THE extension of LRT Line 1 is now for implementation after the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) Board has given its go-signal for it.

Neda officer in charge Augusto Santos said in an interview that the board—chaired by President Arroyo—has given its nod to the LRT Line 1 extension in a meeting Tuesday.

“We have already approved the extension of LRT Line 1 on Edsa, and the project will now be implemented,” said Santos.

The extension of the LRT Line 1 is in line with the plans of the government to purchase the contract for the MRT 3 from the Metro Rail Transit Corp. (MRTC).

Neda documents show that the P5.98-billion LRT Line 1 North Extension Project will close the MRT-LRT loop by extending Line 1, which ends in Monumento station, to the North Avenue station of MRT 3. The project was proposed by the Light Rail Transit Authority. 

The project involves the construction and detailed design of a 5.71-km elevated line with two new intermediate stations, Roosevelt and Balintawak, and a terminal station, the LRT1 North Avenue station.

“The Balintawak station will provide modal interchange with bus and jeepney services entering Metro Manila from the north via the North Luzon Expressway,” the Neda document read.

The project will be implemented for a period of two years. Construction will begin in 2008 and will be completed by April 2010.

MANILA Electric Co. (Meralco) is set to offer to its customers with a monthly consumption of 1,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) its time-of-use rates by November.

STATE-RUN National Transmission Corp. (Transco) said Tuesday that technical investigations done by its personnel reported that malfunctioning transmission-line protective relay resulted in power interruptions in the adjacent incoming and outgoing transmission lines at its Kibawe substation in Bukidnon. This has caused power outages in some parts of Mindanao.

THE National Power Corp. (Napocor) will sit down with Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) to study options how it can provide stable power supply at affordable rates.

THE extension of LRT Line 1 is now for implementation after the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) Board has given its go-signal for it.

ELECTRICITY from nuclear power will be one way for the country to remain competitive in the next 10 to 15 years, said Arthur Young, chairman of the Semiconductors and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Inc. (Seipi).

A NEW rice variety, developed by a leading rice-research agency in Asia, for flooded, low-lying fields promises not only of enduring flood water but also of resisting the three known most dreaded rice pests—bacterial blast, tungro and stemborer.

THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) said it is reviewing its memorandum of agreement with the Sugar Regulatory Authority (SRA) to include a group of producers based in Mindanao, among other stakeholders, to join in the government’s fight  againt sugar smuggling.