DPWH SEC. VILLAR WILL PUSH THROUGH THE COMPLETION OF ESTRELLA PANTALEON BRIDGE DESPITE PANDEMIC

Construction of Estrella Pantaleon Bridge Nears Finish Line 

Estrella Pantaleon Bridge in Makati, Philippines to be completed by the end of July, 2021.

 

Finishing works of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for the Estrella Pantaleon Bridge Project across Pasig River are in full swing and set to be completed towards the end of July.  

 

Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark A. Villar said that although the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted construction activity of various flagship infrastructure projects like Estrella Pantaleon Bridge, the DPWH-Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) Team geared up to take up this challenge by keeping the focus on the importance of delivering completion and opening this bridge project this early month of the third quarter.  

 

In his report to Secretary Villar, Undersecretary for UPMO Operations Emil K. Sadain said that complete layers of asphalt concrete base, binder, and wearing course on the 146 meters main bridge and 66 meters Makati approach bridge are almost done.  

 

Installed successively on main and approach bridge using paving and compaction equipment,  the wearing course or the uppermost layer will provide an even profile for the comfort of motorists while providing enough texture to ensure minimum and safe skid resistance, explained Undersecretary Sadain.   

 

Having put up the upper layer, bridge expansion joints are now being installed to allow for continuous traffic between the bridge and the interconnecting abutment structures.  

 

These expansion joints are designed to adjust the bridge length accommodating movement or deformation by external loads, shrinkage, or temperature variations 

 

Among the completed ancillary works for the bridge project with V-shape piers includes protective barriers and railings along both sides of the bridge, stormwater drainage structure, and lightings.  

 

Meanwhile, Project Director Benjamin A. Bautista and Project Manager Melchor Kabiling of the UPMO Roads Management Cluster are keeping an eye on the ongoing paving works for the 50.5 meters approach road on Estrella Street, Makati City, and  243.96 meters approach road at Barangka Drive connected to Pantaleon Street in Mandaluyong City which is being accelerated by successively placing complete layer packages. 

 

The layers of the approach road are consists of base course or the foundation made of different aggregate rocks to support the top layers of the pavement; cement-treated base or a mixture of aggregates with amounts of portland cement that hardens after compaction and curing to form a strong, durable, frost-resistant paving material; asphalt concrete base or asphalt treated base that acts as a waterproof barrier to prevent fines infiltration into the subgrade and pavement structure; finally the binder and wearing course.  

 

The P1.46-billion bridge project will have four lanes and will be a 506.46-meter pre-stressed concrete rigid frame bridge with corrugated steel webs, replacing the temporary two-lane box truss bridge made of modular steel components dismantled in 2019.  

 

The bridge project is one of two grant bridges from China — the other one is Binondo-Intramuros Bridge. (VerGarciaBlogs)

Bloggers Association of the Philippines News

TUCP REP. MENDOZA AVERS TESTING IS IMPERATIVE TO CHECK THE SPREAD OF NEW VARIANT

TUCP CALLS FOR THE GOVERNMENT AND EMPLOYERS TO PROVIDE RANDOMIZED TESTING FOR WORKERS

Covid Testing For Workers.

In the light of 35 COVID-19 Delta variant cases confirmed by the Department of Health in the country, the TUCP calls upon its social partners, employers, and the Government, to immediately take measures for immediate and robust randomized RT-PCR testing of A4 workers nationwide. TUCP believes that such randomized testing is now made imperative to gauge the extent of the spread of the Delta variant in order that our health response not be caught flat-footed. 

Rep. Raymond Democrito Mendoza in a huddle with members.

TUCP Partylist Representative Raymond Democrito Mendoza said that the only way to prevent the spread of this new Delta variant across the country is through robust and rapid testing of A1 front liners and A4 workers, as these are the members of the community that continue to go out and are more exposed to the virus as they keep the economy alive. “Employers have to step up and take on the responsibility of testing their workers, lest they further the spread of this Delta variant that could potentially lead the Philippines down the same disastrous path as other countries being ravaged by the new strain. We have seen that despite the excellent vaccination efforts in Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia, even fully vaccinated citizens are susceptible to catching this virus. We have only begun our vaccination program and this puts us in a more vulnerable position,” the lawmaker said.

TUCP specifically proposes: 

1. For EMPLOYERS to immediately provide and cover costs for random RT-PCR COVID tests for A4 workers in MEDIUM AND LARGE Enterprises; and  

2. For LGUs to immediately provide and cover costs for randomized RT-PCR COVID tests for A4 workers in small and micro-enterprises.

TUCP calls for rigorous and robust testing and contacts tracing to be done immediately in order to locate and identify where exactly, the Delta variant is.  THIS TESTING SHOULD BE PRE-EMPTIVE AND ANTICIPATORY. This is in order to SCIENTIFICALLY ensure that containment response takes the form of GRANULAR LOCKDOWNS in a targeted manner. This is the best way to save lives and at the same time, save the economy.

Waiting for the infection to ripen and manifest itself into full-blown COVID symptoms before intervening, may well result in our healthcare system being outpaced and overcome by a fast-spreading variant, with dire life-or-death consequences. This is an urgent matter given that we are now clearly in a race against time.

To date, less than 4 percent of the total population of 4 million Filipinos have been fully vaccinated.  In order to reach the targets for herd immunity, at least 70% percent of the population or 70M need to be given full doses of the vaccine. 

“The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines believes that robust, rigorous, and rapid testing is key to saving the economy. TUCP cautions against a knee-jerk lockdown of whole cities as more Delta cases emerge. TUCP feels such a one-size-fits-all response will further dampen economic recovery and increase the stress on our already heavily burdened institutions of public assistance. It is far preferable and less costly in the long run to run these tests before we see more deaths and a new wave of lockdowns which will short circuit vital economic activities,” said TUCP Vice President Luis Corral.

While the A1 workers and OFWs and Seafarers are subjected to COVID tests, the larger bulk of our workforce, the A4, are made to fend for themselves in the matter of being given RT-PCR COVID tests. TUCP predicates its recommendations on the need to prevent a deadly surge that will impact both lives and the floundering economy. We have seen how the Delta variant has cut a deadly swath through India and now stalks our neighbors Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.

The late reboot of our economy is clearly under immediate threat, even as lives are at stake. TUCP believes it is now time to further spur on the phlegmatic vaccination roll-out and couple this with redoubled efforts for crucial Covid-19 tests.  How we respond in the next few days will determine the outcome of how this new development in the pandemic will ultimately play out.

“The entire nation depends on workers to revive the economy, and they cannot do that if they are not given protection against the ravages of disease. Workers are the priority and the government must step up its efforts to help MSMEs and their employees be protected from the virus,” Rep. Mendoza said.

(VerGarciaBlogs)

Bloggers Association of the Philippine News

DPWH SEC. MARK VILLAR DEPLOYS 826 PERSONNEL AND 107 EQUIPMENT TO GUARD TAAL VOLCANO

Villar Activates Disaster Response Teams for Taal Volcano Operation

Additional Staff for Taal Volcano Operation.

Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark A. Villar said that a total of 826 personnel with 107 equipment are now prepositioned around Taal Volcano in case another explosive eruption happens. 

Citing a report from the DPWH Bureau of Maintenance, Secretary Villar said that the Quick Response Teams (QRTs) of DPWH Regional Office IV-A and all its 16 District Engineering Offices are ready to be deployed to assist in the event of evacuation and clearing operation of national roads. 

  

“As a response to the recent Taal Volcano activity, we have prepared an action plan for pre, during, and post-disaster response. Under our action plan, our QRTs will be clustered into six (6) command centers strategically located around the volcano to make our response operations efficient,” said Secretary Villar. 

  

Command centers are located in DPWH Batangas 1st DEO in Balayan, Batangas, Batangas 2nd DEO in Kumintang Ilaya, Batangas City, Batangas 3rd DEO in Tanauan, Batangas, Batangas 4th DEO in Lipa City, Batangas, Cavite 2nd DEO in Alfonzo, Cavite, and Cavite 3rd DEO in Carmona, Cavite 

  

“These command centers will ensure that national roads and bridges in their area are passable and shall identify alternative roads for response operations. They shall also provide temporary structures to restore mobility when necessary,” added Secretary Villar. (VerGarciaBlogs)

Bloggers Association of the Philippines News