...the APSA awardees

Aunor, Mendoza win top prizes in Asia Pacific awards

By Bayani San Diego Jr.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

November 23, 2012

 

Brillante Mendoza and Nora Aunor.

DAVAO City, Philippines—Filipino actress Nora Aunor won the best actress prize while Brillante Mendoza bagged the best director award for “Thy Womb” in the 6th annual Asia Pacific Screen Awards held in Brisbane, Australia, Friday night.

Mendoza and Aunor were clearly ecstatic about their movie’s latest triumph.

“After winning abroad, we hope our countrymen would become more curious to watch our films so that indie films will be recognized not only by foreigners, but by Filipinos well,” said Mendoza.

Founded in 2007, the Asia Pacific Screen Awards seeks to “recognize and promote cinematic excellence and cultural diversity in the vast Asia-Pacific region … and is considered as the region’s highest accolade in film.”

All APSA winners and nominees are inducted into the Asia Pacific Screen Academy. They are some of the most respected names in film from the region.

Four years ago, Ishmael Bernal’s “Himala,” which also starred Aunor, won the CNN APSA Viewers’ Choice award for best Asia-Pacific film of all time.

Aunor and Mendoza were informed of the good news while at the Philippine premiere of “Thy Womb,” held during the second Sineng Pambansa at the SM Lanang in Davao City.

They chose to hold the local premiere of “They Womb” in Davao because the film was set in Tawi-Tawi.

Both Aunor and Mendoza fell in love with the island-province and have dedicated the film’s many triumphs to its “gentle, peace-loving” people.

Co-star Mercedes Cabral also graced the Davao screening,

APSA celebrates “the finest, bravest and most audacious cinema in the region,” according to its web site.

Chris Martinez, who attended the event in Brisbane, told the Inquirer that Marlon Rivera, the director of “Ang Babae sa Septic Tank,” was awarded the APSA Netpac award which comes with a film development cash prize of $5,000. Martinez was nominated for best screenplay in APSA for “Ang Babae sa Septic Tank.”

In September, “Thy Womb” won three awards at the 69th Venice International Film Festival: Bisato D’Oro, La Navicella or Venezia Cinema prize and the P. Nazareno Taddei Award Special Mention.

...the new PH air infrastructures

DOTC seeks bidders for airport projects

Philstar.com

15 June 2012

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) is looking for firms interested in the development of seven provincial airports worth over P300 million.

“The DOTC is inviting prospective bidders to be part of this initiative by joining the open and transparent bidding process for the construction, rehabilitation and/or expansion of seven airports in the Philippines,” the department said in a published notice yesterday.

The first project, it said, is the development of the Butuan airport in Agusan del Sur which has an approved budget of P45.5 million and will involve the expansion of the airport ramp, improvement of vehicle parking area and construction of hollow block fence and drainage system.

The second project is the development of the Cotabato airport in Maguindanao which serves 186,000 passengers each year.

The Cotabato airport development project with an approved cost of P58.1 million will involve the widening of taxiway and runway as well as the construction of a new perimeter fence.

For the development of the Dipolog airport in Zamboanga del Norte which will involve construction of a new passenger terminal building, the DOTC said the project has an approved budget of P55.2 million.

The government also wants to develop the Pagadian airport in Zamboanga del Sur, which serves about 118,000 passengers each year.

The Pagadian airport development project which has an approved budget of P42 million entails the rehabilitation and improvement of passenger terminal building, extension of runway, widening of taxiway, expansion of vehicle parking area and construction of perimeter fence and drainage system.

For the P63.9 million development of the Sanga-Sanga airport in Tawi-Tawi, the DOTC said the work will include putting up new passenger terminal building, expansion of airport ramp and construction of drainage system.

The government is also developing the Maasin airport in southern Leyte so that it can accommodate commercial flights.

The Maasin airport development project with an approved budget of P43.4 million will involve the construction of runway strip and runway subgrade extension.

In order to sustain the development of tourism in Palawan, the government wants to improve the San Vicente airport.

The development of the San Vicente airport which has an approved budget of P62.7 million will entail the construction of passenger terminal, runway extension with slope protection, hill obstruction removal, construction of fire station building and elevated 2,500-gallon water tank.

Interested bidders may obtain the bid documents for each airport development project from the DOTC office in Mandaluyong City or the websites of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System and the DOTC for P50,000 between June 13 to July 5.

A pre-bid conference for all the airport development projects is scheduled on June 22.

The deadline for submission and opening of bids for all the projects is on July 5.

“The DOTC is improving and expanding the passenger and airport traffic handling capacity of seven provincial airports in order to support growth in tourism and business activity in the country,” the department said.

The DOTC added that the projects will further ensure passengers are given a convenient, affordable, reliable, efficient and safe transport.

DOTC Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II said the government was keen on improving the airports in San Vicente, Palawan; Pagadian City in Zamboanga del Sur; Butuan City in Agusan del Norte; Dipolog City in Zamboanga del Norte;  Sanga-Sanga in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi; Cotabato City in North Cotabato;  and Maasin in Southern Leyte.

“The government is committed to improve the airports in these areas where trade and tourism have been in an upswing for the past year,” Roxas said.

“And the government will not stop in implementing these programmed infrastructure projects, through a transparent public bidding, to improve the lives and welfare of the people in the rural areas.”

Roxas expressed belief that the local economy where the airports are situated will further grow.

“These projects will have a multiplier effect as more commercial establishments, factories and industrial plants are expected to be built in these areas, hence the creation of more jobs for rural folks.  It will also result in more consumer spending where these projects are located,” Roxas said. – With Rainier Allan Ronda - By Louella D. Desiderio (Philstar News Service, www.philstar.com)