PNoy wants stiffer penalties vs environmental polluters
As one who wakes up daily to the view of the dismal state of the Pasig River, President Benigno S. Aquino III shares the hope of many for the strict implementation of the law against those who abuse waterways.
In a speech at the 10th Bayer Young Environment Envoys awards at the Dusit hotel in Makati Thursday night, the President said he is looking forward not only for a heavier fine on polluters but also to the 15 days of community service for those who violate the law.
“Everyday when I wake up I face the Pasig River and I know how bad the Pasig River is and I look forward to the implementation of the law that says, who will pollute our rivers will be given a fine,” he explained, adding that he would also like the enforcement of a 15 days of community service for those who have abused the waterways.
The President led the awarding of 12 young Filipinos named as Bayer Young Environmental Envoys for successfully completing their respective environmental projects.
The Pasig River, which stretches for 25 kilometers from Laguna de Bay to Manila Bay and serves as a major transport route has been declared a critical water body because of the tons of waste dumped into it daily by households and industries.
The President, who lives alongside its bank at the Bahay Pangarap in Malacañang enjoined the 27.8 million young Filipinos to be the government’s partner not only in the protection of the environment but also in poverty alleviation and nation building.
“The challenges confronting our nation today are large – they can be intimidating because no single individual or organization can overcome them on their own,” he said. “But together, we can make a difference. You have to stand up and be counted, and then the power of one can become People Power.”
The President noted several ongoing environmental projects of the government in which the youth can participate.
One of these, he said is the administration’s solid waste management program, which promotes recycling, proper collection and disposal of garbage. The youth, he said, can post in the internet information on cleaning up esteros, or the next schedule of the waste segregation day.
“We encourage you to join us, in whatever way possible, in these worthwhile projects. Your youth is your greatest resource. You have the ability to respond quickly to problems and find creative ways to solve them. You have the ability to access and understand different kinds of information,” the President said.
The Chief Executive expressed his gratitude to Bayer for initiating a program such as the Young Environmental Envoys that gives young Filipinos the opportunity to be “agents of change.”
The Bayer Young Environmental Envoy program is a global environment education program for the youth organized by Bayer and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). (OPS)
Russian envoy bids farewell to PNoy
Russian Federation Ambassador to the Philippines Vitaliy Y. Borobiev bade goodbye Friday to President Benigno S. Aquino III and to the Filipino people during his farewell call at the Ramos Room of Malacañang Palace.
On hand during the farewell call were Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, DFA Undersecretary for Special Concerns Erlinda Basilio and Palace Protocol Chief Ambassador Miguel Perez-Rubio and the Ambassador’s Protocol Assistant Dmitry V. Larionov.
Secretary Romulo said the Ambassador thanked President Aquino and the Filipino people for making his stint in the country productive and fruitful and for providing support to enhancing relations between the two countries in the political, social and cultural arenas.
Romulo said he is hosting a luncheon for the Ambassador either Tuesday or Wednesday before he returns to his country.
He said the Philippines helped Russia in seeking admission to the East Asian summit, in return, Russia supported the Philippines in its membership application to various international groups.
During Borobiev’s watch, Romulo said, the Philippines and Russia signed the Air Services agreement to improve tourism and the business climate in the country. The Philippines-Russia Business Forum was held for the first time in Mandaue City, Cebu in 2009; and there were initial talks on Russian investments into the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and mining.
Diplomatic relations between the two countries started in 1976. The Philippines has concluded 22 agreements with Russia on various interest to both nations.
After the dissolution of the USSR, the Russian Federation took over the responsibilities and obligations arising from its bilateral relations with the Philippines under the agreements.
Relations between the two countries resulted in increased bilateral trade (now at $500 million) and enhancement of interaction in various fields including agriculture, energy, tourism, education, culture and sports, science and technology, parliamentary exchanges and defense cooperation.
Many of these initiatives were firmed up during the visit to the Philippines of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in August, 2007. (OPS)
Palace stresses need to widen tax base
Malacañang said there is a need to increase the tax base to increase collection and fund vital government projects and programs.
In a media briefing in Malacañang, Secretary Ramon “Ricky” Carandang of the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office (PCDSPO) said additional collection from an expanded tax base will help fund the government’s infrastructure and social services programs.
Carandang is urging the public ’s sense of nationalism by paying the right amount of taxes which, he said, will surely be spent to improving the economy and improving the lives of the less fortunate.
Carandang said there is a need to increase the tax base after the Bureau of internal Revenue (BIR) discovered that only three million Filipinos regularly pay their income taxes out of the country’s estimated population of 90 million.
With more people paying the proper taxes, Carandang said there is no need for government to increase taxes.
“We have a policy of not raising taxes and yet we need to increase spending on so many things like infrastructure and social spending. And we do not want to do it by raising taxes. We have to be able to collect the proper taxes from the public,” Carandang said.
To date, Carandang said the BIR and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) are continuing their intensified campaign against big-time tax evaders and smugglers to attain the 2010 revenue goal of P830 billion this year.
The Department of Finance (DOF) has tasked the two revenue agencies to sustain their no-nonsense campaign in filing weekly cases against big-time tax evaders and smugglers. (OPS)
PNoy orders PMS to convene LEDAC soon
President Benigno S. Aquino III has instructed Presidential Management Staff Secretary Julia Abad to schedule a Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) meeting to forge a common agenda with Congress and discuss the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.
It will be the first time President Aquino is convening the council since assuming the presidency on June 30.
In a news briefing, Presidential Communications Development Strategic and Planning Secretary Ramon “Ricky” Carandang said no exact date for the LEDAC meeting was mentioned.
“Definitely, pag-uusapan yan,” Carandang said referring to the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections in October.
The Barangay and SK elections are the possible main agenda for the LEDAC meeting after the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) announced preference for its abolition.
President Aquino, according to Carandang, also wants to discuss with the lawmakers the proposed P1.75 trillion national budget for 2011. The proposed budget is scheduled for submission to Congress next week, he said.
The proposed 2011 budget is concentrated on social programs meant to uplift the living conditions of the marginalized sector such as improving social safety nets, spending on education and expansion of health care to the poorest of the poor.
“There’ll be significant increases in social services spending. So, it will also be included in the discussion at the LEDAC meeting,” Carandang said. (OPS)
PNoy confers Order of Sikatuna on outgoing Kuwaiti envoy
President Benigno S. Aquino III conferred Friday, August 20, the Order of Sikatuna with a rank of Datu (gold distinction) on outgoing Kuwaiti Ambassador to the Philippines Nasser Al-Houti, during the latter’s farewell call at the Ramos Room of Malacanang Palace.
Among those present during the farewell call were Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, DFA Undersecretary for Special Concerns Erlinda Basilio, Palace Protocol Chief Ambassador Miguel Perez-Rubio and the delegation from the Kuwaiti Embassy.
The President thanked Ambassador Al-Houti for helping enhanced Philippine-Kuwaiti relations, which was capped by the visit of Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheik Nasser Al Mohammad Al Ahmad Al Sabah on August 16, 1988.
The Philippines and oil-rich Kuwait have signed, during the Ambassador’s watch, three vital agreements on energy projects, strengthening health related services, as well as enhanced tourism investments and exchanges between the two countries.
In 2007, Kuwait was the Philippines’ 45th trade partner. It was also the 42nd export market and the 41st source of imported products, principally oil. The Kuwaiti leader said his country is prepared to enter into more agreements and increase investments in Philippine agriculture.
Kuwait is the first Arab country to extend $20 million development loans to the Philippines in 1998, the biggest beneficiary of the Kuwaiti assistance being the 150-kilometer highway that forms part of the circumferential road in Pagadian City, Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao to Cotabato City.
Kuwait hosts, 130,000 Overseas Filipino Workers, the third largest Filipino community in the Middle East and the Kuwaiti Prime Minister had extended his invitation to Filipinos to make Kuwait their second home.
The Philippines has also sought Kuwait’s assistance to help the Philippines attain self sufficiency in rice within the next five years in the face soaring food and fuel prices worldwide. (OPS)
Partial open skies will boost tourism, Coloma says
Presidential Communications Operations Secretary Sonny Coloma today defended the possible implementation of a partial open skies policy should the Philippine Airlines labor dispute remains unresolved.
In an interview over Radyo ng Bayan this morning, Coloma said the major road block to tourism growth is the restrictive civil aviation policy and that “it is time for us to review and adopt a more flexible policy for the development of our country.”
Coloma cited the example made by President Benigno S. Aquino III that before Bali, Indonesia opened its skies, its visitor arrivals reached only 30,000. This leapt to 3 million as soon as Indonesia opened its skies to foreign airlines.
He said that if the country fully develops its tourism industry, through partial open skies, there will be substantial growths in jobs available for local people and more industries are expected to flourish.
He also said what impedes tourism growth is not high crime rates, or lack of infrastructure but more on a highly restrictive civil aviation policy. (OPS)
President lauds citizen volunteers as partners for reforms
President Benigno S. Aquino III has assured that his administration will continue its partnership with citizen volunteers in the common desire to end corruption and ensure the transparent implementation of government reform policies and programs.
The President made the commitment and lauded the civil society’s spirit of volunteerism during the summit of the leaders of the Volunteer Partners for Reforms at the Heroes Hall of Malacañang on Friday afternoon.
The President said his administration fully supports the proposition of the citizen volunteers to tie up with government agencies and its advocacy for citizen participation in the implementation and formulation of government policy reforms and programs.
The citizen volunteer groups also committed to support the Aquino administration’s resolve to realize social transformation under the slogan, “Kung Walang Corrupt Walang Mahirap.”
The President said his administration has already opened up a two-way feedback mechanism with the public so that government can immediately attend to issues and provide solutions to problems affecting the needs of the citizenry.
“These citizen volunteers will act as watchdog and help ensure the transparent implementation of government programs and projects. They will become the bridge between government and the ordinary citizens in our effort to uplift the lives of the poor,” the President said.
The President said the continuing partnership between the government, civil society and the private sector can immediately provide clear cut solutions in the implementation of environmental, education, health and other social services programs including those in conflict-affected communities.
The President said the volunteers, including its partners in government and the private sector, will spearhead the implementation of these kinds of projects to ensure that they really go to the intended beneficiaries.
“We have already opened a new path and planted the seed of reforms that will benefit the next generation of Filipinos,” the President said.
With the development of a feedback mechanism, Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman said citizen groups can now tie-up with the different government agencies to thresh out issues and problems which can be coursed through the Office of Regional Concerns (ORC) of the Presidential Management Staff (PMS).
Aside from Soliman, present during the event were Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Deles and Budget Secretary Florencio Abad.
Also present were volunteer groups organizing committee chairmen, Karina David, Dr. Mario Taguiwalo, and some 200 leaders of other volunteer groups nationwide. (OPS)
