#nationataglance Diesel in highest rise this week at P1.45/L OIL. COMPANIES wil aise the prices of diesel products this week by PLAS per itr (/L, the biggest increase so far this year and the eighth week of price hikes since early August. Gasoline prod Ucts wil also go up by PY/L, the ninth straight week of increase. Kerosene prices will be up by P1.35/L. The price adjustment takes effect at 6:00 am. Today. “These reflect movements in the international oil market,” Petron Corp. said, adding that the prices ate inclusive of value-added tax. Last week, the per liter prices of gasoline, diesel and kerosene products rose by P1.00, P1.35 and PLO, respectively. — Vietor V. Saulon CALABARZON: BATANGAS Sarees Star toll plazas now RFID-ready THE TOLL plazas of the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (Star) Tollway now have RFID (radio-frequency identification) technology, allowing ‘seamless travel through the 42-kilometer highway connecting Santo To- ‘mas town and Batangas City. Ina statement yesterday, San Miguel Corp. ‘subsidiary Star Tollway Corp,, operator of the toll road, said “Autosweep RFID payment lanes, alongside regular cash lanes, are now operational at the toll plazas.” The company said about 58,000 vehicles traverse Star Tollway daily, of which 28% are using Autosweep RFID as payment mode. “We encourage motorists to utilize the Autosweep RFID access ‘as mode to pay their toll fees. Tis is one of the plans that we are imple- ‘menting in order to lessen hassle and ensure faster travel. We are more optimistic that with the inclusion of the Star Tollway into San Miguel In~ frestructure's Autosweep RFID system, we will be able to handle vehicle volumes at a faster rate,” the company said. The other tollways operated by San Miguel Infrastructure are: South Luzon Expressway (SLEX), Sky- vay, and the Ninoy Aquina International Airport Expressway (NAIAX). WSIT/ZAMBOANGA CO ZAMBOANGA PENINSULA: ZAMBOANGA CITY Sea show ‘As Zamboanga City celebrates its month-long Hermosa Festival, crowds flocked to the R.T. Lim Boulevard Sunday, Oct. 7, to watch the Regatta de Zamboanga where some 200 traditional sailboats joined the annual race, followed by a 20-minute Capability Demonstration by the Philippine Navy, along with the Air Force, Marines, and the Army as well asthe Philippine Coast Guard. ‘Senators propose tweaks to transport modernization program LAWMAKERS HAVE put forward proposed adjustments inthe government's Public Utility Vehicles (PUV) mod- ernization program, mainly in consideration of jeepney drivers who will be affected by the transition to more environment-riendly transport. Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph G. Recto on Monday proposed to the Department of Transportation (DoT) to make the vehi- cle upgrade voluntary, instead of mandatory, for driv- ets, Senator Paolo Benigno A. Aquino IV, meanwhile, filed a bill providing a five-year transition plan for the modernization program. — Camille A. Aguinaldo De Castro on short Supreme Court leadership: ‘I tried my best’ WITH JUST over a month serving as the Supreme Court's (SC) top magistrate, retiring Chief Justice Teresita Leonardo-De Castro said she tried her best to bring reforms during her short stint. “I tried my best so that my presence will be most felt not only by the employees of the court but also of our judges and justices nationwide. | hope you have felt it” she said in ‘speech in her last flag raising ceremony at the SC on Oct. 8. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas Bl denies Sr. Fox’s appeal ‘to extend missionary visa THE BUREAU of Immigration (BI) on Monday denied “with finality” the appeal of Australian missionary Patricia Anne Fox for the extension of her missionary visa. In a statement, the BI said that the nun's motion for reconsideration was denied as itis “merely a reit- eration or rehash of arguments already submitted, and found to be without merit," and that Ms, Fox “failed to raise any new and substantial arguments.” ~ Vann Marlo M. Villegas TASS peste tatsioy vy sami te aR cade wih ie yoursmariphon ory tig te ink CENTRAL VISAYAS: NAGA CITY, CEBU Retrieval ops for Naga land: closed; focus now on rehabilitation, investigation AUTHORITIES HAVE terminated the retrieval op- erations in Naga City, Cebu, where massive land- slides killed at least 78 people on Sep. 20, Efforts ‘will now focus on rehabilitation. As of Sunday, five people remain unaccounted for. Naga Councilor Carmelito Cruz, Jr., also the head of the head of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and the Emergency Operations Center, said atleast P400 milion will be needed for the permanent relocation of 400 families. “We are in the process of conducting a Post Disaster Needs ‘Assessment (PONA) with the guidance of Cebu Province and the (regional) Office of Civil Defense. ‘The inputs during the PONA will form part ofthe Recovery and Rehabilitation Plan,” Mr. Cruz told The Freeman. The city currently has P55 million in local funds for the rehabilitation, excluding the P10 milion in donations. Mr. Cruz said the national ‘government has committed to give P175 million through the National Housing Authority. Mean ihile, the Cebu provincial board started on Mon- day its own investigation into the Naga landslides, ‘hich is being blamed on quarrying operations. ~The Freeman >> See full story on https;//g00.g//VSDPhP ABOMTZPOWERCOM CABLES around Davao City government ‘buildings have been moved underground. DAVAO: DAVAO CITY PIB set for Davao underground cable project phase 2 THE SECOND phase of the underground cable project in Davao City will cost about P1 billion, an official of its major proponent, ‘boitiz-owned Davao Light and Power Co. (DLPC), said over the weekend. DLPC President Jaime Jose Y. Aboitiz said the company, in partnership with the city gov- ‘emment and other utilities, have already started implementation, “Our immediate ‘goal isto transfer some six circuit Kilome- ters of overhead lines underaround from CM. Recto Street up to Quirino Avenue,” said Mr. ‘Aboitiz. Mayor Sara Z. Duterte-Carpio, in her state of the city address last week, said the phase 2is expected to be completed in June 2019, In 2014, the late councilor Leonardo R, Avila Il pushed for transfer of cables underground. Phase 1 was completed last year, covering the downtown area around the city government buildings. Early last year, the city government passed an ordi- nance that mandated utilities to place all cables underground. Under the ordinance, non-compliant companies will facea fine. — Carmelito Q. Francisco BBUSINESSWORLD GRAPHICS: ERKA CAPIL!INCIONG