Aquino says Oriental Mindoro to benefit from
government tourism program
BARANGAY ANILAO, Bongabong, Oriental Mindoro:
The province of Oriental Mindoro stands to benefit most from the tourism
program the government is implementing to attract more visitors to the
Philippines, President Benigno S. Aquino III said on Sunday.
The President told members of media after
attending the birthday celebration of Oriental Mindoro Governor Alfonso Umali,
Jr. that the diverseness of the things to do in the province will truly regale
and attract more visitors to the province and the Philippines.
He added that the province has played an
integral part to the record 411,000 tourist that have been visiting the country
since January of this year.
“Pag i-mumultiply po niyo (ang 411,000 tourists)
ng 12 buwan ng taon, magiging 4.8 million na turista po ‘yan. Ang pangkaraniwan
nating turista ay three milyon,” the President said.
He stressed that visitors who visit Oriental
Mindoro, aside from enjoying the beaches and sites, may also choose to take
part in the province’s aquaculture industry which is in the process of breeding
giant king crabs and milkfish (bangus).
“Iyong turista ho, pupunta ng beach, pero ilang
araw sa beach, baka antukin na diyan, puwede nating turuan ng aquaculture.
‘Yung maski na galing Maynila lang ho, talagang pagnakita nila ‘yung alimango
nasa palengke na... Paano ba pinalalaki, paano ba hinuhuli. Ang mga kabataan
talagang mahilig hong masubukan ‘yan. Pati na rin ‘yong mga technology
pinapakita,” the President continued.
“In short, hindi lang mga normal na tourist
sites ang pupuntahan dito, pati na rin ang aquaculture na pinalalago ay
magiging hanapubuhay ng marami... at may dagdag na hanapbuhay pang para ipakita
sa turista, ‘pag namingwit ka ng sarili mong alimango, merong restaurant doon
sa katabi, puwede mong ipaluto sa gusto magpaluto, patong-patong ang puwedeng
magawa ng turista dito,” he added.
He said these upgrades in the tourism sector was
possible thanks to the cooperation of all Filipinos who choose a better life
for them and their families.
“Basta, ang intindihin niyo, kung gumaganda na
po ang buhay niyo dito... kung hindi pa ganap na gumanda ay nandoon na at
tumutungo talaga sa paganda ng paganda. Huwag niyong kalimutan
pinagtutulung-tulungan natin lahat ‘yan. Hindi ako ang gumawa, hindi si Procy
Alcala, hindi si Boy Umali, hindi si Rey Umali, tayong lahat ang gumawa po
niyan,” the President said. (PCOO)
Aquino maintains the country wants to
de-escalate tension with China on Scarborough Shoal territorial claims
BARANGAY ANILAO, Bongabong, Oriental Mindoro:
President Benigno S. Aquino III said on Sunday that the Philippines will
continue to support its stand to resolve territorial claims over contested
Scarborough Shoal diplomatically and to de-escalate any tensions between the
country and China.
This after a Chinese general recently called for
decisive action against the Philippines.
The President expressed confidence China would
not take any action against the Philippines as both countries believed no one
would benefit if military force was used to end the dispute.
“We don’t think that at this point in time they
will engage in any military activities. Purposely, our actions have been geared
towards de-escalating the situation,” the President said.
“It's clear that it is to nobody’s benefit and
there are a lot of repercussions if any military force happens to be employed
here,” he added.
He said the continued presence of Chinese
vessels and crew at the disputed island is being documented “so that when we
make our case in the appropriate body, we have the necessary evidence.”
He also said the government will continue
reviewing all relevant local and international laws to determine the rules that
will operate in the area. (PCOO)
Aquino receives member of House of
Representative of Japan in Malacañang
President Benigno S. Aquino III received one of
the members of the House of Representatives of Japan in Malacanang on Monday
and discussed various issues to further strengthen the long-standing ties between
the Philippines and Japan.
Nobuteru Ishihara, a member of the House of
Representatives of Japan and Secretary-General of the Liberal Democratic Party
of Japan paid a courtesy call on the Chief Executive at the Music Room of the
Malacanang Palace.
Representative Ishihara was accompanied by his
brother Hirotaka Ishihara, a former member of the House of Representatives of
Japan and Japanese Ambassador Toshinao Urabe.
The House of Representatives of Japan is the
lower house of the Diet of Japan. The House of Councillors of Japan is the
upper house.
Also in attendance were Transportation and
Communications Secretary Manuel Roxas II, Trade and Industry Secretary Gregory
Domingo and Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras.
Following his graduation from Keio University in
1981, Rep. Ishihara started working as a political reporter for Nippon
Television Network Corporation (NTV).
In 1990, he was elected to the House of
Representatives as representative for the Fourth District of Tokyo. He was
re-elected for several times.
Due to his interest in economic issues, he
served on various Committees of the House of Representatives and Liberal
Democratic Party dealing with finance, taxes, international trade, commerce,
and industry.
"In 2001, I put my economic views into
print by co-authoring The Total Plan for Reviving Japan's Economy (Nihon Keizai
Kishi Kaisai Totaru Puran). Along with fellow Diet Members Yasuhisa Shiozaki,
Takumi Nemoto, and Yoshimi Watanabe, I argued that Japan should establish an
approximately $100 billion, government-subsidized "Survival Fund" to
purchase the private sector's mountain of bad debt," he said in his
official website.
On April 26, 2001, Prime Minister Junichiro
Koizumi invited Rep. Ishihara to serve as Minister of State for Administrative
and Regulatory Reform and he accepted an offer to join the Cabinet. On
September 22, 2003, he was named the Minister of Land, Infrastructure,
Transport and Tourism.
Despite the additional responsibilities
associated with his ministerial posts, Rep. Ishihara said he did not lose sight
of his duty as a Diet Member. On the contrary, he said he tried to transform
his Cabinet experience into more effective leadership for the citizens of
Japan. (PCOO)
Palace condemns killing of Koronadal City broadcaster
Malacanang condemned the killing of a broadcast
journalist in Koronadal City early Monday saying the Philippine National Police
(PNP) is already investigating the latest attack on a member of the press.
Rommel Palma, 31, a reporter for radio station
dxMC Bombo Radyo-Koronadal died from four gunshot wounds at the back and the
neck after he was attacked by motorcycle-riding gunmen.
“We have already been informed. The PNP has
already started the investigation. Again, we condemn the murder on the Bombo
radio employee. And we will let you know of the updates. The PNP is right now
looking into the motives of the heinous act,” Presidential Spokesman Edwin
Lacierda said during the regular press briefing in Malacanang on Monday.
Palma, who was driving the radio station’s
patrol vehicle, was attacked at around 5 a.m. on Monday in front of the South
Cotabato Provincial Hospital.
The victim’s co-employees said it appears that
Palma was the suspects’ main target who occasionally conducts live afternoon
weather and area situation reports for the radio station. But they weren’t
aware whether Palma had received any threat on his life prior to the shooting.
Upon his assumption to the presidency, President
Benigno S. Aquino III renewed government’s commitment to protect the members of
the media from attack vowing to go after and prosecute those who are involved
in media killings.
The government created the Task Force Usig in
May 2006 to handle killings of media practitioners and militant organizations
in various parts of the country. Killings of media practitioners are considered
an attack on press freedom.
Based on Task Force Usig’s record, among the
primary perpetrators include members of the New People’s Army (NPA), government
security forces and government officials. (PCOO)
Malacañang says government monitors fuel prices
without let up
Malacanang assured the public that the
administration is continiously in its monitoring of fuel prices following
reports that the oil price in the world market has gone down, a Palace official
said on Monday.
"Bumababa po ang presyo ng langis po
ngayon. So patuloy po ang pag-monitor po ng presyo natin sa langis,"
Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said during the regular press briefing
in Malacanang on Monday.
With the new price movement in the global
market, the Department of Energy (DOE) is monitoring the oil price adjustments
being imposed by the oil companies.
Lacierda assured that the Aquino government will
continue implementing measures to contain the inflation rate to keep the prices
of basic commodities.
With the forecast that the oil prices in the
world market will continue to drop, the government projects that inflation will
stay within the target range.
"Kung may epekto po ito sa mga bilihin? We
have already said that the inflation rate po natin ngayon is 2.6—second lowest
in Southeast Asia. Ang basic prices po ay bumababa—tulad po ng mga sabon,
flour, canned sardines. May ibang tumataas nang konti," he said.
Lacierda said the Aquino government managed to
contain the inflation amid the global economic slowdown and the increase of oil
prices in the past.
"Hindi po nangyari ‘yon because our
inflation rate is manageable, in fact, at 2.6 which is the lowest so far since
the recent past," he added.
The data released by the National Statistics
Office showed that the inflation in March was at 2.6%, down from 2.7% in
February due mainly to slower price increases for alcoholic beverages and
tobacco as well as clothing and footwear, while increase in housing and utility
costs also eased.
The inflation rate supported the central bank's
view that its record high policy rates are keeping price rises under control.
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Gov. Amando Tetangco
said the March data, the lowest since 2.2% in September 2009, indicates that
inflation in the country will be manageable during the current policy horizon.
(PCOO)
