Tag: driving

Skyway Stage 3 toll collection to start July 12, 2021

Skyway Stage 3 toll collection to start July 12, 2021

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For those of you who constantly drive going north or south through Skyway Stage 3, better brace yourselves as the collection of tolls from motorists will formally begin on July 12, 2021. That is this coming Monday already. Take note that it has been seven months since the use of Skyway Stage 3 was kept free for motorists.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the GMA Network news report. Some parts in boldface…

After nearly seven months of providing the public free use of the 18-kilometer Skyway Stage 3, San Miguel Corp. (SMC) on Tuesday announced it will start collecting toll on the elevated expressway starting July.

In a statement, SMC said it will be using a revised toll matrix which is lower than the original proposed toll fees.

To recall, the Toll Regulatory Board approved last March the provisional toll rates for the Skyway 3.

The approved provisional toll rates are the following:

For Class 1 vehicles

Buendia to Sta. Mesa – P105.00

Sta. Mesa to Ramon Magsaysay – P30.00

Ramon Magsaysay to NLEX Balintawak – P129.00

Buendia to NLEX Balintawak – P264.00

For Class 2 vehicles, the toll rates are twice as much as the rates for Class 1 vehicles.

For Class 3, the rates are thrice the price of Class 1.

The approved provisional toll rates are lower than San Miguel’s petition ranging from P110 to P274.

SMC said the TRB issued a Toll Operating Permit and a Notice to Start Collecting Toll on Skyway 3.

The company, through its SMC Infrastructure, said it will post the final approved toll rates at the toll plazas prior to the start of toll collection.

SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang said that the revised toll matrix, as approved by the TRB, takes into consideration the pandemic, its impact on the economy, and on Filipinos.

“We thank the TRB for helping us determine the most equitable toll rates for our motorists.  We know from experience that times are hard for many, and even a little relief for motorists can go a long way. These toll rates reflect our deferral of the collection of a substantial amount of the cost to build Skyway 3. We also further lowered the rates for those traveling shorter distances,” Ang said.

He said the tolls it will collect will provide the company revenues to ensure continued efficient operations, maintenance, and safe driving conditions on the elevated expressway—particularly as daily traffic puts a heavy strain on the road infrastructure, necessitating significant maintenance costs.

Skyway 3 reduced travel time from Alabang to Balintawak and vice versa, to only 30 minutes from the previous three hours, and from Buendia to Balintawak, to only 20 minutes.

With a capacity of 200,000 vehicles per day, the elevated toll road has also significantly decongested traffic on major Metro Manila thoroughfares, including Edsa and C-5.

With the start of toll collection, the government can now also start generating significant income from the expressway, as it imposes a 12 % VAT on all toll fees, according to SMC.

SMC said it fully-funded the construction of the project with no government funds or guarantees and had spent over P80 billion– more than double its original cost – to complete the project over a period that spans two administrations.

And here is a related video news report also by GMA Network…

As seen in the above report, clearly it is high time for motorists to pay San Miguel Corporation (SMC) for using Skyway Stage 3 which itself is a magnificent piece of infrastructure (made possible by capitalists, not socialists) that will benefit generations of Filipinos who need to travel north, south and within key parts of Metro Manila. Skyway Stage 3 is a major factor in the decongestion of traffic along EDSA, C-5 and other major metropolitan roads. By the way, what motorists will pay starting Monday, a portion of that will go to the national government in the form of value-added tax (VAT).  

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: Are you prepared to pay the toll rates for Skyway Stage 3 starting July 12? How many times a week do you travel along Skyway Stage 3? Are the toll rates approved fair to you?

If you are a daily traveler on Skyway Stage 3, how was your travel time between destinations?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com

For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673

Watch the Blade Moto radio show hosted by Love-Love Tioseco on Tuesdays

Watch the Blade Moto radio show hosted by Love-Love Tioseco on Tuesdays

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Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from Love-Love Tioseco by means of an interview, viewing the Blade Moto radio show and research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.

Months ago, my very dear college buddy Love-Love Tioseco acted on the direction of the Lord to provide frontliners food to eat during the height of the COVID-19-related lockdown here in the Philippines. You can read all about that in my special feature in this website.

A lot has changed since then. Although the authorities are still cautious and monitoring cases of COVID-19, the community quarantine levels around the country have eased which helped pave the way for more people to travel around and among them are employees and business owners/managers who were allowed to move on with their economic activities. The Philippines still has a long way to go to recover the economic momentum that was lost as a result of the initial lockdown. We are all moving on the road to recovery.

Going back to Love-Love (note: she is the Secretary of the Luzon Motorcyclists Federation, Inc. or LMFI), in recent times she has been hired to host the official radio show of car accessories chain store Blade Auto Center called Blade Moto (also referred to as Blade Mo To). Specifically, she hosts the radio show on Tuesdays in two segments at 11AM and 2PM and it is streamed live online via the Blade.ph Facebook page, the Blade Auto Center Facebook page, the Blade Auto Center YouTube channel, and Blade Auto Center on Instagram to name some.

Love-Love Tioseco hosts the Blade Moto radio show every Tuesday at 11AM and 2PM. Her jacket is that of Colegio de San Juan de Letran. (contributed photo)

Officially, Love-Love started hosting the Blade Moto show on November 3, 2020, the morning segment of which I tuned in and even had a comment read on the air. I’m not a motorcyclist myself but I learned a lot from the topics discussed between Love-Love and the guests on the show. Of course, it was also fun reading comments from viewers who got acknowledged on the air. Through the show, you will also learn about motorcycling, what the motorcyclists’ culture of the Philippines is like, who is who among the motorcyclists, what the bike clubs are, how to drive properly during times of disaster, and more. I should also state that Blade Moto is also an ideal show where motorcyclists can reach out to the public and share their views so that people can understand them better.

Love-Love interacting with viewers who commented live during the November 24 morning show.
My question highlighted during the November 10 morning radio show.

To get the scoop about how she got involved with Blade and their radio show (under the Blade Radio line), I asked Love-Love some questions and below are her answers (in blue).

How Blade Moto came to be

How did you get your break to become host of Blade Moto radio show?

Many thanks to my boss Blade CEO Mr. Robertson Sy Tan who offered me the job to be one of his radio show host at the same time, it is an honor to be a part of the Blade Family so i immediately accepted the job on the spot.

Since the show started, how was the reception from the motorcyclists and other viewers? Did you and the producers receive lots of feedback via text, email or online messages?

The number of viewers has been growing especially those who inquire about the laws that discriminate motorcycle riders and those who like sending funny comments to my featured guests which actually makes the radio show lively.

Most of the messages we receive from our viewers are those who demand for shout outs while watching us live online.

What can people expect from future editions of the show you are hosting? Is something exciting coming?

I do not want the public to have high expectations but rest assured that our radio show will not endorse government officials and we will make it a point to always promote safety for all road users.

Conclusion

In concluding this article, posted below are the November 3, November 10, November 17 and November 24 YouTube videos of Blade Moto in full for your viewing pleasure. I encourage you all to watch out for all future shows of Blade Moto with Love-Love every Tuesday via Blade Auto Center’s YouTube and social media channels. There is always something new to learn and enjoy!

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. Also my fantasy book The World of Havenor is still available in paperback and e-book format. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com

SOSIA issues advisory on the confiscation of driver’s license by security guards

SOSIA issues advisory on the confiscation of driver’s license by security guards

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SOSIA issues advisory on the confiscation of driver’s license by security guards

Hey readers! Has any security guard confiscated your driver’s license in recent times? The latest news and details below deserve your attention.

The Supervisory Office for Security and Investigation Agencies (SOSIA) issued on June 15 a new advisory signed by Acting Chief Police Colonel Sidney N. Villaflor regarding the confiscation of driver’s license by security guards. This is pursuant to Republic Act Number 4136 (An Act to Compile The Laws Relative To Land Transportation and Traffic Rules, To Create a Land Transportation Commission and For Other Purposes) regarding the power to secure and/or confiscate drivers licenses are lodged under the capacity of LTO personnel and others who are duly deputized by the said Agency.

Below for your viewing and reading is the picture of the June 15, 2020 advisory from SOSIA.

SOSIAJun15

Item on the advisory states as follows: This pertains to incidents wherein security guards deployed in private villages and subdivisions require the drivers of vehicles to surrender their driver’s licenses prior entering the premises, as directed by the Home Owners Associations’ (HOAs’) leadership.

Item makes clear that the power to secure and/or confiscate driver’s licenses are lodged under the capacity of personnel of the Land Transportation Office (LTO), and others who got deputized by the said Agency.

Item is the hot one and it makes clear who or what organizations do NOT have any authority to confiscate driver’s licenses. It reads as follows: the HOAs and the security guards of subdivisions, villages and condominiums are not authorized under traffic laws to take custody, even on a temporary basis, the license issued by the LTO.

For more insight, Section 29 of RA 4136 states as follows:

Confiscation of Driver’s License. – Law enforcement and peace officers of other agencies duly deputized by the Director  shall, in apprehending a driver for any violation of this Act or any regulations issued pursuant thereto, or of local traffic rules and regulations not contrary to any provisions of this Act, confiscate the license of the driver concerned and issue a receipt prescribed and issued by the Bureau  therefor which shall authorize the driver to operate a motor vehicle for a period not exceeding seventy-two hours from the time and date of issue of said receipt. The period so fixed in the receipt shall not be extended, and shall become invalid thereafter. Failure of the driver to settle his case within fifteen days from the date of apprehension will be a ground for the suspension and/or revocation of his license.

Item clarifies that drivers of vehicles entering the above stated properties may present to the security guards any valid ID cards issued by the government. As such, the security guards are supposed to be professional in their work while being courteous to everyone.

Here in South Metro Manila, the cities of Parañaque, Las Piñas and Muntinlupa have a lot of subdivisions or villages combined. From time to time, I saw written feedback by other uses on social media that some incidents occurred in which drivers trying to enter a village had no choice but to surrender the driver’s license because other government-issued ID cards (example: COMELEC ID card) were not accepted by the security guard at the gate.

Now that the SOSIA June 15, 2020 advisory above makes clear that HOAs and security guards are not authorized to confiscate driver’s licenses at all, drivers are more protected. In fact, Section 19 of RA 4136 specifically states:  The license shall be carried by the driver at all times when operating a motor vehicle, and shall be shown and/or surrendered for cause and upon demand to any person with authority under this Act to confiscate the same.

So there you have it, my readers, SOSIA’s June 15, 2020 advisory is a big reminder when it comes to the driver’s license and encountering security guards.

If anyone of you motorists was forced to surrender your driver’s license to an insistent security guard when trying to enter or was traveling inside a private subdivision, please feel free to inform me about it privately (send me a message at Carlo.Carrasco@gmail.com) or by commenting below if you want to express it openly.

Also feel free to print a hard copy of this article (which includes the picture of the June 15, 2020 SOSIA advisory) to bring with you when traveling to other villages. Thank you.

This article was published for public information related to travel and local communities.

For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments.

In a Time of Crisis and Quarantine, Love-Love Tioseco Gives Food to the Frontline Personnel

In a Time of Crisis and Quarantine, Love-Love Tioseco Gives Food to the Frontline Personnel

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Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from Love-Love Tioseco by means of an interview and research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.

All photographs used in this article are properties of Love-Love Tioseco and were approved for publishing.

In a Time of Crisis and Quarantine, Love-Love Tioseco Gives Food to the Frontline Personnel

It’s really mind-boggling how microbes in the form of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) stopped much of the world. Not only have most economic activities stopped, people have been advised by their respective authorities to stay at home in order to avoid getting infected.

Here in Metro Manila in the Philippines, enhanced community quarantine and a 24-hour curfew (specifically in the cities of Muntinlupa, Las Piñas and Parañaque) have been implemented around which severely limited people from traveling out of their homes. Checkpoints have also been set up along national roads while businesses that were allowed to operate had to use thermal scanners and set up sanitizers for people to use.

To put things in perspective, the people who work for long hours each day at the checkpoints, at the village gates, on the roads, and inside the commercial joints still operating are referred to locally as the frontliners. At the frontline, they work not only to serve and guide people but also provide security in accordance to the guidelines of the declared quarantine. Such work is undoubtedly hard and tiring, even risky since any person infected with COVID-19 could approach them any time of the day. The frontliners definitely deserve support from anyone blessed who is generous to be a blessing to them.

Very recently, I saw my very dear college buddy Love-Love Tioseco share via social media images of her generous act of giving food to the frontliners. I was very touched by it so I immediately reached out to her and publish this exclusive article for you all.

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Love-Love Tioseco with the hard-boiled eggs provided by The Rustic Kitchen.

Introduction

Again, to put things in perspective, Love-Love and I were classmates at Colegio de San Juan de Letran in the late 1990s. We both finished Communication Arts there. She was a member of the Philippine TaeKwonDo Team for 11 years and, along the way, she was a 3-time gold medalist in the Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games), a 3-time bronze medalist in the Asian Games and a 3-time 5th placer in the World Games.

Back in college, Love-Love was a working student in the media and the entertainment industry. After graduation, she worked as a bartender at Italianni’s restaurant for 3 years but still continued working for the media and the entertainment industry.

Love-Love went on to become an advocate of safety oriented driving. She also engaged in motorcycling and competed for a time which ultimately paved the way for the acceptance of women who ride and drive motorcycles. Love-Love also appeared on TV in some entertainment programs as well as motoring-related shows.

Today, she is in the business of selling batteries of Imarflex Battery and is the current Secretary of the Luzon Motorcyclists Federation, Inc. (LMFI). To this day, she is still active in the motoring industry and continues to emphasize the essence of driving safely and following traffic rules to make local travel safer for everyone. Below is a 2017 Alisto video which involved her as a guest traffic analyst. Love-Love starts appearing at 0:20 on the timer.

Being blessed and being a blessing to others

Going back to assisting the frontliners who have worked so hard and long during the quarantine, I asked Love-Love what inspired her to make a move.

“During this time of the quarantine period, I asked God how can I show my appreciation in my own little way to heroes or frontliners who have been on duty while risking their lives being exposed to the virus,” Love-Love said. “Then one of my scooter friends Micar Briones Santana of The Rustic Kitchen sent a message that she had hard-boiled eggs from her bakery up for donation but she needed someone who can help her give away those eggs, so I told her right away that I will do it and, yes, I did it.”

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Emergency personnel were pleasantly surprised with the eggs offered by Love-Love.

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A soldier grabs something to eat.

Clearly the God answered Love-Love’s question paving the way for the opportunity to help the frontliners. After getting supply of hard-boiled eggs, she organized things first. The hard-boiled eggs with broken shells were made into egg spread sandwiches (as energy food for the garbage collectors). With the help of a fellow LMFI club member named Willy Lopez (Takaz Boyz), she received onions which became a key ingredient of her egg spread recipe.

Subsequently, Love-Love went around the metro to feed the MMDA Patrol Team on both the northbound and southbound lanes of EDSA, feed the MMDA Rescue Team under the EDSA flyovers, feed the personnel at the Mandaluyong checkpoints, feed the Makati City police officers on patrol, feed the security guards at an Army Navy branch, feed the Transportify delivery drivers, the motorized drivers of Grab Food and Food Panda, feed the attendants at a Caltex fuel station, feed the manpower staff at Bel-Air Village, and feed a truck-full of Philippine Army soldiers.

I asked Love-Love how the frontliners reacted when she first approached them with the prepared food.

“At first, they thought I was selling eggs to them but when I told them the eggs were free, some of them got more than three eggs, and I did not have time to count how many people got free eggs because my mind was focusing on giving to the deserving ones,” she recalled.

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Frontline personnel outside an Army Navy were happy to receive free eggs from Love-Love.

Love-Love’s generous move is a clear example of her being blessed by the Lord as well as being a blessing to others. To put things in perspective, read the words of Lord Jesus in the following scripture from the Holy Bible.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5: 16 (NKJV)

Unsurprisingly, the frontliners thanked her for the eggs as it provided them some much needed relief from the stress they accumulated. To Love-Love’s surprise, there were delivery personnel who took selfie shots with her for them to post on Facebook.

What is even more astonishing was that no less than Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman General Danny Lim expressed his praise and gratitude to Love-Love for her valuable assistance.

In an April 3, 2020 Facebook page post, Lim stated: Maraming salamat sa lahat ng mga sumusuporta sa serbisyo ng , lalo na ngayong panahon ng #COVID19! Salamat kina Ms. Micar Briones Santana ng The Rustic Kitchen at Ms. Love-Love Tengsico Tioseco para sa malasakit na binibigay niyo. Kahit sa simpleng paraan man, laking tulong ito sa pag-boost ng morale ng ating mga kawani. Makakaasa kayong paiigtingin pa natin ang ating frontline at emergency services. Patuloy ang pagtutulungan natin laban sa krisis na ito.

I asked Love-Love if she will repeat her moves of generous assistance to the frontliners.

“Yes, of course. I hope there will be more generous sponsors soon for me to distribute their donations again,” she said.

CONCLUSION

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MMDA personnel worked so hard, Love-Love’s giving of eggs proved to be a major relief for them. They were very thankful to her.

Love-Love’s special message to those who could help

“Spread the love, action speaks louder than words especially with helping others, and share the simple joys of life.”

Love-Love’s special message to those who are affected by the quarantine

“Please be a prayer warrior and pray that the virus will be gone already instead of being paranoid or being a basher, which is no help at all with the crisis we are all experiencing now.”

In closing this, here is a video of the Hillsong performance of Thank You, Lord (my Christian Music Appreciation of it right here) that will remind you to be thankful to the Lord who is the source of opportunities, happiness, protection, prosperity, provision and so much more. God is the source! Enjoy!

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com