President Aquino confers 2012 Outstanding Public
Officials and Employee award on Robredo (posthumous), 27 others
President Benigno S. Aquino III conferred the
2012 Outstanding Public Officials and Employees award on the late Interior
Secretary Jesse Robredo and 27 other individuals and groups in ceremonies held
in Malacañang on Wednesday.
The President said in his speech keynoting the
event that this year’s batch of outstanding government workers embody the new
face of government who commit and dedicate their work to the fulfillment of
unquestionable service and the upliftment of their fellow countrymen’s lives.
“At ngayon po, narito tayo upang parangalan ang
pinakamatatayog na halimbawa ng bagong mukha ng gobyerno: Silang mga
nagbibigay-inspirasyon sa ating isulong ang mabuting pamamahala; silang mga
indibidwal at grupong tumitindig at pinipiling gawin ang tama,” the President
said.
The 2012 Outstanding Public Officials and
Employees award is composed of three types: the Presidential Lingkod Bayan
Award which is conferred on an individual or group for exceptional
contributions resulting from an idea or performance that has nationwide impact
on public interest; the Dangal ng Bayan Award which is given to an individual
for performing an extraordinary act or public service; and the Pagasa Award for
any individual or group’s outstanding contribution that directly benefits more
than one government department.
The awardees for this year’s Presidential
Lingkod Bayan Award, aside from Robredo are: Major Harold Cabunoc (Public
Affairs Chief, Philippine Army); Police Chief Superintendent Arturo Cacdac
(Philippine National Police); Jose Enrique Garcia III (Balaga City Mayor,
Bataan); Aminoding Macarampat (Chief Revenue Officer, Bureau of Internal
Revenue, Marawi City, Lanao del Sur); Jaime Montoya (Executive Director III,
Philippine Council for Health Research and Development);
Rosa Vilma Santos-Recto (Governor, Province of
Batangas); Oscar Rodriguez (Mayor, San Fernando City, Pampanga); Brigadier
General Romeo Tanalgo (Chief, Armed Forces of the Philippines Command Center);
Philippine Overseas Labor Office-Libya Team (Department of Labor and
Employment); and Philpass Remit System (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas).
The Dangal ng Bayan Awardees are: Jocelyn Cariño
(Alternative Learning System Mobile Teacher, Department of Education, Urdaneta
City, Pangasinan); Melania Dirain (Ecosystems Management Specialist II,
Department of Environment and Natural Resources Region II, posthumous);
Crisostomo Ibarra (Administrative Aide I, Antipolo Social Welfare and
Development Office);
Editha Magallanes (president, Capiz State
University); Haydee Pasuelo (State Auditor IV, Commission on Audit Regional
Office 6); and Welthy Villanueva (Medical Officer III, Roxas Medicare Hospital,
Palawan).
This year’s Pagasa Awardees are: Maribel Blanco
(Chief Administrative Officer, DSWD Field Office III); Claire Caberoy
(Pharmacist I, Capiz Provincial Health Office); Cesar Colina, Sr. (Mayor,
Maragusan, Compostela Valley); Marilou Dungog (Public Relations Officer II,
Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority); Catalino Leyva (Barangay Chairman, Antipolo
City);
Josephine Salazar (Division Manager, National
Irrigation Administration, Cabanatuan City); Dominador Sayre (Information
Officer IV, San Fernando City, Pampanga); Balanga City Agriculture Office;
Office of the Antipolo City Assessor; Orani Water District Operation and
Management Excellence Team; and the Capiz Provincial Health Office.
The President lauded the awardees for putting
priority on the people’s interest rather on their own advancement.
“Sila po ang mga lokal at pambansang opisyal na
nanguna sa pagpapaunlad ng kabuhayan ng kani-kanilang mga nasasakupan; mga
sundalo’t pulis, na kasabay sa pagtugon sa mga tungkulin bilang kawal ng bayan,
ay isinusulong ang kani-kaniyang adbokasiya para sa ikabubuti ng lipunan. Sila
ang mga guro at opisyal ng akademya na lalong pinatitingkad sa henerasyong ito
ang halaga ng edukasyon; mga alagad ng kalusugan na una sa listahan ang
kapakanan at kalagayan ng kapwa, lalo na ng mga higit na nangangailangan,” the President
said.
“Sila ang mga Pilipinong tumatawid mula sa
pagiging lingkod-bayan, tungo sa pagiging isang lingkod-bayani. Sila mismo ang
magsasabi sa sambayanang Pilipino: isa akong kawani ng gobyerno, at ganito ang
tunay na kahulugan ng serbisyo-publiko,” he added.
He expressed profound thanks, on behalf of the
Filipino, for the awardees’ dedication to serving the people as he hoped that
they continue on with their advocacy of achieving government excellence.
“Kaya naman, sampu ng bawat Juan at Juana dela
Cruz na nakakasalamuha’t natutulungan ninyo saanmang sulok ng bansa, taos-puso
kaming nagpapasalamat. Patuloy nawa kayong maging pamantayan ng paglilingkod sa
tuwid na daan,” the President said.
“Totoo nga po: naibabalik na natin ang
pambansang dangal sa pamamahalang naka-angkla sa integridad, dedikasyon, at
pananagutan,” he added. PND (rck/12:37pm)
Malacanang says significant increase of
President Aquino’s trust and approval ratings further intensifies support and
confidence of Filipinos for his administration
Malacanang said that the significant increase of
President Benigno S. Aquino III’s trust and approval ratings further
intensifies the support and confidence of the Filipino people for the
government as it assures the continuous and unwavering efforts of the
administration to pursue positive reforms towards sustainable progress and
development.
In a press briefing in Malacanang on Wednesday,
Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said that the results of the recent
Pulse Asia Ulat ng Bayan Survey, where the President garnered all time highs,
show the success of President Aquino and his administration in uplifting the
lives of the people.
“The Pulse Asia Ulat ng Bayan Survey for the
third quarter shows both performance and trust ratings for the President at all
time highs. Public satisfaction with the President’s performance surged to +78,
a noteworthy increase of 11 points from the second quarter of 2012 ulat ng
bayan survey. Trust in the President also shot up to +78 representing a significant
13-point jump from his +65 in the last rating in May 2012,” Lacierda said.
“Strong positive scores across all geographic
regions and social classes pushed ratings of the President to within the margin
of error of his personal best of +79 for performance and +80 for trust in the
fourth quarter of the October 2010 Pulse Asia survey. Moreover, the President
has consistently received the highest ratings since Pulse Asia started
conducting its trust and performance surveys,” he added.
Lacierda noted that these ratings further
amplify the public’s overwhelming support for the President and the success of
his initiative towards positive change as shown in surveys and reports from
respected local and international organizations.
“We have always maintained that public office is
a public trust, the sustained ratings affirmed the Filipino people’s belief and
confidence in the President, his leadership and his administration’s relentless
pursuit of reform,” Lacierda further said.
When asked on the possible effects of the
positive ratings of the Aquino government to the fate of the administration’s
bets in the coming polls, Lacierda said, that it could mean a positive
influence on the decision of the people.
“This is a gauge of his (President Aquino)
performance and trust ratings for the third quarter… if this has any relation
to the campaign or the upcoming senatorial elections, we do believe that the
President would have a positive influence,” Lacierda said.
Conducted last August 31 to September 7, the
Pulse Asia Survey also bared the Aquino government’s high approval ratings in
terms of battling criminality (66%) and fighting corruption (64%). It also
scored high approval ratings in enforcing the law (59%), creating more jobs
(51%), and increasing the pay of workers (51%).
The survey was conducted among 1,200 adult
respondents with a ± 3% error margin. PND (jcl/2:40 p.m.)
Malacanang says inter-agency body will start
working on implementing rules and regulations of Cybercrime Prevention Act of
2012
An inter-agency body will start working on the
implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the newly enacted Cybercrime
Prevention Act of 2012 that intends to curb cybercrime in the Philippines, a
Palace official said on Wednesday.
Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in
a regular press briefing in Malacanang on Wednesday that the Department of
Justice (DOJ), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the
Information and Communications Technology Office under the Department of
Science and Technology (ICTO-DOST) are tasked to work on the Cybercrime
Prevention Act of 2012' IRR.
President Benigno S. Aquino III signed on
September 12 Republic Act 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
Punishable acts under the new law include offenses against the confidentiality,
integrity and availability of computer data system, illegal access, illegal
interception, data interference, system interference, and misuse of devices.
Also included are computer-related offenses such as forgery, fraud, and
identity theft that are rampant in the Internet.
Also punishable under the new law are
content-related offenses like cybersex, and child pornography.
The law also punishes unsolicited commercial
communications or cyber squatting, the acquisition of a person’s domain name
for profit or destroy reputations.
Existing Philippine laws punishing Internet
crimes are Republic Act (RA) 9995 (Anti-Photo and Voyeurism Act of 2009); RA
9775 (Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009); and RA 9208 (Anti-Trafficking in
Persons Act of 2003). PND (js/2:46pm)
President Aquino urges officials and employees
of Civil Service Commission to uphold the ideas of transparency and
accountability
President Benigno S. Aquino III called on the
officials and employees of the Civil Service Commission (CSC) to uphold the
ideals of transparency and accountability in order to sustain the country’s
revitalization efforts.
"The foundation of a functioning democracy
is a bureaucracy empowered by the ideals of patriotism, service, excellence,
and integrity. This, in turn, inspires in our citizenry a commitment to
participate in national life," the Chief Executive said in his message to
the CSC on the occasion of the 112th Philippine Civil Service anniversary.
President Aquino lauded the men and women of the
CSC as well as the country's lingcod-bayani for their contributions in
nation-building.
"We in government count on our associates
in the Civil Service Commission to continue promoting dedication and
responsiveness in our public institutions, guided by the sense of purpose that
led to the creation of your organization at a nascent time of nation-building,"
the President stressed.
President Aquino also congratulated the
lingcod-bayani, especially the Outstanding Public Officials and Employees of
2012, for a job well done.
"May you further serve as an inspiration to
our colleagues in government, and to the Filipino people, as we tread the
straight and righteous path illuminated by the daylight of hope and
renewal," the Chief Executive said.
"We have set our firm path towards change,
because of our resolve to restore the Philippines into the great nation that
Filipinos rightfully deserve," he said. PND (js/12:48pm)
Palace welcomes Heritage Foundation’s 2012 Index
of Economic Freedom
Malacanang welcomed the Heritage Foundation’s
2012 Index of Economic Freedom saying the country’s improvement in ranking is
the result of the continuing reforms in government.
In its 2012 Index of Economic Freedom presented
on Monday, the Heritage Foundation revealed that the Philippines now have
current score of 57.1 inching up from its score of 56 in 2008. The global
average is 59.5 and the Asia-Pacific region average is 57.5.
“Certainly we are happy but we also would like
to continue to improve our standing, not so much for the consumption of survey
organizations, but for our own consumption. This is our commitment to the
people that we will continue to serve the Filipino people with utmost
dedication,” Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda said in a press conference
in Malacanang on Wednesday.
Lacierda acknowledged that the Heritage
Foundation’s concern is the Philippine judiciary that’s why the President
appointed Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno to implement the much needed
reforms in the judiciary, hoping to see a continuous improvement on the
country’s standing.
“They do have different parameters in
determining how countries are evaluated. But it shows clearly an improvement in
all surveys that evaluated the Philippines. It shows the consistent improvement
on the business of governance,” he noted.
Despite the improvements, the US-based think
tank noted that “there are lingering institutional challenges that will require
deeper commitment to reform.”
Countries are gauged under 10 economic freedoms
such as the Rule of Law, Limited Government, Open Markets, and many others.
PND (as/5:48pm)
