President Aquino wants ride quality of DOST’s
automated guideway transit system improved
President Benigno S. Aquino III has instructed
the Department of Science and Technology to look into improving the ride
quality of its automated guideway transit (AGT) system in order provide the
utmost comfort and security for its passengers.
The President issued his instructions after
taking the AGT, the Philippines’ first locally developed and fully automated
transport system located within the University of the Philippines campus in
Diliman, Quezon City, on a demo run.
In an interview, DOST Secretary Mario Montejos
said the President, upon completing the 465-meter concrete elevated track run
of the AGT, immediately called his attention to the bumpy ride due to uneven
tracks and suspension system.
“Napansin namin na napansin din ni (President
Aquino) na medyo makalog ang aming ride (sa AGT). Napansin din niya na medyo
maalon yung track na napansin din namin. Napansin din niya na baka matakot ang
mga pasahero (dahil dito),” Montejo said.
He assured the President that his agency would
expeditiously act on his concerns and would be addressed by the time the third
prototype of the AGT would be made available.
“The third prototype will be more comfortable
and (its ride quality will be) less harsh,” Montejo said.
A flagship project of the DOST in collaboration
with UP, the prototype AGT is an elevated train capable of transporting
passengers from station to station. The train is emission-free and is
electrically driven, similar to AGTs and other elevated carriers in other
countries and the rail transit systems in Metro Manila.
Montejo said that the total project cost for the
465-meter elevated concrete track, coaches or cars, rolling stocks or main
mechanical frameworks and power system and controls amounted to P55-million.
PND (rck)
Malacañang says President Aquino wants peace
agreement with MILF that is doable, has solid foundation
President Benigno S. Aquino III wants a peace
agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) that would be doable
and has solid foundation that will withstand scrutiny, a Palace official said
on Monday.
Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda issued
the statement during the regular press briefing in Malacanang on Monday
following the holding of the 37th GPH-MILF Formal Exploratory Talks in Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia last week.
"He (President) wants something that is
doable and something that can be operationalized as soon as the Basic Law is
drafted and passed by Congress; consistent with the framework agreement,
consistent with the annexes," Lacierda said.
Lacierda said the government acknowledges its
commitment to exert all efforts towards realizing the full implementation of
the Framework Agreement.
"We are looking into the three annexes. The
President also wants the annexes to be doable. We’re going through the language.
We’re also going through the substance of the annexes. So, right now, we’re
going to study the remaining annexes carefully." Lacierda said.
"We have the power sharing, the
normalization, and also the wealth sharing. We’re going to go through each of
these annexes. And then we have also expressed, and the [MILF] panel have also
agreed with our concerns, and so there was a joint statement that was
made," he added.
Government of the Philippines (GPH) peace panel
chair Professor Miriam Coronel-Ferrer on Thursday said that the peace process
with the MILF is taking on a “new phase” never reached before by both sides.
“We are where the process has never been before.
Never before had the negotiations between the government and the MILF come to
the stage of actually defining and listing down powers; of actually identifying
sources of funds and revenues for the new political entity that we are creating.
Never before has the transformation of an armed group been discussed let alone
imagined in detail,” Ferrer said in her speech during the closing ceremony of
the 37th GPH-MILF Formal Exploratory Talks in Kuala Lumpur.
The GPH and MILF panels concluded their
three-day talks with the signing of the Terms of Reference for Sajahatra
Bangsamoro, which is a development program jointly undertaken by the GPH and
the MILF to deliver basic socio-economic services to target communities in the
south.
In December last year, the President issued
Executive Order No. 120 creating a Transition Commission that will draft the
proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law provided for in the Framework Agreement signed by
the government and the MILF on October 15.
The EO will provide a mechanism for authentic
democratic collaboration in the crafting of a proposed law where the affected
people themselves are actively involved.
Among the commission’s major work is to
coordinate with Congress and other government agencies to craft the basic law
that will pave the way for a Bangsamoro region in Mindanao.
According to the Executive Order, the Transition
Commission may also recommend to Congress and the people, when necessary,
proposed amendments to the Constitution. PND (js)
Sultan Bolkiah of Brunei arrives for two-day
state visit
The Sultan of Brunei, His Majesty Haji Hassanal
Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, arrived on Monday in Manila for a two-day state
visit upon the invitation of President Benigno S. Aquino III.
Sultan Bolkiah arrived at 3:30 p.m Monday at the
Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 2 in Pasay City on board the
Royal Brunei Airlines Airbus (340-212).
He was welcomed by Vice President Jejomar C.
Binay, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario and local officials of
Pasay City.
At 10:35 a.m. on Tuesday, President Aquino will
lead the welcome ceremony for the Sultan of Brunei at the Malacanang Palace.
The visiting Sultan will be accorded with arrival honors upon his arrival at
the Palace grounds.
Sultan Bolkiah will be ushered to the Reception
Hall for the signing of the guestbook. The Sultan will then proceed to the
Music Room to pay a courtesy call on the President.
The President will host a state luncheon in
honor of His Majesty Sultan Bolkiah.
Sultan Bolkiah’s visit to the country is the
first since 2009, and the first under the administration of President Aquino.
The visit was scheduled two weeks ahead of Brunei’s hosting of the Association
of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) ministerial and leaders’ summit.
During the State Visit, the President and the
Sultan will discuss, among others, Brunei’s Chairmanship of the ASEAN as well
as the strengthening of Philippines-Brunei bilateral relations. The Philippines
and Brunei enjoy close relations.
Brunei is the government’s partner to the
promotion of just and lasting peace in Southern Philippines as a member of the
International Monitoring Team. It is also a host to some 21,000 Filipinos
working mostly as skilled workers.
The President undertook a State Visit to Brunei
on June 1-2, 2011. He visited Brunei again on September 23, 2012 to attend the
Royal Wedding and Banquet of Her Royal Highness Hajah Hafizah Surunul Bolkiah.
PND (js)
