Message of Secretary Sonny Coloma on Mother's
Day
13 May 2012
Today, we observe one of the dearest occasions
in our lives - that of giving tribute to the woman who gives us their undying
love, a love beyond compare, to the one we take our troubles to as she is our
undeclared troubleshooter.
As American poet Helen Rice aptly put it:
"A Mother's love is patient and forgiving when all others are forsaking,
it never fails or falters, even though the heart is breaking."
A mother's work is never done. She works from
morning till dawn. She spreads her love and keeps us warm. She is all of this
and more. And she certainly deserves more than just flowers and gifts. But the
ever understanding mother that she is, a grateful "thank you for
everything" would suffice. And a Happy Mother's Day greeting would be just
great!
The PCOO family joins the whole world in
greeting the most wonderful woman in our lives a Happy Mother's Day!
Aquino cites long-lasting ties between the
Philippines and Lao People's Democratic Republic
President Benigno S. Aquino III acknowledged the
long-lasting diplomatic relations between the Philippines and the Lao People’s
Democratic Republic (PDR) which, he said, serves as a tool in further enhancing
sustainable growth and cooperation between the two countries.
In his speech during the Official Dinner he
hosted in honor of His Excellency Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong of the
Lao-PDR at the Rizal Hall of the Malacanang Palace on Thursday evening,
President Aquino said that the continuous cooperation will not only benefit the
two countries but also help in the realization of their communal goal of
progress within the Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) community.
“Your Excellency, our partnership… one founded
upon diplomacy and harmonious co-existence, allows us to explore the many
possibilities for sustainable growth in trade, and advancement in international
cooperation, which will mutually benefit our country and Southeast Asia,” the
President said.
“By constant and positive engagement, we can
bridge gaps, strengthen links and gain momentum towards our communal goal of
prosperity in the ASEAN community. Promoting people to people or institutional
exchanges, fostering business ties and developing investment relations in
sectors, such as agriculture, energy and tourism, all redound to the benefit of
our peoples,” he added.
The Chief Executive offered a toast for a more
fruitful cooperation between the two countries and the best of health and
prosperity for the Lao President Choummaly Sayasone and PM Thongsing
Thammavong.
“As my country envisions stronger relations and
more fruitful engagements with Lao in the years to come, allow me to offer a
toast to the health, happiness, and prosperity of His Excellency President
Choummaly Sayasone; the good health, happiness and continued success of his
Excellency Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong; the continued peace and
prosperity of the people of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic; the enduring
friendship between the Philippines and Lao,” the President said.
For his part, the Lao Prime Minister extended
his best wishes to President Aquino for good health and success in all of his
endeavors.
“On this august and meaningful occasion, I would
like to extend my best wishes to President Benigno Aquino III good health,
happiness and greater success in Your Excellency’s noble task… I also wish all
the distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen a very good health and
prosperity,” PM Thongsing uThammavong said as he enjoined all the guests
present for a toast to a deeper friendship and cooperation between the two
countries.
“May I invite all the distinguished guests to
join me in a toast to a long-lasting friendship and cooperations between Laos
and the Philippines,” the Lao leader said.
Present during the event were Vice President
Jejomar Binay, House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., Senator Franklin Drilon,
and members of the Diplomatic Corps.
Also in attendance were cabinet officials that
include Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras,
Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson, Health Secretary Enrique
Ona, Education Secretary Armin Luistro, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del
Rosario, Transportation and Communications Secretary Manuel Roxas II,
Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, and Science, Technology Secretary Mario
Montejo, and Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Sonny
Coloma Jr. among others.
Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong, and his
delegation, arrived in the country Thursday afternoon for an official two-day
visit. (PCOO)
Prime Minister of the Lao People's Democratic
Republic offers wreath at Rizal Monument
Lao People’s Democratic Republic Prime Minister
(PM) Thongsing Thammavong paid his respect to the country’s national hero, Dr.
Jose P. Rizal on the second day of his Official Visit to the Philippines.
In simple ceremonies at the Rizal Park in Manila
on Friday morning, PM Thongsing Thammavong offered flowers to the Filipino
hero.
Upon his arrival, the Lao PDR leader was
welcomed and joined by government officials led by Agriculture Secretary
Proceso Alcala, Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim and Philippine Navy Flag Officer in
Command Vice Admiral Alexander Pama, among others.
Also in attendance were Prasit Sayasith, chief
protocol officer of Lao-PDR; Sulpicio Confiado, deputy chief of the
Presidential Protocol Office for the Philippine side and the Lao-PDR
delegation.
Following the wreath-laying ceremony, PM
Thongsing Thammavong received a symbolic key to the City of Manila, a native
fan and cigar from Mayor Lim.
During the visit, the government of the
Philippines and Lao-PDR signed several memoranda of understanding in the fields
of trade, education, foreign service and sports cooperation.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said that the
two countries are presently focusing on the integration of their economies and
culture.
The Philippines and Lao-PDR have been enjoying a
long-standing harmonious cooperation as evidenced by their 57-year bilateral
relations. (PCOO)
Malacañang announces new appointments
President Benigno S. Aquino III has appointed
new officials in the Office of the Ombudsman and the Department of Budget and
Management (DBM), a Palace official said on Friday.
Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda
announced the appointments during the regular press briefing in Malacanang on
Friday.
The Chief Executive signed the appointment of
Atty. Gerard A. Mosquera as Deputy Ombudsman for Luzon, replacing Francis H.
Jardeleza. Prior to his appointment, Mosquera served as Commissioner of the
Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG).
He obtained his Bachelor of Laws degree from the
Ateneo Law School with honors and placed 2nd in the 1992 Bar Examinations. He
earned his Masters of Law degree from the Kings College London in 2002 under a
Chevening Scholarship Grant and Masters in Public Administration degree from
the Harvard Kennedy School of Government where he received the 2010 Littauer
Award for academic excellence and leadership.
Mosquera led anti-corruption programs for the
United Nations and the United States Government in East Timor. He played a key
role in the creation and organization of East Timor’s first Anti-Corruption
Commission.
President Aquino also appointed Magdalena B.
Aruta as Director IV of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). Aruta
earned her Bachelor of Arts, major in Sociology from the University of the
Philippines in 1974. Prior to her appointment, she served as Acting Director IV
of the Department of Budget and Management since 2010.
The other presidential appointees in the
Department of Budget and Management are Ma. Soledad G. Doloiras, Clotilde L.
Drapete, Lorenzo C. Drapete, Dolores E. Galura, Carmencita P. Mahinay, Rowena
Candice M. Ruiz, Rolando U. Toledo, and Sofia C. Yanto as Acting Directors IV.
The President also appointed Jane V. Abella,
Amanella D. Arevalo, Emelita M. Bailon, Elena Regina S. Brillantes, Dante B. de
Chavez, Mary Anne Z. dela Vega, Tessie C. Gregorio, Estrellita L. Layug,
Mercedes P. Navarro, Evelyn G. Peralta and Teresita M. Salud as Acting
Directors III of the Department of Budget and Management. (PCOO)
Lao Prime Minister Thongsing seals agreement
with IRRI for greater collaborative work
LOS BANOS, Laguna: Laos Prime Minister Thongsing
Thammavong visited the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) Friday for
the signing of a memorandum of understanding between his country and the
research institution for greater collaboration.
According to IRRI Director General Dr. Robert
Zeigler, Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) made significant advances
in food production since the early 1990s and now has the potential to become a
rice exporter, which would add to the national economy and contribute to
regional food security.
Through the memorandum, IRRI will build on its
collaboration with Lao PDR to develop rice varieties especially suited to the
country, conserve local rice bio-diversity, improve the production of quality
seeds, address factors that limit rice productivity, help mechanize rice
production, and build capacity across the rice science and extension sector.
Lao PDR will seek financial backing to support
the work outlined in the MOU.
Collaboration between Lao PDR and IRRI began in
the late 1960s and continued in the 1970s with testing of improved rice
breeding material from IRRI’s rice breeding and selection work in Lao PDR.
The first MOU was signed in 1987 between Lao PDR
and IRRI. Starting 1990 until 2007, a Swiss agency extended assistance,
heightening Lao PDR-IRRI collaborative work.
In January 2007, Lao PDR and IRRI signed another
agreement establishing a regional hub and a Mekong sub-region office.
Currently, IRRI has had at least 13 staff posted to Lao PDR.
The Southeast Asian country has already reaped
the benefits of rice research through the adoption of modern rice varieties and
rice farming technologies that have helped boost national rice production to
over three million tons, up from 1.5 million in the last 20 years, Ziegler
said.
During his Friday’s visit, Prime Minister
Thongsing also toured IRRI’s International Rice Genebank, to which Lao PDR has
contributed more than 15,000 types of rice—making it the second largest
contributor.
Rice seed preserved in the International Rice
Genebank is the source of valuable traits for the development of new and
improved rice varieties for future generations.
Prime Minister Thongsing also donated several
traditional rice farming tools from Lao PDR to IRRI’s Riceworld Museum during
his tour of the facility.
The Laos prime minister arrived in the
Philippines Thursday for a two-day official visit upon the invitation of
President Benigno S. Aquino III. (PCOO)
Aquino set to certify as urgent congressional
resolutions seeking to establish electoral integrity in ARMM
President Benigno S. Aquino III will certify as
urgent the resolutions passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives,
calling on the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to nullify the current voters’
list of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and conduct a new
general registration, a Palace official said on Friday.
The electoral integrity measures aim to achieve
an honest and credible polls in the ARMM, according to Presidential
Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda in a statement on Friday.
Lacierda said the Aquino administration fully
concurs with Senators Franklin Drilon, Aquilino Pimentel III, and the 16 other
senators who, through Joint Resolution No. 17, called for the Commission on
Elections to immediately conduct a new general registration of voters in the
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
"The President has consistently and forcefully
called for a new page to be turned in the history of the ARMM. The bedrock of
good governance is a clear and convincing mandate that can only happen if the
credibility of elections is ensured; and that can only come if the people of
the ARMM themselves are convinced that it will truly be one person, one
vote," Lacierda said.
Lacierda also welcomed the decision of the House
of Representatives to approve Joint Resolution 29. "The passage by the
House of Representatives of Joint Resolution No. 29 unites it in sense and
purpose with the Senate in mandating the Commission on Elections to immediately
conduct a new general registration of voters in the Autonomous Region in Muslim
Mindanao (ARMM)," Lacierda said.
"The executive and legislative branches of
government are united in resolve to take this historic opportunity for
electoral integrity to take root in the region. The bedrock of representative
government is the freedom of suffrage: where the electoral system is assured a
voters list with genuine citizens who are empowered to cast their votes in
honest and credible polls," he said. (PCOO)
