President Aquino back from 2011 APEC Summit
President Benigno S. Aquino III arrived Monday night after joining 20 other world leaders at the 2011 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit held in Honolulu, Hawai from November 11 to 13.
The President’s chartered airline flight PR001 arrived a little past 2 a.m. at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal II.
In his arrival speech, the President cited the APEC Summit where 21 world leaders joined hands to unite and help each other and their respective neighbors against the economic turmoil affecting the world.
“Ito ang halaga ng tatlong araw na pakikilahok natin sa 19th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting sa Honolulu, Hawaii: dalawampu't isang ekonomiyang nagkakapit-bisig upang pigilan ang paglawak ng pinsalang pampinansyal sa Asya Pasipiko; dalawampu't isang ekonomiyang sabay-sabay na sumasagwan tungo sa pagkakaisa, kapayapaan at kaunlaran,” the President said.
He pointed out that topics on energy, job generation and maintaining peace and stability in the region were just some of what the discussions centered on during their meetings.
“Higit sa lahat, ang bunga ng mga inisyatibang ipinunla sa APEC ngayong taon ay aanihin at pakikinabangan, hindi lamang ng kasalukuyang henerasyon, kundi maging ng susunod pang salinlahi,” the President said.
He extended his appreciation to Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard for her country’s fund assistance of $1-million to be used for those affected by the floods spawned by typhoons Pedring and Quiel.
“Kapwa nanalig ang ating mga bansa sa patuloy na pakiki-agapay, at sa mas matatag pang kooperasyon sa hinaharap,” the President said.
He also mentioned the fruitful talks he had with the government of Chinese Taipei on possible investments and on overseas Filipino workers working in their country.
In ending, the President assured Filipinos that he continues to have the best interest of the Filipino people in mind during his domestic and foreign travels.
“Makatitiyak po kayong nasa loob o labas man po tayo ng bansa, ang kapakanan lamang ng bawat Pilipino ang dala-dala natin. Samahan po ninyo ako: isang bansa nating tibagin ang mga balakid sa daan; isang bansa nating tahakin ang tuwid na landas, at isang bansa nating abutin ang katuparan ng ating mga pangarap,” the President said. (PCOO)
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President Aquino to underscore significant role of migrant workers at ASEAN Summit in Bali
BALI, Indonesia (via PLDT-Smart) – Citing the advocacies of President Benigno S. Aquino III for the Filipinos, a senior foreign affairs official said that the Aquino government has been stern on promoting programs and action plans for the protection and assurance of benefits of migrant workers considering that the country has highest number of laborers in foreign lands within the Southeast Asian region.
Ambassador Wilfrido Villacorta, Philippine Permanent Representative to the Association of Southeast Asian Region (ASEAN), in an interview at the Courtyard Mariott Bali Nusa Dua Hotel, underscored here on Monday that the Philippines under the Aquino government is a role model for its neighboring countries and fellow members in the Asean, specifically on laws and regulations that concern migrant workers.
“Ang Pilipinas ay isa sa mga nagsusulong ng karapatan ng mga manggagawa sa ibang bansa… at isang modelo ang mga patakaran at mga batas ng Pilipinas tungo sa pangangalaga ng mga trabahador sa ibang bansa. Tinitingala tayo ng mga ibang bansang nagpapadala rin ng mga manggagawa sa ibang bansa tulad ng Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India ay tayo ay tinutularan sapagkat ang ating pamahalaan ay isa sa mga pinakamaunlad sa larangan na ito,” Villacorta said.
He said that the government has always been serious in pushing for the protection of the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) that comprises at least 700 thousand in the Asian region alone.
“Dahil sa napakaraming Pilipino na nagtatrabaho sa buong mundo, at dito lamang sa Asya ay umaabot na sa 700 thousand ang mga ito… kailangang kailangan talagang protektahan ng ating pamahalaan ang mga nagtatrabahong ito sa ibang bansa at tumulong sa kanilang mga suliranain, sa kanilang pakikitungo sa pinaninilbihan nila,” Villacorta said.
Migrant workers protection is one of the various advocacies of President Aquino that will be discussed during his meetings with counterparts in the Asean.
The President will be arriving here on Thursday to attend the 19th Asean Summit and Related Summits 2011 at the Bali Nusa Dua Convention Center, here.
Villacorta said that apart from economic stability and protection for the citizenry, the Asean also pursues fostering a caring and sharing community for the ten member-nations.
“Isa pa sa mga layunin ng Asean ay ang pagtatatag ng isang caring and sharing society sa buong Asean region sapagkat hindi lamang mahalaga ang kaunlaran sa kabuhayan kung di pati na rin ang kaligayahan at kaginhawahan ng mga tao sa lahat ng mga bansang nakapaloob dito,” Villacorta noted.
Also expected to attend during the annual event are leaders of the dialogue partners of the Asean led by United States President Barrack Obama, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, among others. (PCOO)
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Aquino to meet US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to renew economic, defense cooperation
President Benigno S. Aquino III and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will be meeting Wednesday to sign an economic partnership agreement as well as to strengthen defense cooperation between the Philippines and the United States.
Clinton arrives in Manila Tuesday and will be in the country to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT). She will also participate in a signing ceremony for the Partnership for Growth (PFG) with the Philippines, as well as the launching of its implementation phase.
Clinton and Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario will sign the PFG in Malacanang Wednesday morning to be witnessed by President Aquino.
At the MDT anniversary celebration on board the US Fitzgerald, Secretary Clinton will sign a Manila Declaration that will reaffirm US commitment under the Mutual Defense Treaty so that the two countries could work together on issues of mutual interests.
Following a meeting with President Aquino, Clinton will deliver remarks at the ceremony to launch the implementation phase of the PFG at the US Embassy’s reception hall. In the afternoon where Clinton will also hold a live social media conversation with Filipino youth.
PFG initiative is a joint Philippine-US undertaking promoting and supporting broad-based economic growth of emerging markets like the Philippines.
It aims to assist selected countries to achieve higher and sustained economic growth through a more transparent, predictable, and consistent legal and regulatory regime.
PFG also supports a more open and competitive business environment, assists countries to strengthen their rule of law that is grounded in an efficient court system as well as supporting their fiscal stability.
The Philippines is the only one in Asia to be included in the PFG initiative and one of the four pilot partner countries selected by the US.
The selection of the Philippines as a PFG partner country in January 2011 was based on the country’s track record in partnering with the US government and its potential for continued economic growth.
The PFG initiative is an effort to put into practice US President Barack Obama’s presidential policy directive on global development. (PCOO)
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PHL set to present rules-based framework in dealing with West Philippine Sea disputes in ASEAN Summit
BALI, Indonesia (via PLDT-Smart) – In line with President Benigno S. Aquino III’s advocacy of promoting a Zone of Peace, Freedom, Friendship and Cooperation (ZoPFF/C) in the disputed area of the West Philippine Sea (WPS), the Philippine government underscored the very important role of the ten-member nations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in determining the disputed and undisputed areas for the purpose of establishing a Joint Cooperation Area, as envisioned by the Aquino government.
In a statement of Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario delivered by Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Policy Erlinda Basilio during the Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting at the Kintamani Room 6 of the Bali Nusa Dua Convention Center, here on Tuesday, the government reiterated its stand that a “rules-based approach is the only legitimate way in addressing disputes in the West Philippine Sea” as previously expressed in the Asean Ministers’ Meeting last July also here in Bali.
The statement also bared the country’s belief that the ZOPFF/C is the actionable framework to clarify and segregate the disputed land features from the non-disputed waters of the West Philippine Sea and in the process address the issue of the nine-dash line.
The nine-dash-line is a map showing a U-shaped line enclosing almost the whole of the South China Sea which China claims belongs to them. The map has been widely protested by several countries including the Philippines and criticized in the international community.
The process of segregation would enable a workable cooperation between and among Asean and China especially the littoral and claimant states in the South China Sea.
Del Rosario’s statement also explained that the ZoPFF/C is consistent with the rules-based framework of managing the disputes in the West Philippine Sea. It is likewise, consistent with and pursuant to the Asean-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.
“We continue to pursue this framework and the embodied principles at every opportunity, as well as, to use appropriate avenues to exhaust all available means to settle the disputes within Asean,” the statement read.
“We strongly believe that an approach consistent with international law, specifically the United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS).Thus, the Philippines will consider a parallel track of pursuing third party adjudication, arbitration or conciliation as may be appropriate in the context of the dispute settlement mechanism of UNCLOS,” it added.
It further stated that the Philippines is resolved to hold sacrosanct the primacy of international law specifically the UNCLOS.
Upon his arrival here on Wednesday, President Aquino is expected to raise the issue of ZoPFF/C as part of his advocacies intended for discussion during the 19th Asean Summit and Related Summits 2011, which formally opens on Thursday, November 17.
The Zone of Peace, Freedom, Friendship and Cooperation is the country’s proactive contribution for the benefit of all countries with interest in the West Philippine Sea.
With the guidance of such a framework and through the facilitation of Asean, the Philippines calls on the claimant states in the SCS, including China, to meet and discuss these claims and define the undisputed and the disputed areas.
Del Rosario stressed that the Asean must play a decisive role at this time if it desires to realize its aspirations for global leadership.
Apart from the ten-member states, also expected to attend the annual summit are the top leaders of the countries comprising the Asean dialogue partners led by the United States President Barrack Obama, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, among others. (PCOO)
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Aquino approves P1.1-billion NAIA Terminal 1 facelift
President Benigno S. Aquino III has approved the rehabilitation plan of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 (NAIA 1), which will undertake structural and aesthetical improvements, Transportation and Communication Secretary Mar Roxas announced on Tuesday.
Roxas said in a media briefing in Malacanang that the government is provisionally allocating P1.1 billion for works covering structural retrofitting, electro-mechanical engineering, and interior design for areas needing rehabilitation.
A partial breakdown of expenses include P500 million for aesthetics and interior design, replacing floorings, ceiling and walls and partition. DOTC will also be replacing and adding up to 50 percent immigration counters, he said.
The DOTC is setting aside P300 million for rapid exit taxi way to relieve runway congestion and minimize passenger delay, Roxas said. Also, P20 million was allocated for the repair and rehabilitation of 72 toilets at the airport although all the toilets are working properly, he added.
Roxas also said P340 million will be set aside for structural works to improve the structural the integrity of the facility.
The DOTC is retaining the services of Leandro Locsin and Associates, the original architectural and engineering firm that designed Terminal 1, Roxas said. Locsin and Associates have the as-built blueprint and design for the terminal so improvements could be done much easier.
At the same time, Roxas said the government is tapping the expertise of Changi Airport to render its assistance on functional designs and systems improvement of Terminal 1.
The experts from the Singaporean airport, who will arrive in the Philippines late this month, have verbally agreed to be part of the rehabilitation effort, Roxas said. They will inspect and analyze the site as well as the passenger flows and the government expects to receive the findings in early January, he added.
The Changi Airport in Singapore has been consistently voted as the number one airport in the world.
To improve the aesthetic fill-in look of the terminal, Roxas said they are tapping the services of local interior designers.
NAIA Terminal 1, a 30-year old airport had its last major make over in 1996 when world leaders arrived in the Philippines in 1996 for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. The terminal, which was put into service in 1981, has an original passenger capacity of 4.5 million passengers per year. It reached its full handling capacity in 1991, Roxas said.
Today, it handles 7.3 million passengers per year, and in the last 20 years it processed 56 million more passengers than it was designed to serve, the DOTC chief explained.
Roxas said the plan to rehabilitate NAIA Terminal 1 wasn’t prompted by recent assessments labeling the Terminal 1 as one of the worst airports in the world. He said it’s their duty to improve the airport bearing in mind the principle that “customers are always right.”
Roxas also clarified that the long-term plan is to transfer NAIA to Clarkfield in Pampanga noting however that it depends on the completion of the NorthRail project that will transport the passengers to Clark from Manila. They hope to realize the plan in five years, he said.
The P1.1 billion allocation will come from the realigned budget of the DOTC and Manila International Airport.
The rehabilitation, which is expected to be completed not more than 18 months, will be done one area at a time because Roxas said they are dealing with a working airport terminal.
However, he said construction could exceed its target completion date explaining that structural rehabilitation alone could take around nine to 18 months. (PCOO)
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Aquino instructs DOJ to prevent Arroyos from leaving following SC TRO issuance
President Benigno S. Aquino III instructed Justice Secretary Leila de Lima “to do what is necessary” to prevent former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her husband Jose Miguel Arroyo from leaving the country.
President Benigno S. Aquino III arrived Monday night after joining 20 other world leaders at the 2011 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit held in Honolulu, Hawai from November 11 to 13.
The President’s chartered airline flight PR001 arrived a little past 2 a.m. at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal II.
In his arrival speech, the President cited the APEC Summit where 21 world leaders joined hands to unite and help each other and their respective neighbors against the economic turmoil affecting the world.
“Ito ang halaga ng tatlong araw na pakikilahok natin sa 19th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting sa Honolulu, Hawaii: dalawampu't isang ekonomiyang nagkakapit-bisig upang pigilan ang paglawak ng pinsalang pampinansyal sa Asya Pasipiko; dalawampu't isang ekonomiyang sabay-sabay na sumasagwan tungo sa pagkakaisa, kapayapaan at kaunlaran,” the President said.
He pointed out that topics on energy, job generation and maintaining peace and stability in the region were just some of what the discussions centered on during their meetings.
“Higit sa lahat, ang bunga ng mga inisyatibang ipinunla sa APEC ngayong taon ay aanihin at pakikinabangan, hindi lamang ng kasalukuyang henerasyon, kundi maging ng susunod pang salinlahi,” the President said.
He extended his appreciation to Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard for her country’s fund assistance of $1-million to be used for those affected by the floods spawned by typhoons Pedring and Quiel.
“Kapwa nanalig ang ating mga bansa sa patuloy na pakiki-agapay, at sa mas matatag pang kooperasyon sa hinaharap,” the President said.
He also mentioned the fruitful talks he had with the government of Chinese Taipei on possible investments and on overseas Filipino workers working in their country.
In ending, the President assured Filipinos that he continues to have the best interest of the Filipino people in mind during his domestic and foreign travels.
“Makatitiyak po kayong nasa loob o labas man po tayo ng bansa, ang kapakanan lamang ng bawat Pilipino ang dala-dala natin. Samahan po ninyo ako: isang bansa nating tibagin ang mga balakid sa daan; isang bansa nating tahakin ang tuwid na landas, at isang bansa nating abutin ang katuparan ng ating mga pangarap,” the President said. (PCOO)
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President Aquino to underscore significant role of migrant workers at ASEAN Summit in Bali
BALI, Indonesia (via PLDT-Smart) – Citing the advocacies of President Benigno S. Aquino III for the Filipinos, a senior foreign affairs official said that the Aquino government has been stern on promoting programs and action plans for the protection and assurance of benefits of migrant workers considering that the country has highest number of laborers in foreign lands within the Southeast Asian region.
Ambassador Wilfrido Villacorta, Philippine Permanent Representative to the Association of Southeast Asian Region (ASEAN), in an interview at the Courtyard Mariott Bali Nusa Dua Hotel, underscored here on Monday that the Philippines under the Aquino government is a role model for its neighboring countries and fellow members in the Asean, specifically on laws and regulations that concern migrant workers.
“Ang Pilipinas ay isa sa mga nagsusulong ng karapatan ng mga manggagawa sa ibang bansa… at isang modelo ang mga patakaran at mga batas ng Pilipinas tungo sa pangangalaga ng mga trabahador sa ibang bansa. Tinitingala tayo ng mga ibang bansang nagpapadala rin ng mga manggagawa sa ibang bansa tulad ng Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India ay tayo ay tinutularan sapagkat ang ating pamahalaan ay isa sa mga pinakamaunlad sa larangan na ito,” Villacorta said.
He said that the government has always been serious in pushing for the protection of the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) that comprises at least 700 thousand in the Asian region alone.
“Dahil sa napakaraming Pilipino na nagtatrabaho sa buong mundo, at dito lamang sa Asya ay umaabot na sa 700 thousand ang mga ito… kailangang kailangan talagang protektahan ng ating pamahalaan ang mga nagtatrabahong ito sa ibang bansa at tumulong sa kanilang mga suliranain, sa kanilang pakikitungo sa pinaninilbihan nila,” Villacorta said.
Migrant workers protection is one of the various advocacies of President Aquino that will be discussed during his meetings with counterparts in the Asean.
The President will be arriving here on Thursday to attend the 19th Asean Summit and Related Summits 2011 at the Bali Nusa Dua Convention Center, here.
Villacorta said that apart from economic stability and protection for the citizenry, the Asean also pursues fostering a caring and sharing community for the ten member-nations.
“Isa pa sa mga layunin ng Asean ay ang pagtatatag ng isang caring and sharing society sa buong Asean region sapagkat hindi lamang mahalaga ang kaunlaran sa kabuhayan kung di pati na rin ang kaligayahan at kaginhawahan ng mga tao sa lahat ng mga bansang nakapaloob dito,” Villacorta noted.
Also expected to attend during the annual event are leaders of the dialogue partners of the Asean led by United States President Barrack Obama, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, among others. (PCOO)
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Aquino to meet US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to renew economic, defense cooperation
President Benigno S. Aquino III and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will be meeting Wednesday to sign an economic partnership agreement as well as to strengthen defense cooperation between the Philippines and the United States.
Clinton arrives in Manila Tuesday and will be in the country to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT). She will also participate in a signing ceremony for the Partnership for Growth (PFG) with the Philippines, as well as the launching of its implementation phase.
Clinton and Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario will sign the PFG in Malacanang Wednesday morning to be witnessed by President Aquino.
At the MDT anniversary celebration on board the US Fitzgerald, Secretary Clinton will sign a Manila Declaration that will reaffirm US commitment under the Mutual Defense Treaty so that the two countries could work together on issues of mutual interests.
Following a meeting with President Aquino, Clinton will deliver remarks at the ceremony to launch the implementation phase of the PFG at the US Embassy’s reception hall. In the afternoon where Clinton will also hold a live social media conversation with Filipino youth.
PFG initiative is a joint Philippine-US undertaking promoting and supporting broad-based economic growth of emerging markets like the Philippines.
It aims to assist selected countries to achieve higher and sustained economic growth through a more transparent, predictable, and consistent legal and regulatory regime.
PFG also supports a more open and competitive business environment, assists countries to strengthen their rule of law that is grounded in an efficient court system as well as supporting their fiscal stability.
The Philippines is the only one in Asia to be included in the PFG initiative and one of the four pilot partner countries selected by the US.
The selection of the Philippines as a PFG partner country in January 2011 was based on the country’s track record in partnering with the US government and its potential for continued economic growth.
The PFG initiative is an effort to put into practice US President Barack Obama’s presidential policy directive on global development. (PCOO)
.
PHL set to present rules-based framework in dealing with West Philippine Sea disputes in ASEAN Summit
BALI, Indonesia (via PLDT-Smart) – In line with President Benigno S. Aquino III’s advocacy of promoting a Zone of Peace, Freedom, Friendship and Cooperation (ZoPFF/C) in the disputed area of the West Philippine Sea (WPS), the Philippine government underscored the very important role of the ten-member nations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in determining the disputed and undisputed areas for the purpose of establishing a Joint Cooperation Area, as envisioned by the Aquino government.
In a statement of Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario delivered by Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Policy Erlinda Basilio during the Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting at the Kintamani Room 6 of the Bali Nusa Dua Convention Center, here on Tuesday, the government reiterated its stand that a “rules-based approach is the only legitimate way in addressing disputes in the West Philippine Sea” as previously expressed in the Asean Ministers’ Meeting last July also here in Bali.
The statement also bared the country’s belief that the ZOPFF/C is the actionable framework to clarify and segregate the disputed land features from the non-disputed waters of the West Philippine Sea and in the process address the issue of the nine-dash line.
The nine-dash-line is a map showing a U-shaped line enclosing almost the whole of the South China Sea which China claims belongs to them. The map has been widely protested by several countries including the Philippines and criticized in the international community.
The process of segregation would enable a workable cooperation between and among Asean and China especially the littoral and claimant states in the South China Sea.
Del Rosario’s statement also explained that the ZoPFF/C is consistent with the rules-based framework of managing the disputes in the West Philippine Sea. It is likewise, consistent with and pursuant to the Asean-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.
“We continue to pursue this framework and the embodied principles at every opportunity, as well as, to use appropriate avenues to exhaust all available means to settle the disputes within Asean,” the statement read.
“We strongly believe that an approach consistent with international law, specifically the United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS).Thus, the Philippines will consider a parallel track of pursuing third party adjudication, arbitration or conciliation as may be appropriate in the context of the dispute settlement mechanism of UNCLOS,” it added.
It further stated that the Philippines is resolved to hold sacrosanct the primacy of international law specifically the UNCLOS.
Upon his arrival here on Wednesday, President Aquino is expected to raise the issue of ZoPFF/C as part of his advocacies intended for discussion during the 19th Asean Summit and Related Summits 2011, which formally opens on Thursday, November 17.
The Zone of Peace, Freedom, Friendship and Cooperation is the country’s proactive contribution for the benefit of all countries with interest in the West Philippine Sea.
With the guidance of such a framework and through the facilitation of Asean, the Philippines calls on the claimant states in the SCS, including China, to meet and discuss these claims and define the undisputed and the disputed areas.
Del Rosario stressed that the Asean must play a decisive role at this time if it desires to realize its aspirations for global leadership.
Apart from the ten-member states, also expected to attend the annual summit are the top leaders of the countries comprising the Asean dialogue partners led by the United States President Barrack Obama, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, among others. (PCOO)
.
Aquino approves P1.1-billion NAIA Terminal 1 facelift
President Benigno S. Aquino III has approved the rehabilitation plan of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 (NAIA 1), which will undertake structural and aesthetical improvements, Transportation and Communication Secretary Mar Roxas announced on Tuesday.
Roxas said in a media briefing in Malacanang that the government is provisionally allocating P1.1 billion for works covering structural retrofitting, electro-mechanical engineering, and interior design for areas needing rehabilitation.
A partial breakdown of expenses include P500 million for aesthetics and interior design, replacing floorings, ceiling and walls and partition. DOTC will also be replacing and adding up to 50 percent immigration counters, he said.
The DOTC is setting aside P300 million for rapid exit taxi way to relieve runway congestion and minimize passenger delay, Roxas said. Also, P20 million was allocated for the repair and rehabilitation of 72 toilets at the airport although all the toilets are working properly, he added.
Roxas also said P340 million will be set aside for structural works to improve the structural the integrity of the facility.
The DOTC is retaining the services of Leandro Locsin and Associates, the original architectural and engineering firm that designed Terminal 1, Roxas said. Locsin and Associates have the as-built blueprint and design for the terminal so improvements could be done much easier.
At the same time, Roxas said the government is tapping the expertise of Changi Airport to render its assistance on functional designs and systems improvement of Terminal 1.
The experts from the Singaporean airport, who will arrive in the Philippines late this month, have verbally agreed to be part of the rehabilitation effort, Roxas said. They will inspect and analyze the site as well as the passenger flows and the government expects to receive the findings in early January, he added.
The Changi Airport in Singapore has been consistently voted as the number one airport in the world.
To improve the aesthetic fill-in look of the terminal, Roxas said they are tapping the services of local interior designers.
NAIA Terminal 1, a 30-year old airport had its last major make over in 1996 when world leaders arrived in the Philippines in 1996 for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. The terminal, which was put into service in 1981, has an original passenger capacity of 4.5 million passengers per year. It reached its full handling capacity in 1991, Roxas said.
Today, it handles 7.3 million passengers per year, and in the last 20 years it processed 56 million more passengers than it was designed to serve, the DOTC chief explained.
Roxas said the plan to rehabilitate NAIA Terminal 1 wasn’t prompted by recent assessments labeling the Terminal 1 as one of the worst airports in the world. He said it’s their duty to improve the airport bearing in mind the principle that “customers are always right.”
Roxas also clarified that the long-term plan is to transfer NAIA to Clarkfield in Pampanga noting however that it depends on the completion of the NorthRail project that will transport the passengers to Clark from Manila. They hope to realize the plan in five years, he said.
The P1.1 billion allocation will come from the realigned budget of the DOTC and Manila International Airport.
The rehabilitation, which is expected to be completed not more than 18 months, will be done one area at a time because Roxas said they are dealing with a working airport terminal.
However, he said construction could exceed its target completion date explaining that structural rehabilitation alone could take around nine to 18 months. (PCOO)
.
Aquino instructs DOJ to prevent Arroyos from leaving following SC TRO issuance
President Benigno S. Aquino III instructed Justice Secretary Leila de Lima “to do what is necessary” to prevent former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her husband Jose Miguel Arroyo from leaving the country.
In a press conference in Malacanang on Tuesday Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said the President is frustrated by the Supreme Court decision issuing temporary restraining order (TRO) on the watch list order issued by the Department of Justice (DOJ).
During the media briefing, de Lima said she instructed the transportation and communication secretary, the Bureau of Immigration, the Philippine National Police, the National Bureau of Investigation and other concerned agencies to carry out the watch list order of the DOJ to prevent the Arroyos from leaving.
De Lima said however that authorities can’t arrest the Arroyo couple since there is no existing warrant of arrest against them.
De Lima said Mrs Arroyo and her husband can’t leave the country as long as the DOJ, through the Office of the Solicitor General hasn’t formally received the SC order.
And in case the DOJ had the order, de Lima said they will urgently file a motion for reconsideration or a motion to lift the SC TRO, noting that the Arroyos can’t travel abroad because the watch list order or the status quo remains in effect.
De Lima said the Arroyo couple should wait for the oral argument scheduled next week that will determine the constitutionality of the DOJ watch list order. In the recent SC order, it appears that the high court already decided on Arroyo’s petition on the legality of the DOJ order, de Lima said.
While the SC imposed some conditions for the Arroyos in its TRO like reporting to the Philippine embassies in their destinations and posting bonds, she said these will not guarantee that they will return to the country after Mrs Arroyo’s medical check-up.
The recent actions of the former leader and her husband have heightened government’s suspicion that that they intend to evade the charges against them, de Lima said noting several travel bookings that they made on Tuesday.
She said the DOJ got information that the Arroyo couple had three bookings to travel to Singapore. The DOJ is still confirming another booking for them to leave Tuesday evening.
Asked by reporters why the Aquino administration is having a hard time charging the Arroyos, de Lima said they are observing due process and they want to ensure that evidence are strong enough to stand trial.
But she said the government could file electoral sabotage case against Mrs Arroyo this month or before Christmas. (PCOO)
