PIA Dispatch - Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Palace supports moves to bring about relief from oil price increases

Malacanang is urging the Department of Energy to reinforce their oil price monitoring.

The palace was reacting to recent assessment of the National Economic and Development Authority that diesel is overpriced by one peso while unleaded should not go beyond Php 33. 

“We will find out, from the Department of Energy, what future steps it’s gonna take,” said Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, “if they (the oil firms) go beyond the limit, then it’s only proper for DOE to take them to task.”

Ermita told reporters in the briefing Wednesday that Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes reassured him that he is “wide awake” and keeping tabs on the situation in the oil sector. 

As for calls for changes in the Oil Deregulation Law, Ermita said that Malacanang will stand behind any move to review it. 

“Anything that will help alleviate the ill effects of rising prices of oil on the citizens, the palace will always support,” said Ermita, “we will see how we can get support from our allies in Congress.” 


More party-lists in Congress, more room for representation

Disadvantaged sectors would benefit from a Supreme Court ruling that allows more party-list groups in Congress, a Malacanang official said Wednesday.

Citing his experience a former congressman of Batangas, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said there are sectors who felt their concerns were not addressed by their representatives. 

Such sectors would come from the ranks of children, women, disabled and even labor.

“There will be wider participation in addressing the problems that our citizens have as far their aspirations are concerned,” said Ermita.
 
The Supreme Court raised Tuesday the number of party-list slots in the House of Representatives from 22 to 55.

Membership of the House of Representatives has risen from 238 to 270 with 19 new party-lists groups occupying 33 additional seats.


Palace orders SEC to hasten action on Legacy

Malacañang today directed the Securities and Exchange Commission to act with dispatch on the case against bankrupt Legacy Holdings and to make sure that all who have contributions in it, especially the police and Armed Forces, will be paid back to prevent destabilization.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said during his regular Wednesday press conference at the New Executive Building, that he has given instructions to the SEC chairman and another SEC member to speed up payments to the contributors of Legacy, particularly the police and Armed Forces, to prevent any disturbance as a result of their demoralization over losing their hard-earned earnings invested into the company.

Earlier, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile asked Malacañang to make sure that policemen and army personnel who have poured their “hard earned money” into Legacy be paid at once otherwise they might create disturbance from their demoralization over losing these funds.

Last Tuesday, Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said the Palace has ordered the SEC and other authorities concerned to fasttrack payments of these contributions to Legacy.

On whether Malacañang has also stepped into the case of Prudential Life, a pre need company that the SEC ordered closed, Ermita said he is not very knowledgeable about Prudential Life and will just get full report about the issue from SEC.


DOLE, POEA working on measures for seafarer safety 

Labor agencies are ironing-out measures that will ensure safety for seafarers. 

In an interview with Radyo ng Bayan, Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Assistant Secretary Ed Malaya said government has made responses to reduce the risks the seafarers are facing.

“May short term response po tayo, medium term response tayo na nire-require ng DOLE, ng POEA na yung mga barko na dadaan sa Gulf of Aden dapat doon lang sa security corridor, far away from the Somali coast (We have short and medium term responses such as the DOLE and POEA requirements to ships passing the Gulf of Aden to use the security corridor, far away from the Somali coast),” said Malaya.  

He said concerned labor offices are now consolidating current policies with the proposed measures for seafarer safety to prevent new hostage incidents in the high seas.

“Matagal na tayong nagkaroon ng travel ban to Somalia. Mayroon din po tayong interim ban on the deployment of Filipino seafarers that would be plying the Gulf of Aden. Yung detalye nito ay wino-workout ng DOLE at ng POEA (We have a travel ban to Somalia for some time now. We also have an interim ban on the deployment of Filipino seafarers that would be plying the Gulf of Aden. DOLE and POEA are now working on these details),” said Malaya.

But the most important cure to Somali piracy, Malaya said, is the African country’s return to normalcy. 

“Kailangan manubalik doon (Somalia) economic development and peace and order (economic development and peace and order must return to Somalia),” said Malaya.


DFA celebrates the freedom of the MT Stolt Strength crew  

The release of the MT Stolt Strength crew last Tuesday is a great day for seafaring communities, a ranking Foreign Affairs official said Wednesday.

Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Ed Malaya said the freedom of the 23 crew members of MT Stolt Strength is very significant to the Philippine government.

One of the reasons Malaya cited is that MT Stolt Strength is virtually an extension of the Philippines because it is a flag carrier that carries all-Filipino crew. 

The captured crew of MT Stolt Strength is the biggest number of abducted Filipino seafarers in recent history, having been in captivity for 163 days.

With the release of the MT Stolt Strength crew, Malaya said the number of Filipino seafarers has gone down to 85 in seven vessels.  

He thanked the Sagana Shipping Lines, Sikap Manning and the families of the MT Stolt Strength crew for their patience and the cooperation during the delicate and difficult negotiations for the crew’s release.

Malaya revealed the relatives of the victims were requested to tame their statements to media because pirates were monitoring the news coming from the Philippines. 

He said pirates were using the information to gain advantage in the negotiations. 


PGMA urges public to preserve environment  

The President wanted more people involved in environmental protection.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is reminding the public to be more conscious of the environment and should adopt ways to prevent its deterioration. 

Among the ways Ermita mentioned were proper waste disposal, river preservation and protection of waterways. 

Malacanang, through the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the global warming and climate change and the 17 task groups under the Presidential Task Force on Climate Change, organized a weeklong observance to promote environmental protection consciousness from April 19 to 25.

Last Monday, the Office of the Press Secretary last Monday launched a mini-version of the President’s carbon cutting coalition in Malacanang to encourage palace people to become examples of environmental champions.  

Part of the week-long observance themed “Earth Survival, Climate Change Solutions” is the “Panata ng Bayan” (Vow of the Nation) to be held in Quezon City this Friday.

Meanwhile, schoolchildren in the provinces are actively participating in environmental protection activities.

In Lucena City, high school students joined fingerprinting competition and the film showing organized by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
   

Visayas RDCs to hold summit on climate change
   
Tacloban City (April 22) – In answer to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s call for the adoption of necessary measures to mitigate the impact of climate change and global warming, the Regional Development Committees in the Visayas will conduct a Climate Change Summit from May 11 to 12, 2009. 
   
Eastern Visayas Regional Development Council Chairman and Calbayog City Mayor Mel Senen Sarmiento said the summit will address the global warming issue.

The summit, to be held in the Cebu International Convention Center in Mandaue City, is the second major activity the three Visayas RDCs are conducting in the spirit of One Visayas. 

The first was the successful conduct of arts and culture fair which was held in Cebu last March. 
   
Mayor Sarmiento said the President was invited to the summit. 
   
Among the luminaries participating in the summit are DENR Secretary Jose L. Atienza, Jr. who is scheduled to talk about the Climate Change Initiatives in the Philippines. 
   
Fr. Jet Villarin and Ms. Tony Loyzaga will present the overview of climate change, its consequences and impacts with focus on the Visayas Region while Dr. Julian Amador of the Environmental Management Bureau will present the GHG inventory of the Philippines. 
   
In the afternoon, the participants will be broken into seven island groupings: Negros, Panay, Samar, Leyte, Cebu, Bohol and Small Islands. 
   
The focus questions include the major concerns of the respective islands; the current practices that have great impact on climate change (health, business, environment, social); and the specific mitigation and adaptation measures that can be taken (policy, programs, projects). 
   
Other topics during the Summit are the Climate Change resiliency tools for LGUs; the opportunities for Carbon finance; and the legal aspects of climate change. 
   
The highlights of the Summit are the covenant signing, presentation of the commitment and the action plans to the President and the keynote address of Her Excellency President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. (PIA - 8)