The Philippines will defend the country’s Baseline Law at the United Nations and the ASEAN
Both territories are claimed by neighboring South Asian economies including China.
The Philippines has ratified UNCLOS in 1982.
Under the new law, Scarborough shoal and the Kalayaan Island Group are categorized as regime of islands.
Since the passage of the law, Beijing has been protesting.
Ipagtatanggol ng Pilipinas ang kanyang bagong baseline law sa United Nations at sa ASEAN
Tiniyak ni National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales na gagamitin ng pamahalaan ang lahat ng diplomatikong paraan para mapagtibay pa ang pag-angkin nito sa pinagtatalunang Scarborough Shoal at Kalayaan Island Group sa mapayapang paraan.
Ang dalawang lugar ay parehong inaangkin ng mga karatig-bansa sa Timog Silangang Asya kabilang ang Tsina.
Ang UNCLOS ay niratipikahan ng Pilipinas noong 1982.
Sa ilalim ng bagong batas, ang Scarborough shoal at ang Kalayaan Island Group ay tinatawag na regime of islands.
Magmula noong naipasa ang batas, walang tigil sa ka-proprotesta ang Tsina.
DBM assures no lay-offs in government
On-going rationalization in government will not cause job loss among state workers.
“Ang policy ho ngayon ay walang matatanggal sa trabaho (the policy now is no lay-offs),” Andaya said.
Redundant positions will be collapsed or closed upon retirement of its holders.
Meanwhile, salary increase for state workers is being discussed in the House of Representatives.
He added that government has earmarked around Php 19-Billion for that purpose.
DBM, tiniyak na walang tanggalan sa Gobyerno
Walang mangyayaring tanggalan sa pamahalaan.
“Ang policy ho ngayon ay walang tanggalan sa trabaho,” sabi ni Andaya.
Bubuwagin lamang ang mga posisyong redundant sa sandaling magretiro ang mga manggagawang may hawak nito.
Samantala, pinag-uusapan na sa kongreso ang umento sa sahod sa mga kawani ng pamahalaan.
Sinabi ni Andaya na mahigit sa Php 19-billion ang inilaang pondo ng pamahalaan para sa pagdaragdag ng sahod ng mga manggagawa ng gobyerno.
Disabled, dead soldiers’ families to benefit from the President’s Social Fund
Disabled soldiers and families of soldiers killed in action will gain from government’s economic program.
“For their families (soldiers’), our special rescue comes in the form of housing assistance. In this regard, yesterday, I instructed the release from the President’s Social Fund of more than 125 million, the biggest release I’ve ever had from the President’s Social Fund,” the President said, “this will be for housing assistance for over a thousand disabled soldiers and families of those killed in action to whom we will give a 180,000 pesos each.”
Cadet First Class Karl Winston Cacanindin of Aurora province was the class valedictorian and recipient of the PGMA Achievement Award for Academic Excellence while Cadet First Class Cynthia Forteza was the lone lady cadet who placed ninth in the top ten graduates.
Class Masiglahi has 184 cadets; 23 of which are females.
Nasawi’t nabaldadong sundalo, makikinabag sa Social Fund ng Pangulo
Sa kanyang talumpati sa Philippine Military Academy graduation ng class Masiglahi, inihayag ng Pangulong Gloria Macapagal Arroyo na sasagipin ng pamahalaan ang pinakamahihirap kabilang na rito ang mga kawal.
Tiniyak ng Pangulo sa mga bagong graduate na maghihigpit ng sinturon at mamumuhay ng payak tulad ng isang karaniwang pamilyang Pilipino ang pamahalaan habang nagbibigay ito ng pabahay sa mga pamilya ng mga baldado at nasawing sundalo.
Si Cadet First Class Cynthia Forteza naman ang nagsosolong babaeng kadete na nakakuha ng ika-siyam na puwesto sa top ten graduates ng Class Masiglahi.
Ang Class Masiglahi ay mayroong 184 kadete at 23 sa mga ito ay pawang mga kababaihan.
PGMA enlists PMAers to fight economic crunch
In her message during the PMA graduation rites, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said soldiers are also expected to perform civic duties.
“There will be those among you who will be called upon to help in these investments: building classrooms or serving as soldier teachers, conducting medical missions, building bridges and roads especially in conflict areas. You will be called upon to win communities away from the insurgents and provide the means to live peaceful, productive lives for those communities through the Kalayaan Barangays,” the president said.
The President also mentioned the directive she gave to government offices to reduce their respective Maintenance, Overhead and Operating Expense (MOOE) Budgets by 1.5 percent to save funds for emergency employment activities for six months.
PGMA hinikayat ang mga PMAer na labanan ang pagbagal ng pandaigdigang pang-ekonomiya
Sa kanyang talumpati sa graduation rites, sinabi ng Pangulo Gloria Macapagal Arroyo na inaasahan din ng sambahayan na magreresponde rin ang mga sundalo sa kanilang civic duties.
“There will be those among you who will be called upon to help in these investments: building classrooms or serving as soldier teachers, conducting medical missions, building bridges and roads especially in conflict areas. You will be called upon to win communities away from the insurgents and provide the means to live peaceful, productive lives for those communities through the Kalayaan Barangays (Ilan sa inyo ay tatawagin para tumulong sa mga pamumuhunan ng pamahalaan: pagtatayo ng classrooms or magsilbing mga guro, magsagawa ng mga medical mission, magtayo ng mga tulay at daanan lalo na sa mga lugar ng may armadong bakbakan. Tatawagin din kayo para agawin ang puso at isipan ng mga kumunidad mula sa kamay ng mga rebelde at magbigay ng mga kaparaanan para mabigyan ang mga kumunidad na ito para makapamuhay ng mapayapa at produktibo),” sabi ng Pangulo.
Binanggit din ng Pangulo ang kanyang direktiba sa mga ahensiya ng pamahalaan na bawasan ang kanilang Maintenance, Overhead and Operating Expense (MOOE) Budget ng isa’t kalahating porsiyento para makalikom ng pondo para sa emergency employment activities sa loob ng anim na buwan.
Road project to boost veggie business in Nueva Vizcaya
Residents in Dupax Del Norte thanked President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo for concrete-paving the 18-kilometer Bitnong-Belance mountain road that links their town from the rest of Nueva Vizcaya.
Before the road improvement, people would travel 4 – 5 hours to reach their destinations.
The President assured the completion of the road project to motivate Novo Vizcayanos to produce more high valued crops such as squash, broccoli, cabbage, bell peppers, green peas and cauliflowers.
Before coming to Dupax Del Norte, the President paid a visit to Bishop Ramon Villena in Bayombong who celebrated his 70th Birthday.
Pagnenegosyo sa gulay, palalakasin ng road project sa Nueva Vizcaya
Pinapagaan ng isang road project sa Nueva Vizcaya ang pagnenegosyo ng gulay sa Cagayan Valley.
Li-limang kilometro pa lang ang natatapos subalit ayon sa mga resident, bumilis naman ang oras ng pagbibiyahe nila.
Nagkakahalaga ng Php 130 million ang pagsasa-ayos ng Bitnong-Belance road at inaasahang matatapos ng hunyo.
Bumisita ang Pangulo sa lalawigan para inspeksyunin ang mga proyekto ng Department of Public Works and Highways.
Out-of-school youth program serving towards economic recovery (OYSTER): A fighting chance to the uneducated
Donsol is also home to countless jobless youths whose lack of education hinders the way to a better tomorrow. One of these is Rolly, who as a boy, remembers Donsol as just a laid back community whose people thrived on the produce of the sea. Donsol was never even considered a tourist spot. Work was hard to come by and it seemed to attract only the educated and the haves.
With such a bleak environment, Rolly and his three other siblings tried their luck in Manila where Rolly hoped the bustling city would be kinder to him and his family; his parents stayed in Donsol. But they were in for a shock since everything seemed to have a price in the city they thought was paved with gold. And with no connections and lack of education, work was harder to come by.
As the eldest of the four, Rolly was forced to work as a construction worker even though he had a fisherman’s hands and temperament. He had to; the rent of their place was P4, 500, a princely sum since this amount could have supported a family of six in Donsol. His brother was also employed with a meager salary of P150 a day even if the minimum was then P298.
In 2007, Rolly was desperate because the Christmas season was fast approaching. He wanted to give his younger siblings, then in Grade 1 and Grade 4 a happier holiday season. Then out of the blue, a kindly neighbor who took pity on them informed Rolly that there was an on going hiring for the OYSTER project. The job requirement was minimal – all it needed was that one be dedicated, be a hard worker, and resourceful. He applied and was interviewed; he passed. That was two years ago. He was hired in November 2007 and that Christmas was one of the happiest the siblings had ever had.
Rolly is grateful for the OYSTER project, a government project envisioned by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to give out-of-school youths a fighting chance for a rosier future. The job is to keep the streets of Manila clean and safe of debris and wastes.
He stressed, “Oo naman! Maganda ang napapala ko rito. Sa tulad kong hindi nagkaroon ng pang-tustos sa pangkabuhayan naming magkakapatid. Imbes na tumambay ka sa bahay, eto nakakatulong pa ako sa kapaligiran at sa komunidad lalo na sa kalinisan ng lungsod.”
The OYSTER project is now on its fifth year of existence and is directly under the supervision of the PNP. The project is also called Kaminero and Metroaid. A number of those with the OYSTER project had graduated to become law enforcers themselves – surely a big boosts to those who never thought they could ever amount to something.
The work is a blessing for Rolly who takes the everyday sweeping not a chore but his contribution to community – he wants everything clean and beautiful. With the monthly salary and that of his other brother, they are now able to let the younger ones continue their schooling and even send some money home. For Rolly, it would be sweet victory if his siblings one day be able to find better jobs with better pays, but for now, he is contented and happy.
Pagadian City Airport set for completion in July this year
Pagadian City – President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo launched the super regions in 2007 to accelerate development imperatives in each area. Four super regions were then created: the North Luzon Agribusiness Quadrangle, Luzon Urban Beltway, Central Philippines and Mindanao Super Regions.
A total of 27 priority projects are being implemented in Mindanao which include roads, airports, ports, irrigation facilities and energy reliability, mainly to enhance Mindanao’s competitive advantage and potentials in agribusiness, especially in high value crops.
“By July this year, the project is expected to be finished,” Air Transportation Manager Engr. Jesus Bodiongan gave this assurance in an interview with PIA this morning.
The said project is one of the seven (7) airports in Mindanao considered as priority infrastructure projects of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo which is due for completion before her term ends in 2010.
Bodiongan said Phase I which comprises the runway extension and Phase II, 30-45 meters width runway expansion is 100% completed. Phase III – rehabilitation is still on-going and is already 50% completed.
The Project Monitoring Team composed of the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC), Air Transportation Office (ATO), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Provincial Governor’s Office (PGO), and City Engineer’s Office (CEO) will convene in the afternoon of March 19, at the ATO terminal building to hear the reports of the contractors from Brostan Construction in Manila and Vicente Lao Construction in Davao City on the updates of the project.
This project will certainly boost domestic tourism and provide safe and comfortable travel for passengers. (PIA9-Pagadian City)
Super region road project boosts economic activities in Dapitan
Dipolog City (16 March) – To keep her promise to improve livelihood opportunities in the countryside, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has initiated a number of infrastructure projects implemented all over the country since she took the reins of the government in 2001. One of these is the road improvement project from the city proper of Dapitan to its famous Dakak Park and Beach resort.
According to Engineer Rose Legara, assistant chief of the construction section of the 3rd engineering district of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) based in Dapitan City, a portion of this road project under phases one and two amounting to P50 million with a length of 1.3 kilometers had already been completed. “Some sections of the road are also almost done,” said the lady engineer in an interview.
As the road construction is going on, local skilled and unskilled workers have been able to find jobs. Based on the data of the DPWH’s 3rd engineering district, the construction firm undertaking the road project has been able to employ more or less 60 skilled and unskilled workers from the locality and nearby towns of Zamboanga del Norte to include engineers, heavy equipment operators, carpenters and others. When the weather is good, the contractor takes on more workers as the operations would go round-the-clock.
“Not only has this road project generated employment for the local residents, but it also benefited the travelers, businessmen and resort owners alike with the improved road conditions,” declared Dapitan City Vice Mayor Patri B. Chan. She added that with the beautiful beaches along the coastal areas of Dapitan, “this road project will certainly boost the tourism industry not only in Dapitan but the whole Zamboanga del Norte as well.”
Although Dapitan City is in the province of Zamboanga del Norte, it is now part of the central Philippines tourism hub with the provinces of Cebu and Bohol.
The Dapitan City-Dakak coastal loop road project also augurs well for local fish cage and fishpond operators as it will facilitate the transport of marine products to bigger markets in the Visayas and Luzon.
To the people of Dapitan and Zamboanga del Norte this super region road project of the Arroyo government “will certainly go a long way in bringing people from the rural community into the mainstream of progress and development.” (PIA-ZN/Franklin P. Gumapon)
