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President Aquino
administers oaths of office to new officers of the league of
municipalities and local government units |
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President Benigno S. Aquino III administered the oaths of office to new
officers of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) and the
leagues of local government units in a ceremony held at the Manila Hotel on
Tuesday.
First to take oath before the President was the 22 new officers of the LMP
led by Leyte Mayor Leonardo "Sandy" Javier Jr.
The President then administered a mass oath-taking to the new officers of
the leagues of local government units including the League of Provinces of
the Philippines, League of Vice Governors of the Philippines, League of
Cities of the Philippines, Vice Mayor's League of the Philippines,
Philippine Councilor's League, Provincial Board Member League of the
Philippines, National Movement of Young Legislator, and Liga ng mga Barangay
sa Pilipinas.
Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista, the national president of the League of
Cities of the Philippines, led his group. Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno was
also present leading the Vice Mayor's League of the Philippines.
Joining the President during the oath-taking ceremony were Department of
Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II. and Social Welfare
Secretary Corazon Dinky Soliman was also present.
The Chief Executive then proceeded to the adjacent Fiesta Pavilion room
where he attended LMP's general assembly this year.
The LMP conducts an annual assembly attended by over a thousand of mayors in
the country. It is during the general assembly that the LMP Executive
Committee defines its objectives where issues affecting the league are
discussed. It also during this time that the President directly addresses
the mayors of the country. PND (jb) |
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Malacanang salutes
OFWs for record remittance |
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Malacanang expressed its thanks and saluted the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWS)
for the increase in the remittances which he said grew seven percent
compared to the same period last year.
In a press briefing, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said
total remittances for 2013 reached P23-billion compared to P21.4-billion in
2012.
“We salute and thank our overseas Filipino workers for the nearly seven
percent increase in remittances made in January 2014 compared to the same
period last year. Total remittances for 2013 reached almost P23-billion for
a 7.4-percent increase compared to P21.4-billion in 2012,” Coloma said.
“The government recognizes the importance of these remittances in bolstering
the country’s foreign currency reserves, boosting consumer spending, and
supporting overall economic growth,” he added.
He said that through the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency, the
“government continues to promote programs that will create and increase
employment opportunities for Filipino professionals and skilled workers.”
“These are in tandem with similar programs in country to create
manufacturing-based and more highly remunerative jobs,” Coloma said.
Aside from this, Coloma said, the Department of Labor and Employment
vigorously implements the P2-billion peso national reintegration program
administered by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, which has
already created 4,000 jobs for returning OFWs since the inception of this
program.
“Through Land Bank of the Philippines, this program has granted and released
total loans amounting to P632.5-million. Most of which were used to fund
businesses on general merchandising, groceries, water purifying stations,
auto supply, hardware, trucking, and ready-to-wear, as well as
agriculture-based enterprises such as grains trading, piggery, poultry,
agriculture supplies, post-harvest, bakery, fruits and vegetables farming,
copra trading, and fisheries,” he added.
“We affirm President Aquino’s vision of ‘a government that creates jobs at
home, so that working abroad will be a choice rather than a necessity.’ And
when its citizens do choose to become overseas Filipino workers, their
welfare and protection will still be the government’s priority,” Coloma
said. PND (rck) |
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Aquino tells local
government units: Good governance will be rewarded |
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President Benigno S. Aquino III challenged the local government units to
perform better and to continue the exercise of good governance assuring them
that such practices will be rewarded by the national government through the
Department of Interior and Local Government's Seal of Good Local Governance.
Speaking before at least 1,500 local government officials during the general
assembly of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP), the
President underscored the importance of sustaining the practice of
accountability and transparency in local government units, which play a
vital role in economic growth and poverty alleviation.
“Kayo ang nasa lokal na pamahalaan; kayo ang may malalim na pag-unawa sa mga
pangangailangan ng inyong kababayan; kayo ang nasa magandang posisyon para
gumawa ng mga kongkretong hakbang upang tugunan ang mga ito,” he said.
“Ang gusto ko pong bigyan ng diin: Ang Performance Challenge Fund ay para sa
lahat ng gustong tuparin ang kanilang pangako bilang lingkod bayan. Hindi po
kailangan ng palakasan at papogian. Hindi ninyo kailangang sumipsip para
mabigyan ng Performance Challenge Fund,” he said referring to the incentive
given to LGUs that pass the seal of good governance.
The President shared that last year, 719 LGUs were given Performance
Challenge Funds with a total incentive of P1 billion.
President Aquino stressed that incentives were not only given to allies but
to all LGUs that will meet the requirements of good housekeeping.
“Kahit saang partido pa kayo nanggaling, basta nagpapakitang-gilas kayo sa
serbisyo at tapat na sumusunod sa mga patakaran, mabibigyan kayo ng
kaukulang pondo at insentibo upang maiangat pa ang pamumuhay ng inyong mga
nasasakupan,” he said.
He likewise reported that a total of 1,372 LGUs or close to 84 percent of
the total number of LGUs, have complied with the good housekeeping
requirements.
He challenged the remaining 20 percent to keep up and join in the
government’s transformation.
“Sa bawat isa po sa ating mga LGU: Sana naman po ay hindi lang minimum ang
ating habulin; sa halip, talaga pong ibuhos natin ang lahat ng ating
makakaya, upang pagharap natin sa kanya-kaniyang mga salamin ay masabi
nating, ‘Tinupad ko ang aking sinumpaang tungkulin; naging kabahagi ako ng
pagbabago; tapat akong naglingkod sa kapwa ko Pilipino’” he said.
This year’s LMP general assembly was attended by 1,228 mayors coming from
different provinces and cities in the country. PND (jb) |
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Philippines’s Ayungin
presence, lawful, says Palace official |
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Malacanang said the country’s presence in the Ayungin Shoal is lawful
despite China’s pronouncements that the Philippines is intruding in its
jurisdiction in the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea).
It was reported that China warned the Philippines to abandon its claims in
the Ayungin Shoal, with its foreign ministry spokesperson saying they are on
high alert for the Philippines possibly taking more proactive acts in the
South China Sea.
As a response, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary
Herminio Coloma Jr cited a Department of Foreign Affairs statement on March
14 regarding the issue.
“The BRP Sierra Madre, a commissioned Philippine naval vessel, was placed in
Ayungin Shoal in 1999 to serve as a permanent Philippine government
installation in response to China's illegal occupation of Mischief Reef in
1995. This was prior to the signing of the Declaration of Conduct of Parties
in the South China Sea in 2002,” Coloma told reporters in a press briefing
citing DFA’s statement.
He said the Philippines reiterates that Ayungin Shoal is part of its
continental shelf over which the country has sovereign rights and
jurisdiction.
“Yan po ang malinaw na posisyon ng ating pamahalaan. Lahat naman po ng
pagkilos natin diyan ay ayon sa international law at in accordance with our
policy of pursuing only peaceful and diplomatic means to resolve the
disputes on territorial claims.”
China warned the Philippines against provocations in the West Philippine Sea
after two Filipino civilian vessels were expelled from the Ayungin Shoal for
allegedly bringing in construction materials.
The DFA protested the expulsion of the two Filipino civilian vessels in
Ayungin Shoal, but China rejected the protest.
Filipino marines shelter in a rusted World War II era ship, the BRP Sierra
Madre,that was intentionally grounded on Ayungin in 1999 in response to
China’s occupation of Mischief Reef in 1995.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea through its nine-dash line
that included parts of the Philippines 200-nautical mile exclusive economic
zone.
Tired of fruitless attempts to settle the dispute diplomatically, the
Philippines has filed for an arbitration case against China before the
United Nations International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea (ITLOS). China
has refused to take part in the proceedings. PND (as) |
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Coloma says he supports
COA’s move to go after officials with unliquidated cash advances |
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Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr.
said he supports the Commission on Audit’s move to go after government
officials and employees who have unliquidated cash advances.
The COA said there is over P5 billion in unliquidated cash advances recorded
by the auditing body as of end-2011 and could cover periods that go as far
back as 20 to 40 years.
“Ang aking nabatid sa kanyang pahayag ay kinakailangang maging accountable o
pananagutin ang mga opisyal o empleyado ng pamahalaan na responsable para
doon sa mga cash advances na kinuha nila,” Coloma said with regards to the
statement of COA chief Grace Pulido-Tan.
“Ang aking batid sa kasalukuyan—at ito ay pinapatupad ko mismo dito sa aking
tanggapan—‘yung patakaran na no new cash advance unless an existing cash
advance has been fully liquidated,” he added.
His office is doing the practice to ensure that funds being released by his
office does not accumulate over time without liquidation.
Tan said public money that remains unaccounted for several years could be
considered malversed funds and officials who received the money could be
charged.
“Kaya ang sinisimulan po ng Commission on Audit ngayon ay ‘yung proseso ng
pagpapanagot. A process of accountability has been set into motion by the
COA,” Coloma said. PND (as) |
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President Aquino to grace 2014
Pinoy Music Summit on Wednesday |
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President Benigno S. Aquino III will grace this year’s Pinoy Music Summit to
be held March 19, Wednesday at the Diosdado Macapagal Hall, Landbank Plaza
Building, Malate, Manila in support of the Philippine music industry.
With the theme “Basta Pinoy, Push Mo ‘Yan!” this year’s conference aims to
chart the state of the Philippine music industry and develop a program
involving various stakeholders towards strengthening and promoting OPM
(original Pinoy music) as an expression of culture and identity, as well as
making it an economic driver.
President Aquino’s attendance to the event comes as no surprise to many
since he is a self-confessed audiophile whose preferences on music range
from jazz, pop, classic, blues, and OPM.
The event is organized by the Filipino Society of Composers, Authors, and
Publishers, Inc. (FILSCAP), along with the Organisasyon ng Pilipinong
Mang-aawit (OPM), Philippine Association of Recording Industry (PARI),
Asosasyon ng Musikong Pilipino Foundation, Inc. (AMP), Music Copyright
Administrators of the Philippines (MCAP), and PhilPop Music Fest Foundation.
Filipino music has been handicapped by music piracy, technological
advancement, lack of ingenuity among local artists, and foreign competition
that sales of the Philippine recording industry went on a constant decline
for almost a decade.
Cultural critic Don Jaucian even wrote in his August 25, 2012 article
published by the Philippine Star that OPM has been “thrown into some bargain
bin, upstaged by Korean girl bands, cover albums, and bossa nova,” thus
challenging both local artists and their listeners to move towards
innovation and creation of new works, instead of just resorting to old
repackaged tunes.
This year’s Pinoy Music Summit hopes to achieve just that by gathering
musicians, record labels, the government sector, media, and various
representatives of the music consumer groups in a single event.
“We want to bring in all the stakeholders, record industry associations,
networks, the singers, the academe and the government, and challenge them to
do something about the current situation of the music industry,” FILSCAP
president and acting conference director Noel Cabangon said. PND (hdc) |
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President
Aquino underscores role of LGUs in attaining inclusive growth |
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President Benigno S. Aquino III on Tuesday emphasized the importance of the
role of local government units in attaining inclusive growth in the country.
In his speech at the annual general assembly of the League of Municipalities
of the Philippines (LMP), President Aquino urged local government officials
to establish a friendly and easy business environment for potential foreign
investors citing his recent trips in Japan and Korea.
“Pagdating ho ba nitong mga negosyanteng tutulong sa atin magbigay ng mga
trabaho para talagang maging inclusive growth tayo. Sana po ay harapin natin
silang lahat sa espiritu ng gabayan at pagtutulungan. ‘Yung tutulong sa atin,
tulungan na natin, huwag na natin pahirapan,” he said.
President Aquino visited Japan and Korea last year bringing home hundred
billion pesos worth of investment pledges.
For more than three years, the Aquino administration has been implementing
reforms that will enhance the business environment in the country.
Last year, the Philippines ranked 108th out of 189 nations in the World Bank
Group's Ease of Doing Business report. This was 30 notches up from 138th in
2012.
The President said inclusive growth could only be attained through the
concerted efforts between the national and local government, which starts in
making the country more friendlier to local and foreign investors.
“Para mangyari po ito, siyempre, kayong mga punong-lungsod, kayo pong mga
gobernador, pati na rin ang mga hepe ng barangay ay malaking bahagi para
maging kaganapan ‘yan at bawat isang dumating ay talaga naman pong malaki
ang maitutulong tungo sa inclusive growth,” he said.
The President addressed some 1,228 mayors of the LMP and other local
government officials coming from various provinces during the general
assemblyheld at Manila Hotel. PND (jb) |
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