Two DOTr Railway Projects Get NEDA Nod

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Two priority railway projects of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) has been approved by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA).

The NEDA Board approved yesterday the Phase 2 of the PNR Manila – Clark Railway Project and Phase 1 of the Mindanao Railway Project (Tagum-Davao-Digos segment). Part of the Build Build Build Infrastructure Program of the Duterte administration, the two railway projects are seen to decentralize economic activity and spread gains in the peripheries of Metro Manila all the way to the island of Mindanao.

Phase 2 of the PNR North Project, which refers to the Malolos – Clark line, will cost PHP211.4-Billion and will be funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency via the Official Development Assistance platform. The 68.7-km line will have a total of seven stations from Malolos all the way to New Clark City. It will use the existing PNR alignment but will be elevated, electrified, and mostly run on dual tracks.

The Malolos-Clark segment is part of the entire 106-kilometer PNR North Project which starts in Tutuban, Manila. The entire alignment will have a total of 17 stations, five of which have been marked in a station marking ceremony last June 26. Construction will begin by the fourth quarter of this year.

In an effort to connect key cities in the country, PNR North is designed to be interoperable with the PNR South Commuter Line from Manila to Los Baños, Laguna.

“We have been waiting for this project for more than 12 years. Now, you have a President, a no non-sense performer. You have a no non-sense cabinet. Wala pong bahid pulitika. Now, we are ready to put into a reality a dream that has been there for many years,” Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said during the Station Marking event.

Another priority project of the Duterte administration is the Mindanao Railway, the first rail system outside Luzon. Phase 1 is a 102-kilometer alignment connecting Tagum, Davao Del Norte – Davao City – Digos, Davao Del Sur. It will have eight stations: Tagum, Carmen, Panabo, Mudiang, Davao Terminal, Toril, Sta. Cruz, and Digos. The project will cost PHP35.257-Billion via general appropriations. Phase 1 will begin construction by the third quarter of 2018.

Once completed, the entire Mindanao Railway System will run for a total of 1,532-km, connecting Davao provinces, Iligan, Cagayan de Oro, General Santos, and Zamboanga. The Mindanao Railway is expected to spur genuine growth and development in the region.

The DOTr targets to build and operate 1,500 kilometers of railways nationwide before the end of the term of President Duterte.

Olan "Oi" Ignacio: The Entertrainer from Life@Work to Conduct G.A.M.E. Workshop

Wazzup Pilipinas!

With years of Industry experience, Olan or "Oi" Ignacio, President of Life@Work and also known as The Entertrainer, works on many projects. At present, he is providing Consultancy and Training Programs for many renowned companies.

Life@Work is a Business Life Coaching & Training Consultancy Firm where the proponent and its pool of trainers have responded call to help and assist working dreamers, no matter at what age, gender, social and civil status. The company is about reviving up your engine towards your own path of success. But, they are merely the key to simply start you up. Of course, you are expected to actively act and sustain your motivation and passion towards your goals in order to achieve your ultimate dream.

To help you out towards the right track, Olan is also about to conduct a four-hour transformational workshop he calls G.A.M.E. (Goal, Attraction and Mind-Mapping Exercise), where he will teach the art, science and spirit of goal setting and getting.

To "entertrain," there will also be ventriloquism (together with his puppets led by "Jose" - a spitting image of our national hero Dr. Jose Rizal, and some magic as well, to supplement his talk. He'll definitely do just about everything to keep you awake and interested. 

He demonstrated some of this "entertraining" when he guested on Wazzup Pilipinas Radio aired on DZRJ 810 AM and livestreaming on 8Trimedia Network last Sunday (June 25, 2017) from 6 to 7 am. He also shred some thoughts and opinions about the topic of the day on "How to Effectively Send Your Message Across."

To get to know more about the man, and his other stories, including his life-threatening experience, below are some bite-sized video interviews with the "Entertrainer" done at a separate day:

DICT to Launch Mobile Tech4ED and 1500th Center

Wazzup Pilipinas!

This Friday, the Department of Information and Communication Technology's Tech4ED Project is holding "Celebrating Milestones 1.19.1500" to commemorate the Department's 1st year anniversary, the 19th year of celebrating ICT Month in the Philippines, and the establishment of the 1500th Tech4ED Center in the country. 

The event will also mark the launch of the Mobile Tech4ED Center, a Tech4ED Center on Wheels, which will be moving around the six (6) districts of Quezon City to conduct Digital Literacy training to special needs sectors such as but not limited to women, PWDs, children, and senior citizens.

Recently established Cluster and Provincial Training Centers nationwide will also be launched and recognized. 

The commemoration and launch event will be held on June 30 (Friday), 2017 at 9:00 AM to 12:00 NN at the DICT Seminar Room, 2nd Floor, DICT Building, CP Garcia, UP Diliman, Quezon City.

Various partners of the Tech4ED, as well as DICT Officials and Tech4ED Project Managers will be present at the event. Field Operations Offices across the country will be participating via livestreaming.

JBL Eon One and JBL Professional Inauguration

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The JBL Eon One and JBL Professional Inauguration was held last June 24, 2017 at A. Refinery UP Town Center. The event was graced by HARMAN & Beyond Innovations Inc. Executives and the Media.

Two artists performed to showcase the legendary JBL Professional Sound. The first artist was Maxine Javelino, she played her original songs with the use of the All-in-ONE PA system. Her acoustic set were superbly delivered; clear and crisp. JBL Eon One as the best-performing loudspeaker aims to be the perfect companion for travelling performers like Maxine; with an easy set-up and one-hand carry system, one can perform and play music anywhere.

The second artist was JV Custodio, he used the JBL Professional 3 Series Speakers and AKG Pro Headphones. He dropped beats and mixes with great depth and ambience. The Media also had the chance to converse with Beyond Innovations Executives about the JBL Professional products.

With the introduction of JBL Eon One and JBL Professional Series at A. Refinery, it aims to amplify a fruitful movement of auditory experience for its consumers.

Empowered Women Can

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Tough, driven and ambitious. These are just some of the words that describe the modern-day Maria Clara. Just like how Wonder Woman is lighting up the silver screen and breaking boundaries, women are just about done with the caged-stereotypes and roles imposed by the patriarchal society they grew up in. Whether single or married, women have found remarkable ways to share the load of keeping their families comfortable, all while building careers, and embarking on their own businesses.

As feminism flourishes online and social media sites so does the image of a financially-capable woman. But let’s face it, raising a family can be tough for any woman, especially if you’re juggling a job and two or more kids. There are bills to pay, mouths to feed and retail therapy just isn’t the answer anymore.

Make money off your past life

Whether you’re a full-time employee or a full-time mom, you’ll always be looking to get more bang for your buck. One way to stretch your Peso is by buying and selling pre-loved items through online marketplaces. After all those spontaneous trips to the mall in the past, you’re bound to have accumulated too many unused and underused items that are just lying around.

This is where online and mobile classifieds marketplaces, like Carousell, come in. Carousell lets you snap, list and sell your preloved items in just 30 seconds. Putting those underused tops up for sale has never been easier. It’s also a great to way to earn a bit of side income and unlock value in items you don’t use or don’t want to keep anymore.

Even if you’re deal-seeker, second-hand marketplaces like Carousell could be the solution, where you can snap up personal, or even household items at a fraction of the retail price.

From fashion, Electronics, Kitchen items, Home furniture, books, to Health and beauty products, just about anything and everything can be bought online. And more often than not, they’re pre-loved and still in good to great condition.

Savvy Filipino mothers like @freedomsmom and @happymoms_closet are some of the local women turning to Carousell to help them declutter and sell their family’s preloved items to make room for more meaningful things they can share as a family.

If you’re looking to declutter your home and become an instant-businesswoman too, here are a few tips on where or how to get started:

Cusi Vows Long-Term Energy Security in Mindanao

Wazzup Pilipinas!

With the launch of the Mindanao Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) today (28 June), Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi pledged his full commitment to President Duterte’s people-centered policies and government’s long term economic vision for the country.

“I will see to the accomplishment of the paramount objective of guaranteeing long-term energy security in Mindanao,” Sec. Cusi averred in his Keynote Speech during the unveiling of the Mindanao WESM that took place at the SMX Convention Center in Lanang Premier, Davao City.

WESM provides a competitive and transparent power market for Mindanao electricity consumers.

The Secretary said “The launch of the Mindanao WESM brings us one step closer to the fulfillment of the intent to restructure the electric power industry –to introduce higher efficiency, greater innovation and end-user choice, as well as enhance the entry of competitive market forces.”

By providing a healthy and genuinely fair competition in the power market, Sec. Cusi underlined that “WESM is calculated to bring forth the beneficial effects of improved consumer services, lower electricity rates, and reasonable returns to investments.”

Specifically, WESM will provide a cost-effective mechanism for dispatching power capacities in Mindanao, which is already experiencing improved generation supply since the first half of 2016.

According to the Electric Power Industry Management Bureau data, Mindanao now stood a total installed capacity of 3,352 megawatts (MW) as of first half of 2017, in which available capacity is around 2,100 MW against the actual peak demand of 1,696 MW posted in April 2017.

Additionally, the increase in generation capacity will continue until 2019 with an expected around 1,300 MW additional capacities to operate, and another 1,500 MW by 2022 from the indicative power projects.

The Energy Chief further informed that “The WESM in Mindanao also complements the Retail Competition Open Access and the Competitive Selection Process, which are all kindred programs under the Administration’s energy regulatory agenda.”

The Secretary also highlighted the role of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) and the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) both armed with a strengthened fair competition policy to serve as watchful eyes against unwanted market abuses and anti-competitive behaviors.

In conclusion, the Secretary shared the lined up energy projects the DOE targeted for the region in the next years to come: additional power generation projects across Mindanao; the Visayas-Mindanao grid interconnection and the continuing mission to significantly boost the household electrification level in Mindanao.

LGUs, National Government Agencies, Express Support for Manila-Clark Railway Project

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Local government units (LGUs) have gathered together with unison of voice in expressing their unwavering support and commitment for the construction of the Manila-Clark Railway.

In a successful station marking activity on Monday, local leaders in the City Governments of Marilao, Meycauayan, Valenzuela, Caloocan, and Manila showed their appreciation for the “much-anticipated” and “long-overdue” construction of the rail line, which took more than 12 years and three administrations before gaining actual momentum through the Duterte Administration’s BUILD BUILD BUILD infrastructure flagship program.

“[We are] gathered here not to celebrate but to make a pact that as we want to finish this project, you all are here to give us the needed support so that we finish this project. We have been waiting for this project for more than 12 years. Now, you have a President, a no non-sense performer. You have a no non-sense cabinet. Wala pong bahid pulitika. Now, we are ready to put into a reality a dream that has been there for many years. Give us your trust and confidence. Give us your prayers,” says Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade who led the station markings in all five locations.

Despite differing partisan leanings, LGU leaders are unanimous in their approval on the necessity of constructing the rail line, citing the development it will potentially spur.

“Taos-puso kaming nagpapasalamat na kahit isang maliit na bayan ay nalagyan ng ganitong istasyon—isa sa mga susi sa lahat ng aspeto ng [kabuhayan] ng ating mamamayan,” says Mayor Juanito Santiago of Marilao, Bulacan.

“Bagaman ako ay nasa oposisyon, nais ko pong sabihin sa inyo na buong-buo po ang aking suporta sa proyektong ito,” says Caloocan 2nd District Representative Edgar Erice.

Composed of 17 stations connecting Manila to Central Luzon, the 106-km elevated Manila-Clark railway project is expected to accommodate around 350,000 passengers on its opening year, and shall commence on the last quarter of 2017 through Official Development Assistance (ODA) funding from Japan.

The construction of the first phase covering the end-point station of Tutuban in Manila going to Malolos in Bulacan is estimated to cost around Php105-billion, while the remaining stations

included in the second phase linking Malolos to the New Clark City in Tarlac would cost around Php211-billion, with a total project cost of Php316-billion.

During the station marking event, Japanese Ambassador Kazuhide Ishikawa gave the assurance in behalf of the Japanese government that they shall continue to provide the necessary assistance to the Philippine government for the completion of the project.

“While the Philippines is keen to BUILD, BUILD, BUILD, the Japanese government will be here to ASSIST, ASSIST, ASSIST,” Ambassador Ishikawa said.

Secretaries of the Department of Budget and Management, Department of Public Works and Highways, National Economic Development Authority, Bases Conversion and Development Authority, and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority also attended the event to express their support and commitment to support the project until completion.

Aside from the Manila-Clark railway project, Japan will likewise fund the Manila-Los Baños segment as part of the North-South Commuter Railway Project. China, on the other hand, is keen to fund the Php151-billion, 581 km. railway (known as the PNR South Long Haul) that will connect Matnog in Sosogon, and Batangas to the National Capital Region.

Ragnarok Online Philippines: Open Beta Testing is Here!

Wazzup Pilipinas!

After the original launch in 2003, millions of users in the Philippines alone flooded the game and its servers for more than a decade.

It has been two years of hiatus since it was out of the Philippines, publishing partners Electronics Extreme and ELITE officially announces that the OPEN BETA TEST (Commercial Launch) of the historical MMORPG Ragnarok Online Philippines will rise on June 29, 2017 at 3 o’clock in the afternoon.

Ragnarok Online has been revolutionized while keeping the best loved aspects of the original. Aptly named Revo-classic, Electronics Extreme made massive improvements to the traditional game features and set a FREE-TO-PLAY / FREE-TO-WIN game model to maintain the game balance.

Job class updates (Class 2-2) will go live within six months after the OBT commercial launch and High Class 1-2 character jobs will be made available within one to two years.

All concerns about botting and other cheating software are going to be resolved with the collaboration with game security service, CheatDefender, assuring the gamers of the best game experience. 

In addition to the release of multiple maps and item mall, the game play is set to have an overabundance of exciting activities. The game has been optimized from carefully gathered feedback from gamers and fans to create the best experience for the well-loved classic.

THE NEW ERA OF THE LEGENDARY RAGNAROK ONLINE HAS RISEN.

What are you waiting for? REGISTER an account NOW.

For more updates and details, kindly check out their official website at https://ragnarokonline.com.ph or the official Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/RagnarokOnline.com.ph/ or you can follow them on their Twitter page/Instagram at  @ragnarok ph

IT Outsourcing to Gain Ground Amidst Digital Wave — ePLDT

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Business technology is rapidly evolving and companies are compelled to undergo a “digital transformation” to keep up with competition. It is such a boardroom priority today that according to the latest Worldwide Digital Transformation Spending Guide from the International Data Corporation (IDC), global spending on digital transformation technologies and solutions will reach $2.0 trillion in 2020.

ePLDT, the industry-leading enabler of digital business solutions for enterprises in the country, believes that due to the increasing focus on going digital, many companies will find that outsourcing their IT infrastructure & operations is a sound and strategic decision.

IT outsourcing is an option where an external services provider — in this case, experts in Information Technology — manages a company’s IT infrastructure for the purpose of business development. One important IT task that is commonly outsourced is operational maintenance, where the external service provider takes care of managing software, physical infrastructure, data security, and the like.

“Undergoing digital transformation requires a company’s in-house IT department to work with emerging and constantly evolving technologies. This can put a strain on their resources. Outsourcing IT takes their hands off the more mechanical tasks enabling them to focus on the strategic part of their responsibilities,“ said ePLDT Group Chief Operating Officer Nerisse Ramos.

One Championship Renews Partnership with Broadcast Giant ABS-CBN

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced that the company has renewed its partnership with ABS-CBN, the Philippines’ leading media and entertainment organization. The multimedia conglomerate, with a reach that spans the entire nation and millions of homes all around the globe, will have access to all ONE Championship content, including live events in the Philippines.

ONE Championship is the largest sports media property in Asian history and the largest media broadcast in Asia, streamed to a potential one billion homes in over 118 countries worldwide. Among the best Asian martial artists and world champions in ONE Championship are Filipino athletes who have exemplified courage and honor inside the ONE Championship cage.

ONE Championship and ABS-CBN initially commenced their monumental partnership in 2016, resulting in a successful year filled with memorable mixed martial arts (MMA) events across the region.

In 2017, the two global giants have continued to enjoy incredible success, highlighted by one of the most watched sporting events in Asian history, ONE: KINGS OF DESTINY which took place last April. The event achieved the highest rating of any martial arts program and edged out live 2017 NBA Playoffs coverage in the Philippines, according to Nielsen Sports.

Both ONE Championship and ABS-CBN are poised to continue this tremendous collaboration for an extended period.

Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “ONE Championship is proud to announce its renewed partnership with Philippine television network giant ABS-CBN. ABS-CBN is by far the largest TV broadcaster in the Philippines with reach that spans the entire country, as well as internationally to millions of homes across the globe. The sport of mixed martial arts has seen an amazing year in the Philippines so far, and we are excited to continue this awesome trend of delivering a unique and authentic martial arts experience to fans all across the country.”

Dino Laurena, Head of ABS-CBN Integrated Sports, stated: “Our continued partnership with ONE Championship is a huge boost to our advocacy of promoting sports, including mixed martial arts, to the Filipino audience. We believe that more than to just entertain and to inspire, sports can change people’s lives for the better. We are proud to be partnering with the largest sports media property in Asia, ONE Championship, in bringing a world-class MMA experience to our viewers. Who knows, one of them could be a future ONE champion, following the lead of Eduard Folayang and Brandon Vera.”

For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.