President Aquino joins Muslim community in the
observance of Eid'l Adha Friday
President
Benigno S. Aquino III joined the entire Muslim community in the observance and
celebration of the Eid’l Adha or Eidul Adha on Friday.
"I
join our Muslim brothers and sisters in observing this important celebration.
Let this be an affirmation of our solidarity in pursuing the causes of peace
and development for the greater good. May your reflections lead you to an even
deeper engagement in our efforts towards creating a united and equitably
progressive Philippines," the Chief Executive said in his message on the
observance of Eid’l Adha.
The
President said the Eid’l Adha or the Festival of Sacrifice retells and
commemorates the beautiful story of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his
beloved son to demonstrate his trust and devotion to Allah.
"His
readiness to carry out the command of God despite the specter of personal loss
and his fortitude against temptation makes him an exemplar of obedience for us
all. May his example inspire us to be righteous and courageous in our
undertakings, that we may follow God’s will for the betterment of ourselves and
our world," he said.
President
Aquino has declared October 26 as a regular holiday throughout the country in
observance of Eid’l Adha.
The
President issued Proclamation No. 488 on October 9, 2012 based on Republic Act.
No. 9849, which provides that Eidul Adha shall be celebrated as a regular
holiday.
"Eidul Adha is one of the two greatest
feasts of Islam. The date of the festival is based on the declaration made by
Saudi Arabia's highest religious body," the President said in the
proclamation.
The
National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) recommended that the observance
of Eidul Adha be on Oct. 26 and the Eidul Adha prayer be performed on the final
declaration of the Saudi Government.
The feast
is observed after the Hajj -- the annual pilgrimage to Makkah (Mecca) in Saudi
Arabia.
A duty of
each Muslim, as described in the Five Pillars of Islam, is to go on a
pilgrimage to Mecca at least once during their lifetime, unless they are
prevented by finances or ill health.
It is the
second of the two major Muslim holy days. The other is Eid-ul-Fitr which
follows Ramadan ---a lunar month of partial fasting. PND (js)
Creation of Bangsamoro would not entail
amendments to the 1987 Constitution, says Aquino government
The
Aquino administration reiterated its position that the creation of the
Bangsamoro would not entail amendments to the 1987 Constitution, a Palace
official said on Friday.
Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda
issued the statement in a phone-patch interview in Malacanang on Friday
following reports that various personalities stated the need to amend the
Constitution to create the Bangsamoro and to implement the peace agreement
between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
"I
think what is very clear was the Bangsamoro Framework Agreement was signed
within the flexibility of the Constitution. Ang paniniwala po natin that the
Organic Act that will be drafted ay dadaan po sa Kongreso. Ang pananaw po ng
ating pamahalaan ay kaya po natin gawin ang lahat ng ito within the framework
of the 1987 Constitution," he said.
"If
you look at the time table that was presented by Dean Marvic Leonen and the
infographics that was provided by the PCDSPO (Presidential Communications
Development and Strategic Planning Office), you will see that all these things
will be done before 2016. So by 2016, election will be held na po," he
said
Lacierda
said that according to government chief negotiator Leonen the law that woud
create Bangsamoro would not entail amendments to the Constitution contrary to
the claims of some people.
"These are cleary how we envisioned the
framework agreement and the annexes will be discussed next month,"
Lacierda said.
President
Benigno S. Aquino III said the government is looking at an organic act by 2015
that will create a new autonomous region in Mindanao to achieve a lasting peace
in the region.
During
the forum held at Shangri-La Hotel in Sydney in Australia, the President said
his administration has set a very tight deadline to realize the new autonomous
entity in Mindanao.
The
organic act must be enacted into law by 2015, the President said, noting that
the draft will come from the Bangsamoro. This has to pass Congress and approved
by the people in a plebiscite.
The Chief
Executive said he hopes to install the new government with a mandate after the
2016 elections. He also foresees an interim authority governing from 2015 to
2016.
To
achieve lasting regional peace, the President acknowledged the need for a
thorough political reform in Mindanao particularly in the autonomous area.
There are
proposals for the inclusion in the new organic act of the designation of a chief
minister who will be responsible to a committee composed of several
stakeholders in the region. This will serve as an automatic check and balance
to prevent abuse of power of the governing officials, the President said. PND
(js)
Aquino optimistic about economic recovery of
Europe and the United States
President
Benigno S. Aquino III expressed optimism that Europe and the United States can
soon recover from the economic slowdown that they are encountering by relying
on the abilities and faith of their people.
“I tend
to be optimistic as far as the human spirit is concerned,” President Aquino
said during the Business Forum hosted by the Asia Society in Sydney, Australia.
The President was asked during the forum about his views on how long the current
crisis sweeping Europe and the US would last.
“I think
what we have managed to do in the Philippines will happen in varying degrees
elsewhere. I can’t tell you that we are about to crest the hill but I think we
are approaching that crest. All it takes is a little bit of faith and optimism
in our fellowmen. Otherwise, we will accelerate the process of suffering for
everybody,” he added.
There are
pressures on everybody to become pessimistic particularly on every leader, the
President said noting that the present European and US situations were the main
topics during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Honolulu, Hawaii,
this year.
During a
meeting with Christine Lagarde, the IMF (International Monetary Fund) chief,
there was a proposal to enhance domestic liquidity. What comes to mind is the
situation heading towards the same scenario before the Great Depression in the
1930s when everybody was dragged into a deepened recession, the President said.
The
President however, said that everyone should hope that man has a capacity to
improve and he can learn from history to correct the present mistakes and
effectively address future challenges.
“If
things will get worse it will be self-fulfilling and it also can be
self-fulfilling in the reverse. So the governments especially Europe are being
asked to finally address the situation that used to be the proverbial can that
got kicked down,” he said.
“I’m sure
that very reasonable men and women are talking and that we will come into
solutions that demonstrate our collective capacity to improve as species,” the
President added.
The
slowdown in Europe was the result of the 2008 global financial crisis. The
European situation already resulted to social unrest with the majority of
Europeans venting their sentiments over harsh budget cuts and other austerity
measures aimed at rescuing failing economies such as Greece and Spain.
Among the
badly hit European nations include Greece, Portugal, Spain, and Italy. PND
(as/2:16pm)
Aquino cites infrastructure, tourism and
agriculture as topmost priorities of government
President
Benigno S. Aquino III said on Thursday that infrastructure, tourism and
agriculture are the topmost priorities of government to help support economic
growth.
"There are three particular aspects of
the economy that we are very keen on. First, of course, is to meet the
infrastructure need; second, the low-lying fruit that we have identified is
tourism; the third, obviously is agriculture," the Chief Executive said
during the Business Forum hosted by the Asia Society on Thursday at the Shangri
La Hotel, Sydney in Australia.
While the
Philippines has sufficient liquidity, a stable exchange rate and a “manageable”
inflation outlook along with “fiscal space” to help support economic growth,
President Aquino stressed the need to strenghten the country's tourism which is
another major economic contributor to the Philippine economy.
"In
terms of tourism, we are very happy to note that our target by 2016 when I step
down will be from a base of about three million tourists annually, we will now
have a base of 10 million," he said.
"So
more or less a year into office of our new Secretary of Tourism, we’re already
on target to meet 4.6 million tourists by the end of this year. So we’re almost
halfway there. We’re just slightly about a third of our term into office,"
the President noted.
Likewise,
the Aquino government remains optimistic that it will achieve its goal of rice
self-sufficiency by 2013, the President stressed.
"Previously, we were conditioned to
believe that we had to import a minimum of 1.3 million tons of rice and, if
weather cooperates, I am told that we might be exporting the higher varieties
of rice, which will make my visits to the countries that we used to import
from, much more pleasant because they always told me that they studied in the
Philippines; they learned the lessons so well that now the masters have to eat
from the toil of the students," he said.
According
to the President, he intends to implement more infrastructure projects aimed at
providing reliable, safe, and affordable public transportation system
nationwide.
"We’re trying in support of the tourism
venture, and also for connectivity, we’re improving a lot of our airports.
There’s a new proposal for a new nautical highway to link Luzon, Visayas, and
Mindanao that will cut down travel time from three days to 15 hours which is
presently being studied. This is a collection of roll-on, roll-off ports and
highways that will connect the same," he said.
"Light rail systems also. Manila is a
very old city. Urban planning probably was not yet invented as a concept when
it was started out and, unfortunately, when it started existing, too many—too
few people rather, paid attention to it," he said, adding that he would
not want to be the one to kick the can to the next president who will try and
solve issues like flooding; how to move 14 million residents in the national
capital region more efficiently and more productively," he concluded. PND
(js)
Aquino welcomes elevation of Manila Archbishop
Antonio Tagle to Cardinal of Catholic Church
SYDNEY,
Australia: President Benigno S. Aquino III welcomed the recent elevation of
Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle as the new Cardinal of the Catholic Church
in the Philippines by Pope Benedict XVI from the Vatican.
“Archbishop Tagle is somebody I really admire
from way back, and it’s really a credit to what he has done for the church and
for its followers to be recognized and given this singular honor. And we
applaud the decision of the Vatican in naming him as Cardinal,” President
Aquino said in an interview by the Philippine media delegation Thursday evening
here.
Tagle,
55, succeeded Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales to become the 32nd Archbishop of
Manila. He is widely known for his conservatism and charismatic nature,
highlighting many social issues in the country with emphasis on helping the
poor and the needy.
He earned
a Bachelor of Arts degree in Pre-Divinity from Ateneo and later, a Bachelor of
Arts in Theology degree at the Loyola School of Theology before completing a
Doctorate in Sacred Theology at the Catholic University of America from 1987 to
1991, Summa cum Laude.
Apart
from Tagle, Pope Benedict XVI also named five other new cardinals who would be
elevated at a consistory on November 24, including Monsignor James Harvey, the
American prefect of the pope's household; Archbishop of Abuja, Nigeria, John
Olorunfemi Onaiyekan; Archbishop of Bogota, Colombia Ruben Salazar Gomez;
Patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites in Lebanon, Bechara Boutros Rai; and the
major Archbishop of the Trivandrum of the Siro-Malankaresi in India, Baselios
Cleemis Thottunkal.
Tagle’s
selection as cardinal by the Vatican adds to the euphoria that thousands of
Filipinos still have following the recent canonization of the second Filipino
saint, San Pedro Calungsod, last Sunday. PND (hdc)
President Aquino leads unveiling of statue of
Jose Rizal in Australia
CAMPBELLTOWN CITY, New South Wales: President
Benigno S. Aquino III led the unveiling ceremony of the statue of Philippine national hero Dr.
Jose Rizal at a park dedicated in his honor on Friday here.
In his
brief remarks, President Aquino said the Rizal statue “shows how not only the
economic contributions of Filipinos, but also their history and culture, are
increasingly being recognized in Australia.”
“This
monument, in this park, pays homage to his ideals and will be an enduring
pledge that those ideals will continue to guide us, and that Australians will
be there, as true friends, in our collective quest for even better lives for
our peoples,” he added.
Among
those who witnessed the occasion were the Honorable Barry O’Farrell, Premier of
the New South Wales; Campbelltown Mayor Sue Dobson; Most Reverend Peter Ingham,
Bishop of Wollongong; and Enrique Reyes, great grandson of Rizal’s eldest
sister, Saturnina, who now lives in Mudgee, New South Wales.
New South
Wales has five Rizal landmarks in Australia including the Rizal Park in
Blacktown City, the bust of Rizal at the Plaza Ibero-Americana near the Sydney
Central Station, the Rizal Statue in Ashfield Park, the Rizal Park and the
Rizal Street in Campbelltown.
President
Aquino conveyed his sincerest and deepest appreciation to the Australian
Federal Government, the Government of New South Wales under the leadership of
Premier O’Farrell, and the Campbelltown City Council for their generous support
to this endeavor.
“Not only
is this an affirmation of the importance of Filipinos to your national life, it
is also a celebration of Australian inclusiveness and diversity,” the President
said.
Premier
O’Farrell, in his own remarks, said he couldn’t help but see some similarities
between the Philippine president and the national hero as he read their
respective biographies.
The
Premier said President Aquino and Rizal are like "two men driven by social
issues facing their countrymen who are determined through peaceful means to
deliver change to their country and who understood the power of words."
It was
also the New South Wales chief who called President Aquino a “phenomenon” when
they first met at the state luncheon hosted by the former in honor of the
visiting Philippine leader last Thursday.
“I’ve
never before met a phenomenon. And I know, Mr. President, that the Noynoy
phenomenon was (an) incredible force, an incredible force for good in a country
where democracy has never been able to be taken for granted in a way that we in
this country take democracy for granted,” O’Farrell was quoted as saying.
President
Aquino, meanwhile, commended as well the “civic spirit” displayed by the
members of the Rizal Park Movement of Campbelltown who were the ones behind the
realization of this project.
“I
commend all of you for your efforts, and I wish you success on your future
plans to further enhance the facilities of the park. Your civic spirit has
sparked, in turn, generosity on the part of Filipinos at home,” President
Aquino said.
The Rizal
statue was donated by world-renowned Filipino sculptor and artist Eduardo
Castrillo. It portrays Rizal during his colorful stay in Europe holding a copy
of Noli Me Tangere, the first book he
penned and published, dressed in a European suit, with his left hand raised in
readiness to the approaching storm. PND (hdc)
Aquino rallies support from Filipinos in
Australia for government's continuing reforms
President
Benigno S. Aquino III asked the Filipino community in Australia to support his
administration to realize its goal of bringing better life to every Filipino.
In his
speech during his meeting with the Filipinos in New South Wales, Australia, the
President said his administration has started the momentum of reforming the
country and laying the groundwork for it to become globally competitive.
The
President said he’ll do everything to improve the lives of Filipinos adding
that when he steps down in 2016, he will proudly report to the people that he
was able to reverse the country’s worse condition.
He
pointed out that Filipinos staying in Australia could go home in a better and
more peaceful Philippines.
“Naninindigan ako sa patuloy ninyong
pakikiisa, dahil hindi pa tapos ang ating laban. Samahan po ninyo ako: Isang
bansa nating tahakin ang tuwid na landas, at isang bansa nating abutin ang
katuparan ng atin mga pangarap,” the President said. “Ulitin ko po, sa inyo
nagmula ang susi ng pagbabago. Ipagpatuloy natin itong pagbabagong ito.”
The
President stressed that the government
has achieved many successes such as providing better education, healthcare,
infrastructure and assisting the poor through pro-poor programs.
In
education for instance, the President
said, the government targets to eliminate 40,000 classroom backlogs
before the end of this year. And for 2013, the government could fill the 68,000
classroom shortage in the country.
In terms
of assisting the poor, the President said, 3.1 million Filipino families are
currently benefiting from the Conditional Cash Transfer program of the
government, the President said adding that it
also achieved 85 percent coverage for the universal healthcare program
of the administration.
The Chief
Executive also reported successes in
food security, noting that the agriculture department is eyeing to make the country rice self sufficient. It
will also target to export the staple if good weather permits bountiful
harvests, he said.
Graft and
corruption was eliminated in the public works and highways department, the
President said noting the department successfully started building major
infrastructure projects for the welfare of the people. These include roads,
bridges, airports, seaports and many others that will help boost trade and
tourism, he said.
Overall,
while other countries struggle to gain footing because of the ongoing global
economic crisis, the President emphasized that
the Philippines was able to post 6.1 percent gross domestic product
growth in the first semester of the year.
“Ibang-iba
na ang mukha ng Pilipinas. Tunay nga pong ang sarap maging Pilipino ngayon.
Taas-noo tayong nakakaharap sa buong mundo; kaya nating sabihing, oo, kaya
naming magkamit ng pagbabago,” the President said.
President
Aquino, who embarked on a week-long trip to New Zealand and Australia, will be
arriving in Manila Friday evening. PND
(as)
President Aquino to issue an executive order
creating Office of Secretary to the Cabinet, Malacanang says
President
Benigno S. Aquino III is set to issue an executive order (EO) creating the
Office of the Secretary to the Cabinet after the Chief Executive has tapped
Jose Rene Almendras to the new cabinet post.
The
President announced in Australia last Thursday that Leyte Governor Jericho
Petilla will assume his post as the new Energy Secretary replacing Almendras, who will become the
Secretary to the Cabinet.
"We
will come up with an executive order creating the Office of the Secretary to
the Cabinet and also delineating the jobs, responsibilities of the Secretary to
the Cabinet. In fact, ’yung EO po is
being reviewed right now. Nakasaad doon ang mga responsibilities ng Secretary
to the Cabinet," Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said during a
phone-patch interview in Malacanang on Friday
"As
always, there will be no overlapping of duties para at least klaro kung ano ang
responsibilidad ng Cabinet to the Secretary," Lacierda said.
"The
movement, by the way, is a lateral movement. It’s not because he is not pleased
with Secretary Almendras, in fact, he is now going to work closer with the
President on a day to day basis. We, the senior staff in the Palace, are
privileged to work with the President on a daily basis," Lacierda said.
President
Aquino, who is on a state visit to Australia, announced the minor revamp in his
two-year-old Cabinet.
The
President said he has chosen Petilla because they have the same views and that
his experience in the private sector would help him in running the energy
department.
Petilla’s
private sector experience will eliminate the possibility of regulatory capture
once he assumes as energy secretary, the President said. The President also
said that Petilla is a problem-solver as he noted the Leyte governor’s style of
handling and running the provincial government of Leyte.
Petilla,
49, is a close ally of the President. He chose not to run for any elective post
in the May 13, 2013, elections, contrary to rumors that he would seek a
congressional seat in Leyte.
Petilla,
who is on his third and last term as governor, acknowledged the sensitivity of
the position since the present energy policies would affect the country’s
energy situation several years from now.
This is
the first time President Aquino designated a secretary to the Cabinet since he
assumed office in 2010. PND (js)
President Aquino flies home from successful
State Visits to New Zealand and Australia
SYDNEY,
Australia: President Benigno S. Aquino III successfully concluded his three-day
state visit here with his ‘favorite part’ of the trip, that of meeting members
of the Filipino community at the John Therry Catholic School in Rosemeadow,
Campbelltown City.
President Aquino began his week-long foreign trip with a Filipino
community event in Auckland, New Zealand last Monday where he said he is happy to end it with another
group of countrymen this time in Sydney, Australia.
“Kayo po
ang huli kong speaking engagement sa biyaheng ito. Talaga pong magiging
maligaya ako sa paglipad pauwi dahil napagitna ang ating official visit sa
paborito kong bahagi ng pagbiyahe: ang makausap at makahalubilo ang ating mga
Filipino community sa labas ng bansa,” the President said in his speech.
President
Aquino presented a transformed Philippines with an economy that has been turned
around and is continuing to gain speed in most, if not all, of the speaking
engagements he had during the course of his five-day working trip.
“Ibang-iba na ang mukha ng Pilipinas. Tunay nga pong ang sarap maging
Pilipino ngayon. Taas-noo tayong nakakaharap sa buong mundo; kaya nating
sabihing, oo, kaya naming magkamit ng pagbabago. Paano po nangyari ito? Dahil
sa inyo; kayo ang gumawa nito. Ginusto ninyo ang pagbabago; kumilos kayo tungo
sa pagbabago, at sa tulong ninyo, ipagpapapatuloy natin ang pagbabago,” the
President told Filipinos here.
President Aquino’s two-day state visit in New Zealand earned the country
a NZ$5-million investment commitment to help develop the Philippine local dairy
industry within a five-year period. This was announced by no less than his
counterpart Prime Minister John Key.
Three
bilateral agreements including the working holiday scheme, an arrangement on
defense cooperation, and an arrangement on geothermal energy cooperation were
also signed between the governments of the Philippines and New Zealand.
Buoyed by
the 6.1 percent gross domestic product growth in the first semester of 2012 as
well as the positive comments made by international publications, President
Aquino encouraged the international business community to “ride the wave of
optimism” and do business in the country.
He
announced several opportunities in the Philippines which investors can take
advantage of including infrastructure projects via the public-private
partnership program and other ventures in the fields of business process
outsourcing (BPO), shipbuilding, and mining, among others.
In an
interview with the Philippine media delegation last Thursday evening, President
Aquino said Australia’s MacQuarie partnered with the Government Service
Insurance System to set up an infrastructure fund amounting to US$600-million
to assist the country’s infrastructure drive.
The
Philippines and Australia have also strengthened their economic relationship
and regional partnership as President Aquino and Prime Minister Julia Gillard
witnessed the signing of a new Air Services Agreement! that will help lay the
groundwork for increased trade and people-to-people links between the two
countries.
Both
leaders also agreed that the economic relationship between Australia and the
Philippines holds great promise, building on the strong foundation provided by
the Agreement Establishing the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area.
Prior to
boarding a chartered Philippine Airlines flight PR001 bound for Manila,
President Aquino witnessed a counter terrorism demonstration at the 2nd
Commando Regiment, Special Forces Training Facility.
President Aquino and his delegation left Sydney at around 1:30 p.m. (AU
time) and they are expected to be in Manila at 6:10 p.m. (Manila time). PND
(hdc)
President Aquino's state visits to New Zealand,
Australia yield significant investments, job opportunities for Filipinos
President
Benigno S. Aquino III said his six-day visit to New Zealand and Australia
yielded new investments and job opportunities for Filipinos for the benefit of
the country's economy as a whole.
In his
arrival message, President Aquino said
he talked to New Zealand’s GNS Science, which is tieing up with the
Philippines’s Energy Development Corp. to enhance the country’s capability in
harnessing geothermal energy.
The
President said he and the members of his
delegation also assisted the Philippine company Alliance Select in talking to
Akaroa Salmon, a New Zealand company. Alliance Select bought 80 percent of
Akaroa Salmon.
In
Australia, the Atlantic Gulf & Pacific, located in Batangas talked with its
client, the consortium composed of Japan Gas Corp., Kellogg Brown and Root and
JKC.
They have
discussed a $200 million natural gas project, in which the Australians
expressed their confidence that Filipinos can do the critical aspects of their
operations in a timely manner, the President said.
The
contract between AG&P and JKC will create additional 1,500 new jobs at
AG&P’s facility in Batangas, he added.
Macquarie
bank based in Australia also had a discussion with his delegation, the
President said. Macquarie is working with the Government Service Insurance
System (GSIS) to create the Pinai fund worth $625 million.
According
to the President, the fund will be used
to bid for infrastructure projects in the Philippines noting that Macquarie already bidded in the LRT project
in the past. Now it is expressing interest in the NAIA expressway project.
The
President also said that the Australian shipbuilder, Austal also plans to
expand its shipbuilding operations in Cebu, which will create 1,000 new jobs.
Already
having 10,000 employees in the Philippines, Telstra, another Australian
company, is planning to expand operations in the country, If the project pushes through, the expansion
will result to additional 2,000 to 4,000 new jobs in the Philippines, the
President stressed.
The
President said he also talked with the leaders of New Zealand and Australia, where he met
with New Zealand Prime Minister John Key
and the head of New Zealand opposition parliament member, David Shearer and
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and parliament member Tony Abbott, the
head of Australia’s opposition.
“Sa mga
usapan nilinaw natin sa kanila ang pangangailangan ng istabilidad sa rehiyon
upang magpatuloy ang pag-arangkada ng ating mga ekonomiya. Kinausap din natin
sila ukol sa ugnayan sa kalakalan at sa masiglang pakikihalubilo ng mga
mamamayan,” he said.
The
President said the Australian officials congratulated the Philippine government
for signing a peace deal with the Muslim separatists in Mindanao. In turn, he also thanked the Australian government for its continuing
assistance for Mindanao’s development.
The
President also said that Australia and
the Philippines signed an air services agreement that will help enhance the
commercial airline services in the Philippines.
He noted
that The Philippines and New Zealand likewise sealed several agreements that
will strengthen their ties particularly in energy and defense cooperation.
In
concluding his message, the President expressed his gratitude to the members of
his Cabinet as well as the country’s business delegation who joined him in the
successful New Zealand and Australia visits.
PND (as/8:58pm)
