Tag: Arjay L. Balinbin

LOCAL AIRLINES are appealing for government help, as the “catastrophic impact” of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic threatens their survival.

METRO PACIFIC Tollways Corp., (MPTC) the tollways unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC), has sold a 10.32% stake in Indonesian infrastructure firm PT Margautama Nusantara (MUN) to a consortium of Japanese firms, the Metro Pacific group said on Tuesday.

THE Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) said Tuesday that cargo congestion at the Manila ports due to failure to withdraw cargoes may cause the terminals to shut down.

CEBU AIR, Inc. reported a net income of P9.12 billion for 2019, or more than double its net income a year ago of P3.92 billion, driven by its core business.

THE SURGE in data traffic due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic will drive telecommunications companies in Asia-Pacific countries to ramp up their spending on additional network capacity, Fitch Ratings said.

THE ENTIRE fleet of charter airline Lionair, Inc. has been grounded following Sunday night’s crash of one of its medical evacuation (medevac) planes at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila, killing all eight people onboard.

AIRLINES in Asia-Pacific countries, including the Philippines, saw air cargo demand for the month of February hold up “remarkably well” amid the decline in international air passenger demand due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) said.

THE NATIONAL Telecommunications Commission (NTC) said multinational technology company Google LLC, online entertainment services provider iflix Sdn. Bhd. and ABS-CBN Corp.’s iWant have agreed to reduce their streaming bitrates to help ease data congestion in the country as more people are now working and studying from home due to the government-imposed community quarantine period.

SAN MIGUEL Corp. (SMC) on Friday said all of its expressways will be toll-free for medical practitioners battling the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

RAZON-led International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) on Friday appealed to its consignees to withdraw their reefers immediately.

THE Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), and the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), made an advance dividend payment of more than P10 billion Friday.

TRANSPORTATION Secretary Arthur P. Tugade said the review of unsolicited proposals for all transport-related projects will continue during the COVID-19 quarantine.

THE Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP), which is one of the main drivers of demand for commercial vehicles this year, faces “significant risks” of being delayed due to the lockdown on Luzon, Fitch Solutions said.

GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, including local government units (LGUs), are being urged to simplify and streamline procedures and requirements as the country is under a state of national emergency due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak.

THE International Air Transportation Association (IATA), a trade association for the global airline industry, is asking governments to remove supply chain obstacles amid the pandemic as the continuing airfreight delays caused by bureaucratic processes are “endangering lives.”

THE Philippines’ telecommunications commission has asked US media-services provider Netflix to “efficiently manage” its streaming bit rates to ease data congestion as the Luzon-wide lockdown to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has slowed Internet speeds due to a surge in users.

DIGITAL PAYMENTS firm PayMaya Philippines, Inc. has launched a one-stop digital donation facility, enabling people to donate to various charitable organizations that aim to help affected communities and frontliners who are dealing with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

MOTORCYCLE ride-hailing firm JoyRide announced on Wednesday that it now offers delivery services.

TRANSPORTATION Secretary Arthur P. Tugade has ordered the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), and Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) to hand over in advance P10 billion worth of dividends to the government by Friday.

RIDE-HAILING platform Angkas now has a food delivery service to help its bikers during the government-imposed quarantine period.

MULTINATIONAL technology company Microsoft Corp. has added new features to its unified communication and collaboration platform, Microsoft Teams, to further address the needs of an increasing number of people working and learning from home amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

THE Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) warned Tuesday of potential cyber-attacks against hospitals and health care facilities.

GMA Network, Inc. is allocating P350 million for the salaries and benefits of its employees, talents and support personnel in light of the government-imposed quarantine period, the media network said on Monday.

THE National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has issued a memorandum order allowing ABS-CBN Convergence, Inc., whose franchise had expired on March 17, 2020, and other telecommunications companies of the same status to continue to operate during the Luzon-wide quarantine period, ABS-CBN Corp. said.

THE LEADERS of Kapa-Community Ministry International (KAPA) are facing a new arrest warrant, this time from the regional trial court (RTC) of Cagayan de Oro City on charges that are non-bailable.

AIRLINES in Asia-Pacific countries, including the Philippines, have been hit the worst by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, according to Australia-based Center for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA).

MULTINATIONAL logistics company FedEx Corp. said it continues with its delivery services to and from areas affected by the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

LOPEZ-LED companies have donated P100 million to ABC-CBN Corp.’s fund-raising campaign that aims to help local government units provide food and basic necessities to families affected by the Luzon-wide lockdown, the media company said.

THE DEPARTMENT of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) on Sunday warned Private Express and/or Messengerial Delivery Service (PEMEDES) operators who violate the government’s guidelines on handling and delivering basic goods and necessities amid the Luzon-wide community quarantine.

MORE companies are giving back amid the Luzon-wide lockdown being implemented due to a new coronavirus disease.

GMA News TV (GNTV) has “temporarily signed off” due to the state of national calamity amid a novel coronavirus disease pandemic.

THE Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said the Luzon-wide lockdown being implemented to contain COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) slowed Internet speeds due to a surge in users.

2GO GROUP, Inc. posted a net loss of P892 million for 2019, a 39% improvement from its net loss of P1.47 billion for the previous year as it completed “a series of restructuring activities.”

THE government has allowed financial markets to operate with a skeletal workforce during the month-long lockdown of the main island of Luzon.

BUDGET carrier Cebu Pacific said the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic will continue to impact its operations in the coming months, even after the month-long enhanced community lockdown being imposed over the entire Luzon island.

BUSINESSMAN Manuel V. Pangilinan assured President Rodrigo R. Duterte that the companies he leads under the so-called MVP Group of Companies are helping their employees cope with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic that has forced his government to declare a Luzon-wide lockdown.

THE Department of Transportation (DoTr) said the rehabilitation of the Manila Metro Rail Transit System (MRT)-3 will be suspended during the one-month enhanced community quarantine imposed on Luzon.

AIRPORTS on the main Philippine island of Luzon will close their doors to inbound and outbound international flights starting March 20 as part of President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s lockdown order to contain a novel coronavirus outbreak, the Transportation department said on Tuesday.

GRAB Philippines on Tuesday said it had resumed its food and delivery service to support food outlets allowed to operate during a Luzon-wide lockdown.

JUVY P. CASTILLON, a 54-year-old grade school English teacher in Bangkok, Thailand, is scheduled to return to General Santos City via Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay City on March 21.

LISTED port operators International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) and Asia Terminals, Inc.(ATI) said their business operations continue while contingency measures are being carried out to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

PHILIPPINE telecommunications service providers are working double time to ensure minimal disruption to their operations as more consumers have begun working from home due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

THE government has ordered the suspension of the operations of motorcycle taxis such as Angkas (DBDOYC, Inc.), JoyRide (We Move Things Philippines, Inc.) and Move It (We-Load Transcargo Corp.) in line with President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s “community quarantine” order in Metro Manila.

METRO PACIFIC Investments Corp. (MPIC) said it would no longer pursue its unsolicited proposal to operate and maintain the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3).

POLICE on Friday threatened to arrest people who ignore a month-long metro-wide lockdown that President Rodrigo R. Duterte ordered on Thursday amid a new coronavirus outbreak, saying an “absolute blockage” would be enforced.