Aquino lauds YesPinoy Foundation's 'Para Paaralan' launch
President Benigno S. Aquino III lauded the formal launch of YesPinoy Foundation’s “Para Paaralan” program that aims to provide basic education services to the disadvantaged Filipino youth and students through strategic public-private partnerships, saying the project embodies the true meaning of volunteerism that should be emulated by today’s youth.
In his speech keynoting the program’s launching ceremony held at the NBC Tent in Taguig City on Sunday, the President thanked YPF’s founding chair Jose Sixto “Dingdong” Dantes III for heeding his administration’s call to join the battle against poverty.
“When it comes to volunteerism, helping others and, not to mention, good looks, the name Dingdong easily comes to one’s mind”, the President said.
“He [Dingdong] could have just dedicated his time at being an actor and just face the camera the whole day but he is with us today, choosing to join our fight against poverty”, he added.
“I therefore offer my heartfelt thanks to our friend Dingdong Dantes and the hardworking youth who form the YesPinoy Foundation for the important role they play in our society”, the President said.
YesPinoy is a Foundation that provides educational scholarships to young people and inculcates the value of helping others realize their dreams and ambitions. It aims to help build a new generation of globally-competitive Filipinos with compassion for the welfare of his fellowmen, especially those men and women who render selfless public service.
Yes Pinoy Foundation aims to contribute in bridging the education gaps through its flagship project Para Paaralan, a roving bus caravan designed to reach disadvantaged youth and students located in the Department of Education-marked "red" and "black" areas around the country.
With performing arts and digital technologies as main tools of instruction, Para Paaralan is made possible through the strategic participation of LGUs, volunteer youth groups and artists/celebrities, partners from the private sector, and our colleagues in the socio-civic sector. (PCOO)
Education reforms key to winning battle against poverty - Aquino
The implementation of the government’s education reform agenda would be the key in winning the battle against poverty, President Benigno S. Aquino III said.
In his speech keynoting the launching ceremony of the YesPinoy Foundation’s “Para Paaralan” project at the NBC Tent in Taguig City on Sunday, the President said these reforms include the revision of the basic education curriculum or the Enhanced K+12 Basic Education Program, and increasing the Department of Education’s budget to more than P200-billion to build more classrooms and hire more teachers.
“Sa tulong ni (DepED) Kalihim Armin Luistro, isinusulong na natin ang ating education reform agenda. Itutulak na natin ang pagrebisa sa basic education curriculum o ang tinatawag nating Enhanced K+12 Basic Education Program,” the President said.
“Ang karagdagang karunungan na kanilang matututuhan ang siyang susi upang kahit high school lang ang kanilang matapos, may kakayahan pa rin silang makakuha ng disenteng trabaho,” he added.
“Edukasyon ang maglulunsad ng tagumpay ng ating mga kabataan; ito rin ang magpapataas at magpapanatili sa antas ng kakayahan ng ating mamamayan”, he said.
The President further stressed that with the DepED’s increase in budget, more classrooms can be built and more teachers can be hired.
The K+12 program refers to the Kindergarten, plus 6 years in elementary education from Grade I-VI for children 6 to 11 years old; plus 4 years Junior High School Secondary or Grade VII-X for 12-15 years old; and an additional two years Senior High School or Grade XI-XII.
The enhanced K+12 Basic Education Program aims to give every student an opportunity to receive quality education based on an enhanced and decongested curriculum and seeks to change public perception that high school education is just a preparation for college. (PCOO)
National Food Authority to be reorganized into National Food Corporation
The Aquino government wants to reorganize the heavily indebted National Food Authority in order to arrest the agency’s ballooning debt, improve the delivery of services and to fast track the administration’s goal of lowering rice importation in order for the country to be rice sufficient in two years.
In a press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said the Bill reorganizing the NFA was discussed during President Benigno S. Aquino III’s first Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council meeting in Malacañang on Monday.
The LEDAC was created through Republic Act 7640 approved by then President Fidel V. Ramos on December 9, 1992 which mandated that LEDAC shall serve as a consultative and advisory body to the President as the head of the national economic and planning agency for further consultations and advice on certain programs and policies essential to the realization of the goals of the national economy.
The President discussed why the NFA needed to be reformed and give way to a National Food Corporation (NFC), primarily mandated to maintain and manage a national strategic and government rice buffer stock by July of each year, Lacierda said.
The NFC, Lacierda added, will not take over NFA’s debts and obligations pegged at P161-billion (down from P177-billion) and would start on “a clean slate basis.”
“All assets and liabilities of NFA not transferred shall be retained and administered, disposed of and liquidated by the NFA,” Lacierda said.
Together with the creation of the NFC, Lacierda said, the Bill would also propose increasing the penalties of rice smuggling “which shall be considered as economic sabotage and deem the offense as non-bailable.”
Aside from the NFC, a Food Development and Regulatory Administration (FDRA) would be created to “carry out regulatory, scientific and developmental functions for strengthening the efficiency of the food supply chain in order to increase the value of the farmers’ produce as a component of food products for export.” (PCOO)
23 proposed priority measures gains 'broad consensus' at LEDAC meeting
Discussions went on smoothly for the majority of the 23 priority bills that were tackled during the first meeting of the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) at the Palace, Monday.
In a press briefing at the Conference Room of the Heroes Hall, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said that majority of the 23 proposed priority measures gained a “broad consensus” among the members of the LEDAC noting that not much controversy was raised during the discussions.
Among the priority bills discussed include the proposed creation of Department of Housing and Urban Development, the amendments to the National Health Insurance Act, the postponement of elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the proposed reorganization of the National Food Authority (NFA), among others.
Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. presented the framework as well as the features of the 23 items in the proposed legislative agenda.
After the discussion on the priority bills, National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Director General Cayetano Paderanga Jr. presented the Medium Term Philippine Development Plan for 2011 to 2016.
Created in 1992, the LEDAC has as regular members the President as chairman, the Vice President, the Senate President, the House Speaker, seven Cabinet members, three senators, three House members, and one representative each from the local government, the youth, and the private sector.
Among those present in the LEDAC meeting were Senator Ralph Recto, Senator Franklin Drilon, Senator Jinggoy Estrada and Senator Vicente “Tito" Sotto III.
House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Minority Leader Edcel Lagman, Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II, Deputy Speaker Lorenzo Tanada III, House appropriations committee chairman Joseph Emilio Abaya, and Representative Hermilando Mandanas also attended the meeting.
The members of the Cabinet present were Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr., Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo, Budget and Management Secretary Florencio Abad, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima and Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr.
Also in attendance were presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda, Communications Development and Strategic Planning Secretary Ricky Carandang and Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin. (PCOO)
Aquino thanks Congress for supporting administration's priority bills
President Benigno S. Aquino III on Monday thanked leaders of both Houses of Congress for their full support to the 23 priority bills he submitted at the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council meeting.
In a press briefing following the five-hour meeting, the President was happy that most of the proposed priority bills have been filed in both chambers of Congress.
House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte said 10 of the President’s priority measures are already in various stages of discussion.
“At least half of the (listed priority) measures will be finished before the first session ends in May,” Belmonte said.
Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, for his part, assured that the legislative measures will be tackled in the Senate “as a matter of duty.”
The President, who presided over the first-ever LEDAC meeting since assuming office June last year, presented the 23 bills he wanted to be given priority.
“We look forward to a responsive collaboration…toward a common legislative agenda," the President said in his opening speech.
Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa presented the framework as well as the features of the 23 items in the proposed legislative agenda.
Socio-Economic and Planning Secretary Cayetano Paderanga presented the Medium Term Philippine Development Plan for 2011 to 2016. It’s discussion however was deferred since it was agreed more time is needed to discuss the blueprint of the Aquino Administration’s development agenda.
Created in 1992, the LEDAC has as regular members the President as chairman, the Vice President, the Senate President, the House Speaker, seven Cabinet members, three senators, three House members, and one representative each from the local government, the youth, and the private sector.
It serves to help the President integrate his legislative agenda with the national development plan, among others.
Among those present in the meeting were Enrile, Senators Ralph Recto, Franklin Drilon, Jinggoy Estrada and Vicente “Tito" Sotto III.
Belmonte, House Minority Leader Edcel Lagman, Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II, Deputy Speaker Lorenzo Tanada III, House appropriations committee chairman Joseph Emilio Abaya, and Rep Hermilando Mandanas were also present.
Members of the Cabinet in attendance were Ochoa, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo, Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, Presidential Communications Operations head Herminio Coloma and Paderanga.
Also present were Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda, Secretary Ricky Carandang and Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin. (PCOO)
