 |
||
| 03 JANUARY 2008 | . | |
|
|
||
| 03 JANUARY 2008 | . | |
|
|
| PGMA visits NCH to spread Christmas cheer |
|
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo visited the National Children's Hospital
(NCH) in Quezon City this morning to spread Christmas cheer to pediatric
patients during a simple program marked by lively singing, dancing and
distribution of gifts. Fresh from her yearend holiday break in Baguio City where she traditionally celebrates the New Year, the President arrived at exactly 10 a.m. at the NCH on E. Rodriguez Sr., a stone's throw away from St. Luke's Medical Center (SLMH). She was met by Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, Quezon City Rep. Nanette Castelo-Daza, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) vice president Dodie King and NCH Director Robert Enriquez. The Chief Executive was escorted to the second floor of the NCH where she was given a brief tour of the hospital’s facilities. She also met with the parents of the young patients at the hospital’s charity ward located at the same floor. From the second floor, the President proceeded to the sixth floor where the main program was held. The Christmas program included a violin "concerto" by children of the House of Refuge in Marikina, a vocal rendition by Angel Magallanes, a gutsy six-year-old girl diagnosed with hydrocephalus and cerebral palsy, another song number by the parents and their children, and a dance number by former patients Knowel Placero, Leslie Casidsid and Jowielyn Sabris. The three teenagers had been stricken with acute-lymphocytic leukemia but thanks to NCH and its highly qualified staff of doctors, nurses and orderlies, the trio are now well on their way to full recovery. Later, the President, assisted by Duque, Daza, King and Enriquez, led the guests in distributing "loot bags" containing school supplies such as pens, stationeries and notebooks. Aside from the loot bags, the President also distributed food packs from a popular fast food restaurant chain. After distributing the gifts, the President bid the young patients, their parents and hospital staff goodbye and wished them all good luck and a prosperous New Year. The NHC is a 250-bed, 62-year-old tertiary government hospital for children. Since its opening in 1946, the NCH has served countless numbers of pediatric patients. Originally constructed as an Indigent Clinic on Feb. 11, 1945 with the primary mission of taking care of refugees, particularly the sick and undernourished children in the aftermath of World War II, the NCH seeks to serve pediatric patients from “zero to 18 years of age” by providing them prompt, complete, reasonable spectrum of health care such as preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative care. |
|
|
| Relief forthcoming for OFWs hard-hit by continuing rise of peso vs. U.S. dollar |
|
Relief is on the way for overseas Filipino workers (OFW) hard-hit by the
continuing spike in the value of the peso against the US dollar. This was the assurance made today by Labor Secretary Arturo Brion who said that the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) is set to open this month a special facility that would guarantee a fair return on the remittances of Filipinos working abroad. He said the facility would reduce the high transaction costs on OFW remittances sparked by the rise of the value of the peso against the US currency. Brion made the disclosure during the taping in Malacanang this afternoon of “The Cabinet Speaks” hosted by Undersecretary Martin Crisostomo, with co-host Paolo Romero of the Philippine Star (PDI). The labor chief said he and DBP Chairperson Patricia Sto. Tomas are scheduled to meet in Hong Kong later this month to inaugurate a “hedging program.” Under the program, the remittance-deposit by a group of OFWs for a certain period would enjoy a guaranteed return, and a measure of protection against the fluctuating peso-US dollar exchange rate. “This is not only for the Development Bank of the Philippines. I would hope that in due time other banks would catch on and offer similar if not the same measures,” Brion said. Brion added that he is encouraging OFWs to avail themselves of the hedge program to increase their savings and avoid the pitfalls of the so-called “rags-to-riches-to-rags syndrome.” “As far as I know this is a facility that is available. What is necessary is there should be a group of employees who will band together,” he said. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered Brion last month to adjust the per-contract membership fee collected from OFWs to P42 per US dollar effective this month to ensure that the earnings of OFWs are protected against the fluctuations of the peso-dollar exchange rate. |
|
|
| PGMA confers republic award to world reknown bowler 'Paeng' Nepomuceno |
|
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo conferred today the Champion for Life of
the Order of Lakandula to Rafael “Paeng” Nepomuceno, 6th time World Bowling
Champion for his outstanding achievement in international sports that
fostered extraordinary national pride and inspiration to the Filipino
people. The special citation was awarded by the President to Nepomuceno at simple rights held at the sidelight of his courtesy call at the Palace Music Room Thursday during which time Nepomuceno presented to the Chief Executive a trophy which he won at the South Pacifil Classic in Melbouorne, Australia last October 2007. The South Pacific Classic is Australia’s most prestigous annual tournament which Nepomuceno first won in 1984, the first non-Australian to have won the tournament. “Now, 23 years later, having won it again, I am the first non-Australian to have won the tournament two times,” Nepomuceno told the President. “Congratulations, the Filipino people are very proud of you,” the President replied citing his extraordinary contribution to Philippine sports and for his outstanding achievements in bowling competitions. The Champion for Life was created by the President to give due recognition to Filipinos who have attained outstanding achievements in international sports, beauty and similar fields of competition, and that have fostered extraordinary national pride and inspiration towards excellence. Those who received similar prestigious citation from the Chief Executive were Boxing Hero Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao, Miss International Beauty Queen Precious Lara Quigaman, Billiard King Efren “Bata” Reyes, and Mount Everest Filipiono conqueror Romi Garduce, Leo Oracion and Pastor Emata. Recently, Nepomuceno was declared by both houses of Congress as the “Best Filipino Athlete of all Time” for his six prestigious world bowling championship victories, making him an International Bowling Hall of Famer. Nepomuceno is listed in the Guiness Book of World Records as having won the most number of World Cups and recently designated Ambassador of Goodwill by the United Nations last July 11, 2007. In addition to his long list of well-known achievements as a world champion in three decades, Nepomuceno truly has been and continues to be an extraordinary ambassador for Filipino sport." Born Jan. 30, 1957 in Manila, Nepomuceno is a Filipino Ten-pin bowler who has won the World Cup in bowling four times in three decades: In Tehran, Iran on Nov. 19, 1976: Jakarta, Indonesia on Nov. 1, 1980; Le Mans, France on Nov. 8, 1992 and at Belfast, Northern Ireland on Nov. 23, 1996. Nepomuceno also won the International Tournament championship in Las Vegas, Nevada on Aug. 8, 1984 and the World Tenpin Masters championship in London, England on March 7, 1999. On Oct. 4, 2002, Paeng won a gold medal together with RJ Bautista in bowling's double event for men at the Asian Games held in Busan, South Korea. In total, Paeng has won over 100 tournament titles. He is the only bowler who had received the prestigious International Olympic Committee (POC) President's Trophy and was the first enshrined in the International Bowling Hall of Fame in St. Louis, Missouri in 1993.. In November 1999, the Federation Internationale des Quilleurs (FIQ) named Paeng as the "International Bowling Athlete of the Millennium." Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Commissioner William “Butch” Ramirez, Bacolod Representative and the Thailand South East Asian (SEA) Games chef d’ mission Monico Puentevella, Pampanga 4th District Representative Anna York Bondoc were accompanied Nepomuceno and his family in Malacanang. |
|
|
| DOLE: Prospects for Filipinos seeking employment abroad remain bright |
|
Prospects for Filipinos seeking employment abroad remain rosy, Labor
Secretary Arturo Brion said today, as he pointed out that job opportunities
still abound for Filipinos in many foreign countries. Brion made the statement during the taping this afternoon in Malacanang of “The Cabinet Speaks” hosted by Undersecretary Martin Crisostomo, with co-host Paolo Romero of the Philippine Star. “For example in the past two years, we have always topped the one million level of overseas Filipino workers. And I would say that for 2008, we will easily top the one million level,” Brion said. Although it is not a policy of the government to send workers abroad, Brion said overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) continue to help the country’s economic growth through their remittances, especially the OFWs belonging to the higher pay levels. “One reason why we have steep remittances now is, in 2007, we had more professional and skilled workers going overseas rather than non-skilled workers,” Brion said. In 2006, he said that 60 percent of the more than one million Filipinos who worked abroad were professionals, while 40 percent were non-skilled workers. In 2007, Brion said the deployment of skilled overseas workers increased to 73 percent compared to 27 percent for non-skilled workers, including domestic workers. Brion attributed the shift in the employment pattern of OFWs to the household service worker reform package established last March wherein the Philippines set a minimum $400 salary for Filipino household workers deployed abroad. He said Filipinos with higher opportunities for deployment abroad are topped by those coming from the medical and health, information and technology, and services sectors. Brion said nurses were not affected by the nursing examination scandal last year, citing the big employment opportunities in Europe, Canada and even Saudi Arabia. He said that last year alone, the Philippines could only send about 3,000 of the 5,000 needed by Saudi Arabia. However, Brion said the DOLE and Department of Health (DOH) would also adopt a new policy in the deployment of nurses so as not to affect the operation of local hospitals and clinics. |
|
|
| RP to ban completely deployment of OFWs in 4 strife-torn countries |
|
The Philippines will formally announced its policy banning completely the
deployment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in four strife-torn countries
-- Nigeria, Lebanon, Iraq and Afghanistan, the Department of Labor and
Employment (DOLE) said today. Labor Secretary Arturo Brion announced this during the taping of “The Cabinet Speaks” hosted by Press Undersecretary Martin Crisostomo with Philippine Star reporter Paolo Romero this afternoon at the New Executive Building in Malacanang. Brion said it is necessary to declare a complete ban policy as Filipino workers, despite the earlier ban on deployment in Iraq, still manage to work there by passing through the back door with the help of illegal recruiters. Brion said the government has already banned the deployment of OFWs in Iraq way back in 2004, Lebanon in July last year, and Afghanistan and Nigeria last December. “This is the first measure of protection that we can have for now because our workers are really at risk when they go to these places,” Brion said. In any case, Brion said undocumented OFWs who are already in these countries and need assistance may seek the help of Philippine consulates and embassies in these areas. Brion said the DOLE is now coordinating with Vice President Noli de Castro for the creation of an inter-agency group to stop the illegal deployment of Filipinos in the four countries. Brion said the lifting of the indefinite ban is subject to the assessment of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) if it deems it is already safe to deploy OFWs in any of these countries. |
|
|
