Latest news with #Davao
GMA Network
3 hours ago
- Business
- GMA Network
Samal-Davao City bridge construction progress at 38% —DPWH
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Saturday said the progress rate of the ongoing construction of the Samal Island–Davao City Connector (SIDC) Bridge is now at 38%. In a news release, DPWH said that the SIDC project has surpassed its target accomplishment rate of 16%, 'reflecting a positive slippage of 22%.' The project is being funded through the Official Development Assistance (ODA) from China. DPWH Unified Project Management Office – Bridges Management Cluster (UPMO-BMC) is the project's implementing agency, with China Road and Bridge Corporation as the contractor. The SIDC would be a toll-free, four-lane extradosed bridge spanning 4.76 kilometers, linking Davao City at the R. Castillo–Daang Maharlika Junction to the Samal Circumferential Road. The bridge will feature a 275-meter main span and a 47-meter vertical clearance to accommodate marine vessels. Its marine crossing section will stretch 1.62 kilometers across the water, supported by two pylons, each standing 73 meters above sea level. The complete bridge design also includes roundabouts, ramps, and approach roads. The DPWH outlined the specific progress in the project's various components, such as bored piling on the Davao side of the land viaduct, with 73 out of 110 bored piles completed, representing 66.36% completion, while all bored piles on the Samal side were completed. Also completed was the bored piling for the navigation bridge. The seal concrete installation for the navigation portion is ongoing on the Davao side, while the Samal side has already been completed. In terms of marine viaduct construction, the DPWH said the Davao side has completed 12 of 32 bored piles, or 37.5%, and the Samal side has completed 11 of 44, or 25%. The ramp construction on the Davao side has also seen steady progress, with 60 out of 133 piles completed, equivalent to 45.11%. For the pile cap installations, 11 out of 26 pile caps have been completed on the Davao side of the land viaduct, while 5 out of 16 pile caps have been finished on the Samal side. In preparation for road widening along Daang Maharlika, the DPWH said fencing installation and removal of existing structures and obstructions have been completed. Meanwhile, the Davao Light and Power Company (DLPC) has finalized the installation of primary and secondary distribution lines and is currently awaiting energization. On right-of-way acquisition, the DPWH said a total of 61 out of 69 or 88% of affected lots in Davao City and Samal Island have already been acquired. For affected structures in Davao City, 22 out of 51 or 43% have been secured, while the rest are currently undergoing acquisition procedures. — VBL, GMA Integrated News
Al Arabiya
3 hours ago
- Climate
- Al Arabiya
Earthquake of magnitude 6.1- quake hits off southern Philippines
A magnitude-6.1 earthquake struck deep off the coast of the southern Philippines on Saturday, the United States Geological Survey said. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage from the quake, which the USGS reported occurred at a depth of 101 kilometers (63 miles) about 70 kilometers from the nearest areas of Davao Occidental province. 'The shake was not that strong, but the tables and computers here at the office shook for (about five seconds),' Marlawin Fuentes, a provincial rescuer from the tiny island of Sarangani, told AFP. No tsunami alert was triggered. Quakes are a near-daily occurrence in the Philippines, which is situated on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire', an arc of intense seismic activity that stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin. Most are too weak to be felt by humans, but strong and destructive ones come at random with no technology available to predict when and where they might strike.
Arab News
12 hours ago
- Climate
- Arab News
6.1-magnitude quake hits off southern Philippines
MANILA: A magnitude-6.1 earthquake struck deep off the coast of the southern Philippines on Saturday, the United States Geological Survey said. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage from the quake, which the USGS reported occurred at a depth of 101 kilometers (63 miles) about 70 kilometers from the nearest areas of Davao Occidental province. 'The shake was not that strong, but the tables and computers here at the office shook for (about five seconds),' Marlawin Fuentes, a provincial rescuer from the tiny island of Sarangani, told AFP. No tsunami alert was triggered. Quakes are a near-daily occurrence in the Philippines, which is situated on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire,' an arc of intense seismic activity that stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin. Most are too weak to be felt by humans, but strong and destructive ones come at random with no technology available to predict when and where they might strike.
UAE Moments
a day ago
- General
- UAE Moments
7 Deadliest Plane Crashes in the Philippines
While plane crashes are rare, when they happen they leave unforgettable marks. In the Philippines, each event reshaped safety rules, highlighted technical issues, and forever changed the families involved. Here's an insider's look at the 7 deadliest airline disasters from the 1970s onwards. 1. Air Philippines Flight 541 (April 19, 2000): 131 Lives Lost Air Philippines Flight 541 crashed on approach to Davao, killing all 131 people on board — 124 passengers and 7 crew. Attempting to land in poor visibility, the Boeing 737 descended into a coconut grove on Samal Island. This remains the deadliest air disaster in Philippine aviation history. 2. Cebu Pacific Flight 387 (Feb 2, 1998): 104 Fatalities This McDonnell Douglas DC-9 hit Mount Sumagaya, killing all 104 aboard. Pilots were flying visually in fog and outdated maps listed the mountain peak lower than its actual height. The crash spurred improved aircraft training and stricter flight rules. 3. Philippine Air Force C‑130 (July 4, 2021): 53 Dead A military C‑130 overshot the runway at Jolo Airport, crashing into nearby buildings. Fifty soldiers and three civilians died, while 54 survived. Investigations pointed to environmental and mechanical factors affecting the landing. 4. Philippine Airlines Flight 206 (June 26, 1987): 50 Fatalities Flight 206 collided with fog-draped Mount Ugu outside Baguio. All 50 passengers and crew perished. The crash highlighted the dangers of flying in poor weather. 5. Philippine Airlines Flight 215 (April 21, 1970): 36 Lives Taken A bomb exploded mid-air on this Hawker Siddeley HS‑748. The attack claimed all 36 aboard —32 passengers and 4 crew—prompting a major overhaul in airport security. 6. Aerolift Flight 075 (May 11, 1990): 25 Fatalities This Beechcraft 1900C lost an engine during takeoff and crashed into a house in Parañaque. All 21 onboard plus four from the ground died. Authorities later diagnosed pilot error worsened by engine failure. 7. Laoag International Flight 585 (2002): 19 Dead The aircraft took off from Manila to Batanes, then returned after both engines failed. The crew tried a water landing in Manila Bay, but the plane sank and 19 people died. Investigators blamed incorrectly closed fuel valves and airline mismanagement. What These Tragedies Taught Us Limited Visibility & VFR Errors: Many crashes involved pilots flying visually in poor weather. Outdated Charts & Safety Gaps: Erroneous maps and insufficient training were alarming trends. Need for Stronger Security: The 1970 bombing marked a turning point for airport safety. Aircraft Maintenance & Airline Oversight: Laoag's crash showed how administrative shortcuts can kill. Quick Stats Snapshot Flight Year Fatalities Main Cause Flight 541 2000 131 Poor visibility, VFR in low clouds Flight 387 1998 104 Fog, bad maps, downdraft C‑130 2021 53 Landing overshoot, terrain factors Flight 206 1987 50 Foggy mountain approach Flight 215 1970 36 Bombing, security failure Flight 075 1990 25 Engine failure Flight 585 2002 19 Fuel valve error, maintenance faults Why It Still Matters Today These disasters forced major reforms in Philippine aviation:
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Footage of Philippine election workers destroying unused ballots not proof of fraud
A TikTok video posted on June 2 shows footage of people in a room tearing up papers, next to a picture of Comelec chairperson George Garcia. "Those ballots should not be torn up, they should be used in the recount," reads the Tagalog-language text superimposed on the video. "George Garcia, are you afraid people will find out how you manipulated results of the elections?" Vice President Sara Duterte, who may face an impeachment trial at the Senate, said in June that she believes the May 12 mid-term vote was marred with fraud, after several senatorial candidates she backed did not win a seat (archived here and here). Her political party has since asked the country's Supreme Court to order a recount of votes (archived link). Philippine outlet ANC reported Garcia has rejected the allegations (archived link). The video was shared elsewhere on TikTok and Facebook. Comments on the post indicate some users appear to believe the footage shows a cover-up. "This only proves that the PDP-Laban won," one said, referring to Duterte's political party. "This is embarrassing for you, Garcia!" another wrote. But the clip actually shows election workers destroying unused ballots as required by law. Keyword searches of the clip's keyframes led to a two-minute video published by local news outlet Daily Tribune on Facebook on May 30 with a caption saying it shows "the destruction of about six million unused, defective, and rejected printed ballots" printed for the elections (archived link). Other local news outlets, including The Manila Times and ABS-CBN, also published videos showing a similar scene in reports (archived here and here). The election agency also posted a livestream on its official Facebook page on the same day showing the process (archived link). Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco told AFP on June 25 that after every election, the agency destroys defective and rejected ballots, as well as spoiled accountable forms, "as part of its culmination of printing, verification, and exit processes". The requirement -- along with the printing of official ballots and other election-related tasks -- is outlined in Comelec documents on voting procedures on election day (archived here and here). "It is incumbent upon the Comelec to ensure that official ballots and other election forms are destroyed after elections such that it cannot be used or reused for any other purposes than what is allowed under the law," Laudiangco added. Angel Averia, chairperson of the Philippine watchdog National Citizens' Movement for Free Elections, also said the TikTok post's caption is misleading (archived link). "Excess, unused ballots are not necessarily evidence of fraud. Comelec holds such an activity after each electoral exercise," she told AFP on June 11. Alexa Yadao, program officer at election monitor Legal Network for Truthful Elections, told AFP on June 18 that destroying the ballots is one of the safeguards "to ensure that they will not be used for other purposes" (archived link). The agency also destroyed unused ballots related to the 2023 village and youth council elections, and the 2022 presidential elections (archived here, here, and here).
