Aquino exhorts Fil-Ams for continued support
President Benigno Simeon Aquino III urged the Filipino-Americans to keep the fire of hope burning for the country’s continued progress as he shared with them the development programs being implemented by his administration.
In a speech delivered at the Philippine Development Forum Gala on Saturday night (Sunday in Manila) in San Francisco, the Chief Executive called on the Filipinos living in the US for their continued support for their country and fellowmen saying that the Philippines is once again on the righteous path towards progress and development.
The President said that since he assumed the presidency in less than three months, his administration was “serious” at changing and transforming the Philippines for the better.
He added that now that he is at the helm as the country’s chief executive the Filipino people can count on a government that will not let them down, living up to the promises undertaken.
“This is a government that owes its existence to trust, that trust is sacred and it will deliver,” the President said. “We got elected basically by trust. Trust that we would make a difference. Trust that we could change the system. Trust that the Filipino people deserved better,” he added.
President Aquino also told the Filipino-Americans about the positive developments in the Philippines notably the convincing growth in the stock market. He said that his administration managed to get Cabinet Secretaries who willingly accepted their positions in government despite receiving a pittance of their previous salaries.
They have already delivered results to the people, he said.
One of them is Secretary Rogelio Singson of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) which normally rates the highest in terms of agencies perceived most corrupt.
According to the President, the DPWH under Singson has already saved about 2 and a half billion pesos for an item called slope protection. He stressed that this was made possible through the development of a technology called Cocoquire which replaces concrete in slope protection. The 2.5 billion pesos saved was used in ensuring the delivery of education and health to the people.
The President also explained to the Filipino-Americans the purpose of his official US business trip was due to the Millennium Corporations grant of 430 million dollars which will be used to support the government’s fight against poverty and to help in improving the performance of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) among others.
“I think from a cost benefit analysis, spending P25 million and having 430 million dollars pumped into our economy is a very good deal, do you agree?” asked the President.
On top of the grant is the creation of thousands of jobs for the Filipinos as a result of foreign investments in the country, he said adding that one of them is the establishment of a new 600-megawatt power plant for Luzon.
During the event, the President lauded the people behind the launching of the Philippine Development Foundation, an Ayala-USA Foundation which, he said, promotes to uplift the standard of living of the Filipino people.
He noted the efforts of these people who have persevered to give the Filipinos a brighter future.
With these at hand, President Aquino appealed to his fellowmen to continue tracking on the straight and righteous path towards the realization of the dreams for the nation.
“Ngayon po ay tunay na pwede na muling mangarap, kailangan po na ipagpatuloy natin ang pagtutulungan para marating natin ang tamang paroroonan,” the President said. (jcl/9:33 a.m.)
DENR official dismisses report pointing him as cause of project’s delay as malicious
A top official of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) denied reports that he caused the delay in the implementation of the Laguna Lake dredging project, saying the accusations were “malicious, ridiculous and not supported by facts.”
DENR Undersecretary Demetrio Ignacio, along with DENR Assistant Secretary Michelle Go, was named in various newspaper reports as having “suggested” to the winning company Baggerwerken Decloedt En Zoon (BDZ) to “share” the supply contract for the Laguna Lake dredging project with competitor Jan de Nul (JDN), also a Belgian company.
According to Ignacio, there is no document that would show he ever suggested “sharing” the supply contract. In fact, he said, “it was never contemplated nor even discussed in the DENR.”
Ignacio also stressed that the letter of JDN to the DENR questioning the “direct contracting” mode undertaken by the department, and proposing a more effective alternative proposal for the project, was dated June 1, 2010, and not July 1, 2010 as published. Nonetheless, according to him, JDN or any other party has not submitted any “unsolicited proposal” to the DENR on the project.
Ignacio also dismissed insinuations that the department, through him and Go, suspended the project to give way to JDN’s complaint despite the approval of BDZ’s supply contract by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), and the Department of Finance (DOF).
On the contrary, said Ignacio, the NEDA, BSP and DOF did never approve BDZ’s supply contract. Ignacio stressed, “What NEDA approved was the project feasibility study submitted by DENR for the Laguna Lake Rehabilitation on Oct. 27, 2009. What BSP approved was the conditions in the Loan Agreement between DOF and Fortis Bank of Belgium prior to the signing of the Loan Agreement on April 30, 2010. The DOF did not issue any approval to the supply contract.”
He also said that the suspension of the project was directed by then DENR Secretary Horacio Ramos in a memorandum that also directed him (Ignacio) to conduct “due diligence” on the project and hold in abeyance the implementation of the amended Contract Agreement for the project.
Ignacio further said that it is on said directive of “due diligence” that letters were sent to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Government Procurement Policy Board (GPPB) to seek their opinions to ensure that all laws, government rules and regulations were followed relative to the supply contract. “The JDN and other parties that have written the DENR regarding the project has nothing to do with the decision of the DENR to seek the opinion of GPPB and initial decision to seek first the opinion of DOJ,” Ignacio said.
According to Ignacio, the DENR received the DOJ opinion on June 9, 2010, while that of GPPB on June 11, 2010. However, when the DENR received a copy of a letter from the Belgian Ambassador citing that the Belgian Government has not granted any support or concessional funding or loan for the project and the JDN accusations, this prompted then Sec. Ramos to seek again the DOJ’s opinion, and “not for reversal of the previous DOJ opinion.”
“It should be noted that the DOJ, in its response dated June 23, 2010, reiterated its first opinion that the supply contract is legal,” Ignacio stressed.
DENR partners with LGUs, NGOs for smoke belcher-free EDSA
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has partnered with other government agencies, local government units (LGUs) in Metro Manila and non-government organizations (NGOs) to rid EDSA of smoke-belching vehicles.
In a simple ceremony held last week at the DENR office in Quezon City, DENR Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje signed the Memorandum of Understanding with Metro Manila Development Authority Gen. Manager Robert Nacianceno; Renato Pineda, Jr. of the Partnership for Clean Air; representatives of the local governments of Quezon City, Makati City and San Juan City; and Earth Day Network Philippines President Elisea Gozun, which also marked the launching of the campaign to transform the metropolis’ main circumferential road a “Ligtas Hangin” Zone.
“This program is a concrete action in response to Pres. Aquino’s directive to clean the air in Metro Manila,” said Paje. “We are very pleased that the private sector, specifically the NGOs and civil society, has committed to partner with the government in this because we need to redouble our efforts to realize our goal of reducing air pollution in the metropolis by 30%.”
The “Ligtas-Hangin” program seeks to reduce the amount of air pollution along EDSA through a coordinated enforcement effort among all involved partners to apprehend smoke belchers along EDSA and provision of assistance to motor vehicle owners and drivers to enable them comply with the government’s vehicle emission standards.
Paje also expressed appreciation for LGUs with existing ordinances against smoke belchers. He said that while the campaign against smoke belching vehicles by LGUs has netted millions of pesos from fines and penalties, he stressed that the objective of the campaign is not to generate income but to instill discipline in people to comply with the Clean Air Act. “More violators caught mean more contributors to air pollution,” he said.
He also said that the programs for clean air and water are DENR’s most pro-poor programs. “We want to level the field for many of our poor who breathe in the dirty air emitted by vehicle owners and drivers, many of whom belong to the upper crust of society,” he stated.
For her part, Gozun affirmed Paje’s statement, saying that the program is the private sector’s contribution to the first 100 days of Pres. Aquino’s administration. “We have learned from past campaigns against smoke belching, and we believe that this time, we will be able to reduce the number of gross polluters, or those who are obviously smoke belchers, along EDSA,” she said. “Also, we want to focus on preventive, not curative, measures against the rising incidence of children with respiratory disorders.”
According to the DENR, government vehicles, including those of politicians and those with diplomatic plates are not exempt from the anti-smoke belching campaign. On the other hand, ambulances, fire trucks and armored cards are. Further, school buses are exempt in the mornings or when ferrying students to school, but may be apprehended any time for the remainder of the day.
Penalties will be based on provisions under Republic Act 8749, also known as the Clean Air Act. These include pollution seminars, fines from P2,000 to P30,000, as well as suspension of motor vehicle registration, or cancellation of license of the technician, depending on the gravity and frequency of violation.
The “Ligtas-Hangin” campaign also involves the Department of Transportation and Communications through its Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board and Land Transportation Office; the cities of Pasig, Mandaluyong, Caloocan and Pasay; the Philippine Climate Change Imperative; the Coalition of Clean Air Advocates; and the Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities Center.
Under the MOU, the implementation of the campaign has four components: air quality monitoring; coordinated anti-smoke belching operations; program monitoring and advocacy; and compliance assistance. The MOU likewise outlines the responsibilities of lead partners in the different sub-activities.
