Motoring Today Column

Nov 06, 2019

Ready for the holiday traffic

Christmas is definitely here and so is the heavy traffic around Metro Manila.

The Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has announced the measures to ease the holiday traffic after meeting with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), shopping mall operators, water utility and telecommunication companies.

MMDA General Manager Jojo Garcia announced the traffic action plan that will be implemented from November 11 to January 10 next year will include the following:

First, all shopping malls located in Metro Manila will begin their operations by 11AM, an hour later from the usual 10AM opening time, during weekdays.

Second, shopping mall operators will deploy additional security personnel to facilitate long lines of vehicles going inside mall parking areas which cause traffic gridlock.

Third, obstructions at loading and unloading bays in the vicinity of shopping malls will be removed.

Fourth, deliveries of non-perishable goods will be limited only from 11PM, to 5AM.

And fifth, there will be a temporary suspension of road reblocking work along EDSA and C5, except government flagship projects or emergency cases.

There are some 100 shopping malls in Metro Manila, each one attracting huge crowds that cause traffic around their areas which affect the main thoroughfares.

CALAX

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has partially opened the first sections of theCavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX) which covers the Mamplasan Barrier onto Laguna Technopark Interchange, Laguna Boulevard Interchange all the way to Santa Rosa-Tagaytay Interchange.

According to DPWH Sec. Mark Villar, the project is already 90 percent complete.

The new road will result in a big cut in travel time compared to the 45-minutes it usually takes to travel Mamplasan to Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay road.

The DPWH secretary also stressed that in order to decongest Sta. Rosa- Tagaytay Road, Governor's drive, Aguinaldo Highway, it is imperative that the total 45-kilometer length of CALAX be completed by June 2022.

Once completed, it will only take only about 45minutes to an hour to drive from Mamplasan to Kawit Cavite. The new road will serve some 50,000 vehicles.

CALAX is designed to be a four-lane, tolled expressway that will connect CAVITEX in Kawit to South Luzon Expressway at their Mamplasan Interchange in Binan Laguna.

Isuzu's modern PUVs

Isuzu Philippines Corporation (IPC) last week turned over 17 modern PUVs to the Metro Valenzuela Transport Service Cooperative (Metroval TSC).

During the formal turnover, held at the parking grounds of Metroval TSC, Mr. Celso Ensila Jr., Metroval TSC Chairman said the new PUVs' route will be around Valenzuela, specifically eight units for Malanday-Pier, four units for Malanday-Divisoria, three units for Malanday-Recto, one unit for Malanday-Sta Cruz, and one unit for Meycauayan-Monumento.

The 17 modernized PUVs have been assembled using the Isuzu QKR77 platform, with the rear body designed and manufactured by Almazora Motors Corp.

The units are all air-conditioned Class 2 PUVs with a side-facing seat configuration. The Isuzu QKR platform is assembled in the Philippines and is equipped with Euro IV-compliant 4JH1-TC Diesel Engine that delivers excellent fuel economy.

The new PUV body is compliant with Philippine National Standards (PNS 2126:2017), with the passenger cabin providing more space for passengers to move easily inside.

The passenger door is situated on the right side, facing the sidewalk. Other design features of the body include panoramic windows and windshields, full-body insulation, and automatic door closer.

The Isuzu modern PUVs are "customized with various accessories such as WiFi, GPS, CCTV, LED displays and automatic fare collection system enabling cashless operations.

The 17 modern PUVs that Metroval TSC is now using are the latest additions in support of the government's efforts to modernize all PUVs by June 2020, as embodied in the PUV Modernization Program that envisions the replacement of some 200,000 PUVs nationwide 15 years and older with new, safe and environmentally friendly vehicles.

Metroval TSC is a well-established transport entity in Valenzuela.

Happy Motoring!!!

For comments & inquiries:

(email) sunshine.television@yahoo.com

(website) www.motoringtoday.ph

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ray Butch Gamboa graduated from the College of Arts and Letters of the University of Sto. Tomas. It was a course that should have been preparatory to a law degree, but the call of broadcasting aborted his plans.

At the age of 16, while still a student, Butch tried his hand at disc jockeying, landing a job at Mareco Broadcasting Network’s AM stations DZBM and DZLM. From there, Butch moved on with his illustrious career as a popular disc jockey, riding the airwaves of Bob Stewart’s middle-of-the-road music at DZXX, and ending his disc jockeying career at ABS-CBN’s DZYL and DZQL.

From there, he stayed on with ABS-CBN, covering live the proceedings at the Manila Stock Exchange and eventually entered into the world of television sales as an account manager for the premier channel of ABS-CBN Channel 2.

In the early 70’s, at the outbreak of Martial Law, Butch was one of the thousands of professionals who woke up jobless when then President Marcos declared the new status of the nation. With the closure of ABS-CBN, Butch ventured into different fields outside of broadcast. He tried his hand and with ease and success at export (Costume jewelry), real estate (brokerage), and restaurants (fast food).

In 1987, after the revolution, with the broadcast industry back to its free state, and with its irresistible call ringing in his ears, Butch made his inevitable comeback and pioneered in a local motoring show, producing Motoring Today on Channel 4 and co-hosting with local motor sports’ living legend Pocholo Ramirez.

After 4 years, he ventured into another pioneering format by producing and hosting Business & Leisure, which was originally aired on ABS-CBN’s Channel 2. The format eventually espoused similar ones in other different channels. But the clones in due course faded away leaving the original staying on airing on Channel 4 and eventually on Shop TV on Sky Cable’s Channel 13.

The following year, the pioneering spirit in Butch spurred him to produce another TV show, Race Weekend, also on Channel 4, covering circuit racing at the Subic International Raceway after the motor sport’s hiatus of 17 years. But when similar shows with duplicated formats sprouted, he decided to give way and ended the program after a year, although still enjoying unparalleled viewership.

In 1998, when the local automotive industry was in a slump, Butch contributed his share to help the ailing industry by producing another popular motoring-related show, this time exclusive to the automobile and its industry—Auto Focus, which became a vehicle for local automotive assemblers and importers to showcase their products and dwell on the industry’s latest technological developments.

In 2003, Butch teamed up with his brother, Rey Gamboa who was a former Shell executive and presently one Philippine Star’s business columnist to co-produce and co-host the TV show Breaking Barriers on Channel 13. It is a talk show that features guests who are in the news and in the middle of controversies. The program ventures to draw deeper insights into current issues to learn how they impact to our daily lives.

Today, Motoring Today on its 28th year of service to the general motoring public still enjoys its unprecedented loyal vierwership nationwide while Auto Focus, after 16 years has firmly established its niche viewership among automobile enthusiasts and on the other hand Business & Leisure is on its 24th year dishing out current business issues and lifestyle features.

Today, aside from writing weekly columns for the Philippine Star (Motoring Today on Wednesdays and Business & Leisure on Saturdays) and executive producer / host of weekly TV shows (Motoring Today, airs Sundays on Solar Sports Channel 70, Business & Leisure, airs Tuesdays on Shop TV, Sky Cable Channel 13 and Auto Focus airs Thursdays on Shop TV, Sky Cable Channel 13, Ray Butch Gamboa is currently the Chairman and CEO of Sunshine Television Production and Marketing Services Corp., President of Gamcor Management and Development Corp., Chairman of Asia-Pacific Realty Corporation, President and Chairman of Socio-Communication Foundation for Asia and Founding Chairman of the Society of Phil. Motoring Journalists (SPMJ)