Once just a dream, rail line connecting Manila to Bulacan now turning to reality

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

What was just once a blueprint, the rail line that will soon connect Manila and Bulacan is now fast becoming a reality with the continuing construction of the PNR Clark Phase 1, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Art Tugade said Monday, June 14, 2021.

 
Tugade led the inspection of the Balagtas Station and Calumpit construction yard site of the PNR Clark Phase 1, a project that saw many years of failed attempts to get off the drawing board. The transport secretary was accompanied by other transport officials and Bulacan local government executives.

To date, the PNR Clark Phase 1 (Tutuban-Malolos), the first segment of the massive North-South Commuter Railway Project, has an overall progress rate of 46.68% and is eyed for completion by the second quarter of 2024.

Sec. Tugade said the Duterte administration upon taking office, immediately started work to realize the vision of the Build, Build, Build infrastructure program and make the DOTR-PNR rail project a reality.

“Noong pumasok ang administrasyong Duterte, ang sabi ng administrasyon, gagawa at gagawa kami ng paraan upang ‘yung panaginip, ‘yung pangarap, ‘yung mga planong ginawa tungkol sa riles ng tren dito sa Bulacan ay maging realidad,” Sec. Tugade said.

Tugade likewise announced that the train sets to be used for the project will be delivered in December. Meanwhile, the training center for the rail line will be finished before the year ends.

Funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the PNR Clark Phase 1 is a 38-kilometer railway that cuts through the cities of Manila, Caloocan, Valenzuela, and the municipalities of Meycuayan, Marilao, Bocaue, Balagtas, Guiguinto, and Malolos City in Bulacan. Once completed, the project will serve 300,000 passengers daily and is expected to slash travel time from Tutuban, Manila to Malolos, Bulacan from one hour and 30 minutes to just 35 minutes.

To prove that the PNR Clark Phase 1 project is on track and on schedule, Tugade said he personally visited the Balagtas Station and Calumpit construction yard, barely a month after conducting a series of inspections at the project's Meycauayan and Valenzuela segments.

REPRIEVE FOR OFWs

During his inspection, Sec. Tugade was welcomed by 70 former overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who are now employed at the Calumpit construction yard as part of DOTr’s commitment to provide Filipinos displaced by the pandemic with jobs.

With movement restrictions imposed by states due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many OFWs lost their jobs and were forced to return home.

On the order of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, the DOTr reached out to former OFWs with offers of employment in the country under the Build, Build, Build Program of the Duterte Administration.

During the inspection, three (3) former OFWs expressed their gratitude to President Duterte and Sec. Tugade for the opportunity to work under the PNR Clark Phase 1 project.

“Maraming salamat po sa pagbibigay ng aming kabuhayan at maging parte ng world-class construction industry. Sana tuluy-tuloy ang proyekto ng ating Secretary Tugade,” said Aristotle Angeles, a former OFW based in the UAE and is now a deputy manager of the Sta Clara International Corporation, a sub contractor for the PNR Clark Phase 1 Project.

Tugade likewise stated that more employment opportunities prioritizing former OFWs, displaced public utility drivers, and conductors will be opened under DOTr projects.

“Pinipilit at sinisikap ng Kagawaran ng Transportasyon na magkaroon ng proyekto at gawain ang ating mga OFWs. Ang inisyatibong ito ay alinsunod ‘ho sa aking direktiba na bigyang prayoridad ang ating mga mahal na OFWs, kasama ng ating mga kababayang tsuper at konduktor pagdating sa pagkuha ng mga empleyado para sa mga proyekto ng DOTr. Layunin nito na sila ay matulungan sa pagtustos sa pang araw-araw nilang pangangailangan, maging ng kanilang pamilya, kung saan hindi na nila kinakailangang lumayo pa o magtungo sa ibang bansa,” Tugade said before 70 former OFWs now working at the Calumpit construction yard.

“Bibigyan natin sila ng hanapbuhay, hindi lamang sa riles, kundi pati na rin sa Aviation, Maritime at Road sectors. Marami tayong proyekto sa Pilipinas, para sa Pilipino,” he added.

Tugade also recalled his Meycauayan and Valenzuela visits, where he was welcomed by at least 188 former OFWs working at the site.

At least 7,500 workers were employed during the construction of the project, while 2,500 additional jobs will be made available once the project becomes operational.

What lies ahead for Jessica Ramella after winning The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition?

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

In the end, there can only be One. And in the recently concluded The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition, that One was 31-year old sales director from Venezuela, Jessica Ramella.

Ramella edged out Filipino fellow finalist Louie Sangalang in the exhilarating finale episode where the ultimate fate of the two contenders was determined by their performance in a tough interview conducted by ONE Championship Founder, Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong and Grab Founder and CEO Anthony Tan.

The results of the interview coupled with an overall assessment of both contenders’ character, skills, motivation and relatability tipped the scales in favor of the Venezuelan. Sityodtong noted her wide range of skills, and her grace and dignity in the face of adversity as qualities that would carry her through her new job’s challenges.

Sityodtong praised Louie for his integrity and ability to lead with calm judgement, however. But he saw the girl called Lady MacGyver, for her prowess in problem solving, as the more relatable between the two.

“Jessica has very high IQ, very high EQ, a high PhD – poor, hungry, and determined - factor. She has a lot of fire in her belly to do something very big in her life, just like everyone else in ONE. That's something I recognized very quickly. She has the creativity, she has the people skills, she has a natural leadership ability as well. She's a very well-balanced leader who has truly world class potential,” Sityodtong said.

Now the hard work begins for the winner of the ultimate prize of a US$ 250,000 job offer and the chance to be Sityodtong’s protégé and chief of staff in the ONE organization, Asia’s largest global sports media property.

“The Chief of Staff has to juggle multiple projects and the most important priorities of the company. So Jessica has to be my shadow in terms that if I can't attend a meeting, she will attend the meeting for me. Jessica has to be a mini me,” he said.

Also, she will have to prove herself worthy every single day and show that she was the right choice, Sityodtong added. He will be with her every step of the way though, he said, as they aim to take ONE Championship to new heights.

“The path to greatness always involves passion, dreams, and purpose. But it also involves sacrifice and suffering for those dreams, purpose, and passion. It’s one thing to do it for eight weeks, or 10 weeks, or 13 weeks on the show. But it's another thing to do it every day of your life,” Sityodtong explained.

The ONE CEO minced no words in describing the challenges up ahead for his new protégé and chief of staff. “In the quest to unleash your greatness, in the quest to push our mission of unleashing real-life superheroes, time will tell, as time always does. Time will tell us everything about whether Jessica really wants to unleash her greatness in life or not. This was the toughest ‘Apprentice’ in history and this will be the toughest job she's ever had. I am definitely going to be the toughest boss she's ever had in terms of standards of excellence, detail, orientation, my expectations, analytical thinking – everything,” Sityodtong concluded.

The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition’s premiere in March was the most-watched English-language reality series premiere of 2021 so far. The Philippines’ premiere on AXN exceeded the timeslot average on the cable network by 60%, beating the Season 32 premiere of all-time favorite The Amazing Race.

Jeremy Pacatiw hopes to emulate Team Lakay peers as he signs with ONE

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

Jeremy "The Juggernaut" Pacatiw regarded his signing as perfect timing as he is the latest Team Lakay upstart to join ONE Championship.

"I know this is God's plan. This is the perfect time for me to join ONE," he said.

The 25-year-old has been busy making a name for himself away from his Team Lakay stablemates for the past few years.

His last fight came 18 months ago, with Pacatiw stopping Brazilian foe Felipe Efrain with an emphatic knockout victory to hike his record to a 10-4 win-loss slate back in December 2019.

That long time of inactivity, however, surely makes anyone reflect where they stand in their life, one that Pacatiw surely did as he admitted that there was always a part of him which wondered how he would fare if he was with ONE Championship.

"When I look at my seniors like kuya Eduard [Folayang], I always feel that I want to join ONE Championship. I really like what they are promoting, which isn't all about trash talking but rather building a legacy. I always admired their vision," he said.

Pacatiw needs not to fantasize anymore as he joins the loaded bantamweight division and is aiming to make the same impact under the ONE umbrella, just like how Kevin "The Silencer" Belingon did when he won the ONE Bantamweight World Championship back in 2018.

"I was inspired by their achievements. They really showed that us Filipinos are world champions. That lit a fire under me that I also want to rise to the top and be just like them," he said.

That's not to say that he's not feeling any jitters, with Pacatiw admittedly still in disbelief on this latest chapter in his career -- not to mention having to carry that reputation of being a Team Lakay fighter.

"When coach Mark [Sangiao] told me that I will be signed, I was very excited and happy. But I was also nervous because I know that in ONE Championship, I'll be fighting against high-caliber athletes. There's also pressure because I'm a part of a well-known team like Team Lakay," he said.

"But I handle it through maintaining my focus on the path I want to go to so that I can achieve my goals. My seniors have also reminded me to double-time and focus on my training because this is already a big organization and I'll be facing a lot of high-caliber opponents. So I really have to train hard."

Pacatiw will surely have his hands full given the pedigree of the bantamweight division ONE has.

Not only does it have his fellow Team Lakay warrior Belingon, but it also features no. 1-ranked John "Hands of Stone" Lineker of Brazil, no. 3 Yusup Saadulaev of Russia, no. 4 Fabricio "Wonder Boy" Andrade of Brazil, and no. 5 Shoko Sato of Japan. And of course, at the top of the food chain is reigning ONE Bantamweight World Champion Bibiano "The Flash" Fernandes of Brazil.

"The bantamweight division is very stacked, deep, and has high-caliber fighters," Pacatiw observed, before saying, "But they haven't fought someone like me."

It's a well-needed boost of confidence for Pacatiw, who is hungry to prove his worth in ONE Championship.

"My fighting style is like dancing because I focus on my footwork," he shared. "Everyone knows that Team Lakay fighters are strikers, but I'm more of a danger because I am slick. I'm also a striker and I can also wrestle. I'm a well-rounded fighter and I think that's my biggest strength."

No question, Pacatiw aspires to be the ONE Bantamweight World Champion one day, but he knows that the road to the top requires a lot of sacrifice.

That's why for now, all he wants is to have a memorable debut once he finally enters the ONE Circle.


"My short term goal is to gain the hearts of the fans and give them a good fight. I want my debut to be an impressive win and I need to work to be able to reach my goals," he said.