Malacanang hopes other South China Sea claimants
respect Aquino's Administrative Order No. 29 otherwise known as 'naming the
West Philippine Sea of the Republic of the Philippines'
Malacanang said the other claimants to the
disputed West Philippine Sea shouldn’t view an administrative order signed by
President Benigno S. Aquino III as provocative because the Philippines isn’t
claiming the territory in its entirety.
Early this month, President Aquino signed
Administrative Order No. 29, entitled “Naming the West Philippine Sea of the
Republic of the Philippines, and for other purposes.”
The order renamed South China Sea waters within
the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) as West Philippine Sea.
Taiwan has opposed the move, and observers said
other claimants might also view this as antagonistic on the part of the
Philippines.
“They shouldn’t be,” Presidential Spokesperson
Edwin Lacierda said in a regular press conference in Malacanang on Thursday
when asked by reporters about the possible implications of the new order.
“The terming of the West Philippine Sea covers
those parts of the exclusive economic zone. I am certain that those who are
signatories of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea would
recognize that the portions only covered by the EEZ were called the West
Philippine Sea. We are not claiming the entire South China Sea as the West
Philippine Sea. That was made very, very clear yesterday and also in the AO
itself.”
Other claimants shouldn’t be threatened,
Lacierda said, because the Philippines is just covering its exclusive economic
zone which is provided under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the
Sea or UNCLOS.
Lacierda said that other claimant countries such
as Vietnam called the portion of the South China Sea as the East Sea.
Asked by reporters what prompted the government
to issue the Administrative Order 29, Lacierda said that since the term West
Philippine Sea has been frequently used in discussions in the Cabinet and
foreign affairs, Malacanang felt that it should be formalized through an AO.
The Palace official also said that Malacanang
believes that renaming the South China Sea doesn’t require legislative action
and an AO is sufficient to rename the portions of the exclusive economic zone
as West Philippine Sea.
Portions or the entire South China Sea are being
claimed by several countries like the Philippines, China, Taiwan, Vietnam and
other ASEAN-member countries. The area is a major sea lane for international
trade and commerce and is believed to be rich in mineral and oil resources. PND
(as/2:08pm)
Aquino cites continuing support of civic
organizations for government's efforts towards lasting reforms
President Benigno S. Aquino III cited the
continuing support of civic organizations for the government's efforts towards
lasting reforms in a bid to revitalize the country.
"The path to lasting reform is one of
patience and perseverance. It is built on our citizenry’s sustained and united
efforts in revitalizing our nation," the Chief Executive said in his
message to the Kiwanis International - Philippines South District on the
occasion of its 37th Annual District Convention on Thursday.
The Kiwanis International – Philippines South
District is holding its 37th Annual District Convention in Roxas City in the
province of Capiz. The convention started on Sept. 13 and would end on
Saturday.
"We are on a juncture of renewal; let us
remain determined in securing the gains we have achieved for the future
generations," he said.
The government is heartened by the civic
endeavors undertaken by the Kiwanis International Philippines South District in
the Visayas and Mindanao, the President noted.
"And we count on your continued support in
the advancement of our youth. As bearers of our nation’s future, this sector
embodies the potential of our people; they are our legacy.Let us instill upon
them the values of integrity, honesty, and accountability, as we bequeath them
with opportunities to grow and develop as leaders," he said. PND
(js/2:39pm)
Palace condemns killing of U.S. Ambassador to
Libya
Malacanang condemned on Thursday the attack on
the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya that killed American ambassador Christopher
Stevens and three other US citizens.
Asked by Palace reporters in a press conference
on the reaction of Malacanang on the said attack, Presidential Spokesman Edwin
Lacierda said: “They cover the international law. We condemn any violence on
any person especially the Ambassador, so it’s something that we are certainly
concerned with.”
Lacierda also reported that based on the
information received by the Palace from the Department of Foreign Affairs
(DFA), no Filipino was killed or hurt during the violence in Benghazi. The DFA
is also expected to issue an update on the Libyan situation Thursday afternoon,
Lacierda said.
Stevens and the other Americans were killed
after Islamist mob attacked the US consulate and a safe house refuge in
Benghazi on Tuesday night. The attackers were blaming America for a film they
said insulted the Prophet Mohammad.
As violence erupts in Libya, another assault was
mounted on the US embassy in Cairo. Protesters including Islamists tore down
and burned a US flag.
US President Barack Obama called the killing of
Stevens and three other Americans an “outrageous attack.” He vowed to hunt down
the perpetrators of the incident and ordered carrying out tighter security
measures to all US diplomatic missions worldwide. PND (as/2:31pm)
Aquino government now implementing aviation
reforms to improve the country's aviation industry
The Aquino administration is now implementing
aviation reforms to improve the country’s aviation industry in a bid to restore
the country’s Category One status by the United States Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA), a Palace official said.
"Secretary Mar Roxas (then head of the
Department of Transportation and Communications) appointed General Hotchkiss
(retired Lieutenant General William Hotchkiss III) and his team to ensure that
we will be taken out of Category 2 as early as possible," Presidential
Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said during the regular press briefing in
Malacanang on Thursday.
Last July, the board of directors of the Civil
Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) elected Lt. Gen William Hotchkiss
III (Ret) as director general of CAAP.
"They have been making the necessary
reforms and in due time we hope we will be removed from Category 2 status. It
not only affects the budget airlines, it also affects our airlines leaving for
Europe, leaving for the United States. So that’s what we want to achieve, to be
taken out of Category 2 status as early as possible," Lacierda said.
Lacierda assured that the government is working
double time to ensure that the country’s aviation status is reverted back to
the Category 1 level to aggressively promote the tourism sector and reach a
wider market.
On January 17, 2008, the US FAA downgraded the
Philippines' rating to Category 2 from Category 1, following a safety audit.
The safety report cited serious technical problems at the country’s airports,
such as a lack of training for safety inspectors, weak electronic
record-keeping and an inability of the regulatory agency – the Civil Aviation
Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) – to provide safety oversight of its
operators, keeping in line with the minimum requirements of the International
Civil Aviation Organization. PND (js)
President Aquino cites vital contributions of
occupational nurses and looks forward to working with them in fulfillment of
his promise to provide quality health care to Filipinos
President Benigno S. Aquino III cited vital
contributions of the country's occupational health nurses and said he looks
forward to working with them in fulfillment of his government's promise of
quality health care to millions of Filipinos.
"An empowered citizenry is our most vital
asset in our quest for an equitably progressive Philippines, and we in
government count on the medical sector to enact their duty to our citizens: to
advance the standards of their practice and uphold the values of
accountability, excellence, and honor in their profession," the Chief
Executive said in his message to the Occupational Health Nurses Association of
the Philippines (OHNAP) on the occasion of its 62nd Foundation Anniversary on
Thursday.
The OHNAP is a non-stock, non- profit
professional organization of nurses working in the industrial, agricultural,
commercial, educational, service (hotel & restaurant), government and
non-government institutions. The organization opened its 43rd national annual
convention and 62nd Foundation Anniversary on September 13 in Manila.
The country's occupational health nurses are in
a position to address the immediate medical needs of the people, President
Aquino noted.
"I take this gathering as a reaffirmation
of your commitment to our people, and I look forward to more fruitful years of
working with your collective, in fulfillment of our promise of accessible,
quality health care to our countrymen," the President said.
"I wish this convention success, and may
this gathering further embolden you to carry on with your mission, as, united,
we tread the straight and righteous path towards a future of prosperity and
stability," he said.
The OHNAP was founded as an Industrial Nursing
Unit of the Philippine Nurses Association in 1950 by Magdalena Valenzuela of
the Department of Health.
The association's constitution and by-laws,
which was approved on November 12, 1966, officially changed its name to
Occupational Health Nurses Association of the Philippines Inc. PND (js)
