Aquino welcomes international logistics group's plan to invest $500-million
President Benigno S. Aquino III welcomed the plan of an international logistics group Kuwait and Gulf Link, to invest an additional $500-million in the Philippines.
KGL Group of Companies Chairman and Managing Director Saeed Dashti, together with KGL Group Vice Chairman Marsha Lazareva and Investment Director Mark Williams, called on the President in Malacañang on Monday to personally convey the company’s investment plan.
The KGL Group has already invested $200-million for the construction of the Gateway Logistics Center, a 177-hectare development project which hosts business enterprises and operations of aviation and logistics related businesses located in the Clark Export Processing Zone in Pampanga.
Trade Undersecretary Cristino Panlilio said the additional $500-million would be used for infrastructure logistics, like the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) programs and other investment potentials.
Panlilio said that the President wanted the investment plan to move expeditiously but directed that “everything will have to be bidded out transparently.”
“He (President Aquino) welcomes this (KGL Group investment). This is definitely what we need here but of course everything will have to be bidded out transparently,” Panlilio said.
“We cannot give out extra or special favors but what we can offer you is a transparent bidding that will be done and will go straight to the departments and not to political patrons,” he added. (PCOO)
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Telecommunications companies temporarily disconnect services in some areas in metropolis in response to President Aquino's appeal - Malacañang
Telecommunication companies temporarily disconnected their services in some areas of the city of Manila, particularly along the route of the Black Nazarene procession, heeding the government's request to fully cooperate with law enforcement agencies and take precautionary measures to enhance public safety during the observance of the feast, a Palace official said on Monday.
During the regular press briefing in Malacanang on Monday, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte confirmed reports that telecommunication firms today jammed their mobile signals in response to the appeal of President Benigno S. Aquino III to the telecommunication companies and the public to cooperate with the government to ensure peace and order during the feast of the Black Nazarene.
"All of them responded. The disruption in mobile services will be along the routes to be taken by the procession and it will last for the entire duration," Valte said, adding that "as holders of a franchise, the public safety is paramount."
Last Sunday, the Chief Executive announced that intelligence reports have apprised them of the intentions of lawless elements to create disruptions in the National Capital Region particularly during the Feast of the Black Nazarene. He had ordered law enforcement agencies and the military, to step up its efforts to maintain peace and order during the celebration.
"On the interruption of the mobile services, of course we feel that it is warranted as an additional security measure and is necessary for us to ensure that nothing untoward will happen during the period of the procession, and the celebration," Valte said.
"Second, there are still landlines that are available for them to be able to report. It’s not the entire area, we wish to stress. There are areas that are not part of the interruption, or the disruption, in the mobile service," she said.
Lawless elements had used cellular phones to trigger explosives from remote locations in several countries in the past.
Valte also assured that the Philippine National Police (PNP) and other law enforcement agencies will continue implementing enhanced security measures not only in Manila but the entire NCR as well.
She stressed that the President's warning to the public about the intelligence reports had nothing to do with the United States (US) travel advisory.
"First, on the US travel advisory, as mentioned by the President (on Sunday) there is no connection to the release… of the advisory and the corresponding warnings that were made. While we routinely receive intelligence reports of this nature, as also mentioned by the National Security Adviser, there is a process by which we arrive at the assessment. And it was, because of recent developments, that it was conveyed to the President yesterday," she said. (PCOO)
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Malacañang says internal investigation set for culpability of local officials of Compostela Valley on recent tragedy
An internal investigation will be conducted to look into the culpability of local officials of Compostela Valley on the latest landslide in the area that killed over 30 people last January 5, a Palace official said on Monday.
"I believe the governor (Compostela Valley Governor Arturo Uy) has already called for an internal investigation and Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo also mentioned that we will be looking into the accountability of the local government officials," Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said during the regular press briefing in Malacanang on Monday.
Reports said Gov. Uy announced that an independent commission will be created to determine if there are local officials who were negligent in ensuring the safety of their constituents in the mining areas.
The probe body will be tentatively composed of the Department of Interior and Local Government, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, the Office of Civil Defense, the chairman of the Committee on Environment of the Provincial Board and a non-government organization.
Valte noted that local officials who were negligent in ensuring the safety of their constituents in mining areas will be held accountable.
"This time it will be different. We have always mentioned that accountability is one of the stronger points of the Aquino administration and certainly we will not hesitate to push for accountability where it lies," Valte said.
The landslide, which tore through a small-scale gold mining site in Sitio Palo Diat, Barangay Napnapan in Pantukan town, Compostela Valley last Jan. 5, killed over 30 people and left 44 more missing, as noted by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council in an advisory. (PCOO)
President Benigno S. Aquino III welcomed the plan of an international logistics group Kuwait and Gulf Link, to invest an additional $500-million in the Philippines.
KGL Group of Companies Chairman and Managing Director Saeed Dashti, together with KGL Group Vice Chairman Marsha Lazareva and Investment Director Mark Williams, called on the President in Malacañang on Monday to personally convey the company’s investment plan.
The KGL Group has already invested $200-million for the construction of the Gateway Logistics Center, a 177-hectare development project which hosts business enterprises and operations of aviation and logistics related businesses located in the Clark Export Processing Zone in Pampanga.
Trade Undersecretary Cristino Panlilio said the additional $500-million would be used for infrastructure logistics, like the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) programs and other investment potentials.
Panlilio said that the President wanted the investment plan to move expeditiously but directed that “everything will have to be bidded out transparently.”
“He (President Aquino) welcomes this (KGL Group investment). This is definitely what we need here but of course everything will have to be bidded out transparently,” Panlilio said.
“We cannot give out extra or special favors but what we can offer you is a transparent bidding that will be done and will go straight to the departments and not to political patrons,” he added. (PCOO)
.
Telecommunications companies temporarily disconnect services in some areas in metropolis in response to President Aquino's appeal - Malacañang
Telecommunication companies temporarily disconnected their services in some areas of the city of Manila, particularly along the route of the Black Nazarene procession, heeding the government's request to fully cooperate with law enforcement agencies and take precautionary measures to enhance public safety during the observance of the feast, a Palace official said on Monday.
During the regular press briefing in Malacanang on Monday, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte confirmed reports that telecommunication firms today jammed their mobile signals in response to the appeal of President Benigno S. Aquino III to the telecommunication companies and the public to cooperate with the government to ensure peace and order during the feast of the Black Nazarene.
"All of them responded. The disruption in mobile services will be along the routes to be taken by the procession and it will last for the entire duration," Valte said, adding that "as holders of a franchise, the public safety is paramount."
Last Sunday, the Chief Executive announced that intelligence reports have apprised them of the intentions of lawless elements to create disruptions in the National Capital Region particularly during the Feast of the Black Nazarene. He had ordered law enforcement agencies and the military, to step up its efforts to maintain peace and order during the celebration.
"On the interruption of the mobile services, of course we feel that it is warranted as an additional security measure and is necessary for us to ensure that nothing untoward will happen during the period of the procession, and the celebration," Valte said.
"Second, there are still landlines that are available for them to be able to report. It’s not the entire area, we wish to stress. There are areas that are not part of the interruption, or the disruption, in the mobile service," she said.
Lawless elements had used cellular phones to trigger explosives from remote locations in several countries in the past.
Valte also assured that the Philippine National Police (PNP) and other law enforcement agencies will continue implementing enhanced security measures not only in Manila but the entire NCR as well.
She stressed that the President's warning to the public about the intelligence reports had nothing to do with the United States (US) travel advisory.
"First, on the US travel advisory, as mentioned by the President (on Sunday) there is no connection to the release… of the advisory and the corresponding warnings that were made. While we routinely receive intelligence reports of this nature, as also mentioned by the National Security Adviser, there is a process by which we arrive at the assessment. And it was, because of recent developments, that it was conveyed to the President yesterday," she said. (PCOO)
.
Malacañang says internal investigation set for culpability of local officials of Compostela Valley on recent tragedy
An internal investigation will be conducted to look into the culpability of local officials of Compostela Valley on the latest landslide in the area that killed over 30 people last January 5, a Palace official said on Monday.
"I believe the governor (Compostela Valley Governor Arturo Uy) has already called for an internal investigation and Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo also mentioned that we will be looking into the accountability of the local government officials," Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said during the regular press briefing in Malacanang on Monday.
Reports said Gov. Uy announced that an independent commission will be created to determine if there are local officials who were negligent in ensuring the safety of their constituents in the mining areas.
The probe body will be tentatively composed of the Department of Interior and Local Government, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, the Office of Civil Defense, the chairman of the Committee on Environment of the Provincial Board and a non-government organization.
Valte noted that local officials who were negligent in ensuring the safety of their constituents in mining areas will be held accountable.
"This time it will be different. We have always mentioned that accountability is one of the stronger points of the Aquino administration and certainly we will not hesitate to push for accountability where it lies," Valte said.
The landslide, which tore through a small-scale gold mining site in Sitio Palo Diat, Barangay Napnapan in Pantukan town, Compostela Valley last Jan. 5, killed over 30 people and left 44 more missing, as noted by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council in an advisory. (PCOO)
