Ochoa: President Aquino to lead lean team to US
President Benigno Aquino III will lead a lean delegation when he embarks next week on a seven-day working and business trip—his first overseas travel as Chief Executive—to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York, which will gather world leaders, and possibly meet with U.S. President Barack Obama, Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr. said yesterday.
Ochoa said the presidential party that the Chief Executive will bring to his trip will include only four Cabinet members namely Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, Trade and Industry Secretary Gregory Domingo and Energy Secretary Rene Almendras.
Aside from limiting the members of the President’s official delegation, the number of the support staff has been pared down to the barest minimum from the original proposal on the instruction of President Aquino in line with the Administration’s austerity efforts amid the country’s huge foreign debt obligations and sensitivity to the plight of most Filipino people.
Ochoa said the presidential party will be composed of not more than 50-60 people. As of press time the delegation's final number was still being finalized.
“We are conscious of the fact that we are in a debt hole. We can only begin to climb out of if we strictly implement austerity measures and cut down on unnecessary spending. Cutting the expenses of this trip is one of many steps we’re taking to do that,” Ochoa explained.
President Aquino has pledged to limit his foreign trips to the most important and strategic ones to be able to focus on a wide array of domestic problems that he inherited upon assumption to power more than two months ago.
Aside from his attendance at the U.N. General Assembly and meeting with President Obama, the Chief Executive is scheduled to meet top leaders of the World Bank and Citibank, and leading U.S. businessmen to seek job-generating investments for the country and financial backup for economic development projects.
According to Ochoa, the total estimated cost of the Chief Executive’s trip from September 20 to September 27 is around P25 million, which is a third of what his predecessor had spent for a similar overseas travel.
“The President is serious about cutting costs in this trip. He is taking a very lean delegation and flying commercial to the U.S. and back, which is why this trip will cost much less than previous working trips,” Ochoa said.
“That is why, in the interest of transparency, we are releasing these figures so the Filipino people will know where their money is going and how it is being spent,” the Executive Secretary said.
The Finance Office of the Office of the President has released P22 million to cover the expenses of the entire trip, including hotel accommodations, meals and transportation within the U.S. The amount does not include the costs of the plane tickets to be purchased for the trip, which are estimated at P3 million.
Official records from the Finance Office show that previous working trips to the U.S. have cost more.
More than P76 million was spent for a presidential working visit to New York and Washington D.C. from July 29 to August 5, 2009. Planes fares for those who joined the working visit, which were priced lower then, cost the taxpayers P6.2 million.
Expenses for presidential working visits in 2009 are as follows: Switzerland, Italy, Bahrain and the US (January 30 to February 8), P156.9 million; Syria and Egypt (May 1 to May 6), P50.7 million; Japan, Colombia, Brazil, Dubai and Hong Kong (June 17 to June 28), P151.3 million; and Libya (September 1 to September 2), P35.6 million. (PCOO)
Coloma highlights President Aquino’s interactive website in Beijing meeting
COMMUNICATIONS Operations Secretary Herminio Coloma told an Asian audience about the interactive website developed for President Benigno Aquino III where the people can send messages to the Chief Executive and where he can also reply to the messages if need be.
“Our approach to new media reflects the current trend in the use of available technology, which is to engage and empower citizens not only in the online world but also offline,” Coloma said.
Coloma spoke at the ASEAN-China Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Information held in Beijing on September 15 to 17, 2010.
He said the feedback mechanism allows Filipinos to stay connected with the President and any of his staff and air their views.
Coloma said the website is a partnership where content is a shared responsibility between the President, the different government agencies and the people.
“The website has been developed in the belief that people support what they create,” he said.
Coloma mentioned the presidential website even as he pushed for the creation of an ASEAN-China dedicated website or web portal to complement the existing Asean website hosted and maintained by the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta.
“While the ASEAN website is very useful in providing official documents, pronouncements and information on programs and projects in general, the dedicated website on ASEAN-China cooperation should be advantageous in a more specific way,” Coloma said.
As envisioned, Coloma said, the website will contain updated information on the projects and serve as a one-stop information site on Asean-China cooperation.
The website may also carry multi-media materials produced by ASEAN-China journalists on the programs and projects as well as ideas, suggestions and feedbacks from the public, he said.
“It can also incorporate an interactive database of reference or background materials to enrich and deepen media reporting on ASEAN-China concerns,” Coloma said.
He added that the website developed for the President Aquino is a “junior version” of the ASEAN-China website.
The setting up of the desiccated ASEAN-China website was one of two projects proposed by the Philippines during the first conference of the ASEAN-China ministers responsible for information.
The other project proposed by the Philippines was the setting up of a China-ASEAN community of journalists.
In regard to this, Coloma urged the media practitioners in various fields to get to know their counterparts more closely through people-to-people contacts which could take the form of exchange visits, attachment and training programs.
In his speech, Coloma pointed out the “great prospects and huge potentials” in media cooperation between China and the ASEAN.
“We should therefore link more closely, work together and make concerted efforts to enhance peace, development, cooperation and prosperity of this region,” he said. (PCOO)
China affirms strong RP ties
“China seeks to build stronger ties with the Philippines as both countries move towards marking nearly four decades of harmonious relationships.”
This was conveyed by Minister Wang Chen of the State Council Information Office (SCIO) during a meeting with Secretary Herminio Coloma of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) at the conference of the China ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Information held in Beijing on September 15.
While deploring the August 23 hostage-taking incident in Manila as “a tragedy but an isolated incident”, Minister Chen expressed the Chinese government’s confidence that the government of President Benigno S. Aquino III will “learn from the many lessons” taught by the hostage-taking incident.
For his part, Secretary Coloma assured Minister Chen that the Aquino government is determined to put in place improved crisis management measures, as well as implement continuous programs on upgrading the capability of police and security forces.
Minister Chen and Secretary Coloma exchanged views on further strengthening cooperation between the SCIO and the PCOO.
Among the concrete measures they agreed upon were: regular exchange visits by senior-level information officials; reciprocal study tours by media practitioners and representatives of media organizations; conduct of seminars and workshops on global best practices in the fields of journalism, broadcasting and new media communications; and exchange of materials including books, audio-visual resources, and films.
They agreed that the regular exchange visits by senior officials will start in the first half of 2011 and will be hosted by both countries on an alternating basis. They also agreed to encourage media practitioners to adopt their own guidelines in terms of organizing reciprocal study tours in both countries. (PCOO)
Aquino assures ideal business environment for investors
President Benigno S. Aquino III today assured the business community that his government is working hard to create an ideal business environment that would attract more investors to the country.
At the culmination of a week-long economic managers briefing and dialogue held at Malacanang’s Rizal Hall, the President candidly answered the concerns raised by the business community in line with his quest for a vibrant economy and better life for Filipinos.
Makati Business Club President Ramon del Rosario, in behalf of the business community, submitted to the President a list of such concerns in an effort to sustain the successes achieved early on his administration such as a record high stock exchange, the strong peso, and the successful first-ever peso global bond float which according to them are indicators of the trust, confidence and support the Aquino administration currently enjoys.
The concerns included a clear articulation of government’s vision for the economy for 2010 to 2016; the filling up of key government positions including those in government financial institutions and government-owned –and-controlled corporations; clear policies with regard to certain major economic sectors and demonstrate stability of these policies; and, pursue initial efforts to prosecute tax cheats, tax evaders and smugglers
The business community also welcomed a well-crafted competition policy and legislation to ensure adequate competition in the areas of the economy so that privatization does not simply transform government monopolies into private monopolies; the need to update significant provisions of the Labor Code that have become archaic at present times; address wage setting concerns; early implementation of an open skies policy to pursue tourism growth and the early full opening of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3.
Finally, the business community wants government to further pursue the disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness program.
For his part, the President recognized the urgent need to fill up all vacant positions on or before Sept. 25 before the ban on hiring due to the conduct of the barangay polls, takes effect.
“So be assured we are trying our best…we have a lot of successes, but getting the right people to all these jobs, obviously is not easy, given that there are very, very few perks and benefits that we can give them,” the President said.
As to tax evasion and smuggling, the President made the assurance that all the concerned agencies have promised to file major cases every other week. “They promised to file 26 cases at least,” the President said.
With regards to the common tax tier, the President promised to discuss the matter with his allies in Congress to legislate such measure at the earliest possible time. He said he will convene the legislative-executive development advisory council (LEDAC) when he arrives from his trip to the United States next week.
As to the anti-poverty program, the President stressed that the government recognizes that there are 4.6 million families living below the poverty line but while a lot of people consider them a burden, the Aquino administration “looks at them as fellow Filipinos who need a little helping hand “thus, the move to enhance the Conditional Cash Transfer Program, among other anti-poverty programs. (PCOO)
