Palace assures everyone being safeguarded as
tropical storm 'Dindo' makes an exit
Malacanang assured that necessary efforts are
being done by the Aquino government to ensure the safety of the people as
tropical storm “Dindo” leaves the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR)
adding that all concerned agencies are focusing on another low pressure area
which is expected to enter PAR for proper coordination and preparedness.
In a regular press briefing in Malacanang,
Friday, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said that as soon as the
typhoon left the country, clearing operations, re-routing schemes and other
safety precautions are being done by various concerned entities, led by the
Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), especially in areas that were
affected by the typhoon.
“As reported to us by the NDRRMC, Tropical Storm
"Dindo" was expected to be out of the Philippine Area of
Responsibility this morning, na-lift na po yung mga public signals po natin,
ang binabantayan po ngayon yung mga status ng mga roads and bridges in CAR,
Region 1 and Region 2,” Valte said.
“We continue to conduct the clearing operations
kasi merong mga roads and bridges that were affected. Yung iba nagkaroon ng
muddy road surface and the other roads were rendered impassable because of the
strong water current. Clearing operations are now underway, pina-fast track na
iyan, but just the same re-routing schemes have been implemented by the DPWH in
order to make sure na hindi magkakaroon ng aksidente sa mga bridges na ito,”
she added.
Valte further said that apart from the
post-typhoon initiatives, the government is also preparing for the possible
effects of another looming typhoon that could hit the country.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development
(DSWD) and the DPWH are in constant coordination with the Philippine
Atmospheric, Geophysical & Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA)
and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) for
the contingency efforts of the government.
“We have also been informed that they are
watching another low pressure area that is expected to enter the Philippine
area of responsibility on Sunday... at this point hindi pa po firm yung
dadaanan niya. Normally once the NDRRMC gets the projected track from PAGASA,
naghahanda na ang DSWD natin, DPWH and yung DOH natin as well as ina-alert ana
po natin ang mga local government officials para ma-activate na po yung mga
DRRMCs nila,” Valte noted.
On Friday morning, PAGASA bared that Tropical
Storm ‘Dindo’ (international codename: Doksuri) which entered the Philippine
area of responsilityiR on Thursday evening, particularly over the Islands of
Calayan, has moved out of the Philippine territory and headed towards southern
China.
As of 10 a.m. Friday, "Dindo" was
spotted at 380 kilometers west northwest of Laoag City, packing maximum
sustained winds of 75 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness
of up to 90 kph. (jcl/2:30 p.m.)
Aquino leads 12th Cabinet meeting, discusses
2013 national budget
President Benigno S. Aquino III met Friday the
members of his official family for the 12th Cabinet meeting to discuss the
proposed 2013 national budget.
In a media briefing in Malacanang, Deputy
Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said Budget Secretary Florencio Abad
was to present the P2.006-trillion national budget for next year.
During the presentation, the secretary of budget
was expected to highlight the budgets of each department one by one and the
President usually gives his observations on what should be revised.
According to Valte, the President usually asks
questions on the amounts, figures, and computations, as well as the projects
involved. The President also gives his observations, and if he has questions
the Cabinet secretaries answer the questions.
If the President asks for amendments or things
that need to be addressed, the budget secretary would do the revisions, Valte
said.
The priority areas of the 2013 national budget
will be social services, health, education, and poverty alleviation, Valte
said. Infrastructure development remains the major priority of the
administration on varying degrees, she added.
“We will be able to give you the usual pie chart
when the final proposed budget is approved by the President. Also we are targeting
for the 2013 national expenditure program---that’s the budget---to be passed to
Congress a day after the President delivers his SONA. So that will be on the
24th of July,” she said.
The Cabinet is scheduled to meet again on July 5
on the country’s thrust in promoting the tourism sector, Valte said. (as/3:03pm)
Palace announces joint naval and coast guard
exercises of US-Phl troops set on July 2 to 10
The Philippines and the United States (US) will
hold joint naval exercises from July 2 to 10, 2012 in Mindanao to improve the
defense capabilities of the two countries, a Palace official said on Friday.
During the regular press briefing in Malacanang
on Friday, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said US Naval and
Coast Guard troops started arriving in the country for the bilateral naval
exercises billed as “Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) 2012.”
"This bilateral naval exercise is part of
the Mutual Defense Board exercises. It will take place from July 2 to July 10
somewhere in Eastern Mindanao. On the part of the Philippine Government, ang
participants po natin ay Philippine Navy at Philippine Coast Guard," Valte
said.
The at-sea activities under Carat 2012 will be
held at the Mindanao Sea, according to Philippine Navy (PN) spokesman Col. Omar
Tonsay, adding that the exercises aim to improve RP-US combined planning,
combat readiness, and interoperability and enhance security relations to
respond to threats or deal with natural disasters. (js)
Philippines sends military observers to
largest-ever military drill in Hawaii
The Philippines will not participate in the
actual Rim of the Pacific naval exercise in Hawaii but the country has sent
observers to the largest-ever naval drill in the region participated by 22
countries, the Palace said on Friday.
“We are not participating in the actual naval
exercises. We have sent, however, observers to be part of the multinational
staff,” Deputy Presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said.
The county isn’t joining the actual drill
because it has separate schedule of military exercise with the US under a
defense cooperation agreement, Valte said.
“Meron tayong bilateral naval exercise on July 2
to 10 so doon ide-deploy ang mga ships natin. This bilateral naval exercise is
part of the Mutual Defense Board exercises,” she said.
The military exercise is under CARAT or
Cooperation Afloat and Readiness Training Exercise, she said. Among the
participants will be the Philippine Navy, Philippine Coast Guard and on the US
side, the US Navy and the US Coast Guard.
This year’s war games, the 23rd in a series that
began in 1971, are scheduled last until Aug. 7. Some 42 surface ships, six
submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are taking part in
military drill.
Australia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, France,
Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Russia, Singapore and the United
States are among the nations joining this year’s military exercise.
Military personnel from India, Indonesia,
Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Republic of Philippines, Thailand, Tonga
and the United Kingdom are also taking part.
Russia, India, Mexico, the Philippines, New
Zealand, Norway and Tonga are participating for the first time, according to
the US Navy. (as/3:54pm)
