Aquino says liberalizing PH aviation to benefit local carriers, boost tourism
President Benigno S. Aquino III has assured players of the local carriers that opening the country’s sky to international aviation industry will definitely provide opportunities for them that will redound to further boost the country’s tourism industry and the economy.
The Chief Executive echoed this statement after he led the awarding of the Cebu Pacific’s 50 millionth passenger on Thursday night in simple ceremony at the departure lounge of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City.
“I am aware of the concerns of our local carriers and I can assure you that as we liberalize aviation, it will be undertaken in a way that will open up opportunities for competitive and world class domestic carriers like the Cebu Pacific,” the President said adding that once the open sky policy is implemented, local carriers would benefit from it because more visitors from the neighboring countries will be coming in.
“Once implemented, we expect more international airlines to enter the market. Aside from opening our doors to more visitors that will strengthen our tourism, this will also allow us to enjoy a free market for products to further boost our economy. This, of course, will redound to thousands of additional jobs, which in turn will provide decent living to many Filipino families,” he said.
Being a “new pilot,” the President said, he always has to ensure that no turbulence affects the government flight to progress as the country is now in a position that can soar to greater heights.
The President noted that no turbulence, no disastrous weather, and no challenges will lead his administration astray from its course amid the dark clouds of cynicism that will continue to threaten the country’s peaceful flight.
“I ask everyone: do not let go, and fasten your seatbelts. We have reached our cruising altitude of stronger trade, more jobs and greater public confidence in the government. The skies are clear, and we are headed for daylight. With the renewed confidence of the Filipino people, and with the help of partners such as the Cebu Pacific, I am confident that we will reach our destination ahead of schedule,” the President said. (PCOO)
Aquino lauds Cebu Pacific’s contribution to PH tourism growth
President Benigno S. Aquino III lauded the Cebu Pacific (CEB) for its big role in the growth and development of the country’s tourism industry.
“Truly, Cebu Pacific has played a big role in Philippine tourism – an industry that continues to contribute vastly to the growth and development of our country,” the Chief Executive said on Thursday as he recognizes the airline’s 50 millionth passenger since they started its operations almost 15 years ago.
Citing the National Statistical Coordination Board’s report for 2009, the President said tourism sector accounted 6.03% or P463 billion contributions to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 9.96% or 3.492 million of the total employment.
“As I have said in my SONA (State of the Nation Address), our administration will bank on tourism, and further strengthen it to develop our economy, which will in turn contribute to your bottom line,” he said.
To further improve the tourism industry and open more opportunities for growth to local carriers, the President announced four top priority projects under the Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) flagship program which, he said, are focused to develop and modernize airport facilities particularly in Bohol, Puerto Princesa, Legaspi and the privatization of Laguindingan Airport Operation and Maintenance in Cagayan De Oro City.
During the program, the President awarded a one-year unlimited travel pass to Harold Toifl, an Austrian national – as Cebu Pacific’s 50 millionth passenger since it started operations on March 8, 1996. Toifl, together with his wife, arrived from Beijing to spend their honeymoon in Palawan. The award allows Toifl to travel to any Cebu Pacific Air’s 16 international or 33 domestic destinations.
The President was assisted by Cebu Pacific president and chief executive officer Lance Gokongwei in the awarding rites at the departure lounge of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City.
“Let me congratulate today’s winner. The one-year travel pass that you received will allow you to explore the many wonders of our motherland, and discover the richness of the Filipino culture,” the President said.
He added that having 50 million passengers is a milestone not only for Cebu Pacific but also for the Philippines which contributed to its budget fares that have made domestic and foreign travels more affordable and available for both Filipinos and foreigners.
“I commend you for currently being the country’s largest domestic airline with a market share of 52%, and for being the second largest international airline from the Philippines with a market share of 13%,” he stressed.
Cebu Pacific is currently the third largest low-cost carrier in Asia and the only low-priced carrier that offers flights to North Asian countries such as Japan, China and South Korea. (PCOO)
Aquino leads toast to “better life” for Filipinos in 2011
President Benigno S. Aquino III led hundreds of political, business and economic leaders here and abroad as well as the diplomatic community in his first toast to the New Year, which the President said is optimistically viewed by most Filipinos to improve their lives.
“Their optimism will be validated. This year, businesses will invest more in the country, creating new jobs for families,” the Chief Executive said in his Vin D’ Honneur message before the New Year’s toast with the diplomatic community, members of Congress, his Cabinet and other political allies.
The President said government resources will be spent to uplift the lives of the poor and the Philippines will once again be “a voice in the world for freedom and fairness.”
He said challenges from an uncertain outlook for the global economy, a noisy minority who want to rekindle the malicious practices of the past can be overcome by working together to fulfill the promise of the year ahead.
“We have much to look forward to,” the President stressed after which he asked his guests to raise their glasses to a toast for a prosperous and peaceful 2011 for all.
In his reply, Papal Nuncio to the Philippines Archbishop Edward Joseph Adams, Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, expressed “symbolically, our common effort at forging a genuine community of Peoples and Nations and to reflect with each experiences of the past and look towards a future that we all hope will be ever more serene and auspicious.”
“The past year, we have followed with attention and interest the chain of events that have tested the democratic processes and capacities of this great nation. What has resulted in a smooth transition to a new leadership that asserted its resolve to tackle with determination and efficiency the urgent problems which confront the Filipino people,” Adams said.
He said President Aquino took the path with courage and vision, manifesting the political will and tenacity to preserve the tenets of democracy, to safeguard the common good, to unite the vital forces of society and to assure a peaceful future for the people, irrespective of religion, culture or religious background.
Globally, Adams said, 2010 was marked by a series of natural and manmade disasters, threats to the environment, the problem of energy security, the question of water allocation, food procurement and management, among others.
Particularly worrying, Adams added, is the ongoing impact of the global financial crisis and the multiplication throughout the world of instances of confusion, struggle and conflict.
“We continue to witness how demanding it is to stay on the path that leads to truth, justice and reconciliation and how important to this end is a commitment to the dignity of the human person and the defense of human rights,” Adams concluded. (PCOO)
Aquino bullish about investments in energy expansion
President Benigno S. Aquino III on Friday said he is bullish about more investments pouring into the energy sector’s expansion programs.
In an ambush interview after the Vin D’ Honneur at the Rizal Ceremonial Hall, the President said there have been several expansion plans presented to him from many quarters of the energy sector.
He said he met yesterday with two representatives of one of the biggest business groups of the country who informed him that the biggest stumbling block to the resurgence of manufacturing is the high cost of electricity. “We are working on that,” the President said.
He said the investments in the energy sector expansion is a welcome development.
Citing that managing the economy is his priority, the President said he started the week with an inventory of all the debt that is maturing, which includes the P177 billion accumulated debt of the National Food Authority, then the debts of Metro Rail Transit, the South Luzon Expressway.
He said the global peso bond offering is beneficial not just in terms of the amount of debt being tackled but in delaying the maturity of the debts. “A lot of them will be maturing soon, so the global bond offering is meant to shield us from foreign currency risk and it pushes the maturity from the next two or three years to 25 years hence.”
The best part is ‘we are diminishing the debt burden because the interest rates will be something in the neighborhood of a little over 6 percent replacing debt that was taken out 8 plus percent. “So we have savings on our debts aside from stretching their maturities and that is good news.” (PCOO)
Ochoa to lead Cabinet workshop on legislative agenda
Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr. is convening members of the Cabinet on Monday to determine critical legislations the administration wants prioritized before President Benigno Aquino III meets with leaders of Congress in the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC).
Ochoa is spearheading a workshop on the legislative agenda with Vice President Jejomar Binay and fellow Cabinet officials to streamline and integrate proposals towards a national strategic development plan and support the 16-point agenda of the government.
“So the purpose of this workshop is for us to integrate, review, refine and prioritize proposed legislations,” Ochoa said on Friday.
Ochoa explained he will present five “critical areas” in identifying key legislation to boost the Aquino administration’s 16-point agenda. These are human development; infrastructure development; economic development; sovereignty, security and rule of law; and good governance.
The Executive Secretary hopes the workshop will help Cabinet members draw up not only a list of priority bills that will set the legislative agenda of this administration, but also proposals that will amend dysfunctional laws or laws with conflicting provisions by applying the principles of effectiveness and efficiency.
“By effectiveness, I refer to the impact of the proposal on achieving the sectoral objectives. This also refers to a determination of whether legislation is really needed, or other tools of government action would suffice in achieving a goal,” Ochoa said.
“By efficiency, I refer to the best use of resources. Proposals that need funding should be lined up in relation to other developmental concerns that also require funds,” he added.
To date, the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO) has received 147 proposed legislations from various departments, as well as 41 proposed legislations submitted by the Joint Foreign Chambers of Commerce of the Philippines.
According to Ochoa, the workshop hopes to trim down the proposed legislations to 25, or five for each of the recognized critical areas.
“I hope that the workshop will bring about a legislative agenda that we can all support and that all of us will advocate for passage by Congress,” he said. (PCOO)
