NEWS:3 Pinoys make it big in HK, Relief Insight for MRT commuters

MANILA, Philippines – Three Filipinos are making it big in Hong Kong as disc jockeys and restaurant owner.

The hard work of disc jockeys Michael Vincent and June Paragas and chef Ronald Bartolome paid off. They are among the many Filipinos who have found success in Hong Kong.

“Pagdating ko dito, regular disc jockey lang talaga. Magko-compete ka ngayon with other groups. It was an uphill battle. But you know, nakapag-adjust naman ako,” said Vincent.

Vincent, who used to be one of the voices behind The Mellow Touch in the Philippines, is now a program manager of the Metro Broadcast in Hong Kong.

He is joined by Paragas who used to work as an overseas Filipino worker in Saudi Arabia. Paragas, also known as “Tita Kerry” in his radio program, now gives advices to Filipino listeners who share their personal problems on air.

“Ang programa namin marami nang buhay na naisalba, lalo na yung magpapakamatay kasi 24/7 yung telepono namin. Kailangang may masumbungan, may mahingahan sila nung problema nila,” said Paragas.

Meanwhile, Bartolome manages the fine dining restaurant, La Cucina Italiana in the Wan Chai District.

A civil engineer, Bartolome started out as a contract worker, a janitor, and a waiter in Macau.

After 16 years of hard work and dedication, he is now a successful chef and a restaurant manager.

“We need to integrate ourselves sa kultura nila para matutunan natin,” he said. - Umagang Kay Ganda

                                                                                                                                                                                 Source: ABS-CBN

Mar Roxas: Relief in sight for MRT commuters packed like sardines

Every day, 500,000 commuters travel like canned sardines in trains on the MRT-3 line meant for only 350,000 daily passengers. Outgoing Transportation Secretary Mar Roxas announced that those days will soon be over, with the addition of 52 light rail vehicles.

"Kita naman natin punong-puno, siksikan na parang sardinas ang mga kababayan natin diyan. Pumapatak na kasi about 500,000 people a day ang gumagamit ng Line 3. Ang original design component niyan ay na sa 350,000 lamang," said Roxas in an interview on GMA Network's "News to Go" program on Monday.

The acquisition of the 52 new light rail vehicles under the P8.6 billion MRT-3 Capacity Extension Project is expected to increase the mass transit capacity by 33 percent, Roxas said.

With the additional light rail vehicles, the MRT-3 will have four-car train sets instead of the current three-car train sets, Roxas explained.

At any given time, 12 train cars are in maintenance, while 60 cars are used in three-car train sets.

"So there's only 20 three-car train sets. We will spend about 7 billion pesos to bid out additional train sets nang sa ganoon itong three-car train set magiging four cars. In effect... there'll be a 33 percent in capacity dito sa MRT Line 3 na dumadaan sa EDSA," he said.

Fare adjustment

Roxas aid adjustments in the MRT fare will be made next year.
Roxas explained that the DOTC budget for subsidizing the MRT fare was lowered this year.
He said Aquino instructed the DOTC to adjust its spending program so that it could continue the government subsidy.

However, Roxas said the DOTC budget was again lowered, which means a fare adjustment will be seen by January next year.

"Hindi matatangal ang subsidy, mababawasan lamang. Nang sa ganoon kung ano man ang mga savings, magagastos ito sa mga proyekto para sa kanayunan," Roxas said, noting that around 75 billion pesos has been used to subsidize the MRT.

"Sinasabi nila lahat ng pera na yan hindi nagagastos sa mga pangangailangan din sa countryside. Lahat naman ng tao nagbabayad ng buwis, bakit naman ang metro manila lang ang nakikinabang? So binawasan nila yung subsidy. Maaadjust na ito by next year," he said.

Extension of LRT Line 2

Meanwhile, Roxas said Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 2 will be extended by about 4.2 kilometers toward Masinag.

"Kung mamarapatin ninyo yung extension ngayon ng Line 2 will have two additional stations dito sa Emerald Avenue (in Cainta) at saka hanggang sa Masinag. Roughly itong area na ito sa may Antipolo at sa may eastern part ay napakarami nang tao ngayon," Roxas said.

"At lahat sila nagpipila dito sa iisang kalye na ito. Kapag nagkaroon ng ng mass transit itong segment na ito, mas marami itong buong area na ito ang maseserbisyohan," he added.

Last Tuesday, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) approved the P9.7 billion LRT-2 East Extension Project  and the P8.6 billion MRT-3 Capacity Extension Project.

                                                                                                                               Source: GMA News