Aquino receives International Olympiad winners in Malacañang
President Benigno S. Aquino III received a new breed of Filipino achievers who bagged their respective awards from different prestigious international competitions.
Bronze medalists Henry Jefferson Morco and Miguel Arnold Reyes won a medal each from the 2011 International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) and the 2011 International Physics Olympiad, respectively.
Accompanying the group during the call held at the President’s Hall in Malacanang Palace was Science and Technology Secretary Mario Montejo.
Morco, from Chiang Kai Shek College, won the bronze with two other Filipino team members that earned the highest medal haul of the country ever since it joined the IMO in 1988.
Because of the Philippine team's successful performance in the Math Olympiad this year, the country's standing in the contest went up to 54 from 74 in 2010 out of 101 countries.
The equally-brilliant Reyes of the Philippine Science High School / UP Diliman was also awarded the 2nd Grand Award - 2011 Intel International Science & Engineering Fair.
Based on the official ranking, Reyes with another Filipino teammate got scores higher than 60% of the entire participants. A total of 393 students from 84 countries joined the Olympiad.
Another winner, Angeli Joyce Dy of Capiz National High School also won the 4th Grand Award from the 2011 Intel International Science & Engineering Fair.
Other members of the entourage were Julius Magalona Basilla, Roland Christopher Caballar and Jose Perico Esguerra from UP Diliman; Filma Brawner - Director, Science Education Institute & OIC, Philippine Science High School System; Ricky Banaag and Arlita Narag of INTEL Philippines; Mark Ivan Roblas - Science Education Institute (SEI-DOST) and Glen Mackenzie Ong - Mathematical Society of the Philippines.(PCOO)
President Aquino meets former British Prime Minister Tony Blair
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who arrived in Manila for the signing of religious literacy program, met President Benigno Aquino III in Malacanang Tuesday night.
Blair paid a courtesy call on the President at Malacanang’s Music Room which was followed by a dinner hosted in his honor by the President at the State dining room.
Blair on Wednesday signed an agreement with Philippine education officials for the adoption of his foundation’s religious literacy program aimed at teaching school children inter-faith and intercultural dialogue.
The program, which integrates lessons on peace-building in schools with the history of religious conflict, is part of the Tony Blair Faith Foundation initiative.
The program called “Face to Faith,” teaches young people key skills for the conduct of effective dialogue and engagement particularly on different faith and cultural traditions.
Blair’s arrival in Manila is his second visit in the country, the first was in March 2009 for a speaking engagement at the Ateneo de Manila University during the celebration of its 150th anniversary.
Blair served as prime minister of the United Kingdom from March 1997 to June 2007. He is currently the quartet representative to the Middle East, representing the United Nations, the European Union, the United States and Russia.(PCOO)
President Aquino to visit People’s Republic of China
President Benigno S. Aquino III will visit the People’s Republic of China from August 30 to September 3, 2011 to further enhance relations between the two countries, the Department of Foreign Affairs announced on Wednesday.
In a press briefing in Malacañang, Assistant Secretary for Asia and Pacific Affairs Cristina Ortega said the President’s state visit to the cities of Beijing, Shanghai and Xiamen highlights “the centuries-old friendship between the Philippines and China, and our desire to promote more exchanges and better understanding between our peoples.”
“The State Visit will further strengthen the 36 years of friendship and mutually beneficial relations between the Philippines and China,” Ortega said.
“The visit hopes to push for more trade, investment, media, culture, education and tourism exchanges between both sides. It will also showcase the Philippines as an attractive and profitable business destination,” she added.
Ortega pointed out that among the activities the President will undertake during the visit include meetings with Chinese President Hu Jintao, Premiere Wen Jiabao and Chairman Wu Bangguo of the National People’s Congress.
The President will also keynote three important fora: the Philippine-Chinese Economic and Trade Forum in Beijing, High Level Forum with Yangtze River Delta Government Officials and Business Enterprises in Shanghai, and the Philippine-Fujian Business Conference in Xiamen.
Aside from these, the President will hold one-on-one meetings with selected Chinese businessmen to promote the government’s Public Private Partnership (PPP) program.
He will also join the Filipino community in each of said cities to personally get an overview of their situation.
Ortega said that there are 12,700 Filipinos living and working in various cities in the PROC.
Diplomatic relations between the Philippines and China were established on June 9, 1975 and since then, China has been the Philippines’ third largest trading partner and fourth largest source of tourists as well as the fourth largest source of development assistance. (PCOO)
6 agreements to be signed during President Aquino’s state visit to PROC – DFA
The Department of Foreign Affairs announced on Wednesday that at least six agreements will be signed during President Benigno S. Aquino III’s five-day State Visit to the People’s Republic of China from August 30 to September 3, 2011.
Assistant Secretary of the DFA’s Office Asia and Pacific Affairs Cristina Ortega said that these agreements will be signed during the business fora and meetings the President will be having with Chinese business leaders in the different cities he will be visiting.
The three cities the President will visit are Beijing, Shanghai and Xiamen.
Ortega said the agreements include the Joint Statement (PH-PROC) on the West Philippine Sea, the Philippines-China Five-Year Development Program for Trade and Economic Cooperation, an MoU between the PCOO and State Council Information Office on Friendly Exchanges, an MoU on Sports Cooperation, Implementing Program on the MoU on Tourism and Exchange of Letters on the Executive Program of the Philippines-China Cultural Agreement.
On the Joint Statement on the West Philippine Sea, Ortega said that the document will be released but only after the State Visit.
“We will have a Joint Statement of the Philippines and China (on the West Philippine Sea)…that will be crafted during and right after the State Visit to China so hindi pa natin alam yan. I don’t think we can preempt the Joint Statement but I would assume that there would be a line or two on the West Philippine Sea,” Ortega said.
On the Philippine-China Five-Year Development Program for Trade and Economic Cooperation, Ortega said the targeted sectors of this program are in infrastructure, mining, energy, information and tourism.(PCOO)
Malacanang condemns killing of Negros Occidental broadcaster
Malacanang on Wednesday condemned the murder of 42-year-old former broadcaster Neil Aranga Jimena of Negros Occidental.
In a statement, Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda assured the family of the slain journalist that the full force of the law is being applied to immediately identify and apprehend the perpetrators of the crime.
The Palace also extends its deepest sympathies to the family of Jimena, who was shot dead on Monday by unidentified assailants in E.B. Magalona town, northern Negros Occidental.
“The full force of the law is being applied to swiftly identify and apprehend the killers of Neil Aranga Jimena. We have tasked the PNP to constantly update us on the progress of their investigation,” he said.
“We condemn his murder and call on those who may have information concerning the case to swiftly contact the authorities. To his loved ones, we extend our deepest sympathies and we will work to ensure justice is done,” he added.(PCOO)
Ochoa: Rapid response teams ready in Libya and Syria
The Rapid Response Teams (RRTs), trained and prepared to address developments in crisis-affected countries with significant OFW populations, have been activated and are closely monitoring developments in Libya and Syria, Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr. said on Wednesday.
"RRTs were deployed to Syria and Libya on August 13, and the team in Syria has already reported that they have validated the contingency plans for OFWs based in Syria," Ochoa said.
"The RRT assigned to Libya, on the other hand, is at the Libya-Tunisia border. It is closely monitoring developments in the area and is ready to assist OFWS that leave Libya via that route," added Ochoa, who also chairs the Overseas Preparedness and Response Team (OPRT).
Ochoa said one of the priority programs of the OPRT when it was formed by President Benigno Aquino III was the formation of several RRTs, with each team assigned to review and assess the contingency plans prepared by Philippine diplomatic posts in the Middle East.
"We did not want to wait for the next crisis to occur before acting so we formed and trained the RRTs in anticipation of these developments in the Middle East. These teams were trained last May and have been ready for deployment to crisis-affected countries in the Middle East since June of this year," Ochoa said.
The RRTs are tasked to verify and validate the contingency plans in crisis-affected areas, familiarize themselves with actual conditions on the ground and augment efforts and personnel of the Department of Foreign Affairs in countries where there are political upheavals.
The RRTs, which are composed of select personnel from the DFA, Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE), Department of National Defense (DND), and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) report directly to the OPRT and work in tandem with the foreign affairs office.
The OPRT was established through Executive Order 34 signed by the President on April 6, 2011. It replaced the Presidential Middle East Preparedness Committee (PMEPC), which was created under Executive Order No. 159 in 2002, to deal with the evacuation of thousands of Filipino workers in the Middle East at the height of the Iraq crisis.
Under EO 34, the OPRT is composed of the Executive Secretary as chairperson and the presidential adviser on Overseas Filipino Workers’ Concerns and secretaries of the DFA, DoLE, DND, and, the Departments of Justice (DoJ), Interior and Local Government (DILG), and Budget and Management (DBM), as members.
The high-level crisis team is tasked to draw up strategies and programs and formulate policies to appropriately respond to crisis situations affecting Filipinos abroad. It is also tasked to develop and adopt interactive operating arrangements among agencies to ensure maximum coordination.
(PCOO)
Malacanang welcomes Senate move approving resolution concurring ratification of Rome Statute
Malacanang welcomed on Wednesday the move of the Senate to approve a resolution concurring with the ratification of the Rome Statute that paved the way for the Philippines to join the International Criminal Court (ICC).
With the approval on third and final reading of its resolution concurring in the ratification of the Rome Statute, the Senate has paved the way for the Philippines to join the International Criminal Court (ICC), with a vote of 17-1, Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said.
Lacierda said President Benigno S. Aquino III had endorsed the Rome Statute on May 6, 2011.
Lacierda said the Department of Foreign Affairs will deposit the instrument of ratification this week in New York.
“This is a concrete demonstration of the administration’s commitment to human rights and accountability within and among nations,” Lacierda stressed.
According to the statement released by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) the Philippines, through then Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York Enrique Manalo, signed the Rome Statute on December 28, 2000.
Under the Philippine Constitution, the DFA noted that treaties ratified by the President need the concurrence of the Senate before these can enter into force and effect.
Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, chairperson of the Senate Subcommittee on the ICC, delivered the sponsorship speech on the treaty last August 16. Senator Loren Legarda, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, likewise delivered a co-sponsorship address.
President Aquino received in Malacañang last March ICC President Sang Hyun-Song.
The DFA has been an ardent advocate of Philippine ratification of the Rome Statute through the years.
Under Secretary Teofisto Guingona, the DFA recommended its ratification to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2002 and under Secretary Blas F. Ople resubmitted the same to the President in 2003.
The Rome Statute was concluded in 1998 by the United Nations (UN) Diplomatic Conference of Plenipotentiaries on the Establishment of an ICC that was participated in by some 140 States, including the Philippines. The Statute entered into force on July 1, 2002, after 60 States had become Parties.
The ICC, which is headquartered in The Hague, The Netherlands, has jurisdiction over the most serious crimes of concern to the international community, namely genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and aggression.
To date, there are 116 states that have either ratified or acceded to the Rome Statute, 15 of which are from Asia and the Pacific, including Cambodia, East Timor, Korea, Australia, and Japan.(PCOO)
Aquino appoints Acosta presidential adviser for environmental protection
President Benigno Aquino III has appointed former Rep. Juan Romeo Nereus “Neric” Acosta of Bukidnon province as presidential adviser for environmental protection.
Acosta, a member of the Liberal Party, took his oath of office as presidential adviser for environmental protection before President Aquino in Malacanan Palace on Wednesday.
Acosta, who served as representative for the first district of Bukidnon, is the principal author of the Clean Air Act. He also sponsored major environmental legislation on clean water, solid waste management and biodiversity protection.
He also served as the House of Representative’s chairman of the Committee on Ecology and vice chairman of the Committees on Science and Technology, Human Rights, and Foreign Relations.
Acosta ran but lost in senatorial race in May 2010 national elections.(PCOO)
