PIA Dispatch - Monday, February 9, 2009

PGMA arrives from successful five-nation trip

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo arrived early this morning at the end of a successful one-week, five-country trip to pursue her campaign for and behalf of the world's poor and emerging economies, overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), World War II (WWII) Filipino veterans, and promote the Philippines as the best alternative investment site in the region.

The President emerged from the arrival gate of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 2 shortly after 5 a.m. in a dark grey coat and pants suit looking fresh despite the hectic schedule she had just gone through.

She was met by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Press Secretary Cerge Remonde, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, Presidential Management Staff (PMS) Director-General Hermogenes Esperon, Land Transportation Office (LTO) chief Arturo Lomibao, and military, police and NAIA officials.

The President, who left the country Jan. 30, flew in from Washington, D.C., the last leg of her overseas trip after attending the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland; and brief visits to Milan, Italy; Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain.

At Davos, the President also met with the political and business leaders of several countries who also attended the global forum.

She also met with members of the Filipino community in the countries that she visited and assured them of her government's efforts to address their plight in the midst of the global economic crisis.

In an interview, Deputy Spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo, who accompanied the President on her trip, described the President's visit to the five countries as “very productive."

"It was a very productive trip kasi kapag bumiyahe si Pangulong Arroyo, she makes sure na sinusulit niya – five countries in a week – and she met with almost the highest officials of all of these countries and the top executives of big corporations whom she invited over and made sure everyone knew that the Philippines is still the best place to invest" in the region, Fajardo said.

She dismissed claims by certain sectors that the President's US trip was a "failure" because she was not able to meet President Obama, saying it was "successful" because President Arroyo was the first foreign head of state to have met with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

"Napaka-successful ng trip ni Presidente dun sa Amerika because she is one of the first heads of state to meet with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton," Fajardo said.

Aside from the meeting with Clinton, the President also met with four leading US legislators: Senators John Kerry (D-Massachusetts), chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee; Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii), chairman of the US Senate Veterans’ Affairs committee; and Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), chairman of the US Senate Appropriations Committee and a staunch supporter of Filipino veterans of World War II.

President Arroyo also had a meeting with Fil-Am legislator, Rep. Steve Austria who traces his Filipino ancestry to Tiaong, Quezon, Fajardo said.

On the President’s failure to meet with President Obama, Fajardo explained that the meeting between the two leaders was never included in President Arroyo’s US schedule.

The President’s Washington trip, she added, was more of a “spiritual” than a political event.

“Hindi talaga kasama sa itinerary ng Pangulo na maka-meet niya si President Obama sa pagdalo niya sa National Prayer Breakfast. It was a purely spiritual event and not a political event.”

Remonde seconded Fajardo's statement, saying, "the objective of the trip of the President to the US was not to meet President Obama but to attend the National Prayer Breakfast."

"It should be understood that meetings between heads of state cannot be made as matters of chance meetings. Meetings between and among heads of state are well-planned and well-organized. Hindi pwede yung ganyan," Remonde said.

"There were at least 300 other heads of state present (at the National Prayer Breakfast) who also did not get a chance to meet President Obama. So, sana tigilan na yang intriga na ganyan," Remonde said.

From the NAIA, the President headed straight to Malacanang.


PGMA leads efforts to stimulate e-Services growth in RP

Amid the difficult issues besetting the country’s information and communication technology (ICT) industry brought about by the deepening recession in the United States, which affects the rest of the world, the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) of the Department of Trade and Industry is holding the 9th e-services Global Sourcing Conference Exhibition on February 9-10, 2009 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.

No less than President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who believes that the ICT sector, specifically the business process outsourcing (BPO), can provide the much-needed jobs at this time, will grace the annual event.

Emerging issues and trends in Information and Communication Technology and the growing needs of corporations all over the world for solid IT skills and infrastructure will be discussed at the event.

With the e-Services Conference and Exhibition, local companies engaged in providing IT products and services, call centers, and knowledge process outsourcing among others, will come together and talk about the future of the industry and how meaningful strategies could be devised to deal with issues besetting the industry.

The e-Services Conference also seeks to acknowledge and highlight Filipino ingenuity and creativity as some 200 exhibitors and 2,000 participants from all over the world are participating in the e-Services conference.

Trade Undersecretary Thomas Aquino said the Philippines continues to be seen as a “BPO goldmine” by businesses all over the world and is on the way to becoming the world’s center of global procurement.

Despite the closure of some companies, top players in the BPO industry agree that the effect would be growth of the industry, albeit with lower growth rate

This year, e-Services will again pave the way for the global leaders, decision makers, and centers of excellence in global ICT and BPO to:

* Converge and collaborate to tackle the emerging issues and trends in the global IT;
* Connect with their counterparts in the field of IT and its related products and services; and
* Create ideas and solutions to fill the ever changing need of the global IT industry.
E-Services is recognized as a high-profile meeting place in the Asia Pacific that gathers the brightest minds and the best players in the world of ICT and BPO.
*****
SIGNIFICANCE: The 9th e-Services Conference and Exhibition will once again showcase the Filipino ingenuity and creativity that had been attracting investors in the ICT sector.


RP remakes one of world's most attractive off-shoring destinations despite global economic crisis

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo stressed today that the Philippines remains one of the most attractive off-shoring investment destinations in the world today despite the present global economic meltdown.

In her message at the 9th e-services Global Sourcing Conference and Exhibition today (Feb. 9) at the SMX convention center, SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City, the President, who was introduced by Trade Secretary Peter Favila as the “original ICT (information and communication technology) brand manager,” spelled out to some 2,000 participants from all over the world the reasons why the Philippines still ranks among the most-favored destinations of business process outsourcing (BPO) in the world.

“Our BPO industry continues to boom as global cost-cutting is sent to outsourcing. The Philippines is ranked among the most attractive off-shoring destinations in the world because of cost competitiveness and more importantly the country’s highly trainable, English proficient, IT-enabled quality manpower,” the President said.

The President said the number of workers in the BPO sector has ballooned from only 4,000 in 2001 to 400,000 today, mainly due to government’s rational and strategic act to foster a digital culture that maximized the benefits of ICT.

She added that the government concentrated on three areas, namely, building of physical infrastructure that included telecommunications and network infrastructure; ensuring an appropriate policy and legal environment so as to create an environment to grow ICT; and, development of human capital to close the digital divide.

She said that the Cyber Corridor in her super regions economic development plan has been “lengthened” from Metro Manila, Iloilo, Bacolod, Cebu and Davao to include Baguio, Dagupan Tarlac, Pampanga, Metro Bulacan, Metro Rizal, Metro Cavite, Metro Laguna, Metro Batanagas, Dumaguete and Cagayan de Oro.

“BPO and e-services are key drivers of the economy, generating investments and jobs, alleviating poverty and improving the lives of the people. We are proud to be among the world’s leaders in these fields,” the President said.

Moreover, the President said the Philippines is in a better position to weather the current financial crisis because of the “rebooting” of the economy several years before there was a hint of a financial crisis.

She expressed confidence that with the reforms in revenue collection and generation, fiscal controls and banking now in place, she initiated, “we remain cautiously optimistic that our resources and plans will allow us to manage our way through this time.”

“The Philippines has been compared to an island of stability amidst the raging economic storm. That’s not just coming from me. Standard and Poor’s said it. Reasonably healthy, Fitch said it. Macroeconomic risks the lowest—Credit Suisse. Inherently strong, a potential beneficiary of the world’s financial woes—JP Morgan said,” the President said.

She added that the package of reforms has held the country in good stead” with an 8 percent growth in its gross national product (GNP) in 2007 and 6 percent in 2008, when almost a third of the world went into recession.

Add to that the government’s focus on reducing debt –to- GDP ratio and putting in place a program to cushion the impact of the global crisis on the poor, she said.

The President thanked existing investors “for being part of the country’s sustainable growth” as she told would-be investors that the Philippines remains “among the best (investment destinations) in the world.”

Organized by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the conference was aimed at discussing the emerging issues and trends in Information and Communication Technology and the growing needs of corporations all over the world for solid IT skills and infrastructure.

E-Services is recognized as a high-profile meeting place in the Asia Pacific that attracts the brightest minds and the best players in the world of ICT and BPO.

Early this year, the Business Process Association of the Philippines (BPAP), the biggest organization of outsourcing providers in the Philippines, said it was expecting a "cautious" growth of 35 percent for 2009. By 2010, the organization said the outsourcing industry should earn about $12 billion to $13 billion.


Multi-sectoral jobs summit set in Malacanang tomorrow

A multi-sectoral summit to discuss strategies to preserve jobs and generate more employment by helping industries amid the global economic crisis will be held tomorrow (Monday) in Malacañang.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who arrived early this morning from a five-nation trip to promote the welfare of Filipino World War II veterans and Filipino expatriate workers, will address the gathering on “Joining Hands Against The Global Crisis.”

The President earlier directed the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to organize the summit -- a follow-up to the recent multi-sectoral conference of labor, management, and other stakeholders that tackled measures to mitigate the impact of the global crisis on local and overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

Top officials joining the President at the gathering to be held at the Heroes’ Hall of Malacañang are Labor Secretary Marianito Roque and Trade and Industry Secretary Peter Favila.

Roque said the President had earlier directed government agencies to exhaust all means to preserve jobs and sustain the demand for Filipino workers, as well as firm up safety nets for vulnerable workers and industries.

He said the multi-sectoral summit will bring together business, labor and church leaders as well as the academe, government and non-government organizations (NGOs).

About 200 participants are expected to join hands in harmonizing government and private sector responses to enable industries to survive the crisis, provide additional safety nets, preserve existing jobs and generate employment particularly for displaced workers, Roque added.


Gloria-Hillary meeting caps President Arroyo’s working visit to Washington D.C.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has committed to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo that the good relations between the Philippines and the US will be strengthened and deepened under the administration of US President Barrack Obama.

The 30-minute meeting between the President and Secretary Clinton at the Treaty Room of the US State Department capped the President’s working visit to the US Capital City.

Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo, in an interview over government–run Radyo ng Bayan this morning, said the meeting was “more than a social meeting” as they discussed many issues that included the Mindanao peace process and how the Philippines is coping well with the present economic crisis.

The US State Department website posted this excerpt of the meeting:

“Sec. Clinton: Good afternoon, and I am so delighted to welcome the President of the Philippines to the State Department. As you know, the Philippines is one of our closest and most important allies, not just in Asia, but on so many issues around the world. And we are very proud of the role and contributions that Filipino Americans have played in the United States over many years. So welcome, Madame President.

"President Macapagal-Arroyo: Thank you. Thank you, Madame Secretary. Thank you. I am very happy to be here to congratulate you on your appointment and your love-fest of a confirmation. As you said, the Filipino-Americans have played a very important role here, but another important thing is they all love you, both the Filipino Americans and the Filipinos in the Philippines. So we’re so proud of you.”

Fajardo added that the President invited the Secretary of State to visit the Philippines. Secretary Clinton accepted the invitation and promised to check her schedule.

Secretary Clinton is scheduled to visit Asia, specifically China, Japan and Malaysia, for the first time as Secretary of State, in the next two weeks.

The President is expected to be back on Manila Sunday (Feb. 8) at 5 a.m.


Australia seeks 10,000 workers —POEA

By Friedrich R. Varela

MANILA, Feb. 9 (PNA) -— The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) said that displaced overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) may seek employment in South Australia which needs 10,000 workers this year.

POEA Administrator Jennifer Jardin-Manalili said Australia will hire thousands of Filipino construction workers, welders and pipe-fitters for its road rehabilitation projects in the next 10 years.

Manpower requirements of these projects are estimated to reach 133,000 until 2018. Another 206,000 workers would be required to replace those who would leave the workforce.

“Australia is very reassuring that it will hire OFWs this year even its export, manufacturing, and retail sectors were adversely affected by the financial crisis,” Manalili said in an interview.

The country’s labor officials and Australian employers met earlier to discuss the recruitment of Filipino workers in an effort to give them jobs in the host destination as they are adversely affected by the global economic slump.

“South Australia is bent on recruiting Filipino skilled workers to address its perennial problem on skills shortage and subsequently ease the pressure on employers in this Australian state, struggling with the lack of essential skills,” she said.

“The recruitment of OFWs to South Australia would be orderly, ethical, and in line with laws and policies of the Philippines and those of Australia, providing for the protection and the development and skills upgrading of OFWs,” she added.

A Department of Labor and Employment technical team and Australia’s Department of Immigration and Citizenship have been in consultations since late last year for the forging of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that would provide for the recruitment of skilled OFWs in Australia.

In South Australia, nearly 1.6 million people live in the state that comprises less than 10 percent of the Australian population.

Its economy relies on agriculture, mining, and manufacturing, mostly of automotive and component parts, pharmaceuticals, defense technology, and electronics systems. (PNA)


Banking System ng Pilipinas, nananatiling matatag

Nananatiling matatag ang Banking System ng Pilipinas. Ito ang pahayag ni Monetary Board member, Secretary Ignacio Bunye.

Sa isang panayam ay sinabi ni Bunye na nananatiling matatag ang sistema ng mga bangko sa Pilipinas sa kabila ng sunod-sunod na pagkalugi ng mga bangko sa ibang bansa.

Dagdag pa ni Bunye, ang mga ipinatupad na reporma sa banking system ng Pilipinas ang siyang dahilan kung bakit nananatili pa rin itong matatag.

Nuong isang taon ay sunod-sunod ang mga naging pagkalugi ng mga malalaking pangalan sa sistema ng pananalapi sa ibang bansa. Dalawa rito ay ang Lehman Brothers at Bank of America.


Bilang ng politically-motivated media killing sa bansa, bumaba ng 85%

Bumaba ng 85% ang bilang ng mga biktima ng politically motivated killings sa bansa.

Batay sa report ng PNP Task Force Usig, meron lamang anim na naitalang insidente ng extrajudicial killing nuong nakaraang taon.

Ang bilang na ito ay mas mababa kumpara nuong taong 2006 kung saan ay may 41 kaso ng extrajudicial killing at enforced disappearances ang naiulat.

Sa isang panayam kay PNP spokesperson Chief Supt. Nicanor Bartolome, binanggit niya na ang pagbaba sa bilang ng political killings sa Pilipinas ay dulot ng pagkakalikha ng mga special courts na tumututok sa mga ganitong kaso.


Business outsourcing sa Pilipinas, nananatiling maunlad ayon kay Pangulong Arroyo

Hinamon ni Pangulong Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ang mga Pilipino na makinabang sa patuloy na lumalagong Business Process Outsourcing sa Pilipinas.

Ipinagmalaki pa ng Pangulo na nananatiling malakas at patuloy na umuunlad ang Business Process Outsourcing sa Pilipinas sa kabila ng nararanasang recession ngayon sa iba’t-ibang panig ng daigdig.

Sa kanyang key note address sa ika-siyam na e-Services Global Sourcing Conference sa Pasay City, sinabi ng Pangulo na ang Business Process Outsourcing ang siyang pangunahing foreign investment sa bansa, at siya ring pinagmumulan ng mga bagong trabaho para sa mga Pilipino.

Iginiit pa ng Pangulo na kailangang pag-igihin pa ang lahat ng mga infrastructures at legal requirements na makakatulong sa pagpapalawig ng Global Outsourcing sa bansa. Kasama na rito ang pagtatatag ng mga telecom infrastructures at ang pag-sasanay ng manpower na kakailanganin ng industriya.


Let us join hands vs global crisis --PGMA

MANILA (PNA) - President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Monday underscored the need for the government, business and labor sectors to work together in order to weather the adverse impact of the global economic crisis.

In her speech during the Multi-Sectoral Jobs Summit at the Heroes Hall in Malacanang, President Arroyo said this is a time for the three sectors to join hands by not neglecting those who feel the hardships of the global downturn, especially firms under strain and workers facing layoffs.

In response to the concerns raised during the tripartite meeting two weeks ago, the President laid out some specific measures and actions to help and assist displaced/retrenched workers as well as companies affected by the global economic meltdown.

These include:

--the condonation of the Social Security System (SSS) on penalties and surcharges on loans of affected workers;

--the establishment of stand-by fund by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) for displaced seafarers and land-based overseas Filipino workers (OFWs);

--the implementation of training programs, training interventions specifically targeted for workers displaced as a result of the global financial crisis at the community level;

--reduction on the cost of doing business by providing fuel subsidy to firms operating in the export processing zones, lowering the costs of business licenses and permits and standardization of the city business registration and permit process in Metro Manila;

--having the government financial institutions provide loan facilities such as working capital to creditworthy firms;

--stimulate domestic production and product demand and consumption by addressing smuggling;

--study the possibility of imposing a moratorium on wages and other economic benefits for a limited period;

--mainstream and expand training partnerships between government and private companies; and

--sharing of information between the government and industries on industry employment, number of companies affected, number of workers affected either through retrenchment or flexible work arrangements, and other related information in order to come up with an accurate and reliable picture of the actual impact of the global financial crisis on employment and business and allow both government and industry to develop appropriate responses and interventions.

Likewise, the President emphasized on what government, business and labor are doing to save and generate jobs.

She said even before the tripartite consultation started, the government has already been put together the Economic Resiliency Plan.

“Under this Economic Resiliency Plan which is our stimulus program, we will continue our unprecedented investments. I direct key agencies to show solid progress in bidding out and/or implementing major infra and social projects under the P300 billion stimulus plan. We consider this the most important government initiative this year,” she said.

The Chief Executive also said part of the resiliency plan is the putting of all budget-funded energy-independence and environment jobs in one box called “Green Collar Jobs.”

Truly if anything, she said, “a tight economy should prompt people to yearn for greater stability and harmony and working together not working apart".

“So, let us all pull together to make sure the country puts jobs and the economy ahead of political and costly conflicts. Let us focus on “Joining Hands Against the Global Crisis,” she added.