Aquino assures government workers of early
release of salary increase
President Benigno S. Aquino III assured
government workers on May 1, Labor Day, that the fourth tranche of their
scheduled salary increase under the Salary Standardization Law III, would be
given one month ahead of its release in June.
The President gave the assurance in his speech
keynoting the Tripartite Dialogue and Labor Day breakfast he had with labor
leaders and representatives in Malacañang on Tuesday.
The President said he had instructed Budget
Secretary Florencio Abad to expedite the release of the salary increase of
government employees.
“Inapura na po natin si Kalihim Butch Abad para
pagdating ng Hunyo, matatanggap na ang fourth tranche ng Salary Standardization
Law III,” the President said.
The President lauded the early release of the
SSL III, saying that it was well-timed for the enrolment of students for school
year 2012-2013.
“Saktong-sakto po ito dahil magpapasukan na,”
the President said. (PCOO)
Aquino enumerates 4 strategies to address
unemployment
President Benigno S. Aquino III laid down on May
1, Labor Day, the government’s battle plan to address unemployment,
underemployment and other labor issues.
In his speech keynoting the 110th Labor Day
Celebration in Malacañang on Tuesday, the President said this plan was brought
about after the number of those without jobs ballooned to 2.9-million with one
million new graduates more joining the labor force every year.
The four strategies, according to the President
are: 1) to maintain the number of jobs currently available; 2) to create more
jobs; 3) to improve the job skills and knowledge of Filipinos; and 4) to
implement labor laws in order to protect the workers.
The President said this plan, which aims to
ensure that no Filipino is left behind as the country marches towards progress,
is the result of the close consultations and dialogues between labor, employer
and government held last year.
“Ang nagdaang taon ay minarkahan ng masinsinan
at produktibong diyalogo sa pagitan ng manggagawa at ng negosyante, na
buong-katapatan naman pong pinag-uugnay ng inyong pamahalaan,” the President
said.
“Ang mga solusyong inilatag natin ngayon ay
galing sa aktibong pakikilahok ng mga sektor; patunay po ito na kaya nating
maunawaan ang isa't isa,” he added.
The President thanked the Filipino people for
their trust and confidence and assured them that his administration would
continue to forge on to improve their lives.
“Ang hangarin ko po ay magpatuloy pa sana ang
ating pag-uugnayan, kung saan nananaig ang katuwiran at pagdadamayan. Kung
sabay-sabay po tayong sasagwan tungo sa iisang direksyon, tiyak na maaabot
natin ang mga solusyong pangmatagalan,” the President said. (PCOO)
Aquino orders Regional Tripartite Wage and
Productivity Boards to study possibility of wage increases
President Benigno S. Aquino III has ordered the
Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Boards (RTWPB) to step up its
consultations, dialogues and studies into the possibility of granting the
Filipinos’ fervent wish for added remuneration.
The President bared his instructions to the
RTWPB in his speech on the occasion of the 110th Labor Day Celebration on
Tuesday in Malacañang.
The President had earlier expressed apprehension
at supporting the proposed P125 across the board wage increase saying it was
counter productive and would raise prices on basic commodities and other
services.
“Kaya nga po kailangan ng masusing usapan at pag-aaral
sa pagtataas ng sahod, na dinadaan natin sa mga Regional Tripartite Wage and
Productivity Boards. Inaapura ko na nga po ang kanilang mga konsultasyon sa mga
unyon upang makapagbigay na tayo ng bagong wage order sa lalong madaling
panahon,” the President said.
The Chief Executive also said that he wanted
further studies into the issue of subcontracting, which he said was prone to
abuse from employers.
He pointed out that House Bill No. 4853, which
addresses subcontracting, may do more harm than good as it may cause
10.3-million Filipinos to loose their jobs should the law be passed.
The President likewise said he has instructed
the Tripartite Industrial Peace Council to look into this.
“ Ang kailangan dito ay masusing paghimay sa
kabuuang sitwasyon, kaya nga inatasan natin ang Tripartite Industrial Peace
Council (TIPC) na bumuo ng consensus upang mapalawak ang konsultasyon sa
usaping ito,” the President said. (PCOO)
Aquino attends DOLE’s Labor Day job, livelihood
fairs
President Benigno S. Aquino III visited the
110th Labor Day and Livelihood Fairs at the World Trade Center in Pasay City
which was organized by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in
cooperation with other government agencies.
The President toured the booths of DOLE,
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and other
government agencies as well as companies participating on Tuesday’s job and
livelihood fairs.
President Aquino also witnessed the signing of
contracts and the awarding of less than P3 million cheques as assistance to
livelihood beneficiaries.
The labor department organized the May 1 job and
livelihood fairs to help job seekers, new graduates, returning and displaced
overseas Filipino workers find jobs and livelihood.
The DOLE estimated that in the National Capital
Region alone, over 100,000 jobs, both local and overseas, are being offered by
close to 300 companies and corporations at the job and livelihood site in the
World Trade Center.
Thousands of job opportunities are also up for
grabs at the 55 simultaneous job and livelihood fair in different cities and
provinces across the country.
Private companies participating in the job fair
include Max’s Group of Companies, Globe Telecom, Sykes Asia, Asia Brewery,
Banco de Oro, Suyen and McDonalds.
The government agencies offering pre-employment
services include Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Social Security System
(SSS), National Statistics Office (NSO), PhilHealth, Professional Regulation
Commission (PRC), Home Mutual Development Fund (Pag-IBIG Fund) and the National
Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
The event, aimed at achieving the government’s
vision of providing full, decent and productive employment for every Filipino,
is part of the Aquino administration’s 16-point Social Contract with the
Filipino People.
Joining the President were Labor Secretary
Rosalinda Baldoz and TESDA Dir. Gen. Emmanuel Villanueva. (PCOO)
Aquino to inaugurate new radar station,
hydropower plants in Catanduanes
President Benigno S. Aquino III will inaugurate
Wednesday the Solong and Hitoma 1 Hydroelectric Power Plants and the Philippine
Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration’s (Pagasa)
new radar tower station in Bato, Catanduanes.
Upon the President’s arrival, Science and
Technology Secretary Mario Montejo will assist him in unveiling the marker of
the new radar station in Catanduanes. The President will also be briefed on the
two projects after the unveiling rites.
The Solong and Hitoma 1 mini-hydro plants are
the first ever to be developed by a private entity—Sunwest Water and
Electricity Inc. in the small island grids covered by the special power
utilities groups (SPUG) of the National Power Corp.
If developed further to almost 4 megawatts
additional hydropower capacity, Catanduanes will be the first island grid in
the country to source most of its power needs from a renewable source.
The project design is also environment-friendly
because the run-of-river hydro projects such as the Solong and the Hitoma 1 do
not cause flooding and nearby communities aren’t dislocated.
By running the renewable plants, Catanduanes is
relieved of at least P100 million in subsidies for bunker and diesel-based
power generation and the plants’ off-taker, Ficelco, and its consumers are
exempted from paying value-added tax. The island province will also have a
stable power supply.
It is reported that Sunwest Water and
Electricity Inc. is committed to develop more hydroelectric plants in Luzon and
the Visayas securing 17 service contracts with the Department of Energy with a
total capacity of more than 50 megawatts.
Meanwhile, operating Pagasa’s new Doppler radar
station in Catanduanes is expected to mitigate the impact of devastating
typhoons in the country as the weather bureau effectively predicts incoming
typhoons.
Catanduanes’s weather station is the first of
three Doppler radars being built in the Philippines using the new Solid-State
Meteorological Radar System (SSMRS) technology developed in Japan. The radar
station in Catanduanes is supposedly the first such facility in the world to
use solid state technology.
The facility will complement two other SSMRS
Doppler radar systems being completed in Guiuan, Samar province, and Aparri,
Cagayan province
Through the new radar station, the bureau could
also conduct more extensive weather monitoring, effectively measure rainfall,
gauge destructive winds, and transmit and analyze information in real time.
Pagasa could also detect localized thunderstorms
and tornadoes in the Bicol region as well as predict possible flooding and
landslides.
The project replaces the existing Virac, Aparri
and Guiuan metereological radar system and it established the Very Small
Aperture Terminal (VSAT) connecting the Meteorological Radar Station and the
National Forecasting Center.
The project, amounting to P1.7 billion, is
funded by grant aid from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). On
the other hand, the Bato Doppler Radar costs around P580 million, the
government said. (PCOO)
