Efficient management of water agencies bring
more benefits to Filipinos – President Aquino
The dream of every Filipino to have clean
potable running water through their taps will soon be a reality after President
Benigno S. Aquino III inaugurated the second phase of the Metropolitan
Waterworks and Sewerage System’s (MWSS) Angat Water Utilization and Aqueduct
Improvement Project (AWUAIP) at the La Mesa Dam portal in Lagro, Quezon City on
Tuesday.
In his speech keynoting the projects
inauguration rites, the Chief Executive said that this dream would not have
been made possible if not for the unrelenting efforts of the concerned
government agencies and stakeholders to plug the “leaks” plaguing the water
industry.
He thanked Public Works and Highways Secretary
Rogelio Singson, MWSS chairman Ramon B. Alikpala; and MWSS Administrator
Gerardo A.I. Esquivel for being instrumental in implementing clear-cut and
decisive reforms in the water sector.
The President said that the trio had been key to
uplifting the MWSS from being mired in the P34-million debt in 2010 to earning
a P330-million profit in 2011.
He pointed out that the agency was able to pay
its obligation of P236-million to more than 1,000 MWSS retirees as well as a
P150-million dividend to government coffers.
“Taumbayan na nga po ang nakatatanggap ng bonus
mula sa MWSS at DPWH sa mga proyekto nilang walang tagas, tapat at patas. Kung
dati, kikilos lang ang inyong gobyerno kapag nandiyan na ang problema, ngayon,
bago pa dumating ang mga hamon, nakahanda na ang ating solusyon,” the President
said.
He assured the Filipino citizenry that the
government remains committed to provide them the basic necessities, such as
water, food and shelter.
“Tinitiyak po natin na ang pondong mula sa
taumbayan, ay bumabalik at napapakinabangan ng taumbayan. Ang hangad natin sa
bawat sulok ng Pilipinas, mayaman man o mahirap, ay may tubig na papatid sa
kanilang uhaw, aagos sa mga gripo, at didilig sa mga pananim,” the President
said.
“Mahiwaga nga po ang katangian ng tubig. Minsan,
isa itong patak na nagbibigay lakas; minsan nama’y ragasa itong nagdudulot ng
pinsala. Sa pangunguna ng MWSS, DPWH, mga katuwang na ahensya, gayundin sa
nagkakaisa nating pagbubuhos ng dedikasyon, tiwala at pananagutan sa tuwid na
daan, pihadong aagos ang kasaganahan at kaunlaran sa ating bayan,” he said.
Built at a cost of P1.3-billion, the AWUAIP
Phase 2 involves the construction of a new 9.9 km aqueduct (Aqueduct No. 6) and
the rehabilitation of the deteriorated section of Aqueduct No. 5 that will
allow the more efficient conveyance of raw water from Angat Dam to the La Mesa
and Balara water treatment plants.
The AWUAIP, which consists of three development
project phases, aims to recoup losses of 394 million liters of water a day due
to leakages.
The first phase, which was completed on February
2006, involved the construction of a 5.5 km by-pass of the deteriorated section
of the existing Aqueduct No. 5.
The amount of P1.5-billion was invested for
Phase 1 which was financed by the Philippine Government.
The second and third phases include the
construction of the 9.9 km. section of Aqueduct No. 6, the rehabilitation of
the Aqueduct No.5 and the construction of interconnection facilities. The total
investment of P5.2-billion for the AWUAIP was financed thru the Preferential
Buyer’s Credit of China Export-Import Bank.
Once completed, the AWUAIP will ensure the
safety and integrity of raw water conveyance from Angat Dam to the La Mesa and
Balara treatment plants, thus maintaining security of water supply for the MWSS
service area covering 12 to 14 million people. (rck)
Aquino thanks China for water supply project
funding
President Benigno S. Aquino III extended his
profound thanks to the People’s Republic of China for funding and providing
Chinese expertise in the construction and completion of a water supply project
that aims to increase the number of households served with clean potable water
and prevent the unabated loss of this valuable resource due to leaks.
In his speech during the inauguration of the
second phase of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System’s (MWSS) Angat
Water Utilization and Aqueduct Improvement Project (AWUAIP) at the La Mesa Dam
Portal in Quezon City on Tuesday, the President said that by working together
with other neighboring countries like China projects like this can be achieved
faster.
“Nagpapasalamat po tayo sa pondong ipinagkaloob
ng bansang Tsina upang maisakatuparan ang mahalagang proyektong ito,” the
President said.
“Tunay nga pong sa maigting na ugnayan ng
magkakaratig-bayan, mas mabilis nating natutugunan ang mga problema at mas
napaglilingkuran ang ating mamamayan,” he added.
He said the Philippines joins the whole world in
its quest to unite all nations in bringing all individuals, communities and
nations the respect and dignity that they deserve.
“Kaisa natin ang buong mundo sa ating adhikain
-- isang daigdig kung saan ang bawat indibidwal, bawat komunidad at bawat bansa
ay iginagalang at kinikilalang may likas na dignidad,” the President said.
The AWUAIP was built at a cost of P5.2-billion
financed thru the Preferential Buyer’s Credit of China Export-Import Bank.
The project was finished eight (8) months ahead
of schedule as a result of efficient contract management by the MWSS and the
improved construction methodology of the contractor, China International Water
and Electric Company. (rck)
Positive business outlook in Philippines by
international business survey group is affirmation of Aquino government’s
efforts to fulfill social contract with Filipinos, attract more investments –
Malacanang
Malacanang said that the recent positive
business outlook in the Philippines of President Benigno S. Aquino III by an
international business survey group serves as an affirmation of government's
continuous efforts to fulfill its social contract with the Filipino people as
it vowed to execute reforms to encourage more investments to pour into the
country.
In a regular press briefing in Malacanang on
Tuesday, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda underscored the government’s
initiatives to level the playing field that makes it easier for businessmen to
invest in the Philippines.
These include the programs launched by the
various concerned agencies led by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)
and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
“It’s an affirmation of the promise of the
President… of this administration, to level the playing field in so far as
doing business in the Philippines is concerned, and we have also taken steps to
ease the process of registration, for instance DTI has that and very recently
SEC has also made it easier for companies to register,” Lacierda said.
“We are hoping that these continuous effort on
the part of the administration to make business registration easier, and doing
business in the Philippines a lot easier, be something that foreign investors
would look in a positive light,” Lacierda noted.
The Grant Thornton International Business Report
(IBR) for the second quarter of 2012 showed that the Philippine business
community is the second most optimistic in the optimism league table.
The Philippines scored 90 per cent, only six
notches behind Peru and tied with Chile.
The Philippines was at fourth spot last quarter,
behind Peru (90 percent), Brazil (86 percent) and the United Arab Emirates (84
percent).
For this second quarter, a balance of 40 percent
of Philippine respondents expected increased profitability, same as last
quarter.
Data gathered for the latest study were drawn
from interviews with 3,000 businesses from all industry sectors and from both
listed and privately-held businesses across the globe. The target respondents
were chief executive officers, managing directors, chairmen or other senior
executives. The interviews were conducted in May/June 2012.
Launched in 1992 in nine European countries, the
Grant Thornton International Business Report provides insight into the views
and expectations of over 12,000 businesses across 40 economies annually.
(jcl/2:00 p.m.)
Ochoa directs MICC, gov’t agencies to implement
EO 79
Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr. has
directed the newly-created Mining Industry Coordinating Council (MICC) and
concerned government agencies to begin implementing the comprehensive reforms
in the mining sector under Executive Order No. 79.
In separate memoranda issued by Ochoa after
President Benigno Aquino III signed the executive order last week, he detailed
steps to be taken to effect the new mining policies aimed at addressing
environmental mining standards, improving revenue sharing, and promoting social
economic development and social growth.
“In his Social Contract with the Filipino
People, the President pledged to lead a government that would encourage the
sustainable use of resources to benefit the present and future generations of
Filipinos,” Ochoa said.
“EO 79 is a policy extension of this commitment,
as it lays out directives that will benefit our countrymen in the long-term by
putting in place measures that will protect the environment while ensuring that
the country gets the maximum economic benefits from mining.”
In his memorandum to Environment Secretary Ramon
Paje to implement and operationalize the President’s order, Ochoa outlined
specific actions to be taken by specific government agencies on issues
involving strict enforcement of environmental laws; inventory of social
development, management and environment enhancement programs of mining
companies; geo-hazard and multi-hazard mapping of areas for mining;
determination of the final land use of mining areas once projects are
completed, and non-issuance of new mining applications in Palawan, among
others.
Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman, who
chairs of the Cabinet cluster on Human Development and Poverty Reduction, on
the other hand, was directed to provide alternative livelihood for displaced
mining workers; craft mechanisms and guidelines to monitor human and labor
rights violations; complete cultural mapping of indigenous people; and ensure
proper working and safety conditions within mining areas and nearby
communities.
The MICC, which Paje co-chairs with Finance
Secretary Cesar Purisima, has been asked to come up with the rules and
guidelines for the update the mineral commodity profile, and conduct studies
and build databases on new markets, products, and available technologies aimed
at the development of downstream industries and value-adding activities.
Ochoa also instructed the MICC to determine
legislative measures that will ensure efficient and effective management of the
mining sector and strengthen regulatory rules, and study the existing
mechanisms for revenue-sharing, among others.
Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad, head of
the Secretariat of the Good Governance and Anti-Corruption cluster, will
determine the specific roles of line agencies involved in mining to address
their overlapping tasks and functions, as well as explore the possibility of
tapping third-party international auditors to validate the volume and value of
mineral exports from the Philippines, Ochoa said.
Malacanang says passage of sin tax reform bill
to strengthen health care system
Malacanang said the passage of the sin tax
reform bill will strengthen the country’s health care system as taxes collected
from cigarettes and liquors are expected to fund an expanded universal
healthcare coverage.
“If you are going to expand the health coverage,
you’ve got the Z package. There are several packages that the DOH has offered.
We are also hoping that if the sin tax reform bill is passed into law, the
revenues of that particular law will be used for universal healthcare coverage.
We will certainly hope that it will be able to capture more beneficiaries and
more members in that coverage,” Lacierda said.
The Aquino administration aims to attain
universal health care by the year 2016 when some 100 million Filipinos shall
have been enrolled with the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).
There were reports saying that all government
hospitals will be phasing out its charity wards by next year with the expanding
healthcare coverage for the poor families.
PhilHealth is also increasing its premium from
P100 to P200 per month starting this month. But those who would like to avail
themselves of the P100-premium per month should enroll this June and pay the
corresponding premiums.
President Benigno S. Aquino III has certified
the sin tax reform bill as urgent. He said the proceeds from the collection of
sin taxes will be used to fund the universal health care, as well as livelihood
programs for tobacco farmers.
The House of Representatives approved HB 5727 or
the sin tax reform bill, but the Senate has yet to approve a similar measure.
(as/3:34pm)
Philippines to relentlessly pursue claim of West
Philippine Sea through diplomacy, Palace says
Malacanang said the Philippines isn’t hampered
by the absence of the joint statement in the recent Association of Southeast
Asian Nations foreign ministers meeting in Cambodia saying the country would
continue finding a peaceful solution to the disputed West Philippine Sea.
ASEAN foreign ministers had earlier agreed to
key elements of a code of conduct in the West Philippine Sea but for some
reason haven’t issued a joint communiqué was not issued at the end of the
meeting.
In April, during the ASEAN leader’s summit in
Cambodia, the chair removed the West Philippine Sea issue from the agenda
despite Manila’s insistence. Cambodia, a China ally, is this year’s ASEAN
Summit chair.
“We are not hampered by the absence of a joint
communiqué. It certainly would have helped us but we are not hampered by the
absence of a joint communiqué,” Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda said in a
media briefing in Malacanang on Tuesday.
Asked by reporters what would be President
Aquino’s approach when he goes back to Cambodia this November for the ASEAN
Summit, Lacierda said that the President will certainly back the ASEAN
centrality.
“Number one, tingnan natin kung ano ang magiging
developments from here on until the next meeting of the ASEAN leaders. But
definitely, one thing that the President has emphasized and will emphasize
again in the coming meeting will be the ASEAN centrality,” he said.
“That has always been the whole idea of ASEAN
being a regional bloc it is to emphasize the centrality of ASEAN. But between
now and until the next meeting of the leaders, there may be some developments
and we won’t be able to speculate as to what precisely the President will speak
on.”
As to statements saying the Philippines should
give up its territorial claims in the West Philippine Sea because of the
absence of a strong military, Lacierda said the country’s approach is to push
for a peaceful solution through diplomatic means.
“They’re looking at it from a strictly military
point of view and that’s not where we’re coming from. We’re coming from a
perspective where we believe that a diplomatic peaceful solution can be
achieved. And that’s what we’ve been hammering on and that’s what we believe
in, and that’s the position we will continue to maintain,” he said. (as/3:17pm)
