Aquino receives Foreign Affairs Minister of New
Zealand in Malacanang
President Benigno S. Aquino III received New
Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully who is on an official visit to
the country upon the invitation of Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario
to discuss the advancement of economic ties and various areas of cooperation
between the two countries.
In a courtesy call at the Music Room of the
Malacanang Palace on Wednesday, President Aquino met with Minister McCully and
his party where they exchanged views on important issues of concern including
the efforts to further strengthen the cooperation of both countries in the
fields of defense, geothermal energy, dairy industry, labor, development
cooperation, environment and disaster preparedness and mitigation.
It was Minister McCully's first visit to the
Philippines as New Zealand's Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Joining McCully during the courtesy call were
New Zealand Ambassador to the Philippines Reuben Levermore, acting director of
Southeast Asia-Ministry of Foreign Affairs Stephen Harris, New Zealand Embassy
in the Philippines Deputy Head of Mission Andy White, Incoming Deputy Head of
Mission of New Zealand Embassy in the Philippines Justin Allen, Defense Attache
Captain Wilson Trumper, and Minister McCully’s private secretary Amanda Vercoe.
For the Philippine side, also present were
Secretary del Rosario, Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro
and Philippine Ambassador to New Zealand Virginia Benavides, among others.
The Philippines and New Zealand have been
enjoying 46 years of bilateral relations. (jcl/11:30 a.m.)
Aquino meets with Foreign Minister of Canada in
Malacanang
President Benigno S. Aquino III met with
Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird who paid a courtesy call on him at the
Music Room of the Malacanang Palace, Wednesday morning.
Minister Baird is in the country for a four-day
visit upon the invitation of Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario that
would involve talks with major business groups of the Philippines to broaden
the political and economic interests in the region.
Accompanying Minister Baird were Canadian
Ambassador to the Philippines Christopher Thornley, Consul and Trade
Commissioner Robert McCubbing, Political Counselor James Christoff and
Executive Assistant to the Minister Jonathan Ballingall.
Also in attendance were Foreign Affairs
Secretary Albert del Rosario and Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Ma.
Theresa Lazaro, among others.
The Department of Foreign Affairs noted that the
year 2012 marks the 63rd year of diplomatic relations between the Philippines
and Canada which was established in December 1949.
Since the year 2010, the DFA further said that
the Philippines had been Canada’s largest source of immigrants and temporary
workers, with more than 842,741 Filipinos living in Canada. It said that the
Filipinos comprised of a mixture of former Filipinos who have acquired Canadian
citizenship, permanent migrants, live-in caregivers, nurses and other
professional and skilled workers.
In 2011, remittances from Filipinos in Canada
amounted to $2.07 billion or 10.3% of total remittances for the year, it added.
(jcl/11:59 a.m.)
Malacanang says there are no reported cases of
'enterovirus-71' in the Phlipppines
The Aquino administration announced that there
are no reported cases of enterovirus-71 (EV-71) in the Philippines, as it
assured that the necessary precautionary measures are in place following an
outbreak of the reportedly fatal respiratory-neurological syndrome affecting
mostly children in Cambodia.
Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said
during the regular press briefing in Malacanang on Wednesday that the
government is enforcing a stricter procedure in screening passengers at the
country's international airports.
"We are monitoring any possible entrance of
enterovirus through people coming from abroad. So we are making sure that this
is being addressed and so far wala pa naman tayong incident of enterovirus
coming from abroad," Lacierda said.
Lacierda noted that the Department of Health
(DOH) has already instructed the Bureau of Quarantine to further increase the
screening of all arriving travelers as a routine precaution.
Health Secretary Enrique T. Ona alerted all
hospitals to ensure timely reporting of suspected cases and outbreaks of
enterovirus-71, according to Lacierda.
The DOH received an official report from the
World Health Organization (WHO) that it discovered the presence of Enterovirus
71 in samples that were collected from these patients in Cambodia.
The health department averred that the Cambodian
deaths were compatible with a fatal disease (encephalitis) associated with
EV-71 rather than the milder hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) contrary to
earlier report.
The DOH also clarifed that the hand, foot and
mouth disease (HFMD) should not be confused with foot and mouth disease in
animals.
Non-fatal EV-1 infections including HFMD have
been infrequently reported in the past in the Philippines. The DOH is now
working with WHO authorities to guarantee proper reporting of these cases.
No travel restrictions to and from Cambodia are
necessary at this time even as the DOH Bureau of Quarantine continue to screen
in-bound travelers at all points of entry. (js)
Malacanang condemns recent bombings in Mindanao,
government not deterred by violence in carrying out reforms in ARMM
Malacanang condemned Wednesday the recent
bombing in Mindanao saying the Aquino administration wouldn’t be deterred by
violence in carrying out reforms in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
(ARMM).
Another bomb attack was reported in the ARMM on
Monday injuring two, which authorities said may be linked to the ongoing
voter’s registration in the region.
In a press briefing in Malacanang, Presidential
Spokesman Edwin Lacierda said the Palace acknowledged that there will be people
who will oppose reforms in the ARMM and will try to maintain the status quo.
“We are going after reforms and therefore, I
understand that there would be people who will find discomfort in that. But we
are serious with our reforms,” he said. “We condemn the bombing. We condole
with the family of the murdered victims.”
With regards to police and military officials
who apparently failed to stop the attacks, Lacierda said the Palace will leave
it to the police and armed forces leadership to sack commanders who have been
negligent in their duties.
“We leave that with the leadership of the AFP.
They are in the process of investigating this incident. And it’s too
presumptuous for us to immediately demand removing them until we make sure that
we investigate the incident properly,” he said.
On Tuesday, authorities said they are convinced
the two grenade attacks that rocked villages at the border of Maguindanao’s
adjoining towns of Shariff Aguak and Datu Hofer in the past two days could be
related to the ongoing registration of voters in the ARMM. (as/2:45pm)
Palace defends conditional cash transfer program
Malacañang defended on Wednesday its conditional
cash transfer (CCT) program, saying that the funding aid provided to
marginalized members of society was an “investment on the people.”
In a press briefing in Malacañang, Presidential
Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said the CCT has provided the future generation of
Filipino children with opportunities to earn an education and at the same time
has given Filipino mothers a chance to live healthy lives in order to help them
care for their families.
“I don’t see the reason, I don’t see the logic
behind the resistance to the CCT other than the fact that it has de-politicized
and has taken away patronage politics,” Lacierda said.
“It’s an investment on the people,” he added.
The CCT program provides Filipino families with
up to P1,500 a month as long as the parents pledge to send their children to
school and have their wives undergo regular checkups with a health
practitioner.
Lacierda said the CCT has proven itself
successful in Brazil and Mexico and has also been exhibiting the same success
rate in 79 out of 80 provinces in the Philippines.
“The conditional cash transfer program is in 79
out of 80 provinces, 79 provinces are involved in the CCT program, except for
the province Batanes,” Lacierda noted. (rck)
