04 July 2021

NA APEKTADO NG PANDEMYA NA SUMALI SA MGA PROYEKTO AT PROGRAMA NG DOTr

MANILA – Muling hinikayat ni Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Art Tugade ang mga Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), driver, at konduktor na sumali sa mga proyekto at programang alok ng Kagawaran upang magkaroon ng kabuhayan sa kabila ng pandemya.

Ayon kay Sec.Tugade, maraming proyekto ang DOTr na kung saan pwedeng magtrabaho ang mga OFWs na nawalan ng trabaho dahil sa pandemya. Binigyang-diin ng Kalihim ang benepisyo ng pagtatrabaho sa mga proyekto ng pamahalaan gaya ng hindi na pagalis ng bansa para kumita.

“Samantalahin ‘ho ninyo ang oportunidad na hatid ng pamahalaan. Prayoridad po namin ang mga OFW at ibang transport stakeholder na mabigyan ng trabaho sa mga proyektong pang-imprastraktura ng Kagawaran. Malaking tulong ‘ho ito sapagkat hindi n’yo na kailangan pang iwan ang inyong pamilya at mahal sa buhay para lamang kumita ng disente sa ibang bansa,” ayon kay Sec. Tugade.

“Ang DOTr ay hindi lamang pang-imprastraktura. Ito ay tumutulong din upang makapagbigay ng trabaho sa ating mga kababayan. Kapag may proyekto, may katumbas na pangangailangang pang-empleyo. Ang alok ng proyekto, trabaho para sa mga Pilipino,” dagdag ni Tugade.

Una nang hinimok ng Kalihim ang mga OFWs na nawalan ng trabaho sa ibang bansa na gamitin ang oportunidad na makapag-trabaho sa mga proyekto na nasa ilalim ng programang “Build, Build, Build” ng administrasyong Duterte.

Matatandaan na sa kanyang inspeksyon sa Valenzuela at Bulacan segments ng PNR Clark Phase 1 Project noong ika-26 ng Mayo 2021, ibinahagi ni Sec. Tugade na nasa 200 na ang mga dating OFWs na nagtratrabaho na ngayon sa PNR Clark Phase 1 project.

Karagdagang 2,000 trabaho din ang naghihintay sa mga kwalipikadong OFWs oras na maging operational na ang PNR Clark Phase 1 project.

Samantala, sa kanyang pakikipagusap sa mga driver at operator ng public utility vehicles (PUVs) sa Cavite noong ika-2 ng Hulyo 2021, inanyayahan ni Sec. Tugade ang mga drivers at operators na sumali sa Tsuper Iskolar ng DOTr at TESDA upang magkaroon sila ng dagdag kaalaman na magagamit sa paghahanap-buhay sa gitna ng pandemya.

Ang Tsuper Iskolar Program ay isang programa ng DOTr at ng Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), sa pakikipag-ugnayan sa Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) at sa Office of the Transportation Cooperatives (OTC). Sa ilalim ng programa, ang mga tsuper at operators ng mga pampublikong sasakyan at ang kanilang mga pamilya ay mabibigyan ng libreng skills training at kaalaman sa pagnenegosyo.

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10 May 2021

*PPA REMITS P17.17 BILLION DIVIDENDS DURING DUTERTE ADMINISTRATION, MORE THAN DOUBLE ITS TOTAL DIVIDENDS IN 2010-2015*

MANILA – The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) continues to solidify its financial foundation after remitting more than P17 billion in dividends to the National Government (NG) from 2016 to 2020, more than double the total dividends it remitted before the Duterte administration from 2010 to 2015.

PPA General Manager Jay Daniel R. Santiago reported that as of the end of 2020, the agency was able to remit a total of P17.17 billion, a staggering 108% increase compared to the full-term remittances during the previous administration that only totaled P8.270 billion for six years.

*Below are the exact comparative figures of PPA’s remitted dividends:
2010 – 2015 : P8,270,735,041.70
2016 – 2020 : P17,171,764,412.79*

GM Santiago reported PPA’s strong and steady financial performance to Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade on the same day of the virtual signing of the Department of Transportation – Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (DOTr-PACC) Reaffirmation of Integrity and Pledge of Cooperation, and Oath of Honesty held on 28 April 2021.

“After the signing of the Oath of Honesty by the DOTr and its attached agencies, we are happy to announce that the PPA has surpassed the total dividends it posted during the previous administration in a span of only 5 years or from 2016 to 2020,” Santiago said.

Santiago added that PPA’s strong financial foundation is anchored on the unparalleled public service and anti-corruption efforts of the agency.

“This is a clear testament that transparent and honest public service goes a long way and the whole PPA organization is proud of its accomplishments,” Santiago stressed.

With still more than a year left under the Duterte Administration, the PPA hopes to post another banner year this 2021, as the country starts to recover from the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“If the first quarter of 2021 is any indication, the PPA is in for another good year, in spite of the pandemic, after posting a 3% hike in net income in the first 3 months of 2021 suggesting that economic activities are now rebounding from the effects of the pandemic,” the PPA General Manager added.

On learning of the good news, Secretary Tugade lauded the efforts made by the PPA, under GM Santiago, to achieve this feat.

“If you stay true to public service and live it by heart, this is what you get. This is a result of honesty, integrity, and accountability,” Secretary Tugade said.

“This will go a long way in helping the National Government in the country’s continuing fight against the global pandemic and the desire of the President to give comfortable lives to every Filipino. With the limited time left for us to do what needs to be done, I urge the entire PPA, together with the other agencies under the DOTr, to focus all our efforts to achieve this goal which we promised the Filipino people when President Rodrigo Roa Duterte took office in 2016,” the transportation chief added.

To recall, Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary Carlos Dominguez III likewise commended the PPA recently, under the leadership of GM Santiago, for setting an example among other government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) in stepping up support for the country’s COVID-19 response and fulfilling their responsibility by complying with the provisions of the Dividend Law.

Moreover, the PPA earlier reported that a total of P14.87 billion in income tax was likewise paid to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) since 2016, wherein the biggest tax paid was recorded in 2018 with a total of P5.90 billion.

This strong performance gives PPA enough financial flexibility to help the country in the current health emergency and carry out other vital infrastructure projects.

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12 May 2021

*DOTr TO COMPLETE MORE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, TO STEP UP COVID-19 RESPONSE EFFORTS*

MANILA – Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur P. Tugade presented the agency’s accomplishments before top-level executives of the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) General Membership yesterday, 11 May 2021, as he vowed to step up efforts in transforming the country’s transportation system, with only over a year left remaining in the Duterte administration.

Speaking as a guest of honor during MAP’s induction of its 16 new members, Sec. Tugade enumerated the progress that the transport sector has gained in the last five years, while also highlighting the DOTr’s response efforts amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

*Longstanding Issues*

In his presentation, Sec. Tugade enumerated several longstanding issues that have hounded the transport sector for years before taking over the helm of the DOTr. These issues, which have been addressed since, include the “Laglag bala” racket, lack of driver’s license identification cards and years of backlog on the issuance of vehicle license plates, numerous breakdowns of the Metro Rail Transit (MRT), railway projects that failed to materialize, seaports that bore the brunt of past calamities, airports that saw little to no upgrades at all, outdated and insufficient sea security assets, and the perennial problem of heavy traffic along EDSA.

*Clarification on easing of traffic flow along EDSA*

Among the highlight of Sec. Tugade’s presentation is the clarification on the issue regarding the solution to solve the heavy traffic in EDSA.

Amid some false narratives that the DOTr is claiming that it allegedly solved the usual EDSA traffic, Sec. Tugade pointed out that a lot of factors contributed to the improved travel time of commuters along EDSA. He likewise said that traffic still lingers along the country’s main thoroughfare, even during the pandemic. However, the system is now made more organized as there is now a proper area for loading/unloading of passengers and travel time of commuters has also gotten faster via bus through the EDSA Busway.

He also clarified that the improvement of traffic flow was due to the concerted efforts of other concerned agencies such as the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

*“Wala akong sinabi na nawala ang traffic sa EDSA dahil sa amin dahil maraming contributing factors ‘yan. May traffic pa rin, pero ang sinasabi ho natin, kumpara dati na labu-labo ang sasakyan sa EDSA, kung saan-saan bumabalandra ang mga bus para mag-load at unload ng pasahero, at ang tao ay umaabot na sa gitna ng kalsada para makasakay ng bus, mas organisado na po ngayon dahil may proper area na para magsakay at magbaba ng pasahero ang mga bus, hindi na sa gitna ng kalsada pumipila ang tao, at tunay ma mas mabilis ang biyahe ng mga commuter gamit ang bus dahil sa EDSA Busway,” Secretary Tugade said.*

*“The pandemic may have resulted in less congestion, but with the help and support of the MMDA and completion of other crucial projects to ease traffic flow, such as the EDSA Busway of DOTr, the much improved operation of the MRT-3, and Skyway Stage 3 of DPWH, solutions are coming together to address the problem of perennial traffic in EDSA,” Sec. Tugade said.*

*COVID-19 response*

Sec. Tugade also underscored the significant measures of the agency to curb the spread of COVID-19.

*“While we continue to build and build, your Department of Transportation is also a strong partner in the whole-of-nation approach to combat the spread of this dreaded disease,” Sec. Tugade said.*

Among these approach is the assistance given to health workers and essential workers through the Free Ride Service Program. Tugade pointed out that the DOTr Free Ride Service for Health Workers Program, which aims to transport medica frontliners to and from their workplaces at no cost, has reached a total ridership of over 2.2 million throughout the country since its launch on March 2020.

Likewise, essential workers and Authorized Persons Outside their Residences (APORs) nationwide are also entitled to avail of the free ride service under the Service Contracting Program.

*“Lahat ‘ho ‘yan, LIBRE. Wala ‘ho silang babayaran,” he explained. “Sa katunayan, as of May 10, 2021, close to 5-million na po ang naitalang ridership ng ating Free Ride for APORS sa ilalim ng Service Contracting Program.”*

Meanwhile, incentives and payouts under the Service Contracting Program, which aims to provide assistance to public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers who were critically affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, have reached P169 million.

The DOTr even increased the amount paid per kilometer for both drivers participating in the regular service contracting and the those providing Free Ride for APORs under the Service Conracting. To PUV drivers who will also sign up for the program, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) will be giving one-time incentives amounting to PhP20,000, according to Sec. Tugade.

To assist OFWs and other Returning Overseas Filipinos (ROFs), free COVID-19 testing has been provided at the One-Stop-Shops in NAIA. At least 552,000 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and locally stranded individuals (LSIs) have likewise been given assistance upon returning to their home provinces through the Hatid Tulong Program.

To support government spending measures amid the COVID-19 crisis and aid other essential projects, Sec. Tugade has ordered DOTr attached agencies to remit in advance their respective dividends to the National Government.

Sec. Tugade lauded the top-performing agencies which remitted record-high dividends to the National Government, namely, the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), which remitted P17.2 billion in just five years against the P20.8 billion it remitted in the past 30 years; the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), which raked P21.1 billion in only four years compared to P1.3 billion it remitted from 2008-2016; and the Manila International Airports Authority (MIAA) which netted P13.9 billion in four years in contrast to the P11.1 billion the agency remitted from the years 1996 to 2015 combined.

Meanwhile, Sec. Tugade assured the MAP executives and the Filipino people that the DOTr will continue what it has started even with only a little time left as “there is still far more work to do.”

*“Is it the end? Hindi po. Bagamat ito na ang nagawa at gusto pa nating gawin, until we finish the term of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte. Our ambition, hand-in-hand with the President and following his mandate is to make the Filipino life convenient and comfortable,” he said.*

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