Thread by @cnnphilippines

THREAD: Senate committee on public services holds hearing on cashless modes along tollways cnn.ph

Tweets by our digital producers @YsabelwithaWhyy and Bamba Galang

Senate committee chair Grace Poe: The Toll Regulatory Board can't even do its job of collecting toll fees - ₱44.24 million in 2017 uncollected, ₱859.94 million in 2019 - almost a billion pesos

Sen. Poe: The TRB, like the NDRRMC and PhilHealth, suffers from a governing board dominated by ex-officio cabinet secretaries who have more important things to do. The future of the TRB is another issue that should be resolved in this hearing.

Sen. Poe: The backlash in the cashless toll collecting service reminded of the importance of careful planning.

Valenzuela Mayor Rex Gatchalian is present in the hearing.

Earlier, he suspended NLEX Corp.'s business permit over traffic problems caused by its cashless toll-collecting system. He has since lifted the suspension after coming to an agreement with NLEX. bit.ly/3aw8BXl

Senator Joel Villanueva: While this was originally envisioned as an effective way to reduce human contact, but its implementation left much to be desired. Sa loob ng unang linggo ng pagpapalawak ng sistema, katakot-katakot na problema ang dinanas ng ating mga mananakay.

Sen. Villanueva: It is ironic that this system made heavy traffic the new normal in an expressway

Senator Manny Pacquiao also urges transportation authorities to resolve the issues on toll operations

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade: Let me sincerely apologize to the public who have been inconvenienced by the heavy congestion of the NLEX. Some points of the department order on cashless transaction may have contributed to this.

The hearing will also tackle the issue on the NAIA rehabilitation

On Tuesday, Megawide Corp. said it has been stripped off the right to upgrade the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, forcing another delay to its rehabilitation bit.ly/3akjH1a

DOTr Sec. Tugade on NAIA rehab: Nagkaroon ng decision ang board ng MIAA, isuspinde muna 'yung proposal or original proponent status ng Megawide sa kadahilanang na ito po ay hindi tumugma sa mga requirement ng NEDA patukoy sa equity requirement

NEDA yesterday denied its involvement in the revocation of Megawide’s OPS status bit.ly/34kdiiY

In November, NEDA and DOF questioned Megawide’s financial capacity to fund the NAIA rehabilitation plan bit.ly/34hmgNF

MIAA General Manager Ed Monreal: In that meeting, one of the board members — a Director Nakpil — requested for an executive session to discuss the present OPS of Megawide (1/2)

MIAA: There was a motion in the second session, he manifested that the OPS status of the Megawide may be revisited because of the letter received from NEDA and there was a motion to vote. The voting resulted to a majority decision to revoke the Megawide OPS (2/2)

Monreal reads NEDA’s letter dated Nov. 19 addressed to Tugade on Megawide’s original proponent status (1/2)

Monreal: We are returning the submitted unsolicited proposal and project documents in view of the findings of ICC (Investment Coordination Committee) secretariat’s evaluation that the equity position is insufficient to finance the equity requirement for the proposed project (2/2)

DOTr Usec. Ruben Reinoso: Hindi tinanggap ng NEDA ‘yung financing plan nila (Megawide) dahil speculative daw iyon

DOTr was asked to recall the previous proponents of the NAIA rehabilitation. Usec. Reinoso says the original proponent status was initially awarded to the super consortium (1/2)

DOTr Usec. Reinoso: Naapprove na noong NEDA board ‘yung proposal nila (super consortium) kaya lang nagbigay ng condition ang NEDA. Hindi na nagka sundo dahil sabi ng super consortium na hindi na daw viable ang proposal nila dahil sa condition ng NEDA (2/2)

DOTr: Nakarating nasa approval ng ICC and by the NEDA board. In-approve na nila kaya langnagbigay ng condition ng NEDA board. In-itremize iyon. Sinabi sa super consortium na kailangan nila i-comply. Nakalagay din sa batas na ang period of negotiation shall be completed in 85 days

DOTr: Nung natapos ang 85 days, hindi nagsakundo ang MIAA at super consortium dahil sabi ng super consortium hindi na viable ang proposal nila kapag tinggap nila ang condition ng NEDA board (1/2)

DOTr: Wala naman naging ibang option ang NEDA board kung hindi i-withdraw ng OPS nila. This year lang ito (2/2)

DOTr: Marami pong negotiation ang MIAA with the super consortium para maging acceptable ang kanilang proposal na natapos ng 2019.

DOTr: Sinulatan po ng MIAA ang Megawide kung interesado pa sila. Tinggap nila pati ang conditions.

DOTr: Ang nakalagay po doon (NEDA letter) hindi sila nag-comply.

Sen. Nany Binay: Pero may room po for them to comply? Nakasulat rin po sa letter ng NEDA na bigyan sila ng pagkakataon to comply? (1/2)

DOTr: Binigyan po sila ng deadline. Iyong deadline, hindi nila naibigay ang compliance kaya nag-convene ang board ng MIAA at dinesisyunan na ang kanilang proposal. (2/2)

Jaime Feliciano Megawide Chief Business Dev Officer: We have complied with the requirements set by the NEDA-ICC regarding the equity of the consortium so ang complication kasi nila the net worth requirement ng isang consortium should be based on the total project cost.

Feliciano. ‘Yung total project cost ng NAIA is 108.75 billion so ang plano namin is to finance with a combination of debt and equity. Yung debt is 70% yung equity is 30%

Feliciano: Yung 70%, 70 plus billion pesos, walang isyung niraise ang NEDA regarding capability. Ang issue talaga, is the equity portion, the 30%. Mga 32.63 billion.

Feliciano: Tama ‘yung Megawide net worth is only 18 billion as of 2019 na audited financial statements pero hindi lang yung Megawide magcocomply sa net worth, kasama si GMR. So pag pinagsama, Megawide is 60% GMR is 40% ang computation.

Feliciano: Out of 32.63 billion, 60% is 19.58, ang kulang na lang is 1.58 billion. We were able to comply through a set aside deposit we have reserved exclusively for NAIA.

Feliciano: From our perspective lahat ng requirement na sinet ng NEDA-ICC sinubmit na namin so nagulat kami nung nareceive ‘yung news na nrevoke ‘yung OPS.

Usec. Reinoso however says Megawide failed to meet the deadline given to them. He says MIAA was already asking for the documents in August. (1/2)

Megawide was only able to submit the documents on Nov. 20 a day after NEDA sent a letter to MIAA saying Megawide does not meet the equity requirement. (2/2)

Feliciano: Noong August po kasi there was a difference in interpretation of a specific rule. (1/3)

Feliciano: Doon kasi sa sinabi ng NEDA the basis of the net worth requirement should be the total project cost pero noong binasa ng rules ang undertsanding namin is that the proponent is only required to sustain the financing requirements of a project in phases. (2/3)

Feliciano: We did (send correspondence). Sabi po ng MIAA it's not sufficient according to NEDA-ICC because net worth should be based sa total project cost not in phases. I don't recall any deadline that was given regarding the submission. (3/3)

Megawide Construction Corp. and India-based GMR Infrastructure Limited submitted an unsolicited proposal in March 2018 to rehabilitate NAIA.

The tandem is also behind the Mactan-Cebu International Airport and the Clark International Airport.

Tugade: Noong Dec. 4, nagkaroon ng desisyon ang MIAA board na sabi revoke. Dec. 15, na-confirm ang decision to revoke with the following, number one, MIAA will continue with its ongoing rehab and reconstruction program giving emphasis to security and safety.

Tugade: Second, recognizing the procedural rights of Megawide in relation to the decision to revoke. In other words, ang reading ko po sa nangyari noong Dec. 15 hindi pa sarado ang usapan ng OPS ng Megawide.

Tugade: Halimbawa gusto ila umapela, pwede pa habang ginagawa ng MIAA ang kanilang rehab and reconstruction program.

Tugade: Napagusapan rin sa board iyan so hindi pa sarado iyon. Mayroon pang pinto na nakabukas para magkaroon ng pagkakataong pagusapan ang mga interpretasyon na ito.

Tugade: Kung mayroong compliance, sa aking pananaw, sa akin tuloy iyon kasi may compliance. Hindi pa nga nateterminate ng permanente iyan.

Minority leader Franklin Drilon: I am sure Megawide is still interested in pursuing this. Secretary Tugade appears to have an open mind. Maybe what we can do is give the parties a chance to sit down again.

Monreal: On the part of MIAA, since the original proponent status is a board action, should Megawide come up with a reconsideration we will present it to the board so that the board can act on it. The granting of OPS is not in the hands of the GM of MIAA. (1/2)

Monreal: We are still awaiting for any letter from Megawide and should there be a letter request then we will ask the baord to convene to study the proposal and see how the board takes it.

Monreal says the revocation of the OPS still stays since it is a board action: Unless the board says otherwise, tsaka lang po mawawala iyon.

Sen. Poe says if NEDA does not attend the next hearing on the NAIA rehabilitation, ‘they will be sanctioned’

Senate committee now tackles the issues on cashless tollways

Senator Win Gatchalian shows videos and photos of the traffic issues he experienced passing through NLEX and its toll gates.

Tugade: Itong order na ito ay binibigyan ang mga service provider at mga ahensiya ng gobyerno ng three months para magkaroon ng IRR para maimplement ang protocols para sa cashless transactions.

Tugade: Nakikita ko rin ang sitwasyon kaya bago dumating ang Nov 2 deadline, i-extend for another 30 days. Nagbigay rin ako ng 3 instructions: huwag alisin ang cash booths, walang fines at aresto pagdaan doon, at payagang bumaybay ang mga sasakyan sa tollways kahit walang RFID

Tugade says placing RFID stickers and reloading RFID accounts should not be done at the toll gates.

Tugade: Usapang prangkahan ito. Nakita ko na there is failure of implementation dito sa TRB kaya sabi ko kailangang tugunan ito.

Tugade says he instructed TRB to deploy roving and stationed toll marshalls, conduct regular monthly audit with daily reports of the toll marshalls and to intensify enforcement.

Tugade: From the very beginning, I have always advocated for interoperability - integration of the toll operators' systems to have only one system that will allow fast, efficient, seamless travel along expressways.

Tugade says since the DOTr has a lot of attached agencies, he designated an undersecretary to take part in board meetings of the TRB.

DOTr Usec. Reinier Yebra says TRB’s relationship with DOTr is only as an attached agency which means DOTr will only oversee policy and program coordination while the TRB executive director is in charge of day-to-day operations.

Tugade: Tama po kayo ako ang chairman ng TRB. Hindi po personal na presensiya namin ang pag-attend ng board dahil sa dami ng attached agencies namin. Nakakarating ba sa amin ang mga nangyayari sa board? Minsan oo, karamihan hindi.

DOTr: Policy po ang going cashless, pero sabi sa batas, kami po ay makikipag-coordinate lang ng policy sa TRB. As to the implementation at operationalization, executive director po ng TRB ang magsasagawa ng actual implementation.

Sen. Drilon: This structure of attached are all theoretical. On a day-to-day operation of the agency, the secretary can give directions.

Tugade: Kung talagang marami nang violation, under the concession agreement, may karapatan ang TRB na mag-impose ng sanction, penalty at fine.

DOTr Usec. Reinoso, the designated representative of the DOTr in the TRB board: In so far as the board is concerned walang nareceive ang board (na report) ng mga serious issues on the RFID at that time (first week of implementation).

TRB Executive Director Abraham Sales: Ito pong RFID nagpatupad si NLEX noong 2017. Nagkaroon ng dalawang audit sa operational aspect ng sistemang ito at ‘yun pong resulta binigay sa operator at napagsabihan na icorrect ‘yung deperensya diyan at patuloy na cinocorrect. (1/2)

Director Sales: Sa nasunod na audit nandoon pa rin ‘yung problema na ‘yan, tuloy-tuloy ang pagcorrect. Ang problema sa cashless is primarily ‘yung paglagay ng sticker lane sa plaza ng Mindanao. (2/2)

Valenzuela City Mayor Rex Gatchalian: Dati pa lang, lagi na kaming nagco-complain. Siguro hindi pansinin kasi minority ang gumagamit. Even at that time, NLEx had the chance to perfect the system. (1/2)

Mayor Gatchalian: Hindi po kami tutol sa paggamit ng teknolohiya to improve services. Matagal na panahon na yet the system was faulty from day 1. (2/2)

Mayor Gatchalian: Now, dahil nag-agree na kami ng NLEx na barriers up kami from 5 am to 10 pm, right now, sobrang smooth. You think the road is a holiday pero hindi. Meaning, the barriers were the cause of the delays.

Valenzuela City and NLEx agreed to end the toll holiday at 12:01 pm on Wednesday after both parties came to an agreement on fee collection policies. bit.ly/3oWXA56

Local authorities earlier suspended the operator’s business permit due to complaints of motorists about glitches in the RFID system.

Sen. Richard Gordon: Wala dapat sa gobyerno yung hindi ina-anticipate ang problema. You have no business being a TRB commissioner, even a cabinet officer, any guy if you do not know how to run your agency. These (problems) are easily foreseen.

Cruz: Sana magising na ang lahat. Nagkakaroon ng perception na ‘yung TRB mas prinuproteksyunan ‘yung concessioanire kaysa ‘yung motoring public at doon kami nalulungkot

Sales: Itong mga glitches napag-usapan na lang during the consultation with the operators, stakeholders. Ang kausap ko po yung mga pinapadala sa consultation.

Sen. Poe asks Director Sales if he relayed any of the RFID issues to Sec. Tugade.

Sales: ‘Yung resulta ng audit including sa RFID and operators nireport po ‘yun. ‘Yung mga glitches napag-usapan na lang during the consultation with the operators and stakeholders

Tugade: Hindi ko po nakukuha ang mga detalye ng report. Siguro ang ginagawa nila reporting by exemption. Siguro iniisip nila kaya nilang i-address ang problema

Tugade: Pero sabi ko nga kanina, nakita ko na there is failure of implementation.

Tugade: We will be addressing this matter from the point of view of management evaluation.

Sen. Gatchalian: Sa ngayon ba ayos na ba ang lahat ng RFID readers?

Sales: Hindi pa po ayos in so far as the throughput is concerned. Iyong iba naayos dahil sa paglipas ng panahon, iyong iba naman ang nagkakaroon ng deperensiya.

Sen. Gatchalian: Mula 2017 hanggang ngayon, nagbigay na ba kayong multa or any punishment to the operator? Or sinanction?

Sales: ‘Yung multa wala po. ‘Yung sanction tinitingnan po dahil sa nangyari noong nakaraang linggo.

Sen. Gatchalian: Puro pakiusap, walang sanction.

Sales: Naayos naman nila ‘yung nabanggit. Lumuluma na ‘yung equipment and sticker, nag-iiba na ‘yung problema.

Sales says the board instructed to issue penalties related to the RFID issues.

Sen. Gatchalian: Ngayon lang, eh ‘yung dati?

Sales: Wala pong sanction po.

Sen. Gatchalian: Kaya pinaglalaruan lang ang taumbayan. Papasok sa isang tenga, lalabas sa kabila. Kaya umabot tayo sa ganitong punto. Meron kayong kapangyarihan, hindi ninyo ginagamit.

Sen. Binay asks if the TRB set a standard system for the RFID.

(1/3)

Sales: Sa kontrata po ni NLEx, wala pong specific na standard na dinescribe. Iyong TRB, pinapaubaya sa kanila. Ang nakalagay sa kontrata, maglagay sila ng electronic toll collection system. (2/3)

Sales: Hindi po kami ang namimili kung ano ang ilalagay dahil kapag ginawa naming iyon parang pinapakialaman po namin ang kanilang pagprocure. (3/3)

Sen. Binay: Nasa mandato nyo na magset ng standard, but apparently parang may failure tayo doon sa technology na gagamitin kaya paulit-ulit ang problema.

Sen. Binay: Siguro magandang tingnan at pagaralan ng board ang pagset ng standard doon sa technology na pwedeng gamitin ng toll operators.

Sen. Binay asks Tugade if has experienced any of the complaints by RFID users.

(1/2)

Tugade: Nararanasan ko ho iyan at maraming beses. Kaya nga dahil doon, sinabi ko na iyong unang effectivity na Nov 2, gawing Dec 1. Tapos pagkatapos ng Dec 1, dapat i-maintain pa rin ang cash transactions. Sabi ko rin na dapat maski after Dec 1 wala lang fines or aresto. (2/2)

Sen. Binay: But the problem has been there since 2017, so noon pa lang ito na ang red flag sa inyo and siguro noon pa lang napagaralan na kung kakayanin ba talaga ang cashless system in light of the problems sa RFID.

Tugade on fully going cashless in tollways: At certain point in time, kung susundin ang usapan with the service provider, mga middle of next year ma-achieve po iyan.

Tugade also mentions the operators’ agreement to test the interoperability of the AutoSweep and EasyTrip radio frequency identification systems. bit.ly/2Wnr9R9

Tugade: Sa aming usapan kasama ang operators, ma-achieve po yan middle of next year. Ewan ko kung kakayanin naming but we will work hand in hand.

Tugade: Doon sa 100% cashless, we will always allow having a cash booth for emergency. Hindi pwedeng wala na iyan. Iyong emergency, halimbawa walang RFID, ay dapat may booth to allow cash transaction.

DOTr on the legal tender issue: Kapag nag-implement ng cashless, hindi ibag sabihin wala nang cash para makapasok sa tollways kasi this is just a mode of collection. (1/2)

DOTr: Para makadaan kayo, kailangan maloadan muna ang RFID na pwede naman ibigay na hindi malapit sa barriers para maiwasan ang congestion. (2/2)

DOTr: Pwede pa ring magbayad ng cash pero pag malapit na sa barriers, kailangan cashless na.

Rodrigo Franco, president of Metro Pacific Tollways Corp.: We hear the complaints of the motorists. Because of these complaints we moved to electronic toll collection to lessen the pain of toll payments. (1/2)

Franco: The RFID is one improvement that expressway operators introduced. If implemented properly, RFID tolling is three times faster than cash payments. It can unclog toll plaza traffic. (2/2)

Franco apologizes to the tollway customers, Mayor Rex, Senator Win, Mayor Cruz and others who were inconvenienced by the issues in the toll booths.

Franco says some improvements have been made to the system after the first week of implementation and ‘enhancements’ will be added this month and next month.

Sen. Poe asks why NLEX had not solved any of the problems for the past few years (1/2)

NLEX Pres. Luigi Bautista: Ang ginawa sa NLEX tuloy tuloy ang pagdagdag ng RFID lanes mula 2017 nagdadag tayo ng sistema - advanced reading - itong sistema na 10 meters ka palang papunta sa barrier ay bubukas na ‘yung gate. (2/2)

Bautista: Nagadjust kami ng system, ang tawag doon dinagdagan ‘yung resiliency ng sistema at ito pong nakaraang taon bumili kami ng contactless RFID reader at handheld RFID sticker readers. ‘Yan po ‘yung ginagmit pagkadumaan ka sa toll lane at nagkaproblema ‘yung stickers.

Sen. Poe: Did you forewarn them (TRB) that this will be the scenario if we go cashless? (1/2)

Metro Pacific Tollways Corp.: We outlined the things we needed to achieve to reach cashless status including the number of stickers we needed to sell. We are starting from below 30% of usage of RFID in our tollways in August. Going from 30 to 100 (2/2)

Sen. Poe: Was there any correspondence (from TRB) sent to your office detaling your shortcomings?

NLEX: ‘Yung TRB naggawa ng audit. Ang pagkakalam ko at least once a year

NLEX says it is testing machines or sticker readers from Malaysia. The results will be available end of this month

NLEX confirms it has not received any sanctions or orders to pay fines for non-delivery or non-compliance over tollway issues

Earlier, the Valenzuela City gov’t and NLEX Corp, agreed to implement a system allowing barriers to be raised at the toll collection booths to ease traffic congestion caused by system errors. bit.ly/2Kgi61P

Senator Gatchalian asks Metro Pacific Tollways, DOTr if it is possible to implement this system and other barrier-less innovations in other cities so they can also enjoy the benefits of less traffic congestion.

Tugade: I give you my word, hindi titigilan ‘yan. Pagtutulakan po namin ‘yan.

Sen. Binay: Mayroon bang displacement of workers for both NLEx and SLEx?

(1/4)

MPTC: What we are prioritizing now is the retraining of our employees who will be affected by the removal of cash transactions in our toll plazas. (2/4)

MPTC: Nagumpisa na tayo dito to retool their skills, to enable them to transition to other jobs, not only within NLEx but within the Metro Pacific group. (3/4)

MPTC: Kung may mga hindi na ma-accommodate sa bagong positions, they will get far more than what is required under the law. (4/4)

SMC: They will be moved to other functions, or other projects or if they prefer to leave the company because of the change they will also be accorded the same as provided for by the law.

MPTC says 715 employees in toll booths will be affected by the shift to cashless scheme, while SLEx says around 2,000 will be affected, including ambulant tellers that were employed to take care of payments at the queue.

Manny Bonoan, Skyway O&M Corporation president and CEO : We have been working it out with our counterparts dito sa NLEx on the interoperability program and we have been in contact dialogue with them on how to proceed.

Bonoan: With started with the interoperability activity even two years ago, but we encountered some technical glitches especially on readability.

Bonoan: Once again, we are embarking on another interoperability activity that has been signed a few weeks ago. Our timeline is to come up with an initial result in two weeks’ time. (1/2)

Bonoan: This would probably towards the middle of January as we observe how the cashless scheme is taking place in both facilities. (2/2)

Bonoan: There will be some recommendations whatever would be the result of the observations and test and we will continue to look further on how we can adjust. This is only for the readability of the stickers. This is what we will adjust every now and then.

Bonoan: In our recent agreement, there will be a steering committee that will be created to oversee how we will do our tests in both facilities. We will then come up with recommendations.

Bonoan: We now have a readability of 98% without any intervention at all. When I say 98%, that means when a vehicle reaches a toll barrier it opens automatically when you have good sticker and you have load.

Bonoan: This is the standard we are trying to end with. If the stickers of NLEx will be read as the same manner then the interoperability can be made sooner or later.

DOTr Usec. Reinoso on imposing fines/sanctions to operators' violations: In a Dec. 9 special meeting of the board, we already gave instructions to the TRB technical staff to draft resolution imposing specific penalties or violation by the concessionaire. (1/2)

DOTr Usec. Reinoso: As soon as these are deliberated by the board, we will publish and implement these. (2/2)

DOTr Usec. Reinoso: Right now, we must admit that there are no specific sanctions and penalties. Moving forward, we will now impose specific penalties and sanctions to violations of toll operators.

Sales admits that they do not have a schedule of penalties.

Sen. Poe asks TRB Director Sales: In the four years (of your term) did they pay a single penalty?

Sales: Wala po. Sa NLEX wala.

Sen. Poe: So obviously hindi niyo ginagawa trabaho niyo ng tamang evaluation kasi daming reklamo wala lamang penalty nilalagay.

Sen. Poe asks TRB: Meron ba kayong schedule of penalties? Or you just decide on a whim?

Sales: Sa ngayon po wala.

Sen. Poe: So kaya pala palpak yung pagpapatakbo niyo.

Sen. Poe asks Sales’ credentials.

Sales: Civil engineer with masters degree sa construction with experience sa expressway operation in the past.

Sen. Poe to Sales: You are being the scapegoat now in a way because it seems that the incompetence also points to you.

Sen. Gatchalian: Mayroon na bang performance standards for NLEx?

Sales: Wala rin po.

Sen. Gatchalian: Wala rin po, wala rin schedule of penalties. Paano natin masasabi kung ang NLEx ay magaling o hindi?

Sales: Ang reference po natin ay yung industry wide na ina-adopt ng ibang expressways.

Sen. Gatchalian: May problema tayo dahil hindi natin name-measure ang performance ng NLEx at kayo mismo na regulator should be measuring them.

Sen. Gatchalian: May problema tayo dahil hindi natin name-measure ang performance ng NLEx at kayo mismo na regulator should be measuring them.

Tugade: Doon sa TWG ng interoperability, nabwisit po ako diyan kaya nagpalit ako ng membership para maitulak ang interoperability. Dahil sa pagchange ng composition, nagkaroong MOA sa operators.

Tugade: Nabanggit ko kanina iyong tinatawag na failure of implementation and failure of leadership. Tama itong dalawang ito na iyong key standards of performance ay wala iyan at iyan po ang pinipilit kong dapat gawin sa lalong medaling panahon ng board of directors ng TRB.

Tugade: Kailangan magkaroon rin ng standard of penalties.

Tugade: The absence of key performance indicators and sanctions and penalties are expressions of the failure of enforcement and failure of implementation. (1/2)

Sen. Gatchalian: Secretary, sinong leadership tinutukoy nyo?

Tugade: Iyong head ng TRB, iyong executive director among others. (2/2)

Tugade says DOTr Usec. Reinoso has been representing him at the TRB board for three years now.

Tugade: Kaninang umaga sinabi ko sa kanya na papalitan ko na sya ng representative sa TRB.

DOTr Usec. Reinoso: Iyong mga problema na iyan hindi naman nakakarating sa board iyan. After we have this full cashless implementation on Dec 1. After one week, na-notice sya kaya the board met to discuss the matter. In the past, wala naman problema diyan.

DOTr Usec. Reinoso: In so far as the board is concerned, for as long as the board is aware of any issues, the board immediately meets and tries to resolve the problem.

Sen. Poe: The board is responsible for the executive director. He is not doing his job.

DOTr Usec. Reinoso: We always get the attention of the executive director for any short comings that may be noticed by the board.

Sen. Poe: More or less I have a partial picture of where the failure is. It’s coordination among the TRB, board members, and the ones that does day-to-day operations.

Sen. Poe: In short, hindi tinatanong ng board, “dahil policy lang kami.” Pero paano ka gagawa ng policy kung hindi mo alam ang feedback ng nasa baba?

Sen. Gatchalian asks Tugade his take on the Senate Reso urging the DOTr to suspend the implementation of cashless scheme in expressways.

(1/3)

Tugade: Nabanggit ko nagkaroon na ng extension from Nov to Dec at nagkaroon na ako ng kautusan na huwag alisin ang cash booth. Sinabi ko rin na payagan ang mga walang RFID na dumaan at walang aresto o penalty. (2/3)

Tugade: Pinapalawig ko ho itong period na status quo ngayon. Bakit, instead of saying a definite date, kasi ina-address ko ang procrastination. (3/3)

Sen. Poe: Hindi ba dapat in writing rin ang order na yan?

Tugade: We will comply, Madam.

Sen. Gatchalian asks what is Sales’ take on President Rodrigo Duterte asking TRB officials to resign due to their 'incompetence'. (1/4)

Sales: Nung nakita ko po iyan. tinext ko naman si Secretary (Tugade) at humingi ako ng dayalogo sa kanya. Humingi po ako ng payo sa kanya at kami naman po ay may usapan. (2/4)

Tugade: Ang sinabi ko, you do not tell me what you do things right because there is such a thing as evaluation. The President has spoken, and I have spoken even before I met with the President. (3/4)

Tugade: May mga pinagusapan po kami kanina. Kung maari lang po please give us time. (4/4)

Sen. Gatchalian: The simple message to them (drivers) may extension indefinitely, tama po ba? (1/2)

Tugade: ‘Yun ang effect ng ginawa ko, na tuloy ang cash booths, walang penalty, walang fine. ‘Yun ang effect ng sinabi kong sige sige lang ‘yung RFID. Kaya wala hong nanghuhuli in relation to RFID violation. (2/2)