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| 09 JANUARY 2008 | . | |
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| 09 JANUARY 2008 | . | |
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| President wants construction of Panglao Int'l Airport to start by July |
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President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has ordered government agencies concerned
to pave the way for the start of construction works on the P4.7-billion
Panglao International Airport at Panglao Island in Bohol in a move to tap a
segment of the growing regional travel market in Asia, thereby spurring
economic development in that province and neighboring areas. The President issued the order during Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting in Malacanang that tackled more programs and projects for rural development, among which was the approval of the Panglao Airport Development Project by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board. The President, who chairs the NEDA Board, said the “bid must be out by April this year and work must start by July.” It was made clear during the meeting that the project would be funded by internal government funds as ordered by the President in July 2005. The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) would shoulder 90 percent of the P4.7-billion project cost while the remaining 10 percent would be funded by the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC). The construction of an airport in Panglao Island is economically viable, according to a feasibility study on the project, as air passenger arrivals in Bohol have been “phenomenal,” brought about by Panglao’s secluded white-sand beaches that have always been a favorite among foreign tourists. Arrivals in Bohol, according to the Department of Tourism (DOT), have experienced a phenomenal growth in the last five years, thus spurring a high-level growth of the low-cost carrier market and that is what exactly Panglao is about to experience. The Panglao Airport Development Project, covering 100 hectares, would have a 2.5-kilometer long runway that could accommodate the Airbus 320 and Boeing 737 series, the core fleet of most regional and budget airlines in Asia. It could also accommodate bigger aircraft but only as an alternative airport for nearby Mactan Cebu International Airport in Cebu. The project site, near Barangays Bolod, Danao and Tawala in Panglao town, edged out another possible site in Barangays Tabalong, Tinago and Bingag in the nearby town of Dauis, also in Panglao Island. Air passenger arrivals in Bohol jumped from 31,641 in 2001 to 198,605 in 2005 and 241,484 in 2006. |
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| PGMA launches anti-poverty program exclusively for 'extremely poor' Filipinos |
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OZAMIZ CITY, Misamis Occidental -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
formally launched here today the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) under “Ahon
Pamilyang Pilipino,” a poverty reduction program crafted exclusively to
benefit the “extremely poor” Filipino families. The CCT provides money to extremely poor Filipino families to enable them to meet certain basic human development goals set by the government. The formal launching of the anti-poverty program was held this morning at the Ozamiz City School of Arts and Trade (OCSAT) in this city. The “Ahon Pamilyang Pilipino” program was launched last Sept. 19 in Malacanang with the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the municipalities of Esperanza and Sibagat in Agusan del Sur, the cities of Pasay and Caloocan in Metro Manila, and Lopez Jaena and Bonifacio in Misamis Occidental. The program seeks to break the poverty cycle by addressing the problems of low educational achievement, high levels of maternal and infant mortality rates, high malnutrition rate and the high rate of child labor among the poor. Under the program, beneficiaries are identified based on a scoring system utilizing the socio-economic characteristics of a household such as non-ownership of assets, appliances, type of housing unit, level of education achievement of household head and non-access to water and sanitation facilities. The APP offers health and education cash grants to beneficiaries who have been determined to meet certain requirements. Under the health package, a household is entitled to P6,000 a year or P500 a month for preventive health check-ups and vaccines. The education cash grant, on the other hand, provides P3,000 for 10 months or P300 monthly per child for school needs. The grant covers a maximum of three children per household. To ensure that the children go to school, the beneficiary-family is required to acknowledge that they have received the money, present proof of enrolment and regular attendance of their children at least 85 percent of school days. For the health and nutrition grants for mothers and children, receipt of money depends on their regular visits to health centers for immunization and preventive healthcare as well as improvement in the nutritional status of the children and regular visits of pregnant women to their physicians. The DSWD, the lead implementing agency of the APP, explained that grants extended to the “very poor” families are not dole-outs but are designed to achieve long-term poverty reduction. The DSWD added that the strict conditionalities governing the grant preclude any abuse of the program by the beneficiaries. Initial figures showed that 1,115 families will benefit from the APP in Lopez Jaena and Bonifacio, Misamis Occidental. They will be represented by: Aniceto and Vilma Intod, Diomedes and Anita Uy, Orlando and Gina Villariguez, Reneboy and Mila Cantona and Alejandro and Sherlita Manus for Lopez Jaena. For Bonifacio, Marcelo and Estrelita Quiamson, Reynaldo and Estrelita Genobaga, Florencia and Gina Sanoy, Cerelo and Loreto Gerundio and Carlito and Norma Cotto will represent the municipality. The President personally distributed Cash Cards to the above-mentioned families and wished them luck in their endeavors. The cards resemble Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards and can be used to withdraw their money from Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) ATMs and its affiliate banks all over the country. All APP beneficiaries will receive their cash assistance for five years, or until 2012. |
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| PGMA pushes for protection of Laguna Lake's shore land; orders LLDA to submit proposal to DENR |
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In consonance with her thrust that economic development must stand alongside
environment protection for the Philippines to be a modern nation in the next
20 years, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has extended her full support to
efforts geared towards “defending the ecological integrity” of the shore
land of the Laguna Lake. Thus, the President instructed during the Cabinet meeting Tuesday in Malacanang the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) “to submit its proposal to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for evaluation.” During the meeting, the LLDA, in its presentation on the state of the Laguna de Bay, noted that the Laguna Lake shore land is “now the favorite site of illegal squatters, land speculators and developers, and open dumpsites.” The LLDA further said that although the problem is more of a regional concern, “it will quickly draw national attention because of the magnitude of concerns like shore land squatting, health, socio-political, economic and environment issues.” Some of the 29 lakeshore cities and municipalities in Laguna de Bay (there are 32 non-lakeshore cities and municipalities in Laguna de Bay), the LLDA noted, are appropriating vast tracts of shore land for the construction of buildings and other infrastructure. “The Laguna Lake ecological system is now being compromised. This is validated by the recent study which shows that the pollution profile of the lake has changed--industrial waste decreased by 11 percent and agri waste by 27 percent while domestic waste increased by 38 percent,” LLDA General Manager Edgardo Manda said. “The shore land is the first line of defense against pollution from surrounding watershed areas, thus the need to protect it,” he added. |
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| Nestle group CEO reaffirms firms's support for RP's long-term growth |
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The chief executive officer (CEO) of the Swiss-based food giant Nestle Group
expressed today his company’s continuing confidence in the Philippines and
its commitment to support the country’s long-term economic growth. Paul Bulcke reaffirmed his company’s commitment during a 20-minute courtesy call on President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo at Malacanang’s Music Room this morning. The Nestle official also thanked the President for her support for the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry in the country. Nestle Philippines has been chosen by the Nestle Group as the site for its shared service center for financial and employee services. The company’s shared service center, which will be known as the Nestle Business Services AOA (NBS), will serve the financial and employee service requirements of Nestle companies in the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand and other Asian countries. Financial services include account payables, receivables and accounting operations; employee services cover payroll, while human resources cover administration, time management and benefits administration. Bulcke, who is on his first visit to Asia with the Philippines as his first stop, was accompanied to Malacanang by Nestle Philippines CEO Nandu Nandkishore. The President, who visited the Nestle plant in Lipa City, Batangas last June, said she would like to “join you in your factory but I am leaving for Mindanao, for Cagayan de Oro, where you also have a plant.” Also with Bulcke were Nestle Group’s executive vice presidents Frits Van Dijk and James Singh. Singh is also the Group’s chief finance officer. Before the courtesy call, Trade Secretary Peter Favila informed the visiting Nestle executives that the Arroyo administration has pinpointed seven locations in the country which could be developed and turned into economic zones. The eco-zones, he said, offer a package of incentives for business developers and locators. Favila also informed the group that the government is “simplifying business processes and cutting down on red tape.” Nestle’s total investments in Lipa City from 2003 to 2007 totaled P1.2 billion. This year, the company hopes to expand its investments by P389 million in terms of manufacturing equipment and supporting infrastructures, including laboratories and modern automated control systems. Nestle Philippines, which belongs to the elite Top 10 Philippine corporations, reported total sales turnover of P63.8 billion in 2005 and P66.1 billion the following year. Worldwide, Nestle is “No. 1 among Nestle Asean countries, No. 3 in the Nestle region of Asia, Oceania and Africa, and No. 11 in the Nestle world.” |
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| National ID system needs an enabling law before it can be carried out -- Palace |
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There should be an enabling law before the government can start implementing
a national identification (ID) system, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita
clarified today. “We have to wait first for a particular bill to be filed and approved by Congress and then signed by the President into law,” Ermita explained. During his weekly media briefing this afternoon in Malacanang, Ermita said the government respects the 1998 Supreme Court ruling that a law needs to be passed before the government can carry out a national ID system. “There was this 1998 SC decision stating only Congress can pass a law for such a purpose,” Ermita said. What the government can only implement at this time, Ermita said, is the unified ID system under Executive Order No. 420 requiring “all government agencies and government-owned or controlled corporations to streamline and harmonize their ID system.” Ermita said the existing EO does not include private individuals and its sole purpose is only to harmonize and speed up transactions in government. During their last command conference, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) suggested that a national ID system be carried out for security purposes while some opposition senators called for such implementation but only to speed up transactions in government. If a bill for such purpose is filed whether in the House of Representatives or in the Senate, Ermita said the proposed measure shall be scrutinized and deliberated upon to satisfy the requirement of the greater majority. “I heard a press interview with two senators where they agreed to have a national ID system to facilitate transactions in government. The rationale in the statement of the Armed Forces, on the other hand, is to help in our security problem,” Ermita said. “I can imagine that when such a bill is filed and debated upon in the floors of both houses of Congress, all these features will be discussed and then they will come up with something that will be suitable and agreeable to everybody,” Ermita said. In the event a law is passed for such a purpose, Ermita said the implementation of a national ID system would not be used to spy on individuals nor curtail one’s freedom. |
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| Four-day energy summit opens Jan. 29 |
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Warning that the energy crisis will continue to confront the country over
the next 50-100 years, Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes announced today the
holding of four separate days of wide-ranging discussions on energy in a
move to forge long-term programs and policies on energy, fuel and power
utilization and conservation. The energy summit opens on Jan. 29 and will resume two days later on Jan. 31. The two other meetings are set for Feb. 5 and 7. Reyes made the announcement during the regular weekly press briefing of Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita at Malacanang’s New Executive Building (NEB) Briefing Room this afternoon. Underscoring the seriousness and complexity of the energy crisis, Reyes warned that there is no easy way out of the problem. “This problem is going to be with us during the next 50-100 years,” he added. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has called for the convening of an energy summit after the price of crude oil in the world market topped the $100 mark last week, a new record. Among the key issues to be discussed at the summit are the oil supply and demand situation, the setting up of clearcut guidelines on energy conservation, and the efficient utilization of energy, fuel and power. “So iyan pinagsasama-sama natin kaya this coming January 29, 31, February 5 and 7 meron tayong four-day summit on energy. Itong summit na ito ita-tackle natin ang whole aspect of the energy problem, hindi lamang short-term, hindi lamang pang-mabilisan,” Reyes said. He pointed out that the summit would also focus on the formulation of a long-term master plan, and “not a short-term solution” to the energy crunch. “Dahil ang problema nating ito siguro for the next 50-100 years nandito pa ito kaya ang ating pamahalaan tinitingnan in that horizon,” he added. He said the energy summit would also tackle measures to “enhance policies and programs, attract investments in technology and launch development projects that would impact favorably on energy supplies and prices while helping significantly arrest climate change.” Aside from the government agencies, others invited to attend the summit were members of the academe, legal and technical experts, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), oil industry, transport groups, students, media, church and other religious organizations. ”Anybody who has anything to say about the subject is most welcome,” Reyes said, adding that the summit is not for the purpose of photo opportunity but a no-nonsense quest for remedies, solutions and ways and means to cushion the impact on the Filipinos of the soaring prices of imported crude oil. Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Lito Atienza added that the summit would also pave the way to tackle issues pertaining to the exploration of the country’s mineral, geothermal and hydroelectric resources as alternative sources of energy. |
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| Malacañang declares Jan. 10, 2008 as special non-working day in Koronadal City |
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President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has declared Thursday,
Jan. 10, 2008 as a special non-working day in Koronadal City, South Cotabato.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita signed Proclamation No. 1440 by authority of the President last Jan. 7 declaring the said date as a holiday in Koronadal City to mark its Foundation Day. “It is but fitting and proper that the people of the City of Koronadal be given full opportunity to celebrate the occasion with appropriate ceremonies,” the proclamation states. |
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| Gov't will go after oil firms guilty of manipulating oil prices -- Reyes |
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Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes assured the public today
that the government will run after oil companies guilty of manipulating oil
prices. Reyes issued the assurance during the regular weekly press briefing of Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita this afternoon in Malacanang. The government has engaged the services of a private auditing firm to go over the books of oil companies allegedly involved in oil price manipulation. “If there is an abuse, definitely, we’ll run after them. If there is abuse, if there is manipulation, it is against the public interest. If it is against the Consumer Protection Act, then we’ll have to act. It is our duty,” Reyes said. The Department of Energy (DoE) and Sycip, Gorres and Velayo (SGV) auditing firm have forged a one-year agreement, authorizing the latter to conduct a thorough examination, study and review of the books of oil companies. Reyes explained that under the oil deregulation environment, the government role is to monitor, ensure compliance with safety and quality standards of oil companies and not to dictate prices in the market. But he also pointed out that the government has enough power to punish oil firms found to be engaged in illegal oil trade practices. “I’m certain that if it (abuse) is blatant and clear, there are powers within the government that can be used,” Reyes assured. |
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| DOLE chief assures public of positive economic and employment outlook this year |
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Labor and Employment Secretary Arturo Brion announced
today that the country’s unemployment rate had gone down from 7.3 percent to
6.3 percent despite the unprecedented increase in the price of crude oil in
the world market. He assured the public that the country faces positive economic and employment outlook this year. “Sinisikap po nating makakita ng mas magandang labor market, mas mataas na suweldo, mas magagandang trabaho sa taong ito. Sa pangkahalatan wala po tayong dapat ikatakot,” Brion said. The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reported that employment nationwide has expanded by 1.5 percent which means an additional new jobs of almost half a million as unemployment rate fell from 7.3 percent in October 2006 to 6.3 percent in October 2007. The report showed that underemployment rate also declined from 20.4 percent to 18.1 percent over the same period. Brion also cited another good news during the press briefing held at Malacanang’s New Executive Building (NEB) this afternoon: the government’s Social Protection Program is well in place. The Social Protection Program is the DOLE’s first move in 2008 towards strengthening and making this program accessible and user- friendly, he said. “Kung magkakaroon ng krisis dito, ang gagawin lang natin ay i-tally ang mga social protection programs na ito,” he said. He said that the urban workers who will be greatly affected by increased prices in oil products should not fear as the economy continues to expand, citing as an example the construction sector which is expected to go up this year. “Ang ating ekonomiya ay paakyat at nakikita natin dito halimbawa, ang pagakyat din ng construction industry, kaya’t kailangan nating pag-igtingin ang ating mga training lalo na dito sa Kamaynilaan at TESDA po ang nakakaalam niyan,” he said. In the DOLE, he said they have already launched their Income Augmentation Program starting at the unionized workers level. He added that on Friday (Jan. 11) they will hold a meeting with the informal labor sector regarding this program. The job fair facilities, on the other hand, will be strengthened to further facilitate more jobs for the Filipinos whether here or abroad, he said. For the overseas employment, he said, it will continue to show good picture that started in 2006 a record-setting year that continued up to 2007. He expressed the belief that this year would even be better. He said that oil price increase also has positive domino effect to the Philippines’ employment sector because oil producing countries like Saudi Arabia and Canada, which would benefit from this oil price increase, would need the services of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). “Lahat po iyan ay nangangailangan ng ating mga manggagawa. At pag iyan ay nangailangan eh bihasa na po sila sa Pilipinas tumitingin. Sa Canada pa lang po, sa Jan. 29, magsasara kami ng pag-uusap ng British Columbia. Sa Marso po ang probinsiya ng Alberta, iyan po ang may pinakamalaking deposito ng langis sa North America, lalagda na rin kami ng kasunduan kaya maliban pa po sa kanila meron pa po sa usual destination countries,” Brion said. DOLE also reported that the OFW deployment increased by 1.0 percent from 1.062 million in 2006 to 1.073 million in 2007. The 1.073 million documented OFWs have been productively deployed in more than 190 host destinations worldwide as well as shipboard to man the world’s shipping fleet. They consisted of 809,740 land-based workers and 263,662 overseas Filipino seafarers. |
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| PGMA names Rojas ll as OIC of Philracom to replace Fianza |
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Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita announced today the
appointment of Atty. Jose Fernando Rojas II as officer-in-charge (OIC) of
the Philippine Racing Commission (Philracom) effective tomorrow. In his weekly media briefing this afternoon in Malacanang, Ermita said Rojas, sitting board director of Philracom, would replace retired police Gen. Florencio Fianza. Fianza, in trying to implement a new handicapping system, had been at odds with the race horse owners belonging to the Metropolitan Association of Race Horse Owners (MARHO), Philippine Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (Philtobo), and the Klub Don Juan de Manila (KDJM). For almost a week now, off-track betting stations nationwide and the Sta. Ana Race Park in Makati City remained closed as the race horse owners pressed for the resignation of Fianza. Fianza had accused the race horse owners of game fixing. During the briefing, Ermita also announced the appointments of several other officials to various government posts. Appointed were Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretaries Ramon P. Aquino and Rafael C. Yabut, Department of Education (DepEd) Assistant Secretary Teresita G. Inciong, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Assistant Secretary Vilma B. Cabrera, and Department of Energy (DOE) Assistant Secretary Annette Manansala-Rafael. |
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| PGMA vows to increase investments to combat poverty |
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OZAMIZ CITY, Misamis Occidental -- President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo pledged today to increase investments in the country so
that more “vital social services can be accorded to our less fortunate
brothers and sisters.” The President made the pledge in her speech keynoting the formal implementation of the government's newest poverty reduction strategy -- the “Ahon Pamilyang Pilipino” (APP) at the Ozamiz City School of Arts and Trades (OCSAT). "We will increase investments in our country and our people to improve social services such as health insurance subsidies for indigent families and food-for-school hunger mitigation programs," the President said. She pointed out that in Misamis Occidental alone, 23,000 young students have benefitted and continue to benefit from the government's Food-for-School program. Aside from increasing investments, the President also said that her government is doing everything to address poverty. "Eradicating poverty is the central mission of this government and our society," the President said. "The government is going to do everything in its power to be a catalyst for this process," she added. The President pointed out that although latest statistical data have shown poverty to be on the decline, "we must accelerate the trend to eliminate poverty more aggressively." "We can't say that we have moved forward as a nation if we don't lift up the poor and hungry amongst us," the President stressed. |
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