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| 29 APRIL 2008 | . | |
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| 29 APRIL 2008 | . | |
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President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s Speech
during the University of the Philippines (U.P.) Charter Bill Signing Ceremony U.P. Cebu Library Conference Hall, UP Library Bldg. Cebu City, Cebu, April 29, 2008 |
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Daghang salamat, UP Cebu, ang atong host karon, ang alma mater og akong
inahan sa iyang pre-med. It is an honor to mark the year of the UP centennial anniversary by enacting the law to "Strengthen the University of the Philippines as the National University." There is no greater pleasure for a UP alumna and former faculty member like me, than to be able to sign into law what will confer on our alma mater the enhanced capability to fulfill its mission and spread the benefits of knowledge to our people. Surely the pride and honor are shared by the legislators who authored, co-authored, sponsored, co-sponsored and refined the bill that now becomes law. Most of them graduated from UP, or have children attending UP. All of them believe in the mission of the University of the Philippines. To all our authors and sponsors and all who voted for the law, thank you. UP has been the training ground of the country's top leaders in government including many of our Presidents, pillars of business and various professions, and of a great number of our intellectuals past and present. Strengthening the UP Charter now is timely, not only because the University turns a hundred years old this year, but also because new challenges in the 21st century call for new ways of thinking and new approaches to modern situations. The new Charter ensures that the revenues of UP will be plowed back into its programs. It safeguards the University's physical assets and exempts its earnings, including donations and grants, from taxes. It exempts UP personnel from the Salary Standardization Law. By providing institutional autonomy, the UP Charter protects students' democratic access, strengthens the University's administration through the Board of Regents and upholds academic freedom. It recognizes the effectiveness of the UP System, which has set up constituent universities in strategic parts of the country, including our host campus today. Furthermore, as a centennial gift, this law provides for the allocation of P500 million to the University of the Philippines, to be released over five years. This is in addition to the P200 million we gave the PGH in 2006 and 2007 and in addition to the P500 million for the science and technology complex in Diliman. We set up the science and technology complex because in 2004 UNESCO found that the number of researchers, scientists and engineers in a developing country is 340 per million of the population. In our country we have only 48 per million Filipinos. To achieve the UNESCO benchmark in the shortest possible time and to boost our effort at global competitiveness, the Philippine government is investing P3 billion from budget and off-budget sources in Engineering Research and Development Technology, including the UP Science and Technology Complex, between 2007 and 2010. This is to promote engineering R&D activities in the country at a significant scale in order to modernize every aspect of the economic underpinnings of the Philippines, including agriculture, to propel economic growth. Modernization will need a critical mass of R&D-capable manpower that will attract technology-based investors to the country. Since last school year, seven universities led by the UP College of Engineering have been offering scholarships for masters and doctoral degree programs in all fields of engineering. The consortium steps up the creation of a favorable environment for science and technology to flourish. We can do it; we have the knowledge to build the basic industries that engage in high-value added activities such as design, R&D, product conceptualization, product development, and innovation. Investors know our caliber; our manpower is world class. At the forefront are our engineers; they are indeed the engines for national growth as they help spawn high-tech companies. With engineering R&D, led by the University of the Philippines, we further hone their skills and create our own technology roadmaps that will bring science and technology right at the doorstep of the Filipino nation. With UP as the National University, the primus inter pares among state universities in our country, the leader in academic standards, and the primary seat for advanced studies, research and advancement of intellectual thought, this law ensures the hundred-year tradition of producing the best minds. With this law, may the minds produced by UP become modern-day exemplars of the famed Oblation, that enduring symbol of the University’s offering of itself to the Filipino people. To the UP students, faculty, staff and officials in all of its campuses, and to the authors of the strengthened UP Charter, congratulations! |
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| Investments in engineering research, development to propel economic growth – PGMA |
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CEBU CITY – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today said the government is
investing P3-billion in engineering research and development technology to
boost the country's chances of attracting more "technology-based"
investments. In her speech keynoting the University of the Philippines (UP) Charter signing ceremonies here, the President said that more technology-based investments would propel economic growth. "To boost our effort at global competitiveness, the Philippine government is investing P3 billion from budget and off-budget sources in engineering research and development technology, including the UP Science and Technology Complex, between 2007 and 2010," the President said. "This is to promote engineering R&D activities in the country at a significant scale in order to modernize every aspect of the economic underpinnings of the Philippines, including agriculture, to propel economic growth," she added. The President also pointed out that she wants the country to comply with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) "benchmark" that requires developing countries to have a ratio of 340 engineers per one million of its population to keep up with other developing nations. "In our country we have only 48 (engineers) per million Filipinos," the President said, as she stressed that the only way to achieve the UNESCO benchmark at the shortest time possible is by strengthening engineering research and development technology. She lauded UP’s efforts to produce more engineers by offering, together with several other universities, "scholarships for masters and doctoral degree programs in all fields of engineering." "The consortium steps up the creation of a favorable environment for science and technology to flourish. We can do it; we have the knowledge to build the basic industries that engage in high-value added activities such as design, R&D, product conceptualization, product development, and innovation," the President said. "Investors know our caliber; our manpower is world class. At the forefront are our engineers; they are indeed the engines for national growth as they help spawn high-tech companies. With engineering R&D, led by the University of the Philippines, we further hone their skills and create our own technology roadmaps that will bring science and technology right at the doorstep of the Filipino nation," she added. |
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| PGMA signs into law U.P. Charter of 2008 |
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CEBU CITY – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed into law today the
proposed University of the Philippines (UP) Charter of 2008 giving the
country's premier learning institution "the enhanced capability to fulfill
its mission and spread the benefits of knowledge to our people." In signing the bill into Republic Act No. 9500, President Arroyo recognizes the importance of instilling "new ways of thinking" on our students which they will use to meet the challenges of the 21st Century. "Strengthening the UP Charter now is timely not only because the University turns a hundred years old this year but also because new challenges in the 21st Century call for new ways of thinking and new approaches to modern situations," the President said in her speech keynoting the event held at UP's campus here. The UP Charter of 2008: • Declares UP as a national university and as such should perform its unique and distinctive leadership in higher education and learning in higher education and development; • Recognizes UP as a university system and thus acknowledges the role of the chancellors as administrative leaders, and of the university council as the highest policy governing body in each constituent university; • Exempts UP employees from the Salary Standardization Law; • Gives UP more flexibility in the development of its assets; and • Affirms the use of democratic access and governance. "All of these are meant to provide institutional autonomy and by doing
so, the UP Charter protects student's democratic access, strengthens the
University's administration through the board of regents and upholds
academic freedom," the President said. This extra funding, the President pointed out would augment the yearly
budget allocated for UP to further develop studies in engineering, research
and development. "With UP as the National University, the primus inter pares among state universities in our country, the leader in academic standards, and the primary seat for advanced studies, research and advancement of intellectual thought, this law ensures the hundred-year tradition of producing the best minds," the President said. "With this law, may the minds produced by UP become modern-day exemplars of the famed Oblation, that enduring symbol of the University's offering of itself to the Filipino people," she added. Joining the President on this historic occasion are the main sponsors, co-sponsors and supporters of the bill from both Houses of Congress led by Senators Francis Pangilinan, Edgardo Angara, Miguel Zubiri, and congressmen led by House Speaker Prospero Nograles, Deputy Speaker Raul del Mar, Rep. Nerissa Soon-Ruiz and Rep. Jesus Remulla. UP officials led by its president Emerlinda Roman and Commission on Higher Education chairman and Board of Regents chairman Romulo Neri were also present at the signing ceremony. |
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| PGMA speech to underscore importance of nautical highway to economy |
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CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY - The importance of the RO-RO ferry system particularly
with the prevailing global food situation will be highlighted by President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo when she addresses the 2nd Strong Republic Nautical
Highway (SRNH) Conference tomorrow (Wednesday) at the Grand Convention Hall
of the Xavier Estate along Airport Road, this city. In 2003, the President launched the SRNH as a "food highway" to bridge the country's food baskets with consumer markets, and spur trade and tourism, and create job and livelihood opportunities through improved and efficient roads and ports linking Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Last Monday, the President inaugurated the Central Seaboard (Central Nautical Highway) of the SRNH with the ceremonial RO-RO caravan from the Bulan port in Sorsogon going to the Cauayan Port in Masbate, to Bogo Port in Cebu, the Tubigon and Jagna Ports in Bohol, to Mambajao Port in Camiguin and, finally, to the Balingoan Port in Misamis Oriental. The SRNH is composed of three major routes -- the Western Nautical Highway (WNH), the Central Nautical Highway (CNH) and the Eastern Nautical Highway (ENH). The western seaboard trunk route links Manila and Dipolog City in the northwestern tip of Mindanao. The ENH is the eastern sea link that connects Biliran, Leyte to Surigao City or the northeastern tip of Mindanao and the central trunk route of Cataingan in Masbate. The President issued Executive Order 170 in January 2003 to promote private sector participation and investment in the development and operation of the RO-RO ferry system as extensions of national highways under the SRNH. In March 2003, the President launched the first RO-RO route from Zamboanga del Norte to Batangas and, three months later, conducted an eight-day working visit in Mindanao where she issued Executive Order No. 170-A right here in this city directing the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and inviting local government units (LGUs) to provide improved road access to the RORO ferry system. A year later on March 21, 2004, the President kicked off the SRNH with a four-day caravan covering the provinces and cities of Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Batangas City in Luzon; Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Negros Oriental, Negros Occidental, Bohol, Cebu, Guimaras and Siquijor in the Visayas region; and Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Lanao del Norte and Dapitan City in Mindanao. So far, the RO-RO route has been successful in delivering the commodity needs of provinces and cities, aside from inducing tourism traffic nationwide. Improved RO-RO ferry facilities also enhance the quality and stability of prices as shipments require minimal stevedoring services and are no longer off-loaded from cargo trucks. |
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| Presidential anti-smuggling group warns on possible outbreak of Avian Flu in RP |
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Malacanang warned today against possible outbreak of the deadly Avian Flu if
exotic fowl meat from other Asian countries continued flooding the local
market due to corruption in the Bureau of Customs. Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG) Head Usec. Antonio “Bebot” A. Villar, Jr. said that thousands of frozen Peking ducks seized from a warehouse in Navotas last week did not pass through strict inspection by local veterinary authorities. “The public health is at stake here. We are still trying to track down where the other bulk of the frozen fowls were distributed. The Bureau of Customs should not be lax in this matter. The seized Peking ducks were taken out of the BOC without one of its officials knowing it,” Villar said. Villar realized the gravity of the situation when the only local raiser and licensed supplier of Peking ducks in the country belied claims by the lawyer of the raided Navotas warehouse that their stock of Peking ducks were locally produced. The deadly virus which originated from Asia killed thousands of people a few years ago, prompting Asian authorities to plug some loopholes in the raising and exportation of exotic fowl meat including the world famous Peking duck. Michael Exequiel J. Guillermo, Vice President of the EJG Mighty Duck Farm, the sole producer and supplier of Peking duck in the country, said the seized frozen Peking ducks from the warehouse of Chinese couple Wily and Marietta Lu did not come from EJG and that chances are they being smuggled may have not passed inspection by authorities from the country of origin. As this developed, Villar ordered his men to coordinate with the local authorities concerned to check on the stock of Peking ducks of some restaurants serving this exotic meat. |
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| PGMA launches Ro-Ro route linking 2 islands: Bohol and Camiguin |
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JAGNA PORT, BOHOL---President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo formally launched
today the new roll-on/roll-off route linking Jagna-Bohol and Camiguin
Island. The opening of the new route that links the two island provinces---Bohol and Camiguin, stands to boost tourism in the islands known for their ecological-tourism destinations. Through the Central Nautical Highway (CNH) ro-ro system, tourists visiting the eco-tourist spots in Bohol that include the world-famous Chocolate Hills and the powdery white beaches of Panglao Island and the Loboc river cruise plus the tarsiers, world’s smallest monkey in the municipality of Carmen, can island-jump to the volcanic island of rustic Camiguin. The President also witnessed the awarding of the certificate of convenience to Asian Marine Shipping for its franchise to operate the Jagna-Mambajao ro-ro route. The President arrived here from Cebu City where the first day of the three-day Central Nautical Highway (CNH) RO-RO caravan had an overnight stop. Enroute to Jagna Port, the President visited Tubigon port, one of the two ports in Bohol linked to the CNH. The two ports in Bohol linked to the CNH underwent a P278 million rehabilitation in preparation to linking them to the Strong Republic Nautical Highway third major route---the CNH. The improvements included the roro ramps, truck holding areas, lighting systems, widening, among others. |
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| PGMA says there will be Cabinet revamp very soon |
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CEBU CITY – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said last night that there
will be minor changes in her Cabinet soon. The President made the revelation during an informal interview by Malacanang reporters over dinner at Malacanang sa Sugbu here Monday. Rumors about an impending on Cabinet revamp have started to circulate as outgoing Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Hermogenes Esperon Jr. prepares to finally retire from public service on May 9. He was supposed to retire three months ago upon reaching the age of 56 but his term was extended by the President by three months. “Yes,” the President told reporters when she was asked about a Cabinet revamp but she refused to elaborate on who would be affected by the revamp, by just saying it’s a “secret.” |
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| PGMA-signed ‘U.P. Charter 2008’ grants P500-M & greater autonomy to U.P. system |
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The proposed University of the Philippines Charter of 2008 -- which
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo had just signed into law today at the UP
Cebu campus in Cebu City -- provides a P500-million ‘centennial gift’ to the
UP System that will defray the cost of modernizing the country’s state
university, especially its research facilities. In signing UP’s updated charter, the President explained that the P500-million allocation – which will be released over five years – is over and above the P700 million that the Arroyo administration had already granted the UP System since 2006. “… As a centennial gift, this law provides for the allocation of P500 million to the University of the Philippines, to be released over five years. This is in addition to the P200 million we gave the PGH (Philippine General Hospital) in 2006 and 2007, and in addition to the P500 million for the Science and Technology complex in Diliman,” revealed President Arroyo. “By providing institutional autonomy, the UP Charter protects students' democratic access, strengthens the University's administration through the Board of Regents and upholds academic freedom. It recognizes the effectiveness of the UP System, which has set up constituent universities in strategic parts of the country, including our host campus today,” the President added. In signing what is now Republic Act 9500 -- the new law that shall "Strengthen the University of the Philippines as the National University" – President Arroyo stressed, thus: “Strengthening the UP Charter now is timely, not only because the University turns a hundred years old this year, but also because new challenges in the 21st century call for new ways of thinking and new approaches to modern situations.” A UP alumna (PhD in Economics) and former faculty member (UP School of Economics), the Chief Executive stressed that “the new Charter ensures that the revenues of UP will be plowed back into its programs.” “It safeguards the University's physical assets and exempts its earnings, including donations and grants, from taxes. It exempts UP personnel from the Salary Standardization Law,” added President Arroyo. The Chief Executive recalled that four years ago in 2004, “we set up the science and technology complex because, in 2004, UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization) found that the number of researchers, scientists and engineers in a developing country is 340 per million of the population.” However, “in our country, we have only 48 (researchers) per million Filipinos,” noted the President who announced that her administration has started “investing P3 billion from budget and off-budget sources in Engineering Research and Development Technology, including the UP Science and Technology Complex, between 2007 and 2010.” The P3-billion R&D investment, explained the President, hopes “to achieve the UNESCO benchmark in the shortest possible time, and to boost our effort at global competitiveness.” “This is to promote engineering R&D activities in the country at a significant scale in order to modernize every aspect of the economic underpinnings of the Philippines, including agriculture, to propel economic growth. Modernization will need a critical mass of R&D-capable manpower that will attract technology-based investors to the country.” President Arroyo – who authored 55 laws on economic and social reform when she was senator -- added that “since last school year, seven universities led by the UP College of Engineering (of UP Diliman) have been offering scholarships for masters and doctoral degree programs in all fields of engineering.” Established in 1908, “UP has made a reputation for itself as a research and graduate university that produces scientific and creative outputs of the highest quality which receive both national and in international recognition (and) to date, UP has produced more than 25 National Scientists in fields as diverse as history, engineering, physics, agriculture, biophysical chemistry, psychology, medicine, plant physiology, genetics, and cytogenetics,” according to the UP website. |
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| Housing, power supply among topics of Cabinet meet on board Ro-Ro vessel |
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ON BOARD M/V SUPER SHUTTLE FERRY 12, Bohol Sea – The sea breeze was soft and
invigorating, the cruise on the Bohol Sea a breath-taking and pleasant
experience. Away from the cares of the world? Not exactly, for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and members of her official family, who remained preoccupied with such concerns of state as housing, food shortage and power supply, among others. The historic voyage on the newly-opened Jagna-Camiguin roll-on, roll-off (RO-RO) route is just beginning at this writing, but already the President and members of her Cabinet are set to discuss various national concerns. With the President during the scheduled three-hour cruise across the Bohol Sea are Vice President Noli de Castro, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye, Transportation Secretary Angelo Reyes, Public Works Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane, Transportation and Communications Secretary Leandro Mendoza and Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chair Bayani Fernando. The Jagna-Camiguin RO-RO trip will also give the President and the Cabinet members the opportunity to test run the new route. On housing, Vice-President De Castro will give an update on the government’s housing program. The approval and implementation of housing projects for the homeless poor need to be fast-tracked, it was gathered. Secretary Mendoza will brief the Cabinet on the implementation of the RO-RO system, while Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) Manager Oscar Sevilla will give an update on the country’s port network. MARINA Administrator Vicente Suazo Jr. was to present latest developments on vessel services and sea links, while Ebdane will discuss the status of the various road linkages to the SRNH. Several stakeholders from the private sector, including Nestle Philippines, Aboitiz Transport Service 2Go and the RO-RO Shipping Association will also share their take on the SNRH system. A SRNH Work Plan for 2008-2010 will be presented by Transportation Undersecretary Maria Elena Bautista. Also to be taken up at the Cabinet-level meeting is the power supply situation in the Visayas that needs to be stabilized. Rice, the top most concern of the President, will also be tackled by the Cabinet. |
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| PGMA inspects another important link of Strong Republic Nautical Highway |
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TUBIGON, Bohol – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo inspected today another
important link of the Roll-On, Roll-Off (RO-RO) for Greater Inter-island
Transfer, Mobility and Accessibility (RO-RO-GMA) of the administration’s
flagship project, the Strong Republic Nautical Highway (SRNH). Situated on the northwestern coast of Bohol about 54 kilometers away from Tagbilaran City, Tubigon Port is an important link in the Tubigon-Cebu City RO-RO route. During the last seven years, the Arroyo administration has invested some P134 million in the upgrading of Tubigon Port in line with the efforts of the government to ensure the fast and efficient movement of goods, people and services between the provinces of Bohol and Cebu. In his project briefing, Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) General Manager Manue Boholano said the completion of the rehabilitation of Tubigon Port has greatly increased the number and volume of rolling cargoes passing through the port. He told the President that the improvement in RO-RO usage indicates an increasing acceptance by the business sector of the RO-RO transport system in the economic activities of the two island provinces. With the RO-RO transport system, the fastest and cheapest way to transport goods from Mindanao and the Visayas to Metro Manila, prices of basic commodities will be reduced. The government has spent a total of P200 billon in improving the various ports of the Nautical Highway. From Tubigon, the President, along with members of her Cabinet and local officials, motored to Jagna Port in Jagna town, where she officially led the send-off for the RO-RO M/V Super Shuttle Ferry 12 bound for Camiguin Island. |
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| Rice substitute eating device eyed |
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CEBU CITY – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo urged Filipino households last
night to practice eating root crops like “kamote” as a substitute for rice. Inspired by the “Saksak” or “Sinanduloy” (a mix of rice and camote) campaign, the President said it’s time for Filipinos living in urbanized communities like Metro Manila, to eat camote and other root crops, to reduce the burden of the global rise in the price of rice. Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia said that the provincial government adopted the concept of eating “sinanduloy” or “saksak” after the price of rice went up in the world market, and is now directly hitting the country and other developing countries. She recalled that during the war, when there was shortage of rice, her father (the late President Diosdado Macapagal) told them to cook the sinanduloy or saksak or “kinisa” in Pilipino. She said a root crop or tuber like camote is so easy to propagate not only in the farm but also in the backyard, because it could be harvested in three months time. “Since this is a contest, our mayors are now trying their best to promote saksak in their towns,” Garcia said, adding that the contest will start earlier this month while the awarding will be before yearend. In reaction, the President said the national government might adopt the “saksak” in its nationwide campaign to make the country less dependent on rice. She also said that if the current rice situation continues, the country will most likely concentrate on producing more rice rather than importing it for our needs. The President said this is the government’s long-term solution to the rice supply problem. In the short term, the Arroyo administration hopes to put food on the table of every Filipino through rice importation by the National Food Authority (NFA). The President said the government is expecting a 6.6 percent growth rate in rice production in the second quarter of 2008. But when asked if the government would reduce rice subsidy, the President said “I don’t want to make any fearless forecast at this time,” adding that it’s really hard for her to make predictions with regards to the unpredictable situation. “It’s really very hard to say because as I said even the prognosis is debatable on whether prices will go down or not. Many analysts say so but we don’t know. Africa has not started buying in the world market, so they may suddenly come in and buy in a big way,” she explained. With regards to the rice cartel issue, the President said that she did not see a cartel behavior as there are still a lot of freelance buyers of rice today. She assured the public that the government is doing its best to avert a cartel situation as she pledged to prosecute traders involved in rice cartel and rice hoarding. “My concern is to make sure that we have to prosecute the guilty and throw them in jail as much as we can. Anyway, whether it’s cartel behavior or not, we have no anti-trust law anyway, so whether they are cartel or independent operators, we have to go against them,” she assured. Meanwhile, the President clarified that the P5 billion allocated this year for the poor is not a dole-out but part of the conditional cash transfer certificate (CCTC) program of the government for 2008. She explained that under the program, based on the estimate made by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), approximately one million children will benefit from the Ahon Pamilyang Pilipino (APP) program. Earlier, Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman Ignacio R. Bunye said the APP program utilizes the CCTC which, as its name implies, carries conditions for the receipt of benefits. The APP, Bunye said, offers cash grants for health and education for the beneficiaries. Under the health package, a household is entitled to P6,000 or year of P500 per month on condition that children are brought to health centers for check-up and vaccination. For the education cash grant, P3,000 is provided for 10 months at P300 monthly per child, provided the children attend school at least 85 percent of the time. He added that a maximum of three children per household is covered by the package. A household with three qualified children would receive a subsidy of P15,000 annually. |
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| PGMA says SRNH is engine of prosperity and growth for all Filipinos |
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ON BOARD M/V SUPER SHUTTLE FERRY 12, BOHOL SEA—President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
underscored today the importance of the Strong Republic Nautical Highway (SRNH)
amid the global economic slowing down and food shortage. In her opening statement at the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Cabinet meeting on board a RO-RO vessel enroute to Camiguin, the President said the roll-on/roll-off transport system plays a vital role in bringing affordable food to the tables of the people. At the same time, the President expressed confidence that the Philippines can sustain its historic 30-year high economic growth despite the global economic slowdown. ''Amid rising global oil and food prices and the world economic slowdown, let us remember that investments are surging in our land,'' the President said. ''With our roll-on-roll-off ports and highways, we are not only linking our nation more closely and efficiently, but also bringing markets and sources of goods closer for the different regions of our country...'' the President added. The President said the RO-RO, which she first showcased in 2003 through the Western Nautical Highway, provides lower transport cost for agricultural products. 'With an efficient, faster and lower cost of transporting agricultural produce from the Visayas and Mindanao, bringing affordable food to the poor in Metro Manila is now a reality with the completion of the SNRH,'' the President said in Filipino. Moreover, the President said part of the P200 billion infrastructure budget this year was allotted to building roads, ports and bridges that are vital components of the SRNH. The President stressed that putting in place vital infrastructure would attract more investments in the countryside, particularly in agriculture. The President said that despite the global economic slowdown, the Philippines’ infrastructure investments are ''surging owing to increase in revenue collections.'' ''With our revenue efforts and public investments reaching unprecedented levels, business confidence remains high, despite the global economic slowdown,'' the President said. She cited the private investments amounting to some P250 billion from leading enterprises such as Ayala, SM, JG and San Miguel Corporation. The President added that these private investments contribute to the creation of more new jobs. ''As we aim to sustain our 30-year record growth into its 30th consecutive quarter, let us keep our sleeves rolled up for world-class achievements, and our attention undistracted by fractious politics, and focus on jobs, incomes, stability, and food on every table,'' the President said. |
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| Statement of Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye Re: The final passage of the “Cheap Medicines Bill” |
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President Arroyo is very pleased that this long-awaited bill has finally
been passed. In behalf of our people, she wishes to thank the Senate and House of Representatives for their dedication and hard work in coming up with an affordable medicines law that we can all be proud of. This major milestone in our quest for affordable medicines adds meaning to our forthcoming celebration of Labor Day. It reminds us of the need to safeguard the health and well-being of our workers and their families. Let’s now work together as a nation to ensure its effective implementation. |
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