ADDITIONAL routes, some with less stops, and extended service hours for buses plying within Bonifacio Global City (BGC) will be launched on Monday, Aug. 7. “The BGC Bus is considered the main transport system within BGC. We have the commuting public in mind when we decided to redesign the bus routes, stops, and schedules. By assessing historical data, we have come up with a system to help alleviate passenger wait time,” BGC Marketing manager Sean Luarca said in a statement. The standard BGC bus fare will still be P12. Based on records, the BGC Bus serves about 41,000 passengers daily.

THE COUNTRY’S northern highlands, home to many major mining operations, are no stranger to landslides. So when residents of Virac in Itogon town, Benguet found themselves locked in by a massive landslide that buried the mining road leading out of their community following heavy monsoon rains, it was not long before they found a way out of their predicament. As work crews toiled to reopen the road, the villagers also went about their business, crossing the expanse of muddy water and boulders, in the bucket of a backhoe. — interaksyon.com

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THE DEPARTMENT of Justice (DoJ) upheld the state prosecutors’ resolution that found probable cause to indict GREAM funeral owner Gerardo Santiago for his alleged involvement in the kidnap-slay of South Korean businessman Ick Joo Jee. In a four-page resolution dated July 24 but released only yesterday, the DoJ junked the petition for review of Mr. Santiago for filing it beyond the deadline set under the rules of appeal. The DoJ noted that Mr. Santiago filed his petition for review on July 5, a day late of the 15-day reglementary period. The DoJ also pointed out that there were no duplicate original or certified true copies of the assailed resolutions and no proof that a copy was provided to the Prosecutor General. Mr. Santiago is the owner of the funeral parlor where the remains of Mr. Jee was allegedly brought after he was strangled to death by members of the police inside Camp Crame. The case is undergoing trial at the Angeles City Regional Trial Court Branch 58 with Judge Irineo P. Pangilinan, Jr. — Kristine Joy V. Patag

WHILE CONSTRUCTION for the P11-billion Jalaur megadam in Calinog, Iloilo has yet to start more than seven years after its groundbreaking, another dam project has been lined up by national government. The Jalaur River Multipurpose Project II is on hold due to a legal case over the bidding process. Meantime, the P19.3-billion Panay River Basin Integrated Development Project (PRBIDP) in Capiz, included in the Duterte government’s priority infrastructure list, is scheduled to commence in 2018, according to the National Irrigation Administration-Western Visayas regional office (NIA-6). Regional Manager Gerardo P. Corsiga said the feasibility study (FS) for the project is already completed and will be submitted to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Central Office for further evaluation. “We already have the endorsement from the Regional Development Council. The next step will be the submission of the FS to NEDA,” Mr. Corsiga said in a radio interview. He added that they are also waiting for confirmation on the funding scheme, but the Chinese government has previously expressed interest to finance the dam project. “Approval of projects is fast under the Duterte administration, so hopefully early next year we can have the signing of the loan agreement… then start the implementation,” he said. The PRBIDP is designed to serve 15 towns of Capiz province, including Roxas City, as well as neighboring municipalities in Iloilo such as Lemery, San Rafael and Bingawan. — Louine Hope U. Conserva

OFFICIALS OF the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) in central Visayas have been directed to resolve the 815 pending applications for Uber and GrabCar in Cebu. LTFRB Chairman Martin B. Delgra III, in a press conference in Cebu on Tuesday, said the regional office should start processing the applications so drivers of these ride-hailing mobile applications could already acquire a provisional authority (PA). Mr. Delgra stressed that the applicants should first comply with all the requirements. Of the 815 pending applications, 693 are from Uber and 122 are from GrabCar. LTFRB Assistant Regional Director Rey Elnar, meanwhile, said 21 of the 103 transport network vehicle services (TNVS) operators and drivers, who were given a PA to operate for 45 days and renewable for another 45 days, have renewed their PAs. — The Freeman