Sunday 29 July 2012

PIA News Dispatch - Saturday, July 28, 2012


Aquino underscores need for government and media to work together to move country forward

President Benigno S. Aquino III underscored the need for the government, the press and the Filipino citizenry to work together and to "create an environment of positive, progressive discourse between them."

The Chief Executive stressed this need in order to move the country forward as he delivered his message during the 25th anniversary celebration of the Business World on Friday (July 27) at the Marriott Hotel in Pasay City.

"We must veer away from negativity and sensationalism. These must not run the course of our national discussions,” the President said.

“Negativity leads to despair, which leads to apathy, which then perpetuates the vicious cycle. Our people are denied the chance, and the capacity to dream. Hopelessness then becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy," he stressed.

The President, however noted that the negative mindset of the media can be changed as exemplified by the reforms his administration has initiated and continuously being implemented.

Changes are possible in the government, the way the present administration improves the economy, creates jobs, and empowers the people, he added.

While the government remains open to constructive criticisms, the President asked the press to make its comments in properly contextualized facts.

“And when these facts show that progress has been made, then you must also tell it like it is. This is media’s responsibility to their viewers, listeners, and readers. If our country is progressing, it can only be because our countrymen—both in and out of government—have worked hard at it,” he further said.

There are good news happening in the country that the media can report, the President said adding that these include the developments he spelled out in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July 23 before the Joint Session of the 15th Congress at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City.

He cited as examples the country’s surprisingly high gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the first quarter of 2012 which is at 6.4 percent, and the 62.2 percent increase in infrastructure spending in the first quarter of the year that directly created jobs for construction workers.

"There is the newfound vitality in the country’s manufacturing sector: production of apparel increased by 52.2 percent, while furniture production increased by 86.6 percent in the same period," the President said.

According to the Chief Executive, the press should also look at the crimes being solved and not at crime rates as he noted that the government is doing everything to address the problem.

“Truly, if we go by the facts, we are seeing that the Philippines—as one observer has said—is no longer a joke. I am not saying that media should be there to praise the government all the time. But the news shouldn’t be about competing with other outfits on who can sell the most negative headlines; it shouldn’t just be about attracting more and more readers in the short term,” he concluded. (as/12:19pm)


Malacanang says Department of Energy to ensure enough supply of cooking gas in the market; investigation on reported shortage of liquefied petroleum gas is underway

Malacanang said Saturday that the Department of Energy (DOE) will make sure that there is enough supply of cooking gas in the country saying the DOE is already addressing the reported shortage of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
The Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers Association (LPGMA) confirmed this week that there was a shortage, due to efforts by some suppliers to hold on to their inventory until there are price adjustments.

“Sa aking pagkakaalala sumagot din ang Department of Energy dito and they are working not just with the marketers association but with all the other stakeholders involved to ensure na wala namang ganyang magiging sitwasyon,” Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said in an interview over government-run dzRB Radyo ng Bayan on Saturday.

Also this week, Energy Secretary Jose Rene D. Almendras made assurances that there is an adequate supply of LPG in the market as he belied the reported shortage made by some market players.

Almendras also mentioned that the perceived shortage was merely due to the “overdrawing” by the small players.

In this connection, the DOE chief said that a DOE team was formed to investigate the matter.

Almendras pointed out that the problem isn’t the supply but the refilling stations wanting to buy as much as they could because of an announcement about a price increase next month.

While there is a reported delayed shipment of LPG for small players, Almendras noted that the supply from the big players was stable. The DOE will also investigate the delayed LPG shipment, he said. (as/2:12pm)


Malacanang extends full support to Filipino athletes competing in 2012 Summer Olympics in London

Malacanang expressed full support to Filipino athletes competing in various sports disciplines in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

In an interview over government-run radio station DzRB Radyo ng Bayan on Saturday, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte expressed the Aquino government’s support to the eleven Filipino athletes who are competing in nine different sporting events at the 2012 London Olympics from July 27 to August 12.

“Buo po ang ating suporta sa inyo (Filipino athletes). Umaasa po tayong magiging maganda ang inyong performance sa Olympics, diyan po sa palakasang ‘yan. At talagang marami pong nanonood at marami ang sumusubaybay, at sana po maging maganda talaga ang performance ng ating mga atleta,” Valte said.

Team Philippines participating in the 2012 Olympics are Hidilyn Diaz (weightlifting, women’s 58 kg), Jasmine Alkhaldi (swimming, women’s 100 m freestyle, Jessie Lacuna (swimming, men’s 200m freestyle), Brian Rosario (shooting, Skeet), Tomohiko Hoshina (judo, men's +100kg), Daniel Caluag (cycling, men's BMX), Mark Barriga (men’s boxing, light flyweight), Marestella Torres (athletics, women’s long jump), Rene Herrera (athletics, men’s 3000m steeplechase), Rachelle Anne Cabral (archery, women's individual) and Mark Javier (archery, men's individual).

The flagbearer for the Philippine delegation during the opening ceremony was 21-year old weightlifter Diaz from Zamboanga City, who is participating in her second Olympic Games.

The Philippine contingent for the Olympiad was the smallest delegation in the history of the country’s participation in the quadrennial sporting event since 1932.

The Olympic Games is considered as a major international event and the world’s foremost sports competition that features summer and winter sports where thousands of athletes from more than 200 countries participate in various disciplines.

The Games are currently held biennially, with Summer and Winter Olympic Games alternating, meaning they occur every four years within their respective seasonal games. (jcl/2:40 p.m.)


Malacanang says Aquino government through its concerned agencies is exerting efforts to ensure employment for Filipinos by maximizing their skills following their graduation

Malacang said that the Aquino government, through its various concerned agencies, is exerting all the necessary efforts to ensure employment for Filipinos by maximizing their skills right after their school graduation.

In an interview over government-run radio station DzRB Radyo ng Bayan, Saturday, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said that upon the orders of President Benigno S. Aquino III, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), National Statistics Office (NSO) and the Commission on Higher Education, among others, are closely coordinating to study and figure out the most in demand fields of interest and advice the incoming freshmen students on the top choices of courses to study.

In this way, Valte said, the government could ensure that there will be no oversupply of technical practitioners in the coming years.

“Kung naaalala niyo po, inatasan ng Pangulong Aquino ang DOLE, TESDA, NSO, at CHED, para magsama-sama at i-figure out po para makapagbigay po tayo ng advice doon sa mga papasok po ng kolehiyo na ‘yung advice po na ito po ‘yung kursong maganda niyo pong kunin dahil pagkatapos niyong grumadweyt meron pang merkado para doon sa skills na matututunan niyo diyan. Kasi kung nakita niyo ho ‘yung nangyari sa atin dati parang maraming pong nahilig sa nursing, marami pong pumasok diyan, ngayon nagkaroon, meron po tayong ano, oversupply. Ito na po ‘yung gusto nating iwasan,” Valte said.

“In line with the President’s instruction, these agencies have already begun sharing information among each other. May convergence na sila. And this is… katulad nang pag-abiso ng Department of Labor, ito na 'yung isa sa mga bunga po niyan. So kung sinabi ng Department of Labor na mag-shift tayo sa ganito that means nakita na nila sa mga projections nila na by the time these students graduate mas malaki ang kanilang pagkakataon na makakuha ng trabaho sa kursong ‘yun,” she said. (jcl/3:00 p.m.)