PGMA bids PNP goodbye, cites improved police service
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo today bade farewell to the officers and men of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and thanked them for supporting her administration for the past nine years.
Speaking at the exit briefing and command conference at the PNP Command Center Conference Hall inside
“There are so many things I have to be thankful to all of you,” the President said in the Filipino dialect.
She said the PNP has been “by my side” since 2001 when she assumed the Presidency through the fateful EDSA 2, and when she was working hard to improve the economy by imposing taxes that were “unpopular”.
She said that the almost bankrupt economy she inherited was turned around after she instituted revenue reforms so that the administration was able to allocate resources to various sectors including the country’s police service. She said additional resources helped transform the PNP into a more credible and professional organization.
The President said it was also during her administration that the salary of the ordinary police tripled --from about P6,000 in 2001 to P17,820 at present-- and various housing projects were established for policemen and their families . Police recruitment also grew to as many as 10,000 this year.
It was also during the Arroyo administration that the cash assistance to policemen who were injured or died in line of duty, was increased.
The President said the capabilities of the PNP was enhanced after she ordered the release of P2 billion as capability enhancement fund.
“I would like to thank you and I am proud to say that I am proud of the country’s police force,” the President said.
In the same occasion, the PNP presented a memento to the outgoing President—a framed copy of the text of her speech during the 19th PNP Anniversary.
The President in turn awarded the Philippine Legion Of Honor, Rank of Commander, to PNP Chief Jesus Verzosa for his valuable and meritorious service especially in successfully mobilizing the police force for the May 10 polls. (OPS)
Jobless rate seen to drop this year – DOLE
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) sees the unemployment rate to go down in the coming months with the expected rebound in agriculture due to the onset of the rainy season.
In today’s media briefing in Malacañang, Labor Undersecretary Romeo Lagman said the dry spell brought by the El Nino phenomenon resulted to the loss of some 810,000 jobs in the sector in the first four months of 2010.
The latest Labor Force Survey released by the National Statistics Office (NSO) placed unemployment rate at eight percent as of April, compared to the 7.3 percent recorded from the previous quarter and the 7.5 percent in April last year.
The NSO placed the number of unemployed at 3.1 million last April compared to the 2.8 million recorded in the same period last year.
Lagman said the jobs loss, which mainly affected the agriculture sector, tapered the 822,000 jobs generated by the services sector.
Despite the loss of jobs in agriculture, Lagman said the employment level grew by 1.2 percent in 2010 as the number of persons entering the labor force increased from 34.9 million to 35.4 million.
“So this translates to an employment generation of over 400,000,” Lagman said.
Lagman said the services sector increased by 4.7 percent with an absolute figure of 822,000 employed, while the industry sector gained 7.8 percent or an absolute figure of 396,000 employment.
Lagman said the gains in the industry and services sectors despite the global financial crisis in the last quarter of 2009 were offset by the loss in the agriculture sector which was caused by the El Nino for several months.
“Perhaps in the next survey, we will picture a better perspective of the employment situation,” Lagman said.
At present, Lagman said the DOLE’s Jobs Fit Program is addressing the mismatch in jobs requirement for local and overseas employment up to year 2020.
The project guides students and new entrants to the labor force in identifying college and technical-vocational courses that they may pursue to land available industry jobs or to engage in self-employment undertakings required by the economy after graduation.
The Job Fit road map also serves as a basis of the education sector and other concerned stakeholders in providing training and educational scholarships and in developing appropriate curricula and career materials for job seekers. (OPS)
Manufacturing growth not poll spending -- says NEDA of 7.3% Q1 GDP
The National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), today at a news briefing in Malacanang, cited the job-rich manufacturing industry as one of the key contributors to the phenomenal 7.3 percent gross domestic product (GDP) growth during the first quarter of this year
“Makikita natin ang isang nagpakita ng growth ay industry specifically manufacturing… isa sa mga tumulong para tumaas and ating growth sa first quarter (We can see that one sector that posted growth and helped us in the first quarter was manufacturing)” according to NEDA director for development information Victoria Quiambao.
In the same press conference, Presidential management staff head Elena Bautista Horn sought to dispel outside claims that the bulk of the 7.3 percent growth was driven mainly by pre-election spending leading to the May 10 polls.
Quiambao said the manufacturing industry grew by 20 percent during the first quarter after experiencing contraction in the previous quarters. She said the 20 percent contributed to the generation of 1.7 million jobs
According to the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB), the substantial rebound of the manufacturing sector contributed to the country’s sustained economic growth. The Industry sector grew by 3.8 percent last quarter.
Horn said ”kung talagang election spending yan yung nakadeklarang gastos sa BIR (Bureau of Internal Revenue) di katumbas sa halaga (If those were election spending, the expenses declared to BIR would have matched.)”
Horn also credited overseas remittances for fueling GDP’s domestic consumption.
She added that “we need to marry figures and the sectors that really help the 7.3 (percent growth)”
Because of the strong first quarter growth, the government upgraded the 2010 economic growth target to a range of 5 percent to 6 percent from the previous 2.6 percent to 3.6 percent.
Horn said international financial institutions also increased their expectations on the country’s GDP, citing JP Morgan chase, which adjusted its initial forecast on the country’s GDP growth form 4.5 percent to 6.8 percent
Horn said that foreign firms and the private sector in general have are affirming the government’s explanation. (OPS)
USAID-funded survey affirms gains of PGMA’s tourism strategy
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s tourism development programs in her nine-year term have brought about P62-billion worth of investments into the country and generated three million jobs for Filipinos.
This is the conclusion of an independent study conducted by the Philippine-based Center for Research and Communication (CRC) and funded by the Asia Foundation and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
In a presentation during the Retrospective Seminar of the Department of Tourism (DOT) held today in Intramuros, CRC representative Cherry Rodolfo said that from 2000 to 2009, the tourism industry generated some P62-billion worth of investments from enterprises registered with the National Economic Development Agency (NEDA) and Board of investments (BOI).
Rodolfo cited a DOT survey that in May this year alone, the Central Philippines Super Region, one of the five themed growth corridors mapped out in President Arroyo’s 2004 strategic development program, has generated 28,629 employment from 2002 establishments.
“With a lot of activity going on, Central Philippines will have another 147 new establishments plus additional room expansion by existing establishments that will generate 14,376 new employment,” the CRC official added.
She said these achievements in tourism have made a significant impact on local area development in creating more jobs, generating more income and strengthening community partnerships.
The CRC credited these accomplishments to the various tourism investments that the Arroyo administration has made to provide greater mobility and accessibility.
Rodolfo cited Arroyo’s airport development projects, the nautical highway project (RoRo project) and road networks, such as NLEX and SLEX, as among the infrastructure projects that contributed in no small amount to stimulating domestic tourism.
She also noted an improvement in inbound tourism, citing the 311.84 percent growth in flight arrivals in
The DOT Retrospective Seminar was attended by DOT officials led by Tourism Secretary Ace Durano and representatives of The Asia Foundation, and USAID.
In his speech, Durano cited the important role of private sector in tourism development, saying their aggressive marketing strategies and constructive feedback on tourism have helped place the country among the major tourist destinations in
