Red alert in NCR up to Christmas – Malacanang
Malacañang said today the red alert status in the National Capital Region (NCR) which had been put in place even before All Saints Day and All Souls Day will be carried over to the Christmas season.
Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda disclose this in a news briefing after the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and Canada issued travel advisories against travel in the Philippines as part of a global alert on possible terrorist activities.
Lacierda said the heightened alert issued by the Armed Forces is not meant to create fear but rather part of precautionary measures to monitor and validate its intelligence information.
He said both the AFP and the Philippine National Police intelligence units are currently validating intelligence information and coordinating possible responses should the need arise.
“As a precaution, the AFP and the PNP have been put in heightened alert in the NCR,” he stressed noting that under the heightened alert status all soldiers and police authorities are on stand-by mode.
“As in all alerts, we assure the citizenry that the government is going the extra mile to pre-empt and monitor any terrorist activity,” Lacierda said.
President Benigno S. Aquino III, he added is being regularly briefed on intelligence and is taking an active hand in ensuring the coordination of all agencies and activities regarding the matter.
On Tuesday, the Department of Foreign Affairs clarified that the advisories against travel to the Philippines were but a reissuance of previous travel advisories and did not indicate active monitoring of new terrorists threat of a specific, credible and actionable nature.
Even in the wake of the discovery last week of two packages to synagogues in the United States containing bombs, both the AFP and PNP have stepped up their watch in preparation for All Saints Day and All Souls Day in the country. (PCOO)
Aquino thanks Temasek Foundation for various projects in RP
President Benigno S. Aquino III on Wednesday thanked Temasek Foundation of Singapore for its numerous philanthropic undertakings in the Philippines and vowed government’s institutional support, when needed.
Those who called on the President included: Jennie Chua, Temasek Deputy Chairman; Benedict Cheong, foundation CEO; Bayanihan Society Board member, Joseph Tallungan-Abuan and Temasek founding member (one of eight founders) Tony Tan Caktiong, chairman/CEO of Jollibee Foods Corp. For the Philippine government side, those who attended the call were Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima and Economic Planning Secretary Cayetano Paderanga.
The foundation, a non-profit philanthropic group established in May 2007, undertook its first projects in the Philippines that same year. Its programs are focused on building people through health care, education and research; building bridges between people; building institutions of excellence through governance and ethics and re-building lives and livelihoods affected by major natural disasters.
The foundation’s board is composed of distinguished leaders from business and community sectors from Singapore and other Asian countries. It seeks to foster development and growth by supporting philanthropic and civic programs that develop human and social capital in Asia.
Temasek foundation has invested $5.3 million worth of projects in the Philippines since 2007. They included education (trainers’ training), upgrading the technological-vocation skills and training programs in collaboration with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority; healthcare by elevating the nursing standards in partnership with St. Paul’s University of Manila and the Singapore Polytechnic National University.
The foundation supports networking and exchange programs for policy makers, leaders, journalists and potential leaders like students from various Asian communities. It has supported the rebuilding of lives after major natural disasters through training and re-skilling programs, research and training programs to mitigate the effects of such natural disasters in China, Indonesia and the Philippines. (PCOO)
Aquino meets German parliamentarian
President Benigno S. Aquino III met on Wednesday afternoon Minister Michael Glos, member of the German Parliament who was a minister of economy and foreign trade at the time the President’s mother, Corazon Aquino visited Germany.
Accompanied by German Ambassador to the Philippines Christian Ludwig Weber Lortsch and Paul Shafer, resident representative of the Hans Seidel Foundation, the President received Glos and his party at the Premier Guest House in Malacanang.
Cabinet members present during the call were: Justice Secretary Leila de Lima; Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Ramon Paje, Commission on Human Rights Chairman Loreta Ana Rosales and Solicitor General Joel Cadiz.
“We discussed about the long good relations between the Philippines and Germany and about the visit of his late mother, Cory to Germany and we also invited President Aquino to visit our country,” said Ambassador Lortsch.
“Our countries recognized the new level of our relationship beyond the diplomatic level and it is ripe for political, economic, community development and cooperation,” the envoy added.
“I have been coming in and out of the Philippines for the past 20 years, since I have held numerous government positions before becoming a legislator,” Glos said. “Our countries share a friendship in good times and in bad times.”
Philippine exports to Germany he said has doubled in the first eight months this year compared to last year.
The envoy said Germans have been investing in the Philippines and will continue to increase their investments in manufacturing, knowledge centers (notably the business process outsourcing) and auto parts.
He said there is also a marked cooperation in environmental efforts, particularly mitigating the effects of climate change and managing risks in disaster-prone areas. (PCOO)
Arroyo loan is not Aquino loan - Malacanang
Malacañang clarified today that the alleged P2.2 billion in public works fund for the second district of Pampanga is actually a loan obtained by the Arroyo administration and the Aquino administration has nothing to do with the approval of the infrastructure projects damaged by lahar flows.
In a press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said the P2.2 billion allocation is not pork barrel, but rather a foreign-assistance obtained by former President and now Pampanga 5th District Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Being part of the hazard mitigation project of Mount Pinatubo, Lacierda admitted that there is a need for the affected areas to upgrade and rehabilitate areas damaged and still affected by Mount Pinatubo lahar flows.
“It’s been there, and this is important for the people around the area of Mount Pinatubo,” he explained.
Lacierda assured that Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson is currently determining which phases of the projects are not urgent so they could communicate this with the funders and delay it’s implementation.
Lacierda said the Aquino administration considers the project a necessity in order to protect the lives and welfare of the people within the communities affected by the path of the lahar.
He assured that all infrastructure projects stipulated in the 2011 proposed budget of the present administration will be transparent and the public is welcome to scrutinize it.
“We will be proactive in ensuring that the infrastructure projects will be transparent, and accountable to everyone,” stressed Lacierda. (PCOO)
Palace says OP intel fund consistent with Aquino’s belt-tightening efforts
Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma said that the reduction in the intel fund in the Office of the President is “consistent with our belt-tightening efforts and our desire to cut unprogrammed, unaudited fund sources in the spirit of transparency and fiscal discipline.”
Coloma said the reduction in the intel fund was recommended by Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, Jr. to keep the OP expenses low during the Senate hearing last month.
During the hearing, Ochoa said that the Palace has even slashed its budget request for the next fiscal year by 4.3 percent to P4.075 billion from the previous administration’s P4.259 billion in line with the cost-cutting policy of President Aquino.
He noted that it was the same budget that was approved by the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives.
Ochoa explained that the Office of the President reduced the spending plan across the various services within Malacanang and abolished 10 attached offices adding that it has also realigned the money from the Palace intelligence funds and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission to cover the funding requirements of the two new offices.
According to Ochoa, next year’s appropriation for Maintenance, Operating and Other Expenses (MOOE), has been reduced by P163.9 million, with professional services getting the biggest cut of P152.7 million. He added that there is also a cutback of expenses for printing, advertising, travel and representation allowances.
Ochoa further said that “addressing our growing deficit will require a team effort on the part of all government offices, as we all have to use our resources wisely, and the President’s office is doing its share by cutting back on various expenses.” (PCOO)
