Wednesday 1 August 2012

PIA News Dispatch - Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Malacanang condoles with the family of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on the passing of her father, former Commissioner of the Commission on Elections Vicente de Lima

Malacanang expressed sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Justice Secretary Leila B. de Lima, whose father, Vicente B. de Lima passed away due to colon cancer. He was 83.

In a statement during the regular press briefing in Malacanang on Tuesday, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte conveyed condolences on behalf of the Aquino government to the De Lima family.

“We would like to convey our sincerest condolences to the family of Secretary De Lima on the passing of her father, former Comelec Commissioner Vicente B. de Lima. We got word that last Monday the former Comelec commissioner passed away and again our sincerest condolences with the family and friends of the late Vicente B. de Lima,” Valte said.

Vicente de Lima served as commissioner of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) from 1992 to 1994 under chairman Christian Monsod. (jcl/1:40 p.m.)


Malacanang urges students to refrain from engaging in violent activities

Malacanang called on the students to refrain from participating in violent activities such as inflicting harm on others, as another case of suspected hazing resulted to the alleged death of a student from the San Beda law school, recently.

Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte issued the call during the regular press briefing on Tuesday in Malacanang stressing that no one benefits from such kind of illegal activities.

“Kung totoo man na ito ay biktima ng hazing, itigil na po natin ang ganitong cycle of violence, wala namang nagbe-benefit sa ganito,” Valte said.

She further assured that the Philippine National Police will be conducting a thorough investigation of the case.

“Nakagugulat po ang nangyari na meron na namang victim of alleged hazing, wala pa sa atin lahat ng impormasyon… sa aking pagkakaalam ay inutusan na ng hepe ng pulis doon na imbestigahan dahil late yata na-confirm,” Valte said.

Reports revealed that a student of San Beda law school died after going through a suspected fraternity hazing rituals in Dasmarinas, Cavite on Sunday.

In a post on its Facebook page, Lsghotline Sbc, the San Beda Law Student Government confirmed the death of Marc Andrei Marcos.

Pending the completion of investigation, the case is being treated as a "mauling" incident.

If the hazing angle proves true, Marcos would be the second San Beda law student to die from hazing this year after Marvin Reglos, who was killed in February. (jcl/2:00 p.m.)


Palace says the national government must work together with LGUs to address perennial flooding

Malacanang asked the local government units to work with the national government to effectively carry out flood control programs for the benefit of the Filipino people.

Several concerns were raised this week as rains brought by Typhoon ‘Gener’ inundated many areas, with some blaming the continuous road repairs despite the onset of the rainy season. Some were asking for the government to push for a more effective flood control program of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

“Nagkaroon na ng inspeksyon si Pangulo noon doon sa Pasig River system to check ang progress nito… Meron na kasing mga study, meron na tayong mga short-term solutions na nagawa na and the President was very satisfied. However, the DPWH has always been open to working with the local government units kung ano ang kailangang gawin,” Deputy Presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a press briefing in Malacanang on Tuesday.

Valte also said that dredging the river system is not the only solution to the problem noting that local government units must work with the DPWH to address flooding.

Also the Palace official appealed to the public to help clean their surroundings and to care for the environment to avoid compounding the problem of flooding in the country particularly in the metropolis.

“Also, ang sanitation natin is also a concern for us. Kailangan lang maging maayos ‘yung pag-enforce natin ng mga sanitation laws and also as an appeal to the public we also need to be mindful of our surroundings para hindi po naa-aggravate ‘yung mga ganitong pagbugso ng panahon,” she said. (as/2:34pm)


Malacanang says Aquino government doing its best to strengthen the country’s bid in international sports competition

Malacanang said that the Aquino government is looking for possible measures that will strengthen the country’s bid to various international sports competitions as well as to provide sufficient support and hone the innate skills of Filipino athletes in their respective sports disciplines.

In a press briefing in Malacanang on Tuesday, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said that despite the country’s limited resources, President Benigno S. Aquino III has directed the concerned sports officials to identify the sporting events where the Filipino athletes can undeniably excel.

“Ang sinasabi po ng Pangulo is, given na limited po ang resources natin, kailangan nating i-identify ang mga paligsahan kung saan tayo malakas — doon sa mga sport na meron tayong pagkakataon at kailangang linangin ang ating mga atleta. By doing that, we will get to allocate the limited resources to support our athletes in those areas where we can excel,” Valte said.

She also wished the best of luck to the Filipino athletes who will be playing in their respective sports in the ongoing 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

“Well, good luck po … marami ang nanonood… parang there’s a collected groan from the country noong natanggal ’yung weightlifter natin. Sayang — kahapon po ’yon. Sayang po but there will be other opportunities. We wish him luck mamaya sa kanyang pagsabak,” Valte added.

There are eleven Filipino athletes participating in the 2012 Summer Olympics in various sports events that include weightlifting, swimming, shooting, cycling, boxing, athletics and archery. (jcl/2:30 p.m.)


Malacanang assures contingency measures and assistance for victims of typhoon ‘Gener’

Malacanang assured that the Aquino government, through various concerned agencies, is always prepared for the necessary contingency measures and assistance for the victims of the recent typhoon “Gener” that hit the country recently.

In a press briefing in Malacanang on Tuesday, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said that all the needed assistance are on stand-by pending their deployment to the provinces, cities and municipalities that were affected by the typhoon.

“We will be ready to provide assistance either by way of search and rescue teams or deployment of warm bodies that they may need for their operations. Handa po lagi tayo sa pagbibigay ng ating relief assistance,” Valte said.

Recent reports bared that the onslaught of typhoon “Gener” has resulted to seven fatalities and affected some 8,298 families in the country.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) accounts revealed that the deaths occurred in Antique, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal and Zamboanga del Norte. Three of the seven deaths were attributed to drowning.
The NDRRMC report noted that eight people have been rescued adding that 1,752 families are being served inside 30 evacuation centers in the country.

Typhoon Gener has maximum sustained winds of 120 kph near the center. It is expected to be 670 km North Northwest of Basco, Batanes outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility. It is expected to leave the Philippine area of responsibility on Friday morning. (jcl/3:08 p.m.)


Coloma meets Philippine team for ASEAN Quiz in Cambodia

Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma Jr. of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) received on Tuesday the members of the Philippine delegation who will compete at the 5th ASEAN Quiz in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on August 1 to 5.

The four-member Philippine delegation includes Francesca Ann Inacay, St. Albert the Great School, Dagupan City; Krystianne Paul de Pedro, Koronadal Comprehensive High School, Koronadal City; Maria Angela Krizelle Rubin, San Joaquin National High School, Calbayog, Samar, with Elenita Directo of PTV4, as delegation head.

The Philippine quiz team, who will leave for Cambodia August 1, was accompanied by their coaches and school officials during the meeting with Coloma.

“We have very high hopes for you. You will be carrying the colors of the country and not just your schools,” Coloma said as he expressed his best wishes for the Philippine team.

Boosting the confidence of the participants, Coloma said Filipinos have unique talents and can match or defeat other nationals. He said the Cambodia competition is the time for the students to shine and showcase their skills.

The quiz competition in Cambodia will follow the same format used by the Philippines when the country hosted the regional competition in 2009. This includes individual country competition (formal competition) and friendly group competition (game show competition).

The three students who will participate in the Cambodia quiz bee were the winners of the national quiz tilt held at PTV4 in January this year.

The national competition was hosted by the PCOO, PTV4, Philippine Information Agency (PIA) and BBS in partnership with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Department of Education (DepEd).

The ASEAN Quiz, which started as a project of the ASEAN Committee in Culture and Information (COCI) in 2002, is a biannual competition participated in by students from the 10-member ASEAN states.

It aims to elicit the spirit of healthy competition among the ASEAN youth in a friendly quiz game to promote knowledge and understanding of the roles of the ASEAN in achieving regional peace, solidarity and cooperation.

The competition also aims to promote ASEAN awareness among the general public and to encourage private sector participation in the event.

The quiz, which is a Philippine initiative through the COCI sub-committee on information, was included in a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by the ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Information in October 2000.

The ASEAN National Committee on Culture and composed of representatives from PCOO, PIA, PTV, DFA, CCP and NCCA held the national competitions to pick participants for the Cambodia event. (as)


Palace hails SC’s affirmation of antipoverty program

Malacanang welcomed the Supreme Court’s affirmation of the constitutionality of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) program of the government saying the move will bolster the antipoverty initiative of the Aquino administration.

“We welcome the unanimous decision of the Supreme Court upholding the constitutionality of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) of the Aquino administration,” Deputy Presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a statement she read during a press briefing in Malacanang on Tuesday.

“The affirmation of the government’s flagship anti-poverty initiative comes at an important time, as the House of Representatives begins its deliberations on the General Appropriations Act for 2013.”

Valte said that in the proposed budget submitted by the President to Congress the allocation for social equity—which covers investments in education, health, and welfare—has increased by P85 billion to P698.4 billion from last year’s outlay of P613.4 billion.

The move is in line with the administration’s commitment to increase the number of 4Ps household beneficiaries from 3.1 million this year to 3.8 million next year—for which the administration has increased the allocation from P39.4 billion in 2012 to P44.3 billion in 2013, she said.

“The 4Ps program is a realization of our commitment to inclusive and equitable economic growth. At its core is the partnership between government and families, and the fulfillment of a pledge that as many Filipinos should benefit from the fruits of our reforms.”

Citing a record from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Valte reported a decline of 1,000 household beneficiaries under the conditional cash transfer (CCT) program.

Some of the beneficiaries were delisted from the DSWD after a cleanup of its database, discovering that they were not qualified for the program and after the DSWD has cleaned up of its database.

There were some beneficiaries whose benefits have been frozen pending full compliance with the conditions set by the DSWD.
As of May 31, 2012, the total disbursement of the government is more than P9 billion for cash grant payments, P4.6 billion in health grants; and P4.4 billion in education grants.

The CCT is implemented in 138 cities, 1,261 municipalities, and 79 provinces in the country. (as/4:21pm)


Government strengthens tie ups with media to disseminate information during calamities

The government will continue to strengthen the partnership between government and the press through traditional and social media to inform the public on a wide range of issues particularly during times of calamities.

“Traditional media has always been our constant partner in disseminating information to the public. Government has always appreciated the role of media especially in times of calamity. We will always rely on our media partners to ensure that there is a consistent and credible stream of advice, guidance, and information to ensure our people’s safety and welfare,” Deputy Presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a statement on Tuesday.

With the rise of social media, the Aquino government continuously seeks to improve the dissemination models used during past calamities, such as in preparations for tsunami surges, storms, and other weather disturbances.

And with the government’s constant presence in social networking, which links it directly with public and media institutions, this enables the government to post real-time updates and accurate reports that are further disseminated by broadcast outfits, she said.

“In no way, however, does government advocate the sole use of social media knowing fully well that the internet infrastructure still needs more improvement and community participation,” Valte said. (as/4:37pm)