During a private dinner hosted by Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Toshinao Urabe at his residence, he informed us that Japan will be spending a total of $230 billion (approximately ¥18 trillion) to fund reconstruction projects especially in the areas that were devastated during the earthquake and tsunami disasters last March 2011. Over 16,000 casualties were reported with thousands more injured and reported missing in what has been described as one of the worst disasters ever to hit Japan, the nine magnitude earthquake triggering powerful tsunami waves that reached over 40 meters in height. Among the hardest hit were Sendai as well as many areas in the northeast, with structural damage estimated at close to $40 billion – almost totally ruining Japan’s economy.
Reconstruction and recovery efforts have been massive especially since oil refineries, nuclear plants and other major infrastructure were destroyed, and Japan is looking at skilled workers – among them Filipinos – to help them out in their reconstruction requirements. Some 400,000 (although some place the number at over one million) Filipinos live in Japan and Pinoys were among the first to respond during the March 2011 disaster – which is one of the reasons why the ties between the Japanese and the Filipinos continue to be strong. Both countries certainly know what it’s like to suffer through natural calamities and disasters and it’s no longer unusual to hear about certain Japanese private groups or even government units donating to disaster victims in the Philippines. As a matter of fact, Philippine Ambassador to Japan Manuel Lopez recently welcomed officials from Kitakyushu City who pledged ¥1 million (P543,000) for the victims of typhoon Sendong.
Ambassador Urabe told us they are looking for a formula that would make it possible for more Filipino workers to be deployed to Japan, with the terms of engagement satisfactory to all concerned parties. We were also told that priority will also be given in hiring skilled and qualified Filipinos – and this is certainly an opportunity for many overseas Filipino workers with experience in the construction business. Even if the Philippines gets only one-tenth of the $230 billion, that will still be a big boost since it represents $23 billion in terms of employment generation especially for those engaged in the construction sector.
What’s in a name?
Manila North Harbour Port Inc. (MNHPI) COO Richard Barclay told us reconstruction and development efforts for the North Port (formerly known as the North Harbor) are in full swing, with over P2 billion set aside for capital expenditures this year, more than double the amount allocated for last year. Indeed, it looks like all systems go now for the planned expansion despite earlier hitches that threatened to stall the project, which is expected to increase the cargo capacity to about eight percent.
MNHPI is a joint venture between the group of businessman Mikee Romero and San Miguel Corp. which has been successful in its diversification under the stewardship of Ramon S. Ang. The joint venture will invest P14.5 billion to expand the port’s operational capabilities and improve designs to accommodate more passengers, with capacity projected to increase to five million 20-foot equivalent units a year, up from the current 1.5 million. The Philippine Ports Authority had earlier approved some of the designs for the redevelopment of the North Port, specifically that of Terminal 1.
We were told that Mikee has offered to rename the North Port to the Corazon Aquino Port but according to Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, President Noy brushed the offer aside, saying he would rather let other people (like Congress) do the renaming. It would seem P-Noy is not really keen in having facilities renamed after his parents – unlike his predecessor who readily welcomed suggestions to have the Clark Airport named after her father.
MMDA takes a bigger bite of the Apple
We have to hand it to Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Francis Tolentino for going up to speed in terms of technology in order to reduce – if not totally eradicate – traffic gridlocks in Metro Manila. After introducing the web-based Metro Manila Traffic Navigator to help motorists and commuters get an almost real-time and comprehensive view of the traffic situation in key areas in Metro Manila (also with Google maps), he upped the ante once again with the introduction of the Apple iPad app that makes it even easier to view the situation in major thoroughfares.
After an initial glitch, the MMDA’s updated iOS app version 2.0.3 went live early in January and can now be viewed by motorists through their iPhones and iPad devices, with helpful features such as an FAQ on the number coding scheme, info via Twitter, an MMDA directory as well as map or line view options for problematic areas like EDSA, SLEX, C-5, Ortigas, Commonwealth and many others. While the iPad version may seem a bit high-end for now, many are hopeful that this will soon become fairly common considering the penchant of Filipinos to acquire the latest gadgets and tech devices.
Just recently, Tolentino also challenged the award winning team of young inventors from Bulacan to build a robot traffic enforcer that could help detect violators who jump traffic lights and other infractions. These young inventors from the little-known Dr. Yanga Colleges won fourth place in the annual World Robot Olympiad held in Abu Dhabi recently with their robotic invention named MAGIS, which can detect floods, tell body temperature and read blood pressure, among others.
Who knows, these young people may just be able to solve the perennial traffic problem that has bedeviled Metro Manila commuters and motorists alike for so many years.
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Email: spybits08@yahoo.com