PIA Dispatch - Friday, November 21, 2008

PGMA to inaugurate U.P.-Ayala Techno Hub in Diliman, Quezon City

In support of her cyber corridor program, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today will lead the inauguration of the U.P.-Ayala Land Techno Hub that will boost competence and know-how of the Filipinos in the fields of telecommunications, technology and education in ceremonies at the Commonwealth Avenue in Diliman, Quezon, City.

The Chief Executive, who will be assisted by officials and staff of Ayala Land Inc. led by its president and chief executive officer Jaime Ayala and officials of the University of the Philippines headed by its president Dr. Emerlinda Roman, will press the button to signal the official launching and start of operations of the techno hub.

In her 2006 States of the Nation Address (SONA), the President announced the creation of a cyber corridor that will connect the islands of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao through a "virtual highway" of linkages supported by the internet.

The Cyber Corridor is a vital component of President Macapagal-Arroyo’s Supra Regions program which aims to enhance the advantage of the natural “super regions” of the Philippines. Aside from the Cyber Corridor, the Super Regions include the North Luzon Agribusiness Quadrangle, Luzon Urban Beltway, Central Philippines and Mindanao Super Regions.

The 20-hectare U.P.-Ayala Land Techno Hub is part of the U.P. North Science & Technology Park which occupies approximately 37.5 hectares of the UP campus.

It is located right along Commonwealth Avenue, a major 8-lane thorough fare that is highly accessible to public transportation.


PGMA to grace inauguration of Rizal Park, Peru’s first park named after nat’l hero of another country

LIMA, Peru – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will lead the unveiling tomorrow of the bust of Philippine national hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal, at the Rizal Park here -- Peru’s first public park named after the national hero of another country.

The President is scheduled to arrive at Lima’s Jorge Chavez International Airport Saturday morning to attend the 16th Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Meeting at the Ministry of Defense (MoD) Convention Center.


From the airport, the President will proceed to the Hotel Las Americas Pardo at Calle Gen. Borgono in the Miraflores district, where she is billeted during her two-day stay in Peru.

She will then motor to the Rizal Park at the La Molina District where she will be welcomed by Honor Guards bearing the Philippine and Peruvian flags.

To welcome the President at the Rizal Park are La Molina District Mayor Luis Dibos Vargas Prada; Señor Lic. Raul Diez Canseco Terry, former Peru vice president and president/founder of the Organizacion Educativa de Universidad de San Ignacio de Loyola; Philippine Ambassador to Chile and Peru Consuelo “Baby” Puyat Reyes, and Philippine Honorary Consul to Peru Arq. Ramiro Salas Bravo, Peru’s former tourism minister.

The bust-unveiling ceremonies will feature the singing of the national anthem of the two countries, followed by the welcome remarks of Mayor Prada who will usher the President to the foot of the bust of Dr. Jose P. Rizal for the breaking of the cloth-wrapped wine bottle, a customary practice in Peru during inaugural rites.

Mayor Prada will then hand over to President Arroyo the symbolic key to the District of La Molina.

Designed by Czech sculptor Hanstroff, the bronze bust of the Philippine national hero is placed atop a monument-type pedestal where four inaugural markers are mounted.

Inscribed in one of the markers are the words, “Dr. Jose P. Rizal, Heroe Nacional de Filipinas, Nacionalista, Reformador Political, Escritor, Linguistica y Poeta, 1861-1896.”

Inscribed in another marker are the formal inaugural rites led by the President and witnessed by Mayor Prada.

The establishment of Rizal Park here was made possible through the collaborative efforts of the Philippine Honorary Consulate in Peru and the municipality of La Molina.


PGMA to get honorary doctorate degree in science, economics and administration from leading Peru University

LIMA, PERU – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Saturday will be conferred an honorary doctorate degree in science, economics and administration by the Universidad de San Ignacio de Loyola, one of Peru’s most distinguished and prestigious educational institutions.

The conferment ceremonies, which will be held at Calle Los Jilgueros, corner Avenida La Fontana here, will give the President the distinction of being the first foreign head of state and government to be so honored by the university.

The President is arriving at Lima’s Jorge Chavez International Airport tomorrow morning to join other heads of state and government attending the 16th Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders Meeting.

From the airport, she will be immediately whisked to the Hotel Las Americas Pardo at Calle Gen. Borgono, corner Avenida Pardo, in the Miraflores District where she is billeted.

The conferment ceremonies will be held after the unveiling of the bronze bust of Dr. Jose P. Rizal at the newly-named Rizal Park in La Molina District.

Upon her arrival at the Universidad de San Ignacio de Loyola, the President will be welcomed by university officials led by Señor Lic. Raul Diez Canseco Terry, the president and founder of the Organizacion Educativa de Universidad de San Ignacio de Loyola.

She will be ushered to a holding room of the university for the donning of the hood and gown before the processional walk to the auditorium.

After delivering his welcome remarks, Señor Canseco Terry will confer on the President the honorary doctorate degree.

Following the conferment rites, the President will proceed to the university’s Administrative Exchange Lounge for the reception in her honor.

From the Universidad de San Agustin de Loyola, the President will motor to the Ministry of Defense (MoD) Convention Center for the formal opening of the 16th APEC Economic Leaders Summit.

The Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola is named after the Catholic missionary who was noted for his exemplary virtues of love, solidarity in spirit, unwavering faith and values in a world filled with materialism and violence.

In 1995, the Universidad de San Ignacio de Loyola was the first university in Peru granted recognition by the CONAFU (Consejo Nacional para la Autorizacion de Funcionamiento de Universidades) to prepare the career paths of its students and graduates in keeping with the sustainable growth of Peru.

The university’s educational innovations include teaching new concepts of molding young people to become professionals in the fields of science, humanities, and non-formal education, and the inclusion of courses in English to make the students more competitive in both national and international labor markets.


PGMA inaugurates Up-Ayala Techno Hub

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo inaugurated today the UP-Ayala Techno Hub along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City, saying the event symbolized a “giant step” of the Philippines towards achieving its goal of accelerating economic development through technology and technology-based industries.

In her speech keynoting the inaugural rites, the President said technology advocacy forms part of her administration’s plans and programs to bring the country into the threshold of First World status in 20 years.

“The UP-Ayala Land Techno Hub is one giant step to bring our country closer to goal we declared in 2001 of making technology the foundation of our economic development,” the President said.

“This is an important step together with the P3-billion that the government has been investing in R&D (research and development) and manpower development and the P1-billion in the National Budget for UP to build its own science and technology complex,” she said.

The 20-hectare UP-Ayala Land Techno Hub is part of the 37-5-hectare UP North Science and Technology Park along Commonwealth Avenue.

President Arroyo expressed the hope that with the formal inauguration of the techno hub, a new technological revolution to upgrade the science and technology of the country would be forthcoming.

“We hope that UP, the country’s premiere academic institution would ignite a new technological revolution that would upgrade our total science and technology capability and bring our country to the threshold of the First World in 20 years,” she said.

“This park will serve as our country’s foremost IT laboratory, training ground and incubator or new and high-value adding products and services together with the science and technology complex and the science and technology park, it will provide the nurturing environment for new IT based businesses that transform new technologies into useful and commercially viable services,” she added.

Joining the President during the event were the techno hub’s main proponents led by University of the Philippines president Emerlinda Roman, Ayala Land, Inc. president and CEO Jaime Ayala, Science and Technology Secretary Estrella Alabastro and QC Mayor Sonny Belmonte.


PGMA: UP-Ayala Techno Hub reflects gov’t efforts to soften impact of global crisis on Filipinos

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said today that the UP-Ayala Land Techno Hub along Commonwealth Ave. in Diliman, Quezon City reflects her administration’s efforts to protect the Filipinos from the effects of the global financial blowup through increased investments and job generation.

The P6-billion UP-Ayala Land Techno Hub is a joint effort of the country’s premiere educational institution -- University of the Philippines -- and the Ayala Land, Incorporated business conglomerate.

The UALTH complex occupies 20 hectares of the 37.5-hectare UP North Science and Technology Park.

In her speech keynoting the inauguration of the UALTH this morning, the President extolled the strength and resilience of the Filipinos in the face of high inflation and the rise in the prices of basic commodities.

“But this relative strength and resilience of our people and our economy is still no consolation to the average Filipino who is paying higher prices for basic commodities,” the President said.

“We are very aware of the pressures the average Filipino faces from high prices and high rates of inflation. We know the average Filipino is concerned about job security and the buying power of his wages. We are also concerned that is why we are working hard in keeping the price of rice, food and fuel down and to continue to increase the number of jobs and the investments that will continue to generate employment opportunities for more of our countrymen. What we are inaugurating today is one of those investments,” she added.

The President vowed to step up investments, especially in industries “with high resistance to the economic crisis” such as those in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector.

“Even in the face of new challenges brought about by the financial asset meltdown and the deepening recession abroad, our priority projects such as technology and R&D development will continue,” the President said.



PGMA to push for welfare of small entrepreneurs amid global crisis

LIMA, Peru (via PLDT)-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will push for the welfare of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the country during the 16th APEC Leaders Summit here which opens Saturday.

The President and the other leaders of the 21-member Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) will hold a dialogue with the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) on the first day of the summit.

She will be accompanied by the three Philippine representatives to the ABAC, a group comprising of widely recognized business leaders from the Asia Pacific rim.

The ABAC members will present specific recommendations to the APEC leaders during their dialogue right after the APEC Leaders’ Retreat 1 at the 7th Floor of the Ministry of Defense (MOD) convention center here on Saturday afternoon.

Among these recommendations are: collaboration and activity-based regulations within and across APEC economies to address the global credit contraction; acceleration of APEC regional economic integration; addressing problems on food supply and prices; reduction of greenhouse gas emissions; and support for the development of SMEs in the Asia-Pacific region.

These and other recommendations will be formally issued to the APEC Economic Leaders for critical consideration by the APEC policy-makers.

Long before the global credit crunch, the President had been underscoring the importance of SMEs in national development and the fight against poverty as among the priority programs under her administration’s 10-point agenda of creating six to 10 million jobs.

The President has directed the release of P100 billion to various microfinance institutions to support SMEs which, she said, are crucial in creating a robust middle class, a key factor of her vision for the Philippines to attain first world status in 20 years.

After the dialogue with the ABAC group, arrangements are being made for the President to hold bilateral talks with other APEC leaders including a meeting with US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice.

Capping the first day of the APEC Leaders forum is a gala dinner and cultural performance to be hosted by Peru President Alan Garcia Perez.
at the MOD Caceres Esplanade in honor of the visiting APEC leaders.



PGMA wants every RP province to be an ‘ICT-enabler’

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has instructed the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) to come up with a technical study on resources needed to make all provinces of the Philippines an “ICT-enabler” or that which can support ICT and ICT-based industries.

The President announced her instruction in her keynote speech inaugurating the P6-billion UP-Ayala Land Techno Hub, a cluster of seven buildings along Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City.

“And so because of this robustness of ICT, I have instructed the Commission of ICT to make a technical study on the resources needed to transform…every province in the country…to be an ICT enabler,” the President said.

The President said that once the technical studies are completed and all data has been submitted, the National Government, through the CICT shall guide the local government units concerned on how to pursue the planned technology programs.

She said these programs are two-pronged: “1) develop a technology hub in each of the country’s provinces with the hub capable of hosting at the very least contact center operations; and, 2) expand the capabilities of provinces that are already currently ICT-enablers so that they can increase their absorption capacities and expand into hardcore ICT operations.”

“The national government will merely provide guidance and advice on a menu of pathways and strategies towards these objectives,” the President said.

“It will be the LGU leaders who will decide on the level of technology and development they want,” she said.

The President said that this program would “attract more BPO (business process outsourcing) and hardcore technology companies and help train young Filipinos to become world-class workers in programming, embedded technologies and network engineering.”

“There is a wealth of technical and creative talent from where to draw this world class pool of technology workers and there is the UP Science and Technology Complex to develop their potentials,” the President said.


PGMA leaves for 16th APEC Leaders Meeting in Lima, Peru

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo left this afternoon for Lima, Peru to attend the 16th Leaders’ Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) on Nov. 22-23, hoping to reach a consensus with other leaders of the APEC countries on how to put the interests of the poor and dispossessed ahead of the rich and the powerful in the face of the deepening global economic crisis.

The President left onboard flight PR-001 of the Philippine Air Lines (PAL) at 3 p.m. for Los Angeles where she will have a brief stop-over and meet with the Filipino community in the area before proceeding to Lima.

She was accompanied by First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo and five Cabinet members.

Dressed in an all-black business suit, the President was seen off at Bay 49 of the Ninoy Aquino Internationl Airport’s Terminal 2 (NAIA 2) by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, Peace Process Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, Customs Commissioner Napoleon Morales, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Alexander Yano, and Philippine National Police (PNP) head Jesus Versoza.

Yano escorted the President through the Honor Guards of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) while the PAF Band played a Kapampangan ditty.

Also present were Air Force chief Pedro Cadungog, Army head Victor Ibrado, and Navy chief Ferdinand Golez.

“This afternoon, we leave for the APEC Leaders Meeting in Peru (where) we will express to the other leaders of APEC the hope of our people that seeking common ground on ways to coordinate assistance to our economies, we must do so in a way that puts the interests of the poor and the dispossessed ahead of the rich and the powerful,” the President said during the inauguration of the UP-Ayala Techno Hub along Commonwealth Ave. in UP Diliman, Quezon City earlier in the day.

“We are optimistic, as we leave, about our future and the hope, optimism and resilience of the Filipino people, because we are revitalized by what we see here,” she added.

Executive Secretary and Presidential Spokesman Eduardo Ermita, who briefed the media at the airport lounge, later issued a press statement saying the President expects her APEC itinerary to be “one of her busiest -- in view of what she has set out to do.”

“In her engagements with heads of State of the Asia-Pacific region, President Arroyo will exchange views on how best to address matters of common interest stipulated in this year’s agenda, such as the global financial crisis, human security initiative, climate change, and corporate social responsibility.

“In doing so, President Arroyo will contribute substantially to the cross-fertilization of minds that will typify this gathering, leading to a consensus for collective action that will keep the regional trade and investment machinery fully operational,” said Ermita.

He added that “even as President Arroyo accentuates our country’s sentiments in the gamut of issues, she will strongly urge positive action on advocacies that our country has been championing.”

“Specifically, she will push for the conclusion of the Doha Round to preclude possible protectionism in the wake of the global economic downturn,” Ermita said, adding:

“She will also make a pitch for the $80-billion ASEAN+3 crisis fund which was proposed at the 7th Asia-Europe Meeting in Beijing in October this year; stress the need for the APEC to effect substantial improvements on labor mobility within the region in support of trade in services; and offer recommendations to increase agricultural support and to better agricultural research and development in the name of regional food security.”

APEC member countries account for some 60 percent of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP).



PGMA belies report of call center layoffs

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today belied reports that a business processing and outsourcing (BPO) center had laid off some 700 of its employees.

In her speech at the inauguration of the UP-Ayala Techno Hub at the UP Diliman campus in Quezon City this morning (Friday, Nov. 21), the President said that “very alarmed about the news,” she decided to check its veracity.

“Yesterday, we were very alarmed to read the news that one of the call centers supposedly laid off 700 workers. So we checked with that center, ACS, and they totally denied it.

“In fact, they are looking for more workers. And they were even telling us that when other call centers like Teletech and others read the news, they called up ACS and said, where are the workers you are laying off, we want to absorb them right away.”

“But ACS says we’re not laying off anyone. We’re looking for more,” ASC told her, the President said.

“And so because of this robustness of ICT (information and communications technology), I have instructed the Commission on ICT (CICT) to make a technical study on the resources needed to transform not just (Quezon City Mayor) Sonny Belmonte’s hub but also every province in the country -- not necessarily a hub like this but – to be an ICT-enabler,” she said.

The President added that “after completing the technical studies, the national government, through the CICT, shall guide the LGUs (local government units) concerned on how to pursue the technology programs with these twin objectives:

“Number One, develop a technology hub… in each of the country’s provinces, with the hub capable of hosting, at the very least, contact center operations; and second, expand the capabilities of provinces that are already currently ICT-enablers so that they can increase their absorptive capacities and expand into hardcore ICT operations.”

The President explained that “the national government will merely provide guidance and advice on a menu of pathways and strategies towards these objectives – it will be the LGU leaders who will decide on the level of technology and development they want.”

“And this is what we can do, given that we have not been able to put together a national broadband – this is a good second best. In the ICT jargon, we need to ‘wire’ the entire country to attract more BPO (business outsourcing and processing) and hardcore technology companies, and help train young Filipinos into world-class workers in programming, embedded technologies and network engineering.”


7th ASEAN Digital Broadcasting Meeting, Co – Chair Statement

Bali, Indonesia, 18 November 2008=ASEAN made progress on ASEAN Digital Broadcasting Implementation

ASEAN Member States met to further discuss policy, technology and content issues in regard to the implementation of digital broadcasting in the region.

The 7th ASEAN Digital Broadcasting (ADB) Meeting, co-chaired by Brunei Darussalam and Singapore in Bali, Indonesia on 18 November 2008, successfully concluded with officials agreeing to set up an Interactive Compliance Centre (includes testing of interactive applications in set-top boxes, creating and exchange of interactive applications and training).

Member States recommend that fees should not be imposed on Free-to-Air broadcasters for the use of MPEG4-AVC technology.

Recognizing the importance of using the broadcast technologies to issue early warning systems, Member States agreed to set-up a study group on the Early Warning System on the digital TV platform.

Member States agreed to discuss with the European Union to collaborate in digital terrestrial broadcasting deployment.

Member States aim for early digitalization to reap the benefits of the digital dividend and to ensure that terrestrial broadcasting remains relevant in the face of competition from mobile and internet TV.

Recognizing that Member States are at different stages of digital TV implementation, Member States recommend that ASEAN adopts a phased approach towards Analogue Switch-off.

Member States also underscored the importance of public education and capacity building in preparation for digital roll–out and that there was much scope for sharing of best practices among ASEAN countries.

Noting the different levels of expertise on HD production, Member States agreed to set-up a virtual HD Training Centre to serve as self-help resource to equip members with the necessary skills set for HD production and to collaborate through co-productions.

Taking into account the experience of ASEAN Dialogue Partners, namely China, Japan and Korea, India and European Union in digital broadcasting implementation, ASEAN agreed to engage them for capacity building on content production on HD.