Aquino to keynote conference of public administration
and governance practitioners
President Benigno S. Aquino III will keynote the
conference of public administration and governance practitioners at the EDSA
Shangri-La Hotel in Mandaluyong City on Wednesday (June 27).
The International Conference on Public
Administration and Governance will be held in commemoration of the 60th
Founding Anniversary of the University of the Philippinesz–National College of
Public Administration and Governance (UP-NCPAG).
This year’s conference theme: “Tradition and
Transformation,” highlights the significance of reviewing legacies of the past,
challenges of the present and agenda of the future for the study and practice
of public administration and governance.
Established in 1952 as the Institute of Public
Administration, the UP-NCPAG has been active in developing the discipline of
public administration in the Philippines, strengthening it as a profession, and
in serving as a social critic and support to government and non-governmental
organizations for policy advice and technical assistance.
UP-NCPAG Dean Edna Co explained that the
conference will serve as a venue to “reexamine the study and practice of public
administration and governance as it builds upon tradition, confronts
challenges, and envisions its continuing contributions in public service.”
The conference’s three sub-themes: “Public
Administration and Governance Education: Pedagogy, Tradition and Emerging
Challenges,” “Excellence, Professionalization, Innovation and Transformation”
and “Public Service Today and in the Future” will tackle theory, practice and
trends in public administration and governance education and research,
operations of bureaucratic institutions, public policy and the environment,
people participation, public service reforms, public service in the context of
human rights, democratization, localization of policies, and international
cooperation for development.
Other government officials expected to
participate in the conference include Department of the Interior and Local
Government Secretary Jesse M. Robredo, Commission on Human Rights chairperson
Loretta Rosales, Civil Service Commission chairperson Francisco T. Duque,
Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, Presidential Adviser on Environmental Concerns
Nereus Acosta, Governor Joey Salceda of Albay, UP President Alfredo Pascual,
and Mandaluyong City Mayor Benjamin Abalos, Jr.
Public administration and governance scholars
and practitioners from Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Botswana, Zambia, Sweden,
Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States of America, Germany, India and the
Philippines will share their knowledge and expertise. (rck)
Malacañang says $1-billion loan to IMF to help
Europe’s economy, OFWs
Malacañang defended on Tuesday the Bangko
Sentral ng Pilipinas’ decision to loan $1-billion to the International Monetary
Fund which would use the loan to help countries, specifically those located in
Europe, affected by the global economic downtrend.
In a briefing in Malacañang, Presidential
Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said it was “in our interest” to help as a sizeable
number of overseas Filipino workers who work and live in Europe.
He added that the OFWs would be adversely
affected should the economy of the country they work and live in continues to
slowdown.
“It’s in our interest to protect—to help those
economies because we have a substantial number of Filipinos there,” Lacierda
said.
And tingnan na lang ay kung bumabagsak… Kung ang
simpleng pagbagsak lang po ng dollar sa peso ay marami ng nangangamba. Ano pa
kaya kung biglang nawala ang mga OFWs natin sa Europe at pinauwi silang lahat
dahil wala ng trabahong maibibigay sa Spain, sa Italy,” he added.
He assured Filipinos that the loan was not a
waste of money as it is meant to help a fellow country in need.
“Hindi po natin inaaksaya. We are not wasting
the money. It’s a loan. IMF would pay us back the loan. Non-monetarily, it’s
going to help us because it’s going to help the economy of Europe,” Lacierda
said. (rck)
