Aquino joins celebration of Asean 45th anniversary
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: President Benigno S. Aquino III will join other leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in celebrating the regional bloc’s 45th foundation anniversary during the opening of the 20th Asean Summit here on Tuesday, April 3.
President Aquino is set to arrive in Phnom Penh on Monday evening.
Asean was founded on August 8, 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines following a meeting in Bangkok, Thailand. Five foreign ministers coming from those countries signed the Asean Declaration creating the Asean.
The Asean Declaration was aimed at strengthening economic, social, cultural, technical and educational cooperation among member countries as well as the promotion of regional peace and stability through respect for justice and the rule of law based on the principles of the United Nations Charter.
The regional bloc’s founding leaders envisioned Asean as representing "the collective will of the nations of Southeast Asia to bind themselves together in friendship and cooperation and, through joint efforts and sacrifices, security for their peoples and for posterity the blessings of peace, freedom and prosperity."
Over the years, Asean member countries have progressively entered into several formal and legally-binding instruments, such as the 1976 Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia and the 1995 Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone.
During the summit, President Aquino, together with other Asean leaders will meet with the Asean Inter-Parliamentary Representatives, the Civil Society Organizations Representatives, and the Youth Representatives. The visiting Asean leaders will also have a Royal Audience with His Majesty Norodom Sihamoni, the king of Cambodia.
The chief executive is also joining three of his counterparts in the 8th Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) Summit after the concluding session of the Asean summit.
Members of the Filipino community in Cambodia will meet with the President before he departs for Manila on Wednesday, April 4.
Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines compose the 10-nation Asean. (PCOO)
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PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: President Benigno S. Aquino III will join other leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in celebrating the regional bloc’s 45th foundation anniversary during the opening of the 20th Asean Summit here on Tuesday, April 3.
President Aquino is set to arrive in Phnom Penh on Monday evening.
Asean was founded on August 8, 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines following a meeting in Bangkok, Thailand. Five foreign ministers coming from those countries signed the Asean Declaration creating the Asean.
The Asean Declaration was aimed at strengthening economic, social, cultural, technical and educational cooperation among member countries as well as the promotion of regional peace and stability through respect for justice and the rule of law based on the principles of the United Nations Charter.
The regional bloc’s founding leaders envisioned Asean as representing "the collective will of the nations of Southeast Asia to bind themselves together in friendship and cooperation and, through joint efforts and sacrifices, security for their peoples and for posterity the blessings of peace, freedom and prosperity."
Over the years, Asean member countries have progressively entered into several formal and legally-binding instruments, such as the 1976 Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia and the 1995 Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone.
During the summit, President Aquino, together with other Asean leaders will meet with the Asean Inter-Parliamentary Representatives, the Civil Society Organizations Representatives, and the Youth Representatives. The visiting Asean leaders will also have a Royal Audience with His Majesty Norodom Sihamoni, the king of Cambodia.
The chief executive is also joining three of his counterparts in the 8th Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) Summit after the concluding session of the Asean summit.
Members of the Filipino community in Cambodia will meet with the President before he departs for Manila on Wednesday, April 4.
Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines compose the 10-nation Asean. (PCOO)
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Ochoa enjoins gov’t agencies to care for Mother Earth
Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr. on Friday encouraged all government agencies, including government-owned and -controlled corporations, to actively participate in the annual Earth Hour campaign aimed to preserve the planet.
In a memorandum dated March 5, 2012, Ochoa directed all heads of government agencies and offices, and local government units (LGUs) to get involved in the observance of Earth Hour by turning off their lights from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and in three simultaneous switch-off ceremonies in the cities of Makati, Cebu and Davao tomorrow (March 31).
The Executive Secretary also urged public servants nationwide to help ensure a broader reach of the campaign and echoed calls for people to make a long-term commitment to environmental preservation.
“Everybody benefits from the vast resources that our planet gives us and so it is only appropriate that everybody takes responsibility and do our share, even in our own little ways, to help preserve Mother Earth. And this Earth Hour event is one of the many significant opportunities for us to show our appreciation and care for our environment,” Ochoa said.
Ochoa urged government agencies and LGUs to organize their own respective Earth Hour event in their homes, communities or localities in support of the environment.
He likewise ordered them to utilize various communication channels to promote Earth Hour 2012 on their official websites, community newsletters and blogs.
“The government agencies and LGUs play an important role in the environmental conservation campaign since it has the resources to help expand the reach of the campaign and step up the battle against global warming and other forms of environmental degradation to ensure that effective actions are being undertaken towards a sustainable future for the next generations,” Ochoa said.
This year is the fifth time that the Philippines is participating in Earth Hour which started in Australia in 2007. The hour-long campaign was designed to take a stand against climate change, considered by scientists as the greatest threat the planet has ever faced, using the simple action of turning off lights for an hour to deliver a powerful message on the need to protect Mother Earth. (PCOO)
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Malacanang urges everyone to participate in observance of 'Earth Hour' on March 31, Saturday
Malacanang encourages the Filipino people to participate and be part in the worldwide efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change through an hour of power off as it called for continuous initiatives to push for programs that will conserve and protect the environment.
In a regular press briefing in Malacanang, Friday, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda issued the call in time with this year’s observance of Earth Hour, a global endeavor to save the environment.
“We certainly encourage everyone to participate in Earth Hour to be part of the global awareness on the use of energy and in our environment,” Lacierda said.
For 2012, the country aims to exceed last year’s record-breaking participation in Earth Hour, a worldwide one-hour power off campaign that aims to mitigate climate change.
This year’s event will be held on March 31, Saturday night, from 8:30 to 9:30 in the evening.
Earth Hour started as a single-city initiative in 2007 in Sydney, Australia and became a global movement in 2008.
Since then, the movement has been participated in by 1.8 billion people in 135 countries worldwide.
During the fifth year of the country’s participation in this noble effort, an average of about 500 to 600 megawatts of power was reportedly saved.
In 2011, the Earth Hour Philippines started a campaign that makes the celebration of Earth Hour go beyond the hour, encouraging the people to continue the effort into a full-year campaign.
Various programs aimed at educating the people across the regions were also initiated to disseminate information concerning the effects of climate change.
Unlike its observance during the previous years where activities were done within Manila, Earth Hour events for this year will focus on the simultaneous switch-off ceremonies in Makati, Cebu and Davao. (PCOO)
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Malacanang assures public crime rate has gone down
Malacanang assured the people that President Benigno S. Aquino III still has full trust and confidence to the present leadership of the Philippine National Police (PNP) amid recent reports of crime incidents as he cited the substantial decrease in criminality rate in the country.
Speaking before the members of media during a regular press briefing in Malacanang, Friday, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said that the President maintains full trust and confidence in PNP Chief Director General Nicanor Bartolome and the PNP leadership.
He also bared that based on records of the PNP and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), the crime incidents in the country has gone down.
“In terms of having the trust and confidence of the President… yes the present leadership and Director General Bartolome has the confidence of the President,” Lacierda said.
“Objectively speaking there is only one basis to see whether criminality has gone down… and those are the statistics, and these statistics indicated that criminality has gone down,” he noted.
Lacierda added that the high profile cases are being highlighted in news reports that create a different impact among the people.
“The factual situation is the crime rate has gone down… statistics-wise, it has gone down and the concern kasi is mga high profile (cases) naha-highlight kasi sa media, but if you go to the records of the PNP and the DILG, the statistics for the index crimes have gone down on a year-to-year basis, so that is the basis for the statement… why we keep on saying that the incidents of crime has gone down,” Lacierda noted. (PCOO)
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Malacanang hopes Myanmar elections reflect people's will and pave the way for reforms
The Aquino government expressed hope that the by-election in Myanmar on April 1 will be fair to pave the way for the reform in the country.
"We hope that it will reflect the true expression of the people of Myanmar," Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said during the regular press briefing in Malacanang on Friday.
Democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi called on Filipinos to monitor the elections in Myanmar amid fears of widespread irregularities. Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy (NLD) will contest some 46 parliamentary seats.
"Filipinos understand, perhaps more than most people, what the Myanmar people are going through... The Filipino people have stood by our struggle, in particular of course, the late President Corazon C. Aquino, and now her son, too, is standing firmly by our side in our struggle for democracy," Suu Kyi said on Friday in a press conference in her lakeside home in Yangon in Myanmar.
"Well, we thank Aung San Suu Kyi for her statement. The President is aware of the situation in Myanmar and we are updated by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on the situation there," Lacierda said.
Suu Kyi is seeking her first seat in parliament on Sunday, a historic event that is being closely watched by the international community. The polls are seen as a crucial test of Myanmar 's commitment to democratic reforms.
During the 17th ASEAN Summit in Hanoi, Vietnam in October, 2010, President Benigno S. Aquino III joined the international community in calling for the immediate release of then detained Burmese opposition leader Suu Kyi.
In November 2010, Myanmar's military government freed pro-democracy leader Suu Kyi after being detained for several years. (PCOO)
Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr. on Friday encouraged all government agencies, including government-owned and -controlled corporations, to actively participate in the annual Earth Hour campaign aimed to preserve the planet.
In a memorandum dated March 5, 2012, Ochoa directed all heads of government agencies and offices, and local government units (LGUs) to get involved in the observance of Earth Hour by turning off their lights from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and in three simultaneous switch-off ceremonies in the cities of Makati, Cebu and Davao tomorrow (March 31).
The Executive Secretary also urged public servants nationwide to help ensure a broader reach of the campaign and echoed calls for people to make a long-term commitment to environmental preservation.
“Everybody benefits from the vast resources that our planet gives us and so it is only appropriate that everybody takes responsibility and do our share, even in our own little ways, to help preserve Mother Earth. And this Earth Hour event is one of the many significant opportunities for us to show our appreciation and care for our environment,” Ochoa said.
Ochoa urged government agencies and LGUs to organize their own respective Earth Hour event in their homes, communities or localities in support of the environment.
He likewise ordered them to utilize various communication channels to promote Earth Hour 2012 on their official websites, community newsletters and blogs.
“The government agencies and LGUs play an important role in the environmental conservation campaign since it has the resources to help expand the reach of the campaign and step up the battle against global warming and other forms of environmental degradation to ensure that effective actions are being undertaken towards a sustainable future for the next generations,” Ochoa said.
This year is the fifth time that the Philippines is participating in Earth Hour which started in Australia in 2007. The hour-long campaign was designed to take a stand against climate change, considered by scientists as the greatest threat the planet has ever faced, using the simple action of turning off lights for an hour to deliver a powerful message on the need to protect Mother Earth. (PCOO)
.
Malacanang urges everyone to participate in observance of 'Earth Hour' on March 31, Saturday
Malacanang encourages the Filipino people to participate and be part in the worldwide efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change through an hour of power off as it called for continuous initiatives to push for programs that will conserve and protect the environment.
In a regular press briefing in Malacanang, Friday, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda issued the call in time with this year’s observance of Earth Hour, a global endeavor to save the environment.
“We certainly encourage everyone to participate in Earth Hour to be part of the global awareness on the use of energy and in our environment,” Lacierda said.
For 2012, the country aims to exceed last year’s record-breaking participation in Earth Hour, a worldwide one-hour power off campaign that aims to mitigate climate change.
This year’s event will be held on March 31, Saturday night, from 8:30 to 9:30 in the evening.
Earth Hour started as a single-city initiative in 2007 in Sydney, Australia and became a global movement in 2008.
Since then, the movement has been participated in by 1.8 billion people in 135 countries worldwide.
During the fifth year of the country’s participation in this noble effort, an average of about 500 to 600 megawatts of power was reportedly saved.
In 2011, the Earth Hour Philippines started a campaign that makes the celebration of Earth Hour go beyond the hour, encouraging the people to continue the effort into a full-year campaign.
Various programs aimed at educating the people across the regions were also initiated to disseminate information concerning the effects of climate change.
Unlike its observance during the previous years where activities were done within Manila, Earth Hour events for this year will focus on the simultaneous switch-off ceremonies in Makati, Cebu and Davao. (PCOO)
.
Malacanang assures public crime rate has gone down
Malacanang assured the people that President Benigno S. Aquino III still has full trust and confidence to the present leadership of the Philippine National Police (PNP) amid recent reports of crime incidents as he cited the substantial decrease in criminality rate in the country.
Speaking before the members of media during a regular press briefing in Malacanang, Friday, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said that the President maintains full trust and confidence in PNP Chief Director General Nicanor Bartolome and the PNP leadership.
He also bared that based on records of the PNP and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), the crime incidents in the country has gone down.
“In terms of having the trust and confidence of the President… yes the present leadership and Director General Bartolome has the confidence of the President,” Lacierda said.
“Objectively speaking there is only one basis to see whether criminality has gone down… and those are the statistics, and these statistics indicated that criminality has gone down,” he noted.
Lacierda added that the high profile cases are being highlighted in news reports that create a different impact among the people.
“The factual situation is the crime rate has gone down… statistics-wise, it has gone down and the concern kasi is mga high profile (cases) naha-highlight kasi sa media, but if you go to the records of the PNP and the DILG, the statistics for the index crimes have gone down on a year-to-year basis, so that is the basis for the statement… why we keep on saying that the incidents of crime has gone down,” Lacierda noted. (PCOO)
.
Malacanang hopes Myanmar elections reflect people's will and pave the way for reforms
The Aquino government expressed hope that the by-election in Myanmar on April 1 will be fair to pave the way for the reform in the country.
"We hope that it will reflect the true expression of the people of Myanmar," Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said during the regular press briefing in Malacanang on Friday.
Democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi called on Filipinos to monitor the elections in Myanmar amid fears of widespread irregularities. Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy (NLD) will contest some 46 parliamentary seats.
"Filipinos understand, perhaps more than most people, what the Myanmar people are going through... The Filipino people have stood by our struggle, in particular of course, the late President Corazon C. Aquino, and now her son, too, is standing firmly by our side in our struggle for democracy," Suu Kyi said on Friday in a press conference in her lakeside home in Yangon in Myanmar.
"Well, we thank Aung San Suu Kyi for her statement. The President is aware of the situation in Myanmar and we are updated by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on the situation there," Lacierda said.
Suu Kyi is seeking her first seat in parliament on Sunday, a historic event that is being closely watched by the international community. The polls are seen as a crucial test of Myanmar 's commitment to democratic reforms.
During the 17th ASEAN Summit in Hanoi, Vietnam in October, 2010, President Benigno S. Aquino III joined the international community in calling for the immediate release of then detained Burmese opposition leader Suu Kyi.
In November 2010, Myanmar's military government freed pro-democracy leader Suu Kyi after being detained for several years. (PCOO)
