Aquino: Visit of Governor-General Quentin Bryce strengthens Australia-Philippine relations
The visit of the Governor General of the Commonwealth of Australia, Quentin Bryce, adds another feather in the cap of the decades old relations between the Philippines and Australia, President Benigno S. Aquino III said on Thursday.
The President held a state dinner in honor of Governor General Quentin Bryce and her husband Michael at Malacanang Rizal Hall Thursday evening. Bryce arrived in the Philippines Wednesday for a two-day State Visit.
In his speech, the Chief Executive said Australia is one of the Philippines’s long standing partners in meeting its development challenges. In 2010, the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) was the country’s biggest development donor for grants, and had supported the Philippine government programs to attain its Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), he said.
The President also hailed the success of the 16th high-level consultation on development and cooperation held in Canberra, Australia last month, providing both countries greater opportunity for wider cooperation so that development challenges are meet.
At the same time, President Aquino thanked Australia for providing assistance to the Philippines when Mindanao was hit by Typhoon Sendong last December.
“Australia’s generous donation of Aus$ 6.3 million has gone a long way towards rebuilding the lives and communities of our countrymen who were affected by the disaster,” the President said.
“The relation between Australia and the Philippines has always been characterized by solidarity and mutual cooperation. A shared desire to work for the benefit of our people and the readiness to lend a helping hand,” he added. (PCOO)
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Australian Governor General salutes Filipino women
Visiting Governor General of the Commonwealth of Australia Quentin Bryce expressed her admiration for Filipino women particularly after meeting former president Corazon Aquino, the mother of President Benigno S. Aquino III, the current chief executive.
Bryce said Australians watched as the former president led Filipinos in the peaceful Edsa People Power revolution in 1986 that toppled the Marcos dictatorship. The former leader died of colon cancer in August 2009.
“I spent some time in Manila and Cebu soon after those momentous days. Mr. President, I had the honor then to meet your mother--a truly remarkable woman whose strength and dignity made a deep impression on me as she did the world,” Bryce told the President during the state dinner in Malacanang Thursday held in honor of the visiting Australian governor general.
After meeting the late president, Bryce said she appreciated and enjoyed meeting women in leadership roles--in business, professional and community lives.
“And in the years since, I have been privileged to meet many Filipino women in Australia, and to be enriched by their friendships. I see in them energy, enthusiasm, commitment to making a difference and a true sense of family that I admire,” she said.
“Women who have accomplished so much in an unfamiliar environment, a new country far away from their native shores, with different culture and social mores. They are shining examples of generosity and contribution at work.”
Australia’s visiting governor general described the bilateral relations between Australia and the Philippines as “exciting times” saying that both countries stood to benefit from further strengthening of those ties.
Australia looks forward to working with the Philippine government in the years ahead, Bryce said expecting President Aquino to visit Australia later in the year.
The governor general arrived in the country Wednesday for a two-day State Visit. She is accompanied by her husband, Michael Bryce. (PCOO)
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Australia backs President Aquino’s bureaucratic, economic reform measures
The government of Australia expressed its support to the Aquino administration’s bureaucratic and economic reform initiatives for the benefit of the Filipino people, as visiting Governor General of the Commonwealth of Australia Quentin Bryce told President Benigno S. Aquino III during a State Dinner held in her honor in Malacanang on Thursday.
“Mr. President, Australia supports your efforts to bring about positive changes to the Philippines, including your determination to improve governance across the archipelago. This has given renewed hope to your fellow Filipinos for a better life,” she said in her message during the State Dinner.
“Australia also welcomes your administration’s commitment to economic reform which can do much to encourage the further expansion of our bilateral commercial ties,” she added.
In their earlier meeting, the President told the Australian governor general that the Philippines is on track in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) with the continuing support of the Australian government.
Australia has been generously providing both technical and financial assistance to the country’s key MDG-related projects and programs through the Australian Agency for International Aid or AusAID, the President said. The AusAID is the Philippine’s biggest donor for grants in 2010.
The country is committed to further strengthening the ties between Australia and the Philippines, the President said. The two countries are celebrating their 66 years of bilateral relations.
“We remain committed to this partnership and to further harnessing its strength towards the achievement of the goals that our peoples share with the rest of the community of nations,” he said.
Governor General Bryce, accompanied by her husband Michael, arrived in the country for a 2-day State Visit. (PCOO)
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Aquino declares April 27 as special non-working day in Lapu-Lapu City
President Benigno S. Aquino III has declared April 27, which falls on a Friday, as a special (non-working) day in the city of Lapu-Lapu in celebration of the Kadaugan sa Mactan.
In Proclamation No. 358 signed by Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr. on March 27, the President issued the declaration to give the people of the city the full opportunity to celebrate and participate in the occasion with appropriate ceremonies.
Kadaugan sa Mactan literally means "Victory at Mactan" and was formerly called Bahugbahug sa Mactan.
The celebration commemorates the battle between Mactan Island Chieftain Lapu-Lapu and Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan on April 27, 1521. Magellan died in the hands of Lapu-Lapu during the battle.
"The Battle of Mactan is among the significant events in Philippine history and serves as a testimony to the rich cultural and historical heritage of the Filipinos," the President said. (PCOO)
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Aquino assures government’s commitment to address energy problem in Mindanao
LANANG, Davao City: President Benigno S. Aquino III assured that the government is committed to address the power situation in the Southern Island of Mindanao through various initiatives that include the rehabilitation of decades-old power plants and the creation of a power monitoring committee composed of the major stakeholders in the sector.
“My dream is that by the time I step down in 2016, this energy situation will be one less worry in the minds of the Mindanaoans and investors in Mindanao alike – that by then, I can truthfully say that I left you in good hands,” the President stressed in his speech during the Mindanao Power Summit on Friday at the Grand Ballroom of the Waterfront Insular Hotel here.
President Aquino cited the much-needed efforts that will buttress the demand in energy of Mindanao.
We are setting aside almost 2.6 billion for large-scale rehabilitation of Agus (power plant) 6, which has been neglected for the past 59 years. This is a plant that was designed to operate for only thirty years, and yet we have used it for twice as long,” the President said.
“This rehabilitation is long overdue… we are also spending for the rehabilitation of Agus 2. We will not only restore these plants to installed capacity but improve their output due to advancements in technology. Thus, these plants will be able to produce an additional 79 megawatts,” he added.
The President also bared the approval by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) of the Integrated Natural Resources and Environmental Management Program allocating some P7.24 billion for four river basins, two of which are in Mindanao, that will literally get the water flowing again.
The Chief Executive said that the government is considering the creation of a Power Monitoring Committee that will take responsibility of managing the prices of energy in the region.
“We are studying the formation of a Mindanao Power Monitoring Committee to be chaired by the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) with representatives from the Department of Energy, National Power Corporation, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines and others from the civil society, electric cooperatives and the business sector,” the President said.
He said that the government is looking for long term solutions to the issue that will benefit the lives of the next generations.
“I have said so many times and I say it again today – Mindanao must become not just the land of promise, but the land of fulfilled promises. That is why I’m here, not just to show all of you that we are focused on the problems you’re facing, but more importantly, that we don’t want your region to just get by these next one or two years, we want you to be a pillar of our economy in the coming decades,” he said.
Present during the event were other government officials that include Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio “Sonny” B. Coloma Jr., Transportation and Communications Secretary Manuel Roxas II, Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras and Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz.
Also in attendance were legislators from the region led by Senator TG Guingona III, Senator Koko Pimentel III and members of the Lower House.
The Energy Summit was conducted to provide opportunity for the key sectors and stakeholder representatives to present their respective issues and recommendations. (PCOO)
The visit of the Governor General of the Commonwealth of Australia, Quentin Bryce, adds another feather in the cap of the decades old relations between the Philippines and Australia, President Benigno S. Aquino III said on Thursday.
The President held a state dinner in honor of Governor General Quentin Bryce and her husband Michael at Malacanang Rizal Hall Thursday evening. Bryce arrived in the Philippines Wednesday for a two-day State Visit.
In his speech, the Chief Executive said Australia is one of the Philippines’s long standing partners in meeting its development challenges. In 2010, the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) was the country’s biggest development donor for grants, and had supported the Philippine government programs to attain its Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), he said.
The President also hailed the success of the 16th high-level consultation on development and cooperation held in Canberra, Australia last month, providing both countries greater opportunity for wider cooperation so that development challenges are meet.
At the same time, President Aquino thanked Australia for providing assistance to the Philippines when Mindanao was hit by Typhoon Sendong last December.
“Australia’s generous donation of Aus$ 6.3 million has gone a long way towards rebuilding the lives and communities of our countrymen who were affected by the disaster,” the President said.
“The relation between Australia and the Philippines has always been characterized by solidarity and mutual cooperation. A shared desire to work for the benefit of our people and the readiness to lend a helping hand,” he added. (PCOO)
.
Australian Governor General salutes Filipino women
Visiting Governor General of the Commonwealth of Australia Quentin Bryce expressed her admiration for Filipino women particularly after meeting former president Corazon Aquino, the mother of President Benigno S. Aquino III, the current chief executive.
Bryce said Australians watched as the former president led Filipinos in the peaceful Edsa People Power revolution in 1986 that toppled the Marcos dictatorship. The former leader died of colon cancer in August 2009.
“I spent some time in Manila and Cebu soon after those momentous days. Mr. President, I had the honor then to meet your mother--a truly remarkable woman whose strength and dignity made a deep impression on me as she did the world,” Bryce told the President during the state dinner in Malacanang Thursday held in honor of the visiting Australian governor general.
After meeting the late president, Bryce said she appreciated and enjoyed meeting women in leadership roles--in business, professional and community lives.
“And in the years since, I have been privileged to meet many Filipino women in Australia, and to be enriched by their friendships. I see in them energy, enthusiasm, commitment to making a difference and a true sense of family that I admire,” she said.
“Women who have accomplished so much in an unfamiliar environment, a new country far away from their native shores, with different culture and social mores. They are shining examples of generosity and contribution at work.”
Australia’s visiting governor general described the bilateral relations between Australia and the Philippines as “exciting times” saying that both countries stood to benefit from further strengthening of those ties.
Australia looks forward to working with the Philippine government in the years ahead, Bryce said expecting President Aquino to visit Australia later in the year.
The governor general arrived in the country Wednesday for a two-day State Visit. She is accompanied by her husband, Michael Bryce. (PCOO)
.
Australia backs President Aquino’s bureaucratic, economic reform measures
The government of Australia expressed its support to the Aquino administration’s bureaucratic and economic reform initiatives for the benefit of the Filipino people, as visiting Governor General of the Commonwealth of Australia Quentin Bryce told President Benigno S. Aquino III during a State Dinner held in her honor in Malacanang on Thursday.
“Mr. President, Australia supports your efforts to bring about positive changes to the Philippines, including your determination to improve governance across the archipelago. This has given renewed hope to your fellow Filipinos for a better life,” she said in her message during the State Dinner.
“Australia also welcomes your administration’s commitment to economic reform which can do much to encourage the further expansion of our bilateral commercial ties,” she added.
In their earlier meeting, the President told the Australian governor general that the Philippines is on track in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) with the continuing support of the Australian government.
Australia has been generously providing both technical and financial assistance to the country’s key MDG-related projects and programs through the Australian Agency for International Aid or AusAID, the President said. The AusAID is the Philippine’s biggest donor for grants in 2010.
The country is committed to further strengthening the ties between Australia and the Philippines, the President said. The two countries are celebrating their 66 years of bilateral relations.
“We remain committed to this partnership and to further harnessing its strength towards the achievement of the goals that our peoples share with the rest of the community of nations,” he said.
Governor General Bryce, accompanied by her husband Michael, arrived in the country for a 2-day State Visit. (PCOO)
.
Aquino declares April 27 as special non-working day in Lapu-Lapu City
President Benigno S. Aquino III has declared April 27, which falls on a Friday, as a special (non-working) day in the city of Lapu-Lapu in celebration of the Kadaugan sa Mactan.
In Proclamation No. 358 signed by Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr. on March 27, the President issued the declaration to give the people of the city the full opportunity to celebrate and participate in the occasion with appropriate ceremonies.
Kadaugan sa Mactan literally means "Victory at Mactan" and was formerly called Bahugbahug sa Mactan.
The celebration commemorates the battle between Mactan Island Chieftain Lapu-Lapu and Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan on April 27, 1521. Magellan died in the hands of Lapu-Lapu during the battle.
"The Battle of Mactan is among the significant events in Philippine history and serves as a testimony to the rich cultural and historical heritage of the Filipinos," the President said. (PCOO)
.
Aquino assures government’s commitment to address energy problem in Mindanao
LANANG, Davao City: President Benigno S. Aquino III assured that the government is committed to address the power situation in the Southern Island of Mindanao through various initiatives that include the rehabilitation of decades-old power plants and the creation of a power monitoring committee composed of the major stakeholders in the sector.
“My dream is that by the time I step down in 2016, this energy situation will be one less worry in the minds of the Mindanaoans and investors in Mindanao alike – that by then, I can truthfully say that I left you in good hands,” the President stressed in his speech during the Mindanao Power Summit on Friday at the Grand Ballroom of the Waterfront Insular Hotel here.
President Aquino cited the much-needed efforts that will buttress the demand in energy of Mindanao.
We are setting aside almost 2.6 billion for large-scale rehabilitation of Agus (power plant) 6, which has been neglected for the past 59 years. This is a plant that was designed to operate for only thirty years, and yet we have used it for twice as long,” the President said.
“This rehabilitation is long overdue… we are also spending for the rehabilitation of Agus 2. We will not only restore these plants to installed capacity but improve their output due to advancements in technology. Thus, these plants will be able to produce an additional 79 megawatts,” he added.
The President also bared the approval by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) of the Integrated Natural Resources and Environmental Management Program allocating some P7.24 billion for four river basins, two of which are in Mindanao, that will literally get the water flowing again.
The Chief Executive said that the government is considering the creation of a Power Monitoring Committee that will take responsibility of managing the prices of energy in the region.
“We are studying the formation of a Mindanao Power Monitoring Committee to be chaired by the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) with representatives from the Department of Energy, National Power Corporation, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines and others from the civil society, electric cooperatives and the business sector,” the President said.
He said that the government is looking for long term solutions to the issue that will benefit the lives of the next generations.
“I have said so many times and I say it again today – Mindanao must become not just the land of promise, but the land of fulfilled promises. That is why I’m here, not just to show all of you that we are focused on the problems you’re facing, but more importantly, that we don’t want your region to just get by these next one or two years, we want you to be a pillar of our economy in the coming decades,” he said.
Present during the event were other government officials that include Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio “Sonny” B. Coloma Jr., Transportation and Communications Secretary Manuel Roxas II, Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras and Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz.
Also in attendance were legislators from the region led by Senator TG Guingona III, Senator Koko Pimentel III and members of the Lower House.
The Energy Summit was conducted to provide opportunity for the key sectors and stakeholder representatives to present their respective issues and recommendations. (PCOO)
