Palace reports meeting between DILG Secretary
Mar Roxas and Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping underscored importance of
bilateral relations of two countries
The Philippines and China expressed a mutual
desire to resolve the outstanding issues concerning both countries while moving
forward with their bilateral relations, a senior Palace official said.
In an interview over government-run radio
station DzRB Radyo ng Bayan, Saturday, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail
Valte read the press release of Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda
concerning the recent trip of newly-installed Interior and Local Government
Secretary and President Benigno S. Aquino III’s Special Envoy Manuel Roxas II
to meet with Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping in the 9th China-ASEAN Expo held
in Nanning, China.
During the meeting, Lacierda’s statement said,
the Chinese Vice President expressed appreciation to President Aquino in
sending Roxas which showed the importance of the bilateral relations of the two
nations for the Philippines.
“Secretary Mar Roxas, President Aquino’s Special
Envoy, met with Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping on Friday (September 21). The
meeting occurred on the occasion of the 9th China-ASEAN Expo held in Nanning,
China,” the statement read.
Lacierda said that Vice President Xi expressed
appreciation for President Aquino’s decision to send a special envoy.
“This showed the importance that President
Aquino attaches to Philippines-China relations,” Vice President Xi said.
The DILG Secretary, for his part, expressed
confidence that he has faithfully delivered President Aquino’s message to the
Chinese government.
“We had a frank and candid exchange of views and
I am satisfied that I was able to faithfully convey President Aquino’s message.
Vice President Xi promised to bring President Aquino’s message to the attention
of Chinese President Hu Jintao,” Roxas said.
Roxas added that the “discussions were
constructive and the talks were conducted in a cordial atmosphere.”
Lacierda said the meeting focused on the current
outstanding issues between the two countries as well as on the other dimensions
of their bilateral relationship.
Joining Roxas in the meeting were Lacierda,
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Erlinda Basilio and Philippine Embassy Beijing
Charge d’Affaires Alex Chua. PND (jcl/12:50 p.m.)
Palace hopes for immediate passage of 2013
budget and Freedom of Information Bill
Malacanang hopes that Congress could soon
approve the P2 trillion budget for 2013 as well as the Freedom of Information
Bill to boost the economy and give the public easier access to government
information.
In a radio interview Saturday over dzRB Radyo ng
Bayan, Deputy Presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte thanked lawmakers for
prioritizing the budget deliberations.
"It seems that both Houses are making good
time on deliberating on the budget, we thank our legislators for that. And
mukha namang on track naman katulad nung mga earlier pronouncements ni Speaker
Belmonte at ni Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile that they will be paying due
attention to the budget. And so far, we are on track for the
deliberation," Valte said.
With regards to the Freedom of Information Bill,
Valte said the Palace hopes that discussions go well when lawmakers meet this
October to tackle the bill. Valte said it's a good development that the
congressional committee will be hearing again the FOI Bill.
Both Rep. Erin Tanada, the author of the FOI
Bill in the House, and Senate committee chair Sen. Gregorio Honasan, have
essentially adopted the draft coming from the Palace. Valte said many
provisions of the Malacanang draft were adopted by the House and the Senate.
The House of Representatives on Thursday night
approved on second reading the proposed P2 trillion national budget for 2013
aimed at boosting the country’s economic growth.
The 2013 budget is similar to last year's with
the biggest chunk of the funding going to the Department of Education with
P292.7 billion, which is 22.6 percent more than this year’s P238.8 billion.
DepEd is followed by the Department of Public
Works and Highways, P152.9 billion; Department of National Defense, P121.6
billion; Department of Interior and Local Government, P121.1 billion;
Department of AgricultureP74.1 billion; Department of Health (DoH), P56.8 billion;
Department of Social Welfare and Development, P56.2 billion; Department of
Transportation and Communications, P37.1 billion; Department of Finance, P33.2
billion; and Department of Environment and Natural Resources, P23.7 billion.
PND (as)
Aquino leaves for Brunei to attend wedding
presentation of Sultan Bolkiah's daughter
President Benigno Aquino III will leave for
Brunei Darussalam on Sunday to attend the ceremonial wedding presentation of
the daughter of Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah at the Istana Nurul Iman
Palace.
“Given that it is important to continue to
strengthen our relations with fellow ASEAN countries, the President will be
engaging in some informal diplomacy,” Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail
Valte said in a message on Friday.
The President’s Sunday trip to the sultanate is
his second visit since he made an official visit to Brunei in June 2011. While
in Brunei, President Aquino will assisted by Philippine Ambassador to Brunei
Darussalam Nestor Ochoa, Philippine Minister and Consul General Raymond
Balatbat and Philippine Minister and Consul Celeste Balatbat.
Princess Hajah Hafiza Sururul Bolkiah, 32, wed
Haji Muhammad Ruzaini on Thursday. She is the fifth child of the Sultan and his
wife Queen Saleha.
The President will be joined by leaders of
Singapore, Cambodia, Malaysia and Thailand during the occasion. Other leaders
and VIPs are also invited to grace the wedding ceremony.
Sunday's ceremonial wedding presentation will
cap the weeklong celebrations in Brunei. PND (as)
