Aquino directs concerned government agencies to
step-up efforts in relief, rescue of flooding victims
President Benigno S. Aquino III directed
concerned government agencies to further step up relief and rescue operations
for victims of floods and landslides and reduce the impact of the calamity
triggered by continuous southwest monsoon rains, a Palace official said on
Wednesday.
The Chief Executive, who presided over the
Cabinet Meeting at the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council
Headquarters at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City on Wednesday, issued the
directive to minimize the casualties, according to Presidential Communications
Operations Office Secretary Herminio "Sonny" Coloma Jr.
The officials of various government agencies
assured President Aquino that the government personnel are responding
round-the-clock to the flood situation in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
"Ang focus ng pamahalan ay paghusayin pa
ang pag-deliver ng relief sa ating mga kababayan at mas maging masinsin ang coordination
ng ibat'-ibang agencies para tiyakin na maililigtas sa panganib ang ating mga
mamamayan," Coloma said.
Coloma said the Chief Executive directed the
heads and representatives of the concerned government agencies to continuously
update him of their assessments of the situation and extend further assistance
to the affected families in Metro Manila and other flooded provinces.
"Kung bukas ay may significant improvement
sa panahon ay magsi-shift na po tayo doon sa rehabilitation aspect,"
Coloma said.
Coloma said President Aquino, who is deeply
concerned regarding the effects of Climate Change, is now working on the
long-term solutions to address the weather phenomenon.
"Iyon pong mga gumanda at napahusay na
kakayahan para mag-forecast ay kinakailangan sundan naman ng long-term
infrastructure development efforts," he said. (js)
Aquino assures government has resources to
address floodings, build infrastructures to control it
President Benigno S. Aquino III said the
government is doing everything to address flooding the country particularly in
Metro Manila and nearby areas but said putting up an effective flood control
infrastructure will require time to complete.
During his visit in Bgy. Tunasan in Muntinlupa
City on Wednesday, the President assured the people that the government has
enough resources to address the flooding and to build infrastructure to control
it.
But he said preventing or mitigating flood in
the long term requires building huge infrastructures that will require time to
finish.
“Marami pa tayong resources na kailanganin.
Kailangan talagang… marami pang gawin dito sa flood control pero hindi
biglaan,” the President said in an interview after meeting his Cabinet
secretaries in Camp Aguinaldo also on Wednesday.
For instance, the chief executive mentioned the
P18 billion dredging project in Laguna Lake, which he said isn’t worth the huge
expenditure of government for the project.
“Maglalaro tayo ng putik P18.7 billion, ayaw
natin ng ganoon. Ang pinag-uusapan ngayon ‘yung mga road dikes na makababawas
talaga ng daloy diyan,” he said.
At the same time, the President said the
government will go after officials who allow people to live in areas tagged as
"danger zones."
The President went to Camp Aguinaldo Wednesday
afternoon to meet with his Cabinet secretaries on the ongoing disaster response
and relief efforts following his visit to Muntinlupa City. (as)
Aquino assures Marikina residents that
government is working towards a permanent solution to flooding
President Benigno S. Aquino III assured the
residents of Marikina City on Thursday that the government is working towards
achieving a permanent solution to the city’s perennial problem of flooding once
the Marikina river bursts its confines and swamps the city after strong rains.
The President gave the assurance in his short
message after leading the distribution of family food packs to some 1,229
families taking up temporary shelter at the Nangka Elementary School in
Marikina City.
He said he had directed the Department of Public
Works and Highways and other concerned agencies to come up with a comprehensive
plan to end once and for all the flooding problem that affects close to 90
percent of Marikina City.
Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio
Singson, who was with the President, told the residents that a proposed
permanent solution is the creation of embankments and catch basins at the
upstream portions and tributaries of the Marikina river that will slow down
floodwaters that cascade down from the mountains that line the city during
inclement weather.
These mountains are located in Antipolo, San
Mateo and Rodriguez all located in the province of Rizal.
The President said that this proposed permanent
solution will be completed by the end of his term in 2016.
He called on the city residents to join
government efforts in addressing the problem of flooding saying that nothing is
impossible once everyone bands together to achieve a common cause.
“Pagtulung-tulungan po natin ito. Makisama tayo
sa isa’t isa at malalampasan natin ito,” the President said.
“Dumalaw ako sa inyo ngayon para malaman ang
kondisyon niyo, kamustahin kayo at para malaman po ninyo na talagang
handang-handa ang gobyerno ninyo dito sa pangyayaring ito. Marami pa tayong
mapagkukunan para tulungan kayo,” he added.
“Asahan po ninyo, hindi namin kayo pababayaan,”
the President said. (rck)
Aquino says local government units first line of
defense against calamities
President Benigno S. Aquino III cited the
important roles of local government units in helping the national government
address the problems caused by natural calamities saying, they are the first
line of defense in helping the people out of predicaments such as flooding.
“Alam niyo po napakalaking bagay kapag merong
ganitong mga trahedya, malaking bagay ang local government units,” the
President said.
“Siyempre sila ang unang nasa lugar, sila ang
unang reresponde,” he added.
The President lauded Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista,
Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte and Representative Winston Castelo for acting fast and
decisively in aiding their constituents who were greatly affected by the
floods.
“May kapanatagan ang loob namin na inaasikaso
nila ang ating mga kababayan,” the President said. (rck)
Aquino vows to push for permanent solution to
floods
After addressing Marikina City residents’
concerns, President Benigno S. Aquino III reiterated on Thursday before the
people of Quezon City that his administration is working towards formulating a
permanent solution to the perennial problem of flooding after a heavy downpour.
Speaking to flood-affected residents who are
temporarily relocated at the Bagong Silangan basketball gym in Quezon City, the
President said that he had directed the Department of Public Works and Highways
and all concerned agencies to formulate a sure fire solution that will address
the flooding problem in the city.
Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson, who was
with the President, said a proposed permanent solution is the creation of
embankments and catch basins at the upstream portions and tributaries of the
Marikina river that will slow down floodwaters that cascade down from the
mountains that line the city during inclement weather.
He explained that by slowing down floodwaters
from the mountains located in Antipolo, San Mateo and Rodriguez in Rizal
province would allow the drainage systems to work efficiently to drain away
rain water into the sea.
“So ang maaring gawin ay imbakin ang tubig
upstream para hindi sabay-sabay ang taas ng tubig dito sa downstream,” Singson
said.
The President said that by next week, specifics
on the permanent flood solution plan will be released in order for concerned
agencies to begin working towards achieving it.
After addressing the people, the President led
the distribution of family food packs to the displaced residents. (rck)
Aquino assures that government is focused in
providing needs of the people displaced by weather disturbances and heavy rains
President Benigno S. Aquino III assured that the
government is focused in providing the needs of the people who are displaced by
the recent weather disturbances that hit the country the past week as he bared
the various infrastructure projects that are underway to mitigate if not
immediately address the flooding in Metropolitan Manila.
In his message to the victims of floods at
Pag-Asa Elementary School in Barangay 176, Bagong Silang, Caloocan City on
Thursday, President Aquino said that there are enough resources to fund the
needs of the victims.
“Ang gobyerno po ninyo ay nakahanda. Palagay ko
naman ho e kayo na rin ang makapagsasabing kumilos po (nang) agaran at hindi po
kayo pinababayaan at marami pa po tayong resources na magagamit para mailagay
kayo sa ayos at asikasuhin kayo sa kasalukuyan. So pumupunta po tayo dito para
bigyan lang po ng konting kapanatagan ang ating loob. Syempre ‘yung ating mga
barangay officials palagay ko hindi rin nagkulang sa inyo dito,” the President
said.
He urged the people to bring their concerns to
the knowledge of their respective public officials in the local government
units and the various concerned national agencies that include the Department
of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Department of Health (DOH) for
immediate action and response.
The Chief Executive also said that the Deparment
of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is presently working on a comprehensive
plan that will resolve the flooding problem in the country.
Barangay Captain Apolinario Trinidad said that
189 of the 1,291 people affected by the flooding are presently staying at the
Pag-asa Elementary School in Barangay 176 Bagong Silang, Caloocan.
Also in attendance were Energy Secretary Jose
Rene Almendras, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, DPWH Secretary Rogelio
Singson, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo, National
Housing Authority general manager Chito Cruz, and Technical Education and
Skills Development Authority director general Joel Villanueva.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Council reported that the widespread flooding in Metro Manila
particularly in the cities of Valenzuela, Malabon, Muntinlupa, Makati, Navotas,
Parañaque, Quezon, Marikina and Pasig, has rendered several streets in the said
area impassable. (jcl/1:36 p.m.)
Aquino lauds contributions of educators as
partners of government in nation building
President Benigno S. Aquino III underscored the
contributions of educators, researchers, and measurement and evaluation
practitioners in helping the government to advance the quality of education in
the Philippines.
"We in government are grateful to have you
among our partners in helping advance the quality of education in the
Philippines through your reliable evaluation of teaching competencies, student
performance, and other vital facets of education," the Chief Executive
said in his message to the Philippine Educational Measurement and Evaluation
Association Inc.(PEMEA) on Thursday.
The association is holding its three-day
International Conference on Educational Measurement and Evaluation at the
Traders Hotel in Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City. The conference with the theme,
"Educational Assessment in a Multicultural Learning Environment"
opened on Thursday.
"An empowered citizenry is critical to our
country’s development, especially in today’s competitive global milieu. I wish
you a productive assembly, and may the participants be able to formulate
workable ideas to expand your field in the multicultural learning environment
of your conference," the President said.
"Education is among the priorities of our
administration, and we count on your expertise to set the benchmark of
excellence in this foundation of nation building. Together, let us continue to
work together on the straight and righteous path towards the fulfillment of our
collective aspirations," he said. (js)
Government reviewing and redoing flood
mitigation plans of previous administration, says President Aquino
Government is in the process of reviewing and
redoing all plans related to flood mitigation that were inherited from the
previous administration in order to effectively address the lingering problem
of widespread flood in the country, especially in Metro Manila, President
Benigno S. Aquino III said on Thursday.
In an interview during his visit in Malabon
City, President Aquino mentioned an 18.7-billion pesos worth of dredging
project by the previous government in Laguna Lake, which fills up with
something like 4,000,000 cubic meters of silt every year, in the hopes that it
would improve its water holding capacity.
President Aquino called such plan a “joke” and
therefore had to ask the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) under
Secretary Rogelio Singson, who also acts as temporary water czar, to review it.
“What they (previous government) wanted to do
was move the mud from one section of the lake to another section of the lake
and that was supposed to enhance its water holding capacity. Obviously, matter
occupies volume and if it occupies the same space, the volume doesn’t
decrease,” he explained.
“So we’ve had to come up with new plans. For
instance, for Laguna Lake it might be a road ring dike and the beauty of it
(is) it will also be self-financing via the PPP (public-private partnership)
project. What it does, it will mitigate the flood situation,” added the
President.
The President said it will take about two to
three years to accomplish this goal. He stressed that reviewing the said plans
was necessary “just to make sure you don’t have projects that are money-making
ventures for certain people” which only brings more suffering for the people.
In his message to flood-stricken residents
seeking shelter at the Oreta Sports Complex in Malabon, President Aquino said
that the national government will keep on working to pursue these plans so long
as the people keep that Filipino spirit alive. “Basta palaban ho kayo ‘di
syempre lalong sumisigasig ang ating pamahalaan.”
President Aquino also distributed relief goods
courtesy of the Department of Social Welfare and Development to about 216
families composed of 972 individuals from five different barangays (Tonsuya,
Niyugan, Longos, San Agustin, and Catmon) in Malabon which served as his last
pit stop for the day.
The President already made his round of visits
at the evacuation centers in Marikina, Quezon City, Caloocan, and Valenzuela
earlier Thursday where he also made the same appeal of patience from the people
while the government is still working on its various infrastructure projects.
He said he will talk to the local officials of
Valenzuela, Malabon, Caloocan, Navotas and probably Meycauayan and Obando in
Bulacan to further discuss flood mitigation plans especially in those areas
that have long been underwater.
“Hindi ko naman ho ipapangako sa inyo... na sa
susunod na tag-ulan ayos na ‘yan. Medyo malakihan ang mga proyektong kailangang
gawin. Ang na-identify pong maapektuhan sa Valenzuela mangangailangan ng
2.2-billion pesos, eight kilometers na dike po ang itatayo. So isipin na lang
ninyo kung gaano kahaba ‘yon, gaano kataas... kaya hindi ho mabilisan ‘yan.
Pero bawat component nito nakakabawas sa tinatamasa nating baha,” the President
said.
“Nandito ako para masiguradong OK ho kayo, para
makita ko nang personal ang kalagayan ninyo, kamustahin kayo at ipaaalala sa
inyo na hindi natutulog ang gobyerno ninyo. Talagang ready pong tumulon... kung
noon, ready tumulong, ngayon, at pagkatapos nitong baha, pati na
rehabilitation,” he added.
President Aquino, at the same time, conveyed his
plans to visit the flood-stricken provinces in Central Luzon particularly his
hometown Tarlac, likewise Pampanga and Bulacan hopefully by tomorrow, to
personally check on the situation of the residents there. (hdc)
Aquino encourages research and development of
new agriculture and aquaculture products
President Benigno S. Aquino III assured that the
government stands behind initiatives of the Bureau of Agricultural Research to
encourage the development of new products and technologies for agriculture and
aquaculture.
"Reducing hunger and poverty is among the
cornerstones of our administration’s agenda to empower our people in the
countryside. We are determined to achieve this through innovations that would
reinforce our agricultural sector, and through raising the productivity and
profitability of our farms and fisheries," the Chief Executive said in his
message on the occasion of the 25th Anniversary of the Bureau of Agricultural
Research (BAR) and the 8th Agriculture and Fisheries National Technology
Commercialization Forum and Product Exhibition .
The BAR is a bureaus of the Department of
Agriculture (DA) that was established in 1987 to lead and coordinate the
national agriculture and fisheries research and development in the country.
The BAR is holding the 8th Agriculture and
Fisheries National Technology Commercialization Forum and Product Exhibition in
celebration of its anniversary.
President Aquino greeted the officials and
members of the BAR and participants of the 8th Agriculture and Fisheries
National Technology Commercialization Forum and Product Exhibition. The
four-day activity opened on Thursday at the SM Mega Trade Halls 1 and 2, SM
Megamall, Mandaluyong City. The activity ends on Aug. 12.
"The products in this exhibition are among
the fruits of cooperation between the BAR and the scientific community. May
their use facilitate the enterprise of our farmers and fishermen and also help
to improve their lives. Let this exhibit-forum and your anniversary lead to
greater dynamism among your agency and partners, as you carry on your vital
role in achieving our goals of food security and inclusive economic
growth," he said.
With the theme, "BAR at 25: Celebrating R
and D Excellence in Agriculture and Fisheries", the event is expected to
exceed the number of last year's visitors of more than 9,000 from various
stakeholders, including the attached agencies and regional field units of the
Department of Agriculture , research institutions, local government units,
state colleges and universities, non-government organizations, and the private
sector. (js)
Aquino witnesses signing of multi-million
irrigation project in Iloilo extended by South Korea
President Benigno S. Aquino III witnessed
Thursday the signing of a loan agreement between the Philippines and South
Korea for the Jalaur River Multipurpose Irrigation project in Iloilo.
Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima signed the
$207.88 million loan agreement with the Export Import Bank of Korea (Korea EXIM
Bank) Executive Director Sang-Wan Byun for the construction of the multipurpose
irrigation project.
The irrigation project in Jalaur, Iloilo is
Phase II of the Department of Agriculture-National Irrigation Administration
project.
The loan will fund the construction of a high
dam and reservoir, after a bay dam, catch dam, high line canal and penstock in
Sta. Barbara, Iloilo, which will support the irrigation of 31,840 hectares of
land in the region.
The project will help increase the agriculture
and fishery production in the Jalaur River area for the benefit of more than
21,000 farmers in Iloilo. It is also expected to contribute for the achievement
of the National Food Self-Sufficiency Targets of the Aquino administration.
Since 1991, the Korea EXIM Bank has provided the
Philippine government with high concessional financing facilities to support
critical public investment such as infrastructure, airports and roads that
uplifted the lives of many Filipinos.
The loan agreement also marked the largest-scale
assistance for a single project extended by the South Korean government to the
Philippines through South Korea’s Economic Development Cooperation Fund since
its establishment in 1987.
Also witnessing the signing ceremony Wednesday
were Sen. Franklin Drilon, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, NIA
administrator Antonio Nangel, South Korean Ambassador to the Philippines Hye
Min Lee and Korea EXIM Bank chief representative Tae-Ik Park. (as/5:45pm)
Aquino leads distribution of relief goods in
Valenzuela City
President Benigno S. Aquino III led the
distribution Thursday of relief goods in Valenzuela City assuring the flood
victims in the city that the government has enough resources to assist them.
The President also said his government is also
working to permanently solve or mitigate the flooding problem in CAMANAVA
(Caloocan-Malabon-Navotas-Valenzuela) area by building a dike.
“Nagpunta lang ako sa inyo dito itong araw na
ito para tiyakin na nasa maayos kayong kalagayan,” the President told the
evacuees at Gen T. De Leon Elementary School in Valenzuela City.
“Huwag kayong susuko. Handa ang gobyerno ninyong
tumulong dahil ‘yun naman kaya ito itinatag.” Government agencies like the
Department of Social Welfare and Government, Department of Health and the
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority are coordinating with each other to
help the flood victims, according to the President.
He also said the government has sufficient fund
and personnel to help the calamity victims in Metro Manila and nearby areas,
the chief executive added.
Many local government units around the country
are also sending rescue teams, the President said. For instance the provincial
government of Albay is sending a 35-man rescue team to help flood victims in
Metro Manila, particularly in CAMANAVA.
Local government units in Cagayan Valley region
are also sending rescuers, he said.
With regards to the flood control system being
planned by the government, the President said the proposal is to build an
eight-kilometer dike that will protect CAMANAVA and some parts of Bulacan.
The government will build the P2.2-billion dike
in two to three years, the President said.
“Walang agarang solusyon. Hindi instant noodle,
hindi instant ang solusyon. Ang maipapangako ko lang sa inyo bago man lang ako
makababa ay malaki-laki na ang diperensya,” he said. (as/6:24pm)
