PSC begins house cleaning and belt tightening
President Benigno S. Aquino III’s call to get rid of graft and belt tightening has found an ardent supporter through newly-inducted Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Ricardo R. Garcia, who vowed to catch and charge those involved in such irregularities.
Garcia, in an interview after the mass oathtaking at the Rizal Hall last Thursday afternoon, said he would also “revisit and return policies and programs that were scrapped by the previous administration that could have fostered greater cooperation and collaboration between the PSC and the Philippine Olympics Committee.”
“The PSC and POC, being both involved in sports, should be united unlike what it had been when I got in. They were not talking to each other, hence they were not working side by side in developing the athletes and the sports,” Garcia said.
“Now we will open our doors and share ideas and goals so that our athletes can be trained and molded into globally competitive players in the global arena,” Garcia added.
“Just like President Aquino’s avowal to serve the people, his bosses, so too we in PSC and POC will treat our athletes as our bosses,” Garcia said adding that programs like sending them abroad to train and fight will now be a priority of both agencies.
He said he unearthed some irregularities when he took over such as “ghost” security guards who are being paid but do not report for work. “We spend P2 million a month for these guards but I never saw them when I came in,” Garcia said.
Garcia said there were certain projects that were bidded out only on the approval of the former Chairman Harry Angpin but did not get the concurrence of the board of directors. He said the PSC will now review all the contracts entered into by the previous PSC board.
He said he is now working on the proposed PSC budget for 2011 but is looking at increasing it to P1 billion, from its current level of P600 to P700 million, with most of the increase to be spent on training the athletes here or abroad to become globally competitive.
“We would also like to get involved in tapping and training athletes from the grassroots level and spend more on talent development, including spending for their international trainings,” Garcia said.
P-Noy named Sereno as SC Associate Justice
President Benigno S. Aquino III named Maria Lourdes Aranal Sereno as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, his first appointment to the High Tribunal since he took office in June 30.
The appointment of Sereno was announced Friday by Presidential Spokesperson Atty. Edwin Lacierda in a press briefing to fill up the vacancy at the Supreme Court.
Born on July 2, 1960, Sereno was a graduate of the Ateneo de Manila University with a degree in A.B. Economics in 1980. She obtained her Bachelor of Laws (Cum Laude, Class Valedictorian) from the University of the Philippines College of Law in 1984, and took her Master of Law from the University of Michigan Law School in 1993.
Sereno was a co-counsel of Justice Florentino P. Feliciano, of the Fraport Case before the International Center for the Settlement of Investment Disputes in Washington, D.C. and the case against Philippine International Airport Terminal Corporation (PIATCO) where both cases were resolved in favor for the Philippine government.
In 1998, Sereno was a Ten Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service (TOWNS) Awardee for Law. Since 2000, Sereno was a faculty member of the Philippine Judicial Academy, taught civil law, negotiable instruments law, and international trade law.
She was also a faculty member at The Hague Academy of International Law in Cambodia in November 2004 and currently Executive Director of the Asian Institute of Management Policy Center.
P-Noy calls for hourly broadcast of original Pilipino compositions
President Benigno S. Aquino III has directed the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) and the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to fully implement Executive Order No. 255 requiring all radio stations to play in the airwaves at least four original Filipino music every hour from hereon.
The President issued his directive during the oath taking of the officers of the Organisasyon ng mga Pilipinong Mangaawit (OPM) at the Rizal hall of Malacañang on Friday afternoon.
“I am directing the head of the PMS to call up the DOTC and remind the NTC to fully implement the existing Executive Order as soon as possible,” the President said.
E.O No. 255 was issued in July 1987 by the President’s mother, the late President Corazon “Cory” C. Aquino, “Requiring all Radio Stations with Musical Format Programs to Broadcast a Minimum of Four Original Pilipino Musical Compositions in Every Clockhour and for Other Purposes.”
The directive was an immediate answer to the request of OPM president Ogie Alcasid who, in behalf of the industry, expressed support for the President’s sincere leadership to bring about change and social transformation through good governance, transparency and moral ascendancy.
Alcasid said Cory was the “great icon of democracy” while the President has emerged as “the new symbol of change and social transformation.”
Alcasid also requested the President’s support for the professional development of young musicians and artists including assistance for the sick and elderly members of the industry.
The President suggested to the OPM officers the possibility of putting up an organization much like the Movie Industry Welfare Fund (MOWELFUND) through the funds of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) or even the President’s Social Fund (PSF).
The President said his administration will also support the protection of the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) of musicians which he said contributes some 4.25 percent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The President thanked the music industry which, he said, has been at the forefront in promoting the country’s arts and culture and in uplifting the hopes and dreams of every Filipino.
“For a country that is developing like us that has so many problems, the arts for man’s sake really deserves all the support we can have,” the President said.
Aside from Alcasid, the President administered the oath of office of OPM chairman Mitch Valdez, OPM executive director Elmer Beltran Ingles, Gary Valenciano (VP for internal affairs), Noel Cabangon (VP for external affairs), Christian Bautista (VP for special projects), Jose Mari Chan (treasurer), Dingdong Avanzado (secretary) and ex-officio trustees Jim Paredes and Celeste Legaspi-Gallardo.
The officers, beefed up by Regine Velasquez and Jessa Zaragoza, later rendered the song “Kaya Natin,” which was composed in the aftermath of the massive flooding and devastation caused by Typhoon Ondoy last year.
Established in October 1986, the OPM is the leading and most respected organization of Filipino professional singers in the country.
