Aquino welcomes, meets Party List Representatives in Malacañang
President Benigno S. Aquino III welcomed and met with Party List Representatives who called on the Chief Executive in Malacañang on Wednesday.
President Benigno S. Aquino III welcomed and met with Party List Representatives who called on the Chief Executive in Malacañang on Wednesday.
The lawmakers, who were accompanied by House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr., met with the President at Malacañang’s Heroes Hall.
In an interview, Belmonte said the purpose of this courtesy call was to “break the ice” and allow the congressmen to get to know the President before the opening of the 15th Congress this month.
“This meeting was organized just for the President to meet them (Party List Reps.). We have around 56, Party List members and a lot of them have not met the President yet,” Belmonte said.
“Siyempre kailangan may break the ice. Isang taon na silang naglilingkod dito and virtually all of them are staunch supporters of the President,” Belmonte added.
Belmonte said 32 of the 56 Party List members were present during the meeting.
“I (therefore) deemed it a good thing before session starts that the Congressmen get to meet and talk with the President,” Belmonte said.
Cabinet cluster working to address Climate Change
In line with President Benigno S. Aquino III’s directive to clean up the environment, the Cabinet cluster on Climate Change has been working continuously to come up with ways and means to address the effects of the worsening global climate situation.
Cabinet cluster working to address Climate Change
In line with President Benigno S. Aquino III’s directive to clean up the environment, the Cabinet cluster on Climate Change has been working continuously to come up with ways and means to address the effects of the worsening global climate situation.
In a forum under the Pilipinas Natin program leading to President Aquino’s State of the Nation Address this month, Environment Secretary Ramon Paje said the government has made giant strides in protecting the environment.
He said that since the President assumed office in June last year, the government has succeeded in bringing down pollution in the air and water and has put a stop to illegal logging, the main cause of flooding.
On air pollution, Paje said the government has brought down the number of suspended particulates in Metro Manila’s air from 166 micrograms in June 2010 to 120 mcg in June this year.
He said a stricter implementation of administrative reforms concerning the environment is needed to bring the pollution count down to the normal level of 90 mcg.
These reforms, Paje said, include the proposal of Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago to phase-out vehicles manufactured in 2008 or earlier to reduce vehicle volume in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
On water pollution, Paje pointed out that they have been coordinating efforts with local government units to clean up the country’s esteros and waterways.
He noted that they have launched a waterway clean-up program dubbed “Adopt-an-Estero” that appeals to companies’ corporate social responsibility to help citizens and the government to clean and keep clean waterways.
“To date, 182 corporations have already adopted major rivers and big city esteros nationwide—‘yan po ang isa sa pinakamagandang response ng ating society sa clamor natin sa paglilinis ng ating katubigan,” Paje said.
On illegal logging, Paje stressed that the President had signed Executive Order No. 23 declaring a total logging ban in the country and Executive Order No. 26 or the National Greening Program.
“’Yan po ang mga programang nilunsad natin sa programa ni President Noynoy on the environment,” Paje said.
Aquino government offers scholarship grants to encourage Filipinos to take courses in agriculture
Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala said that the Aquino government provides scholarship grants to Filipinos especially the children of farmers to encourage them to take-up courses in agriculture saying that there is future in agriculture.
“’Yan po ang mga programang nilunsad natin sa programa ni President Noynoy on the environment,” Paje said.
Aquino government offers scholarship grants to encourage Filipinos to take courses in agriculture
Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala said that the Aquino government provides scholarship grants to Filipinos especially the children of farmers to encourage them to take-up courses in agriculture saying that there is future in agriculture.
During the third Cabinet Cluster on Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation and Food Security aired over NBN4 and dzRB on Wednesday, Alcala encouraged farmers to send their children to agricultural colleges and schools by availing of the government’s scholarship program.
Alcala told the farmers that their children can earn much in agriculture. “Ang malaking kikitain ang nag-aakit sa mga magsasaka para payagan ang anak niya na kumuha ng agricultural classes. Meron po tayong scholarship funds,” he said.
Alcala told the farmers that their children can earn much in agriculture. “Ang malaking kikitain ang nag-aakit sa mga magsasaka para payagan ang anak niya na kumuha ng agricultural classes. Meron po tayong scholarship funds,” he said.
Alcala said government programs in agriculture are now in place to help farmers and empower them with proper farming practices and the provision of funding support to increase their productivity in their respective communities.
“Kung iyon pong magulang (farmers) nabigyan natin ng pagkakataon na kumita na hindi naman po sila nag-aral ng kumpleto nung una pero dahil sa tamang tulong ngayon na technical, may access sa funds, with that marketing help (from the government), kumikita na po sila ng mas mahigit sa isang ordinaryong empleyadong sumusweldo sa banko,” he said.
Alcala noted that sending children to agricultural schools is much affordable compared to allowing them to take-up other courses.
“Sa halip na pag-aaralin pa ng ibang kurso na pagkamamahal, pagkatapos wala namang trabaho,” said Alcala.
The DA secretary said the department is working hard to implement government programs in response to President Aquino’s order to advocate and support the productivity of farmers in the countryside.
Alcala underscored the need for farmers to undergo training in pest management, promoting the use of organic farming and other services towards sustainable management of their crops, livestocks and grains.
Paje says DENR have filed 298 illegal logging cases since May 2011
Two months after President Benigno S. Aquino III declared an all-out-war versus illegal loggers in May, this year, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) have filed some 298 cases of illegal logging involving local officials in different criminal courts.
Paje says DENR have filed 298 illegal logging cases since May 2011
Two months after President Benigno S. Aquino III declared an all-out-war versus illegal loggers in May, this year, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) have filed some 298 cases of illegal logging involving local officials in different criminal courts.
Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Ramon Paje said the illegal logging cases were included in his department’s report submitted to the President as a result of departments drive to curb rampant illegal logging activities in the country.
“Iyong first report namin kay President Noynoy, we have filed 298 anti-illegal logging cases. Meron po diyan kasamang mga mayor, meron po diyan mga lokal na opisyal na sinama namin especially in Mindanao,” Paje said during the third Cabinet Cluster “Pilipinas Natin Forum” on Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation and Food Security aired live over NBN4 and government run radio station dzRB Radyo ng Bayan on Wednesday.
Paje said that upon President Aquino’s total log ban instruction, the DENR cancelled all logging permits and no logging concessions have been operating in the forests.
“Wala na pong illegal logging na nag-o-operate ngayon. Magmula po nang umupo ako sa DENR bilang kalihim, ni isa pong logging permit wala kaming pinipirmahan. Wala na rin pong nag-o-operate sa gubat na logging concession,” he said.
President Aquino declared 2011 as the National Year of Forests in the Philippines and has directed the DENR, Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police to step up the campaign against illegal loggers and confiscate illegally cut logs from natural and residual forests.
Aquino to address 29th Biennial National Assembly of Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches in Clark
President Benigno S. Aquino III will visit the Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga on Thursday to address the 29th Biennial National Assembly of the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches (PCEC).
This year’s assembly, with the theme: “Churches Transforming Communities – Working Together Towards National Transformation,” is a gathering of PCEC’s members, evangelical leaders, bishops and overseers of 69 denominations and 168 mission organizations.
The four-day event, which started last July 12 and ends on July 15, will be held at Terra Tent, Hotel Vida in Clarkfield, Pampanga.
The PCEC was established in 1964 by a group of Christian leaders that seeks to form an organization that would express their oneness with Jesus Christ and formalizing into a distinct council the growing force and influence of evangelism in the country.
It also envisions the Philippines to be a nation where peace, justice and righteousness reign; where everyone has a decent standard of living; and where Jesus Christ is recognized as Lord of all.
From a small umbrella organization, the PCEC is presently composed of 30,000 evangelical local churches and a network of denominations as well as mission groups and para-church organizations nationwide.
“Iyong first report namin kay President Noynoy, we have filed 298 anti-illegal logging cases. Meron po diyan kasamang mga mayor, meron po diyan mga lokal na opisyal na sinama namin especially in Mindanao,” Paje said during the third Cabinet Cluster “Pilipinas Natin Forum” on Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation and Food Security aired live over NBN4 and government run radio station dzRB Radyo ng Bayan on Wednesday.
Paje said that upon President Aquino’s total log ban instruction, the DENR cancelled all logging permits and no logging concessions have been operating in the forests.
“Wala na pong illegal logging na nag-o-operate ngayon. Magmula po nang umupo ako sa DENR bilang kalihim, ni isa pong logging permit wala kaming pinipirmahan. Wala na rin pong nag-o-operate sa gubat na logging concession,” he said.
President Aquino declared 2011 as the National Year of Forests in the Philippines and has directed the DENR, Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police to step up the campaign against illegal loggers and confiscate illegally cut logs from natural and residual forests.
Aquino to address 29th Biennial National Assembly of Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches in Clark
President Benigno S. Aquino III will visit the Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga on Thursday to address the 29th Biennial National Assembly of the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches (PCEC).
This year’s assembly, with the theme: “Churches Transforming Communities – Working Together Towards National Transformation,” is a gathering of PCEC’s members, evangelical leaders, bishops and overseers of 69 denominations and 168 mission organizations.
The four-day event, which started last July 12 and ends on July 15, will be held at Terra Tent, Hotel Vida in Clarkfield, Pampanga.
The PCEC was established in 1964 by a group of Christian leaders that seeks to form an organization that would express their oneness with Jesus Christ and formalizing into a distinct council the growing force and influence of evangelism in the country.
It also envisions the Philippines to be a nation where peace, justice and righteousness reign; where everyone has a decent standard of living; and where Jesus Christ is recognized as Lord of all.
From a small umbrella organization, the PCEC is presently composed of 30,000 evangelical local churches and a network of denominations as well as mission groups and para-church organizations nationwide.
