Aquino declares September 18 a special
non-working day in Tacurong City in Sultan Kudarat
President Benigno S. Aquino III has declared
September 18 which falls on a Tuesday as a special (non-working day) in the
City of Tacurong in Sultan Kudarat province in commemoration of its 12th
Cityhood Anniversary.
The Chief Executive issued the declaration
through Proclamation No. 453 signed by Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr.
on August 9 to give the people of Tacurong the full opportunity to celebrate
and participate in the occasion with appropriate ceremonies.
To mark its cityhood anniversary, Tacurong will
hold the Talakudong Festival 2012.
Tacurong became a component city of the Province
of Sultan Kudarat by virtue of Republic Act No. 8805 that was issued on August
16, 2000. The cityhood of Tacurong was duly confirmed by the “Tacurongnons” in
a plebiscite held on September 18, 2000. PND (js/12:48pm)
Aquino says leaders must seize opportunities
created by uncertainties in Europe, US
Government and business leaders must be
optimistic in dealing with the current global economic condition and shouldn’t
fear seizing new opportunities created by uncertainties in Europe and in the
US, President Benigno S. Aquino III said on Wednesday.
Speaking at the IBM Think Forum in Makati City,
the President said the major challenges for world leaders is whether to see the
glass half-full or half empty given the dire economic situation in the world.
IBM celebrated the 75th year of its presence in the Philippines in July this
year.
The President said that at the 20th APEC
Leaders’ Meeting in Russia last weekend there was grim news about the state of
the global economy. Christine Lagarde, the managing director of the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) mentioned external pressures and factors that
can impede or have already impeded the progress of some global economies.
But that’s the bad side, the President said. On
the other hand, these factors can also open up new prospects for other
countries like the Philippines, he said.
“For example, with instances of capital outflow
from more developed, but troubled economies, emerging markets like the
Philippines are given the opportunity to make the most of their competitive
advantages and become prime locations for investment. We all need to take
advantage of opportunities like this,” President Aquino said.
“The Philippines is truly on the right path.
Everyone—from our countrymen and tourists, to leaders of industry both in the
country and beyond its shores, to organizations and other governments—share our
optimism. And this has allowed us to succeed: to regain our confidence and make
the most of even more opportunities to achieve inclusive growth for all
Filipinos,” he added.
“In the midst of these uncertainties, leaders
must ask themselves how they can spark a virtuous cycle of inspiring others to
contribute to tangible change that can be felt by the entire society,” he said.
“But in the case of the Philippines, the
government is not the catalyst for the change that has swept the country but
the Filipino people,” the President said, noting that each time he seizes any
opportunity he always bears in mind that it must benefit the lives of his
countrymen.
Regardless of the sector a leader represents,
the chief executive said, each of them is entrusted with the responsibility of
leaving their respective organizations in a better state than when they first
found them.
The President also highlighted the importance of
cooperation between the private and public sectors saying: “I believe that if
we continue to support each other, we can do this in our respective fields,
and, together, we can give rise to a country that not only rises to meet its
potential, but exceeds it regularly.”
The Philippines is in a better position at this
time as indicated by the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report
for 2012-2013, he noted.
According to the report, the Philippines has
jumped another 10 spots to rank 65th out of 144 economies, a 20-place jump in
rankings since the Aquino administration took office.The Philippines ranked
85th in 2010.
If everything goes as planned, the President
said his administration is on track of achieving between 5.0-6.0-percent GDP
growth for 2012. The country’s GDP grew by 5.9 percent in the second quarter of
2012. PND (as/3:50pm)
President Aquino honors Task Force Kalihim and
Habagat Heroes with ‘Bakas Parangal’
President Benigno S. Aquino III expressed his
utmost gratitude to the modern day Filipino heroes who risked life and limb in
ensuring that the lives of their fellow Filipinos who were affected by the
recent natural calamities that struck the country were protected and those who
bravely searched for former Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo, whose plane
crashed just off the coast of Masbate City last month by presenting them with
the Bakas Parangal Award.
The President led the presentation of Bakas
Parangal awards to these selfless and dedicated heroes at the Armed Forces of
the Philippines Commissioned Officers Club in Camp Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon
City on Wednesday.
The Bakas Parangal is given in three categories
namely: Bakas Parangal ng Kadakilaan- given to honor the noble service of units
or groups and organizations who participated in rescue efforts despite the
obvious hardships of the situation; Bakas Parangal ng Kabayanihan- given to the
leader of a unit or group that exhibited exemplary acts of heroism; and Bakas
Parangal ng Kagitingan- given to individuals who exhibited extraordinary acts
of bravery by extending assistance to those in need in times of disaster.
The President presented the third category
(Bakas Parangal ng Kagitingan) to the members of Task Force Kalihim and the
agencies and private groups who rose beyond the call of duty to assist their
fellow countrymen affected as the country was pummeled by the southwest
monsoon.
“’Nagpamalas kayo ng di matatawarang dedikasyon
at katapangan sa pagtulong sa mga kababayan nating nalugmok sa mga nagdaang
kalamidad at trahedya. Mulat kayo sa halaga ng pagsisilbi sa kapwa at sa bayan,
lalo na sa mga panahon ng pagsubok,” the President said in his speech after
leading the awarding ceremony.
“Mula sa ating mga lingkod-bayang tumindig upang
pamunuan at bigyang-lakas ang kanilang mga nasasakupan; sa ating mga
kasundaluhang buong-loob na pumronta sa mga apektadong lugar upang pangunahan
ang pagsasalba sa ating mga kababayan; hanggang sa mga nagboluntaryong Juan at
Juana dela Cruz na nag-alay ng kanilang panahon at lakas para umalalay sa
kanilang kapwa—para sa inyo po ang okasyong ito, at taos-puso po akong
nagpapasalamat at tumatanaw ng utang ng loob sa inyong kabayanihan. Maraming,
maraming salamat po,” he added.
To the members of Task Force Kalihim, the
President said he saluted their perseverance and valor to plunge headfirst into
the depths of the sea searching for a lost comrade.
“Lalo pa pong tumitingkad ang diwa ng kadakilaan
ng pagtitipong ito dahil kasama natin ngayon ang mga indibidwal at grupong
naging bahagi ng search and rescue operations para kay Secretary Jesse Robredo
at ng dalawa pa niyang mga kasamahan. Sampu ng sambayanang Pilipino, sumasaludo
ako sa alay ninyong sigasig at kagitingan,” the President said.
Among the awardees honored were maritime divers
from the Philippine National Police, Masbate Police Provincial Office, Bicol
Scuba Technical Diving Group, the Malapascua divers, Coast Guard Special
Operation Unit Bicol, Army Special Forces divers, Air Force 505th Search and
Rescue Group and Bureau of Fire Protection 5 Special Rescue Unit. PND
(rck/5:08pm)
President Aquino hopeful dialogue with China
will still push through
President Benigno S. Aquino III remains hopeful
that a dialogue with China to discuss issues arising from territorial claims by
both countries on the West Philippine Sea will still push through in the
future.
In an interview, the President said a
“heart-to-heart” talk “in all honesty and openness” may be a way of “moving
forward” in settling the issue.
“So I am still hoping na magkakaroon kami ng
dialogue kung saan pwedeng magkaroon ng heart-to-heart na talk at saka meron
talagang sharing of all of our thoughts–in total honesty and openness,” the
President said, adding that seems to be the way forward to settle all of these
things.”
He said that although his meeting with Chinese
President Hu Jintao that was supposed to happen at the sidelines of the Asia
Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit held in Vladivostok, Russia last week did
not push through, the Chinese government still remains receptive to the idea of
holding talks on this issue with us.
“Ang muntik nang nangayring meeting sa
Vladivostok was one of them. And I’m sure that mukhang receptive naman sila to
the idea of moving forward,” the President said. PND (rck/5:29pm)
