the Philippines Pushed for $17 Billion Dollars Transportation Projects

DOTC Secretary Mar Roxas said The Philippines will offer $17 Billion dollars or ₱700,000,000 (Seven Hundred Billion Peso) of infrastructure projects in the next five years to improve transportation and boost the economy.

The project will focus on rail transit expansion and international airports for the international tourist favored places like Palawan, Bohol and Cagayan de Oro City in the South.

The government will seek "low-cost" funding for these projects and may seek loans from multilateral agencies or auction the projects to private companies, Roxas said in a forum (October 7, 2011). The government may also finance some, he said.

As of 2010, Manila has only 7 train lines which some of them are operational and some are still under construction and under proposal. The 7 lines include the following;

Line 1: Metrorail – Yellow Line

Line 2: Megatren – Purple Line

Line 3: Metrostar Express (MRT line3) – Blue Line

Line 4: PNR Commuter Express – Orange Line

Line 5: Northrail Phase 1 – Green Line

Line 6: South extension – Yellow Line

Line 7: MRT line 7

The new proposed infrastructure projects which is budgeted for $17 Billion Dollars includes the following

1.      High Speed train (Bullet train) from Manila to Clark Pampanga

2.      New International Airport in Puerto Princesa Palawan. (The longest navigable underground river in the world is in Palawan which attracts international tourists)

3.      New International Airport in Bohol

4.      New International Airport in Cagayan de Oro City

5.      New International RORO (Roll-on-roll off) port linking China with either Subic or Batangas ports

6.      Light Rail Transport expansion from North Luzon to South Luzon

The government in September last year said it will invite bids for infrastructure projects worth more than 700 billion pesos.

The Department of Transportation and Communications is reviving the Light Rail Transport extension projects as part of its multi-billion, five-year transport infrastructure plan.

According to a press statement on Thursday, DOTC will push for the extension of LRT 1 from Baclaran to Cavite; LRT 2 from Santolan, Pasig to Masinag, Antipolo; and the reconfiguration of the NorthRail project.

The NorthRail project, which involves the rehabilitation of a train line connecting Metro Manila to provinces in northern Luzon, has been hounded with allegations of overpricing for years.

But DOTC Secretary Mar Roxas said in the statement that they will pursue the speedy and just resolution of past infrastructure projects, such as the NorthRail, which "simply did not fit the standards of a sound deal either by dint of corruption or technical fault."

Roxas added that they are reconfiguring the NorthRail project after a productive discussion with top Chinese officials during a recent trip in China with President Benigno Aquino III.

Provincial international airports

Aside from the LRT extension, the ₱ 565-billion project will include the establishment of international airports in Puerto Princesa, Palawan; Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental; and Panglao, Bohol.

Another major project featured in the five-year plan is the development of ports in Davao and the roll-on, roll-off (RORO) projects linking China with either Subic or Batangas ports.

The statement further said that the DOTC secretary assured the delivery of the infrastructure programs in the fastest possible time without omitting due process or diligence so that taxpayers can get the best value for their money.

Phase-out periods for public vehicles

The department will likewise enforce policies that will prohibit taxis, buses and jeepneys from operating beyond a specific number of years. The policies aim to lessen carbon dioxide emissions, prevent accidents and ensure the comfort of commuters.

Taxis and multi-cabs have been given a phase-put period of 10 years while UV expresses can operate for 15 years, according to DOTC.

"There is no more important way to measure our performance at DOTC than by our safety score for our passengers," Roxas said. "We intend to make safety standards enforcement a religious vow in the department. 

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Steve Jobs passed away- 1955-2011

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Steven Paul “Steve” Jobs – the Apple and world icon of innovation has passed away after 8 years suffering of cancer.

In mid-2004, Jobs announced to his employees that he had been diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in his pancreas.

The prognosis for pancreatic cancer is usually very poor; Jobs, however, stated that he had a rare, far less aggressive type known as islet cell neuroendocrine tumor. After initially resisting the idea of conventional medical intervention and embarking on a special diet to thwart the disease, Jobs underwent a pancreaticoduodenectomy (or "Whipple procedure") in July 2004 that appeared to successfully remove the tumor. Jobs apparently did not require nor receive chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

During Jobs' absence, Timothy D. Cook, head of worldwide sales and operations at Apple, ran the company.

The world mourn for the genius

World and business leaders have been paying tribute to Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, who has died at the age of 56 from pancreatic cancer.

US President Barack Obama and Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev said Mr Jobs had changed the world.

Microsoft's Bill Gates said it had been "an insanely great honour" to work with him. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg remembered his "mentor and friend".

The Twitter microblog site struggled to cope with the traffic of tributes.

Apple itself said Mr Jobs had been "the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives" and had made the world "immeasurably better".

Thousands of celebrities and ordinary people went on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to record their tributes and memories of the man behind products such as the iPod, the iPhone, the iPad.

The death of Mr Jobs could create a record for Twitter traffic.

Thousands of people all over the world have also been attending Apple stores to leave flowers, notes, and apples with a bite taken from them to mimic the company's logo.

Apple's leading rivals such as Microsoft, Google, Sony and Samsung all chipped in with glowing tributes

GS Choi, chief executive of Samsung, which is embroiled in a major court battle with Apple on patents, said Mr. Jobs was an "innovative spirit" who "introduced numerous revolutionary changes to the information technology industry".

In his statement, Bill Gates said: "The world rarely sees someone who has had the profound impact Steve has had, the effects of which will be felt for many generations to come. For those of us lucky enough to get to work with him, it's been an insanely great honor."

Mr. Zuckerberg wrote on Facebook: "Steve, thank you for being a mentor and a friend. Thanks for showing that what you build can change the world. I will miss you."

His comments were "liked" by more than 200,000 people within hours.

In his own tweet, Barack Obama wrote: "There may be no greater tribute to Steve's success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented."

Web users in China have reportedly posted almost 35 million online tributes.

Tim Cook, who was made Apple's CEO after Mr Jobs stood down in August, said his predecessor had left behind "a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple".

UK Prime Minister David Cameron said: "Steve Jobs transformed the way we work and play; a creative genius who will be sorely missed."

New York mayor Michael Bloomberg said the US had "lost a genius who will be remembered with Edison and Einstein".

People also gathered outside Mr Jobs' home in California's Silicon Valley to lay floral wreaths, while flags were flown at half mast outside the Apple headquarters in Cupertino, California.

A statement from Mr Jobs' family said they were with him when he died peacefully on Wednesday.

"In his public life, Steve was known as a visionary; in his private life, he cherished his family," they said, requesting privacy and thanking those who had "shared their wishes and prayers" during his final year.

Face of Apple

Mr Jobs built a reputation as a forthright and demanding leader who could take niche technologies - such as the mouse and graphical user interface, using onscreen icons rather than text - and make them popular with the general public.

He introduced the colourful iMac computer, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad to the world. His death came just a day after Apple unveiled its latest iPhone 4S model.

With a market value estimated at $351bn (£227bn), Apple became the world's most valuable technology company.

More than almost any other business leader, Mr Jobs was indistinguishable from his company, which he co-founded in the 1970s.

As the face of Apple, he represented its dedication to high-end technology and fashionable design.

And inside the company he exerted a level of influence unheard of in most businesses.

In 2004, Mr. Jobs announced that he was suffering from pancreatic cancer. He had a liver transplant five years later.

In January, he took medical leave, before resigning as CEO in August and handing over his duties to Mr. Cook.

In his resignation letter, Mr. Jobs said: "I believe Apple's brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role."

However, Mr. Jobs stayed on as Apple's chairman.

Despite his high profile, he remained fiercely protective of his private life.

He married his wife Laurene in 1991, and the couple had three children.

Mr. Jobs also leaves a daughter from a previous relationship, and as an adult he discovered that he had a biological sister, US novelist Mona Simpson.

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