro Manila Subway will be connected with other major rail lines such as the PNR Clark, PNR Calamba, and the Common Station to ensure interconnectivity, intermodality, and interoperability.


Build, Build, Build Partnership

The construction of the Metro Manila Subway is a collaborative effort with the Government of Japan through a PhP365-billion Official Development Assistance (ODA) loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

“We support the Philippines in shifting the ‘Build, Build, Build’ Program to higher gear. With cutting-edge technology, the Philippines can count on Japan’s extensive experience in railway operations. Together, there is no stopping Japan and the Philippines in achieving more,” Ambassador Haneda.

Also present in today’s groundbreaking ceremony were Budget and Management Secretary Benjamin Diokno, Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar, National Economic and Development Authority Director-General and Socio-Economic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia, Senator JV Ejercito, JICA Philippines Chief Representative Yoshio Wada, Philippine National Railways (PNR) General Manager Junn Magno, Valenzuela City Mayor Rexlon Gatchalian, representatives of the Shimizu-Fujita-Takenaka-EEI Joint Venture, and other officials from the public and private sectors.

Jr. NBA Philippines 2019 Trains Over 3,000 Kids in Cavite Clinic

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Jr. NBA Philippines presented by Alaska staged its first open clinic for 2019 at the Sisters of Mary Boystown and Girlstown in Silang, Cavite on Feb. 23-24, teaching over three thousand boys and girls the fundamentals of basketball and Jr. NBA core values.

As part of the league’s efforts to promote inclusion, Jr. NBA Philippines provided opportunities for young girls of Sisters of Mary Girlstown from Grades 7-10 to participate in basketball drills and skills development exercises on Feb. 23, with a total of 2,248 female athletes experiencing world class basketball instruction from Jr. NBA Coaches Natalia Dos Santos and Jeffrey Cariaso with the Alaska coaches. On Feb. 24, the Jr. NBA Philippines program hosted 1,060 kids that learned the fundamentals of shooting, passing, dribbling, defending and conditioning, while Alaska and Gatorade facilitated nutrition and hydration talks respectively.

“Jr. NBA Philippines presented by Alaska distinguishes itself by reinforcing an active lifestyle and instilling positive values for kids while enjoying the game of basketball,” said Dos Santos. “Through the Jr. NBA program, we empower children from varying backgrounds and help them fulfill their potential as young players and future leaders of society.”

In addition to the open clinic, Jr. NBA Philippines will stage Regional Selection Camps in Lucena (March 9-10), Baguio (March 23-24), Dumaguete (March 30-31), Butuan (April 13-14), and Metro Manila (April 26-27) to advance the top 40 boys and 40 girls in the National Training Camp on May 17-19. As many as five boys and five girls from the National Training Camp will advance to the first Jr. NBA Global Championship Asia Pacific Qualifiers, a week-long selection camp in June featuring top youth players from Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

As a culminating event, the top performing 10 boys and 10 girls willrepresent Asia Pacific in the second Jr. NBA Global Championship held Aug. 6-11 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World near Orlando, Florida.

Jr. NBA Philippines 2019 is presented by Alaska, with AXA, Gatorade, Globe, Panasonic, Rexona, and Vivo as Official Partners. ABS-CBN S + A, Basketball TV and NBA Premium TV are the Official NBA Broadcasters of Jr. NBA Philippines.

Participants can now register for the Jr. NBA program online atwww.jrnba.asia/philippines, and followJr. NBA on Facebook and the NBA atwww.nba.com and on Facebook andTwitter. Fans can visitwww.alaskamilk.com to learn more about Alaska Milk Corporation, and follow Alaska Milk on Facebook for more information about Alaska Sports.