Aquino cites role of mosquito press in Martial Law
President Benigno S. Aquino III on Thursday lauded the mosquito press like Malaya for its crucial role in educating and informing the people during the dark days of the dictatorship.
In a speech at the 28th anniversary of Malaya Business Insight at the Manila Polo Club, the President paid tribute to the newspaper for its fearless reporting during martial law regime of former President Ferdinand Marcos.
“We are not just celebrating 28 years of Malaya today; we are celebrating Freedom—the freedom of the people, and of the press, to be made aware of events that affect their lives. Today, we commemorate how Malaya, together with the Filipino people, chose to fight back and rebuild an ailing country,” he said.
The President said that because of Malaya’s existence, democracy has been returned to the people and they’ve been able to inform the public on the real status of the country in the midst of dictatorial rule.
“As a student, I was made to read newspapers and be informed. But during martial law, what you could only be sure of as true in the papers is the date and the movie listings, because the rest of it was propaganda,” he recalled.
He mentioned that aside from his late father, martyred Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. other oppositionists during that time were Pepe Diokno, journalist Chino Roces, Nap Rama and Teodoro Locsin. It was at that time Joe Burgos started a small newspaper, the We Forum that earned the distinction “mosquito press.” It was later renamed Malaya.
“We Forum, and later Malaya, was a catalyst in this historic struggle. It was one of the few voices brave enough to report my father’s murder and trigger the eventual demise of the dictatorship,” he said referring to its role when Senator Ninoy Aquino was slain at the Tarmac of Manila International Airport (now NAIA) upon returning from his exile in United States on August 21, 1983.
“Malaya is a continuation of that proud heritage. In the midst of darkness, your newspaper was there to bring forth light and to tell the truth,” he continued.
Quoting his late father, the President underscored the importance of the mosquito press in a free society. “According to my father, a free media is indispensable if a democracy is to function efficiently, if it is to be real. The people, who are sovereign, must be adequately informed all the time,” he said.
He said the “mosquito press” became loud enough to be heard in every corner of the country to inform Filipinos of wrongdoing in government and that a unified movement was needed for change to happen.
The 28th anniversary of Malaya Business Insight was a small gathering of selected personalities from previous administrations, business leaders, friends, families and relatives of one of the pillars of the Philippine media, Jake Macasaet, publisher of Malaya and president of the Philippine Press Institute.
“When I was invited to this gathering, I told myself, "How could I say no to Manong Jake (Macasaet) who is one of the pillars of the Philippine media?" And also, how can I possibly say no to this opportunity to pay tribute to the many heroes of the dark martial law era,” he admitted.
As the dark days of dictatorial rule are gone, the President assured that the present government will not tolerate muzzling the media or restricting them again.
“Rest assured, I will continue to do my job and follow through on what I pledged to our people. At the same time, I am counting on you to remain the publication that our people can believe in. I also ask you to be fair—to me, yes, but more importantly, to the Filipino people,” the President said.
“The Filipino people need and deserve an honest and transparent media—one that makes it easier for us all to work together and to achieve a high level of public discourse, which will, in the end, work for everyone’s benefit,” he added. (PCOO)
Palace allays fears on open skies policy
Domestic airlines will continue to have profitable operations despite the impending liberalization of the airline industry.
This was the assurance given by Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Office Secretary Ramon Carandang, in a press briefing in Malacanang on Friday.
Carandang said measures to protect the interest of local airlines will be included in an Executive Order on the open skies policy that will be issued by President Benigno S. Aquino in a few weeks.
“It will be a pocket open skies (policy),” Carandang said. “What we are trying to do right now is to try to find a balance of liberalizing air transport for the benefit of the public, and at the same time, not dealing a harsh blow to our domestic carriers. So, it has to be very measured and very deliberate when we begin to liberalize aviation. And I think, in a few weeks, you will see that EO.”
Carandang said some local airlines have expressed confidence that despite a liberalized environment, they will be able to compete. He cited Cebu Pacific, in particular, has said they have already begun to compete in other markets besides the Philippines.
“I think they’re confident that when we come out with it, there will be a balance between enhancing the value for consumers and providing an environment that the local airlines can still compete in,” he assured.
The Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Carandang said will most likely retain local airlines control and that there will be open skies for other major airports. (PCOO)
Aquino wins Award for Political Communications
President Benigno S. Aquino III is the recipient of this year’s prestigious Public Affairs Asia’s Gold Standard Award for Political Communications.
Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office Secretary Ramon Carandang, in a press briefing Friday, in Malacanang said Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda accepted the award on behalf of the President Thursday night in Hongkong.
Carandang said the President was recognized for his efforts to put government publications online specifically the Presidential Gazette which aims to put all historical documents emanating from the government on line.
In the Gazette, presidential speeches, pronouncements, among other presidential activities are posted online allowing accessibility to the public.
Carandang further said that the President was also recognized for his ability to communicate his message “Kung Walang Corrupt, Walang Mahirap” both domestically and internationally.
The President, according to Carandang, won over Lee Kuan Yew, Minister Mentor and first Prime Minister of Singapore and Ambika Soni, India’s Minister of Information and Broadcasting.
Public Affairs Asia, in its website said that: “These awards celebrate the achievements of corporations, governments and NGOs and identify those professionals, consultancies and governmental figures who are driving this important process of engagement and partnership in Asia Pacific.”
Public Affairs Asia is a network of senior government relations, public affairs and corporate communications professionals operating across the Asia Pacific region.
Last year, the award went to Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono for his exemplary work in addressing corruption in Indonesia through his Corruption Eradication Commission. (PCOO)
Aquino receives 55 FEU Medical Alumni from Northern Illinois
President Benigno S. Aquino III on Friday welcomed the 55 heads of Far Eastern University Medical Alumni Association from Northern Illinois who made a courtesy call before embarking on their respective medical missions in the countryside.
He informed his callers that he and his siblings were all born in the FEU Hospital, which included his youngest sister, Kris in 1971. “When I was told that FEU Medical Alumni would want to visit me, I readily said why not,” the President told his visitors.
He thanked the visiting medical practitioners for the help they have extended to their countrymen through the annual medical missions, “with 40 percent of Filipinos never getting the chance to see a health professional and we are trying to rectify that.”
He said the Department of Health is adding 10,000 nurses to perform the role of midwives in various rural health units of the country which would cost around P800 million for the year “to get them better access.”
The government is targeting, at the very least, the bottom 20 percent of the population which number 4.6 to 5.3 million families to be fully enrolled in the Philhealth system so they can enjoy medical insurance, he said.
Another program by the Department of Science and Technology will propagate a very simple clay-based filtration system which has micro pores in it smaller than the sizes of viruses and bacteria to prevent these from getting into the rural potable water systems.
Electricity and gravity would be needed for this filtration system and this will cost P100 per base. Instead of the multiple filtration systems and pumping stations which cost a lot more, these simple filtration systems will gain them immediate access to potable water. The DOST will soon distribute these systems.
The President said that the P21-billion conditional cash transfer program is an investment for the future that will cover public school students. He said 14 out of every hundred students go on and finish college while 86 percent do not.
The goals of CCT are: giving stipend to families so they keep their children in school and they undergo various health checks and immunization. Sadly, “we have not been able to immunize them from five preventable diseases.”
The President said he hopes the families will be able to keep the children in school for ten years, which is the term of basic education.
With the problem in education system before such as lack of books and teachers and shortage of classrooms that led to packing four classes in one room giving children only four hours of effective learning experience “we will be changing this gradually by adopting the K+12 program or 12-year basic education, that includes preschool, the Chief Executive said.
He said all of these programs will be accelerated this year with the economy expected to grow robustly in spite of the worldwide economy “as we have been instituting reforms in the bureaucracy” and in more transparent way of doing business. (PCOO)
Aquino orders PNP to focus in identifying car theft gangs
President Benigno S. Aquino III ordered today the Philippine National Police to focus on the spate of carjacking incidents and intensify its intelligence gathering in identifying car theft groups.
In a press briefing in Malacanang on Friday, PNP Spokesperson Chief Supt. Agrimero Cruz, Jr. said the President issued the directives to PNP Chief Director General Raul Bacalzo in a closed-door meeting this morning.
In the same briefing, Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the President has tasked the PNP to leave no stone unturned in resolving the series of carjacking incidents.
Cruz assured the public that in the soonest possible time or immediately after the result of its ongoing police operations in Central Luzon, they would announce the developments on the cases of Emerson Lozano and Venzon Evangelista.
“Sabay-sabay nating ihahayag ang mga developments sa nasabing kaso immediately after the series of our ongoing operations,” Cruz said, noting that the President did not issue a timetable to resolve the cases knowing that it would only create pressure on the investigators and aggravate the actual investigations.
Cruz said the PNP is now increasing police visibility and setting up checkpoints in strategic areas of Metro Manila.
“All police regional offices down to the municipal police offices are required to conduct police patrol and checkpoints,” Cruz said. (PCOO)
