 |
||
| 11 FEBRUARY 2008 | . | |
|
|
||
| 11 FEBRUARY 2008 | . | |
|
|
| PGMA unveils P350-million information technology fund to train 50,000 scholars |
|
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo unveiled today a P350-million information
technology scholarship program to train 40,000-50,000 people for employment
in the Philippine Cyber Corridor. The President announced the putting up of the scholarship program when she graced this morning the 8th e-Services Global Sourcing Conference and Exhibition at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City. The two-day conference is organized annually by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). The theme of this year’s conference is “Outsourcing Centers for Excellence.” The 50,000 prospective trainees will join the more than 100,000 IT professionals in the Philippines. The National Outsourcing Association of the United Kingdom has cited the Philippines as the No. 1 Outsourcing Destination of 2007. The President pointed out that this year’s IT trainees would be easily absorb by the job market as her administration is intent on generating 10 million jobs “all over the economy,” seven million jobs of which have already been created during the past seven years. She recalled that when she assumed the Presidency in 2001, the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry in the country “hardly existed.” She said that “we are proud of what we have achieved” and that “we are anxious not to be complacent” as the information technology advances by leaps and bounds, adding that “speed of innovation can be a friend or foe.” The President stressed that a “good public-private service sector partnership” is a must as “change is happening at an accelerated pace.” For his part, Trade and Industry Secretary Peter Favila pointed out that “if there has been one constant over the years, it has been that the growing opportunities in Philippine BPO keep coming.” Calling the President as “the Philippines’ outsourcing czar… whose vision has shaped the growth and prospects of BPO in the Philippines,” Favila added that the Chief Executive has “also made BPO a priority sector for promotions in the country’s international business trade missions,” among other IT initiatives. The DTI chief also recalled that in 2004, the President signed into law the creation of the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) to “take care of the country’s IT policy directions and to help transform the Philippines into an IT-enabled government in Asia.” “Considered the premier outsourcing conference in Southeast Asia, the event draws approximately 150 exhibitors, 500 delegates and some 2,000 exhibition visitors every year,” Favila said. The concurrent exhibition features major outsourcing players, support industries, and trade associations. The sectors included in this year’s exhibition are “back-office operations, software development, animation, contact centers, data transcription, games development, engineering and design services, government and technology vendors, e-government, e-nablers, media and publications,” according to the DTI chief. It also features “several centers of excellence in BPO such as the Philippines, as well as those in India, Japan, Vietnam, the United Kingdom, Russia, and countries in the Americas,” Favila added. |
|
|
| Statement of Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye |
|
We respect the CBCP's call for communal action but consider it premature.
Communal action precisely calls for circumspection, a consideration of all the facts, and due regard for what will serve the common good in the long term. Having said that, we humbly submit that the proper venue for the determination of truth and justice lies in the courts, not in an emotionally-charged forum. |
|
|
| Singapore Airport execs express interest in undertaking further upgrading of DMIA |
|
SAN FERNANDO CITY, Pampanga -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said today
that executives of Singapore's world-class Changi Airport have expressed
interest to undertake a further upgrading of the Diosdado Macapagal
International Airport (DMIA) at the Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga to make
the terminal at par with the best airports in the world. In her keynote address during the centennial celebration of the Pampanga High School here, the President described the Singaporeans‘ interest in the development of the DMIA as a clear indication that foreign investors remain bullish on the country's economy despite the political noise generated by the political oppositions and government critics. "Singapore (has expressed intent) to meet with airport officials in Clark to give an unsolicited offer to further develop the DMIA," the President said. The President added that the Singaporean airport officials were very impressed with the facilities of the DMIA. Under the President's initiative, the former military airstrip in Clark Field, Pampanga was converted into an international airport to serve as an alternative to the already congested Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Pasay City. After investing hundreds of millions of pesos on a spacious new terminal building and large-aircraft support facilities, the DMIA recently acquired new radar equipment to beef up its all weather aircraft tracking facilities. The DMIA now hosts a number of small international carriers like Tiger Airways, which operates direct flights from the DMIA to a number of Asian cities like Singapore, Thailand and Hong Kong. Access to the DMIA will be further improved with the completion of the country's longest expressway -- the Subic-Clark-Tarlac expressway, another flagship project of President Arroyo. |
|
|
| PGMA urges Congress to pass a law providing 10% hike in gov't workers pay |
|
SAN FERNANDO CITY, Pampanga – Here’s good news for the government’s over one
million workers. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo urged Congress today to pass a law that will provide an additional 10 percent increase in the salaries of state workers via a new Salary Standardization Law. In her speech keynoting the centenary of the Pampanga High School here, the President proposed the creation of a new Salary Standardization Law that will grant a series of pay increases to the 1.2 million government employees who “work tirelessly to serve the country.” The President said this proposed increase in pay will also benefit public school teachers whom she called the "backbone of our educational system." State workers received a 10 percent pay increase in 2007 after the President said the government was able to garner record revenue surpluses brought about by the implementation of the Expanded Value Added Tax (E-VAT) Law. The President added that since then, the economy has been on a roll and is now one of the best performing in the region. |
|
|
| Bunye: Communal action calls for circumspection |
|
Malacanang said today it respects the Catholic Bishops Conference of the
Philippines (CBCP) call for communal action but considers it as premature. “Communal action precisely calls for circumspection, a consideration of all the facts, and due regard for what will serve the common good in the long term,” Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman Ignacio R. Bunye said in a statement. Bunye was commenting on the statement read Sunday by the CBCP on the testimonies of Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr. and Joey de Venecia III before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee investigating the already-cancelled National Broadband Network (NBN)-ZTE deal. In its statement referring to Lozada and De Venecia, the CBCP said: "Their public confession may be considered a providential event that may yet save our country from being hostage to scandalous and shady government deals that offend the common good and serve only personal, family and group interests." "Only the truth, not lies and deceits, will set our country free. This truth challenges us now to communal action," the CBCP added. Bunye said: “We respect the CBCP’s call for communal action but consider it premature.” “Having said that, we humbly submit that the proper venue for the determination of truth and justice lies in the courts, not in an emotionally-charged forum,” Bunye added. |
|
|
|
Speech of President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo during the 100th Year Celebration of
Pampanga High School Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center, San Fernando City, Pampanga February 11, 2008 |
|
• Masayang pamagdiwang ning sentenaryu king Pampanga High School. • Malapit ya king pusu ku ing PHS uli na ning ing kanakung tatang, i Presidenti Diosdado Macapagal, kabilang ya king Batch 1929 na niting eskuwelahang iti. • In 1925 when he was 15, he was chosen class valedictorian in Lubao Elementary School. • The nearest high school was in San Fernando, some 40 kilometers from Lubao. • For the children’s sake, his mother moved the entire family to San Fernando. She rented a nipa house in San Fernando and accepted boarders in order to meet their our living expenses. • Pampanga High School opened a completely new world for my father. For one thing, education, which until then had been a chore, though an easy chore, began to be a pleasure. He started to make friends who would remain with him for life, even as far as Malacanang. One of them recalled, “He borrowed textbooks because he could not afford to buy them. Ten minutes before class he would ask a classmate for a textbook and stand under the shade of an acacia tree skimming it. Then, to the astonishment of everyone, he always knew the lesson.” • His four years of stint in the secondary courses were spiced with memorable events. He did his best to rank among those at the head of his class from schoolyear to schoolyear, to show his undying gratitude to his mother. • My father’s experience reflects that of many Filipino families. Education is a core value of Philippine society and family life. The hard- working men and women of this nation put their family first. The best gift any family can give to a child is access to a good education. • Education is the foundation of economic prosperity and individual liberty, justice and self worth. • Ding eskuwelahan ila ding pangadwang bale na ning metung a anak, inya pin yang metung a maragul a panibatan na ring mayap a bage a dadala na king mabilug nang bie. • Deting bage deni ilang pigkalub ning PHS karing keyang estudyante king kilub na ning metung a siglo. • Ngening aldo iti, pagdiwang taya ing metung a siglo ning tradisyun ning PHS king academic excellence ampong de-kalidad at relevant a edukasyon a bibie na karing kekatamung kabalen a kayanakan ban saupan lang magsadya para karing pagsubuk king karelang panahun at maka-ambag la king kekatamung pagnasan a bawasan in kasakitan. • We are making real progress in alleviating poverty. The rate of poverty is down, both objective measures and self-rated poverty. Employment is up. Our education and healthcare services to the poor vastly improved. Only through a strong economy can we improve the plight of the poor. To that end, we have turned the corner on our economy. • Today the Philippines is on a path to permanent economic growth and stability. Investments are pouring in, the peso is strong, our stock market has reached historic heights and we have created seven million jobs in seven years. • For the first time in a generation, we are investing heavily in human and physical infrastructure. Roads, bridges and airports as well as new schoolbuildings and scholarships are the central building blocks that are necessary for our long term prospects. • Later today we will groundbreak new classrooms in Mexico, part of the 10,000 classrooms we will build this year. • King Pampanga High, binie na ning gubyerno ding rehabilitation na ning Gabaldon Building, Elevated Drainage System, Dama de Noche Building at ing Diosdado Macapagal Inner Court. • Kinimut tamu ban pasikanan ing kalidad ning edukasyon king elementarya ampong High School. • Sasaupan tala ding estudyante king high school a maki-agape la king panahun na ning internet kapamilatan na ning pamalage ning computer linkage balang metung a public high school. Atin na ba king Pampanga High School? • Makanyan mu naman, ban ta lang adinan tsansa ding pakakalulung estudyante king high school a makapag-kolehiyo, digdagan ta la ding scholarship para king kolehiyo at pesikanan ta ya ing ladderized system, para karing vocational/technical students a magnasang manikwang diploma king kolehiyo. • Teachers are the backbone of our educational system. Without these selfless men and women, our children would fall short of their dreams and aspirations. We are deeply indebted to the hard work and dedication of all our teachers. Their work is noble and patriotic. They deserve the praise and respect of every Filipino. • Kaya menikwa ta nang migit-kumulang 53,000 tala-turu manibat 2002 hanggang 2007. • Teachers received additional compensation in 2006 and a 10% salary increase in 2007. • Unlike in previous Administrations, teachers now share the increasing bonus that other national government workers receive. Teachers received a P10,000 bonus in 2007. • Teachers are included in the salary increase provided in our Administration bill for a new third round of salary standardization. Let’s ask our Capangpangan Congressmen to author the bill. • Pasibayu, congratulations king Pampanga High School, king kekayung pamagdiwang king kekayung sentenaryu. Pupugayan da ko king pamanyiguru yu king kinabukasan kapamilatan na ning pamag-tuun yung pansin king panyulung da ding kekatamung peka-maulagang yaman – ding kayanakan. • Dakal a salamat. |
|
|
|
Speech of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during
the CEO Forum of E-Services Global Sourcing
Conference and Exhibition SMX Convention Center, SM Mall of Asia Pasay City, Metro Manila February 11, 2008 |
|
Thank you Secretary Favila for your introduction. Other officers of the Department of Trade and Industry; International Trade Experts and Speakers in this forum; delegations from the different parts of the world; movers and captains of industry; ladies and gentlemen. Good morning to all of you and welcome to the Philippines! Welcome! To our delegates from the various centers of excellence of global offshoring and outsourcing or the O&O industry. This meeting comes at a time when the global economic situation is clearly an issue for us. The more connected we become, and I.T. has connected us so much, the more we need to manage the ups and downs... through the ups and downs of other nations’ economic bubbles. This is true especially with any further volatility in the U.S. economy. At this time, firms are working to support their margins and the good news for the Philippines is that we have matured and diversified our economy so much the last few years that we are confident that our economic turnaround is permanent and our economy is resilient to major economic disruptions. This is the result of seven years work. Seven years ago, no one thought we could get more revenues, cut down on tax cheats, strengthen the peso and move the stock market. No one thought we could bring our budget close to balance, lower our national debt and raise employment -- but, we have. So our economy has reached a new level of maturity and stability with some of the strongest macroeconomic fundamentals in 30 years. Moody’s investor service upgraded the Philippines to positive last month for very good reasons. We have the fastest growth in a generation -- 7.3 percent for 2007. We have created seven million jobs in seven years, our peso is strong, our stock market up. We have a surge in foreign reserves at the same time our budget is almost in balance. The strong peso has helped impact the rising cost of oil, reducing the cost... It has reduced the cost of servicing some of our national debt, and it has contributed to keeping the price of imports down and in the process keeping inflation down. That’s why today the Philippines is on a path to permanent economic growth and stability. Investments are pouring in, especially in E-services. In October 2007, the Philippines was named “offshoring destination of the year” by the National Outsourcing Association of the U.K. In International Data Corporation’s top 10 list of BPO destinations in the Asia-Pacific region, Manila was ranked number 2, second only to Bangalore. In a survey commissioned by the London Financial Times, Quezon City, Cebu and Davao were included in the top 10 Asian cities of the future, with Quezon City ranked 7th, Cebu 8th and Davao 10th, comparable with cities like Hongkong, Singapore and Taipei which were the top three. In another study conducted by Tholons, and we thank Tholons for being a partner in organizing this event. In a study conducted on the top 50 emerging cities, Cebu was ranked number 4, just behind three Indian cities. These distinctions from the global ICT firms and experts in the O&O sector provide our investor friends who have come to e-services Philippines with objective third-party assessments of our O&O capabilities. They validate our position as a major player in the global O&O market. The Philippines is ranked among the most attractive offshoring destinations in the world because of cost competitiveness and more importantly the country’s highly trainable, english-proficient, I.T.-enabled quality manpower. And as Peter Favila has said, in recent years, the outsourcing sector has expanded beyond call centers and I.T. to include a range of professional and business processes including accounting, human resources, financial analysis, design engineering, animation, medical services, legal services, insurance processes, banking processes, map making, publishing, content creation and research. This is a quality we are working hard to maintain through investments in human capital to ensure the competitiveness of our workforce. We will continue to leverage our level of I.T. proficiency that currently includes almost a hundred thousand licensed professionals with technical expertise in software development and engineering design. Upgrading our curriculum in all levels of education is a main thrust of our administration. We recently held an education congress where challenges were presented and solutions explored by our educational institutions and stakeholders from the O&O industry. The government and the private sector work together under the BPOAP (Business Process Outsourcing Association of the Philipppines) roadmap, we work together to develop talent to support the rising demand for quality workers in outsourcing and to expand outsourcing capabilities to new locations across the country beyond the centers of Manila and Cebu to tap larger talent pools. And as Secretary Favila has said, a major portion of our joint initiatives is training. We are accelerating the O&O “near-hire” training effort, as Secretary Favila has said, by allocating a budget of 350 million pesos this year exclusively for this sector together with the technical education and skills development authority. And more than 40,000, maybe 55,000 young potential recruits will be recipients of training vouchers and most probably 40,000 should be offered jobs within two months of completion. This is a sizeable contribution to building manpower development and employment in line with our administration’s commitment to create 10 million jobs all over the economy. The runaway growth of the O&O industry has echoed throughout the entire system, spawning impressive growth in other sectors like real estate, telecommunications, food and retail, among others. The demand for prime real estate for BPO operations has spawned feverish construction for office space and campuses that can house the current demand for expansion sites. This trend is expected to grow by more than 30 percent in the next few years. The up-and-coming O&O destinations in the Philippines are of course outside Metro Manila. And in support of this, our public-private sector partnership has been assessing various cities -- which I understand will be presented tomorrow -- to delineate what we will now call -- or well, we have been calling but now we will delineate the area more specifically -- the Philippine cyber corridor, which are positioned as viable alternatives for O&O locators. The scorecard used by the BPOAP together with the government for assessing the competitiveness of each location includes criteria such as number of graduates, telecom infrastructure, office space and local government support. Indeed, the information revolution has been good to the Philippines. As a government, we have insisted on building world class I.T. infrastructure for developing the skills of our citizens and as an essential backbone to attract global business. A strong infrastructure network is the backbone of a modern nation. That’s why this year we’re spending almost 200 billion pesos in infrastructure. We’re able to do that because of the additional resources generated by our economic reforms. This is part of the two trillion-peso public-private sector medium-term plan to invest in social and physical infrastructure which includes billions of pesos in education, health care and training along with billions in new bridges, roads, and ports and connectivity to upgrade our competitiveness. In the classroom, in the community and across our business sector, our investment on I.T. has paid off well and quickly. We have been able to take advantage of our great Filipino worker by utilizing fully the voiceover internet protocols and landline capacity to deliver quality voice and data services to any point on the globe. The speed of innovation can be your friend or your foe. That’s why we have our annual meeting. And that’s why we want to cement our gains in I.T. and BPO services to make sure we continue to build up our local industries and move up the value chain. This requires not only good public-private sector partnerships, but a huge investment in our educational system in order to produce the engineers and I.T. professionals of tomorrow. The competition is fierce, we know that. Change is happening at an accelerated pace. We must live and work in a global environment. We must move quickly to exploit technology innovation to our advantage. Let me give you an example. When I took office in 2001, the BPO and call center space hardly existed. Today, we employ over 300,000 people and next to India, the Philippines has become the premier global destination for these types of I.T.-enabled services. We are proud of what we have achieved, but we are anxious to solidify our gains. We are anxious not to be complacent in the face of rapid change. For 2008, we have targeted to grow our O&O workforce by 40 percent in order to cope with the industry demands and also achieve a 40 percent growth rate in the O&O sector. But let me end by applauding all of you, the movers and shakers of global e-services -- many are here today -- you’re on the cutting edge of innovation and change. We admire the risks you are taking to push the envelope, to turn wild ideas into indispensable tools to advance business and the quality of our lives. Thank you for your support and commitment. Maraming salamat. |
|
|
| PGMA administration's surge in infra spending under way in Pampanga |
|
SAN FERNANDO CITY, Pampanga -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo led the
inauguration and groundbreaking of infrastructure projects in this city and
Mexico, Pampanga this afternoon as part of her government's "surge in
infrastructure spending" to bolster the economic progress of the
Philippines. The President's first stop was the Pampanga High School (PHS) here where she keynoted the celebration of PHS's 100th anniversary. Prior to her speech, the President led all guests in unveiling the marker of the newly-constructed PHS covered court. Constructed at a cost of P3.8 million, the PHS covered court provides a venue for PHS students where they can participate in sporting and other co-curricular activities. The President then proceeded to the PHS main building to unveil the life-sized statue of the school's most illustrious alumnus, the President's father, former President Diosdado Macapagal (PHS Class 1929). Then the PHS's principal Dr. Imelda Macaspac handed to the President the Most Outstanding Alumnus Award posthumously conferred upon the former President Macapagal. In her speech, the President paid homage to the valiant men and women who make up the teaching profession, saying they are the "backbone of the educational system." After the event, the President then went to Barangay San Jose Malino in Mexico, Pampanga to groundbreak the future site of the Malino-Anao bridge, a 120-lineal meter bridge that will run across the Abacan river in Bgy. Malino to Bgy. Anao. The planned bridge is expected to cut travel time from the nearby province of Nueva Ejica and the Magalang-Concepcion road and the Ninoy Aquino Byway in Magalang, bypassing the congested portion of the Gapan-San Fernando-Olongapo road. The bridge will also serve as an alternate east-west lateral link to the GSO road and is expected to provide relief, short, safe and convenient travel and better mobility in the transport of agricultural and aquatic products and services. The P80-million bridge is comprised of four spans at 30 meters, roadway width of 7.32 meters, with pre-stressed on concrete girder resting on bored pile foundation. The last event for the President was the groundbreaking for the construction of a four-classroom, two-storey academic school building in Pandacaqui, Mexico, Pampanga. The Pandacaqui Resettlement Elementary School will be constructed at a cost of P4 million and is expected to benefit 180 Pandacaqui students. The school building is expected to be completed in 120 calendar days. After her sojourn, the President and her convoy proceeded back to Malacanang. |
|
|
