Aquino declares Feb. 10 as special non-working day in Kidapawan City in commemoration of its 14th Foundation Day
President Benigno S. Aquino III has declared February 10 which falls on Friday as a special non-working day in the city of Kidapawan in Cotabato province in connection with the 14th Foundation Day of the city.
In Proclamation No. 321 signed by Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr. on January 20 the President issued the declaration after the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Kidapawan requested that February 10 instead of February 12 which falls on Sunday, be declared as a special non-working day.
February 12, 2012 marks Kidapawan City’s 14th Foundation Day but the Sangguniang Panlungsod made the request to President Aquino to enable the people of the city to fully participate in the occasion.
Kidapawan became a City on February 12, 1998 by virtue of Republic Act No. 8500 inked by the 12th President Fidel V. Ramos, making it a Component City of the Province of Cotabato.
Kidapaweños overwhelmingly ratified the cityhood in a plebiscite on March 21, 1998.
The city has vast eco-tourism potentials due to its strategic location at the foot of the country’s highest peak, Mount Apo. (PCOO)
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Aquino forwards substitute Freedom of Information Bill to congressional allies
President Benigno S. Aquino III said his administration has submitted a substitute Freedom of Information Bill (FOI) to their allies in the lower house for the eventual passage of the legislation aimed at having wider public access to government information.
“Now because it’s your 112th anniversary, let me give you my gift. Here’s the scoop: I am happy to share with you that we have made progress in a much talked about issue. Earlier today—and actually this afternoon—we formally submitted to our coalition partners in the House of Representatives a substitute Freedom of Information Bill, which we believe addresses stakeholders’ desires to have more transparency and more access to information in government,” the President said in his speech at the 112th anniversary of the Manila Bulletin on Thursday.
“We want every other administration voted into power to work under the same standard of transparency and accountability that we have set for ourselves. This is a significant step toward achieving that goal,” he added.
Just before his announcement, the President instructed his communications group, which has been doing consultations to craft the legislation, to “push ahead” with the much-delayed Freedom of Information bill.
During the 14th Congress, the House of Representatives failed to ratify the FOI bill due to lack of quorum and protests from congressmen, although the Senate ratified a similar measure in the bicameral conference committee.
There are several versions of the FOI bill filed in the 15th Congress that have been pending at the committee level in both the houses of Congress. The 15th Congress wanted the passage of the controversial measure as its major achievement.
Once passed, the FOI bill would allow the public to obtain records of government transactions, meetings and other businesses, a right enshrined in the Constitution. It will also provide definite procedure in dealing with requests for information and seeks to penalize officials denying access to information.
President Aquino vowed to support the passage of the bill during the 2010 presidential campaign. (PCOO)
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Aquino attends 112th anniversary celebration of Manila Bulletin
President Benigno S. Aquino III attended Thursday the 112th anniversary of the Manila Bulletin and he expressed hope that the newspaper will continue to provide positive news stories about the country.
“It is my fervent hope that, as you celebrate your 112th anniversary, the Manila Bulletin adheres to the calling proclaimed in your masthead: to be the exponent of Philippine progress,” he said in a message during the event at the Manila Bulletin in Intramuros, Manila on Thursday.
“As the oldest English language daily in the country, you are an ambassador of the country to the world; what you headline is read not just here, but also globally.”
February 2, the President said, is also the anniversary of the ratification of the 1987 Constitution. He said that 25 years ago, the Filipino people ratified a new constitution that has weathered many storms but remained as the foundation of the country’s ideals and aspirations.
The Philippine press, according to the President, preserves those ideals and hopes.
“As media practitioners, you have reported the strides we have taken in governance; and you have communicated to us in government the aspirations of the Filipino people. In your pages are accounts of how we have endeavored to strengthen our institutions, and how we have pursued the idea that the letter of the law must be used to uphold the spirit of the law,” he said.
“Our Constitution is the bulwark of our freedoms–including the freedom of the press. With that freedom comes the corresponding responsibility of the Fourth Estate to be balanced and fair,” the President added.
Joining the President during the event were former president Fidel V. Ramos, Joseph Ejercito Estrada, Manila Bulletin owner Don Emilio Yap, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr., Rizal Gov. Casimiro Ynares Jr., Manila 3rd District Rep. Zenaida Angping and Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim. (PCOO)
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Aquino cites importance of good governance in achieving sustainable progress and development
President Benigno S. Aquino III stressed the importance of implementing good governance in pursuit of real and sustainable progress in the country and the people as he warned those who are still living in deceit and corruption to be ready to face the consequences of their malevolent acts.
In his speech during the 65th anniversary celebration of the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) at the Penthouse of the Bulwagan ng Diwang Pilipino, DBP Head Office in Makati City on Friday, President Aquino expressed the unyielding and intensified efforts of the government to go after unscrupulous public servants who are getting wealthy at the expense of the Filipino people.
“To those who might still be holding on to their ways despite my expressed direct order to thread the straight path, please do not test me… I can be a patient man but my patience has its limits especially for those who stand as obstacles to reform,” the President said.
“Keep this in mind especially for the next year, which will be more challenging and more important, we will be continuing our pursuit… conviction and punishment of those who have done wrong and we will make certain that the fruits we have picked along the path of good governance redounds in tangible ways to the benefit of the Filipino people,” he added.
President Aquino cited the acceptable results of good governance that could promote the influx of more investors in the country resulting to more jobs and economic opportunity for the people.
“Good governance pays dividends… it fosters confidence in our institutions attracting more investors in establishing a system of predictable outcomes and stability,” the President said.
“Those who fall in line, follow the rules and work hard will get their goals… those who break the law will be held accountable. All of us must strengthen our efforts at good governance… on your shoulders lies the fate of the development projects for our countrymen,” he stressed.
The Chief Executive, together with Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, led the celebration of the state-owned Development Bank of the Philippines’ anniversary rites.
During the event, DBP president and chief executive officer Francisco del Rosario Jr. reported on the new DBP initiatives designed to increase its assistance to various priority thrusts of the Aquino administration. This includes the Connecting Rural and Urban Intermodal Systems Efficiently (CRUISE) program which is the bank’s response to the national government’s efforts to promote increased investment in the transport infrastructure.
With a budget allocation of 20 billion pesos, it is aligned with the Philippine Development Plan 2011-2016 for infrastructure investments.
Other DBP projects include the Tree-Planting Financing Program (TPFP) and Financing for Public Basic Education (FPBE), among others.
The DBP officials and Board of Directors assisted by Secretary Purisima also presented to the President, the symbolic check bearing the P4 billion dividends to the national government. The actual check will be given to the government during the Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCC) Governance Day on February 6, Monday.
Forty one scholars representing the 458 DBP student scholars for the school year 2011-2012 under the DBP Endowment for Education Program (DEEP) were also presented. (PCOO)
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Palace expects immediate passage of Freedom of Information Bill
Malacanang expressed hope that the proposed substitute Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill will be approved soon by the present Congress, according to a Palace official.
Undersecretary Manuel Quezon III of the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office (PCDSPO) said the Aquino administration hopes that the legislators will pass it in the second regular session of the 15th Congress.
“I think it would be fair to assume that this ought to be, should be, and will be one of the crowning achievements of the 15th Congress,” Quezon said in a press conference in Malacanang on Friday in response to a question profounded by reporters about the time line of the passage of the bill.
Quezon said that the heading of Budget Secretary Florencio Abad’s letter for the House Speaker as well as the members of the lower house indicates the urgency of its passage. Abad was designated by the President, together with other Palace officials, to draft the substitute legislative measure.
Asked by reporters if the administration is open to flexibilities to change the proposal, Quezon said members of Congress could still improve it.
“Sa aming pananaw napalakas namin ang bill na ito, naging mas malinaw at mas matibay ang mga garantiya ng mga karapatan para sa tao,” Quezon said.
Compared to other measures that are still pending in Congress, Quezon said one of the differences is the organization of the law. He noted that the Aquino administration believes that broad and large categories of government information should be made accessible to the public.
The President disclosed on Thursday that a substitute FOI bill was forwarded to the administration allies at the lower house.
The Chief Executive also mentioned that the passage of the bill must be a legacy of his administration because of its continuing defense and assurance to the public of the transparency of government documents, records and information.
Quezon said the President believes that the reforms in government particularly its transparency to the people must remain a policy of any government.
During the 14th Congress, the House of Representatives failed to ratify the FOI bill due to lack of quorum and protests from congressmen, although the Senate ratified a similar measure in the bicameral conference committee.
Once passed, the FOI bill would allow the public to obtain records of government transactions, meetings and other businesses, a right enshrined in the Constitution. It will also provide definite procedure in dealing with requests for information and seeks to penalize officials denying access to information.
President Aquino vowed to support the passage of the bill during the 2010 presidential campaign. (PCOO)
President Benigno S. Aquino III has declared February 10 which falls on Friday as a special non-working day in the city of Kidapawan in Cotabato province in connection with the 14th Foundation Day of the city.
In Proclamation No. 321 signed by Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr. on January 20 the President issued the declaration after the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Kidapawan requested that February 10 instead of February 12 which falls on Sunday, be declared as a special non-working day.
February 12, 2012 marks Kidapawan City’s 14th Foundation Day but the Sangguniang Panlungsod made the request to President Aquino to enable the people of the city to fully participate in the occasion.
Kidapawan became a City on February 12, 1998 by virtue of Republic Act No. 8500 inked by the 12th President Fidel V. Ramos, making it a Component City of the Province of Cotabato.
Kidapaweños overwhelmingly ratified the cityhood in a plebiscite on March 21, 1998.
The city has vast eco-tourism potentials due to its strategic location at the foot of the country’s highest peak, Mount Apo. (PCOO)
.
Aquino forwards substitute Freedom of Information Bill to congressional allies
President Benigno S. Aquino III said his administration has submitted a substitute Freedom of Information Bill (FOI) to their allies in the lower house for the eventual passage of the legislation aimed at having wider public access to government information.
“Now because it’s your 112th anniversary, let me give you my gift. Here’s the scoop: I am happy to share with you that we have made progress in a much talked about issue. Earlier today—and actually this afternoon—we formally submitted to our coalition partners in the House of Representatives a substitute Freedom of Information Bill, which we believe addresses stakeholders’ desires to have more transparency and more access to information in government,” the President said in his speech at the 112th anniversary of the Manila Bulletin on Thursday.
“We want every other administration voted into power to work under the same standard of transparency and accountability that we have set for ourselves. This is a significant step toward achieving that goal,” he added.
Just before his announcement, the President instructed his communications group, which has been doing consultations to craft the legislation, to “push ahead” with the much-delayed Freedom of Information bill.
During the 14th Congress, the House of Representatives failed to ratify the FOI bill due to lack of quorum and protests from congressmen, although the Senate ratified a similar measure in the bicameral conference committee.
There are several versions of the FOI bill filed in the 15th Congress that have been pending at the committee level in both the houses of Congress. The 15th Congress wanted the passage of the controversial measure as its major achievement.
Once passed, the FOI bill would allow the public to obtain records of government transactions, meetings and other businesses, a right enshrined in the Constitution. It will also provide definite procedure in dealing with requests for information and seeks to penalize officials denying access to information.
President Aquino vowed to support the passage of the bill during the 2010 presidential campaign. (PCOO)
.
Aquino attends 112th anniversary celebration of Manila Bulletin
President Benigno S. Aquino III attended Thursday the 112th anniversary of the Manila Bulletin and he expressed hope that the newspaper will continue to provide positive news stories about the country.
“It is my fervent hope that, as you celebrate your 112th anniversary, the Manila Bulletin adheres to the calling proclaimed in your masthead: to be the exponent of Philippine progress,” he said in a message during the event at the Manila Bulletin in Intramuros, Manila on Thursday.
“As the oldest English language daily in the country, you are an ambassador of the country to the world; what you headline is read not just here, but also globally.”
February 2, the President said, is also the anniversary of the ratification of the 1987 Constitution. He said that 25 years ago, the Filipino people ratified a new constitution that has weathered many storms but remained as the foundation of the country’s ideals and aspirations.
The Philippine press, according to the President, preserves those ideals and hopes.
“As media practitioners, you have reported the strides we have taken in governance; and you have communicated to us in government the aspirations of the Filipino people. In your pages are accounts of how we have endeavored to strengthen our institutions, and how we have pursued the idea that the letter of the law must be used to uphold the spirit of the law,” he said.
“Our Constitution is the bulwark of our freedoms–including the freedom of the press. With that freedom comes the corresponding responsibility of the Fourth Estate to be balanced and fair,” the President added.
Joining the President during the event were former president Fidel V. Ramos, Joseph Ejercito Estrada, Manila Bulletin owner Don Emilio Yap, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr., Rizal Gov. Casimiro Ynares Jr., Manila 3rd District Rep. Zenaida Angping and Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim. (PCOO)
.
Aquino cites importance of good governance in achieving sustainable progress and development
President Benigno S. Aquino III stressed the importance of implementing good governance in pursuit of real and sustainable progress in the country and the people as he warned those who are still living in deceit and corruption to be ready to face the consequences of their malevolent acts.
In his speech during the 65th anniversary celebration of the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) at the Penthouse of the Bulwagan ng Diwang Pilipino, DBP Head Office in Makati City on Friday, President Aquino expressed the unyielding and intensified efforts of the government to go after unscrupulous public servants who are getting wealthy at the expense of the Filipino people.
“To those who might still be holding on to their ways despite my expressed direct order to thread the straight path, please do not test me… I can be a patient man but my patience has its limits especially for those who stand as obstacles to reform,” the President said.
“Keep this in mind especially for the next year, which will be more challenging and more important, we will be continuing our pursuit… conviction and punishment of those who have done wrong and we will make certain that the fruits we have picked along the path of good governance redounds in tangible ways to the benefit of the Filipino people,” he added.
President Aquino cited the acceptable results of good governance that could promote the influx of more investors in the country resulting to more jobs and economic opportunity for the people.
“Good governance pays dividends… it fosters confidence in our institutions attracting more investors in establishing a system of predictable outcomes and stability,” the President said.
“Those who fall in line, follow the rules and work hard will get their goals… those who break the law will be held accountable. All of us must strengthen our efforts at good governance… on your shoulders lies the fate of the development projects for our countrymen,” he stressed.
The Chief Executive, together with Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, led the celebration of the state-owned Development Bank of the Philippines’ anniversary rites.
During the event, DBP president and chief executive officer Francisco del Rosario Jr. reported on the new DBP initiatives designed to increase its assistance to various priority thrusts of the Aquino administration. This includes the Connecting Rural and Urban Intermodal Systems Efficiently (CRUISE) program which is the bank’s response to the national government’s efforts to promote increased investment in the transport infrastructure.
With a budget allocation of 20 billion pesos, it is aligned with the Philippine Development Plan 2011-2016 for infrastructure investments.
Other DBP projects include the Tree-Planting Financing Program (TPFP) and Financing for Public Basic Education (FPBE), among others.
The DBP officials and Board of Directors assisted by Secretary Purisima also presented to the President, the symbolic check bearing the P4 billion dividends to the national government. The actual check will be given to the government during the Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCC) Governance Day on February 6, Monday.
Forty one scholars representing the 458 DBP student scholars for the school year 2011-2012 under the DBP Endowment for Education Program (DEEP) were also presented. (PCOO)
.
Palace expects immediate passage of Freedom of Information Bill
Malacanang expressed hope that the proposed substitute Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill will be approved soon by the present Congress, according to a Palace official.
Undersecretary Manuel Quezon III of the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office (PCDSPO) said the Aquino administration hopes that the legislators will pass it in the second regular session of the 15th Congress.
“I think it would be fair to assume that this ought to be, should be, and will be one of the crowning achievements of the 15th Congress,” Quezon said in a press conference in Malacanang on Friday in response to a question profounded by reporters about the time line of the passage of the bill.
Quezon said that the heading of Budget Secretary Florencio Abad’s letter for the House Speaker as well as the members of the lower house indicates the urgency of its passage. Abad was designated by the President, together with other Palace officials, to draft the substitute legislative measure.
Asked by reporters if the administration is open to flexibilities to change the proposal, Quezon said members of Congress could still improve it.
“Sa aming pananaw napalakas namin ang bill na ito, naging mas malinaw at mas matibay ang mga garantiya ng mga karapatan para sa tao,” Quezon said.
Compared to other measures that are still pending in Congress, Quezon said one of the differences is the organization of the law. He noted that the Aquino administration believes that broad and large categories of government information should be made accessible to the public.
The President disclosed on Thursday that a substitute FOI bill was forwarded to the administration allies at the lower house.
The Chief Executive also mentioned that the passage of the bill must be a legacy of his administration because of its continuing defense and assurance to the public of the transparency of government documents, records and information.
Quezon said the President believes that the reforms in government particularly its transparency to the people must remain a policy of any government.
During the 14th Congress, the House of Representatives failed to ratify the FOI bill due to lack of quorum and protests from congressmen, although the Senate ratified a similar measure in the bicameral conference committee.
Once passed, the FOI bill would allow the public to obtain records of government transactions, meetings and other businesses, a right enshrined in the Constitution. It will also provide definite procedure in dealing with requests for information and seeks to penalize officials denying access to information.
President Aquino vowed to support the passage of the bill during the 2010 presidential campaign. (PCOO)
