PIA Dispatch - Monday, November 23, 2009

PGMA orders Philhealth to expand program for poor

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo lauded today the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth) for reaching an expanded membership coverage of 80 million, among other milestones.

In her visit to the Rizal Medical Center (RMC) on Shaw Boulevard, Pasig City this afternoon, the President directed Philhealth president Dr. Rey Aquino to continue expanding its program particularly for the less privileged Filipinos to attain her administration’s goal of achieving universal coverage next year.

One of the Philhealth program beneficiaries, 53-year-old widow Lilia Tunac, one of the 12 patients at the fourth floor of the hospital, thanked the President for the Philhealth medical insurance program.

The President told Tunac and the other patients that the government will shoulder their P100 monthly premium payments for at least a year. She urged them however to shoulder the succeeding year’s premium so that other needy Filipinos can be insured under the Philhealth program.

Tunac, along with eight other patients at the hospital’s non-infectious ward in Room 2 are insured under the Philhealth program.

The President then directed Aquino to include the four other patients, who were not yet insured, under the Philhealth insurance coverage.

Aquino assured the President that it will be immediately implemented. He announced Philhealth’s income in the first three quarters this year reached P20 billion, P3 billion more than last year.

The President was welcomed at the Rizal Medical Center by more than 200 staff and employees led by hospital director Dr. Relito Saguilayan.

Aside from achieving wider insurance coverage, Philhealth’s extension work that saw mobile officers serve the various needs of member overseas Filipino workers in Hong Kong will be replicated in other OFW-dense countries such as Macau, Malaysia, Singapore, and Saudi Arabia.

Aside from its dramatic improvement in benefits, Philhealth has presently provided insurance coverage to some 80 million Filipinos from a membership count of only 37.4 million in 2001.

PGMA fetes Gusi Peace Prize awardees

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today hosted a luncheon for the awardees and representatives of this year’s Gusi Peace Prize at the Aguinaldo State Dining Room of Malacañang.

Four Filipinos joined 20 other individuals from different countries as this year’s winners of the prestigious award known as the Asian equivalent of the Nobel Peace Prize.

The Filipinos are: boxing champ Manny Pacquiao for sports, Lea Salonga for performing arts, Preciosa Soliven for the academe, and Most Rev. Fr. Joseph Faller for divine healing and assistance to the sick and the needy.

The Gusi Peace Prize awards recognize distinguished individuals who promote peace and respect for human life and dignity.

The awards aim to promote human rights and good governance, democracy, equality, international peace and goodwill. It is also committed to working for people’s amelioration through medical missions, outreach programs and counseling, especially for the benefit of the deprived, the abused, the humiliated, and the sick.

The foreign awardees include US Rep. Bob Filner for legislation, Madam Timi Bakatselos (Greece) for philantrophy on children’s healthcare (cancer advocacy), Her Royal Highness Princess Fuziah Rajah Uda (Malaysia) for cultural heritage, Dr. Alice Chiu (Hong Kong) for social services and philanthropy,

Emil Silvio Cobota (Romania) for performing arts, Massimo Romagnoli (Italy) for international politics and human civil rights, Charalambos Lambrou (Cyprus) for philanthropy on adult cancer patients, Dr. Ho Son Fat (Macau) for medicine and scientific invention in the field of neurology,

Judge Natividad Meza (Paraguay) for social justice and humanitarian law, Alexey Steele (Russia) for visual arts, Dr. Liu Chi Chun (Taiwan) for international humanitarianism, Sylvia Scherer (Switzerland) for biotechnology industry, Dr. Rudiger Losch (Germany) for medicine, Ali Nasuh Mahruki (Turkey) for sports and humanitarianism, Madam Surapee Rojanavongse (Thailand) for economics and cultural heritage and Christine Warnke, Ph.D. (USA) for economics and humanitarianism.

PGMA to confer Order of Lakandula on Peñaflorida

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will confer the Order of Lakandula on Efren Peñaflorida, known for his “pushcart education,” upon his return to the country after he was hailed Hero of the Year by international news network CNN.

The Order of Lakandula is one of the highest honors given by the Philippine government. It is awarded to an individual who displayed leadership, prudence, fortitude, courage and resolve in the service of his people.

"Efren has indeed proven that any individual can help make a difference in the world. He has also shown the world the best in the Filipino. Let each one of us unleash the hero within us by helping the next person as Efren said," the president said in a statement Sunday night.

Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo, in a press briefing in Malacanang today, said arrangements are now underway for a hero’s welcome for Penaflorida.

Fajardo said Penaflorida is a valued partner of the Arroyo administration in education especially for the poor.

Peñaflorida won over nine other "CNN heroes" seven of whom were American, for his innovative mobile education called “Kariton Klassrum” or “Pushcart Classroom” for the poor.

Peñaflorida conducts weekly visits to poor and underserved areas in Cavite, north of Luzon, to teach young people basic lessons in mathematics, English, and science using only a pushcart.

He was chosen to receive the award during the CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood. He received his award from American actress Eva Mendes.

The nominees were initially selected by a panel of 14 “Blue Panel” luminaries. The Hero of the Year award was given to the one with the most number of online votes on the CNN Heroes’ website.

Peñaflorida received $100,000, an amount he will use to fund his work in the Dynamic Teen Company (DTC), a volunteer organization that he put up to conduct his “Kariton Klassrum” program.

DOE, PIA to consult stakeholders on Clean Development Mechanism on Nov. 24

MANILA – The Department of Energy (DOE), in partnership with the Philippine Information Agency (PIA), will conduct a consultation-forum on the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects with stakeholders in Quezon City as represented by its more than 140 barangay and city officials, headed by Mayor Feliciano “Sonny” R. Belmonte, Jr.

The consultation will be held at the Torre Venezia, Timog Avenue, Quezon City  on November 24, 2009 from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm.

For developing countries like the Philippines, the CDM concept requires emission projects that assist in creating sustainable development to generate certified emission reductions.  This means that projects and/or investments of industrialized countries in developing nations must conform with CDM, which can help reduce greenhouse gases in the earth's atmosphere. 

Among the sustainable benefits that CDM is pushing for are having cleaner Air and Water; better Waste Management; enhanced Forestation; reduced dependence on imported Fossil Fuels; Rural development; and more Employment & Poverty alleviation.

Mr. Alan S. Silayan, Managing Director of CAFIS, Inc., of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), who is the Philippine's specialist in CDM of ADB's Carbon Market Initiative, will discuss the CDM basics.

In the same event, Mr. Allan G. Bacudo of the Energy Utilization Management Bureau of the DOE will talk on the Philippine Energy Efficiency Project (PEEP) Compact Flourescent Lamp (CFL) distribution.

Statement by Ambassador Kristie A. Kenney

It has been an extraordinary honor and privilege to serve as the Ambassador of the United States to the Republic of the Philippines for more than three and a half years.  Working with so many Filipinos, from all walks of life, has been one of the most memorable experiences of my life.  I have come to deeply appreciate not just the warmth and friendship of Filipinos, but also their determination to make their country, region, and world a better place for their children and grandchildren.  It has been a true pleasure to live in this beautiful country, and to lead the U.S. Embassy in efforts to partner with the government and people of the Philippines for the greater good of Americans and Filipinos alike.

Now, for personal and professional reasons, I need to plan my return to the United States.  So it is with great pleasure that I learned that President Obama has named my successor.  Ambassador-designate Harry Thomas is a personal friend of mine, an exceptional diplomat, and a wonderful person.  His nomination still has to be confirmed by the United States Senate, so I will have the opportunity to continue to collaborate with Filipinos to improve lives and strengthen relations between our two countries over the coming months.

The relevant part of the White House announcement follows:

President Barack Obama on November 19 announced his intent to nominate Harry K. Thomas, Jr., to serve as Ambassador to the Republic of the Philippines.

Speaking of Ambassador Thomas and other nominees, President Obama said: “These individuals will represent our nation well and work to fulfill the important goal of strengthening our relationships abroad.  I look forward to working with them in the coming months and years.”

Harry K. Thomas, Jr. is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service and served most recently as Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of Human Resources.  He previously served as a Special Assistant to the Secretary and Executive Secretary of the Department. Thomas, who joined the Foreign Service in 1984, served as U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh from 2003 to 2005.  He also served in the White House as the Director for South Asia at the National Security Council from 2001 to 2002.  His other postings include: New Delhi, India; Harare, Zimbabwe; Kaduna, Nigeria; and Lima, Peru.  He has served as Senior Watch Officer, Deputy Director, and Director of the State Department Operations Center; Special Assistant to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs; and Staff Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for African Affairs.  Thomas holds a bachelors degree from the College of the Holy Cross.