Aklan’s 8.1% inflation in Sept among highest in WV

PRICES OF goods and services continue to rise in Aklan such that the inflation of the province up by a faster rate of 8.1 percent in September from 2.0 percent a year ago according to Philippine Statistics Authority-Aklan.

Increment of prices was among the fastest in Western Visayas following Negros Occidental with 9.1 percent.

It exceeded the national average at 6.7 percent, and the regional rate at 7.6 percent.

The uptrend was attributed to the 24.1 percent increase in Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco, 11.0 percent rise on Transport, and 10.9 percent spike in Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages.

This is further fueled by the acceleration of indices in Recreation and Culture (8.3%), Restaurants and Miscellaneous Goods and Services (6.8%), Furnishings, Household Equipment and Housing Maintenance (5.4%), Clothing and Footwear (5.0%), Health (3.4%), Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels (2.6%), and Communication (1.0).

Only Education slowed down with 21.1 percent.

On a monthly basis, consumer prices slightly notched up by 0.8 percent from 1.8 percent during the previous month.

Most commodities retained its previous month’s rates except for Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages with 1.5% increase, Transport with 1.0%, HWEG and Other Fuels with 0.4%, and Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco with 0.3%.

Food index was pushed by the uptick in Corn (3.7%), Fish (3.4%), Vegetables (2.6%), Rice (1.7%), Sugar and related products (1.6%), Bread and cereals (1.4%), Fruit (1.0%), Non-alcoholic beverages (0.5%), Milk, cheese, and eggs (0.4%), Meat (0.4%), Food Products NEC (0.4%), Oils and Fats (0.3%), and Flour and Other Bakery Products (0.2%).

As a result of inflation, Aklan’s purchasing power of peso was pegged to P0.84 in September, which means that the same basket of goods and services worth P84.00 in 2012 can be bought at P100.00 September 2018.##

-PSA Aklan

KATRINA HALILI BISITA SA OPENING SALVO NG KALIBO ATI-ATIHAN FESTIVAL BUKAS

BUKAS NA ang opening salvo ng Kalibo Sto. Niño Ati-atihan Festival – ang tinaguriang “The Mother of All Philippine Festival” – sa Pastrana Park.

Sa panayam ng Energy FM Kalibo kay Albert Meñez, chairman ng Kalibo Sto. Niño Ati-atihan Foundation Inc. (Kasafi) bisita sa event ang sexy actress na si Katrina Halili.

Sinabi ni Meñez na umabot na sa 63 tribes, modern groups at Balik Ati ang kalahok sa event.

Magsisimula ang sadsad ng mga kalahok alas-3:00 ng hapon mula sa Magsaysay Park patungong Pastrana Park kung saan gaganapin ang programa.

Sa programa ipakikilala ang 16 finalists ng Mutya it Kalibo, mensahe mula sa mga opisyal ng bayan at ng probinsiya, at ang pormal na deklarasyon ng pagsisimula ng ilang buwang selebrasyon ng Ati-atihan.

Pagkatapos ay matutunghayan ang mga fireworks at confetti. Ayon kay Meñez pahihintulutang magsadsad lahat kasama ang mga kalahok hanggang alas-10:00 ng gabi.

Sa gabi ay mayroon din kasiyahan sa Magsaysay Park kasama ang mga DJs at iba-ibang banda.

Kasabay ng Ati-atihan Opening Salvo ang pagbubukas rin ng Isla ng Boracay. Paliwanag ng Kasafi chairman, itinuon nila ang opening salvo sa parehong araw para ipagdiwang ang pagbubukas ng Isla.

Una nang naibalita na “in place” na ang mga security preparations ng kapulisan para sa pagdiriwang.##

DOTr, CAAP Board grants OPS to develop Davao, Kalibo Airports

THE DEPARTMENT of Transportation, through the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), has granted Original Proponent Status (OPS) to Chelsea Logistics Holdings Corporation for Davao International Airport, while Mega 7 Construction Corporation was given OPS to the Kalibo International Airport (KIA).

The CAAP Board, which is headed by DOTr Sec. Arthur Tugade, has obtained the needed number of signatures from its members and released the grant of OPS in favor of the Kalibo and Davao proponents on Friday, 19 October 2018. The Board is currently meeting with the proponents to facilitate completion of requirements by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), who will still evaluate the proposals for approval.

The CAAP Board is composed of DOTr Sec. Tugade, CAAP Dir. Gen. Jim Sydiongco, Department of Tourism Sec. Bernadette Romulo Puyat, Department of Finance Sec. Carlos Dominguez III, Department of Interior and Local Government Sec. Eduardo Año, Department of Foreign Affairs Sec. Teodoro Locsin, Jr., Department of Labor and Employment Sec. Silvestre Bello III, and Department of Justice Sec. Menardo Guevarra.

The OPS granted to Chelsea Logistics Holdings will be for the operation, maintenance and expansion of the Davao International Airport. It will also offer a new technology to enhance passenger experience and an airport operator which captures data to deliver efficient operations.

Meanwhile, the OPS given to Mega 7 Construction will be for the operation, maintenance and upgrade of facilities and systems in the Kalibo International Airport.

The Chelsea Logistics Holdings submitted its PhP49-billion unsolicited proposal (USP) to the DOTr on 28 May 2018, while Mega 7 Construction Corporation sent their USP of PhP3.8-billion on 6 August 2018. The DOTr and CAAP have no objections on the unsolicited proposals, subject to legal, technical and financial conditionalities.

Both proposals will also include the expansion of Passenger Terminal Buildings and a concession period for 30 years.

These unsolicited proposals will still have to undergo Swiss challenge. This means other groups may submit counterproposals and both companies have the option to match.

The Davao and Kalibo International airports have been lined up for development and among DOTr’s high priority infrastructure projects under President Duterte’s “Build Build Build” program.

The Duterte administration, through the leadership of DOTr Sec. Arthur Tugade, is keen on developing new international and regional airports to enhance connectivity and mobility, as well as address congestion in premiere gateways.##

-DOTr