PIA Dispatch - Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Aquino conferred Doctor of Laws degree by Fordham University

NEW YORK CITY (via PLDT) – President Benigno S. Aquino III was formally conferred an honorary degree by Fordham University during his visit here Monday. Fordham University officials led by its president Fr. Joseph McShane, S.J. presented the President with his Doctor of Laws degree honoris causa in ceremonies held at the institution's Keating Hall, Rose Hill Campus, Bronx, New York. In his remarks after the conferment, the President expressed awe at being conferred a degree saying that he was “struck by the symbolism” of the event. "I am struck by the symbolism of Fordham’s tradition of literally carving in stone, the names of leaders upon whom you have conferred honorary doctorates," the President said. President Aquino now joins over 30 others, including that of his mother, whose names are carved on the steps of what is known as the "Terrace of the Presidents" at Keating Hall. "Memorialized in this manner for all time, these names serve as proof positive, or proof negative, of this university’s considered judgment in bestowing this honor," the President said. "It serves as a permanent reminder that the verdict of history on those who have been accorded this distinction will neither be deferred, nor ignored," he added. The President’s name was carved next to that of his mother, the late President Corazon Aquino, who also received an honorary degree from Fordham in September 1986. (PCOO) .

Aquino cites indomitable spirit of Filipinos

NEW YORK (via PLDT) – President Benigno S. Aquino III cited on Monday the Filipinos’ indomitable spirit which he said was key in giving them the ability and resiliency to withstand everything the world may throw at them and still rise above it all. In his speech following his conferment as an Honorary Doctor of Laws at Fordham University’s Rose Hill Campus in Bronx, here, the President said this Filipino spirit has given them “a fresh start” to pick up the pieces of past mistakes and start anew. “I am here to represent a people who were not given, but rather, who gave themselves, a fresh start,” the President said. He said that despite the hardships encountered during the Martial Law years, the Filipino chose to assert the “primacy of conscience” and stood up for his rights against a dictator. “When my father was murdered, “Ninoy, you are not alone,” precisely became the rallying cry of my countrymen. Within three years, Filipinos from all walks of life defied truncheons and tanks armed only with a conscientious objection to dictatorship, and literally, a death-defying desire to uphold the principle that our social contract cannot tolerate anyone being above the law,” the President said. He added that the Filipinos determination to stand firm on their democratic ideals was once more put to the test when it condemned the previous administration’s move to subvert democracy in order to remain in power. “My predecessor, facing questions on her legitimacy, focused on keeping herself in power, to the exclusion of all other considerations,” the President said. “In both cases, those who had grown fat on the corrupt status quo funded and supported efforts to subvert democracy; and in both cases, despite it all, the Filipino renewed their social contract with each other and stood firm in their democratic ideals,” he added. The President said he was proud that the Filipino has remained true to himself and chose the right path to true democracy. “You make me proud for you have remained true to yourselves. Whether at home or abroad, the Filipino stands for something, by holding fast to democracy, by working mightily for reform, it can well and truly be said, there is no corner of the world where a Filipino cannot hold their head high,” the President said. “It is said of Filipinos that their hospitality and generosity knows no bounds. And it is with that sense of paying it forward that I am here in the United States, to share the lessons - hard earned, but in the earning, so much more cherished and uncompromising — that we have learned in keeping government open and transparent. We have had our periods of darkness, but now we are living in the light,” he added. “Let no one doubt that where the citizenry is unafraid to take its leaders to task, and who participate in nation-building, there you have a nation of empowered citizens cognizant of why government exists. And that is to alleviate the suffering of our countrymen. By means of being empowered, our fellow citizens will not only identify the problems we face, but will commit to being part of the solution, and by so doing, seize the better future we all deserve,” the President said. (PCOO) .

Aquino welcomes renewed commitment of Convergys to invest in the Philippines

NEW YORK CITY (via PLDT) – President Benigno S. Aquino III welcomed a top US business process outsourcing company’s decision to renew its pledge to partner with government in its advocacy to alleviate poverty, provide more jobs and spur economic growth through its commitment to invest in the Philippines. Jeffrey Fox, president and CEO of Convergys Corporation told the President of his company’s recommitment plans during a courtesy call the executive made to the Chief Executive at the Guggenheim Room of the Omni Berkshires Hotel here Monday. He said Convergys was cognizant of the opportunity for growth any one would have when investing in the Philippines and that the company was taking definite steps to ensure that the partnership between the two remains strong. “I met with President Aquino to re-emphasize the partnership and growth opportunities that Convergys and the country of the Philippines have together and to confirm our long-term commitment to invest in the Philippines,” Fox said. Fox added that he took the time to personally thank the President for all the help he has done in making the BPO industry in the country flourish. “We appreciate everything that the government does to make sure that we’re good partners,” Fox said. Fox said the President likewise recommitted he and his government’s support for the industry. “The President has a history of being engaged and very supportive of not only our industry but I think all industries that can bring quality jobs to the Philippines,” Fox said. (PCOO) . Joint Fil-Am company partners to invest $15-million in coconut industry NEW YORK CITY (via PLDT) – President Benigno S. Aquino III has expressed excitement over renewed interest by potential investors on the Philippine coconut, a Palace official said on Monday here. Presidential Communications and Strategic Planning Office Secretary Ramon Carandang said that the President was in good spirits after a soft drink manufacturer as well as a Filipino and American company expressed their intent to invest on harvesting the natural and medicinal properties of coconut water and selling it around the world. In separate courtesy calls at the Guggenheim Room of the Omni Berkshire Hotel here, soft drink giant Pepsi Corporation (PepsiCo), American beverage company Vita Coco and Filipino based Fiesta Coco Equity told the President of its respective investment plans for the Philippine coconut. Carandang said that PepsiCo, Vita Coco and Fiesta Coco Equity were aware of the growing demand for coconut water in the United States and other countries as an alternative to carbonated sodas. He said consumers were turning to healthier means to hydrate themselves after working out or just quench everyday thirst from normal activities. Because of this, Carandang said that these companies were turning to coconut-rich countries as sources for their individual products. “So these companies want to source the demand for coconut water from the Philippines. So malaking opportunity ito for our coconut industry and for our farmers,” Carandang said. Carandang added that although PepsiCo did not throw out any numbers during the courtesy call, the company is serious in its plans to expand its coconut harvesting operations in the Philippines because of its “huge potential.” In a separate interview, Vita Coco co-founder and CEO Michael Kirben and Fiesta Coco Equity (FCE) president Romeo Chan said that they had just signed an agreement to increase the production and harvesting of coconut water. Chan said that FCE, which has coconut plantation in Misamis Occidental, has pledged to supply the demand of Vita Coco. The duo said that they had told the President of their company’s pledge to invest $15-million over the next four years not only to harvest coconut water but to do its part in preserving the resource by planting more coconut trees in the country. “Generally we discussed the coconut industry in the Philippines and how there’s a lot of room to bring rebirth to the industry in general,” Kirben said. “We expressed a lot of interest in the planting of coconut trees to revive the coconut industry because we noticed that a lot of the trees are senile and old,” Chan added. Carandang meanwhile said the President was excited over the new investment prospects as these would help in his government’s poverty alleviation campaign through job generation. “It (investment) is something rural communities can benefit from so it dovetails with the President’s anti-poverty through job generation campaign,” Carandang said. “Kaya nga masaya siya eh…excited siya, excited si Presidente,” he added. (PCOO) . BPO company chooses PHL as ‘model’ of higher end call center work NEW YORK CITY (via PLDT) – A leading business process outsourcing company has chosen the Philippines as one of its “model centers” that will supply the growing demand for highly trained and skilled workers to cater to clients with “higher end” needs. Bill Bloom, executive vice president of EXL Services, a leading provider of outsourcing and transformation services to Global 1000 companies in multiple industries, called on President Benigno S. Aquino III Monday at the Guggenheim room of the Omni Berkshire hotel here to tell the Chief Executive of their company’s growth and expansion programs in Manila. He said that his company has a growing base of clients who need higher end services than traditional call center work. Called “middle office,” this type of higher end services caters to work needed by professionals in health and business fields. “So that would include work that is typically provided to physicians, nurses or lawyers or accountants and we’re building models such that we can offer those services to our clients here in the US from our centers in the Philippines,” Bloom said. (PCOO) . Aquino’s economic team to meet with three international credit rating agencies NEW YORK CITY: Members of President Benigno S. Aquino III’s economic team will meet with three international credit rating agencies here in the United States, a Malacanang official said. Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office Secretary Ricky Carandang said some members of the economic team who accompanied the President during this trip will be staying behind to meet with the rating firms. “Pagkauwi namin ni Pangulong Aquino, ang iba sa economic team ay maiiwan dito para makipagpulong sa mga rating agencies,” Carandang said during an interview after the conferment rites at Fordham University. The secretary said that the Philippine economic team sought the meeting with the international credit rating firms. He added that the meeting seeks to ask the rating agencies to take a "second look" at the Philippines’ sovereign credit rating. “I think it’s to make the case that our fiscal management right now probably deserves a second look as far as ratings are concerned. They have some concerns about the sustainability of our spending programs,” he said. He said he expects the meeting between the economic team and the credit rating firms will "help explain our plans for sustaining the spending programs that we have,” he added. “So yung may mga tanong kung papano ipagpapatuloy ito na hindi naman masyadong lalaki ang utang natin,” the secretary said, "sasabihin natin sa kanila pag tiningnan iyong nagawa na natin at ang plano natin moving forward ay baka puwedeng magkaroon ng mas mataas na rating ang Pilipinas,” he added. The credit ratings awarded to the Philippines by Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s Investors’ Service, and Fitch Ratings were all below investment grade. (PCOO) . President Aquino attends launching of Open Government Partnership in New York City NEW YORK CITY: President Benigno S. Aquino III will attend the launching of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) on Tuesday here to underscore his administration’s commitment to good governance and anti-corruption. President Aquino has accepted the invitation of US President Barack Obama and Brazil President Dilma Rousseff, co-chairs of the OGP, to join the official launch of the OGP here in New York on Tuesday. The Philippines is one of only two countries from Asia invited to become a member of the Steering Committee of OGP. Other members are the United States, Brazil, United Kingdom, Indonesia, Mexico, Norway and South Africa. Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Cuisia said that the inclusion of the Philippines to the Steering Committee is due to President Aquino’s commitment to good governance and anti-corruption. “The Philippines has been selected because of President Aquino’s commitment to good governance and his determination to fight corruption in order to be able to create more jobs for Filipinos and eventually, of course, reduce poverty,” he said. “The fact that we were selected is, I think, very significant. It recognizes the efforts of President Aquino and, of course, his Cabinet in promoting accountability, transparency and accountability and good governance practices,” he said during an interview. Open Government Partnership is a new multilateral initiative that aims to promote transparency, empower citizens, fight corruption, and harness new technologies to strengthen governance. According to the Department of Foreign Affairs, the members of the Steering Committee were selected based on the following criteria: Fiscal Transparency, Access to Information, Disclosures Related to Elected Officials and Citizen Engagement. “Each country will submit an action plan and our action plan is focused on improving public services, increasing public integrity and more effective use of public resources. So those are the three main points in that action plan,” Cuisia said. The ambassador said about 40 other countries will be joining the launching of the OGP on Tuesday but only the members of the Steering Committee, including the Philippines, will be speaking during the official launch. (PCOO) . President Aquino addresses Open Governance Forum in New York City NEW YORK CITY: President Benigno S. Aquino III will keynote an Open Governance forum on the second day of his official visit to the United States of America slated from September 18 to 21. The Chief Executive will deliver a keynote speech Tuesday morning here at an OGP-related forum called “The Power Open: A Global Discussion.” He is the only head of state invited to address this forum to be held at Google's New York office. The forum is an all-day multi-stakeholder conversation focused on the role of openness in improving responsiveness, fostering accountability, creating efficiency, fighting corruption, and similar themes. After his speaking engagement, President Aquino will meet with the top executives of IBM. He will also attend the formal launching of the OGP, co-chaired by US President Barack Obama and Brazil President Dilma Rousseff. The Philippines is one of only two countries from Asia invited to become a member of the Steering Committee of OGP. Other members of the Committee are the United States, Brazil, United Kingdom, Indonesia, Mexico, Norway and South Africa. On the same day, the President will meet with the Foreign Minister of Norway. He will also be speaking about his administration’s domestic and foreign policy thrusts before the Asia Society. The Asia Society is an organization founded in 1956 by John D. Rockefeller III to promote greater knowledge of Asia in the US. The Society has offices throughout the US and Asia. (PCOO) .

Palace happy with high public approval of President Aquino, other top officials

Malacanang expressed elation over the increasing trust and approval ratings of President Benigno S. Aquino III, Vice president Jemomar Binay and other top government officials based on a recent survey. While Vice President Jejomar Binay remains as the "most appreciated and trusted top official of the national government," based on the recent survey result of polling firm Pulse Asia on Tuesday, the Palace said it is happy with the numbers of the President. “Pareho pong tumaas ang numbers nila at masaya naman po tayo nakikita naman ng ating mga kababayan ang ginagawa ng ating mga opisyal para sa kanila,” Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a press briefing on Tuesday. Asked to comment on the trust and approval rating of all top five public officials who posted significant improvements, Valte said it’s good that they have high public acceptance. “For the period that the survey was taken it was a snapshot of the public opinion at that time and maganda po iyun na tumataas po yung approval ratings ng top officials po natin,” Valte said. In a Pulse Asia Ulat ng Bayan survey from August 20 to September 2, 2011 of 1,200 adult respondents nationwide, Binay again emerged with the highest performance and trust ratings among top officials of the national government. President Aquino got 77 percent approval rating, while his disapproval rating stood at 4 percent. Compared to the May 2011 Ulat ng Bayan survey of Pulse Asia, all top officials, including Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, and Chief Justice Renato Corona, scored gains in their performance and trust ratings. The President’s performance rating went up 6 percentage points, and his trust rating increased also by 4 percentage points. (PCOO)