Sunday 18 March 2012

PIA News Service - Sunday, March 18, 2012

President Aquino tells PMA 'Bagwis' Class of 2012: "vacation's over"

FORT DEL PILAR, Baguio City
– President Benigno S. Aquino III told the 187 graduates of the Philippine Military Academy’s “Bagwis” (Bagong Kawal na may Iisang Lakas) Class of 2012 that it was time to hunker down to work and to face the challenges posed by the sector they have studied and trained for for four years.

In his speech keynoting the PMA’s 107th Commencement Exercise here on Sunday, the President told the new batch of Second Lieutenants and Ensigns of the Armed Forces of the Philippines that their four year vacation at the PMA was now “over.”

“Matapos ang masinsing mental at pisikal na pagsubok na matagumpay ninyong nalampasan, huwag sana kayong magugulat kung sasabihin kong: Congratulations, tapos na ang apat na taon ninyong bakasyon dito sa Fort del Pilar,” the President said.

“Tapos na ang praktis; simula na ng pagharap sa mga tunay na suliranin ng inyong piniling larangan: ang pagtugon sa mga tunay na problema ng ating lipunan. Panahon na ng totoong sukatan ng inyong pagkakawal, pagka-Pilipino, at pagkatao: Ang pagharap sa sangandaan,” he added.

The President said that aside from fulfilling their mandate of protecting the people, one of the challenges they would most likely face would be from being tempted and lured by unscrupulous people to be one of them.

“Sa labas ng Fort del Pilar, hindi na lamang mga armadong grupo sa kabundukan, o masasamang elemento sa lungsod ang kailangan ninyong labanan. Nandiyan ang tukso ng katiwalian,” the President said.

He reminded the new graduates to keep their honor beyond reproach as this is where the people base their trust on.

“Lagi ninyong tatandaan: bilang kalasag ng ating estado, kayo dapat ang unang takbuhan at tagapagtanggol ng taumbayan. Kapag pakiramdam nila ay hindi kayo matatakbuhan, at wala silang mapapala sa paghingi ng tulong sa inyo, tatakbo sila sa mga nagpapanggap na tagapagligtas,” the President said.

“Pero kung nagagawa ninyo ang inyong tungkulin, ang taumbayan mismo ang inyong magiging pinakatapat na kakampi. Huwag ninyong kalilimutang sa kahit na anong bakbakan, ang laging mananaig ay ang pinapanigan ng taumbayan,” he added. (PCOO)

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President Aquino assures PMA graduates of 2012 of government's advocacy for reforms

FORT DEL PILAR, Baguio City
: President Benigno S. Aquino III assured the military, specifically the new graduates of the Philippine Military Academy “Bagwis” (Bagong Kawal na may Iisang Lakas) Class of 2012, of his administration’s advocacy to continually implement reforms that will uplift the quality of life of the men in uniform.

The President gave this assurance in his speech keynoting the 107th Commencement Exercises of the PMA here on Sunday.

He said that by implementing these reforms, that are mainly composed of weeding out corruption and its sources in government, will ensure that law enforcement agencies will be able to do their jobs competently.

“Batid natin ang hirap ng inyong trabaho, kaya naman bilang pagkilala sa inyong pakikipaglaban sa masasamang elemento, pagresponde sa panahon ng kalamidad, at pagpapanatili ng kapayapaan sa ating bayan, kaliwa't kanan po ang mga programa ng pamahalaan upang hindi na muling maging 'Kawawang Cowboy' ang ating mga sundalo’t kapulisan,” the President said.

“Tinututukan natin ang inyong pangangailangan upang masiguro na maayos din ninyong magagampanan ang inyong obligasyon sa bayan,” he added.

The President pointed out that this weeding out of corruption in government has resulted in record budget savings and surpluses in a short span of time.

He said the past administration took 15 years to accumulate P33-billion for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Modernization Program, but under this Administration, P28-billion has already been collected in only 18-months since he took office in July 2010.

This, the President said, has allowed the government to run full steam with its housing program for law enforcement agencies: from 21,800 to 31,200 housing units.

He added that aside from personnel from the AFP and the Philippine National Police, the employees of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology as well as the Bureau of Fire Protection may soon avail themselves of this housing program.

The extra budget has also allowed the government to upgrade the equipment requirements of the AFP and the PNP.

“Mula sa paglalayag ng ating kauna-unahang Hamilton class cutter— ang BRP Gregorio del Pilar, hanggang sa mga brand new na Combat Utility Helicopters na roronda sa ating papawirin, talagang tinitiyak natin na maipagkakaloob sa inyo ang inyong mga pangangailangan, upang higit pa kayong ganahan sa inyong trabaho, at mas marami pa kayo kayong matulungan na mga Pilipino,” the President said. (PCOO)

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Aquino announces that some 3,000 more sitios will benefit from nationwide electrification project

FORT DEL PILAR, Baguio City
: Some 3,000 more sitios will benefit from the administration’s nationwide electrification project this year, after the government achieved its initial 1,520 target, President Benigno S. Aquino III said on Sunday.

President Aquino made the announcement on the sidelines of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) graduation rites of Bagwis Class of 2012 here, adding that this particular endeavor would help the nation’s newly-minted soldiers to better defend the country from unwanted elements.

Based on the data held by the Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Electrification Administration (NEA), almost 36,000 sitios were literally "kept in the dark" by the previous administration — a problem that was left for President Aquino to address.

But the government responded by allocating 1.3 billion pesos to help electrify its initial target of 1,300 sitios just this last quarter of 2011, which even yielded better results since both the DOE and NEA managed to provide electricity for 1,520 sitios in just 90 days.

“Ang dating umaabot ng isang milyong piso kada sitio, nagawa lamang po natin sa halagang humigit kumulang 700,000 pesos bawat sitio. Patunay lamang po ito na sa tuwid na daan, natutugunan natin ang mga pangangailangan ng mga Pilipino, hindi in due time, kundi ora-mismo,” the President said.

“Sa madaling salita po, ‘yung dating tinatayang one million, naging 700,000 pesos na lang, nagkaroon po tayo ng savings na halos kalahating bilyon; idadagdag po ito sa pondo ng pailaw sa taong ito. Hindi po bababa ng 3,000 na mga sitio ang maikakabit natin sa national grid,” he added. (PCOO)