PIA Dispatch - Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Aquino government addresses child labor

The government has partnered with the international community to address the growing need for under-aged laborers in child labor intensive “industries.”

In a press briefing on Wednesday at Malacanang, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said the Departments of Labor and Employment and Social Welfare and Development have teamed up with the International Labor Organization (ILO) to ensure that the rights of children.

“We are cognizant of the solution and we understand from the Department of Labor and Employment, who are now working with the ILO, that they are addressing the situation to (confirm) the number of underage children who are working,” Valte said.

She said the determination of how many children are working in what industry will allow the authorities to “propose alternatives” (to keep them from being exploited).

The government is working with the ILO through a US-government funded program called the International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) that provides the vision of a child labor-free Philippines by building on past gains and addressing continuing challenges.

The ILO-IPEC aims to improve the knowledge system on child labor while strengthening partnership with local partners and promoting sustainability of the program.

The Philippine government has expressed its commitment to fight child labor through the goal of the Philippine Program Against Child Labor (PPACL), which aims to reduce the worst form of child labor by 75 per cent by 2015. The ILO, through IPEC, supports the national efforts in achieving the PPACL goal.

In its 2001 Survey on Children, the National Statistics Office (NSO) said that there are about 4.18 million working children aged five to seven years of age, which is 16.2 percent of the total population of children within the same age group.

The survey noted that 60 per cent or 2.4 million of the children are exposed to hazardous working conditions. (PCOO)


Malacanang welcomes peaceful resolution of hostage crisis in Agusan del Sur

Malacanang expressed elation over the peaceful resolution of the hostage taking incident in Agusan del Sur and commended the local crisis management committee for resolving the crisis.

“We would like to reiterate that we are very happy with the result, as we mentioned when the hostage taking took place. The paramount consideration should always be the safety of the hostages,” Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said in the press conference on Wednesday at Malacanang.

Valte said the Palace is thankful no one was hurt and that it was resolved without the use of force.

“We’d like to thank the local crisis management committee, the mayor, the governor of Agusan Del Sur and PNP Chief (Raul) Bacalzo and most especially Secretary (Jesse) Robredo for all their efforts in ensuring that the incident be resolved successfully and peacefully,” she said.

While the government acknowledges the sentiments of the hostage-takers, Valte said they must be held accountable for the consequences of their actions. She said appropriate charges may be filed against them based on the recommendations of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).

She clarified however that the details of government action will come from Secretary Robredo, who is part of the committee that resolved the hostage crisis.

Noting that some of the hostage -takers were reportedly minors, Valte said, the government might extend educational assistance to them but added that there will be consequences for what they did.

The Palace spokesperson also warned those planning to take similar action to raise their concerns through the proper channels instead of resorting to violence. (PCOO)


Malacanang allays public fears on rising cost of basic commodities

Malacanang allayed public fears on the possible increase in the prices of basic commodities as a result of the unabated rise in the cost of power and fuel saying that the trade department is closely monitoring prices.

“The DTI (Department of Trade and Industry) is strictly monitoring the increase of the prices of basic commodities to make sure that that there is no unnecessary movement in prices,” Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte told reporters in a press conference on Wednesday at Malacanang.

The Manila Electric Co. announced a higher electricity bills this month as the generation charge rose in April.

In the case of fuel price however, Valte said the DOE makes a regular computation and every Monday this data is shared to all the stakeholders mainly the transport groups to show them the appropriate fuel price increase.

“So it’s monitoring and awareness of what the prices should be based on the factors that are being considered,” she said noting that for the power rate increase, she’ll leave it to Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras.

Valte also said the Palace will announce a directive in the next few days related to the rising prices of power and oil.
“I can tell you that something is already being done about power and oil prices,” she said.

“When it comes to the prices of basic commodities, the concern of the government is the ordinary people. So, definitely, the solution will be geared for our people,” Valte said. (PCOO)


Aquino witnesses signing of agreement of members of Judiciary on salary adjustment

President Benigno S. Aquino III witnessed the signing of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the four associations of judges to address the discrepancies in the salaries of members of the Judiciary.

The Chief Executive witnessed the signing ceremony on Wednesday at the Executive Lounge of the Boncodin Hall at the DBM office in Manila with other government officials that include Budget Undersecretary Laura Pascual and Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda.

Secretary Abad signed the MOA on behalf of the DBM with presidents of various Judges Associations of the Philippines as counterpart led by Judge Antonio Eugenio, Jr. of the Philippine Judges Association, Judge Jaime Santiago of the Metropolitan and City Judges Association of the Philippines, Judge Josefina Siscar of the Philippine Trial Judges League, Inc., and Judge Basilio Ramiscal of the Retired Judges Association of the Philippines.

In his keynote speech President Aquino cited his administration’s serious commitment to address the various problems of the nation, including those in the three branches of the government ensuring the swift delivery of basic services to the people.

“Noon pa man iisa ang ating bukambibig, kayong mga Pilipino ang boss ko, sinisikap nating patotohanan at gawin ang ating bukambibig… at ang nasaksihan nating paglagda sa memorandum of agreement ngayon sa pagitan ng DBM at ng inyong mga organisasyon ng mga hukom ng bayan ay isang malinaw na patunay na seryoso tayo sa pagtupad ng ating mga pangako”, the President said.

“Lahat ng ito ay mga hakbang upang maisakatuparan ang mga reporma sa atin pong hudikatura… repormang magsisilbing timon sa paglalayag ng ating bayan tungo sa mas malakihang reporma”, the President said.

Secretary Abad said that as a party to the MOA, the national government, through the DBM will, in effect, provide an estimated P107.997 million to augment the gap in the pay of judges versus salary levels under Salary Standardization Law III (SSL3).

Abad noted that the P107.997 million that DBM is providing under the MOA is on top of the 165 million that it has been providing the Judiciary annually since 2007 to augment the deficiency in the collection of legal fees which is being used for the payment of the Special Allowances for the Judiciary (SAJ).

He said that apart from addressing the discrepancies in their salaries, the adjustment of salaries for judges was also part of the Aquino administration’s thrust to a judicial reform, one of the pillars of its social contract with the Filipino people to ensure that justice will be implemented fairly, equitably and in the highest level of integrity. (PCOO)


Trial judges ask Aquino to look after their welfare

Officers and members of the trial judges associations appealed to President Benigno S. Aquino III to look after the general welfare of the trial judges in the country.

Philippine Judges Association (PJA) president Antonio M. Eugenio Jr. echoed the trial judge sentiments to the President on Wednesday during the symbolic signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the judges associations and the Department of Budget and Management for the payment of the special allowance for the judiciary (SAJ) at the Executive Lounge of the DBM office in Manila.

“The past administration granted us our special allowance now known as the SAJ but as their own what we gave they take it away. Mr. President, we beseech you what the past regime took away, please restore, please restore,” Eugenio said.

“It in this in light Mr. President that in their behalf I’m now pleading to you to take a second hard look at the financial plight of your trial judges both incumbent and retired,” he added.

Aside from Eugenio, also present in the MOA signing were the top officials of Metropolitan and City Judges Association headed by Jaime B. Santiago, Philippine Trial Judges League, Inc. headed by Josefina E. Siscar and Retired Judges Association headed by Basilio R. Ramiscal.

Eugenio assured the President that the trial judges are not obstructionist in order to capture the attention of the state but they are the real partners of his administration in his journey towards the “matuwid na daan.”

“Mr. President we pray that you look into the eyes and hearts of your trial judges and you will see them not as obstructionist but as working partners as you traverse in the matuwid na daan,” he told the President.

Eugenio expressed the belief that trial judges may get fair treatment under the Aquino regime compare to the leadership of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

“Human as you are, Mr. President. On June 30, 2010, a great number of our people welcomed your assumption into office, the savior who will redeem his people from the bondage of nine years of greed and misrule,” he said. (PCOO)


Aquino orders economic managers to study means of mitigating high oil prices

President Benigno Aquino III said he has instructed his economic managers to study all possible measures that could ease the impact of high oil prices on vulnerable sectors.

The economic managers will consider things such as wage increase, price control, or even deduction on value added tax (VAT), the President said in a chance interview at the sidelines of an event at the budget department on Wednesday.

“I did instruct them to study all and every means of mitigating the spiraling oil prices especially given the fact, that we don’t see a quicker solution to this. The first of the measures is the ‘Pantawid Pasada’,” the President said.

The President said he expects the economic managers to come up with proposal as soon as possible, or maybe next week, so he could decide if he’ll approve it.

Maintaining focus is important in addressing the needs of the most vulnerable sectors to ensure that assistance are extended to them, according to the President.

At the same time, the chief executive expressed confidence that the country can weather the crisis brought about by the increasing fuel prices as the government releases its previous available savings.

“Tayo ay may kumpiyansa na meron tayong kakayahan na wag naman sanang humaba ng humaba itong krisis na pandaigdig. Pero sa ngayon meron tayong kakayahan para maibsan ang problema ng ating mga kababayan,” he said.

The President also said that in the next few days the public will be hearing a lot more good news as far as the economic field is concerned, including the country’s fiscal position. (PCOO)