Aquino bares govt plans to prevent Filipinos from working overseas
President Benigno S. Aquino III said his government is carrying out multi-pronged approach to create better local job opportunities so that Filipinos will not have to seek greener pastures abroad.
In an interview over Youtube’s World View interview series on Friday, the President said his administration is trying to attract both domestic and international investors to create more job opportunities for Filipinos to prevent them from leaving.
The President cited successes that he had on his foreign trips. He noted that in his trip to China, he got between $1.2 billion or $1.8 billion worth of new investments.
One of the major focuses is to boost investments for the country’s manufacturing sector, the Chief Executive said adding that China is ready to set up manufacturing vehicles, trucks, and heavy equipment.
The President said that Chinese investors are looking for 10,000 hectares of land located in the country’s freeport zone to set up their manufacturing business. He also mentioned the Philippines’s prospects in shipbuilding.
“We are already the fourth biggest ship building country in the world, and again, we want to go everywhere where there are prospects for our people to have jobs in this country,” he said.
While enticing investors to come in, the President said his administration is also tackling reforms within the educational system to ensure better job match ups for new graduates.
He said that there are around 50,000 to 60,000 jobs available in the country but these positions could hardly be filled up because of skills mismatches.
“We have tasked the education sector to include vocational aspects in the higher and basic education, to prepare our students, in coordination with the Department of Labor and Employment, for jobs that will be available upon graduation,” he said.
According to the President there are also bright prospects in the business process outsourcing industry saying that the BPO industry could have about 640,000 direct jobs this year creating multiplier effects.
Aside from manufacturing and BPO industries, the President said investments in the agriculture sector could also create new employments that would result to more local jobs.
Youtube’s interview of President Aquino is the first for an Asian leader. The World View series had earlier this year featured influential leaders like US President Barack Obama, British Prime Minister David Cameron and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, among others. (PCOO)
.
Palace welcomes MILF assistance on pursuing criminal groups in Mindanao
Malacanang welcomed the statement of the Moro Islamic Liberation (MILF) saying it would cooperate with the government in going after kidnapping-for-ransom groups as well as reining in its lost commands.
Government chief negotiator Marvic Leonen said in a statement this week that the MILF reaffirmed its commitment with the government in dealing with criminal groups and MILF lost commands based on existing agreements.
“We read that (Leonen statement) as a positive development. Despite of what’s going on here, both parties are [seeking] the resolve to find peace in the region and we appreciate that,” Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said in an interview over state-run dzRB Radyo ng Bayan on Saturday.
At the same time, Lacierda said the government expects the MILF leadership to be true to its word in dealing with criminal groups and its lost commands.
“We expect them to be at arm’s length with us in the peace negotiations. We’ve been very forthright and frank with them just as we expect them to be frank and forthright with us in the discussions,” he said.
The government hopes to move into the more substantive issues in the peace talks in Malaysia, Lacierda said.
Leonen said in his statement that both the government and MILF panels had a candid exchange on pressing issues regarding the negotiations. Both sides identified their common grounds as well as their differences, he said.
“As we had hoped, we agreed to move forward on the substantive agenda and meet again very soon for this purpose,” Leonen said.
With regards to the bloody incident in Al Barka, Basilan, where government soldiers were killed, Leonen said both sides agreed to continue investigating through the current ceasefire mechanisms.
The International Monitoring Team (IMT) in coordination with the Joint Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (JCCCH) and the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG) will also do its own inquiry.
“We will await recommendations relating to the review of ceasefire mechanisms that may result from these investigations,” Leonen said. (PCOO)
President Benigno S. Aquino III said his government is carrying out multi-pronged approach to create better local job opportunities so that Filipinos will not have to seek greener pastures abroad.
In an interview over Youtube’s World View interview series on Friday, the President said his administration is trying to attract both domestic and international investors to create more job opportunities for Filipinos to prevent them from leaving.
The President cited successes that he had on his foreign trips. He noted that in his trip to China, he got between $1.2 billion or $1.8 billion worth of new investments.
One of the major focuses is to boost investments for the country’s manufacturing sector, the Chief Executive said adding that China is ready to set up manufacturing vehicles, trucks, and heavy equipment.
The President said that Chinese investors are looking for 10,000 hectares of land located in the country’s freeport zone to set up their manufacturing business. He also mentioned the Philippines’s prospects in shipbuilding.
“We are already the fourth biggest ship building country in the world, and again, we want to go everywhere where there are prospects for our people to have jobs in this country,” he said.
While enticing investors to come in, the President said his administration is also tackling reforms within the educational system to ensure better job match ups for new graduates.
He said that there are around 50,000 to 60,000 jobs available in the country but these positions could hardly be filled up because of skills mismatches.
“We have tasked the education sector to include vocational aspects in the higher and basic education, to prepare our students, in coordination with the Department of Labor and Employment, for jobs that will be available upon graduation,” he said.
According to the President there are also bright prospects in the business process outsourcing industry saying that the BPO industry could have about 640,000 direct jobs this year creating multiplier effects.
Aside from manufacturing and BPO industries, the President said investments in the agriculture sector could also create new employments that would result to more local jobs.
Youtube’s interview of President Aquino is the first for an Asian leader. The World View series had earlier this year featured influential leaders like US President Barack Obama, British Prime Minister David Cameron and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, among others. (PCOO)
.
Palace welcomes MILF assistance on pursuing criminal groups in Mindanao
Malacanang welcomed the statement of the Moro Islamic Liberation (MILF) saying it would cooperate with the government in going after kidnapping-for-ransom groups as well as reining in its lost commands.
Government chief negotiator Marvic Leonen said in a statement this week that the MILF reaffirmed its commitment with the government in dealing with criminal groups and MILF lost commands based on existing agreements.
“We read that (Leonen statement) as a positive development. Despite of what’s going on here, both parties are [seeking] the resolve to find peace in the region and we appreciate that,” Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said in an interview over state-run dzRB Radyo ng Bayan on Saturday.
At the same time, Lacierda said the government expects the MILF leadership to be true to its word in dealing with criminal groups and its lost commands.
“We expect them to be at arm’s length with us in the peace negotiations. We’ve been very forthright and frank with them just as we expect them to be frank and forthright with us in the discussions,” he said.
The government hopes to move into the more substantive issues in the peace talks in Malaysia, Lacierda said.
Leonen said in his statement that both the government and MILF panels had a candid exchange on pressing issues regarding the negotiations. Both sides identified their common grounds as well as their differences, he said.
“As we had hoped, we agreed to move forward on the substantive agenda and meet again very soon for this purpose,” Leonen said.
With regards to the bloody incident in Al Barka, Basilan, where government soldiers were killed, Leonen said both sides agreed to continue investigating through the current ceasefire mechanisms.
The International Monitoring Team (IMT) in coordination with the Joint Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (JCCCH) and the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG) will also do its own inquiry.
“We will await recommendations relating to the review of ceasefire mechanisms that may result from these investigations,” Leonen said. (PCOO)
.
Aquino says he supports responsible parenthood legislation
President Benigno S. Aquino III renewed his support for a responsible parenthood legislation that will educate the people and give them options on family planning methods.
The President, who was featured on Youtube’s World View interview series on Friday, gave his view on population and health issues in connection with the Reproductive Health Bill.
“I’m still in support of what we can call the Responsible Parenthood Bill,” the President said. “And to think it is an essential aspect of government to be able to empower our people by educating them as to their options and providing those that do not have ... to act on their decision.”
The President acknowledged the problems created by rapid population growth noting the country’s more than two percent annual population growth rate.
“So we’re not talking about probable problems because of the population question, we’re talking of actual problems that are already existing,” the President said in an interview which was aired Friday over ANC Television and uploaded on Youtube.
“The government’s position basically under my watch is to educate the people, tell them the range of choices, and leave them to decide on what’s best with their family.”
But the president clarified that the government will not compel the people to adopt a particular family planning method noting it’s up to the people to decide from all available options.
The President was the first Asian leader to be featured on Youtube’s World View interview series. Other influential leaders who appeared on Youtube interview this year were US President Barack Obama, British Prime Minister David Cameron and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso. (PCOO)
.
Aquino outlines measures to mitigate effects of typhoons
Raising public awareness and tagging hazard zones are major tools in mitigating the impact of natural calamities, particularly typhoons in the country, President Benigno Aquino III said on Friday.
The President, who was featured on Youtube’s World View interview series, said his administration has been doing an extensive awareness campaign as well as reconfiguring government television and radio stations to give people up-to-date information about typhoons and other calamities.
The government is establishing a weather program that will give the people raw data that tracks and measure the amount of rainfall in particular, he said.
“Then, there is an ongoing hazard mapping project by the Department of Science and Technology that identifies areas most prone to flooding, flashfloods or landslides,” the President said.
“We are already at the stage for flooding, we already have this method that for most of the country, we’ll have a minimum of 12 hours warning.”
To mitigate the effects of landslides, the government has been doing mathematical mapping of hazard zones and locally made sensors have been deployed to give early warnings, the President said.
“The mathematical map will be able to help us say that it has reached the threshold for this particular area, that the danger of landslides is eminent already,” he said.
While encouraging the people to educate themselves, he asked for them to cooperate with civil defense personnel during emergency evacuations.
Although the government is empowered by law to do forced evacuation, the President said the government did some corrections to protect public property during times of emergency relocations by deploying police forces in deserted areas to prevent looting.
President Aquino is the first Asian leader to be featured on Youtube’s World View series. This year, other popular leaders who appeared on the World View series were US President Barack Obama, British Prime Minister David Cameron and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso. (PCOO)
.
Aquino urges wide support for observance of Climate Change Consciousness Week
President Benigno S. Aquino III has enjoined all officials and employees of the national government and the local government units (LGUs) to actively support the activities during the observance of the Climate Change Consciousness Week from November 19 to 25.
The Chief Executive issued Memorandum Circular No. 25 on October 28, as part of the efforts to create awareness on global warming and climate change through broad and intensive information and educational campaigns.
President Aquino underscored "the need to secure the collective cooperation of all citizens as well as the collective action of the private and public sectors at all levels in finding solutions to the threats of a changing climate."
He tapped the Climate Change Commission (CCC) to spearhead the observance of the Climate Change Consciousness Week in partnership with the Cabinet Cluster on Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation (CCAM).
"The Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) and the Public Information Agency (PIA) shall provide media support to the event. Government offices are also enjoined to conduct related activities during the said week," President Aquino said in the MC.
Mandated under Presidential Proclamation No. 1667, the observance of Climate Change Consciousness Week aims to push the country's commitment to achieve the goals of the United Nations Framework on Climate Change Convention.
The Philippines is a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol which mandates measures for the reduction of carbon dioxide and other critical greenhouse gases to avert catastrophe in the planet’s environment and climate as calculated by the international scientific community. (PCOO)
.
Aquino keen on promoting use of liquefied natural gas by public vehicles
President Benigno S. Aquino III on Friday said that his administration is planning to convert public vehicles to run on liquefied natural gas (LNG) or compressed natural gas (CNG) to reduce air pollution and to help the environment.
President Aquino was asked Friday during the YouTube World View interview series on his administration’s innovative approaches to make the country’s transportation sector more environmentally friendly.
“For the transport sector, the plan that is most mature will be to convert them into running on liquefied natural gas (LNG) or compressed natural gas (CNG),” the President said.
The President said his administration is also “seriously monitoring” pollution levels in the cities, and cited closing down erring vehicle emission testing centers in the country.
“We have emission testing centers, but unfortunately some of them were unscrupulous,” he said. “These were issuing certifications that were false.”
Apart from this, the Aquino administration is also promoting the use of electric tricycles or e-trikes. The President said they are targeting 100,000 new e-trikes by next year, which will be funded by the Asian Development Bank.
“For the electric tricycles, the ADB will be providing us resources to match our program. We’re targeting about a hundred thousand new vehicles --e-tricycles --by next year,” he said.
Besides being environment friendly, the President said that the use of electric tricycles also adds profit to the drivers and operators.
“The good thing is, it is not only green but the increase in profitability for the driver-operator is very, very dramatic,” the President said. “So, going green becomes more profitable.” (PCOO)
.
Palace warns public from sale of substandard Christmas lights
Malacanang warned businessmen from selling substandard Christmas lights to the public to prevent fire to ensure the safety of the people and protect properties this yuletide season, a Palace official said on Saturday.
In an interview aired over government-run dzRB Radyo ng Bayan on Saturday, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said Christmas lights are covered by mandatory product standards and should be sold only with the product quality mark, if locally made, and with the International Code Council (ICC) certification mark, if imported.
"We hope that the businessmen will observe the regulation. And on the part of government, rest assured that the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is on top of the situation to prevent unscrupulous businessmen from selling dangerous wares or potentially dangerous wares," Lacierda said.
At the same time, Lacierda cautioned the public to be careful in procuring such products by looking for the product quality mark or ICC certification. "Ingat lang po and let’s not sacrifice the lives of our family members. Malaking peligro po ‘yan kapag bibili tayo nang mura, ‘yun pala nakakasunog," he said.
The DTI deployed market monitoring teams to confiscate all products that would be found not conforming to the regulation.
The government also warned that the seller of uncertified products will be penalized. (PCOO)
President Benigno S. Aquino III renewed his support for a responsible parenthood legislation that will educate the people and give them options on family planning methods.
The President, who was featured on Youtube’s World View interview series on Friday, gave his view on population and health issues in connection with the Reproductive Health Bill.
“I’m still in support of what we can call the Responsible Parenthood Bill,” the President said. “And to think it is an essential aspect of government to be able to empower our people by educating them as to their options and providing those that do not have ... to act on their decision.”
The President acknowledged the problems created by rapid population growth noting the country’s more than two percent annual population growth rate.
“So we’re not talking about probable problems because of the population question, we’re talking of actual problems that are already existing,” the President said in an interview which was aired Friday over ANC Television and uploaded on Youtube.
“The government’s position basically under my watch is to educate the people, tell them the range of choices, and leave them to decide on what’s best with their family.”
But the president clarified that the government will not compel the people to adopt a particular family planning method noting it’s up to the people to decide from all available options.
The President was the first Asian leader to be featured on Youtube’s World View interview series. Other influential leaders who appeared on Youtube interview this year were US President Barack Obama, British Prime Minister David Cameron and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso. (PCOO)
.
Aquino outlines measures to mitigate effects of typhoons
Raising public awareness and tagging hazard zones are major tools in mitigating the impact of natural calamities, particularly typhoons in the country, President Benigno Aquino III said on Friday.
The President, who was featured on Youtube’s World View interview series, said his administration has been doing an extensive awareness campaign as well as reconfiguring government television and radio stations to give people up-to-date information about typhoons and other calamities.
The government is establishing a weather program that will give the people raw data that tracks and measure the amount of rainfall in particular, he said.
“Then, there is an ongoing hazard mapping project by the Department of Science and Technology that identifies areas most prone to flooding, flashfloods or landslides,” the President said.
“We are already at the stage for flooding, we already have this method that for most of the country, we’ll have a minimum of 12 hours warning.”
To mitigate the effects of landslides, the government has been doing mathematical mapping of hazard zones and locally made sensors have been deployed to give early warnings, the President said.
“The mathematical map will be able to help us say that it has reached the threshold for this particular area, that the danger of landslides is eminent already,” he said.
While encouraging the people to educate themselves, he asked for them to cooperate with civil defense personnel during emergency evacuations.
Although the government is empowered by law to do forced evacuation, the President said the government did some corrections to protect public property during times of emergency relocations by deploying police forces in deserted areas to prevent looting.
President Aquino is the first Asian leader to be featured on Youtube’s World View series. This year, other popular leaders who appeared on the World View series were US President Barack Obama, British Prime Minister David Cameron and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso. (PCOO)
.
Aquino urges wide support for observance of Climate Change Consciousness Week
President Benigno S. Aquino III has enjoined all officials and employees of the national government and the local government units (LGUs) to actively support the activities during the observance of the Climate Change Consciousness Week from November 19 to 25.
The Chief Executive issued Memorandum Circular No. 25 on October 28, as part of the efforts to create awareness on global warming and climate change through broad and intensive information and educational campaigns.
President Aquino underscored "the need to secure the collective cooperation of all citizens as well as the collective action of the private and public sectors at all levels in finding solutions to the threats of a changing climate."
He tapped the Climate Change Commission (CCC) to spearhead the observance of the Climate Change Consciousness Week in partnership with the Cabinet Cluster on Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation (CCAM).
"The Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) and the Public Information Agency (PIA) shall provide media support to the event. Government offices are also enjoined to conduct related activities during the said week," President Aquino said in the MC.
Mandated under Presidential Proclamation No. 1667, the observance of Climate Change Consciousness Week aims to push the country's commitment to achieve the goals of the United Nations Framework on Climate Change Convention.
The Philippines is a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol which mandates measures for the reduction of carbon dioxide and other critical greenhouse gases to avert catastrophe in the planet’s environment and climate as calculated by the international scientific community. (PCOO)
.
Aquino keen on promoting use of liquefied natural gas by public vehicles
President Benigno S. Aquino III on Friday said that his administration is planning to convert public vehicles to run on liquefied natural gas (LNG) or compressed natural gas (CNG) to reduce air pollution and to help the environment.
President Aquino was asked Friday during the YouTube World View interview series on his administration’s innovative approaches to make the country’s transportation sector more environmentally friendly.
“For the transport sector, the plan that is most mature will be to convert them into running on liquefied natural gas (LNG) or compressed natural gas (CNG),” the President said.
The President said his administration is also “seriously monitoring” pollution levels in the cities, and cited closing down erring vehicle emission testing centers in the country.
“We have emission testing centers, but unfortunately some of them were unscrupulous,” he said. “These were issuing certifications that were false.”
Apart from this, the Aquino administration is also promoting the use of electric tricycles or e-trikes. The President said they are targeting 100,000 new e-trikes by next year, which will be funded by the Asian Development Bank.
“For the electric tricycles, the ADB will be providing us resources to match our program. We’re targeting about a hundred thousand new vehicles --e-tricycles --by next year,” he said.
Besides being environment friendly, the President said that the use of electric tricycles also adds profit to the drivers and operators.
“The good thing is, it is not only green but the increase in profitability for the driver-operator is very, very dramatic,” the President said. “So, going green becomes more profitable.” (PCOO)
.
Palace warns public from sale of substandard Christmas lights
Malacanang warned businessmen from selling substandard Christmas lights to the public to prevent fire to ensure the safety of the people and protect properties this yuletide season, a Palace official said on Saturday.
In an interview aired over government-run dzRB Radyo ng Bayan on Saturday, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said Christmas lights are covered by mandatory product standards and should be sold only with the product quality mark, if locally made, and with the International Code Council (ICC) certification mark, if imported.
"We hope that the businessmen will observe the regulation. And on the part of government, rest assured that the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is on top of the situation to prevent unscrupulous businessmen from selling dangerous wares or potentially dangerous wares," Lacierda said.
At the same time, Lacierda cautioned the public to be careful in procuring such products by looking for the product quality mark or ICC certification. "Ingat lang po and let’s not sacrifice the lives of our family members. Malaking peligro po ‘yan kapag bibili tayo nang mura, ‘yun pala nakakasunog," he said.
The DTI deployed market monitoring teams to confiscate all products that would be found not conforming to the regulation.
The government also warned that the seller of uncertified products will be penalized. (PCOO)
