LRT 1 closes for 3 consecutive weekends
The operator of the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT 1) on Friday announced the temporary closure of the train line for three consecutive weekend for works related to the interconnection with the Cavite extension project. The Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC) said the line will be closed Aug. 17 to Aug. 18, Aug. 24 to Aug. 25 and Aug. 31 to Sept. 1.
LRMC said the integrated train line is set to start partial operations before the year ends. LRMC general manager Enrico Benipayo said the “system migration is a critical step in ensuring the safe and efficient operations of the extended LRT 1 line.”
The 11.8-kilometer extension project, which covers major cities such as Quezon City, Caloocan, Manila, Pasay and Parañaque, starts at the Baclaran station of LRT 1. It is designed to cater to up to 800,000 passengers daily. The entire project is expected to be up and running by 2031. —TYRONE JASPER C. PIAD
Presidential Office for Child Protection created
Citing the alarming rise in cases of online sexual abuse of children (OSAEC) and other threats to children’s welfare, President Marcos has created a special office tasked to beef up the government’s efforts on child protection. Dated Aug. 6, Executive Order 67 created the Presidential Office for Child Protection (POCP), to be led by a presidential adviser on child protection.
The POCP will be directly under the Office of the President while its yet-to-be named head will be under the control and supervision of Antonio Lagdameo Jr., the President’s special assistant. His directive came two months after Mr. Marcos ordered the creation of a centralized system for detecting and reporting OSAEC cases.
Under EO 67, the POCP was tasked to monitor and harmonize the government’s thrusts, policies and programs on child protection and welfare. It will submit policy recommendations on child protection and welfare and recommend urgent interventions for the protection of children and convene technical working groups as needed. Its initial funding will be charged against the budget of the Office of the President, but its own budget proposal will be included in the next national budget. —JULIE M. AURELIO
