News Briefs: PNR buys 2 trains from Indonesian state firm

The Philippine National Railways (PNR) is buying from an Indonesian company two new trains worth about P485 million as part of efforts to improve the reliability of the country’s oldest train system.

Under the contract entered into by PNR with the Indonesian government-owned company PT Industri Kereta Api on Monday, the two diesel-electric multiple unit trains will be delivered to the country by the third quarter of next year for commissioning.

According to PNR General Manager Junn Magno, the purchase of the trains—PNR’s first in close to 40 years—will improve the system’s reliability.

Most of the rail line’s 21 train sets were either donated or part of national loan packages, he said. The PNR uses only six of its 21 trains due to maintenance works.—JOVIC YEE

CBCP welcomes nomination of new envoy to Vatican

An official of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has lauded President Duterte’s move to nominate an ambassador to the Vatican, promising the CBCP’s cooperation with the new envoy.

Balanga Bishop Ruperto Santos welcomed the nomination of Grace Relucio Princesa as ambassador to the Holy See, saying this will also benefit overseas Filipino workers in Italy.

“We welcome her appointment and extend our cooperation and collaboration with her,” the prelate said on Monday.

Santos is chairperson of the CBCP’s Episcopal Commission on Migrants and Itinerant Peoples. As ambassador to the Vatican, Princesa will also have jurisdiction over the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.

The last Philippine ambassador to the Vatican was Mercedes Arrastia Tuason. —JULIE M. AURELIO

BI posts record P4.75-B collections in 2017

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) earned an all-time high of P4.75 billion in fees collected from its clientele and the transacting public last year.

In a statement, Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said last year’s collections was P894.6 million higher than the P3.86 billion it pooled in 2016—a 23-percent improvement.

He is optimistic that the BI will again surpass the record this year.

“Our employees are inspired and motivated to work harder with the restoration of their benefits by President Duterte,” Morente said.

Many employees quit the BI last year following the President’s veto of the usage of the BI’s express lane collections.

This led to longer queues at immigration counters in international airports. In this year’s national budget, however, Mr. Duterte allowed the creation of an employee trust fund to be sourced from express lane fees. —JULIE M. AURELIO