transportation – CITY OF NAGA

Gov’t needs P10-B for Naga Airport’s reorientation project

CEPPIO Naga — Sat, 06 May 2023 11:18:21 +0000

AFTER more than a decade of waiting and two presidents later, the Naga Airport’s reorientation project is seen to finally push through as the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) again restarted discussion on the facility’s long-approved expansion and runway reorientation.

The project, which is designed to improve air safety, navigation issues, and passenger capacity, has been in the thick of discussions among the members of the Regional Development Council especially during the time the body conducted its first quarterly meeting this year.

The current runway is too short to accommodate larger jet airliners and cannot be extended because of two deep ravines on both its ends. Airlines therefore have to resort to smaller turboprop aircraft which can fit no more than 80 passengers. Fewer passengers mean more expensive airfare overall.

To address this, the proposed project calls for the construction of a new, longer runway with a different orientation. Aside from the runway, there will also be a new passenger terminal and larger apron that can accommodate multiple jet aircraft at any given time. The new airport will also be night-rated, allowing for more flights in the evening.

BIA’s cheaper flights

Naga Mayor Nelson Legacion said that once the project is completed, passengers from Naga, which are generally composed of businessmen and professionals, will be spared from spending more time going to the Bicol International Airport in Daraga, Albay if only to avail of cheaper flights and lower risk of cancellations and delays.

Legacion was among those individuals who personally requested the NEDA to take up the matter concerning the facility’s planned reorientation project.

The reorientation project is also expected to help sustain the strong resurgence of tourism in Naga and Camarines Sur after the pandemic.

It was learned from the presentation conducted by the Department of Tourism (DOTr) during the RDC meeting that as early as the time of former president Benigno Aquino Jr. the redevelopment project received an approved initial allocation of P1-B. The project’s total cost then was estimated to be P3.5 billion.

Legacion at NEDA sessions

The P1-B initial funding is currently in the safekeeping of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), the owner and operator of the Naga Airport, readily available anytime once the reorientation project has been decided to be pursued.

Based on the latest estimates, however, the project is now expected to cost more than P10 billion due to inflation and the sharp increase in construction materials and labor over the past 10 years.

The city mayor, who has been attending the RDC meeting in recent times, said that he was assured by NEDA Regional Director Luis Banua that he will be invited to attend the NEDA’s project facilitation sessions or the RDC’s regular meetings every time that there will be a deliberation on Naga Airport’s reorientation project.

Legacion wishes to offer guidance on the discussion especially when it comes to land acquisition which he observed could be a long process if not carefully attended to.

The DOTr report bared that the government has to acquire around 130 hectares of land for the project. But the Office of the Solicitor General, as of late, has only 5 expropriation cases filed and the total expanse of land to acquire is owned by around 60 landowners.

(Jason B. Neola, CEPPIO)

Naga City Transport group supports Gov’t’s jeep modernization program

CEPPIO Naga — Thu, 09 Mar 2023 11:00:01 +0000

AFTER the Public Safety Office of this city confirmed on Saturday, that big transport groups of drivers and operators will not join the weeklong nationwide strike from March 6 to 12, the jeepney operators association in the city collectively issued their stance to support the modernization program of the government.

“It is a challenge to every member in the transport group. [We] encourage every operator to join the modernization program [of the public utility vehicles],” the letter stated, signed by its president Hernan Sabio on March 3.

Although modernizing the country’s transportation serves as a challenge for the Naga-Daraga Transport Cooperative, they likewise released their strong opposition in the said strike in a statement.

Joselito Ste. Felipe, the cooperative chair said, they rather not put the livelihood and safety of the riding public at risk.

“As providers of essential services at a rate where the public can afford, the continuity of our service is of much importance than the recognition or compensation we may receive,” Ste. Felipe said.

Furthermore, City Administrator Elmer Baldemoro on Thursday said, that transport groups here would most likely not engage in the said strike since the validity of public jeepney franchise is extended from June 30 to December 31, 2023.

As contingency measures in case of local transport strike, the city government may advise suspensions of classes and work, and may offer free service in order not to halt economic and academic activities of the public, the administrator said.

(By Keren Anne Bernadas/PIA5/Camarines Sur)

BCS sees 120 bus trips daily after the 5-day-long weekend

CEPPIO Naga — Wed, 26 Oct 2022 10:00:24 +0000

The Bicol Central Station (BCS) here has started monitoring passengers coming into the city for the All Saints Day and All Souls Day of which the celebrations on November 1 and 2, are covered by the 5-day-long weekend.

BCS General Manager Roderick Reforsado said that the monitoring of passengers aims to safeguard the passengers from any untoward incident. He said the policy would also help his office to obtain an estimate on the number of people who will stay in the city for the long weekend and will troop to the bus terminal after the All Saints Day to go back to their places of origin.

He said the bus terminal has to determine the number of passengers to achieve good customer service.

The entire country will have the benefit of a 5-day-long weekend next week beginning October 29 (Saturday), this year, after President Marcos Jr. signed Proclamation No. 79 declaring October 31, a Monday, as special non-working holiday. The holiday was declared “to strengthen family ties and promote domestic tourism,” the document said.

“November 2 is usually declared by the president as special non-working day. To make November 2 as a permanent regular holiday, a law must be passed by the Congress of the Philippines to that effect,” a research site said.

“At present, we are still seeing a normal number of incoming passengers from Manila and other regions. We expect, however, an influx of several hundreds of passengers coming into the city by next week,” Reforsado said.

Next week, a number of Naga City Police Office personnel will be sent to the bus terminal to assist the BCS management in ensuring the safety and security of people while inside the facility.

Reforsado said that the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and Land Transportation Office in the city will also send personnel to the area to check the road worthiness of the buses, franchises, Certificates of Public Convenience (CPC), and the permits being required from the bus operators to be able to transport passengers.

Reforsado said that the probability to achieve more than 100 bus trips daily from Naga to Manila (vice versa) after the ‘pyesta nin mga kalag’ is very high.

He said that the situation is almost similar to what happened several days after the Peñafrancia fiesta during which the BCS has to dispatch 120 Naga-Manila daily bus trips due to overwhelming number of passengers leaving the city.

During the same period, the bus terminal in the city has recorded 300 to 400 Naga-Legazpi and Naga-Daet roundtrips including intra-provincial bus trips, the local trips taking place from Naga to different municipalities in the province of Camarines Sur.

Reforsado said given that All Saints Day and All Souls Day are traditionally observed throughout the country, the chance for the BCS to acquire an augmented fleet of buses are very slim in view of the fact that almost all bus terminals in the country require additional units to achieve an expeditious transporting of passengers.

(Jason B. Neola, CEPPIO.)

Camera na igwang speed limit detection sa mga dalan kan syudad

CEPPIO Naga — Thu, 11 Aug 2022 02:30:23 +0000

BILANG na an aldaw kan mga kaskaserong tsuper sa syudad nin Naga.

Ini an pigsaysay ni Renne Gumba, executive director kan Public Safety Office, pagkatapos na ilatag niya sa atubangan kan prensa an planong paglaag sa gilid kan mga mayor na tinampo nin mga camera na igwang kakayahan madeterminaran an rikas kan mga nag-aaging behikulo.

Segun ki Gumba, pighahalat lang nindang matapos an kampanya sa pagpapahiwas nin mga tinampo o road clearing operations saka ninda popoonan an paglaag nin mga speed limit signages.

Pigsaysay pa ni Gumba na an lambang tinampo, orog na kun klasipikadong mayor na dalan arog kan Magsaysay Avenue asin Panganiban Drive, igwa nin speed limit para sa mga behikulo.

Kasabay kan paglaag nin mga speed limit signages iyo an procurement asin installation kan mga CCTV cameras na igwa nin kakayahan na magsukol kan rikas o speed kan mga nagdadalagan na mga lunadan sa lugar asin an pagbakal nin iba pang mga gadgets na igwa nin kaparehong katuyuhan asin gagamiton sa mga lugar na dae nin camera.

Dapit sa mga depektosong traffic lights, sinabi ni Gumba na on-going na an procurement process para sa pagdisponir nin mga bagong traffic lights kaibahan na an pag repair sa mga kaya pang hirahayon.

(Jason B. Neola, CEPPIO.)

Naga bus terminal to run paperless, cashless dealings

Jason Neola — Tue, 24 May 2022 08:54:46 +0000

By Jason B. Neola

The Bicol Central Station

A bus terminal using state-of-the-art technology that will allow it to transact cashless and paperless is what the city government wishes to see in the Bicol Central Station (BCS).

BCS Manager Roderick Reforsado said the plan, once realized, would help the transportation facility to operate almost alike to the Araneta Center Bus Port in Cubao, Quezon City, from which the modernization plan was patterned.

“Aside from having a cashless and paperless transactions, we also see to it that public safety and order is maintained inside the facility and within its perimeters that is why we decided to put up there an entrance gate and installed more CCTV cameras,” he said.

He said that the physical improvements and upgrading of services is contained in development and modernization program of BCS, the needed funds for the program will be shouldered by the BCS itself.

Reforsado said that by September this year, when the construction of LCC Hypermart is completed, BCS will be equipped with 2-phase CCTV cameras, will be installed with glass door entrance and exit gates, and automatic glass doors at the lobby of provincial bound buses.

The installation of doors and cameras is in compliance to the National Land Transportation Security Program of the Office of Transportation Security (OTS) under the Department of Transportation (DOTr) including the procurement and installation of two sets of Door Metal Detector and Luggage/Baggage X-Ray Scanner Security Machine.

The projects are included in the bus terminal’s Capital Expenditure Redevelopment Plan, the implementation of which was delayed because of Covid-19 pandemic.

Phase 2 of the modernization program includes: The adoption of radio frequency identification (RFID)-based automated billing and payment collection; RFID-based lane assignment software and bay digital display; and RFID-based turnstiles for passengers;

The construction of a more convenient air-conditioned passengers holding and departure areas at the existing food court and bus unloading bays, which will be transferred and redeveloped to another location.

Setting of new heavy-duty traffic tiles on the facility’s entire floor will also be made along with the installation of heavy-duty aluminium glass window and wall in front of the loading bays for the safety of passengers and security of their belongings;

Additional two panels of terminal display system that updates passengers of real-time information of trip schedules, bus features, available seats, and status of bus and trips will be installed, maintain, and continuously improved.

The BCS management was able to collect around P51 million in net income for year 2019 and only P21 million in 2020 because of hampered operations in that year. It was on March 17, 2020 when the entire Luzon was placed on lockdown due to Covid-19 pandemic.