Aquino wants to achieve a balanced trade between
the Philippines and New Zealand and foster better people-to-people interaction
AUCKLAND,
New Zealand – (via PLDT/Smart) President Benigno S. Aquino III said he wants to
achieve a balanced trade between the Philippines and New Zealand as well as
foster better people-to-people interaction during his two-day state visit here.
The President described the trade relations
between the Philippines and New Zealand as ‘very lopsided’ at this point
primarily due to the huge gap in their population figures.
He said this issue has been raised the first
time he met with Prime Minister John Key and he’s expected to discuss this
matter again during their scheduled bilateral meeting on Tuesday.
“The first time I met the Prime Minister
foremost in my mind was a balance of trade which is very lopsided. And the
first thing he said was we’re a population of about five million, I said we’re
95 million… Your market compared to our market really will produce the lopsided
trade,” President Aquino told an interview with Radio New Zealand last Monday.
President Aquino said the Philippines imports
most of its dairy products from New Zealand and so he invited New Zealand-based
companies to explore other products we can offer such as electronics, home
furnishings, and garments.
“We have a very significant business delegation
looking at various opportunities and also the best in your salmon farms amongst
others,” he said.
President Aquino, moreover, said a working
holiday agreement would be signed between the Philippines and New Zealand in
order to afford better people-to-people interaction thereby boosting the country’s
tourism campaign.
“We’re supposed to sign an agreement to afford
better people-to-people interaction wherein I think citizens from both
countries can go to each other’s countries and work for something like a period
of three months, for a maximum of a year to again foster greater interaction
between our peoples. This will also hopefully enhance our tourism campaign,” he
said.
President Aquino also mentioned that they are
looking at the possibility of having direct flights from New Zealand to the
Philippines courtesy of the major airlines of both countries which are going to
have fleet expansions.
“Our people will be focused on New Zealand and
get to know New Zealand because of this trip and they will further move the
significant community that you already have at present. Hopefully that will
encourage these two major airlines of ours to get to that direct flight,” he
said. (hdc)
Aquino appoints new judges to the lower courts
President
Benigno S. Aquino III has appointed new judges to the lower courts, a Palace
official said on Tuesday.
The
appointments were announced by Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte
during the regular press briefing in Malacanang on Tuesday.
President
Aquino signed the appointment letters of Judge Corazon A. Domingo-Rañola as
presiding judge of the Malolos, Bulacan Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 10;
Judge Mirasol Ong Dychingco as presiding judge of the Malolos, Bulacan RTC
Branch 20 and Judge Hermenegildo C. Dumlao as presiding judge of the Malolos,
Bulacan RTC Branch 81.
The other
presidential appointees are the following:
- Judge
Ana Marie Joson Viterbo as presiding judge of the Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija
RTC Branch 24.
- Judge
Mildred Villaroman Hernal as presiding judge of the Gapan City, Nueva Ecija RTC
Branch 35.
- Judge
Merideth delos Santos Malig as presiding judge of the Guagua, Pampanga RTC
Branch 51.
- Judge
Roline Ginez Jabalde as presiding judge of the Olongapo City, Zambales RTC
Branch 74.
- Judge
Marifi Patam Chua as presiding judge of the Iba, Zambales RTC Branch 70.
- Judge
Maximo B. Ancheta Jr. as presiding judge of the Baler, Aurora RTC Branch 66.
- Judge
Vincent Filomena B. Rosales as presiding judge of the Cagayan de Oro, Misamis
Oriental RTC Branch 23.
- Judge
Henry B. Damasing as presiding judge of the Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Oriental
RTC Branch 24.
- Judge
Carlos L. Espero II as presiding judge of the Davao City, Davao del Sur RTC
Branch 9.
- Judge
Retrina Espe Fuentes as presiding judge of the Davao City, Davao del Sur RTC
Branch 10.
- Judge
Reynato B. Gleyo Sr. as presiding judge of the Isulan, Sultan Kudarat RTC
Branch 19.
- Judge
Vicente S. Fernandez Jr. as presiding judge of the San Felipe, Zambales,
Municipal Trial Court (MTC)
- Judge
Rowena Rama Chavez as presiding judge of the Paombong, Bulacan MTC
- Judge
Elmer H. Alea as presiding judge of the San Jose, Batangas MTC
- Judge
Michelle C. Manaig-Calumpong as presiding judge of the San Juan, Batangas MTC.
- Judge
Rosalind R. Jungco-Abrigo as presiding judge of the Olongapo City, Zambales
Municipal Trial Court in Cities (MTCC) Branch 3.
- Judge
Esmeralda Balderas David as presiding judge of the Olongapo City, Zambales
Municipal Trial Court in Cities (MTCC) Branch 4
- Judge
Petronila P. Tañas-Arguelles as presiding judge of the Batangas City Municipal
Trial Court in Cities (MTCC) Branch 1.
-Judge
Kelly B. Belino as presiding judge of the Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija
Municipal Trial Court in Cities (MTCC) Branch 1.
- Judge
Zamita Tello Mationg as S.S. Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija Municipal Trial
Court in Cities (MTCC).
- Judge
Priscilla Unating Acedera as presiding judge of the Lemery-Agoncillo, Batangas
Municipal Circuit Trial Court (MCTC).
- Judge
Ali Joseph Ryan C. Lloren as presiding judge of the Jasaan –Claveria, Misamis
Oriental Municipal Circuit Trial Court (MCTC).
- Judge
Celenito N. Daing as presiding judge of the Jimenez-Sinacaban, Misamis Oriental
4th Municipal Circuit Trial Court (MCTC)
- Judge
Steven Prieto Cercado as presiding judge of the Janiuay- Badiangan, Iloilo 11th
Municipal Circuit Trial Court (MCTC).
- Judge
Minerva Paqueo Pepino as presiding judge of the Carmen-Sto. Tomas, Davao del
Norte 5th Municipal Circuit Trial Court (MCTC) and
Judge
Dante R. Corminal as presiding judge of the Tubod-Algeria, Surigao del Norte
5th Municipal Circuit Trial Court (MCTC). PND (js)
President Aquino appoints new officials in various government agencies
President
Benigno S. Aquino III has appointed new officials in various government
agencies, a Palace official said.
The
appointments were announced by Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte
during the regular press briefing in Malacanang on Tuesday.
The Chief
Executive signed the appointment letter of Luis A. Mamitag Jr. as Assistant
Secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). He replaced
Alfredo G. Tolentino.
President
Aquino also appointed Rommel S. Herrera as Acting Director IV of the Department
of Finance (DOF), replacing Maria Edita Z. Tan.
The other
presidential appointees include Jennifer E. Remoquillo as Acting Director III
of the Department of Agriculture (DA), replacing Dante S. de Lima; Ella Cecilia
G. Naliponguit as Acting Director III of the Health and Nutrition Center,
Department of Education, replacing Thelma G. Santos; Milagros D. De Guzman as
Acting Director III (Deputy Executive Director) of the National Book
Development Board, Department of Education, replacing Jeanne L. Sarmiento and
Rosario Virginia C. Gaetos as Executive Director of the Center for
International Trade Expositions and Missions, Inc. (CITEM), Department of Trade
and Industry.
Also
appointed as members of the Board of Directors of the Philippine Crop Insurance
Corporation (PCIC), Department of Agriculture were Jovy C. Bernabe, President
and Chief Executive Officer of the PCIC; Alex de Guzman Suarez, representing the
farmers' sector from Luzon; Dioscoro A. Granada representing the farmers'
sector from Mindanao and Epifanio A. Maniebo representing the Private Insurance
Industry. Their term of office will end on June 30, 2013. PND (js)
Palace welcomes recent survey of the Social
Weather Station
Malacanang welcomed the recent Social Weather
Station (SWS) survey saying that the continuing public satisfaction in the
Aquino government is an affirmation of the people’s support to its initiatives
to carry out reforms.
In a
press briefing in Malacanang on Tuesday, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson
Abigail Valte said the survey is also an indication of the success of
government reforms to ensure effective and equitable delivery of public
services.
“We take
these survey results as a challenge to further improve our capacity to address
key issues and to keep government attuned to the needs of our people and the
challenges of our times,” Valte said as she read a Palace statement.
No other
administration has had the consistently high ratings of the Aquino
administration since the SWS began this poll in February 1989, she added.
Based on
the SWS survey for August, the public’s net satisfaction with the Aquino
administration has risen to +62 or within a statistical tie of its best rating
of +64 recorded in September 2010.
The
increases in net satisfaction were registered throughout all geographic
regions, economic classes, and an overwhelming number of indicators.
The
administration posted high scores in key economic issues such as providing jobs
(+43) and fighting inflation (from -6 to +19) while notable increases in
satisfaction with fighting crimes (from +16 to +42) and eradicating graft and
corruption (from +12 to +40) were also noted.
The
highest scores of the Aquino administration were observed in helping disaster
victims (+73), helping the poor (from +35 to +59), promoting welfare of
overseas Filipino workers, foreign relations, and defending the country’s territorial
rights. PND (as/1:41pm)
Aquino government to build more infrastructure
projects under PPP
The
Aquino government announced on Tuesday that it was targetting to award eight
projects for this year and 10 additional projects next year under the public
private partnership (PPP) program.
In a
business forum in New Zealand Tuesday, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, who
accompanied President Benigno S. Aquino III in his state visit there, said the
government has already bidded out several projects such as the Light Rail
Transit extension and the construction of classrooms for the Department of
Education.
So far,
the government was able to award 10,000 classrooms and there will be another
two 10,000-classroom projects to be bidded out.
The
government also bidded out a toll way and will award another one. The Ninoy
Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Expressway is also up for grabs, Purisima
said.
“What’s
happening in the Philippines is we’ve established a pipeline of PPP projects,
and we hope to launch at least eight this year and 10 next year,” Purisima
stressed.
“What’s
important is that this covers not just economic infrastructures such as mass
transit, toll ways, power, sewerage and water; it also covers social
infrastructures such as schools, office buildings and maybe prisons as we move
down the road,” he added.
The goal
of the President is to reduce the infrastructure gap between the Philippines
and its neighboring countries, Purisima said noting that the administration is
doing this through PPP arrangements on available budget.
With
prudent financial management, Purisima said, the government was able to
increase the allocation for infrastructure in the budget by almost 50 percent
since the President took office in 2010. He said that the administration hopes
to sustain this momentum until President Aquino steps down in 2016.
The
President was in New Zealand for a two-day state visit. After New Zealand,
President Aquino will proceed to Australia for a similar visit. PND (as/4:32pm)
Aquino wants closer cooperation with New Zealand
in agriculture, energy development
President
Benigno S. Aquino III said he hopes the Philippines and New Zealand could work
together in areas of agriculture, energy, and manufacturing for the benefit of
both countries.
During a
business forum held in New Zealand on Tuesday, the President said he’s
interested in imitating Thailand in its dairy cooperation with New Zealand by
developing tropicalized breeds of cattle to sustain Thailand’s meat and dairy
needs.
“We’d
like to have the same experience. I had a good fortune to try some of your
produce ever since I came in yesterday, and I’m very, very impressed,” the
President said. “We’d really like to develop more indigenous abilities to
satisfy that particular need,” he added.
The
President was in New Zealand for a two-day state visit. He is scheduled to go
to Australia after his New Zealand trip.
The
Philippines imports 99 percent of its dairy requirements, the President said.
If the
Philippines could develop such industry, it would become less dependent on the
vagaries of the international market and at the same time satisfying the
nutritional requirements of next generation of Filipinos, the Chief Executive
further said.
The
Philippines and New Zealand could also work together for further development of
the Philippines’ geothermal energy sector. In the 70s, the President said New
Zealand assisted the Philippines put up its own capacity to harness geothermal
energy.
The
Philippines is the second country in the world devoting much attention to
geothermal energy development and use. The US is the biggest geothermal energy
user.
“We can
make our own industry that much more efficient and perhaps really tap into the
reported 2,000 megawatts reserves. We need to be able to generate a lot more
energy to bring down the prices of our electricity which are amongst the
highest in Asia,” he President stressed.
Aside
from these areas, both countries can also build stronger tie up in
manufacturing, the President said. He noted that he is also excited about a
working holiday scheme so that both countries can express views about their
respective culture and best practices. PND (as/5:05pm)
