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GMA Network
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- GMA Network
Sol and Mary Ann Kapunan: Husband-and-wife tandem behind Albany's Kalayaan 1521
Sol and Mary Ann Kapunan with daughters Alexandra, 25, and Gabrielle, 16, from Niskayuna, a suburb of Albany. Mary Ann is now a nurse entrepreneur running her own hospitality business. Courtesy: The FilAm June 2021 was an auspicious time for a celebration, at least in Albany. Two reasons were brought up: One, travel restrictions caused by the pandemic had been lifted. Two, the labor issue involving Albany nurses reached an impasse and subsequently led to a contract signing. Hence, on June 26, 2021 Albany's first Philippine Independence Day parade took off in Washington Park. It was sponsored by the New York State Nurses Association with support from local organizations. In her keynote message, Mayor Kathy Sheehan paid tribute to Filipinos for their contributions to 'our culture, health care institutions and business community' and enriching the city's diversity. Parade organizer Sol Kapunan, 49, made this cheeky remark: 'This is the best opportunity to gather the support of local population because people are raring to go out after a long imprisonment.' The 123rd Philippine Independence Day parade of June 26, 2021 – Albany's first — attracted a sparse 800 people. Such number would balloon in stunning numbers in the years to come. On June 28 this year, several thousands of Filipino Americans across the state turned out for the 127th Independence Day parade prompting Sol and his wife Mary Ann, 47, to remark that the success could be gauged by the participation of more Filipino organizations closing ranks with the greater Asian community and the local population. 'We gained traction,' said Sol. Kalayaan 1521 is now in motion. It is Albany's version of PIDCI or the Philippine Independence Day Council, Inc. which mounts the iconic annual parade in New York City's Madison Avenue. Sol shared the story of how Kalayaan got its name. 'People thought the 'Kalayaan' came from the declaration of independence from Spain in Kawit, Cavite. It was not. About '1521,' they thought it's about Lapu Lapu defeating Magellan. That's not the reason,' he began. He said Kalayaan 1521 is some kind of a rallying cry for Filipinos to abandon the 'colonial mentality that plagues us.' He and wife Mary Ann, then an ICU nurse at Ellis Hospital, would lock horns while brainstorming on the name. 'Nag-aaway talaga kami,' both of them confessed in jest. 'I said I wanted freedom from the colonial mentality that plagues us. That anything foreign is good. That we allow ourselves to be relegated to second-class citizens in this country. I see that in the inferiority complex of some of us. I want us to be superior in our own way. That's the Kalayaan part. 1521 refers to the start of the colonialization of the Philippines.' It is the year Magellan arrived on Philippine shores. Listening to Sol's impassioned explanation, Mary Ann promptly came on board. Sol became the founding president of Kalayaan 1521 Council Inc., a New York non-profit corporation 'dedicated to preserving and promoting Filipino culture and heritage,' his wife of 26 years became the corporate secretary. She said, 'My background as a community leader and healthcare professional is deeply rooted in public service.' Seminarian In recalling his interesting past, Sol mentioned how he was a young seminarian in college. It did not lead to priesthood as he decided to pursue a non-sectarian path. He went on to college at the University of Santo Tomas where he completed his bachelor's degree in Philosophy and met Nursing student Mary Ann Gozon along the way. 'Different buildings but we have common friends,' he said with an ironic smile. The couple, now with two daughters, migrated to the United States in 2011 via the EB-3 skilled visa program that qualified Mary Ann who had an extensive nursing career as a nurse manager of an Ambulatory Surgical Center in the Philippines. Albany became home to the Kapunans because Mary Ann's employer then, Pathways Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, was based in Schenectady, a mere half hour away from the state capital. Sol, shy about being called an activist, found himself immersed in Albany's labor issues with nurses because of his wife's job. Local nurses are known to protest against major Albany hospitals over working conditions. He and APO fraternity brother Nathan Ty became advocates for the Filipino nurses and in the process came to know the city's local leaders. Meanwhile, Sol became a member of the board of PIDCI through an invitation from Nora Galleros, then PIDCI president. Sol is the president of Alpha Phi Omega Alumni Association of Greater New York (2023-2026) of which Nora is a life-long member. 'Nora asked me, Sol, I'm in the process of cleaning the ranks of PIDCI, pwede mo ba akong tulungan? Sabi niya tumakbo ka. Hindi ko mahindian yung sister ko,' he shared. He was elected under the ticket of current president Arman David. The parade and Sol's growing influence caught the attention of Gov. Kathy Hochul. Her office reached out through an emissary from her Asian American Affairs office. The official commended Sol for his role in advocating for the Asian community and said, 'Asians need representation.' 'I told him I am not a politician but I will not sit idle on an opportunity that would help the Filipino community,' he said. Sol addresses 2025 marchers: 'If we don't tell our stories no one will.' Courtesy: The FilAm June 28, 2025 This year's parade has definitely grown from a few hundred marchers in 2021 to almost 4,000. The vendors – 26 of them — were spread all over the park showing the community the quality and variety of Philippine crafts, clothing, and cuisine. Sol thanked the local officials for supporting the Filipino community. The Filipinos, he thanked for 'showing your colors, showing what a true Filipino is. We have to tell our story because if we do not tell our story, nobody will.' Except for unusual high security around the park – police said to prevent a possible Lapu Lapu festival incident in Vancouver – the parade ended on a festive note with some participants lingering much longer like they didn't want the gathering to end. It was a lovely day. It did not rain. Kalayaan 1521 will continue to grow the Philippine parade until Filipinos in New York State recognize their role, and responsibility, in propagating Filipino heritage, said the couple. How do you ensure it will not be plagued by issues that used to trouble the old PIDCI, The FilAm asked. Sol replied. 'People might think we're a copycat. Kalayaan 1521 has a life of its own, has its own destiny. We will always observe transparency. It will not be another (old) PIDCI.' —The FilAm
South Wales Argus
09-07-2025
- Business
- South Wales Argus
HS2's structures should have been ‘largely completed' by now
Mark Wild, HS2 Ltd chief executive, said one of the main causes of the delays was starting construction work before designs were finalised and local planning consents were in place. Notice to proceed was granted by the government in April 2020. Mr Wild blamed cost overruns on the awarding of contracts which meant the government held all the risk in case of problems, and failings of HS2 Ltd. He said the coronavirus pandemic and the rise in inflation caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine had also had an impact. Phase One of HS2 between London and Birmingham was initially planned to open by the end of 2026. This was later pushed back to between 2029 and 2033, but Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said last month there was 'no route' to meeting that timeframe. HS2 workers gather to observe boring machine Mary Ann breaking through at Washwood Heath depot near Birmingham city centre (Jacob King/PA) In 2013, HS2 was estimated to cost £37.5 billion (at 2009 prices) for the entire planned network, including the now-scrapped extensions from Birmingham to Manchester and Leeds. In June last year, HS2 Ltd assessed the cost for the line between London and Birmingham would be up to £66 billion. Mr Wild, who was appointed late last year, told the Commons Transport Select Committee: 'The construction of the civil engineering should have been largely completed by now. 'The reality is we're about 60% complete.' He added: 'The whole scheme, which includes, of course, the tracks, the overhead lines, the trains, the system integration, we're about a third complete.' Mr Wild described the project as 'a unique challenge in this country'. He went on: 'A third of this route is actually underground or in cuttings. 'This is a huge, considerable, maybe the biggest civil engineering project ever undertaken in this country. 'The facts are, in the first two years of effort, we simply didn't make enough progress.' Rail minister Lord Hendy, who also gave evidence to the committee, said he could not 'make a case' for why permission to start construction was granted when it was as the need for HS2 was not 'desperate'. He told MPs: 'We need relief of the West Coast Main Line, and a new railway is the right answer. 'But why it was pursued with such speed – and now we're suffering the cost of it – is hard to say.' Lord Hendy went on to say it was unclear why it was decided HS2 should be an 'exceptionally fast railway, rather than just a fast railway'. The design speed for HS2 tracks is 400km/h (250mph), and the trains will have a maximum speed of 360km/h (225mph). Lord Hendy noted that Eurostar trains are permitted to run at up to 300km/h (185mph) on HS1, which connects London St Pancras and the Channel Tunnel. He said: 'It is hard to understand why there was such zealotry (with HS2) about the highest-speed railway in a relatively small country, when the origination of it was to relieve capacity.' HS2's speed has been blamed for inflating costs and increasing the complexity of designs.
Glasgow Times
09-07-2025
- Business
- Glasgow Times
HS2's structures should have been ‘largely completed' by now
Mark Wild, HS2 Ltd chief executive, said one of the main causes of the delays was starting construction work before designs were finalised and local planning consents were in place. Notice to proceed was granted by the government in April 2020. Mr Wild blamed cost overruns on the awarding of contracts which meant the government held all the risk in case of problems, and failings of HS2 Ltd. He said the coronavirus pandemic and the rise in inflation caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine had also had an impact. Phase One of HS2 between London and Birmingham was initially planned to open by the end of 2026. This was later pushed back to between 2029 and 2033, but Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said last month there was 'no route' to meeting that timeframe. In 2013, HS2 was estimated to cost £37.5 billion (at 2009 prices) for the entire planned network, including the now-scrapped extensions from Birmingham to Manchester and Leeds. In June last year, HS2 Ltd assessed the cost for the line between London and Birmingham would be up to £66 billion. HS2 workers gather to observe boring machine Mary Ann breaking through at Washwood Heath depot near Birmingham city centre (Jacob King/PA) Mr Wild, who was appointed late last year, told the Commons Transport Select Committee: 'The construction of the civil engineering should have been largely completed by now. 'The reality is we're about 60% complete.' He added: 'The whole scheme, which includes, of course, the tracks, the overhead lines, the trains, the system integration, we're about a third complete.' Mr Wild described the project as 'a unique challenge in this country'. He went on: 'A third of this route is actually underground or in cuttings. 'This is a huge, considerable, maybe the biggest civil engineering project ever undertaken in this country. 'The facts are, in the first two years of effort, we simply didn't make enough progress.'
Western Telegraph
09-07-2025
- Business
- Western Telegraph
HS2's structures should have been ‘largely completed' by now
Mark Wild, HS2 Ltd chief executive, said one of the main causes of the delays was starting construction work before designs were finalised and local planning consents were in place. Notice to proceed was granted by the government in April 2020. This is a huge, considerable, maybe the biggest civil engineering project ever undertaken in this country. The facts are, in the first two years of effort, we simply didn't make enough progress Mark Wild, HS2 Ltd Mr Wild blamed cost overruns on the awarding of contracts which meant the government held all the risk in case of problems, and failings of HS2 Ltd. He said the coronavirus pandemic and the rise in inflation caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine had also had an impact. Phase One of HS2 between London and Birmingham was initially planned to open by the end of 2026. This was later pushed back to between 2029 and 2033, but Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said last month there was 'no route' to meeting that timeframe. In 2013, HS2 was estimated to cost £37.5 billion (at 2009 prices) for the entire planned network, including the now-scrapped extensions from Birmingham to Manchester and Leeds. In June last year, HS2 Ltd assessed the cost for the line between London and Birmingham would be up to £66 billion. HS2 workers gather to observe boring machine Mary Ann breaking through at Washwood Heath depot near Birmingham city centre (Jacob King/PA) Mr Wild, who was appointed late last year, told the Commons Transport Select Committee: 'The construction of the civil engineering should have been largely completed by now. 'The reality is we're about 60% complete.' He added: 'The whole scheme, which includes, of course, the tracks, the overhead lines, the trains, the system integration, we're about a third complete.' Mr Wild described the project as 'a unique challenge in this country'. He went on: 'A third of this route is actually underground or in cuttings. 'This is a huge, considerable, maybe the biggest civil engineering project ever undertaken in this country. 'The facts are, in the first two years of effort, we simply didn't make enough progress.'
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
VINCI Construction expands in Canada with acquisition of Peters Bros Construction
VINCI Construction has finalised the acquisition of Peters Bros Construction, a Canadian paving company specialising in roadwork services and asphalt products. This move is set to bolster VINCI's operations in Western Canada, particularly in the British Columbia interior region where Peters Bros is well-established. Peters Bros, founded in 1981 and headquartered in the Okanagan Valley, employs up to 140 people during peak season. The company, which primarily operates in areas such as Dawson Creek, Williams Lake, Merritt, Kelowna, and Penticton, reported annual revenues of approximately C$90m ($70.2m) in 2024. VINCI Construction already operates in the Vancouver area, as well as in Alberta and Saskatchewan. With British Columbia's population projected to grow by 50% by 2046, VINCI aims to meet the increasing demand for road infrastructure in the province. VINCI, a global player in concessions, energy solutions, and construction, employs 285,000 people in more than 120 countries. The company is involved in designing, financing, building, and operating infrastructure. In recent developments, Balfour Beatty VINCI's (BBV) tunnel boring machine, Mary Ann, completed the first bore of the 5.8km Bromford Tunnel, a significant step in the UK's High Speed Two railway project. A team of 450 from BBV achieved this milestone in under two years. Additionally, in April this year, VINCI Building was selected by Muse and Bury Council as the contractor for the over £100m redevelopment of the Longfield Centre in Prestwich, England. VINCI will commence work on the project, following initial stages led by Chroma Consulting, starting with the construction of the Travel Hub at the site. "VINCI Construction expands in Canada with acquisition of Peters Bros Construction" was originally created and published by World Construction Network, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
