Aquino swears into office acting NEDA chief, 2
Special Presidential Envoys to China
President Benigno S. Aquino III swore into
office the latest batch of newly-appointed officials who are expected to
closely work with the Aquino government in ensuring the delivery of basic
services and ensure a better living standards for the Filipino people.
In simple ceremonies at the Rizal Hall of the
Malacanang Palace on Wednesday, the President administered the oath of office
to newly-appointed National Economic Development Authority (NEDA)
Director-General/Secretary Arsenio Balisacan in an acting-capacity pending
confirmation from the Commission on Appointments.
The new NEDA chief replaced former NEDA
director-general Cayetano Paderanga following his resignation last May 10
citing health reasons.
Balisacan obtained his doctorate in Economics at
the University of Hawaii in 1985 after finishing his masters degree in
Agricultural Economics at the University of the Philippines in Los Baños,
Laguna, in 1982.
He graduated magna cum laude from the Mariano
Marcos State University in 1979 where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree
in Agriculture.
He is an adjunct professor of the Australian
National University and the executive director of the Philippine Center for
Economic Development where he has served as an adviser and expert in poverty,
food security, agricultural and rural development, human development, impact assessment,
and governance issues to public chief executives and legislators,
non-governmental organizations, multilateral development institutions, like the
World Bank, Asian Development Bank, and various United Nations agencies.
Balisacan was also an author and co-editor of
seven books and has written over 100 articles and technical journals and book
chapters.
Also sworn into office were Ambassador Domingo
Lee and Ambassador Cesar Zalamea, both as Special Envoys of the President to
the People’s Republic of China (Department of Foreign Affairs).
Philippine Coast Guard officials Vice Admiral
Edmund Tan, Rear Admiral Cecil Chen, Rear Admiral Lino Dabi and Rear Admiral
Luis Tuason Jr. also took their oath before the President which was witnessed
by Transportation and Communications Secretary Manuel Roxas II.
Other officials who were sworn in by the Chief
Executive include Representative of the Consumer Organizations to the Optical
Media Board, Office of the President, Elmar Ingles; Deputy Director V, Public-Private
Partnership Center of NEDA, Ferdinand Tolentino and ten representatives from
the various sectors to the National Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management
Council of the Department of Agriculture. (PCOO)
Aquino declares June 18 as special non-working
day in Ifugao province in celebration of its 46th Foundation Day
President Benigno S. Aquino III has declared
June 18, which falls on a Monday, as a special (non-working) day in the
province of Ifugao in celebration of its 46th Foundation Day.
The Chief Executive issued the declaration
through Proclamation No. 379 signed by Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr.
on May 10 to give the people of Ifugao the full opportunity to celebrate and
participate in the occasion with appropriate ceremonies.
Ifugao was formerly a part of the old Mountain
Province. It was created as an independent province on June 18, 1966 by virtue
of Republic Act No. 4695, otherwise known as the "Division Law of Mountain
Province." Under this law, the Mountain Province was divided into four (4)
provinces namely Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga-Apayao and the Mountain Province. (PCOO)
Aquino cites ‘significant’ benefits of road
projects linking Northern and Southern Luzon Expressways on country’s economy
President Benigno S. Aquino III cited the
significant benefits that the two planned road projects linking the northern
and southern Luzon expressways will have on the country’s economy, saying the
projects, once completed, would greatly ease the uninterrupted transport of
goods, services and people to and from their intended destinations, decongest
major thoroughfares and lessen pollution.
In a briefing on the North Luzon Expressway
(NLEX) and South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) connector projects in Malacañang on
Wednesday, the President said the Filipino people stood to gain from the
benefits of these road projects.
The road projects are the NLEX-SLEX Connector of
the Metro Pacific Investment Corporation and the Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3
project of the San Miguel Corporation.
Both projects aim to construct elevated toll
roads connecting NLEx and SLEx, under the public-private partnership (PPP)
projects of the government.
The NLEX-SLEX connector is a P21-billion
"connector road" consisting of a 13.4-kilometer, four-lane elevated
expressway over the existing Philippine National Railway system that runs from
Caloocan City to Makati City.
The MMSS3, meanwhile, proposes a P24-billion
14-kilometer, six-lane tollway with exits in Manila, Aurora Boulevard, E.
Rodriguez Ave., Quezon Boulevard, Sgt. Rivera and the Balintawak area.
The projects are expected to help decongest EDSA
and provide better access to Manila’s ports.
President Aquino said manufacturing business in
both the northern and southern parts of the country would be able to deliver
their goods uninterrupted (because of an existing truck ban in Metro Manila),
in a shorter amount of time and thus increase savings which he said, could be
used to hire more workers.
“Bottom line, currently when you have to ship
all of these and you go by boats —and if it’s a Manila port—you have to contend
with traversing EDSA and that adds a significant amount of travel time, it adds
pressure to your just-in-time deliveries and it increases also ‘yung pollution
quotient within the NCR. So this (road projects) facilitates the whole
process,” the President said.
“So it facilitates the movement of goods, services
and people, then it also enhances the connectivity between NAIA (Ninoy Aquino
International Airport) and Clark (International Airport). And the expansion
plans for our gateways will involve Clark to a large degree. So that makes it
even more feasible,” he added.
The President also said that the tourism
industry stood to gain from the construction of these road projects as tourist
spots in northern and southern Luzon will soon be easily accessible.
“Syempre ‘yung tourism is greatly enhanced as
well …by 2016 I assume I’ll be in Tarlac a lot and if I want to go to a beach,
medyo biglang naging very feasible to go to Batangas or Mindoro or, ‘di ba, all
of these other areas—or even taking flights to Boracay or Palawan,” the
President said. (PCOO)
President Aquino to keynote Career Congress
Thursday
President Benigno S. Aquino III will keynote the
National Career Advocacy Congress that will be held at the Diamond Hotel in
Manila on Thursday, May 24.
Joining the President in the event aimed at
honoring the invaluable role guidance counselors play in molding and developing
the minds of young students will be: Labor Secretary Rosalinda D. Baldoz,
Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman, Education Secretary Armin Luistro,
Higher Education Chair Patricia Licuanan and Science and Technology Secretary
Mario Montejo.
The Career Congress, with this year’s theme
“Follow the Guide. Tag a Career. Like the Future,” is a two-day event where
members of the Networks of Guidance Counselors and various stakeholders are
provided a venue to discuss new methods in the field of counseling.
It specifically aims to: 1) Exchange relevant
labor market information trends and updates in the conduct of career guidance
activities; 2) Elicit new ideas on organizational management and scheme on
network sustainability of career guidance counsellors; 3) Recognize the
exceptional performance and good practices in career guidance; and 4)
Strengthen the partnership and cooperation between and among the members of the
Networks of Guidance Counselors and other stakeholders through mutual
assistance and exchange of information; and 5) Promote career guidance as a
relevant tool in youth development, contributing to the prosperity and welfare
of the nation. (PCOO)
