Tugade Gets Confirmation from CA

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Secretary Arthur Tugade hurdled the confirmation process of his ad interim appointment as Secretary of Transportation.

The Secretary, one of the first appointees of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte vowed to continue addressing the many difficult concerns affecting the transport sector in the country.

The Transportation Department holds under it 19 attached agencies including the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), the Airport Authorities in the country, the MARINA, the LTO and the LTFRB, among others.

In the five months since he was appointed, Tugade is known to be working fast to address the many backlogs in his department.

Some of what he has done so far in the Department of Transportation include:

- Having improved the on-time arrivals of flights from 41 percent to 71 percent prompting local airlines to issue a statement of support
- Extending the validity of drivers licenses from three years to five years
- Fixing the Instrument Landing System (ILS) in NAIA runway 2/4 allowing for better precision landing and lesser diverted flights
- Fighting corruption – 115 officials and personnel have resigned, retired, dismissed, relieved or are undergoing investigation due to corruption-related allegations

Also lessening processing times in agencies such as:

• LTO application for drivers license – 5hrs – 3.5hrs
• LTFRB Franchise verification – 3 days – 2 hrs
• MARINA Issuance of Seafarer’s book – 8 hrs – 4 hrs
• PPA permit to operate Ancillary Service – 1 week – half day

- Opening government properties such as Camp Aguinaldo and Veterans Memorial Medical Center to help decongest traffic in major roads
- Enhancing and extending the operations of the Pasig River Ferry with the provision of a free shuttle service until January 2017
- Expanding of the premium point-to-point bus service with high-end double-decker buses
- Deploying more premium airport shuttle buses

Initiating dialogues with Metro Manila mayors and traffic managers from various Local Government Units (LGUs) to which the following were agreed:

• Integration of a single enforcement system under one chain of command
• Enforcement of an extended Number Coding Hours and No Window Hours in all Radial and Circumferential Roads in Metro Manila
• Development of uniform traffic fines and penalties
• Putting local traffic enforcers under the operational control of i-ACT for synchronized traffic management
• Conduct of continuous trainings for traffic enforcers
• Review of existing PUV franchise

Initiating dialogues with Mall Operators to which the following were agreed:

· Imposition of a moratorium on Mall-wide Sales during weekdays
· Imposition of a Mall delivery schedule from 11:00 pm – 5:00 am
· Requirement for mall operators to change their mall operating hours from 11:00 am – 11:00 pm
· Requirement for mall operators to submit traffic management plans to the i-ACT two (2) weeks before the conduct of Sales
- Enforcing stricter traffic laws along national roads and Mabuhay Lanes which led to achieving the following as of 12 December 2016:
· Issued 202,938 traffic citation tickets all over the country, where 31388 were from Metro Manila
· Towed 6,883 illegally-parked vehicles
· Impounded 401 colorum vehicles
· Cleared 5,738 illegal vendors


Tugade was a successful self-made businessman before he was asked to join government under the Daang Matuwid Program of the past administration.

He accepted the stint as Clark Development Corporation President from December 2012 to April 2016, where he has instigated key changes.

It was during his term as CDC President and CEO when the company earned a rare commendation from the Commission on Audit for its “outstanding financial performance and achievements”.

In a report issued last October 6, the COA said CDC’s net income hit P697.03 million last year, capping three years of record-setting revenues.

According to COA, under Sec. Tugade’s leadership, CDC has reached new heights in CY 2015 in transforming Clark Free Port Zone (CFZ) into a modern industrial estate and premier service and logistics hub. Likewise, for the same year, it also achieved outstanding financial performance and surpassed significant achievements in CYs 2013 and 2014.

Tugade thanks the Commission on Appointment for the trust and confidence, and vows to work even harder, with transparency and no corruption, to fix the country’s transport woes.

Filipino Students Nationwide Join the Three Million Virtual Mile Goal for Microsoft’s Global Skype-a-Thon

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Educators around the world were invited to participate in Microsoft’s annual two-day Skype-a-Thon on November 29 to 30, where thousands of students have joined the goal to travel three million virtual miles. The event connected classrooms in over 47 countries, including the Philippines, to showcase how technology can be used to enhance the learning experience and promote global citizenship.

Experts from Microsoft Philippines and guest speakers spoke to students from all over the country. 45 classrooms from around the Philippines joined the Global Skype-a-Thon to travel 145,000 miles combined.

For this year’s global Skype-a-Thon, several lecturers from Microsoft and educators shared motivational stories to the students. Each one got to virtually experience each other’s cultures through Skype. As classrooms are now borderless and learning is beyond any four corners in the world, indeed, there’s no distance that learning cannot conquer.


On photo collage are as follows:

Clarissa Segismundo, Microsoft Philippines Education Programs Lead with Grade 10 Students of Kapitolyo High School,

Cian O`Neill, Microsoft Philippines Chief Operating and Marketing Officer skypes with National University (NU) students on the other end

Ferdie Saputil, Microsoft Philippines Public Sector Director skypes with Pangasinan National High School students

Jomari Mercado, Microsoft Philippines National Technology Officer skypes with De La Salle University, Dasmariñas

Virna Venturanza, Microsoft Philippines Communications Lead skypes with students of Atty. Orlando S. Rimando National High School, Compostela Valley, Mindanao

Joel Garcia, Microsoft Philippines DX Director speaks to senior high school students of Ateneo de Manila

Just So You Know Video Series: Get the Know-How on your Globe Broadband Connection

Wazzup Pilipinas!

There was a time when people did not know much about apps like Netflix or devices like Chromecast. Today, these have become a big part of a digital native’s lifestyle and vocabulary. With these new innovations, people need to keep up to maximize their internet connection.

As Globe Broadband continues to roll out faster speeds and better plans across the country, more people are able to gain access to new entertainment content and the latest gadgets customized for their lifestyle.

Perfect for those who’d like to be more in-the-know, Globe Broadband launched Just So You Know, or #JSYK, a series of educational videos that answer the frequently asked questions about one’s home broadband connection.

“Giving our customers better connectivity, engaging entertainment, and device bundles do not stop after an installation. Some of our users are not able to maximize their plans simply because they have limited information about what it can do for them,” says Barbie Dapul, VP for Consumer Broadband Marketing. Dapul continues that, “the Just So You Know videos are easy to understand and entertaining to watch. This way our customers can easily relate to it and are able to apply what they have learned when using their home broadband plans.”

The current #JSYK videos talk about upping the ante of your home digital lifestyle by equipping customers with knowledge on a variety of topics. Some of the #JSYK videos talk about the right broadband speed for different activities; how to use Netflix; how to use Google Chromecast; quick fixes to get maximum coverage at home; and even how to prepare your house for a Globe Broadband installation. The #JSYK videos are simple and entertaining materials that are easy to follow.