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.)
