Aquino confers Order of the Golden Heart with rank of Grand Collar on National Scientist Dr. Fe Del Mundo
President Benigno S. Aquino III conferred the Grand Collar (Maringal na Kwintas) of the Order of the Golden Heart on National Scientist Dr. Fe Del Mundo during State Necrological Services held at the Department of Science and Technology compound in Bicutan Thursday.
Del Mundo, the country's distinguished pediatrician and National Scientist passed away on August 6, 2011 at the age of 99.
In his speech, the President said it was his and the country's honor to bestow such an award to the “Grand Dame of Philippine Pediatricsand Medicine.”
“Ikinalulugod po nating hirangin si Fe del Mundo na mapabilang sa Order of the Golden Heart, Rank of Grand Collar, bilang pagkilala at pagtingala sakatangi-tangi niyang kontribusyon at serbisyo para iangat ang katayuan ng mga naisasantabi nating kababayan sa lipunan,” thePresident said.
He praised Del Mundo for her selfless service and dedication to the upliftment of the lives of her countrymen, especially children, suffering from sickness and disease.
“Narating man niya ang tuktok ng propesyon, hindi niya nakaligtaang ipaabot ang serbisyo niya sa komunidad, at isubsob ang sarili sa pagsasaliksik upang masugpo at malunasan ang maraming uri ng sakit,” the President said.
“Pinatunayan niyang hindi kailangang may katungkulan sa gobyerno, o maging matagumpay na negosyante upang maka-ambag sa pag-unlad ng bansa. Hindi niya hinangad na magpayaman at kumapit sa kapangyarihan, tanging ang kapakanan at kalusugan ng mga bata at pamilyang Pilipino ang kanyang tinutukan,” he added.
Del Mundo, who is a legend and icon in the field of Pediatric Medicine, had dedicated almost a century of her life in pursuit of excellence and selfless service to Filipino children, mothers, families and communities throughout the Philippines.
Her most significant researches dealt mainly with viral diseases, particularly on polio-myelitis, rubeola, rubella and varicella that has served as reference in the use of vacine and immunizations in the country.
Del Mundo also invented two devices to help people in rural communites: a simple inexepensive incubator made of bamboo and an improvised bamboo radiant warmer and photo therapy device that could cure babies with jaundice.
These inventions reflected her interest in rural health, particularly those in underserved and remote areas.
In1957, Del Mundo established the Children's Memorial Hospital (later renamed to Dr. Fe Del Mundo Medical Center) which to this day, continues to admit thousands of children requiring quality medical help.
A woman of many firsts, Dr. Del Mundo was the first female and first Asian to be enrolled in Pediatrics at the prestigous then all-male Harvard Medical School (1935-1940) as a Philippine Commonwealth Scholar. She was also the first woman to head a government general hospital in the Philippines when she was appointed director of the Manila Children's hospital (later renamed Dr. Jose R. Reyes Memorial Hospital) in 1943.
She was also the first Filipino diplomat of the American Board of Pediatrics (1947) which introduced Filipino women and physicians to the world as well as the first Asian president of the Medical Women's International Association (1962-1966).
In the Philippines, Del Mundo founded and became the first woman president of the Philippine Pediatric Society (1952-1955), founded the Philippine Medical Women's Association; and in 1972 became the first woman president of the Philippine Medical Association.
President Aquino lauded Del Mundo for her achievements saying that these should serve as inspiration for “a thousand more Fe Del Mundos” who will take up the cudgels and help improve the lives of Filipinos.
“Sa ating pambansang sayantist, salamat sa iyong dedikasyon na paghusayin ang kaalaman sa agham para paglingkuran ang mga nangangailangan. Salamat sa pagiging inspirasyon ng mga Pilipino na lalong magsumikapat magbayanihan, at sa pagpapatunay na hindi hadlang ang edad o ang kasarian para maglingkod sa bayan,” thePresident said.
“Sa pagdadalamhati ng bansa sa pagpanaw ni Fe del Mundo, lalo naman pong tumitingkad ang legasiyang ipinamana niya sa larangan ng medisina at pakikipagkapwa-tao. Sa paglisan ng isang Fe Del Mundo, maging hudyat sana ito sa pagsilang ng isanlibo pang Fe del Mundo na handing gamitin ang dunong at talino para sa pag-ahon ng mga Pilipino at hindi alintana ang mga sakripisyo sa serbisyo-publiko,” he added.
“Sa ganitong diwa ng pagkalinga at pag-aruga sa kapakanan ng kapwa, lagi’t laging mabibigyang-buhay at hindi maglalaho ang pamana ng ating Grand Dame of Philippine Pediatrics and Medicine — ang Pilipinang naging misyon ang wagas na pagbubukas-palad sa kapwa — naitinuring na sariling anak ang mga nangangailangang sanggol at bata, at di-kailanman pinagkaitan ng tunay na serbisyo ang sambayanang Pilipino,” the President said.(PCOO)
Aquino convenes second LEDAC meeting next week
President Benigno S. Aquino III will convene the members of the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) where they are expected to discuss the common legislative agenda, the new administration measures to be proposed and the Philippine Development Plan.
In a media briefing at the Palace on Thursday, Presidential Deputy Spokesperson Abigail Valte said that the second LEDAC meeting is scheduled to be held on Tuesday (August 16) adding that the bills that were left behind during the first meeting will be re-submitted.
“The second LEDAC meeting will be on the 16th, that is a Tuesday and the agenda will (include) updates on the common legislative agenda, new bills to be proposed, and a discussion on the Philippine Development Plan,” Valte said.
During first LEDAC meeting held last February 28, the majority of the 23 priority bills gained a “broad consensus” among the members during the discussions.
Among the priority bills that were discussed were 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.(PCOO)
Government to consult all stakeholders concerned ahead of formal talks with MILF
The government assured Thursday that it would consider the views of all stakeholders in the on-going peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) before both the government and MILF panels meet on August 22 to 24, Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said.
According to Secretary Teresita Deles of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPPAP), the government panel will continue to work with different constituencies in preparation for the said meeting.
Asked by reporters if the administration is ready for constitutional amendments given the MILF proposals for a sub-state, Valte said that they can’t comment until the formal meeting is held with the MILF but it is the President’s position not to support any push for charter change in general.
In a press briefing last week, government chief negotiator Marvic Leonen said both sides were expected to discuss significant agenda in the upcoming formal talks this month following the meeting of President Aquino with the MILF leadership in Japan also last week.
“Every meeting thereafter, there will be very significant agendas. I don’t think that it is in the appetite of both sides to discuss very procedural issues. Again, the meeting ended with both sides expressing their intent to fast track the process,” Leonen said referring to the Japan meeting.
President Aquino’s meeting with the leadership of the MILF in Japan Thursday night was aimed at showing sincerity and to fast track the ongoing peace talks with the Muslim rebel group.
Leonen explained that the President and Murad had a candid exchange of views about the frames of the continuing peace talks and possible approaches for both sides to take to achieve lasting peace in Mindanao.
Going to Japan in full force with members of his cabinet accompanying him indicated the government’s sincerity in the peace negotiations, he added.
The chief negotiator also made an assurance that there was no “secret deal” forged between the government and the MILF during the meeting adding that the Aquino government will not commit the same mistakes made by the past administration.(PCOO)
Aquino issues Proclamation No. 212, declares February as Countryside Development Month
President Benigno S. Aquino III issued Proclamation No. 212, amending Proclamation No. 75 entitled, “Declaring the month of February as Countryside Development Month.”
Proclamation No. 212, which was signed on August 1, 2011 by Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr., underscored the need to ensure that the framework for countryside development is consistent with the Philippine Development Plan 2011-2016.
The new proclamation amended Proclamation No. 75 signed by then President Joseph Ejercito Estrada on January 29, 1999 in line with the Medium-Term Philippine Development Plan (1998-2003) that emphasizes countryside development as key to national economic recovery and the attainment of Newly Industrial Country (NIC) status by the year 2000.
Proclamation 75 noted “that a shift in the development strategies from the metropolis to the countryside augurs well for economic decentralization and the preparation of the country in economic integration with other ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA).”
With the amendment, the framework for countryside development is now in line with the Philippine Development Plan 2011-2016.
“Both the 16-Point Agenda of the President and Executive Order (EO) No. 43 highlight the importance of rural development in relation to economic growth as well as the need to recognize farms and rural enterprises as vital to achieving food security and more equitable economic growth, worthy of re-investment for sustained productivity,” the President said in the new proclamation.
The Aquino administration’s 16-point agenda include human development; infrastructure development; economic development; sovereignty, security and rule of law; and good governance.
EO 43, meanwhile, formally organized five cabinet clusters to ensure efficiency, effectiveness and focus in carrying out the programs and policies of the government. Under Executive Order No. 43 signed by the President on May 13, 2011, the five Cabinet clusters are Good Governance and Anti-Corruption; Human Development and Poverty Reduction; Economic Development; Security, Justice and Peace; Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation.
“Countryside development with focus on private initiative will encourage an effective, sustained and valuable development program that will provide gainful employment, ensure food security and enable families to improve their standard of living,” Aquino said.
He noted that a shift in the development strategies from urban centers to the countryside is a positive step towards national economic decentralization and the preparation of the country for greater economic cooperation with other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
He stressed that promoting mutually beneficial linkages between the countryside and the major markets through e-commerce will enable a simple and more efficient marketing strategy for countryside products.
The President said the promotion and patronage of countryside products among local consumers will facilitate government and private efforts in developing the countryside.
President Aquino also proclaimed February of every year as Countryside Development Month with the Department of the Interior and Local Government attending to its appropriate observance every year, in cooperation with local government units.(PCOO)
Aquino issues Executive Order No. 52 as compensatory measure for delayed implementation of economic agreement with South Korea
President Benigno Aquino III issued an executive order which will compensate South Korea for the delayed implementation of an economic agreement under the Association of Southeast AsianNations-Korea Free Trade Agreement (AKFTA).
The President issued Executive Order 52 or the “Temporary Waiver of the Reciprocal Tariff Treatment on certain Articles to Implement the Agreement between the Republic of the Philippines and the Republic of Korea on the Compensatory Measure in Relation to the delayed Implementation of the Philippine Tariff Concessions under the Agreement on Trade in Goods under the Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Cooperation among the Governments of the Member Countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Republic of Korea” as compensatory measure.
To compensate South Korea for the delayed Philippine tariff commitment, EO 52 grants zero duty on 48 tariff lines which are not locally produced for a period of one year.
The basis of EO 52 is Section 402 of the Tariff and Customs Code of 1978, which authorizes the president, upon the recommendation of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), to modify imports duties and other import restrictions appropriate to promote foreign trade with other countries
Under the EO, articles listed in the annex, as classified under Section 104 of the Tariff and Customs Code of 1978, as amended shall imposed the AKFTA rates in accordance with the schedule indicated opposite of each article for a period of 12 months.
The AKFTA rates will be imposed on imports coming from the parties to the AKFTA subject to qualification under the Rules of Origin as provided by the free trade agreement.
The order said that upon its effectivity, all articles listed in the annex which are entered and withdrawn from warehouses in the Philippines for consumption shall be levied the AKFTA rates for 12 months. After that the reciprocal tariff treatment provided under EO 638 will be applied. EO 638 grants reciprocal tariff treatment to products in the Sensitive Track of Parties to the said agreement.
The President also repealed or amended all orders, regulations and issuances which are inconsistent with EO 52. The EO signed by the President on August 5, takes effect immediately upon its publication in a newspaper of general circulation.
The Philippines was supposed to eliminate at least 90 percent of the tariff lines placed under the Normal Track of the AKFTA not later than January 1 2009. EO 812, which implements such provision, took effect six months behind the schedule or on July 7, 2009.
Last May 17, 2011, the NEDA board approved the temporary waiver of reciprocal tariff treatment on certain articles as compensatory measure to South Korea.
Both the Philippines and South Korea issued note verbales in July this year, which constituted agreements for the two countries to implement the compensation package.
The government expects EO 52 to benefit local producers who use articles under the tariff lines involved as inputs to production particularly products that are not locally produced. Likewise, it will also help strengthen the relationship of the Philippines and South Korea.(PCOO)
