The Nation BCDA, AFP and DND start construction for 9-storey Navy residential building NZ govt keeps Level 2 travel advice for PHL after Kiwi slay

By Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo @akosistellaBM Special to the BusinessMirror

play a very large part of that.”

He added, “The number of visitor arrivals is recovering. It is my hope that, by working together, we restore Ilocos’ vibrancy in tourism to pre-pandemic levels and beyond.”

The festival is a dance-off among 23 towns and cities of Ilocos Norte, and was won by Currimao.

Data from the Department of Tourism (DOT) showed visitor arrivals reached 680,034 from January 1 to February 14, 2023, of which 55,268 were overseas Filipinos, and 624,766 were foreign tourists.

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario & Rene Acosta @reneacostaBM

THE Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) has begun the construction of a nine-storey residential building for the Philippine Navy.

A symbolic capsule-laying and groundbreaking for the project was held last week and it was led by BCDA Chairman Delfin Lorenzana, BCDA President and Chief Executive Officer (PCEO)

Aileen Zosa and Department of National Defense Officerin-Charge Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr.

It was also attended by top military officials, including Navy Chief Vice Admiral Toribio Adaci Jr., and Philippine Marine Corps Commandant Major Gen. Charlton Sean Gaerlan.

T he building, located in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City, is one of 23 structures to be built under the agreement between the BCDA, Department of National Defense and Armed Forces of the Philippines.

T he agreement called for the replication and relocation of Navy’s facilities from the 33-hectare Bonifacio South Pointe and Navy Village.

We assure the AFP and Department of National Defense that from procurement to implementation, and up to the completion of these facilities, we will be with you,” BCDA chief Aileen Zosa also assured the Navy.

S ituated on a 25-hectare area inside the Bonifacio Naval Station, the structure shall serve as a permanent housing facility for the Senior Officers of the Philippine Navy affected by the construction of the new Senate Building and the ongoing area development in Bonifacio South Pointe.

T his construction project will involve site development and will have 90 residential units, each with a floor area of 124 square meters complete with all the amenities and features of a condominium unit. It is expected to be completed by 2025.

This praiseworthy project will not only impact the morale and welfare of our sailors and marines but will significantly contribute also to the operational preparedness of the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” DND OIC Secretary Galvez Jr. said.

The quarters will provide warm and cozy homes for their respective families who share the weight of their sacrifices,” Galvez added.

T he project is one of the 23 structures that will be built for the Navy in fulfillment of an agreement signed in August 2021 by the BCDA, DND and AFP for the replication and relocation of Navy’s facilities from the 33-hectare Bonifacio South Pointe and Navy Village.

“ I would like to thank the BCDA for their efforts in ensuring that the implementation remains aligned with the interests of the Navy and supportive of our existing modernization efforts,” Adaci said.

Z osa assured the Navy that processes to be implemented for the project will be “transparent, efficient and according to specifications.”

Funded under the General Appropriations Act, the construction of this facility will be the first functional replication project to be undertaken by the BCDA for the Navy.

W ith the AFP as its biggest stakeholder, the BCDA is mandated, pursuant to Republic Act 7227, to raise funds for the AFP Modernization Program and to convert former US military bases into areas for economic growth.

T he state corporation is likewise responsible in ensuring functional replication and relocation of military facilities that will be affected by its development projects.

Reviewed on June 22, 2022 with a notation that the advisory is “still current at 26 February 2023,” the travel advisory published on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s (MFAT) website warns New Zealand citizens to “exercise increased caution elsewhere in the Philippines, including Manila, due to the threat of terrorism, risk of kidnapping, and violent crime (level 2 of 4).”

It informs its citizens of “high rates of violent crime” in the country such as armed robbery, assault, and murder, with “criminal gangs active in the Manila area, and have drugged and robbed unsuspecting tourists. Crime is more prevalent at night, particularly in urban areas.”

It also admonishes its citizens not to resist if they fall victim to robbery, mugging, or carjacking “as this could lead to an escalation in violence.”

It advises New Zealanders to take taxis called by hotel staff or from taxis queued at the mall, “rather than hailing one in the street,” or using hotel transportation service or GrabTaxis.

Visitor arrivals reach 680,034

THIS developed as President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. reiterated his support to the tourism sector, which can help the economy to recover, as he celebrated the Tan-ok ni Ilocano Festival in Laoag City over the weekend. Speaking at the Ferdinand E. Marcos Memorial Stadium on Friday, Marcos Jr. said, “I assure you that the government’s commitment to strengthen the domestic tourism industry remains a top priority and Ilocos Norte will