Thursday 3 May 2012

PIA News Dispatch - Thursday, May 3, 2012


Palace renews commitment to protect media practitioners, ensures press freedom

The Aquino government vowed to protect journalists in the country as the world celebrates the World Press Freedom Day today, May 3, a Palace official said.

“This is one of the freest in Asia and we have not curtailed and we do not intend to curtail press freedom, and in fact you are… the press is a necessary part of nation building, so it is something that we would encourage,” Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda said during the regular press conference in Malacanang on Thursday.

“The media is partner of government in nation building,” he said commenting on the state of the Philippine media today.

The President’s Spokesman also assured the government’s commitment to ensure the safety of the members of press while exercising their profession.

“With respect to safety, I can assure you that we will not tolerate extralegal killings especially of journalists. Every time we hear an attempt on media personnel, we immediately inform the Philippine National Police. We will not tolerate extralegal killing of journalists,” he said.

Every May 3 each year, the world celebrates the World Press Freedom Day to revitalize the fundamental principles of press freedom, to evaluate press freedom around the world, to defend the media from attacks as well as to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives doing their jobs.

May 3 was proclaimed World Press Freedom Day by the UN General Assembly in 1993 following a recommendation adopted at the 26th session of UNESCO's General Conference in 1991.

It serves as an occasion to inform citizens of violations of press freedom - a reminder that in dozens of countries around the world, publications are censored, fined, suspended and closed down, while journalists, editors and publishers are harassed, attacked, detained and even murdered.

May 3 is a date to encourage and develop initiatives in favor of press freedom, and to assess the state of press freedom worldwide.

The celebration also serves as a reminder to governments of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom. It is also a day of reflection among media professionals on issues of press freedom and professional ethics. (PCOO)

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Aquino witnesses MOU signing between DOST and IBM to build research and development laboratory

President Benigno S. Aquino III witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Department of Science and Technology and IBM to build a research and development laboratory in ceremonies held in MalacaƱang on Thursday.

The MOU, which was signed between Science and Technology Secretary Mario Montejo and IBM president and Country General Manager in the Philippines Mariels Almeda Winhoffer, specifies both entities’ willingness to work together to establish the first Philippine Systems and Technology R&D Laboratory.

The laboratory aims to spur and sustain Philippine economic growth by heeding calls for greater partnering between the IT-industry and the government for the advancement of four critical areas for the country.

These areas are business process outsourcing, governance for anti-corruption, talent development, and innovation for a knowledge-based economy.

In a statement, IBM said the new R & D laboratory “will strive to contribute to the productivity of the Filipino people and improve their quality of life through the generation and promotion of strategic technologies and expertise.”

Montejo meanwhile expressed appreciation of the IBM’s initiative saying the R&D center “will go a long way in building domestic capacity to support continued economic growth and global competitiveness.”

Under the MOU, the projects to be undertaken by the laboratory shall be in line with the priority projects of the National Economic Development Authority’s Medium Term Development Plan and may include the following areas: Project audit system and database,E-governance services, Landslide predictive analytics, Weather prediction and flood mapping, Crime prevention, Traffic management, and High performance computing and business analytics. (PCOO)

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Malacanang says concerned government agencies have joined forces to address smuggling of pork

Various concerned government agencies have joined forces to address the smuggling of pork into the country, a Palace official said on Thursday.

Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda issued the statement during the regular press briefing in Malacanang on Thursday following reports that several hog raisers will go on a week-long nationwide “pork holiday” to protest the rampant smuggling of pork.

Lacierda said the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Finance, the Bureau of Customs and other concerned government agencies have started implementing measures to eradicate the reported technical smuggling.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala will be meeting with the hog and poultry raisers to address their concerns. Alcala ordered the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) to check the markets for smuggled meat.

Aside from smuggling, the hog raisers also raised their concerns over pork importations that have led to the displacement of some 20% of hog farmers in just three years. They said this development has forced many backyard farmers to suspend and even close down operations.

Lacierda assured that the Aquino government is addressing the major needs and concerns of the country's hog raisers and pork producers.

"We assure the public that there is no pork shortage," he said.

President Aquino earlier said the government and industry stakeholders, along with farmers, should partner to reduce the cost of producing hogs, particularly the cost of animal feeds and its main ingredient, yellow corn in a bid to make the country’s hog industry competitive with the export market.

The President said the hog raisers should have a direct linkage or partnership agreement with corn farmers, and he assured that the government continues to provide assistance to hog raisers by implementing policies.

He also said that hog raisers can avail of the needed capital from the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund. (PCOO)

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Palace says Philippines able to relax tension in Panatag Shoal

The Philippines was able to deescalate the tension in Scarborough Shoal contrary to some criticisms saying militarizing the disputed territory will be disadvantageous to the Philippines, a Palace spokesman said on Thursday.

In a press conference in Malacanang, Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda said recent government actions in handling the stand-off with China have relaxed the tension between the two countries.

Lacierda said it is wrong to assume that the Philippines will end up losing the shoal stressing that this is the reason why the Philippine government is elevating the issue to the International Tribunal.

“We have definitely deescalated the tensions in the Panatag Shoal. Paano po mawawala sa atin? Klarong-klaro kaya natin inaakyat sa International Tribunal because we believe that the way out from this situation is to have a declaration mechanism as provided by international laws,” he said.

Insisting the country’s sovereign rights over the Panatag Shoal, Lacierda said the Aquino government wouldn’t allow the Chinese to put up garrisons there as what they did in Mischief Reef.

With respect to building relationships with China, Lacierda said Filipino diplomats are vigorously exerting efforts to talk with their Chinese counterparts.

“Marami tayong mga levels of exchange with the Chinese government, not only the Chinese government but also the Chinese community. So it’s not true that we have not repaired the relations in fact, we have good relations with the Chinese Embassy dito sa Pilipinas,” he said.

Lacierda also said the President has been receiving sufficient counsel from his advisers to deal with the issue.

“The President is very responsible and very prudent. The policy here, as the President has categorically stated is we want to de-escalate tensions in the Panatag Shoal,” Lacierda said.

With regards to the Chinese fishing vessels that continue to operate in the area, Lacierda said, the Philippine government is continuously documenting the actions of the Chinese before raising it to the International Tribunal. (PCOO)

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Aquino to address Asian Development Bank’s 45th Annual Meeting

President Benigno S. Aquino III will lead Friday morning the formal opening of the 45th Annual Meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Board of Governors at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City.

The President is expected to deliver his message with the 66 governors of ADB in attendance.

Around 3,000 finance and economic planning ministers of the ADB-member countries and representatives from the multilateral development banking community are also expected to attend the ceremonies.

The Aquino government hopes that the annual meeting of ADB Board of Governors will portray a positive image of the country overseas that could result to its improved economic condition.

With the sluggish economic conditions in Europe and North America, ADB’s annual meeting, which focuses on inclusive growth, becomes very timely and significant.

The Philippines had hosted this yearly meeting, including the first one in 1968. The ADB meeting was last held in the country in June 2003.

Among those expected to join the President include Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, ADB president and chairperson Haruhiko Kuroda and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Gov. Amando Tetangco Jr. (PCOO)