Malacanang remains committed to curb piracy
Malacanang vowed to curb the proliferation of intellectual piracy in the country saying that there will be no “sacred cows” among the officials of the Aquino government following the involvement of one of its cabinet members in the purchase of “pirated” digital video discs (DVDs), recently.
In a regular press briefing in Malacanang, Thursday, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda stressed that the Aquino government remains committed to efforts undertaken by the various concerned agencies that include the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Optical Media Board, among others, in addressing the problem of “piracy.”
“Our commitment, not only with respect to OMB but also with respect to DTI and the other agencies which are in the fore front of the fight against intellectual piracy… we remain firm in our fight against intellectual piracy in all its forms,” Lacierda said.
“I think it is important, incumbent on us public officials to behave in accordance with law…to behave in support of our drive in whatever drive the government has launched and one of them is the drive against intellectual piracy,” he added.
When asked if Presidential Political Adviser Secretary Ronald Llamas is indispensable, Lacierda made it clear that nobody is being given special treatment among the Aquino Cabinet officials.
“No one is indispensable… I can tell you that, if you’re going to ask me for calls for resignation, that is a personal decision on the part of Secretary Llamas to do so,” Lacierda said.
He added that the President has yet to discuss with Llamas what really transpired in the pirated DVD purchase issue.
“I think gustong marinig ni Pangulong Aquino kung ano talaga ang nangyari doon… ang sinabi ni Pangulong Aquino hindi pa klaro so, siguro magandang ipaliwanag ni Secretary Llamas kay Pangulong Aquino,” Lacierda said.
“None of us are untouchable… I just want to clarify,” Lacierda stressed.
Reports revealed that Secretary Llamas was spotted allegedly buying pirated DVDs in a mall in Quezon City raising queries on such actions of conflict with the government’s drive against the purchase of the illegal merchandise. (PCOO)
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Ochoa enjoins public servants to support 'Bayanihan ng Bayan'
Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr. encouraged on Thursday government officials and employees to promote and participate in the "Bayanihan ng Bayan" project of the administration to help rebuild lives of typhoon victims in Mindanao.
Ochoa issued Memorandum Circular No. 26 enjoining all public servants to support the Bayanihan ng Bayan from January 25 to 28 in Iligan City after Tropical Storm "Sendong" ravaged the area and Cagayan De Oro City over a month ago.
"The event aims to illustrate the collective response and various ways the Filipinos can help victims of the typhoon," Ochoa stated in the memorandum. "It also intends to gather commitments from all over the country to rebuild devastated areas in Northern Mindanao."
On Wednesday, President Benigno S. Aquino III visited the relocation sites in Iligan City and Cagayan De Oro City, and launched the shelter program for typhoon victims. The President also assured local government units of the national government's support as they rehabilitate areas affected by Sendong.
Memorandum Circular No. 26, signed on January 25, specifically orders officials and employees of all departments, bureaus and agencies of the national government, as well as government-owned and -controlled corporations to support and take part in the Bayanihan ng Bayan. (PCOO)
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Aquino to attend Business Registry System launching
President Benigno S. Aquino III will lead on Friday the launching of the Philippines Business Registry System (PBRS) in Makati City which is aimed at speeding up business registrations in the country.
The PBRS is a web-based system that will serve as a one-stop shop for entrepreneurs who want to transact or register their businesses, Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) documents as well as Home development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG), Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (Philhealth) and Social Security System (SSS). Those documents are prerequisite in opening up a business.
The computerized registration systems will link those agencies so that applicants can register businesses even without their presence.
Through the PBRS, sole proprietors can now register their business names, generate or validate their tax identification number (TIN) and get employer registration numbers from the SSS, Philhealth and Pag-IBIG Fund.
During the launching rites, the President will be briefed on the actual client applications. He is also expected to witness the awarding of citation certificates to the five participating agencies.
The President will be joined by Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo, Trade Undersecretary Zenaida Maglaya and Provincial Director Arnaldo del Rosario of the Department of Trade and Industry-National Capital Region. (PCOO)
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Aquino declares Feb. 3 as special non-working day in commemoration of birth anniversary of Blas Ople
President Benigno S. Aquino III has declared February 3 which falls on a Friday as a special non-working day in the province of Bulacan in connection with the 85th birth anniversary of Blas F. Ople.
In Proclamation No. 323 signed by Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr. on January 25, 2012, the President issued the declaration to give the people of Bulacan the opportunity to commemorate the birth anniversary of Ople.
"Ople, who served as Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Senate President and Secretary of Labor, had devoted decades of his life to selfless dedicated and sincere service to our country and our people," the President said.
Ople was born in Hagonoy, Bulacan on February 3, 1927 to Felix Antonio Ople, a craftsman who repaired boats, and his wife Segundina Fajardo.
He graduated valedictorian of his grade school class at the Hagonoy Elementary School in 1941. Upon the invasion of the Philippines by Japan during World War II, the teenage Ople joined the guerilla movement and fought under the Del Pilar Regiment and the Buenavista Regiment of the Bulacan Military Area founded by Alejo Santos.
In 1948, he finished his high school studies at the Far Eastern University. He worked towards a degree in liberal arts at the Educational Center of Asia (formerly Quezon College) in Manila. Ople pursued a career in journalism.
Ople held several high-ranking positions in the executive and legislative branches of the Philippine government, including as Senate President from 1999 to 2000, and as Secretary of Foreign Affairs from 2002 until his death. He died on December 14, 2003. (PCOO)
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Stronger democracy improves country’s Press Freedom ranking, says Palace
The Philippines has improved in the 2011 Press Freedom Index by the Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) or Reporters without Borders because of better democratic space in the country, a Palace official said on Thursday.
RSF, a Brussels-based organization, said the Philippines has improved slightly in its 2011 Press Freedom Index although it still reels from the stigma of the November 2009 Maguindanao massacre where at least 57 were killed including 32 media people.
The Philippines ranked 140th in the 2011 Press Freedom Index, an annual rating index published by RSF that covers 178 countries worldwide.
“I think the press is not subjected to the kind of intimidation that they were in the previous administration. I think the people see that the violence being committed on media people is being addressed,” Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office (PCDSPO) Secretary Ramon Carandang said in an interview.
“And look at the kind of debate that goes on in media, it’s very free. And if we have complaints from time to time you can see everybody is free to ask what they want. There is room for discourse,” he added.
Asked if he believes the passage of the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill will improve the country’s ranking, Carandang said, he doesn’t know the impact of the bill on the press. But he added that even without the FOI bill reporters can still get the information they need through their ingenuity.
He believes, however, that the FOI bill will definitely improve the democratic space in the country.
The Philippines dropped to 156th place a year after the Maguindanao massacre, slipping from its former ranking at 122nd.
Although there is improvement, the RSF still included the Philippines in its 2011 Press Freedom Index, together with Pakistan and Afghanistan “where violence and impunity persist.”
The RSF said paramilitary groups and private militias continued to attack media workers in the Philippines. (PCOO)
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Malacanang says decision of DOJ to file criminal charges against Pichay and Landingin represents milestone in Aquino government’s quest to fight corruption
The decision of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to file criminal charges against former Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) Board Chairman Prospero Pichay Jr. and acting LWUA Administrator Daniel Landingin in connection with the anomalous purchase of the troubled Express Savings Bank Inc. (EXSBI) represents yet another milestone in the Aquino government's quest to fight corruption, a Palace official said on Thursday.
"We welcome the decision of the DOJ panel of prosecutors to file charges of corruption, malversation, and violation of the banking law, against Pichay and Landingin. These recent developments represent yet another milestone in our quest to promote a culture of good governance in this country, where the fight against corruption and the fight against poverty are equally important in achieving our vision of a progressive and prosperous Philippines," Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in a statement issued on Thursday.
In 2009, the LWUA, under the leadership of Pichay and Landingin, entered into allegedly anomalous transactions with Express Savings Bank, Inc. (ESBI), then on the verge of bankruptcy.
Eighty million pesos was used to acquire 60 percent of the outstanding capital stock of ESBI, while another 400 million pesos taken from the LWUA funds was deposited into the ESBI.
The resolution of the DOJ panel, along with all records of the case, has been transmitted to the Office of the Ombudsman for appropriate action.
"Our resolve to weed out corruption in government and hold guilty officials accountable has not lessened; but rest assured that we will likewise be vigilant in affording the respondents the rights due to them under the Constitution," Lacierda said. (PCOO)
Malacanang vowed to curb the proliferation of intellectual piracy in the country saying that there will be no “sacred cows” among the officials of the Aquino government following the involvement of one of its cabinet members in the purchase of “pirated” digital video discs (DVDs), recently.
In a regular press briefing in Malacanang, Thursday, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda stressed that the Aquino government remains committed to efforts undertaken by the various concerned agencies that include the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Optical Media Board, among others, in addressing the problem of “piracy.”
“Our commitment, not only with respect to OMB but also with respect to DTI and the other agencies which are in the fore front of the fight against intellectual piracy… we remain firm in our fight against intellectual piracy in all its forms,” Lacierda said.
“I think it is important, incumbent on us public officials to behave in accordance with law…to behave in support of our drive in whatever drive the government has launched and one of them is the drive against intellectual piracy,” he added.
When asked if Presidential Political Adviser Secretary Ronald Llamas is indispensable, Lacierda made it clear that nobody is being given special treatment among the Aquino Cabinet officials.
“No one is indispensable… I can tell you that, if you’re going to ask me for calls for resignation, that is a personal decision on the part of Secretary Llamas to do so,” Lacierda said.
He added that the President has yet to discuss with Llamas what really transpired in the pirated DVD purchase issue.
“I think gustong marinig ni Pangulong Aquino kung ano talaga ang nangyari doon… ang sinabi ni Pangulong Aquino hindi pa klaro so, siguro magandang ipaliwanag ni Secretary Llamas kay Pangulong Aquino,” Lacierda said.
“None of us are untouchable… I just want to clarify,” Lacierda stressed.
Reports revealed that Secretary Llamas was spotted allegedly buying pirated DVDs in a mall in Quezon City raising queries on such actions of conflict with the government’s drive against the purchase of the illegal merchandise. (PCOO)
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Ochoa enjoins public servants to support 'Bayanihan ng Bayan'
Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr. encouraged on Thursday government officials and employees to promote and participate in the "Bayanihan ng Bayan" project of the administration to help rebuild lives of typhoon victims in Mindanao.
Ochoa issued Memorandum Circular No. 26 enjoining all public servants to support the Bayanihan ng Bayan from January 25 to 28 in Iligan City after Tropical Storm "Sendong" ravaged the area and Cagayan De Oro City over a month ago.
"The event aims to illustrate the collective response and various ways the Filipinos can help victims of the typhoon," Ochoa stated in the memorandum. "It also intends to gather commitments from all over the country to rebuild devastated areas in Northern Mindanao."
On Wednesday, President Benigno S. Aquino III visited the relocation sites in Iligan City and Cagayan De Oro City, and launched the shelter program for typhoon victims. The President also assured local government units of the national government's support as they rehabilitate areas affected by Sendong.
Memorandum Circular No. 26, signed on January 25, specifically orders officials and employees of all departments, bureaus and agencies of the national government, as well as government-owned and -controlled corporations to support and take part in the Bayanihan ng Bayan. (PCOO)
.
Aquino to attend Business Registry System launching
President Benigno S. Aquino III will lead on Friday the launching of the Philippines Business Registry System (PBRS) in Makati City which is aimed at speeding up business registrations in the country.
The PBRS is a web-based system that will serve as a one-stop shop for entrepreneurs who want to transact or register their businesses, Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) documents as well as Home development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG), Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (Philhealth) and Social Security System (SSS). Those documents are prerequisite in opening up a business.
The computerized registration systems will link those agencies so that applicants can register businesses even without their presence.
Through the PBRS, sole proprietors can now register their business names, generate or validate their tax identification number (TIN) and get employer registration numbers from the SSS, Philhealth and Pag-IBIG Fund.
During the launching rites, the President will be briefed on the actual client applications. He is also expected to witness the awarding of citation certificates to the five participating agencies.
The President will be joined by Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo, Trade Undersecretary Zenaida Maglaya and Provincial Director Arnaldo del Rosario of the Department of Trade and Industry-National Capital Region. (PCOO)
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Aquino declares Feb. 3 as special non-working day in commemoration of birth anniversary of Blas Ople
President Benigno S. Aquino III has declared February 3 which falls on a Friday as a special non-working day in the province of Bulacan in connection with the 85th birth anniversary of Blas F. Ople.
In Proclamation No. 323 signed by Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr. on January 25, 2012, the President issued the declaration to give the people of Bulacan the opportunity to commemorate the birth anniversary of Ople.
"Ople, who served as Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Senate President and Secretary of Labor, had devoted decades of his life to selfless dedicated and sincere service to our country and our people," the President said.
Ople was born in Hagonoy, Bulacan on February 3, 1927 to Felix Antonio Ople, a craftsman who repaired boats, and his wife Segundina Fajardo.
He graduated valedictorian of his grade school class at the Hagonoy Elementary School in 1941. Upon the invasion of the Philippines by Japan during World War II, the teenage Ople joined the guerilla movement and fought under the Del Pilar Regiment and the Buenavista Regiment of the Bulacan Military Area founded by Alejo Santos.
In 1948, he finished his high school studies at the Far Eastern University. He worked towards a degree in liberal arts at the Educational Center of Asia (formerly Quezon College) in Manila. Ople pursued a career in journalism.
Ople held several high-ranking positions in the executive and legislative branches of the Philippine government, including as Senate President from 1999 to 2000, and as Secretary of Foreign Affairs from 2002 until his death. He died on December 14, 2003. (PCOO)
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Stronger democracy improves country’s Press Freedom ranking, says Palace
The Philippines has improved in the 2011 Press Freedom Index by the Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) or Reporters without Borders because of better democratic space in the country, a Palace official said on Thursday.
RSF, a Brussels-based organization, said the Philippines has improved slightly in its 2011 Press Freedom Index although it still reels from the stigma of the November 2009 Maguindanao massacre where at least 57 were killed including 32 media people.
The Philippines ranked 140th in the 2011 Press Freedom Index, an annual rating index published by RSF that covers 178 countries worldwide.
“I think the press is not subjected to the kind of intimidation that they were in the previous administration. I think the people see that the violence being committed on media people is being addressed,” Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office (PCDSPO) Secretary Ramon Carandang said in an interview.
“And look at the kind of debate that goes on in media, it’s very free. And if we have complaints from time to time you can see everybody is free to ask what they want. There is room for discourse,” he added.
Asked if he believes the passage of the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill will improve the country’s ranking, Carandang said, he doesn’t know the impact of the bill on the press. But he added that even without the FOI bill reporters can still get the information they need through their ingenuity.
He believes, however, that the FOI bill will definitely improve the democratic space in the country.
The Philippines dropped to 156th place a year after the Maguindanao massacre, slipping from its former ranking at 122nd.
Although there is improvement, the RSF still included the Philippines in its 2011 Press Freedom Index, together with Pakistan and Afghanistan “where violence and impunity persist.”
The RSF said paramilitary groups and private militias continued to attack media workers in the Philippines. (PCOO)
.
Malacanang says decision of DOJ to file criminal charges against Pichay and Landingin represents milestone in Aquino government’s quest to fight corruption
The decision of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to file criminal charges against former Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) Board Chairman Prospero Pichay Jr. and acting LWUA Administrator Daniel Landingin in connection with the anomalous purchase of the troubled Express Savings Bank Inc. (EXSBI) represents yet another milestone in the Aquino government's quest to fight corruption, a Palace official said on Thursday.
"We welcome the decision of the DOJ panel of prosecutors to file charges of corruption, malversation, and violation of the banking law, against Pichay and Landingin. These recent developments represent yet another milestone in our quest to promote a culture of good governance in this country, where the fight against corruption and the fight against poverty are equally important in achieving our vision of a progressive and prosperous Philippines," Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in a statement issued on Thursday.
In 2009, the LWUA, under the leadership of Pichay and Landingin, entered into allegedly anomalous transactions with Express Savings Bank, Inc. (ESBI), then on the verge of bankruptcy.
Eighty million pesos was used to acquire 60 percent of the outstanding capital stock of ESBI, while another 400 million pesos taken from the LWUA funds was deposited into the ESBI.
The resolution of the DOJ panel, along with all records of the case, has been transmitted to the Office of the Ombudsman for appropriate action.
"Our resolve to weed out corruption in government and hold guilty officials accountable has not lessened; but rest assured that we will likewise be vigilant in affording the respondents the rights due to them under the Constitution," Lacierda said. (PCOO)
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Aquino keynotes Arangkada Philippines Forum
President Benigno S. Aquino III keynoted the Arangkada (accelerate) Philippines Forum held at the Grand Ballroom of the Mariott Hotel in Pasay City on Thursday.
Aquino keynotes Arangkada Philippines Forum
President Benigno S. Aquino III keynoted the Arangkada (accelerate) Philippines Forum held at the Grand Ballroom of the Mariott Hotel in Pasay City on Thursday.
Arangkada Philippines is a comprhensive advocacy paper that share recommendations leading to the creation of US$75 billion in new foreign investment, 10 million jobs and over P1-trillion in revenue for the Philippine economy within this decade.
Conducted by the Joint Foreign Chambers, Arangkada Philippines estimates that, to achieve these results, the country must focus on more rapid development of the Seven Big Winner Sectors namely: agribusiness, business process outsourcing, creative industries, infrastructure, manufacturing and logistics, mining and tourism.
In his speech, the President said that although these seven sectors were part of his platform in the 2010 Presidential campaign, his government would focus on three – agribusiness, infrastructure and tourism – whose benefits would redound to the Filipino people.
“The Joint Foreign Chambers of the Philippines (JFCP), acting in solidarity with our agenda of national transformation, has graciously conducted a study on how to accelerate investments and economic growth, and create jobs in the country,” the President said.
“The Arangkada study mentioned seven promising sectors. Some in the audience may recall that these same seven sectors were part of my platform during the 2010 election campaign. They represent the global competitive advantage of the Philippines. They are primary areas of growth that can create millions of jobs for our economy and potentially change the tragic paradigm of poverty afflicting too many of our citizens,” he stressed.
The President pointed out that focusing on the development of the aforementioned three sectors was in line with his administration’s advocacy of “equitable progress and inclusive growth.”
“The driving principle behind my government has always been equitable progress and inclusive growth, and we believe that the success of these three sectors-- tourism, infrastructure, and agriculture-- redound to the benefit of the common Filipino,” the President said.
“They offer immediate opportunities to those in the margins: those who live in poverty; who are in the rural areas; who, by a systemic neglect of their dignity, have been disallowed more active participation in the national economy. These are the same people who are being targeted by our investments in social services such as education, health, and community development,” he added.
The Chief Executive expressed optimism that through this development framework, the Filipinos would “reap the profits of our efforts and become skilled, healthy, empowered individuals.”
“They will be the ones to spur the entire economy forward-- consumers who will allow businesses to thrive; experts who will fuel the growth of BPO companies; award-winners in our creative industries; not only production-line workers, but also engineers and managers,” the President concluded. (PCOO)
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Aquino to focus on three sectors of Arangkada Philippine
President Benigno S. Aquino III said on Thursday that his administraton would prioritize the development of three of the seven sectors outlined in a study conducted by the Joint Foreign Chambers entitled, Arangkada Philippines, for it’s ability to promote inclusive growth or an equitable allocation of resources with benefits accruing to every section of society.
These sectors, the President said, are in, tourism, infrastructure and agribusiness.
He pointed out that the government has taken several steps in ensuring that these three sectors are given the rightful attention it deserves.
To attract more tourists which, the President said, is pegged at 3.917 million or 11.2% higher than the 3.520 million posted in 2010, the government has begun liberalizing Philippine aviation and upgraded various airports, to allow more carriers into the country.
The President also announced that around two thirds of the country’s budget for infrastructure has been released and is ready to fund projects such as refurbishing of NAIA (Ninoy Aquino International Airport) Terminal 1 and the completion and full utilization of Terminal 3, upgrading and widening the Manila North Road, and extending the light rail transit 1’s south and east portions.
“Now that the necessary project integrity checks and systems are in place, I am happy to report that as of January 13 of this year, around two thirds of the 205.8 billion peso budget for the infrastructure program has been released. This means 137.4 billion pesos that will redound to employment for those who work in construction, increase mobility for goods and services across the nation, and more livelihood opportunities for those in our local communities,” the President said.
On agribusiness, the President said the country’s goal to be rice sufficient by 2013 and improve the wages of farmers was still plausible since the Department of Agriculture’s budget this year was increased by 51.3 percent, to P53.3 billion.
“The basic strategy is to sustain the increase in productivity and improve our competitiveness; to enhance economic incentives and enable mechanisms for our farmers; and to manage the demand and diversification of our staples,” the President said.
“Irrigation, community seed-banking, and the construction of farm-to-market roads are all part of the package. These will all allow us not only a stronger rice farming industry, but also an opportunity to tap into other growth possibilities such as coconut, poultry and livestock, fisheries, and bio-fuel,” he added.
The President said that the benefits of these three sectors would redound to the common Filipino who will “reap the profits of our efforts and become skilled, healthy, empowered individuals, they will be the ones to spur the entire economy forward.”
“The driving principle behind my government has always been equitable progress and inclusive growth, and we believe that the success of these three sectors-- tourism, infrastructure, and agriculture-- redound to the benefit of the common Filipino,” the President said.
“They offer immediate opportunities to those in the margins: those who live in poverty; who are in the rural areas; who, by a systemic neglect of their dignity, have been disallowed more active participation in the national economy. These are the same people who are being targeted by our investments in social services such as education, health, and community development,” he said.
Arangkada Philippines is a comprehensive advocacy paper that share recommendations leading to the creation of US$75 billion in new foreign investment, 10 million jobs and over P1-trillion in revenue for the Philippine economy within this decade.
Conducted by the Joint Foreign Chambers, Arangkada Philippines estimates that, to achieve these results, the country must focus on more rapid development of the Seven Big Winner Sectors namely: agribusiness, business process outsourcing, creative industries, infrastructure, manufacturing and logistics, mining and tourism. (PCOO)
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Gov’t working to bring electricity rates down
In order to address the needs of the manufacturing industry, which the Philippines will see a resurgence of this year, President Benigno S. Aquino III said that the government is working on several measures to bring electricity rates down.
In a forum with participants to the Arangkada Philippines on Thursday at the Mariott Hotel in Pasay City, the President said that making electricity rates in the Philippines affordable will entice more investors to put up shop here.
“...as you know, manufacturing suffers in the fact that we have very high electricity rates. The electricity rates, we are working on bringing them down. First, by encouraging the setting up of the based-generating plants. But more importantly trying to hasten the open access for and to have the wholesale electricity spot market really fully functional,” the President said
An open access electricity market allows large electricity users in Luzon and Visayas to choose their own power suppliers. Eventually, households will have the capacity to choose as well. This set up is unlike the current system in which consumers are limited to the suppliers that have jurisdiction over their respective areas.
“Now, that is a necessary step for us to be able really encourage manufacturing concerns to come back here,” the President said. (PCOO)
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Aquino to discuss liberalization of PHL healthcare institutions with Obama in US visit this year
President Benigno S. Aquino III said on Thursday that he will bring the concerns of the Philippine healthcare industry to the attention of US President Barack Obama when he visits the United States by the middle of this year.
Aging Filipino-Americans residing in the US mainland have not been able to retire in the Philippines as the healthcare industry, which include hospitals and retirement homes, here is not accredited by the US government.
President Aquino said he will discuss with Obama the possibility of extending extra “considerations” for Philippine facilities.
“I will be having a visit with President Obama sometime, towards the middle of the year. You can count on my…requesting him again for a consideration of accrediting more of our facilities,” the President said.
He said that discussions with US lawmakers in previous meetings touched on the subject adding that “there are invitations to talk with them again when we visit the America so I will be sure to request for that liberalizing of the facilities for the retirees.” (PCOO)
