24-Hour Public Weather Forecast
Issued at 5:00 a.m., 01 December 2014Valid beginning: 5:00 a.m. today until 5:00 a.m. tomorrow
 Predicted Mean Sea Level Pressure Analysis for 8 a.m., 01 December 2014 |
 Predicted Mean Sea Level Wind Analysis for 8 a.m., 01 December 2014 |
 Satellite Image |
Synopsis:
Forecast:
The whole country will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms mostly over the eastern section.
OVER METRO MANILA:
Maximum Temperature: 11:00 AM Yesterday: --- 30.7°C
Minimum Temperature: 6:00 AM Yesterday: --- 24.0°C
Maximum Relative Humidity: 6:00 AM Yesterday: --- 98 %
Minimum Relative Humidity: 11:00 AM Yesterday: --- 68 %
Low Tide Today: 11:47 AM ..... 0.10 Meter
High Tide Today: 6:50 PM ..... 0.64 Meter
Low Tide Tomorrow: 12:43 AM ..... 0.36 Meter
Sunrise Today: 6:05 AM
Sunset Today: 5:24 PM
Moonrise Today: 1:21 PM
Moonset Tomorrow: 1:52 AM
Illumination Today: 68 %
For more information and queries, please call at telephone numbers 927-1335 and 927-2877 or log on to www.pagasa.dost.gov.ph.
PAGASA weather forecaster Aldczar Aurelio on DZMM:
-Dahil po iyan sa Easterlies (pag-ulan sa Metro Manila).
-Malayo po iyon, ’yung isang posibleng mabuong bagyo na maaaring pumasok sa PAR.
-Kasalukuyang nasa 2,000km ito east ng Mindanao.
-Kapag patuloy itong kumilos pa-westward palapit sa ating bansa ay maaring Friday ay papasok ito sa PAR.
-Medyo malakas po kasi malayo pa lang ay LPA na.
-Dahil po iyan sa Easterlies (pag-ulan sa Metro Manila).
-Malayo po iyon, ’yung isang posibleng mabuong bagyo na maaaring pumasok sa PAR.
-Kasalukuyang nasa 2,000km ito east ng Mindanao.
-Kapag patuloy itong kumilos pa-westward palapit sa ating bansa ay maaring Friday ay papasok ito sa PAR.
-Medyo malakas po kasi malayo pa lang ay LPA na.
>SYNOPSIS: Easterlies affecting the eastern section of Luzon and Visayas
>FORECAST: The whole country will be partly cloudy to cloudy w/ isolated rainshowers & thunderstorms mostly over the Eastern section
>Moderate to occasionally strong winds blowing from the East to Northeast will prevail over Luzon & its coastal waters will be moderate to rough. Elsewhere, winds will be light to moderate coming from the East to Northeast with slight to moderate seas.
DECEMBER 1 , 2014 (Monday) as of 6:00-7:00 A.M.
PIA4A/QUEZON : Partly Cloudy
PIA-4A/RIZAL:
December 1 is declared as a special non working holiday at the
Municipality of Cainta as per Proclamation 917 by the Office of the
President. The declaration is in line with the town's 443rd founding
anniversary.
PIA-4A/QUEZON:
DOLE-Quezon provincial director Edwin Hernandez urged residents of
Quezon Province to help stop illegal recruitment, child labor and human
trafficking due to reports of illegal recruitment of children and teens
in the towns of San Narciso and San Andres to work in sugar plantation
in Batangas Province.
PIA-4A/QUEZON:
The provincial government of Quezon is conducting an information
campaign on massive herbal planting in the different towns to increase
awareness on the importance of herbal planting in the province.
PIA-4A/BATANGAS:
Pinangunahan ng DTI-Batangas ang tatlong araw na Diskwento Caravan sa
Lipa City Cultural Center na nilahukan ng may 30 manufacturers.
Tinatayang mahigit 30 porsiyento ang diskwentong binibigay sa mga
mamimili.
DZBB:
Kinumpirma ng DFA na nagsasagawa ng fund raising campaign ang ilang
miyembro ng Filipino community sa Canada para sa pamilya ng apat na
Pinoy na nasawi sa road accident sa lugar ng Alberta.
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INTERVIEW OF COMMUNICATIONS SECRETARY HERMINIO COLOMA,
JR.
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DZRB / Pilipinas, Pilipinas by Efren Montano, Vanz
Fernandez & Albert
Sebastian
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30
November 2014
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| MGA PAUNANG PAHAYAG Mensahe ni Pangulong Aquino sa pagdiriwang ng Araw ni Bonifacio Nakikiisa ako sa pagdiriwang ng Araw ni Bonifacio. Ang pagmamahal sa bayan ni Andres Bonifacio ang nagbigay inspirasyon sa mga Pilipino na ipaglaban at itanghal ang kanilang dignidad, kalayaan, at ang soberanya ng ating bansa. Ngayon, 151 taon mula ‘nung siya ay isinilang, pagkatapos ng maraming pagsubok sa ating kasaysayan at katauhan na ating nalampasan, nagkakaisa tayo bilang isang bansa upang gunitain ang mga sakripisyong inalay niya bunsod ng kanyang mithiin na makita niya ang pagtamo ng ating mga aspirasyon. Hinggil sa naging protesta sa Times Street Mariin naming kinokondena ang pagkasugat ng mga miyembro ng ating pambansang kapulisan at ang bandalismong ipinairal ng mga raliyista kahapon sa tahanan ng pamilya ni Pangulong Aquino sa Times Street, Quezon City. Ayon sa ulat ng hepe ng Quezon City Police District, naganap ang bandalismo ‘nung binigyan ng palugit o extension ng mga pulis ang mga raliyista. Sa halip na maayos na tapusin ang kanilang pamamahayag, sinalakay ng mga raliyista ang mga pulis at sinaktan ang mga ito, bukod pa sa paggawa ng bandalismo sa tahanan ng pamilyang Aquino. Ang mga naturang aksyon ay hayag na kalabisan at pag-aabuso sa karapatang mamahayag. What the rallyists did in terms of vandalism and inflicting injuries on members of the PNP (Philippine National Police) clearly exceeded the maximum limits of the freedom of expression at hindi po pahihintulutan ng pamahalaan na maulit ang kaganapang ‘yan. ARAW NI BONIFACIO Mr. Montano: ‘Yung tungkol naman po dito sa Bonifacio Day. Ano po ba ‘yung mababanggit ng Palasyo ukol dito sa proposal na gawin siyang national hero? At [idugtong] ko na rin ‘yung panukala dito kay dating Senador Ninoy Aquino na gawin ding national hero. SEC. COLOMA: Pakiulit lang ‘yung huling bahagi Efren. Ano ang gagawin tungkol kay dating Senador Ninoy Aquino? Mr. Montano: National hero din po. ‘Yung may mga nauna pa noon na panukala rin na gawin siyang national hero. SEC. COLOMA: Isasangguni po natin ang mga bagay na ‘yan sa National Historical Commission. Mayroon pong mga nakatakdang proseso hinggil sa paggawad ng pagkilala sa kabayanihan ng mga Pilipino. Mr. Montano: Opo. At ‘yung kay Bonifacio parang mayroong proposal po diyan sa Kamara. So ganoon din po ang ating stand tungkol dito sa naturang isyu? SEC. COLOMA: Hintayin po natin dahil karapatan naman ang pagsulong ng mga panukalang ‘yan ng ating mga mambabatas. PROTESTA SA TIMES STREET Mr. Montano: So ibig sabihin po ay maghihigpit ngayon diyan sa naturang lugar ng ating Pangulo? SEC. COLOMA: Ang ibig sabihin, Efren, ay ipatutupad ang batas. Nandiyan pa rin naman ‘yung patakaran na maximum tolerance dahil kinikilala naman ng ating pamahalaan ‘yung karapatang mamahayag. Kaya lang nagbibigay tayo ng obserbasyon na ang naganap kahapon ay pang-aabuso na ng pamamahayag. Ms. Fernandez: Sir, regarding po doon sa nasabi natin dito sa bahay ng ating presidente na nilusob ng mga raliyista. Ngayon, ang sabi naman po nitong secretary-general ng Karapatan na si Cristina Palabay, [humihiling] siya sa administrasyong Aquino na i-pull out ang mga sundalo sa Mindanao, ibasura ang mga kasong inihain laban sa kanilang lider, at pagbibigay hustisya sa mga biktima ng paglabag sa karapatang pantao at puwersahang pagpapaalis ng mga magsasaka sa kanilang tinitirhan. SEC. COLOMA: Ito po, ano. ‘Yung ulat kasi na ibinigay ng ating Quezon City Police District sa pamamagitan ni Police Senior Superintendent Joel Pagdilao, pinagbigyan naman ‘yung pagpapahayag sa mga nagdaos ng kanilang pamamahayag at humingi sila ng palugit sa kanilang pamamahayag, pinagbigyan din naman ito. Kaya nagpapakita lamang na binigyan naman sila ng sapat na panahon para mailahad ‘yung kanilang mga usapin. Pero ayon sa ulat ng Quezon City Police, bago sila matapos, ‘yung mga protesters o raliyista ay nag-umpisa na ng bandalismo, na gumamit ng pulang pintura sa kalsada, at pati ‘yung gate ng isang kapitbahay ng pamilyang Aquino ay nagkaroon din ng insidente ng bandalismo roon, at a total of 12 PNP personnel were injured. Ito po ang mga detalye diyan: si SPO1 Reyes (sa kaliwang mata), si PO1 Ryan Paul Ocampo Tifles (left and right thigh), PO1 Coco (right arm), PO1 Marquez, PO1 Madarang (fractured thigh), PO1 Japaneses, PO2 Pedrozo, PO1 Esteban (back bruises), PO1 Bitumen, PO1 Lagundi (right arm), PO1 Negrito at PO1 Ng (now undergoing treatment). Kaya tunay na tunay po ‘yung sinasabi nating nakapagdulot po sila ng, hindi lang karahasan, kundi actual physical injuries against our law enforcers na nandoon lang naman para ipatupad ang batas. Kaya sinasabi po natin na ito ay pagmamalabis sa paggamit ng karapatan sa pamamahayag. Ms. Fernandez: So at this time, sir, (dahil sa) nangyari po magiging mahigpit ang seguridad diyan sa sinasabi nating tahanan ng ating Pangulo? SEC. COLOMA: Paiiralin lang ‘yung normal na procedures at ‘yung pangangalaga sa seguridad ng ano mang komunidad na kung saan ay mayroong ganyang mga activities. Ang ini-emphasize lang dito ay ‘yung kahalagahan na pairalin natin ‘yung batas. Dahil dito naman sa naganap, pinahintulutan silang mamahayag, binigyan pa nga ng palugit dahil sa nag-request sila nito. Pero sa halip nga na mapayapa at maayos na itigil na ‘yung kanilang pamamahayag, nagsagawa pa sila ng bandalismo at ganito nga po ang naging resulta, ‘yung physical injuries sa 12 kagawad ng Philippine National Police na isa-isa nating pinangalanan. OBAMA OF SOUTHEAST ASIA Mr. Montano: ‘Yung tungkol po dito sa remark ng isang website. May mababanggit po ba kayo dito ukol sa sinasabing si Pangulo po raw is the 'Obama of Southeast Asia' for ignoring the ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) threat? Tapos kung ano po ‘yung update natin sa Bangsamoro Bill. SEC. COLOMA: ‘Yung tungkol sa ISIS, Efren, naitanong na at sinagot na ni Undersecretary (Abigail) Valte kahapon dito rin sa ating pagtatalakayan. Uulitin ko na lang po: Hindi makatotohanan ang paratang na ‘yan dahil parang mayroong insinuation na hindi sapat ang ginagawa ng Pangulo at ng administrasyon sa kampanya laban sa terorismo. Ito po ang pahayag namin: Masigasig at determinado ang administrasyong Aquino sa paglaban at pagsabat sa terorismo sa lahat ng anyo nito. Q3 GDP Ms. Fernandez: Okay, sir, on another issue po tayo. ‘Yung DAP (Disbursement Acceleration Program) daw (ang) [nagpabagal] sa ekonomiya… Dahil daw po sa naging desisyon ng Supreme Court tungkol sa Disbursement Acceleration Program kaya bumagal ang paggastos ng gobyerno. Ayon po kay Senator Chiz Escudero, masyadong nag-iingat daw ang mga ahensya ng gobyerno sa paggastos ng pondo matapos ideklara ng Supreme Court na labag sa Konstitusyon ang DAP. Reaksyon lang po dito mahal na kalihim? SEC. COLOMA: Makailang ulit na pong natalakay ‘yan. Ang atin lang pong naipahayag at ang pahayag din po ni NEDA (National Economic Development Authority) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan ay hinggil sa mga maaaring dahilan sa mas mabagal na pag-unlad ng ating ekonomiya ‘nung third quarter of 2014 na nasa 5.3 percent. Hindi naman po isinisisi sa kahit isang dahilan lamang sapagkat ito ay resulta ng combination ng maraming dahilan, at isa nga po diyan ‘yung kinakailangang mag-adjust ang iba’t ibang mga ahensya ng pamahalaan sa mga patakaran ng paggastos, dahil nga doon sa naging kapasyahan hinggil sa Disbursement Acceleration Program. Pero nililinaw po natin, hindi po tayo naninisi sa ano mang institusyon o sa ano man, at hindi po natin sinasabing iisa lang po at ‘yan lang ang dahilan dahil combination po ng maraming factors. Sana ay maunawaan natin ‘yan. Ms. Fernandez: Pero, sir, meron pong… ‘Yung dati po nating Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno sinasabi niya sinisisi niya ang miyembro ng Gabinete dahil incompetent umano ang ilan sa mga ito na humihingi ng pondo pero hindi naman natutupad ang kanilang mga projects. Reaksyon lang po dito? SEC. COLOMA: Magpopokus na lang po tayo sa trabaho. Hindi po tayo sang-ayon sa paratang na ‘yan. SAGOT SA PAHAYAG NI ER EJERCITO Mr. Sebastian: Sir, question po galing kay Teresa Andrada ng GMA-7, ang sabi po niya: Palace comment lang daw po doon sa statement ni Laguna Governor ER Ejercito in his speech last night before a Movie [Workers’] Welfare Foundation event. He said he wants to see PNoy in jail. Babalik daw ang agila sa 2016 at tama na raw ang panggigipit sa mga Ejercito. SEC. COLOMA: Si Pangulong Aquino po at lahat ng mga naglilingkod sa ating pamahalaan ay mga accountable officers. Ayon po sa ating Saligang Batas, public office is a public trust. Ibig sabihin lang naman po nito, lahat po ng aming aksyon—lahat ng aksyon ng Pangulo, ng mga miyembro ng Gabinete, at ng mga opisyal ng pamahalaan—ay dapat na sumusunod sa Saligang Batas at sa lahat ng batas ng ating republika. Batid po namin ang mahalagang batayang prinsipyong ‘yan at ‘yan ang nagsisilbing gabay sa aming pagganap ng tungkulin. Kung kami po ay aakusahan at kung kami ay pananagutin, ‘yan po ay kasama sa aming tungkulin. MANILA TRAFFIC / MASERATI ROAD RAGE Mr. Sebastian: Sir, question naman po mula kay Bernard Taguinod, ang sabi niya: Sir, may instruction ba si PNoy sa mga kinauukulang ahensya ng gobyerno—partikular na ang MMDA (Metro Manila Development Authority)—na pagtulungan na ang problema sa trapik kasi lumalala na po. SEC. COLOMA: Sa simula’t sapul po, mula po ‘nung naupo ang pamahalaan, ay pinagtuunan na ito ng pansin. Kaya nga po ‘yan ang isa sa pangunahing responsibilidad ng MMDA at puspusan po ‘yung pagsisikap ng ating MMDA na magsagawa ng mga hakbang na makatutulong sa pagbawas ng congestion sa ating mga lansangan at sa pagpapaginhawa sa paglalakbay ng ating mga mamamayan. Pero kilalanin lang sana natin na ang problema ay nangangailangan din ng pangmatagalang solusyon. Ayon sa isang pag-aaral ng MMDA, kung ikukumpara natin ‘yung dami ng sasakyan dito sa National Capital Region at ‘yung space—‘yung road space natin—kulang ng halos 3,000 kilometro ng road space para ma-accommodate ‘yung dami ng motor vehicles dito sa Metro Manila. Kaya’t habang hindi pa po nagaganap ‘yung pagdagdag sa ating mga kalsada, ‘yung pagdagdag sa ating mga mass transport facilities—katulad ng MRT, LRT—‘yun pong mga Skyway at mga traffic interchanges na kasalukuyan ay isinasagawa, ang magagawa po ng ating pamahalaan ay ginagawa rin naman sa pamamagitan ng mga temporary solutions o ‘yung mga stopgap measures na araw-araw pong ipinapatupad at ipinapagawa. Kahit na maliit na improvement lamang ay patuloy pa rin itong pinagsisikapang matamo para mabawasan lang po ‘yung inconvenience ng ating mga mamamayan. Mr. Sebastian: Sir, follow-up question din po, sabi: (What is the) Palace’s take regarding (the) Maserati road rage? Are you standing by MMDA’s stance? SEC. COLOMA: ‘Yun pong mga traffic constables ng MMDA ay mga alagad ng batas at sinisikap nga po nilang maging maayos ‘yung daloy ng ating trapik. Hindi naman po makatuwiran ‘yung tinatawag nating ‘road rage’ o ‘yung impatience o pag-init ng ulo natin sa trapik. Hindi naman po makatuwiran na hahantong ito sa pananakit ng kapwa o na masaktan pa ‘yung isang traffic constable. At sana po, kapag mayroong mga insidenteng ganito, mayroon naman pong karapatang legal ang ating mga mamamayan na tumulong na lang po sa imbestigasyon sa pamamagitan ng pagharap sa kanilang sarili at paglalahad ng kanilang panig. Dito po kasi sa nangyaring ito, parang naghintay pa ng mahabang panahon bago po aminin ‘yung pagkakasangkot sa ganyang engkuwentro, at hindi po nakakatulong ‘yung pag-iwas sa pagbigay ng tamang impormasyon tungkol sa kung ano talaga ang nangyari. Mr. Montano: So ibig sabihin po kampante tayo o sumasang-ayon tayo sa pinaninindigan ng MMDA? SEC. COLOMA: Siyempre po, ‘yan po ang mga nagpapatupad ng ating batas trapiko. Mayroon po tayong prinsipyo na presumption of regularity in the performance of official duties, samantalang kinikilala din naman po natin na mayroon ding karapatan ang mga mamamayan sa ilalim ng ating Konstitusyon na presumption of innocence. At para lang po mabalanse ‘yan, makakatulong siguro, kung sino man ang nagiging sangkot sa ganyang mga insidente ay humarap na kaagad sa mga awtoridad at maglahad ng kanilang panig para mabuo na kaagad ‘yung salaysay at magkaroon na ng agarang kalutasan ang mga usaping ‘yan. Mr. Sebastian: Yes, sir, follow-up lang po. Would the Palace support any review doon sa procedures po ng MMDA sa kanila pong pagsisita o paghuhuli ng mga motorista po base na rin po doon o tulad sa nangyaring insidente na ‘yan? SEC. COLOMA: Tiwala naman po kami sa pamamalakad at pangangasiwa ni Chairman Francis Tolentino. Maayos po ang palakad ng ating MMDA. Ngunit, katulad po ng lahat ng government agencies, bukas din naman (ito) sa mga suhestiyon na manggagaling sa ating mga mamamayan. EBOLA VIRUS Mr. Sebastian: Sir, another question din po from Bernard on another issue, sabi niya: Sa report ng World Health Organization (WHO) umabot na sa 7,000 ang namatay sa Ebola. Kumusta po ang paghahanda ng Pilipinas lalo na’t magdaratingan na ang mga OFW (overseas Filipino workers) ngayong December? SEC. COLOMA: Patuloy pong pinalalakas ang ating kapasidad na magkaroon ng sapat at angkop na katugunan sa banta ng Ebola virus disease. Lahat po ng aspeto ng pagdedepensa simula po sa information and awareness campaign, sa pagkakaroon po ng surveillance at monitoring sa lahat ng ating paliparan at pantalan, ‘yun pong pagbibigay ng training sa mga health workers at caregivers, ‘yung paghahanda ng mga pasilidad—lahat po ng mga ito ay patuloy at puspusang isinasagawa ng ating Department of Health at sinusunod po ‘yung mga pinapairal na mga health protocols ng World Health Organization. Nananawagan po tayo sa ating mga kababayan na makiisa sa mga hakbang ito dahil ito pong pagkahawa sa isang posibleng carrier ng Ebola virus ay magaganap, most likely po, sa pagitan ng mga magkakapamilya o magkakaibigan. Through close contact and exchange of bodily fluids po kasi ‘yan—ang manner of conveyance ng virus ng na ‘yan. Kaya mahalaga na bawat isa po sa atin ay magkaroon ng sapat na kaalaman at sundin ang mga tamang patakaran para makaiwas po sa panganib at maging Ebola-free po—patuloy na maging Ebola-free ang ating bansa. Mr. Sebastian: Sir, question from Bernard, sabi po niya: Sa December 3 patapos na po ang quarantine ng mga peacekeepers. Ano ang next move sa kanila? SEC. COLOMA: E ‘di malaya na po silang makakabalik sa kanilang mga pamilya at in advance po ay nagpapasalamat tayo sa kanila at sa kanilang mga pamilya dahil sa kanilang voluntary sacrifice para ipakita ‘yung kahalagahan ng pag-iingat na maging totally Ebola-free po ang ating bansa. BANGSAMORO BASIC LAW Ms. Fernandez: Okay, sir. ‘Yung House of Representatives will not be able to meet its self-imposed deadline sa pag-approve po ng proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law this year, according to Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II. So, ang ibig sabihin po niya, the committee has scheduled public hearings and consultations in Mindanao and other parts of the country until the third week of December when Congress goes on a month-long Christmas (break). So ibig sabihin hindi po mapapasa ang Bangsamoro Basic Law this year. SEC. COLOMA: Linawin lang natin, Vanz. Hinihintay po natin ‘yung pagpasa ng Bangsamoro Basic Law ng ating Kongreso at kinikilala natin na ginagawa nila ang lahat ng nararapat sa pamamagitan ng pagdaraos ng mga konsultasyon sa publiko o mga public hearings. Batid natin na batid din nila ‘yung urgency ng pagpasa nitong Bangsamoro Basic Law at buo naman po ang ating tiwala na ginagawa nila ang lahat ng nararapat. Doon naman kasi sa timetable natin, ang talagang tinitingnan nating date ay ‘yung May 2016, kung saan ay dapat maidaos na ‘yung halalan para sa mga bubuo o magiging opisyal ng Bangsamoro Political Entity, ayon po sa kasunduan at sa bubuuing Bangsamoro Basic Law. Ang nais lang po natin ay magkaroon ng sapat na panahon din ‘yung Bangsamoro Transitional Authority na ipakita ‘yung maaari nilang gawin sa ilalim ng bagong kaayusan at para dito ay kailangan din ng sapat na panahon mula sa pag-a-approve ng plebisito. Kaya sa ngayon po ay mayroon pa namang halos isang taon at kalahati bago doon sa nakatakdang May 2016 elections na talagang diyan po ‘yung kaganapan ng—inaasahang magiging kaganapan ng peace process. Kaya kapag naipasa na ‘yung Bangsamoro Basic Law at maidaos ang plebisito o referendum hinggil dito, sana lang ay magkaroon ng sapat na pagkakataon ‘yung mga bubuo ng Bangsamoro Transitional Authority. Kaya hindi naman po tayo nangangamba na hindi matutupad ‘yung layunin ng prosesong pangkapayapaan, habang kinikilala din natin ‘yung mga constraints na kinakaharap ng ating mga mambabatas, dahil nga kinakailangan din naman na magdaos ng malawakang konsultasyon para alamin ang saloobin ng mga mamamayan at linawin ‘yung mga mahahalagang isyu, lalong-lalo na ‘yung patungkol sa pagtalima ng Bangsamoro Basic Law sa mga prinsipyo ng ating Saligang Batas. Kaya ‘yan po, bagamat umiikli ang panahon, sa ating pananaw ay mayroon pa rin namang sapat na panahon para isagawa ang nararapat. At kinikilala din natin na ang ating mga mambabatas ay ginagawa ang kanilang tungkulin sa tamang paraan at kinikilala din natin na sila ay mayroon ding sense of urgency hinggil sa mga dapat na maganap. Ms. Fernandez: Pero, sir, parang ipinangako din nila na they could possibly submit the report in January or February. SEC. COLOMA: Vanz, sapat na ‘yung aking naging paliwanag dahil napakahaba na ng aking [sinabi] na sila ay nakikiisa rin naman sa amin. Wala po kaming pinagtatalunan. Lahat po ay nagtutulong-tulong para maganap ‘yung dapat maganap. Importante lang po dito magkaroon din ng sapat na konsultasyon at maipasa ‘yung basic law, maidaos ‘yung plebisito, magkaroon ng sapat na pagkakataon ‘yung Bangsamoro Transitional Authority. At ayon nga po sa aking inilahad na timetable, mayroon pa rin namang sapat na panahon. Importante lang ‘yung pagtutulungan ng Kongreso at ehekutibo para maganap ito. PAPAL VISIT Mr. Montano: ‘Yung tungkol naman po sa preparations sa Papal visit. Nakakatiyak po ba ang Palasyo o satisfied tayo sa mga security measures na inihahanda ng ating mga kapulisan? SEC. COLOMA: Ang kaligtasan po ng Santo Papa at ang maayos na pagdaraos ng kanyang apostolic and state visit ay binibigyan ng pinakamataas na prayoridad ng ating pamahalaan sa pakikipagtulungan at pakikipag-ugnayan sa Simbahang Katoliko sa pamamagitan din ng Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines. Makatitiyak po ang ating mga mamamayan na lahat ng hakbang ay isinasagawa para matamo ang layuning ito. Mr. Sebastian: So will you consider this, ‘yung Papal visit po natin, na ikokonsidera po natin na isang holiday? SEC. COLOMA: Nagsagawa na naman ng mga hakbang ‘yung mga kinauukulan, Vanz, katulad ng sa Lungsod ng Maynila at inaasahan din naman ‘yung ibang mga lokal na pamahalaan (na) maaari ding i-consider ‘yang ganyan. Sa ngayon ang pinakamahalaga pong prayoridad ay ‘yung paghahanda para matiyak ‘yung maayos na daloy ng mga events at isa na nga diyan ‘yung posibleng mga deklarasyon na katulad ng iyong nabanggit. LIGHTER SIDE ISSUES Mr. Montano: Okay po. ‘Yung medyo lighter side po, ano po ‘yung masasabi ng Palasyo tungkol dito sa pagpunta rito o coming over of several tennis superstars, katulad nitong si Maria Sharapova at si Andy Murray, at ano po ba ang significance nito sa ating bansa? SEC. COLOMA: Siyempre po, ikinagagalak natin na ‘yung mga pangunahing manlalaro sa larangan ng tennis ay nagpunta dito sa ating bansa. Nakatataba rin naman ng puso ‘yung kanilang mga sinasabing papuri sa mga Filipino fans at ‘yung kanilang paghanga sa mga tourist destinations ng ating bansa kaya napakainam po ‘yung kanilang pagpunta rito. Mr. Sebastian: Sir, lighter side din po, ‘yung pagkapanalo po ni Miss Philippines na si Jamie Herrell kagabi po bilang Miss Earth 2014. Ano po ang masasabi natin? SEC. COLOMA: Ikinagagalak po natin ang kanyang tagumpay at binabati natin siya sa paglalagay muli sa ating bansa sa world map ng pagkilala in terms of beauty and talent. Mahalaga po diyan sa pageant na ‘yan ‘yung pagpapataas ng kamalayan at kaalaman hinggil sa kahalagahan ng environmental integrity ng ating planeta—kaya nga po ‘yan tinawag na Miss Earth—at sana po ay makatulong nga itong paligsahang ito, itong pageant na ito sa pagpapataas ng kamalayan ng ating mga mamamayan. Mr. Montano: ‘Yung tungkol naman dito sa… How does the Palace describe the year (2014), which is ending in about a month, and looking onward to what is to be called the Year of the Goat, Year of the Sheep, or the Year of the Ram? SEC. COLOMA: Well, sa maraming pagkakataon, Efren, ay itinanghal na ng Pangulo sa iba’t ibang pandaigdigan at pambansang forum ‘yung mga naitalang significant achievements ng ating pamahalaan. Kabilang na diyan ‘yung patuloy na pagsigla ng ating ekonomiya, ‘yung pagiging preferred investment destination ng ating bansa, ‘yung pagbabalik ng dignidad ng ating mga mamamayan, at ‘yung pagtamasa ng kanilang mga pangarap, lalong-lalo na doon sa mga nagkakaroon ng pagkakataon na makapaghanapbuhay nang kapaki-pakinabang at ‘yung pag-ahon po nila sa kahirapan. Mayroon pong gagawing pagtutuos hinggil diyan bago magtapos ang taon. Mr. Montano: Pero, initially, ano po ‘yung one word na maibibigay ninyo sa ngayon para i-describe ‘yung matatapos na taon although hindi tayo nagmamadali? SEC. COLOMA: Progressive siguro ang isa sa mga salitang pwede nating gamitin. Patuloy naman po ‘yung pag-unlad ng ating bansa. PARTING MESSAGES Mr. Montano: So parting message na po dahil wala na pong nagpadala ng questions. SEC. COLOMA: Siguro po, dahil papasok na nga tayo sa Kapaskuhan, maaaring maraming lalabas ng kanilang mga tahanan para mag-shopping at dumalo sa iba’t ibang pagdiriwang. Manatili na lang po tayong mahinahon para magkaroon tayo ng isang maligayang pagdiriwang ng Pasko. Ms. Fernandez: Sir, ano po ang masasabi ninyo regarding dito sa nangyaring alitan ng isang traffic enforcer at isang well-known negosyante? SEC. COLOMA: Vanz, akala ko ay parting message na tayo? Para yatang replay na naman. Nasagot ko na ‘yan, Vanz. Sinabi ko na sana ay igalang ‘yung pagganap sa tungkulin ng ating mga traffic constable. At kung mayroong ganyang mga alitan ay mag-cooperate naman ‘yung mga concerned citizens para malutas na kaagad. |
| SOURCE: Presidential News Desk |
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| DSWD invites public to shop at bazaar of Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Source: http://www.dswd.gov.ph | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Quality and affordable products made by the beneficiaries of
Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program of the Department of Social
Welfare and Development (DSWD) will be on sale on November 30
from 12:00 noon to 10:00 pm at the Araneta Center, Cubao, Quezon
City. The public is invited to visit and shop at the Christmas bazaar dubbed as “Paskujuan Festival and Bazaar: Salu-Salo sa Pagbabago!”. The bazaar is initiated by the DSWD through its Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) as a venue to market the products produced by Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries. A program will also be held at the shopping venue at 5:30 pm with DSWD Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman, development partners of DSWD, and popular celebrities like Jairus Aquino and Karla Estrada. Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries will also show their talents. Aside from the bazaar in Araneta, stalls will also be opened on the same day in various popular venues in all the regions of the country. There will also be livelihood demonstrations at all venues which are open to the public like pastillas, beads/bags/accessories, and parol-making, as well as bayong weaving. “These are still part of the livelihood initiatives under the SLP which empowers poor families by equipping them with skills and providing them capital assistance to start their own entrepreneurial activities towards self-sufficiency,” said Sec. Soliman. “We are inviting the public to join us in helping the beneficiaries succeed in their lives. Please come and do your shopping at the bazaar,” Sec. Soliman said. The Secretary added that buying even just an item or two will greatly add to the income of the beneficiaries, as well as provide them hope. SLP is a community-based capacity building program that seeks to improve the socio-economic status of program participants or the beneficiaries. It is implemented through the Community-Driven Enterprise Development (CDED) approach, which engages program participants or beneficiaries to actively contribute to production and labor markets by making use of available resources and accessible markets. The program aims to enable the beneficiaries to manage sustainable micro-enterprises or link them to locally available jobs that will enhance their access to basic social services and improve their standard of living. |
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| All systems go for the first ASEAN schools games in PH | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Source: http://www.deped.gov.ph | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| It is all systems go for the first ASEAN Schools Games (ASG) in
the Philippines. The 6th ASG, an annual sports competition among
students of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN),
will kick-off at the Marikina Sports Complex tomorrow, November
30. Education Secretary Br. Armin Luistro FSC said that all the necessary preparations and logistical support to ensure safe and smooth conduct of the 6th ASG are in place. “This is first time that the Philippines will host the ASG. We are confident that we will be able to run the event successfully through the help of our partners in Marikina City and the private sector.” Apart from providing the youth with opportunities to showcase their sporting talents, the ASG promotes solidarity and fosters cultural exchange among the youth of participating countries. Luistro said, “This (ASG) is very important, not only for Marikina but most especially for the Philippines, because here we can showcase the country’s talents in the area of sports and show that we are ready for the world.” He added, “Competitive sports are informal learning experiences for the youth; they hone the values of precision, discipline, and fairness. So while students are showcasing their talents in sports, the ASG also presents an opportunity to gather the youth for the purpose of personal development and life skills enrichment through collective wisdom and experiences.” Participating countries are Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Athletics, swimming, badminton, golf, tennis, sepak takraw, gymnastics, table tennis, basketball, volleyball and wushu are the 11 sports to be played in the ASG. |
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| At 3rd Ministerial Meeting, Abu Dhabi Dialogue Ministers adopt PH proposal for Comprehensive Information and Orientation Program for Migrant Workers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Source: http://www.dole.gov.ph | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kuwait City, Kuwait—Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda
Dimapilis-Baldoz yesterday lauded the success of the 3rd
Ministerial Meeting of the Abu Dhabi Dialogue (ADD), hosted by
and held in Kuwait, citing the ADD’s adoption of the
Philippines’s proposal to implement a Comprehensive Information
and Orientation Program for Migrant Workers, a joint undertaking
of ADD member-states aimed at fostering professional
relationships between migrant workers and their foreign
employers, as well as intermediaries. Officially known as the Ministerial Consultations on Overseas Employment and Contractual Labour for Countries of Origin and Destination in Asia, the ADD was established in 2008 and groups together eleven Colombo Process countries of migrant worker origin, namely, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam; and nine Asian destination countries, namely, Bahrain, Kuwait, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. “The Philippines is now prepared to shepherd the implementation of the Comprehensive Information and Orientation Program for Migrant Workers,” said Secretary Baldoz in a statement after the ADD Ministers adopted the Philippine proposal, together with two others. “The overwhelming support of senior officials of ADD member-states to this project encourages us to accelerate the preparatory work toward the development of the various orientation and education modules of the project,” she added. The other day, senior officials of ADD member-states overwhelmingly voted, after extensive discussions, to recommend the project for adoption in the Ministerial Meeting. The Philippine proposal seeks to facilitate workers’ adaptation to their employment overseas and familiarize them with their rights and responsibilities, as well as with grievance mechanisms in their country of destination. “The project’s objective is to prepare migrant workers for overseas employment through education and timely information for better adaptation. It seeks to ease adjustment difficulties of temporary migrant workers,” Baldoz explained. The CIOP, which is for two years, involves a joint education module for each of the four stages of migration—before departure, upon departure, upon arrival, and upon return—to prepare migrant workers. It involves the development of a framework for the implementation of a Pre-Employment Orientation Session (PAOS); Pre-Departure Orientation Session (PDOS); Post-Arrival Orientation Session (PAOS); and Reintegration Counseling. It also involves capacity-building for trainors and program managers. “Once they arrive in their COD, the government and employers of the receiving country shall use the education module to integrate them much faster, not just in the workplace, but also in the society of the receiving country. This will minimize problems attendant to migration,” Baldoz said. She acknowledged that most, if not all, ADD labor-sending member-states have already institutionalized Pre-Departure Orientation Sessions, or PDOS, for departing migrants, but she said these still can be improved, citing the Philippines’s Comprehensive Pre-Departure Education Program that includes language training, culture familiarization, and stress management. She also cited the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration’s Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar, or PEOS, which is now online. She said the project will enable labor-sending and labor-receiving countries to share responsibility in responding to the critical need for relevant orientation and education of migrant workers at the point of decision to work overseas, at the workplace, and upon their return to their home countries. “All stakeholders must be committed, both in COO and COD, to minimize problems in the entire cycle of migration, and maximize the opportunities offered by international labor migration,” said Baldoz. She added that the Philippines, as lead of the project management team, is set to meet with other team members, namely, Bangladesh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Vietnam, and Thailand, in the first quarter of 2015 to begin work on the development of the program management framework and the PEOS, PDOS, PAOS, and reintegration counseling modules. |
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| Source: http://www.ombudsman.gov.ph | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Source: http://www.ombudsman.gov.ph | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Source: http://www.ombudsman.gov.ph | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Source: http://www.ombudsman.gov.ph | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Source: http://www.ombudsman.gov.ph | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Philippines, Canada reaffirm ties at 2nd JCBC meeting | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Source: http://www.dfa.gov.ph | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 28 November 2014 - The Philippines and Canada held the Second
Meeting of the Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC)
from November 24 to 25 in Ottawa, Canada. The Philippine
delegation was headed by Department of Foreign Affairs
Undersecretary Evan P. Garcia while the Canadian delegation was
led by Assistant Deputy Minister for Asia Pacific Susan Gregson
of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development. Bilateral relations between the Philippines and Canada have followed an upward trajectory over the last 65 years, supported by expanding trade and investments, increasing official exchanges and people-to-people ties, stronger development cooperation, as well as growing political and security relations at the bilateral, regional and multilateral levels. The Second JCBC Meeting was fruitful and constructive, featuring comprehensive and open discussions. During the meeting, the JCBC looked into fresh prospects for cooperation, particularly in education, public-private partnership (PPP), agriculture, and disaster risk management. Both sides expressed the hope to make progress in these areas in the coming months. The Meeting also considered frameworks that would spur future actions, namely the Mutual Accountability Framework (MAF) for the Philippines as a Country of Focus for Canada’s development assistance, the Philippines’ priority status under the Global Markets Action Plan (GMAP), and memoranda of understanding on security cooperation and on occupational health. A Joint Plan of Action for education cooperation between the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) was also signed. Canada is a close friend and active partner who has stood by the Philippines for the past six decades. Canada was among the first countries to offer humanitarian assistance to the Philippines in the aftermath of recent natural disasters that hit the country including typhoons Haiyan and Glenda, and the Bohol earthquake. Canada has also provided humanitarian assistance in post-conflict areas and given support for the Philippines’ peace process and the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, particularly in the setting up of the Independent Policing Commission for the Bangsamoro. The JCBC was formed in 2012 as a mechanism to regularly review progress in bilateral cooperative activities and explore opportunities for future collaboration. The first JCBC was held in Manila on 05 February 2013. Also in attendance during the Second JCBC Meeting were Philippine Ambassador to Canada Petronila Garcia, the Heads of Post of the Philippine Consulates General in Toronto and Vancouver and other officials of the Philippine Embassy in Ottawa; National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Deputy Director General Rolando Tungpalan; CHED Commissioner Minella Alarcon; and representatives from the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Labor and Employment, the Department of Agriculture, NEDA and CHED. Prior to the Second JCBC Meeting, Undersecretary Evan Garcia participated in the Sixth Annual Halifax International Security Forum on November 22 in Nova Scotia. The annual Halifax International Security Forum brings informed leaders from government, business and academe, among others, in an informal and interactive setting, to consider international security issues with the view towards building democracy, creating opportunity and promoting peace. |
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| DFA’S “The Filipina Filmed” puts spotlight on women’s issues | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Source: http://www.dfa.gov.ph | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 28 November 2014 - The Department of Foreign Affairs Ladies’
Foundation (DFALF) and the Gender and Development (GAD) Program
of the DFA’s Office of Personnel and Administrative Services
(OPAS) spearheaded a free film screening series entitled “The
Filipina Filmed.” The series, running from October to December 2014, features four critically acclaimed Filipino films made over the last decade that portray the Filipina in different lights. The series kicked off with the screening of Ploning directed by Dante Nico Garcia, followed by Kubrador by Jeffrey Jeturian and Crying Ladies by Mark Meilly. It will culminate on 10 December 2014 with the screening of K’na the Dreamweaver by Ida Anita Del Mundo, which won the Special Jury Prize and Best Production Design in the full-length, new breed category at the Cinemalaya 2014. |
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| Customs slaps smuggling raps on Starcraft | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Source: http://www.dof.gov.ph | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Another top rice importer faces smuggling-related charges filed
by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) for bringing in rice without
government permits. Four separate complaints were filed by BOC
Acting District Collectors Mario Mendoza of the Port of Manila;
Elmir Dela Cruz of the Manila International Container Port;
Roberto Almadin of the Port of Cebu; and Ricardo Butalid, Jr. of
the Port of Davao against key officials of Starcraft
International Trading Corporation and the firm’s Licensed
Customs Brokers before the Department of Justice. Starcraft President Jeffrey Daradal; Board Directors Eugene Pioquinto, Aveleo Godoy, Anna Orqueta, Brendel Daradal and Jessie Bantula; as well as company representative Hanlie Solema all face multiple counts of violating Section 3601 of the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines (TCCP) and Section 29 of Presidential Decree (PD) Number 4, as amended by PD No 1485. The Bureau also slapped charges against 12 customs brokers for facilitating the unlawful importations of rice made by Starcraft. They are: Denise Kathryn Rosaroso, John Kevin Cisneros, Emilio Chio, Eduardo Borje III, Rosemarie Arciaga, Gerald Villarosa, Jennifer Ann Reyes, Elbert Lusterio, Dianne Re Dizon-Tapia, Laila Silvestre, Francis Rudolph Forneste and Kenneth Quial. Each count of violating Section 3601 of the TCCP has a maximum sentence of ten years in jail and P50,000 fine; while each count of violating PD No 4 is levied a penalty of as much as four years imprisonment and a fine of P8,000.00. The charges stem from rice importations of Starcraft totaling over 45,000 Metric Tons (more than 45-Million kilograms) worth as estimated P1.8-Billion that arrived in Manila, Cebu and Davao from Vietnam, Thailand, China and Singapore from June to November 2013. However, based on records of the National Food Authority (NFA), Starcraft was only allowed to import 1,176 metric tons through Manila. This means that the company exceeded its Minimum Access Volume from NFA by over 3,700%. The NFA regulates rice imports through Minimum Access Volumes, or quotas that limit the quantity imported to prevent excessive supply and the viability of the local rice industry. Most of Starcraft’s rice imports were not released by the Bureau by virtue of Alert Orders issued for lack of the required permits from the NFA. However, Starcraft filed court cases, arguing that private importers can import rice without securing a permit, citing the expiration of quantitative restrictions on rice imports to the Philippines under the World Trade Organization in 2012. However, Philippine laws state that only the NFA can import rice and companies who wish to do the same must secure an import permit from the agency. “Our laws were not changed. Import permits for rice were still required. Starcraft cannot unilaterally interpret the laws by itself. Regulation of rice is critical because millions of farmers’ livelihoods depend on rice farming,” said Customs Commissioner John P. Sevilla. Starcraft is the 5th top rice importer slapped with smuggling cases by the Bureau. Data from the BOC showed that Starcraft, along with Intercontinental Grains International Trading, Bold Bidder Marketing, Silent Royalty Marketing and Medaglia De Oro Trading, captured a combined 75% of the 200,000 Metric Tons of rice that entered various ports in the country without the required import from NFA in 2013. |
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| BSP opens Butuan to serve CARAGA Region | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Source: http://www.bsp.gov.ph | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) will further enhance its services in Northeastern Mindanao with the recent inauguration of the BSP Butuan Branch that will serve Region XIII or the CARAGA Region. The region covers Butuan City, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur and Dinagat Islands. The establishment of BSP Butuan is in response to the region's growing economy. In 2013, its GDP growth rate was the third highest among all the regions at 7.8%, next only to Region XII (SOCCSKSARGEN) with 8.4% and NCR with a 9.1% GDP growth rate. BSP Governor Amando Tetangco, Jr. (fifth from right) led the inauguration with (from left) Deputy Governor (DG) Nestor Espenilla, Jr., Monetary Board Member (MBM) Alfredo Antonio, MBM Juan de Zuñiga, Jr., MBM Armando Suratos, MBM Felipe Medalla, MBM Valentin Araneta, DG Diwa Guinigundo, and DG Vicente Aquino. BSP Butuan also houses the Economic and Financial Learning Center (EFLC) that will give the public access to the BSP’s economic and financial library as well as its real-time electronic database. Butuan Branch expands the BSP’s network to three (3) regional offices and nineteen (19) branches. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| CSC first gov’t agency in PH, SE Asia to get IIP accreditation | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Source: http://www.csc.gov.ph | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Civil Service Commission (CSC) recently obtained
accreditation to Investors in People (IIP), an international
quality standard for excellence in people management, making it
the first government agency in the Philippines and in Southeast
Asia to get such recognition. CSC Chairperson Francisco T. Duque III received the plaque of accreditation from Australian Embassy Deputy Head of Mission Dr. David Dutton, IIP Philippines Chief Executive Gerry Plana and Chairperson Janet Webster during an awarding ceremony held November 25 at Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria. The CSC achieved Standard level accreditation by meeting 39 globally-accepted people management practices based on the IIP Framework. The IIP Framework uses 10 indicators in assessing an organization, which include having a well-understood business strategy, a learning and development plan for employees, an empowered workforce, and an effective management. “It was a challenge preparing for the assessment and audit, so we are extremely proud of this achievement. This IIP Accreditation reflects the CSC’s resolve to push for excellent human resource and organization development (HROD) in the Philippine bureaucracy, starting with our own organization,” said CSC Chair Duque. Duque added that, being the first IIP-accredited government agency in the Philippines, the CSC is “a huge step closer to achieving its vision of becoming a leading center of excellence for strategic HROD in Southeast Asia by 2022 and in Asia by 2030.” Developed in the United Kingdom in 1991, the IIP Standard is used in over 60,000 organizations in more than 75 countries including the Philippines. Other IIP-accredited organizations in the country include Q2 HR Solutions, St. Luke’s Medical Center, Lyceum of the Philippines, Lopez Holdings, SGS Philippines, Lafarge Cement Services Philippines, Hyder Consulting Global Excellence Centre-Manila, and the British Council. Third-party recognition In the last three years, the CSC has been subjecting itself to third-party assessments and audits to improve its business processes. Since 2012, it has pursued certification to ISO 9001:2008, the international standard on Quality Management System. CSC’s examination and external training processes are now ISO-certified, which means they meet global standards for quality assurance. Other ISO-certified processes of CSC include Cases Adjudication, Appointments Processing, and Accreditation and Registration Services for Employees’ Organizations. Also, in September this year, the CSC went through an audit by the premier association of HR practitioners and people managers in the country, the People Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP), leading to Chair Duque’s receipt of the People Manager of the Year in Public Sector (National Official Level) Award. |
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| Source: http://www.ombudsman.gov.ph | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Source: http://www.ombudsman.gov.ph | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Davao Oriental mayor convicted of graft | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Source: http://www.ombudsman.gov.ph | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Sandiganbayan convicted former Baganga, Davao Oriental Mayor
Gerry Morales, Municipal Engineer Roseller Macayra, Municipal
Accountant Emeritos Jovilla and Municipal Treasurer Francisco
Jimenez, Jr. of violation of Section 3(e) of Republic Act No.
3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act) for irregularities
in the procurement of auto spare parts. In the Decision promulgated on 12 November 2014, the anti-graft court ruled that several procurement violations were committed by the local government executives in the purchase of 10 pieces of exterior tires from Donald Villademosa, owner of Villtrade Marketing, in October 2002. Upon audit by the Commission on Audit, it was uncovered that the abstract of canvass was not referred to the Committee on Awards; the Purchase Order with certification as to the availability of funds was unsigned; Villtrade Marketing is not engaged in the dealership of auto spare parts; delivery receipts and official receipts from Villtrade were wanting; Inspection and Acceptance Report was unsigned; and the items procured were not delivered. Penned by Justice Alexander Gesmundo, the Decision stated that “by allowing the disbursement of public funds in the amount of P101,086.37 and paying the same to Villtrade Marketing despite the fact that no tires were delivered, accused caused actual damage to the municipality of Baganga and conferred unwarranted benefit to Villtrade Marketing.” The court sentenced Morales, Macayra, Jovilla and Jimenez, Jr. to suffer the indeterminate penalty of imprisonment of six years and one month as minimum to ten years as maximum, with perpetual disqualification from holding public office, and to indemnify the government in the amount of P101,086.37 as actual damage. The Sandiganbayan also directed the issuance of alias warrants of arrest against Canvasser and OIC-General Services Officer Reymundo Escamillan and Donald Villademosa who remain at-large. |
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| DOJ OFC Head is 2015 APEC-CPLG convenor | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Source: http://www.doj.gov.ph | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary Leila M. de Lima of the Department of Justice today
announced that Assistant Secretary GERONIMO L. SY, head of the
Office for Competition, has just been designated as the 2015
Convenor of the Competition Policy and Law Group (CPLG) of the
Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) which the country will
host next year. The CPLG is an Experts group organized under APEC’s Economic Committee Forum tasked to promote an understanding of regional competition policies and laws (CPL), examine the impact of CPL on trade and investment flows, and identify areas for technical cooperation and capacity-building among member economies. “The CPLG convenorship is an opportunity not only for the OFC to advance economic justice throughout the region but also a recognition of our emerging competition regime,” Secretary De Lima said. “The Whole Department will continue to actively fight cartels and abusive practices by companies in the form of economic crimes,” she added. Assistant Secretary Sy served as the Chairperson of the ASEAN Experts Group on Competition (AEGC) from 2013-2014 which saw the hosting of the 4th ASEAN Competition Conference last 16-17 July 2014. He said that the 1st National Competition Conference (NCC) designed for national policy leaders, heads of sector regulators, academe, the bench and the bar will take place on 09 December 2014 at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) to push for competition reforms. |
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| Productivity Enhancement Training Program conducted to OFCs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Source: http://www.owwa.gov.ph | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| OWWA–RWO XI in cooperation with the Regional Tripartite Wage and
Productivity Board XI (RTWPB) conducted a one-day training
program on Productivity Enhancement last August 30, 2014 at the
Training Hall of RWO XI. There were thirty (30) participants
mostly officers/representatives from SNOFCA, Dona Asuncion,
Sildan, and Bago Aplaya OFW Family Circles. Ms. Arlene Tubora,
Ms. Gemma Gorgonio and Ms. Maria Tomasa Tabusares from RTWPB
served as the Resource Persons while Family Welfare Officer,
Melody Ember P. Tomas, facilitated the activity. The training aims to empower officers of the OFC to become entrpreneurs, equip them with the basic knowledge on small business management, learn good practices in business, and know the importance of financial planning. Participants were given workshop on drawing their dreams wherein they were instructed to draw their future plans and goals in life. Ms. Gorgonio discussed values of an entrepreneur which was described as ISTIV. According to discussion, an entrepreneur must be industrious, systematic, time conscious, innovative, and must have value for work. These characteristics must be obtained to become a good entrepreneur. Meanwhile, marketing strrategies, financial planning, organizational stucture of the business, and good housekeeping practices were discussed by Ms. Tabusares. At the end of the training, officers and members of the OFC learned how to become an effective and successful enterpreneurs. Some officers and the OFC itself have an existing business ventures and they were thankful for the training because it enables them to acquire knowledge in running a business and learned values for work. Through the training, officers gained knowledge in preparing a financial statement, proper bookkeeping, correct recording of accounts, and 5’S which are very useful in running the association. Mr. Antonio B. Coton, President of SNOFCA was thankful to OWWA for initiating the training. “The knowledge we gained from the training will serve as our guide in making our business successful”, said Mr. Coton. |
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| OWWA Mobile IT Skills Training reaches Brgy. Tidman, Hinatuan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Source: http://www.owwa.gov.ph | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Butuan City (November 19) – Even far-flung area can have
accessed with Information Technology (IT) too. “Salamat sa OWWA sa pagsakrepisyo sine na kahirayo arun makahibawo kami ng computer” (Thank you to OWWA that with your sacrifices for coming here notwithstanding the distance for us to learn computer), expressed Allan Aporbo, one of the IT trainees, during the graduation ceremony of the four-day Computer Literacy Training held in the far-off barangay of Tidman, Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur on November 10-13. The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA)-Caraga rolled in free Mobile IT Training in various provinces of the region in a bid to make it more accessible to the clients who cannot attend the regular session conducted at the regional welfare office in Butuan City. The training which was participated by some 57 OFW and OFW dependents in said barangay, primarily aims to upgrade IT skills and help bridge the physical divide between the OFWs and their families back home. In his message, Eduardo Bellido, Officer-in Charge Regional Director, lauded the trainees for completing the basic computer training and cited some of its learning benefits. “There are things that the information technology has given us in our daily lives, hindi lamang yung mura ang kumunikasyon but also the constancy of communication which can keep OFW families bonded,” said Bellido. He added, that acquiring IT skills is an open door as well for employment opportunities since nowadays having IT skills were advantageous for job seekers. Meanwhile, OWWA IT Instructor Vincent Mahinay shared, “although layo kay ta sa ciudad pero dili pasabot nga dili ta pwede mag-advance ug learning, gitudlo nato ni arun pag-abot sa panahon kabalo nata sa dagan sa technology (although we are at the outlying area from the city, yet it doesn’t mean we cannot advance our learning, we impart this training so when time comes we can be familiar with the pace of technology.)” On the side, Jaime Murio, Barangay Captain of Tidman, extended his warm gratitude to the agency and expressed high hopes that OWWA will not quench from bringing its programs to their locality. Bellido likewise assured them that more trainings and programs of OWWA for the OFW families will be brought in the barangay in the coming months. |
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| IT upgrades set to boost fight against corruption | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Source: http://www.dof.gov.ph | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Department of Finance’s (DOF) Revenue Integrity Protection
Service (RIPS), a program successfully rooting out erring and
corrupt officials from government, is set to be equipped with a
case management system to augment its aggressive campaign
against corruption. With funding from the Millennium Challenge
Corporation (MCC), the case management system will boost the
efficiency of investigations and operations against corrupt
elements in government. In a speech at the kick-off event held 26 November, 2014, DOF Undersecretary of the Revenue Operations and Legal Affairs Group Carlo Carag said, “We are fully convinced that applying technology and innovation in public sector solutions significantly boost desired governance outcomes. With the new IT system in place, we believe RIPS will be an even more effective program.” The case management system will ease case tracking and monitoring, secure documentary evidence safely, shorten the period of time for net worth analyses, increase our sources of leads, and significantly reduce information leakages. It also features an automated investigation tool with a “red flag system” that will help prioritization and generate leads by processing information in the RIPS database. All of these are significant upgrades as the DOF seeks to institutionalize more robust and sustainable ways to reform government. The improvements are part of a wider MCC project called the Revenue Administration Reform Project, a 5-year grant which started in May 2011 and will end in May 2016. The MCC funding for RIPS amounts to $4 million, while the case management system itself costs $1.3 million. Development of the system began last month and is expected to go online mid-2015. Undersecretary Carag stressed the importance of sustainability, saying, “As this administration draws to a close in less than 2 years, we look towards ensuring sustainability of our reforms as a key priority. We welcome innovations and partnerships with civil society and the private sector as we expect RIPS to continue the long, hard work of eliminating corruption in government.” “Your continued support of our project of reform strengthens our resolve in government to ensure that every Filipino has access to quality public goods and services. As our philosophy, “good governance is good economics,” continues to bear fruit to the betterment of millions of Filipinos, we shall likewise continue to push on and fight the good fight we started,” Undersecretary Carag added. As of 25 November 2014, a total of 428 personalities have been investigated by RIPS, a staggering 351 of which happened in the 4 years since this administration took office. Of these, a total of 232 were charged, and 45 cases have achieved successful resolutions. The event was also graced by the presence of the Ambassador of Vietnam to the Philippines Mr. Truong Trieu Duong, Mr. Burak Inanc, the Resident Country Deputy Director of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, Ms. Ma. Victoria Añonuevo, the Managing Director and CEO of the Millennium Challenge Account – Philippines, and Mr. Charlie Villegas, the Executive Director of Kaisa Consulting. |
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| Works on multi-million bridge in Surigao del Sur nearing completion | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Source: http://www.dpwh.gov.ph | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A mega bridge project of the Department of Public Works and
Highways (DPWH) in Surigao del Sur will soon be completed
posting an accomplishment of 78%. This was disclosed by DPWH-CARAGA Regional Director Danilo E. Versola, citing the construction of P738-million Tago-Lapaz Bridge, a 12-span, 320 lineal meter bridge, connecting Barangay Poblacion, Tago and Barangay La Paz, Bayabas. Versola said DPWH Secretary Rogelio L. Singson ordered the DPWH-CARAGA office to fast track the completion of the much delayed project which faced several stoppages in its phases of construction since 1991. Singson, when he assumed office as DPWH Secretary, ordered all the bridge projects taking years to complete be finished under the term of President Aquino. One classic example of these bridges is the Aluling Bridge in Cervantes, Ilocos Sur which was conceptualized way back in 1978 with construction activities started in 1990. The bridge finally opened to traffic in March 2013. The final stage for the completion of the Tago-La Paz bridge costing P60 million involves the furnishing and launching of portions of span 7, 8 and 9; construction of spans 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9; construction of concrete railings both sides from pier 4 to pier 9; and the repair and construction of craneway. The final stage of work may be finished this December if the weather permits, said Versola. Situated near the Pacific Ocean, the project area usually experiences rainy weather condition during “ber” months which hamper the progress of works. Upon completion, the Tago-Lapaz Bridge shall serve as an alternative bridge to the existing 200-meter old Gamut Steel Bridge along Surigao-Davao Coastal Road. It will also shorten travel time within Surigao del Sur’s coastal municipalities, and eventually, improve the peace and order condition in the area boosting the economic activities in the whole province. |
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| The road towards mutually inclusive growth: DSWD’s Sustainable Livelihood Program | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Source: http://www.dswd.gov.ph | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The rally to work towards mutually inclusive sustainable growth continues as the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) underscores how strategic partnerships between businesses and underprivileged communities promote mutually inclusive growth through its Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP). Today, November 28, through a national public forum entitled “Bangon Kabuhayan: Philippine Businesses for Inclusive Growth through Harnessing Sustainable Livelihoods”, DSWD will seek to put the spotlight on the goals, opportunities, and practices between SLP and its partners. SLP began in 2011 and it designs its projects to mainly increase the communities’ sense of dignity, yield long-term results for all actively participating stakeholders, and maintain consistence with both communities and partner establishments. SLP, however, prioritizes participants who are underprivileged, which are legitimately identified by the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR). According to DSWD Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman, the main objectives of SLP are providing sufficient and sustainable source of income, giving equal opportunity to gain resources for their needs and skills, and to help people recognize and understand the “new normal”. “Given that DSWD’s pledge at large is geared towards providing capabilities-building and developing strategic and sustainable partnerships, we recognized that there is a need to educate people how times have changed nowadays,” says Secretary Soliman. “Natural disasters come and go—that’s the new normal. Therefore, we need to be resilient, pro-active, and of course, resourceful to gain back our footing,” she adds. SLP Director Georgina Ann Hernandez likewise shares that cash assistance, cash grant, and rehabilitation assistance are given to those who will be affected by disasters. Just last year, when Typhoon Yolanda struck, SLP and its partners worked on assisting the families who were affected by the disaster. Because of its commitment to seeding sustainable prosperity, SLP trains the communities to contribute to production and labor markets by utilizing available resources and accessible market. Through the Community-Driven Enterprise Development (CDED) approach, they are given the option to take either a Micro-Enterprise Development Track or an Employment Facilitation Track. Both programs also provide social preparedness, furthered skills training, and ultimately, sustainable sources of income. “The income-generating programs inside SLP are designed to create products that consumers have a natural or constant demand for. We also make sure that the communities are independent enough and the corporate social integration programs are holistic and impactful,” Dir. Hernandez explains. She adds that these programs wouldn’t be holistic without partnering with different institutions. “That’s why we tap other institutions to help us make integrated training programs from a different point of view. This can help enhance the skills of the communities, to expand their opportunities, and to teach them trust their own capabilities,” she says. Seeding economic prosperity is a major facet in all these efforts. But given a closer look, what SLP really does is it hones individuals to be independent, proud of what they do, and it believes their actions benefit the community at large. This applies not only to the adopted communities, but also to the different internal and external stakeholders that took part in the program and know they have made a sustainable contribution to the society. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Statement of Sec. Florencio Abad on the passage of the proposed 2015 budget | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Source: http://www.dbm.gov.ph | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| “We in the Department of Budget and Management welcome the news
on the passage of the proposed 2015 National Budget in the Lower
and Upper Chambers, after much spirited discussion and rigorous
deliberation. On behalf of the Aquino administration, we extend
our gratitude to our colleagues in Congress for taking swift and
appropriate action on the Administration’s budget proposal, thus
facilitating the enactment of next year’s expenditure blueprint
before 2014 comes to a close. “Since the very beginning of this administration, the DBM has emphasized the importance of passing the budget law on time. After all, the prompt release of funds will allow our agencies to spring to action as soon as the next fiscal year begins. In fact, the government has already begun pre-procurement activities as early as August 1st of this year. This measure, along with the new regime of the General Appropriations Act-as-Release-Document, means that the early passage of the budget will kickstart the fast, high-quality and cost-effective implementation of the 2015 Budget. This will then translate to the more efficient delivery of public goods and social services to the people, without compromising quality or raising costs. “We mustn’t forget what an essential role the 2015 budget plays in our campaign for rapid, sustained, and inclusive growth in the country. With 37% of the proposed budget now allocated towards Social Services and 27% of the total program already channeled to Economic Services, we are taking sure and certain steps to improving the lives of every Filipino. This has been the Aquino administration’s goal from the start: to serve the public better through a transparent and citizen-centric National Budget, all in the spirit of reform, better governance and Daang Matuwid.” |
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| “More flavors of the Philippines”, The Bayanihan create excitement in Shanghai | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Source: http://www.dfa.gov.ph | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 28 November 2014 – “Filipino food is the story of Philippine
history and culture.” Thus, said Philippine Consul General
Wilfredo R. Cuyugan as he opened the program and welcomed the
guests to the “More Flavors of the Philippines” Philippine Food
Festival on November 18 at the Grand Ballroom of the Renaissance
Shanghai Yangtze Hotel. “With the Philippines having more than 7,000 islands, with 80 major language groups and more than 500 local dishes, surely there would be the same number of ways to prepare, cook and present (our) dishes”, added Consul General Cuyugan. In keeping with the spirit of the theme, Chef Bryan Salarzon, from Marriott Hotel in Manila, whetted the appetites of more than 200 guests from the consular corps, provincial and district offices, and business community with Philippine dishes from different regions of the Philippines such as nilagang baka, ceviche, tambakol, lumpiang sariwa, pinais sugpo, and inasal na manok. Calamansi and mango juice, as well as Tanduay Rum, were also served. As part of their dessert, guests were delighted with the outstanding and award-winning performance of the Bayanihan, The Philippine National Folkdance Company, with their dances of the Bagobo/T’boli, Maglalatik, Subli, Singkil and Tinikling. “Sa Kabukiran” especially enthralled the audience with the playful exchange of a soprano and her friends with the banduria against a countryside backdrop. Chinese guests were also mesmerized with the rendition of “Mo Li Hua” (Jasmine Flower), and “Kang Ding Qing Ge” (Chinese Love Song). |
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