Boracay Island, Malay, Aklan – President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and visiting Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare said existing bilateral relations between the Philippines and Papua New Guinea reflect the commitment of the two nations to pursue joint efforts towards sustainable development beneficial to both countries and their peoples.
Both leaders read statements on these bilateral ties during the state dinner tendered by President Arroyo at Shangri-la’s Boracay Resorts and Spa here. It will be remembered that President Arroyo also visited the island’s first international deluxe resort last March 3 to launch a campaign towards boosting the country’s tourism industry.
Somare and his party arrived in this world-famous “paradise island” March 29 to have a dialogue with President Arroyo on mutual areas of concern and signed today (March 30) a memorandum of agreement on fisheries.
The head of one of the world’s most pristine countries landed aboard a chartered plant at the Caticlan airport in Malay, Aklan where he trooped the line.
Arroyo said the mutual ties binding the Philippines and Papua New Guinea and the pursuit of joint efforts towards development can be part of the solution to the current global economic slowdown.
Aside from the agreement on fisheries development, the two countries have been working together in other areas within the framework of the Asia-Pacific Forum, South-West Dialogue, and so-called coral triangle that also involve Malaysia, Indonesia, East Timor and Solomon Islands.
Somare said he places high importance on the bilateral relations between his country and the Philippines as these have led to a fruitful exchange on mutual interests and concerns.
These are relations that have grown from strength to strength and enhanced friendship, he added.
Citing existing Filipino investments in his country especially in the fisheries sector, he said he welcomes more investments from the Philippine businessmen particularly in agriculture, forestry, petroleum and infrastructure.
This is Somare’s 3rd visit to the Philippines, the last of which was in 1996.
PGMA fetes Papua New Guinea Prime Minister
Boracay Island, Aklan – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo hosted a state dinner for visiting Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare at the beach front of the sprawling Shangri-La Resort Boracay here last night.
In offering a toast in honor of the PNG leader, the President extolled Somare as a “valuable friend of the Philippines and a good brother of ours in the Pacific.”
The President also lauded Somare for his “unwavering support” to the Philippines’ “initiatives and aspirations” in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) held at the UN Headquarters in New York, USA.
“We invited His Excellency, even if he has been here before, to express our gratitude for Papua New Guinea’s unwavering support to our initiatives and our aspirations in the United Nations.
Papua New Guinea has not only been consistent and constant, often it has influenced the other Pacific Islands to support us,” she added.
“These missionaries started a wave of cultural, intellectual and technical exchanges between our peoples that, 120 or so years later, still continues to this day,” she said.
The President said the Philippines and Papua New Guinea are set to sign a landmark Memorandum of Understanding on Fisheries Cooperation tomorrow (Monday) that will concretize the two country’s “commitment to sustainable development” of the fishing industry.
“This commitment to sustainable development is made doubly significant, by Papua New Guinea’s being a partner of the Philippines and four other countries in the Coral Triangle Initiative, namely Malaysia, Indonesia, East Timor and Solomon Islands,” the President said.
The Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI), which is centered around high-level political commitments and proactive implementation by governments of the Coral Triangle area, and supported and carried forward by private sector, international agency and civil society (NGO) partners, provides a major contribution toward safeguarding the region’s marine and coastal biological resources for the sustainable growth and prosperity of current and future generations.
It (Pacific Island Forum) should be part of a larger Pan-Asia body in Asia that should include East, South and Central Asia, the Middle East, Russia and Oceania to which Papua New Guinea belongs,” she said.
The Forum is the region’s premier political and economic policy organization. Forum leaders meet annually to develop collective responses to regional issues.
“This large Asian community can strengthen our economy, security and prosperity. It can help us maximize growth, trade, investment, financial stability and regional confidence which is best suited to weather the global crisis and come up the strongest, compared to other regions,” the President said.
RP and Papua New Guinea sign joint venture agreement for fisheries cooperation
Boracay Island, Aklan – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare witnessed today the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the two countries that manifests their strong desires to enhance and expand their existing friendly and cooperative relations.
“It is born of a shared desire to maximize mutual benefits from the implementation of joint undertakings in commerce, trade, investment, research and technical cooperation in the field of fisheries,” the document stated.
Under the MOU, both parties committed themselves to secure a productive and sustainable future for their respective fishing industries through joint exploration, development and implementation of priority developmental undertakings.
In essence, the document reflects the consensus of both governments to give emphasis to projects and activities that facilitate:
1) Technology transfer, especially in the area of aquaculture development;
2) Promotion of fishing ventures;
3) Infusion of investments;
4) Technical training;
5) Joint research; and
6) Strategic complementation of each country’s plans and programs in response to the challenges and opportunities presented by the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI).
Earlier, Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said that the MOU is one of the top agenda in the bilateral talks between the President Arroyo and Sir Somare.
Both the Philippines and Papua New Guinea are members of the so-called Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) countries and during the bilateral talks they discussed the joint venture for fisheries cooperation.
According to CTI reports, the Philippines which is at the center of the Coral Triangle has richest concentration of marine life. The CTI is spearheaded by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). The coral triangle spans 6.5 million square kilometers and also covers Indonesia, East Timor, Malaysia, and the Solomon Islands.
Reports also said the Coral Triangle which can sustain the lives of nearly 130 million people keeps key spawning and nursery grounds for tuna and other fish harvested for food.
Papua New Guinea Prime Minister cites strong RP-PNG relations
“My decision to accept your kind invitation to visit the Republic of the Philippines is a clear testament of the high importance my government attaches to our bilateral relations,” Somare said, addressing President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, during the state dinner she hosted in his honor thre visiting PNG leader at the Shangri-la Resort here last night.
“The value of our partnership in pursuit of common aspirations has not only paved the way forward for increased cooperation in economic, trade and investment relations but has also enhanced and consolidated our countries’ friendship as robust development partners,” Somare said.
“My country attaches great importance and highly values her current trade relations with the Republic of the Philippines,” Somare said.
He pointed out that four Filipino firms -- RD Group of Companies, Frabelle, Mar and Kenmore investments -- have greatly contributed to the growing economy of Papua New Guinea.
He added that the government and the people of PNG “welcome new investors from the Philippines to important and key economic sectors in Papua New Guinea such as agriculture, forestry, petroleum, infrastructure, manufacturing and high-tech industries.”
He added that “Papua New Guinea admires the Philippines’ achievements and progress in your human resource development and successes in agriculture, manufacturing, electronic and high-tech industries.”
“The main thrust of this policy is to consolidate and diversify Papua New Guinea’s relations with our close neighbors from the Asian region, including the Philippines as our primary focus and source of trade, investment and development cooperation,” he added.
RP eyes P182M surplus in Q4 ‘09
Manila, March 30 (PNA) -– The stimulus package of the government is eyed to help it achieve a P182 million surplus in the last quarter of 2009.
He said that of the P177.2 billion program deficit this year, P110 billion is eyed for the first quarter, P33.7 billion in the second quarter and P33.5 billion in the third quarter.
“Hopefully things will be better in the second half,” he said.
Teves said they expect the external factors to bring positive developments to the domestic economy as governments around the globe implement their respective fiscal stimulus program to lift their economies.
Revenues from privatization of government assets are not expected in the first quarter, he said.
Relatively, Finance Undersecretary Crisanta Legazpi, during the same briefing, said they expect privatization proceeds in the second half to be small as only small real estate assets of the government in Makati are scheduled to be sold in the last six months of the year.
DOLE sees 1.2 million new jobs
Manila, March 30 (PNA) -- The government estimates at least 1.2 million new employment opportunities will be available both in the local and foreign markets which could be availed by workers who lost jobs due to the global financial crisis and unemployed persons.
Citing the BPO players’ projection, Baldoz said around 100,000 to 120,000 new employment will be created due to a reported demand among the industry’s clients.
Baldoz said the sluggish performance of mining and construction sectors will bounce back, and employment in these sectors will remain stable in the next five years.
“The increasing demand for housing will also make the real estate sector as another employment generator and with the anticipated need for more BPO facilities, the sector is expected as well,” she added.
“There are reports that some companies affected by the crisis and had to lay off workers are slowly recovering as new orders have started to come in,” she said. “Some ecozone locators have indicated that they may start recalling their workers as some of them are approaching some level of normalcy.”
The labor official further said the government’s Comprehensive Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program (CLEEP) projects could create 824,555 jobs, while the Nurses Assigned in Rural Service (NARS) project will hire 10,000 nurses.
On the foreign job market, Baldoz noted that the demand for Filipino manpower still continues especially in the Middle East countries.
Demand remains high for medical jobs, construction engineers, welders, pipefitters, maintenance employment in these countries, she noted.
With the Abu Sayyaf deadline for the government to yield to its demand for a complete military pullout from Jolo, Sulu just hours away, Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said, :we will not yield Jolo to them.”
In a radio interview, Remonde appealed for calm and sobriety and asked the people to pray even harder so that the captors of the ICRC volunteers would listen to reason.
He also asked the people to leave the kidnap issue in the hands of the Local Crisis Management Committee (LCMC), “who know the situation on the ground, and with Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro and Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno.
“Ang pamahalaan ay gagawin ang makakaya niya para sana ma-save itong ating mga hostages. Pero may limitasyon po diyan sana naman ay talagang panalangin na lang muna ang manalig sa ASG at sa ating lahat,” Remonde said.
He recalled that the Red Cross volunteers were offered escorts, after being warned against pursuing their planned trip to Jolo by the Armed Forces. “But that is water under the bridge now. Next time, the government will take extra caution” on people going to Sulu and other sensitive areas in the future to prevent a repeat of such kidnappings.
It was reported that Secretary Teodoro warned that future visitors to Sulu, Jolo and other critical areas will be made to sign a waiver so that government will not held responsible for their capture.
OPAPP Sec. Avelino "Sonny" Razon Jr. cites Japanese development projects
Razon was at the grant contract signing of nine projects extended by the government of Japan for the Japan-Bangsamoro Initiatives for Reconstruction and Development (J-BIRD) in conflict-areas in Mindanao.
The grant contracts amounted to US $ 660,000 (P 31 million) for the construction of five school buildings, a potable water supply system, an education center, upgrade of a rural health unit, and irrigation system in conflict-areas in Central Mindanao.
“We will never give up on peace,” Razon said.
Knowing how the raging conflict in southern Philippines has affected the country, Razon said: “Let us bury our animosity for the sake of our children and our children’s children by working hand in hand towards a lasting and genuine peace in Mindanao.”
“The GRP is ready (to resume the peace negotiations),” Razon said.
Peace talks with the MILF bogged down in August last year following the aborted signing of the controversial Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) which the Supreme Court has declared as unconstitutional.
Razon also thanked Japan for extending its helping hand to the internally displaced persons (IDPs) since August last year.
Japan has extended emergency food aid amounting to 860 million yen or about US $ 9.2 million for the purchase of 7,500 metric tons of rice to the IDPs through the United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP).
For his part, Katsura said that since J-BIRD was launched in December 2006, Japan has funded 23 grassroots projects totaling US $ 1.3 million or some P62 million as part of Japan’s “commitment to support peace and development efforts in Mindanao.”
Among the officials present at the signing were Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs Rafael Seguis who is also the chairman of the GRP panel that will negotiate with the MILF and Dr. Danda Juanday, chair of the Bangsamoro Development Authority (BDA).
The national campaign against crime and corruption is gaining ground.
The Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) said recent developments in high profiled cases such as the Baron Cervantes and the Dacer-Corbito Double Murder Cases restored public confidence in the criminal justice system.
VACC founding chair Dante Jimenez said the conviction of former Police Superintendent Rafael Cardeno is a strong message that crime does not pay and elusive culprits will soon be caught by the long arm of justice.
Cardeno was convicted to life sentence for masterminding the killing of Baron Cervantes in 2001.
Cervantes was the spokesperson for the Young Officers Union.
Jimenez said VACC will also launch “Justice for Dacer –Corbito Movement” to help expedite the resolution of the twin killing of Publicist Salvador Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito.
VACC hailed the filing of charges against Senator Panfilo Lacson who was allegedly involved in the Dacer-Corbito case.
Pag-usad ng mga malalaking kasong krimen, ikinatuwa ng VACC
Nagpahayag ng kasiyahan ang miyembro ng Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) hinggil sa mga pangyayari sa mga high profiled case.
Ayon kay VACC Founding Chair Dante Jimenez, ang pagpaparusa kay dating Police Superintendent Rafael Cardeno kaugnay sa Cervantes case ay isang malakas na mensahe na walang sinuman mangingibabaw sa batas.
Hinatulan ng habambuhay ng pagkabilanggo si Cardeno matapos mapatunayang naging utak sa pagpatay kay Cervantes noong 2001.
Si Cervantes ay dating tagapagsalita ng Young Officer’s Union.
Samantala, ikinatuwa rin ng VACC ang mga huling pangyayari sa Dacer-Corbito Double Murder case.
Matatandaang sinampahan ng kaso ng pamilyang Dacer si Senador Panfilo Lacson na di umano’y sangkot sa pagkakapaslang kina publicist Salvador Dacer at Emmanuel Corbito.
Kaugnay nito, ilulunsad ng VACC ang Justice for Dacer-Corbito Movement para makatulong sa agarang pagresolba sa kaso.
Malacanang remains hopeful for peaceful ending to Sulu hostage situation
Palace continues to hope that the local crisis committee will peacefully secure the release of Red Cross workers held hostaged in Sulu.
Although government has bent over backwards to the demands of Abu leader Albader Parad, Press Secretary Cerge Remonde stressed that it will not allow itself to be bullied by bandit group’s latest demands.
Earlier, government pulled-out the Marines, police and civilian volunteers from their positions in Indanan town in exchange for the release of the one of the hostages.
However, Abu Sayyaf didn’t keep its end of the bargain and instead asked for the complete withdrawal of government forces in all Sulu towns.
Reports said Parad moved the deadline from 5 am to 2 pm tomorrow to allow government to carry out his demand.
DILG Secretary Ronaldo Puno said the newest demand is physically impossible and tantamount to abandoning the province in the hands of the bandits.
Malakanyang, umaasang mareresolba pa rin sa mapayapang paraan ang Sulu Hostage situation
Malakas ang paniniwala ng pamahalaan na mapapalaya ng local crisis committee ang mga Red Cross worker na binihag ng Abu Sayyaf sa Sulu.
Bagamat, naparaya ang pamahalaan sa kagustuhan ng mga bandido, binigyang diin ni Press Secretary Cerge Remonde na hindi papayagan ng pamahalaan na ma-hostage ang sarili sa mga kapritsuhan ng Abu Sayyaf.
Matatandaan umatras sa kanilang mga posisyon sa bayan ng Indanan ang militar, pulis at mga civilian volunteer kapalit ng pagpapalaya ng mga bandido sa isa sa kanilang mga bihag.
Subalit, hindi tumupad sa usapan ang Abu Sayyaf at sa halip ay nagbaba pa ito ng panibagong demand.
Gusto ni Albader Parad na umatras ang buong puwersa ng pamahalaan sa buong lalawigan ng Sulu.
Iniatras din ni Parad ang schedule ng pagpugot sa isa sa mga bihag mula alas singko ng umaga sa alas dos ng hapon para magkaroon ng panahon ang pamahalaan na gawin ang kanyang hinihinging pag-atras.
Para kay DILG Secretary Ronaldo Puno, imposible magawa ng pamahalaan ang bagong kahilingan ng Abu Sayyaf sa napaka-ikling panahon.
Government supports CHR inquiry in Davao killings
Malacanang supported the Commission on Human Right’s move to look into the unexplained killings in Davao City.
Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said the protection of human rights is one of the priorities of government.
A report said more than 800 persons, most of whom have criminal records, were killed in the city since 1998.
There were suspicions that the killings were actually executions carried out by the Davao Death Squad.
DSWD generates jobs through 4Ps and household targeting system project
In compliance to the directive of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to provide emergency employment to individuals affected by the worldwide economic crisis, Social Welfare and Development Secretary Esperanza I. Cabral said that the DSWD continues to hire fresh graduates, out-of-school youths (OSYs), unemployed, and laid off workers as enumerators and encoders for the Department’s anti-poverty programs, the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTSPR).
Secretary Cabral said that the DSWD started a nationwide hiring of qualified fresh graduates, OSYs, unemployed and laid off workers since June 2008 for 4Ps and March 2009 for NHTSRP.
As of March 27, 2009, the DSWD has hired 3,194 individuals as enumerators and encoders.
For NHTSPR, 1,378 enumerators were hired broken down as follows: 42 fresh graduates, 23 OSYs, 110 laid off workers, 1,200 unemployed, and 3 children of OFWs.
Secretary Cabral disclosed that with the NHTSPR going full blast this year, 9,733 more will be hired as enumerators and encoders from April to December 2009.
For 4Ps, on the other hand, the Department has hired 1,581 enumerators and 235 encoders broken down as follows: 167 OSYs, 206 fresh graduates, 136 laid off workers, 1,238 unemployed, and 69 children of OFWs.
As enumerators, their main task is to make personal
visits to the households covered by the NHTSPR and 4Ps and administer the Household Assessment Form (HAF). Their work contract is 30 working days.
“The government is pouring in P157.04 million for the salaries and wages of the enumerators under NHTSPR while 4Ps has released P20.8 million for its hirees in 2008,” Secretary Cabral said.
The 4Ps is a social development and poverty reduction strategy that provides grants to poor households to improve their health, nutrition, and education particularly of children aged 0-14 provided they comply to conditionalities.
The NHTSPR, on the other hand, aims to generate a database of poor households using a transparent and accountable set of criteria for selection of the poor families to reduce leakage of social services to the non-poor and to minimize exclusion of the poor.
Secretary Cabral said that interested qualified applicants may go to the nearest DSWD office or they may also log on to the DSWD website: www.dswd.gov.ph to apply. Other available positions are: 4Ps municipal links, social welfare officers, information officers, and information technology officers.
Secretary Cabral added that aside from the hiring of enumerators for the anti-poverty programs, the Department also continues to implement other livelihood and employment activities as part of the government’s Comprehensive Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program (CLEEP) in the ARMM provinces of Maguindanao and Tawi-Tawi and in the Cordillera Administration Region provinces of Abra and Apayao.
As of March 13, some 6,392 poor individuals had worked under the cash-for-work program in both regions and 1,131individuals have availed of livelihood programs.
“The DSWD has been launching programs and projects meant to alleviate the incidence of poverty and at the same time facilitate and fine tune the methodologies in the implementation of these measures,” Secretary Cabral said.
“The government will not rest until it exhausts all of its resources to assist our disadvantaged countrymen in the face of the growing problem of unemployment resulting from the global economic crisis,” Cabral said.
