P-Noy to break ground for two Mandaluyong school buildings
President Benigno S. Aquino III will be the guest of honor at groundbreaking ceremonies for two educational infrastructure projects in Mandaluyong City Thursday, August 26.
The President will lead the rites signalling the start of construction of a two storey, 24 classroom school building at the Isaac Lopez Integrated School in Barangay Vergara, Mandaluyong City at 10 a.m.
To be built at a cost of P50-million from the local government, the school building which covers an effective floor area of 1,140.00 square meters per floor level, will provide an improved and conducive venue for the students of Isaac Lopez Integrated School.
The new school building will be provided with adequate male and female comfort rooms per floor and three emergency exits along its stairwells in keeping with the city’s building code.
The President will then proceed to the nearby Rizal Technological University in Barangay Malamig to lead ground breaking ceremonies for the construction of said school’s Teacher Education and Law Center Building.
The 10-storey building with roof deck will be built at a cost of P100-million also from the local government.
The TELCB, once completed, will have a floor area of 1,093.27 sqm. per floor level and will house various facilities for the school’s Education and Law Center Department, such as: Work Station (I.T.) Rooms, Library, Multi-Media Rooms, Faculty Rooms, Accreditation Rooms, Administrative Offices and Multi-purpose Areas at the roof deck level.
Joining the President are officials from both schools led by Juanita Valle, Isaac Lopez Integrated School Principal Jose Macaballug, officer-in-charge of the Rizal Technological University and Mandaluyong City government officials led by Representative Neptali Gonzales II and Mayor Benhur Abalos.
Education Secretary Armin Luistro and Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson will also be present. (OPS)
HK appreciates RP efforts in hostage aftermath
The Hong Kong government has expressed appreciation for the assistance and swift response provided by the Philippine government in addressing their requests including the repatriation of the remains of the victims in the hostage-taking incident on Monday.
Presidential Spokesperson Atty. Edwin Lacierda said the message of appreciation was personally relayed by Guo Shao Chuen of Hong Kong’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo during their meeting on Tuesday night in Manila.
In a press briefing on Wednesday, Lacierda said that Chuen asked Robredo to convey to President Benigno S. Aquino III the Hong Kong government’s appreciation of the swift processing of documents and other requirements of the relatives of victims of the tragic incident.
Lacierda said Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman led the send off for the Hong Kong nationals on Wednesday afternoon.
Lacierda welcomed the magnanimous pronouncement of action star Jackie Chan on his Twitter account saying that incidents like the tragic hostage taking in Manila do happen around the world and that “humans should be united and not kill or hate each other.”
“We thank Mr. Jackie Chan for extending his hand of friendship. We hope that our friends in Hong Kong will also extend their hands of friendship again to us. It is an isolated incident, it is an unfortunate incident. We grieved over the tragedy that had happened. We are not taking this lightly. We thank Mr. Jackie Chan and we hope the people of Hong Kong will also understand our situation,” Lacierda said.
Lacierda said the President has already called for a full investigation of the incident to be led by Justice Secretary Leila de Lima and DILG Secretary Robredo.
He said the Philippines will send a high-level delegation to Hong Kong and Beijing to be led by Vice President Jejomar Binay and Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo to reiterate the country’s deepest regret and submit an official report on the incident. (OPS)
Gov’t launches nationwide dengue info drive
The government has embarked on a nationwide information campaign in the wake of the rising incidence of dengue cases in the country.
In a news briefing, President Benigno S. Aquino III said the drive is focused on cleanliness particularly in the light of a Department of Health report of a 50 percent increase in the incidence of the killer disease this year.
“During our meeting on Monday, Dr. Enrique Ona (DOH Secretary) mentioned there was a 50 percent increase in the incidence of dengue cases. He is now going around for an education campaign dealing with the cleanliness drive,” the President said.
The President said the educational drive involves public awareness and participation in cleaning the common breeding grounds of the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes such as unattended old tires, empty cans and bottles, gutters and the like.
“We would rather have the prevention rather than the curing aspect of it. There was also a study being done whether or not there is an effect already of the global climate change that has increased the population of this dengue-bearing mosquitoes,” the President said.
The DOH earlier attributed the increase in dengue cases to the El Niño phenomenon.
From January to July this year alone, the DOH reported 40,648 cases with a total of 328 deaths.
Most of the dengue cases were reported in Central Mindanao, Western Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon (Calabarzon) area, Southern Mindanao, Northern Mindanao and Metro Manila.
At present, the DOH is intensifying its dengue fever awareness and prevention program in schools and communities nationwide and advising the public to be aware of the flu-like symptoms of the disease like prolonged fever and rashes. (OPS)
SK, Barangay polls to proceed as scheduled
The Sangguniang Kabataan and Barangay elections will go on as scheduled, after all.
This, after Congress has acceded to President Benigno S. Aquino’s request to pursue the conduct of the said polls in October this year.
President Aquino announced the development in a news briefing with Malacanang reporters Wednesday.
The confirmation came after the House committee on suffrage and electoral reforms on Wednesday had dismissed and ‘archived’ all bills and resolutions of the minority bloc to suspend the Barangay and SK polls.
“I appealed to members of the ruling coalition in both chambers to support us in our drive to continue with what has already been scheduled by the pertinent law and that is the conduct of Barangay and SK elections by October of this year. And that was again a primary appeal that they have acceded to,” the President said.
During his meeting with members of Congress, the President explained that ‘a renewal of mandate’ and the conduct of Barangay and SK elections this coming October is necessary in governance as being ‘the primary instrumentality in carrying out any and all programs of the state.’
He stressed that “without the renewed mandate the support of the populace essential in attaining success of this objectives will be severely put to the test.” (OPS)
Aquino sending high level delegation to China
President Benigno Aquino III has designated a high level delegation to the People’s Republic of China to officially explain what transpired during Monday’s hostage taking incident which resulted in the death of eight Hongkong nationals.
The delegation is composed of Vice-President Jejomar Binay, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda and foreign affairs secretary Alberto Romulo.
In a press briefing Wednesday in Malacanang, the President said the delegation is making the necessary arrangements with the Chinese embassy and will proceed to Beijing to officially send a report to President Hu Jintao.
The delegation according to the President, will then proceed to Hong Kong to have a dialogue with the Chief Executive of the Special Administrative Region, Donald Tsang.
In a phone conversation with Tsang Tuesday, the President explained the chronology of events that transpired during the bloody incident.
The President said he understands the anger of the people of Hong Kong because of the incident and asked for their understanding.
He assured that the government is already correcting the deficiencies in the implementation of operating procedures during the hostage taking.
“None of us wanted this outcome and we’d like to emphasize the fact that the primary consideration was to secure all of the hostages” the President said. (OPS)
