Aquino meets Miss Universe third runner-up Bb. Pilipinas Shamcey Supsup
Bb. Pilipinas Shamcey Supsup, the third runner up for the 2011 Miss Universe beauty pageant paid a courtesy call on President Benigno Aquino III Sunday evening at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Centennial Terminal 2, just before the chief executive embarked on a four-day trip to the United States.
The President and Ms Supsup had a photo opportunity at the Presidential lounge of the NAIA Terminal 2 an hour before the President’s scheduled departure for the United States. Ms Supsup arrived in Manila around 6:30 Sunday morning from Los Angeles, California.
Upon arrival, Supsup had a brief press conference at the Terminal 2 VIP lounge where she thanked all her supporters particularly those who helped her through the social media.
Aside from being the third runner up during the pageant, Supsup also ranked first among the fans in the vote for the top five candidates and second in the swimsuit and evening gown competitions.
This year’s winner of the Miss Universe beauty pageant is Leila Lopes from Angola, beating 88 other competitors to win the title during the 60th anniversary of the widely popular pageant of world beauties.
Bb. Pilipinas Shamcey Supsup will join a parade in Makati City Monday where she is expected to visit her high school alma mater, Makati High School. Similar celebrations will also be held in Cainta, Rizal, General Santos City, UP Diliman, and the Araneta Center. (PCOO)
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Aquino says US trip will showcase Philippine transformation, its readiness for business
The invitation of the United States and Brazil for the Philippines to join the launch of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) in New York is an opportunity for the Philippines to show to the world its significant transformation, President Benigno Aquino III said in his departure speech Sunday evening.
“Patunay lamang po ito sa pataas nang pataas na pagtingin sa atin ng ibang mga bansa. Sa pagbisita nating ito maipapahayag natin sa buong mundo ang ating tinatamasang sigla at kumpiyansa ng Pilipinas tungo sa pag-ginhawa ng mga Pilipino,” the President said in his message at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Centennial Terminal 2 just before he left for the US.
The President said that during his attendance of the OGP launching, he will share the country’s experiences in governance, adding that honest and good leadership has resulted to better economic conditions for the country.
“Taas-noo nating ihahayag ang katuparan ng ating paninindigan sa pagsugpo ng katiwalian para maiibsan ang kahirapan. Tiwala po tayo na sa pagpunta natin sa Amerika, gaya ng una nating pagbisita, marami tayong maiuuwing good news sa ating mga kababayan,” he said.
In joining the event, the President said the world’s confidence towards the Philippines will increase even more because of its ability to work with other members of the international community in many areas.
At the same time, President Aquino said he would seize the opportunity during his four-day visit to talk to American businessmen to put their investments in the Philippines.
“Muli’t muli po nating ihahayag sa kanila na bukas at maaliwalas na ang ating bansa sa larangan ng pagnenegosyo. Sa malinis na pamamalakad ng kasalukuyang gobyerno, patas ang magiging laban sa mga itatayo nilang negosyo,” the President said.
The more investment coming to the Philippines, the more jobs generated for the Filipinos, the President said.
The President also mentioned his planned meeting with the Filipino community in Washington DC during the trip, which he said is aimed at thanking Filipino workers for their sacrifices for the benefit of their families and their country.
The country has started to reap the fruits of good government and every Filipino would continue to enjoy the much improved economy of the Philippines, the chief executive said.
“Hindi magbabago ang ating paninindigan at nakahanda tayong ipagsigawan sa mundo na marangal, tapat at may disiplina ang mga Pilipino. Handa tayong makipagsabayan sa anumang larangan at makipag-bayanihan sa ibang bayan,” hesaid.
The President will be on a working visit in the United States from September 18 to 23, particularly in New York and Washington
President Aquino was invited by US President Barack Obama and Brazilian Dilma Rousseff to the official launch of the OGP in New York on September 20. The OGP is a new multilateral initiative to promote transparency, empower citizens, fight corruption and harness new technologies to strengthen governance. Presidents Obama and Rousseff are the co-chairs of the initiative.
The Philippines is one of eight countries, and one of only two from Asia, that are members of the Steering Committee of OGP. The other seven countries are: the US, Brazil, UK, Indonesia, Mexico, Norway and South Africa. (PCOO)
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Aquino to keynote Asia Society meet in New York
NEW YORK (via PLDT) -- President Benigno S. Aquino III will be the guest of honor and keynote speaker at the Asia Society, a leading global and pan-Asian organization working to strengthen relationships and promote understanding among the people, leaders, and institutions of the United States and Asia, during his visit here Tuesday (September 20).
Citing the importance of the Philippines as an ally in Asia and the world, Asia Society Executive Vice President Jaime Metzel said the group invited the President to “celebrate” the Chief Executive’s successful bid to end corruption in the Philippines once and for all.
The Philippines is a critically important country both in Asia and in the world. And we always feel that it is important to raise the profile of the Philippines. And at the same time, the Philippines has had a lot of problems and President Aquino has done a great job in his first year in office in beginning to address them and we would like to celebrate the great start that President Aquino has made (to end corruption),” Metzl said.
He lauded the President’s “forceful” campaign to address corruption which he said is the “scourge of the Philippines” but noted that this fight would require a concerted and “sustained effort.”
“As everybody knows, corruption is the scourge of the Philippines. The Philippines has the most talented population maybe in the world but so many Filipinos are helping build other countries and Philippines has become a country that exist largely on remittances and so the first steps that needs to be taken to address the problems in the Philippines is to address corruption,” Metzl said.
“And President Aquino has raised these issues very forcefully but the system has many elements of corruption and so it’s going to require sustained effort overtime and I believe that President Aquino has made a great start in that process but it will need to be an ongoing process,” he added.
The President’s visit to the Asia Society is just one of numerous engagements the President has lined up during his visit to the United States from September 18 to 21.
The President will visit New York City and Washington D.C. to meet with business leaders and join US President Barack Obama in launching the Open Government Policy, a new multilateral initiative to promote transparency, empower citizens, fight corruption and harness new technologies to strengthen governance.
While in New York, President Aquino will also speak before the IBM Centennial Forum called “THINK: A Forum on the Future of Leadership” on September 20. The forum will be attended by more than 700 leaders from government, business, the academe and science, and up-and-coming leaders worldwide.
President Aquino will likewise be conferred a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, by Fordham University in ceremonies to be held at Keating Hall in the school’s Rosa Hill campus in New York.
Fordham, an independent university in the Jesuit tradition founded in 1841, had also conferred an honorary degree on President Corazon Aquino in September 1986.
As part of the Fordham tradition, the names of over 30world leaders conferred a degree are carved on the steps of the “Terrace of the Presidents” at Keating Hall. President Aquino’s name will be carved next to that of his mother.
While in New York, the President will also have business meetings with IBM and Convergys, both of which already have a substantial presence in the Philippines.
In Washington, D.C., President Aquino is invited by World Bank Group President Robert Zoellick to give a public lecture before the World Bank.
He will also meet with Senator Daniel Inouye, president protempore of the US Senate and chairman of its Appropriations Committee, to thank the senator for his continued support for Philippine causes in the US Congress.
Senator Inouye was responsible for the passage of Filipino Veterans Compensation Fund and the primary sponsor of the SAVE Act, which will benefit both the Philippine garment industry and the US textile manufacturers.
He will also be meeting with the Filipino community in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia “to appraise them about the government’s accomplishments and share the latest developments in the country.”
According to the DFA, it would be the first meeting of President Aquino with the Filipino community in the region, composed approximately of 110, 000 Filipinos. (PCOO)
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Filipino students at Fordham University all set to welcome President Aquino
NEW YORK CITY: Filipino students at Fordham University are looking forward to President Benigno S. Aquino III’s visit to their university on Monday, the first day of the President’s official visit to the United States of America.
President Aquino will be conferred with the degree of Doctor of Laws, Honoris Causa, by Fordham, an independent university in the Jesuit tradition that was founded in 1841.
The conferment ceremony will be held at 1 p.m., Monday here, at the Keating Hall in the University’s Rose Hill campus in Bronx, New York.
Filipino and Filipino-American students, Filipino community members, Filipino staff members in the United Nations, along with Filipinos and Fil-Ams in the academe, business, media and civil society organizations, Fordham faculty and staff will witness the conferment.
“We’re all very excited. I mean as soon as we all got the news, we couldn’t believe that the president would be coming here,” said Janine Vicente, one of the Filipino students at the university.
“His [President Aquino‘s] presence at Fordham just echoes the excitement of not even just the students but [also] the faculty,” Vicente said during an interview done by RTVM. “We are all so excited.”
Matthew Novick, also a Filipino student and the president of Fordham University Philippine-American Club (FUPAC), is also looking forward to the President‘s visit, saying that it is an “incredible opportunity” for them to see him.
Before the conferment rites, the President will be escorted to the building step named after his mother, the late President Corazon Aquino, who was also conferred an honorary degree in September 1986 by Fordham.
The names of over 30 world leaders conferred honorary doctorate degrees are carved on the steps of the “Terrace of the Presidents” at Keating Hall as part of Fordham tradition. The President’s name will be carved next to that of his mother. (PCOO)
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Ochoa expresses full support to Biazon as new Customs chief Executive Secretary
Paquito N. Ochoa, Jr. expressed full support to newly-appointed Bureau of Customs (BOC) chief Rufino “Ruffy” Biazon as he lauded outgoing BOC Commissioner Angelito Alvarez, for his hard work to meet revenue targets and improve the government’s financial situation over the past year.
In his speech during the BOC’s turnover ceremonies at the Social Hall of the Bureau’s main office in Port Area, Manila on Monday morning, Ochoa noted the competence of Commissioner Biazon as a public servant and his commitment in implementing reforms for the country.
“Commissioner Biazon has remarked that he faces a ‘gargantuan challenge’ in his new job…but on behalf of the President (Aquino) I would like to assure him and everyone here that the government stands behind him and trusts him to do what is necessary to keep Customs on the right track,” Ochoa said.
“It is my hope that everyone here at Customs will also extend their support to Commissioner Biazon, who has shown during his time in Congress that he truly cares for this country, and is serious about implementing reforms,” he added.
Ochoa cited President Aquino’s directive to the new BOC chief that there must be no “sacred cows” in effecting reforms in the bureau.
“Sabi ni PNoy kay Commissioner Biazon, walang ‘sacred cows’ sa daang matuwid… sinabi mismo ni Commissioner Biazon na handa siyang mawalan ng kaibigan dito sa bago niyang trabaho,” Ochoa noted.
“We are ready to support him (Biazon) with the resources he needs to address the issues that have plagued Customs for the longest time,” the Executive Secretary stressed.
Ochoa also reminded the BOC personnel of their duties and responsibilities to the country and the Filipino people.
“So my word of advice to everyone here is perform your tasks to the best of your abilities, not just because your new chief is a tough boss who will punish you, but because our people need to know that they can trust you and depend on you to do what is right for them and for our country,” he said.
Ochoa thanked Biazon for his willingness to come in and continue the reforms the President wants to implement in the BOC, reforms that are part of a government-wide campaign to curb corruption.
He also thanked outgoing Alvarez for heading the BOC for the past year, giving up his private life and took on the daunting challenge of reform implementation in the bureau.
“For having accepted that challenge, the country and I thank Commissioner Alvarez,” Ochoa said.
Commissioner Biazon took his oath of office before President Aquino last Friday to formally assume his new post as BOC chief. Prior to his present position, he served as Representative for the Lone District of Muntinlupa City for three consecutive terms since 2001. He is the youngest child of former senator and now Muntinlupa Congressman Rodolfo Biazon and Monserrat Biazon. (PCOO)
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Malacañang maintains its commitment to responsible mining in the country
Malacañang on Monday reiterated its bid for responsible mining amid the release of an independent survey showing that more Filipinos have ‘low’ trust to mining industries operating in the country.
In a regular press briefing in Malacanang on Monday, Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda said that President Benigno S. Aquino III has so far made his commitment for responsible mining given the ‘deleterious’ effects the industry could create in the environment if carried out irresponsibly.
“If the community would favor mining then he (the President) has offered it really depends on the community,” Lacierda said amid concerns that the ‘low’ trust for mining companies might deter foreign firms from investing more in the country.
Of the 500 people surveyed by PR firm EON Inc. for its first Philippine Trust Index, only 22 percent from the National Capital Region and the cities of Cebu and Davao reportedly said they trust mining from among 19 different sectors.
Lacierda added that Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Ramon Paje “has so far been consistent with the enforcement of mining rules and regulations” in the country given the number of laws which are in place right now pertinent to mining.
He said that the government through the DENR is still studying measures as to how it can handle all the rich mineral resources in the country and Secretary Paje has so far not signed any mining permits yet for companies that have already submitted applications.
“The only directive that we can give mining companies is for them to follow our rules and regulations strictly. We would like to ensure that the community and the environment [are] maintained after mining is done,” Lacierda said.
Lacierda specifically cited the Marcopper mining disaster in Marinduque last March 24, 1996 as among the ‘devastating’ effects of irresponsible mining which the Aquino administration does not want to happen under its watch.
“Responsible mining has happened in several countries. There’s no reason why it could not happen here in the Philippines,” Lacierda said. (PCOO)
