DOTC Celebrates 115TH Anniversary With Start Of Two Major Infra Projects

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) celebrates its 115th founding anniversary this week with the start of two (2) major infrastructure projects: the Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3 (MMS 3) project and the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 Rehabilitation.

“We are very happy to celebrate the DOTC’s anniversary with the start these major works. These are our gifts to the public,” said DOTC Secretary Joseph Emilio Aguinaldo Abaya.

A groundbreaking ceremony for the P 26.59 Billion MMS 3 project was held today, 22 January 2014. This project entails a 14.82-kilometer, mostly 6-lane elevated highway extension of the Skyway from Buendia, Makati to Balintawak, Quezon City.

Top Twelve Most Dangerous Places in the Philippines

Wazzup Pilipinas!

According to a Yahoo article, the Philippines ranks number one in the world for deaths caused by natural disasters. Last year, 2,360 people lost their lives in the Philippines due to natural disasters. It says that the Philippines is situated at the dead center of Typhoon Alley. Thus the typhoon Yolanda was really not so much surprising. The flooding was bound to happen, and yes, sadly,  it did to our great disappointment.

The article also says that our country rests on the unstable “Ring of Fire” where volcanoes blast forth magma from the Earth’s core, and rides earthquake prone tectonic plates as they slip against one another. It’s the most dynamic location on the planet, bar none, positively terrifying if you think too much about it.

Scary indeed to learn that we might be experiencing more than just floods, but also something more dangerous than the Pinatubo volcano disaster. Earthquakes, landslides and fires have occurred already, and it is quite alarming that we are less proactive in our efforts to prevent a huge number of fatalities and property damage. There should be more dynamic movements to avoid the unfortunate staggering figures.

However, we really do not just have to look at nature's wrath to find places in the Philippines where there are impending tragedies that are just waiting to happen...and if only our authorities will look beyond their PDAFs or pork barrel funds and become more concerned with the small yet probable sources of disasters.

Below are my Top Twelve Most Dangerous Places in the Philippines.

Mabuhay Restop Launches Festival Series

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Mabuhay Restop recently launched exciting new shows featuring various regions of the country in partnership with Department of Tourism, Gawad Kalinga , National Commission for Culture and the Arts, Local Artists , CITEM, Department of Trade and Industry in promoting local products, talents and destinations.

Mabuhay Restop’s Mabuhay Festivals is where different Philippine regions will be celebrated every month through music, dance, food, visual arts, products, and tourist attractions. The first three (3) regions to be highlighted are Central Luzon, Eastern Visayas, and Davao region.

The evening started off with an introduction by Mabuhay Restop owner, Rose Cabrera, and a beautiful performance of “Kay Ganda ng Ating Musika ” sang in 7 Philippines languages – Tagalog, Hiligaynon, Cebuano, Bicolano, Ilocano, Chabacano and Maranao - by veteran performer Mitch Valdez.

The main preview of the evening was the Mabuhay Fiesta Show hosted by Thea Gloria and captures in 45-minutes the best of the Philippines – our festivals, arts, love of music and dance, tourist attractions, and our vibrant culture in general.