Impact of PGMA’s economic reforms will still be felt years after – business leaders
The country’s business leaders on Wednesday said the full benefits of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s economic and social reforms will continue to be felt in years to come.
“While we are already reaping the benefits of the President’s economic and social reforms at this time, the full result will be felt by generations to come,” said Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) president Francis Chua.
Chua said the President’s economic and social reforms were made “even at the expense of political capital,” but which preserved and sustained jobs and attained industrial peace, while businesses and investments continued to grow despite the global crisis.
The President was the guest of honor and speaker at today’s closing of the two-day 31st National Conference of Employers (NCE) conducted by the Employer’s Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) at the Manila Hotel.
Dr. Alfonso Uy, president of the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc (FFCCCII), said these reforms helped Philippine business cope with and overcome difficulties during the global crisis.
Uy said the peso is strong, exports are up for the fourth straight month, foreign investments are up, and the tourism industry is booming.
In her speech, the President thanked business leaders for their support since 2001 when she assumed the presidency, particularly in her reforms to pump prime the economy and make the
With the full support of the local business industry, the President said the
To date, the President said business and investments continue to grow while the country achieved an improved credit rating, having an acceptable debt to gross domestic product (GDP) ratio at a time when other countries agreed that it is not yet time for an exit strategy from the global crisis policies.
The President said both the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and Bureau of Customs (BOC) have also exceeded their targets for the first quarter of this year, while self-rated poverty this year stood at 43 percent, the lowest in 23 years.
Palace is prepared for June 30 turnover of presidency
The Presidential Management Staff (PMS) will head the committee that will facilitate the smooth turnover of Malacanang to the newly elected president when the term of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ends on June 30, Executive Secretary Leandro Mendoza said today.
Under the Constitution, the new President must take his oath of office at noon of June 30 this year.
PMS is a specialized unit that principally provides staff support to the President and the Cabinet. Its specialization ranges from economic, social, and political concerns, e.g., social and economic reforms, poverty alleviation, people empowerment, labor, education, welfare and development, infrastructure, agriculture, trade, industry, tourism, environment, judicial reforms, energy, and energizing the bureaucracy, among others.
The PMS head has the rank of a cabinet secretary who exercises control and supervision over eight technical units that prepare timely, reliable, accurate and comprehensive information to the President.
Housed in a building at
As a specialized unit, about 60% of PMS personnel performs managerial, supervising or technical functions. By academic discipline, the officials and employees of PMS are graduates of some of the finest schools and educational institutions here and abroad. About 65% are graduates of the following fields of specialization, either masteral or bachelor's degree level: public/business administration; economics; behavioral and social sciences; engineering; computer education; accounting; agriculture-related courses; law; education; and organizational/mass communication. The PMS is composed of relatively young employees, with close to 70% between 20 to 40 years old.
PGMA, family mark 13th death anniversary of 'Cong Dadong'
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, together with her family and other relatives, today commemorated the 13th death anniversary of her father, former President Diosdado Macapagal, with a holy mass at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in
Wearing a gray and black dress, Arroyo motored from Malacanang and arrived at the Libingan at 10 a.m. for the mass, the President’s first activity for the day. She was accompanied by First Daughter Evangeline Lourdes Arroyo Bernas.
Arroyo’s sister Cielo Macapagal-Salgado, brother Arturo Macapagal, Civil Service chairman Francisco Duque III, Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) chairperson Ma. Consoliza Laguardia, Presidential Adviser on Global Warming and Climate Change Secretary Heherson Alvarez, and
Also in attendance were Army officials led by Philippine Army Officer-in- Charge, Maj. Gen. Romulo Supapo. Philippine Army chief Lt. General Reynaldo Mapagu is currently in
Some 100 guests attended the commemorative mass officiated by Fr. Steve Penetrante.
After the mass, the President joined her relatives and close friends in a late breakfast. She proceeded to Manila Hotel to attend the closing ceremony of the 31st National Conference of Employers.
The late President Macapagal was the ninth President of the Republic and known as the “Champion of the Common Man”” for his humble beginning exemplary personal integrity and dedication to public service.
He was born in Lubao, Pampanga on September 28, 1910 to Urbano Macapagal, a poet, and Romana Pangan, a school teacher. President Macapagal was later affectionately called “The Poor Boy from Lubao”.
Macapagal excelled in his studies in public school, graduating valedictorian at Lubao Elementary School and salutatorian at Pampanga High School. He finished his undergraduate degree at the University of the
He entered politics in 1949 and won a landslide victory as representative of the 1st District of Pampanga. He was elected Vice President in 1956 and President in 1961.
He was instrumental in initiating and executing a Land Reform Code, which was designed to end the tenancy problem that partly caused the rise of the communist movement in
Health workers soon to be vaccinated vs h1n1 virus – DOH
The Department of Health (DOH) announced today that health workers all over the country will be vaccinated against the A(H1N1) virus during the latter part of April as part of the country’s response to the pandemic.
“Our frontline health workers are at higher risk for getting the disease than ordinary people due to their larger probability of exposure. In addition, they may also transmit the infection to other patients, as well as their families and co-workers, so it is appropriate that they be given priority now that the vaccines are ready for deployment”, Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral said.
The Health Chief noted that more than 420,000 health workers at the national and local levels and the public and private sectors will benefit from the vaccine. The 1.9 million doses of the vaccine arrived during the last week of March and are being shipped to the different regions of the country. Health workers from the regional health offices and local government units have been oriented prior to the distribution of the vaccine.
The vaccines represent the first tranche of the promised 9 million doses by the World Health Organization (WHO) as part of an agreement with the Philippine government signed on November 25 last year.
The endowment, according to WHO Director General Margaret Chan, is part of the WHO’s pledge to make distribution more equitable and fair to protect poor and vulnerable populations in developing countries’.
The WHO made its commitment during the 60th Session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Western Pacific in September last year where it said that donations from developed countries and pharmaceuticals are enough to cover 10% of the population of the developing world. WHO requested the Philippine government to authorize the use of these vaccines.
Cabral said that next in the priority list for vaccination are about 2.5 million pregnant women. Subsequent shipments will be given to other priority groups such as children six months to five years old, those 60 years old and above, and those with chronic medical conditions.
Tobacco Industry Removed from the International Negotiations
A body comprising of delegates from over 140 countries, decided to remove observers who are viewing negotiation proceedings because majority of them are representatives of the tobacco industry.
The said body composed of health, customs, law enforcement, and foreign affairs officials are participants in the negotiations for the illicit trade protocol on tobacco during the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) held in
Most of the delegations reiterated their apprehension that having the tobacco industry “observe” during the proceedings makes it difficult for them to work properly and independently since the tobacco industry representatives also “lobby” in the hallways during break time.
But despite the clamor of the majority to remove the tobacco industry from the negotiations, the European Union put on record their objection to this ruling as a procedural error by virtue of the fact that the proceedings are considered a “public” session.
However, the legal counsel of the Secretariat to the negotiating body said that the move is consistent with the principle espoused under FCTC’s Article 5.3 which states that “ in setting and implementing public health policies in relation to tobacco control, Parties shall protect these policies from the vested and commercial interests of the tobacco industry.”
The international delegates were convened in
The said protocol is intended to curb tobacco smuggling across borders by enhancing international cooperation and the first to be negotiated under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the first public health treaty created under the auspices of the WHO.
Electricity finally reaches the Mangyan tribe community in Sitio Bait, Barangay Panaytayan in the Municipality of Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro, about 230 kilometers from the provincial capital of Calapan City.
“Our mission is to bring the benefits of electricity to our people regardless of situation in all corners of the country. Congratulations to Oriental Mindoro Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Ormeco) for a mission well accomplished in bringing light to the village and to the lives of our brother Mangyans in the mountains of Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro,”said Administrator Edita S. Bueno.
A subsidy from the National Electrification Administration (NEA) amounting to Php 2.188M was used for the construction of line extension to 3 sitios in Mansalay namely: Makawato in Barangay Villa Celestial; Nalwak, Poblacion and Bait, in Panaytayan. The first two sitios were energized in December, 2009. As of March 2010, Ormeco has already energized 1,983 sitios or 78.57% of its potential. “By energizing the far-flung mountainous Mangyan village, Ormeco has proven that missionary electrification can go hand in hand with operational efficiency,” the Administrator added. Ormeco, in spite of missionary electrification works, has been a consistently top performing electric cooperative. In the recently concluded EC Lumens Awards, it has garnered nine awards and citations including EC of the Year and General Manager of the Year for Mr. Romeo Cuasay.
A symbolic energization ceremony was done at the house of Mr. Raymundo Buyayao. The ceremony was spearheaded by GM Cuasay and witnessed by Mansalay Vice-Mayor Rey de Lara, Board of Directors, Department and District Managers, local officials of Barangay Panaytayan and NEA, represented by Public Affairs Office Director Judith Alferez.
The residents of Sitio Bait through their local leaders expressed their profound gratitude to ORMECO, local officials of Mansalay and NEA. Definitely, the availability of electricity will improve the quality of life, stimulate productivity and education of the 75 Mangyan families in the area.
As part of its collective and unified commitment to provide continuous reliable, adequate and affordable electric service, Ormeco is presently constructing a mini-hydro project located in the
D.A. lifts ban on imports of birds, poultry from
The Department of Agriculture (DA) has lifted a temporary ban imposed earlier on the entry of birds and poultry, including their by-products, from Germany following official confirmation by global animal health authorities of the eradication of the avian influenza (AI) or bird flu virus in that European country.
A report to the World Organization on Animal Health or Office International des Epizooties (OIE) by Dr. Karin Schwabenbauer, the Chief Veterinary Officer of
DA Secretary Bernie Fondevilla lifted the ban after the OIE had restored
The
The World Health Organization has reported that as of mid-April, there were 493 laboratory-confirme d cases of bird flu and 292 fatalities from the disease since the H5N1 strain of the virus broke out in Southeast Asia in 2003 and then spread across the rest of the continent, Europe, the Middle East and
In other Asian countries like
The DA has set up Community-Based Early Warning Systems (CBEWS) in selected barangays identified as in high risk of contracting the AI virus as part of its continuing measures to keep the
These CBEWs were established to orient Barangay AI Task Forces on the bird flu and the reporting process for AI suspects (both in poultry and humans) as well as the possible smuggling of poultry and exotic birds in their localities.
Under its Avian Influenza Protection Program (AIPP), the DA is also implementing an Applied Veterinary Epidemiology Training (AVET) Program to strengthen the capacity of the field veterinary services, especially at the local level, in designing and managing disease surveillance, conducting outbreak investigation and effective outbreak containment measures.
The government currently has four avian flu testing facilities located in
The laboratories in Cagayan de Oro, Zamboanga and Cebu complement the ongoing work being done at the Regional Avian Influenza Diagnostic Laboratory (RAIDL), in
Climate Change, tinalakay sa Regional Farm Family Forum
Sinimulan kahapon ang dalawang (2) araw na programa para sa “Regional Farm Family Forum for Region IV-A,” Abril 13-14, 2010 sa Monte Vista Hotspring and Conference Resort sa bayan ng Calamba, Laguna. Ito ay matagumpay na dinaluhan ng may pitumpo’t limang (75) opisyal at miyemro ng Rural Improvement Club (RIC), Pambansang Manalon, Mag-uuma, Magbabaul, Magsasaka ng Pilipinas (P4MP) at 4H Club na nagmula sa limang (5) probinsya ng CALABARZON.
Ang naturang programa na may temang “Youth Empowerment on Climate Change Adaptation: A Time for Action” ay may layuning (1) mapaibayo ang kapabilidad ng mga opisyal at miyembro ng Rural Based Organization (RAOs) sa pagtuklas at pagbuo ng mga livelihood projects; (2)maibahagi ang kaalaman sa mga posibleng epekto ng “climate change” sa agrikultura at gayundin ay; (3) mataguyod ang pagkakaibiganan sa pagitan ng mga partisipante. Ito ay programa sa ilalim ng Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) IV-A na nakabase sa University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), Calamba, Laguna.
Nagsimula ang programa sa ganap na ikasampu ng umaga kung saan pinakilala ni Ms. Veronica V. Esguerra, Technical Service Head ng ATI, ang mga panauhin, staff, at partisipante. Nagbigay naman ng pampasiglang mensahe ang Department of Agriculture Assistant Secretary at Regional Executive Director ng rehiyon na si Asec. Dennis B. Araullo.
Sa panimula ay binati ni Asec. Araullo ang mga nag-organisa ng nasabing programa at lahat ng nagsidalo. Nabanggit niya na ang Pilipinas ay isa sa mga bansang unang nakararanas ng epekto ng “Climate Change” o pagbabago ng klima katulad na lamang ng pananalanta ng “Bagyong Ondoy” noong Setyembre ng nakaraang taon at ang pananalanta ngayon ng El Niño na nagsimula ilang buwan lang matapos ang nasabing bagyo. “Hindi mapipigilan ang pagdating ng ganitong mga klima kung kaya dapat ay atin itong paghandaan,” aniya.
Ayon pa sa kanyang mensahe, kabilang sa paghahanda ay ang pagtatanim ng mga pananim na naaangkop sa kasalukuyang klima. Kinakailangan ng pagsasaliksik ng mga kapalit na mga pananim sa pabago-bagong panahon upang hindi mawalan o bumaba ang kita ng mga magsasaka.
Binigyang diin ni Asec. Araullo ang kahalagahan ng palaging pagiging handa sa anumang darating na kalamidad lalo na ngayon na may “Global Climate Change” na nangyayari sa malaking bahagi ng mundo. Tiniyak din ni Asec. Araullo na di titigil ang ahensiya sa pagtulong at pagbibigay ng mga kinakailangang suporta sa mga magsasaka para sa paghahanda sa “climate change” katulad na lamang ng naumpisahan ng pagbibigay ng mga Shallow Tube Wells (STWs) at certified seeds sa ilang probinsya at pamamahagi din ng dryers sa panahon ng tag-ulan.
Nagbigay din ng mensahe ang director ng ATI na si G. Asterio P. Saliot, at ang mga provincial agriculturists ng rehiyon. Nagkaroon din ng pagsasanay at paligsahan ang mga partisipante tungkol sa Poster-making, pagluluto at Quiz Bee. Ang kanilang mga tagapagsanay ay mga tauhan ng ATI IV-A at DA RFU IV-A sa pangunguna ni Ms. Rosalinda Alonsozana. (DA-RFU IV)
6000 IPs in
This was bared in the recently concluded Mindanao-wide World Bank (WB) review mission of the DA’s five-year program, the Mindanao Rural Development Program (DA-MRDP).
MRDP, now on its second phase is a multimillion program jointly funded by the World Bank, the National government and the local government units. For five years, the program has allotted close to US$30 million for its livelihood component, the Community Fund for Agricultural Development (CFAD).
Noted as among the country’s marginalized sector, a total of 6,055 IPs in
IP beneficiaries comprise 43 percent of the 14,185 total beneficiaries of CFAD. It was also reported that among the IPs, 2,640 were female and 3,415 were male.
CFAD is a community driven development where peoples themselves identify their own project based in the available resources of the community and skills of their members. This allows poor communities to take part in the decision-making process, establishing a sense of ownership and generating high level of participation.
Regional coverage
Most of the beneficiaries were from Region 10 (28%); followed by Region 11 (26%); Region 12 (22%); autonomus Region in Muslim Mindanao (10%); Caraga or Region 13 (8%); and Region 9 (7%).
Among the tribe which received the assistance were Ata, Manobo, Mansaka and Mandaya in
These beneficiaries are engaged in production of high value crops like banana, vegetables, peanuts and fruits, cattle production, swine breeding while other groups received farm implements.
“Empowering the marginalized sector through agribusiness activities expands the strength of rural economy since agriculture as is said as the mainstay of economic activities in rural areas,” said Lealyn A. Ramos.
Ramos added that the program has exceeded its IP target beneficiaries. CFAD sets to target only 35 percent IPs among its beneficiaries.
“Women are purposively targeted since in rural areas, they (women) were found out to be vital in food security and played crucial role in family well-being,” Ramos added. (DA-MRDP)
