Aquino opens Palarong Pambansa in Pangasinan
LINGAYEN, Pangasinan: In efforts to keep all
Filipinos fit, strong and healthy, President Benigno S. Aquino III formally
opened this year’s Palarong Pambansa (National Games) in grand ceremonies held
at the Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center here on Monday.
In his speech keynoting the event, the President
said that the Palarong Pambansa, the “biggest sports event in the Philippines,”
will provide some 10,000 elementary and secondary school athletes a chance to
showcase their skills and talents as they vie for honors in their chosen sports
field.
“Ito pong Palarong Pambansa ang nagsisilbing
pinakamalaking entablado upang maipamalas ng lahing Pinoy ang kanyang angking
kagalingan sa larangan ng palakasan,” the President said.
“Sa mga susunod na araw, masasaksihan ng
sambayanan ang pagtatagisan ng galling, ang mga patalasan ng dunong, ang
pagpapamalas ng husay ng mga atletang Pinoy mula sa iba’t ibang larangan, mula
sa iba’t ibang rehiyon ng Pilipinas,” he added.
The President honored the participants saying he
hoped that they remain inspirations for the Filipino youth to emulate.
“Sa inyong lahat na nandito ngayon: saludo ako
sa inyo. Nawa’y maging mabuting halimbawa kayo sa kapwa niyong kabataan. Nawa’y
maging bukal kayo ng inspirasyon sa iba pa niyong mga kababayan,” the President
said.
The President then wished luck to all
participants and their endeavors of achieving triumph for their respective
regions.
“Ngayon po, pormal na nating binubuksan at
pinasisimulan ang Palarong Pambansa 2012. Sa inyong lahat: good luck sa inyong
mga laban. Mabuhay po ang kabataang Pilipino; mabuhay ang atletang Pinoy,” the
President said.
The Palarong Pambansa is a scholastic athletic
competition that serves as a means to promote Physical Education and Sports as
an integral part of the Basic Education Curriculum and as an affirmation to the
school’s commitment to the full development of the great potentials of the
youth to become responsible and globally competitive citizens of the nation.
The Bureau of Public Schools Interscholastic
Athletic Association (BPSIAA) Meet as it was called before was first held in
1948 in Manila. It has been held annually since except in 1957 when President
Magsaysay passed away and in 1972 when Martial Law was declared.
In 1974, BPSIAA was changed to Palarong
Pambansa. It was substituted by Palarong Bagong Lipunan in 1980 and Palarong
Pilipino Gintong Alay in 1984. (PCOO)
.
President Aquino assures Philippine sports of
continued government support
LINGAYEN, Pangasinan: President Benigno S.
Aquino III assured proponents of Philippine sports of continued government
support to ensure that Philippine athletes get the training and equipment they
deserve to make it in the international sports arena.
The President gave this assurance in his speech
keynoting the formal opening of the 2012 Palarong Pambansa held at the Narciso
Ramos Sports and Civic Center here on Monday.
“Maasahan naman ninyo na patuloy ang suporta ng
inyong pamahalaan sa pagpapabuti at pagpapaigting sa larangan ng sports sa
bansa,” the President said.
He pointed out that aside from setting aside
P200-million from the Department of Education’s budget for this year’s Palarong
Pambansa, the government, through the Philippine Sports Commission has laid
down the national plan for sports -- the 2011-2016 Philippine Sports Roadmap.
This roadmap, the President said, has a “focus
sports policy” which centers attention on the further development of choice
sports field such as boxing, taekwondo, athletics, swimming, wushu, archery,
wrestling, bowling, weightlifting and billiards.
He said P200-million representing 33 percent of
annual remittances from the National Sports Development Fund will be used to
fund the roadmap.
This fund, the President said, would be used to
finance the Philippine National Games, that will give athletes at the
grassroots level a chance to showcase their talent in hopes of landing a place
with the Philippine Team. (PCOO)
Aquino visits wake of Abante reporter in Bacoor,
Cavite
President Benigno S. Aquino III visited on
Monday the wake of Abante reporter Rose Miranda, who died last Saturday in her
home in Bacoor, Cavite. She died of breast cancer at the age of 39.
The Chief Executive conveyed his condolences to
the family of Miranda who covered the Palace beat for several years. Her
remains lie in state at the Miranda family residence in Barangay Ligas 2,
Bacoor, Cavite.
He stayed in the house of Miranda for several
minutes and talked with Rose Miranda's parents Melencio and Mercedes, as well
as her sisters Maricel and May Grace.
Presidential Communications Operations Office
Secretary Sonny Coloma, likewise, visited Miranda's wake.
Before the start of the regular press briefing
in Malacanang on Monday, officers and members of the Malacañang Press Corps
observed a moment of silence and prayed for Miranda who passed away after a
year-long battle against breast cancer.
Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda expressed
his sympathies to Miranda's loved ones.
Born in Bacoor on December 7, 1972, Miranda
earned her Bachelor of Journalism degree from the Lyceum of the Philippines
University in 1994.
She covered the Makati police, Makati city
government and Makati courts, other local government units in the southern part
of Metro Manila, as well as the defense beat before she was assigned to cover
Malacañang. She served as treasurer of the Malacañang Press Corps from 2006 to
2010 and as secretary from 2010 to 2011. She was diagnosed with breast cancer
in 2011.
Interment is scheduled on May 12 at the Silangan
Cemetery in Bacoor. (PCOO)
Aquino government assures banking system remains
sound and stable
The Aquino administration assured the public
that the overall Philippine banking system remains sound and stable despite the
closure of the Export and Industry Bank, Inc. (EIB), a Palace official said on
Monday.
Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda issued
the statement during the regular press briefing in Malacanang on Monday to
allay the fears of the public following the closure of the bank.
"Rest assured that the banking system is
financially sound po; mas malakas po ang ating banking system. And that’s why
Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. is encouraging the use of banking
institutions," Lacierda stressed.
In a statement, the BSP said that the Monetary
Board placed Export and Industry Bank, Inc. under a receivership on April 26,
2012 pursuant to Section 30 of Republic Act No. 7653 or The New Central Bank
Act.
The BSP said the board made its decision on
account of the bank's “inability to meet its obligations as they become due,
insufficient realizable assets to meet its liabilities and its inability to
continue in business without involving probable losses to its depositors or
creditors.”
Moreover, it also said that the EIB wrote BSP to
“surrender the bank operations to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and to
declare a bank holiday effective April 12, 2012.”
The BSP noted that the Philippine Deposit
Insurance Corporation (PDIC) stands ready to service valid deposit claims from
depositors of EIB and complete processing of claims as soon as possible.
Likewise, the BSP said the overall Philippine
banking system remains sound and stable with ample liquidity and high level of
capitalization.
The BSP assured that the closure of EIB is not
expected to adversely affect the Philippine banking system considering its
relatively small size. Its total assets are equivalent to only about 0.3
percent of the total assets of the banking system. (PCOO)
Aquino government condoles with family of Anita
Magsaysay-Ho
The Aquino administration conveyed its
condolences to the family of painter Anita Magsaysay-Ho who died last Saturday
at the age of 97.
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the
family and loved ones of Anita Magsaysay-Ho who brought great pride to our
country as an artist," Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in a
statement issued on Monday.
Her remains lie in state at the Santuario de San
Antonio in Forbes Park, Makati City.
"Throughout her long, noteworthy career,
Mrs. Magsaysay-Ho was considered part of a trailblazing group of artists who revolutionized
Philippine art. Her lasting contribution to art and culture will forever be
remembered by a nation she inspired and portrayed through her work,"
Lacierda said.
Magsaysay-Ho is the daughter of Ambrosio
Magsaysay and Armilla Corpus. She is married to Robert Ho. She studied at the
University of the Philippines (UP) School of Fine Arts under Fabian de la Rosa,
Vicente Rivera y Mir, and Fernando and Pablo Amorsolo.
Known for her modernist flair in painting,
Magsaysay-Ho won awards in several local and international art competitions and
exhibited works in major local and international art galleries worldwide.
Her famous works depict figurative abstracts of
women at work, landscapes, and Philippine genre scenes. Her charcoal sketches
of female nudes are also widely recognized.
Magsaysay-Ho won second prize for Five Senses in
the 1950 Manila Grand Opera House Exhibition. She won second prize for Fish
Vendors in the second watercolor exhibition of Graphic Arts in 1952. Her awards
from the Art Association of the Philippines include: first prize, The Cooks,
1952: second Prize, Fruit Vendors, 1953, third prize, Mending the Nets, 1959;
first prize, Two Women, 1960; and second prize, Trio, 1962.
The collections of Magsaysay-Ho's works can be
viewed in major museums and galleries such as the Metropolitan Museum of the
Philippines, the Yuchengco Museum, the Lopez Memorial Museum and Library, and
the Ateneo Art Museum. (PCOO)
