After weeks of weekend-increases in pump prices of fuel, a major transport group said on Saturday it is set to file an amended petition next week for an increase in the minimum fare from P8 to P10.
Zenaida Maranan, Federation of Jeepney Drivers and Operators (FEJODAP) president, said that they will file their amended petition before the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).
Maranan said their amended petition will seek a P1 increase on top of the pending petition for a P1 minimum jeepney fare hike.
The LTFRB had approved a P0.50 provisional hike in minimum fare last week. Transport groups had asked for a P1.50 hike.
"Another P1. Bukod sa P1.50 centavos. Dahil binigay na iyong P0.50 na provisional increase, di may P1. Ngayon magdadagdag pa kami ng P1," said Maranan on ABS-CBN News Channel’s Top Story on Saturday.
Maranan said they will file their amended petition together with bus transport groups.
"Sabay-sabay na po kami ng mga bus companies, kagaya ng provincial bus, Metro Manila bus," said Maranan.
"Magiging P10 po ang magiging pamasahe ng ating mananakay" said Maranan, in case the petition is approved.
P6 subsidy as alternative
If the petition is not granted, Maranan offered an alternative. She said that the government can implement a P6 per liter subsidy for public transport drivers and operators.
She said the government can do this by suspending the implementation of the Expanded Value-Added Tax (EVAT) on oil products only for public transport.
"Ang amin pong pananaw dito ay magbigay po ng P6.00 subsidy. Ang tanong, papaano ibibigay ng gobyerno? Sa pamamagitan po ng pagtanggal pansamantala ng 12% EVAT ng ating petroleum products for the transport group only ng public utility, not the private sector," said Maranan.
She said this alternative they are offering would help public jeepney drivers meet their basic needs.
"Kung maibibigay ang P6 subsidy sa pamamagitan ng pansamantalang pagtigil ng EVAT sa petroleum products, di na masyadong ipu-push through ang paghingi ng pamasahe. .... ‘Yan na po ang halaga na hinihingi namin upang sa ganoon ay kumita ang mga tsuper at gayon may maiuwi sa kanilang mga pamilya," said the transport group leader.
Maranan also said they have yet to get P2 per liter fuel subsidy that was previously offered by the government to public transport groups.
Maranan warned they would again resort to a "transport holiday" in case government does not heed their demand.
"Sa grupo namin at sa alyansa, kung talagang di ibibigay ito... dapat naman ipagkaloob pagkat patuloy na tumataas ang presyo ng krudo. May possibilty talaga na kung di kami papansinin ng gobyerno ay pupunta talaga tayo doon sa transport holiday," said Maranan.
Prices hiked P1.50 per liter
Major oil companies again jacked up the prices of their petroleum products by P1.50 per liter Saturday to reflect the continuing surge in the cost of crude oil in the international market.
Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation was the first to implement a P1.50 per liter increase in the prices of its gasoline, diesel and kerosene at 12:01 a.m. Saturday.
Shell was followed by Petron Corp., Chevron Philippines (formerly Caltex) and Total (Philippines) Corp., which increased the prices of their gasoline, kerosene and diesel at 6 a.m.
Defending the new round of price adjustment, Petron pointed to the month-to-date May Dubai crude that is averaging $119.46 per barrel, up $16 from the April average.
Petron said that this was the largest single-month increase ever for Dubai.
Govt steps to mitigate impact of price hikes
The government had taken measures to mitigate the impact of the oil price hikes by removing the tariff on imported fuel products starting June 1.
The tariff removal would translate to a lower diesel price by at least P0.50 per liter.
The government, however, has rejected calls to lift the expanded value-added tax on petroleum products, saying this would be counter-productive to the country’s economic gains.
The government has allotted P1 billion for the conversion of jeepney fuel tanks in Metro Manila and other regions into liquefied petroleum gas, LTFRB said Tuesday.
LTFRB chairman Thompson Lantion said the government will make arrangements within the week for the Development Bank of the Philippines to lend a total of P1 billion for the jeepney groups who want to avail of the government's LPG-conversion program.
He said jeepney operators can avail of the lending program at zero-interest and payable for at least two years. The budget that will be used for the program came from the government's collections from the Road Users Tax, he added.
The LTFRB chairman said the LPG conversion program was approved by the government to mitigate the increasing fuel prices in the world market.
P2 fuel subsidy
Lantion said the LTFRB's proposal for a P2 per liter fuel subsidy program for public utility vehicles has been submitted for Cabinet approval.
He said the LTFRB has finished drafting the implementing guidelines of the program, which includes the distribution of a record booklet. It will record the public utility vehicle's fuel subsidy record.
If it is approved, Lantion the program will cost the government P1.1 billion for every 26 days.
He said the fuel subsidy has been "approved in principle" by President Arroyo, but it has to go through the evaluation process of the Department of Finance and Department of Budget Management.
The government has been looking for ways of appeasing the agitated transport sector amid the non-stop increases of fuel prices. -via abs-cbn news
P10 minimum fare
Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park
A must-see for first time visitors and tourists in Palawan. The longest navigable underground river and reputedly the most beautiful subterranean river in the world.
Its main attraction is an 8.2 kilometer Underground River that winds through a spectacular cave before emptying into the South China Sea.
At the mouth of the cave, a clear lagoon is framed by ancient trees growing right to the water's edge. Monkeys, large monitor lizards, and squirrels find their niche on the beach near the cave.
Visitors can also enjoy bird watching, mountain trekking, and exploring the deeper part of the forest .
The park was declared a premier ecotourism destination and has been inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage lists for its outstanding universal value and ecological significance as a natural site of intense beauty.
(Nominated in 7 Wonders of Nature search! Vote now for Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park! )
The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is located about 50 km north of the city of Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines. It features a limestone karst mountain landscape with an 8.2 km. navigable underground river. A distinguishing feature of the river is that it winds through a cave before flowing directly into the South China Sea. It includes major formations of stalactites and stalagmites, and several large chambers. The lower portion of the river is subject to tidal influences. The underground river is reputed to be the world's longest. At the mouth of the cave, a clear lagoon is framed by ancient trees growing right to the water's edge. Monkeys, large monitor lizards, and squirrels find their niche on the beach near the cave.
Pacquiao - Diaz Fight
CHICAGO, Illinois – Manny Pacquiao and David Diaz will let their fists to do the talking.
After staging two press conferences for the fighters last week, media handlers decided to keep their mouths shut and hold a public workout on Saturday in Berkeley, California (Sunday in the Philippines).
The workouts will take place at the West Wind School on University Avenue, starting with Diaz at at 11 a.m. (2 a.m., of the following day in the Philippines), followed by Pacquiao at noon (3 a.m. in the Philippines).
This schedule was announced by Bernie Bahrmasel, publicity handler for Diaz.
Last May 13 (May 14 in the Philippines), Pacquiao, 29, and Diaz, 31, held their first joint press conference at Westin Bonaventure Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, California.
This was followed by another joint press conference last May 21st at Lalo’s Restaurant here in Chicago and a public pep rally at nearby Federal Plaza downtown, where hundreds of Filipinos, Filipino-Americans, Mexicans, and Mexican-Americans listened to their remarks and asked for autographs.
Pacquiao and Diaz will face each other on June 28 (June 29 in the Philippines) at the Mandalay Bay Resorts and Casino Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada,
Pacquiao (46-3-2, 34 KO’s) will attempt to become the first Asian or Filipino to win four world championships in four different weight divisions if he beats Diaz (34-1-1, 17 KO’s), whose World Boxing Council lightweight belt is on the line.
The public workouts on Saturday will give the public a chance to size up the moves of the two boxers, as well as ask for autographs.
This will be the first time that the public is going to get a preview of the workout of both boxers since the fight was announced.
It was reported in the Filipino media that Diaz did not want to show his wares before the Filipino photographers and videographers in Chicago.
But Diaz denied the report. He even invited this reporter to take photos and videos at his JABB gym in Chicago.
Their public workout is believed to be the last promotional appearance of the two boxers before they break camp and get ready to rumble on June 28. -Phil. Boxing
PLDT launches $550M northern fiber optic gateway
The Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) yesterday launched the Asia-America Gateway (AAG) landing in Bgy. Baccuit, Bauang, La Union.
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo inaugurated this Northern gateway consisting of a 20,000-kilometer long fiber optic cable project that links Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei Darussalam, Vietnam, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Guam, Hawaii and the US West Coast. PLDT contributed $ 50 million to the initiative.
Furthermore, PLDT intends to start its third gateway facility in the Southern part of the Philippines also worth around $ 500 million within the year, according to PLDT Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan.
"We are tentatively looking at Cebu, Leyte, Cagayan de Oro and Surigao as probable choices for the Southern Gateway in Visayas and Northern Mindanao," he added.
In the meantime, the telco will start operating the AAG by early 2009, enabling the country to become a hub for regional as well as trans-Pacific connectivity. In the future, it will provide connectivity to Australia, India, Africa and Europe as well.
The first gateway facility, located in Batangas, passes through Japan and Taiwan. Significantly, AAG, the second gateway in the North, is the first to bypass earthquake prone areas.
Hence, it will provide added protection from disasters such as the 7.1 magnitude earthquake two years ago that disrupted telecommunications services to corporate and retail customers across the region.
"It’s less prone to risk," stressed PLDT Senior Vice President and Head of Customer Sales and Marketing Group Eric Alberto.
On top of these, the 2 terabit-capacity AAG is expected to meet the growth in international bandwidth demand for Internet Protocol or IP-based data, video and other multimedia services in the next half decade.
Until 2010, the country’s Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector alone is projected to triple its growth to be a $ 10 Billion industry. AAG will likewise boost Business Process Outsourcing (BPOs), call centers and other growth industries that depend on advanced telecommunications services and thus further propel the country’s economic development.
The enhanced international connectivity likewise supports the growth of broadband Internet services such as PLDT MyDSL and Smart Bro Prepaid.
Body Shots 2008
The Fashion Designers Association of the Philippines and the producer Executive Decisions recently presented the male and female finalists of Bodyshots 2008 to the media in an exclusive meet the-press event held at Manila's newest and hottest entertainment centre, Sofitel Philippine Plaza's 7Pecados. Thirty eight finalists were chosen from the 200 aspiring male and female models who auditioned in March 2008.
The Bodyshots 2008 male finalists are Bjorn Aguilar, Raf Almeda, Jonas Cabuay, Arman Cataga, Harvey Cruz, Robert de Claro, Nico Deyro, Dart Kamboozia, Kristopher Melendrez, Marvin Miranda, Chris Ong-Hay, Ian Lionel Porlayagan, Adrian racho, Jobo Roa, Oiko Suzuki, Mark lester Yutuc, and Mario Lee Zamboni. On the other hand, the roster of female finalists are Melanie Angeles, Luisa Beltran, Kristine Bernal, Laurencia Bueta, Angelyn de Guzman, Priscilla dela Cruz, paulina Eliseeff, Michelle Escuin, Gloria Estrella, Ruby Lalo, Ricel McCallum, Arriahnne Navasero, Jerika pelaez, Margaret Reyes, Sara Mae Reyes, Diana Santos, Hazel Santos, and Lenny Vergara. They are joined by fonalists from Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York.
The finalists will vie for the Bodyshots 2008 title (male and female) on June 13 at the elegant Sunset Pavilion of Sofitel Philippine Plaza. The winners will each recieve P250, 000.00 worth of cash and prizes.
No Tuition Hike This School Year
Acknowledging the effect on the public of the incessant increase in prices of oil and food, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Monday announced that state universities and colleges will not increase their tuiions this school year.
In a statement, Arroyo also directed the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to tell private higher institutions to reconsider their plans to hike tuition and other fees for this school year.
Arroyo will preside over a command conference of the Department of Education at 1 p.m. at the department's main office in Pasig City.
No stopping oil price rise
Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes called on the public Thursday to brace themselves for still higher fuel prices as world oil leapfrogged to record highs above $135 on runaway fears about tight energy supplies, rising global demand and a slumping US dollar.
London Brent crude hit a historic high of $135.13 a barrel, while the benchmark New York light, sweet crude struck an all-time peak of $135.09
"This is the reality that we must face and act on," Reyes said, citing a forecast by investment bank Goldman Sachs that oil prices would average $141 a barrel in the second half of this year and could top $200 a barrel by 2010.
To mitigate the impact of the soaring oil prices particularly on the transport sector, Reyes said the government was scrapping the remaining 1-percent import duty on crude oil and refined oil products effective June 1.
He said the zero tariff would reduce the price of diesel by at least 50 centavos per liter--a minimal impact on pump prices which oil companies have been jacking up by P1 per liter every week starting this month.
As a long-term measure, Reyes said he was pushing for a "drastic shift" by the transport sector from crude-based fuel to alternative fuels like compressed natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas.
'Up all the way'
With gas and oil prices setting new records nearly every day, many analysts are beginning to wonder what could stop prices from rising. There are technical signals in the futures market, including price differences between near-term and longer-term contracts, that crude may soon fall.
But with demand for oil growing in the developing world, and little end in sight to supply problems in producing countries such as Nigeria, few analysts are willing to call an end to crude's rally.
"Prices are going in one direction...They are up all the way," said Gerard Rigby of Fuel First Consulting in Sydney.
David Moore, commodity strategist with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia in Sydney, said the sentiment in the market "is very bullish at the moment."
"The US dollar was weaker last night, and also the US EIA (Energy Information Administration) report showed an unexpected decline in US commercial crude oil inventories, so there's a combination of factors pushing the oil prices higher," Moore said.
Crude prices blew past $130 on Wednesday amid concerns about demand, supplies and a weaker dollar, and then prices just kept going up. The price rise accelerated when the US Energy Department's Energy Information Administration said US crude inventories fell by more than five million barrels last week. Analysts had expected a modest increase.
Late Thursday afternoon in Singapore, light, sweet crude for July delivery was up $1.71 at $134.88 a barrel in electronic trade on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
The contract had earlier hit a trading record of $135.09 a barrel after rising $4.19 during Wednesday's floor session to settle at $133.17. The settlement price marked crude's largest one-day price advance since March 26.
Some analysts say crude has been boosted in recent days by especially strong demand for diesel in China, where power plants in some areas are running desperately short of coal and certain earthquake-hit regions are relying on diesel generators for power.
Aging oil fields
Also, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that the Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA) is in the middle of its first attempt to comprehensively assess the condition of the world's top 400 oil fields.
For several years, the IEA has predicted that supplies of crude and other liquid fuels will arc gently upward to keep pace with rising demand, topping 116 million barrels a day by 2030, up from around 87 million barrels a day currently.
Now, the IEA is worried that aging oil fields and diminished investment mean that "future crude oil supplies could be far tighter than previously thought."
The agency feels that oil companies may have to struggle to surpass 100 million barrels a day in production over the next two decades, the newspaper reported.
That view has been echoed by many analysts watching the seeming unending string of oil price records.
Structurally tight
"The market is really structurally tight … oil demand is not growing that fast but supply is constrained," said Victor Shum, an energy analyst with Purvin & Gertz in Singapore.
In its weekly report, the US Energy Information Administration said gasoline inventories also fell, which took the market by surprise as well. Inventories of distillates, which include heating oil and diesel fuel, rose less than analysts had expected.
In Asia, the dollar has gained slightly from overnight levels, but the US currency is still showing a downward bias that wasn't there last week.
Investors see hard commodities such as oil as a hedge against inflation and a weak dollar. They pour into the crude futures market when the greenback falls. A weak dollar also makes oil less expensive to buyers dealing in other currencies.
Many investors believe the dollar's protracted decline over the past year has been the most significant factor behind oil's rise from about $66 a barrel a year ago.
Bullish factors
"All the focus is on bullish factors. You simply have to follow the trend and buy now," said Tatsuo Kageyama, an analyst at Kanetsu Asset Management in Tokyo.
"You really cannot forecast how much further the market will rally now. All I can say is the market will continue to rise," Kageyama said.
Moore, however, said his bank's expectation "is that oil prices will ultimately fall back from current levels over the course of this year...the likelihood is that we'll have oil prices remaining at what would be considered a high level by the standards of a couple of years ago for some time yet."
-source: inquirer.net
New Certified Public Accountants (May 2008)
The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) yesterday announced that 1,268 out of 4,651 examinees passed the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensure examination given by the Board of Accountancy in the cities of Manila, Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo and Legazpi this May, 2008.
veiw the full list here
The Click Five Live at the Araneta Coliseum!!!
It seems The Click Five band has been missing the Philippines and their Filipino fans since their promo tour at the Ayala Malls last October 2007. And now, the band is COMING BACK and will be performing in a bigger venue to accommodate more of their Filipino fans.
The band composed of Kyle Patrick on vocals and rhythm guitar, Ethan Mentzer on bass and vocals, Ben Romans on keyboards, Joey Zehr on drums, and Joe Guese on lead guitar, will do a major concert at the Araneta Coliseum on May 30, 2008 as announced on their MySpace profile.
Tickets are now available at all TicketNet outlets. Prices: P 3675 (VIP), P 2940 (Patron), P 1890 (Lower box), P 1260 (Upper Box A) , P 840 (Upper Box B), and P420 (Gen. Ad).
The upcoming concert in Manila is part of their Modern Minds World Tour which will showcase their hits especially songs like ‘Jenny‘, ‘Happy Birthday‘ and ‘Empty‘ from their second album Modern Minds and Pastimes.
The Click Five is a Boston-based band and is also behind the hits ‘Just The Girl‘ and ‘Catch Your Wave‘. They already dropped by here just last year to promote their second album and to introduce their new frontman Kyle Patrick in place of Eric Dill who left the group to pursue a solo career.
Jeepney, bus fares Up!!!
In a further blow to the country’s already groaning consumers, public transport officials Sunday announced a provisional or temporary increase in the minimum fare of jeepneys and buses in Metro Manila, Central Luzon and Southern Tagalog.
The new rates will take effect at exactly 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, May 21.
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said it approved the new rates to give drivers temporary relief from spiraling fuel prices.
The minimum jeepney fare in these areas will be raised from P7.50 to P8 for the first four kilometers. For ordinary buses, the minimum fare will be increased from P8 to P9, while the minimum fare for air-conditioned buses will be raised to P11.50 from P10.
For provincial routes, ordinary buses may add P0.10 per kilometer while air-conditioned buses may charge P0.25 more per kilometer.
This means provincial regular buses may increase their fare from P8.50 to P9 for the first five kilometers and charge P1.40 for every succeeding kilometer.
The new rates will be in force pending resolution of the fare hike petitions filed by various jeepney and bus groups.
LTFRB Chair Thompson Lantion said in a telephone interview that the board approved the temporary fare increase on Saturday night.
Central Luzon (Region 3) covers Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, and Zambales. Region 4, which used to be Southern Tagalog, is currently divided into Region 4A or Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon), and Region 4B or Mimaropa (Occidental Mindoro and Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan).
However, Lantion said, there will be no increase on the rates for every succeeding kilometer for both Metro Manila jeepneys and buses.
LTFRB also granted a separate petition filed by bus operators in Sapang Palay, Bulacan. LTFRB has provided a 20-percent discount for all bus passengers en route from Sapang Palay to Baclaran.
Senior citizens, students, and disabled passengers were also granted a 20-percent discount on their fares, Lantion added.
All buses and jeepney operators are required to post the notice for provisional fare increase on their vehicles on Wednesday, he said.
But Lantion clarified that the provisional increase could be withdrawn anytime. “The important thing is that government is responding with recognizance of the problem and we need a mitigating program to alleviate the problem of continuous oil price increase,” he said.
He added that the agency also considered the riding public. “We also have to protect the public interest,” Lantion said.
Meanwhile, he said that the agency was expecting to provide the additional P2 per liter government subsidy on fuel to all transport groups as soon as possible.
