Cops step up security as vacationers return to Metro

MANILA, Philippines - Police in Metro Manila have intensified security at airports, seaports and bus terminals as people begin returning from holiday in the provinces.

National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Director Carmelo Valmoria has directed the five Metro Manila police district directors and 38 station commanders to deploy uniformed personnel in the vicinities of airports and seaports as the bulk of returning vacationers are expected to arrive in Metro Manila starting today.

The NCRPO alert status on Dec. 22 is expected to end after the Jan. 15-19 visit of Pope Francis.

Valmoria ordered the NCRPO to heighten intelligence gathering on criminals and possible troublemakers and to increase police visibility and checkpoints.

“We should also help man assistance desks at bus terminals, and go after petty criminals who might take advantage of the situation,” he said.

Hundreds barred from leaving port

In Ormoc City, hundreds of passengers were barred from boarding fast crafts to Cebu starting yesterday because of reports that waves could reach 3 to 4.5 meters high at sea.

A fast craft on its way to Ormoc from Cebu was forced to return to port after encountering huge waves.

The Coast Guard has the discretion to stop vessels, especially small and light ones, from leaving port during rough weather.

More vehicles use NLEX

Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) likely broke traffic records for December following the sharp surge in volume of vehicles using the 86.7-kilometer North Luzon Expressway (NLEX).

Unaudited data up to Dec. 27 showed that average daily transactions grew by 9.1 percent to 251,064 vehicles, as average daily entries climbed by 4.9 percent to 201,192 vehicles.

MPIC’s Manila North Tollways Corp. (MNTC) also reported its biggest single day transaction last Dec. 23 with 298,146 vehicles using NLEX.

The Tollways Management Corp. operates NLEX, the 93.77-km. Subic-Clark-Tarlac expressway (SCTEX), while the Cavite Infrastructure Corp. (CIC) operates the 13.5-km Manila-Cavite toll expressway (Cavitex).

MPIC’s Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC) booked an eight-percent increase in core net income to P1.55 billion in the first nine months of 2014, from P1.44 billion in the same period in 2013 as net toll revenues climbed four percent to P6.29 billion from P6.04 billion.

NLEX booked a four-percent rise in revenues to P5.47 billion as volume of vehicles went up by six percent to 181,449 average daily vehicle entries.

Revenues of Cavitex increased by seven percent to P830 million due to an eight-percent rise in average daily vehicle entries to 109,141.

The tollway arm of MPIC is forgoing over P2 billion in potential revenues as the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) has yet to act on the companies’ petition for toll hike over the past three years.

In total, MNTC and CIC lost P2.26 billion in potential revenues since 2012 due to the failure of TRB to act on their toll hike petitions.

Both operators lost P147 million in 2012, P990 million in 2013 and would forgo about P1.1 billion in 2014.

MNTC is in the final stages of construction of Segment 9 of the NLEX Harbor Link project slated to open to commercial traffic by the first quarter of 2015.

This segment features a 2.4-kilometer, four-lane at-grade expressway from the Smart Connect Interchange to MacArthur Highway in Valenzuela City.

Pre-construction activities for the elevated portion of the NLEX Harbor Link Project known as Segment 10 are progressing after the issuance of the notice to proceed to the civil works contractor last May 2014.

The 5.6-km, four-lane elevated expressway would run from the terminal of Segment 9 in Valenzuela City and go south to C-3 Road/5th Avenue in Caloocan City above the Philippine National Railways (PNR) tracks.

Operators and concessionaires of NLEX, Cavitex, South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) and the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR) are seeking toll increases starting this month.

MNTC sought an average of 15-percent toll increase for NLEX while CIC petitioned for a 25-percent hike for Cavitex. – With Lalaine Jimenea, Lawrence Agcaoili