Aquino declares October 26 a special non-working
day in Catanduanes in celebration of its Foundation Day
President Benigno S. Aquino III has declared
October 26, which falls on a Friday, as a special (non-working) day in the
province of Catanduanes, in commemoration of its Foundation Day.
The Chief Executive issued the declaration
through Proclamation No. 469 signed by Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr.
on September 11 to give the people of Catanduanes the full opportunity to
celebrate and participate in the occasion with appropriate ceremonies.
Commonwealth Act No. 687 was enacted to create
the island of Catanduanes as one of the six provinces of the Bicol Region. It
was signed into law by President Sergio Osmeña, Sr. on October 24, 1945.
On October 26, 1946, three months after the
Philippine independence from the Americans, the island was finally recognized
as a separate and independent province. PND (js)
President Aquino leads conferment of
UNDP-facilitated peace awards
President Benigno S. Aquino III led the
conferment of Engage for Peace, Equality, Access, Community and Empowerment or
N-PEACE awards to nine individuals from the Asia Pacific region, including the
Philippines, in honor of their relentless efforts to build peace in the midst
of chaos despite real and hostile threats to their lives, in ceremonies held at
the New World Hotel in Makati City on Tuesday.
This year’s N-PEACE awardees (8 women; 1 man)
include: Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Deles
(Philippines); Quhramaana Kakar and Farkhunda Zahra Naderi (Afghanistan);
Suraiya Kamaruzzaman (Indonesia); Radha Paudel (Nepal); Rupika De Silva (Sri
Lanka); Sister Lourdes (Timor-Leste); Sadhu Ram Sapkota (Nepal); and Amina
Azimi (Afghanistan).
In his speech keynoting the event, the President
cited the N-PEACE awardees for being “catalysts to achieve and nurture peace”
despite seemingly insurmountable obstacles to its completion and development.
“In communities marred by conflict, women and
children are often forced to bear a disproportionate amount of hardship. Yet,
instead of remaining victims or bystanders, the people we honor today have
displayed an extraordinary strength in becoming catalysts to achieve and
nurture peace,” the President said.
“Instead of letting pride and aggression cloud
your judgment, as men may sometimes do, you have always seen the urgency of suffering.
You will always tend to think of children, of families, of all those who stand
vulnerable and helpless in the face of violence. And it is with this desire to
bring an end to conflict, to alleviate suffering, and to bring about
sustainable and lasting peace for all, that you have dedicated your lives to
the pursuit of peace, equality and development in your communities,” he added.
The President pointed out that it was an honor
for him to present them with the N-PEACE awards as it recognizes their achievements
which “you have not claimed for yourself or for personal fame, but for the
thousands you have aided.”
“On behalf of them all, allow me to offer you my
congratulations, and more importantly, the collective gratitude of all gathered
in this room, and of all our peoples,” the President said.
“Today’s ceremonies are as much a tribute as
they are an expression of solidarity. Our countries have not had the most
peaceful histories: insurgencies, the polarization and misuse of political
systems and governance, and a lack of inclusive growth have, in one way or
another, left their mark on our peoples,” he added.
The N-PEACE award is a multi-country initiative
managed by the United Nations Development Program across Indonesia, Sri Lanka,
Timor-Leste, Nepal and more recently Afghanistan and the Philippines, in
partnership with Search for Common Ground, the Institute Inclusive Security and
supported by Australian Agency for International Development.
It is an advocacy campaign to identify,
recognize and showcase leadership roles that women play and the contributions
that they make in peace building at different levels.
The N-PEACE award winners were selected from 100
nominations through an on-line voting campaign that included more than 55,0000
voters from around the globe. PND (rck)
Malacanang says government remains committed in
pushing for accountability in governance
Malacanang stressed that the Aquino government
remains resolute in pushing for transparency and accountability in governance
as well as in pursuing programs that will uplift the standards of living of the
Filipino citizenry.
In a regular press briefing in Malacanang on
Tuesday, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said that the
government continues to uphold its principle of transparency especially
concerning the public funds that are being used in various developmental,
pro-people programs such as the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) or Pantawid
Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) of the Department of Social Welfare and
Development (DSWD).
“We have always been transparent when it comes
to the funds that are being used for the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program,”
Valte said.
Valte’s statement came in reaction to the concerns
of the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya)
asking the Aquino administration to explain and account for the P3.77 billion
CCT funds that were allegedly found by the Commission on Audit (COA) to be
missing or unaccounted for in the year 2011.
Valte said that the DSWD is always open to
answer questions regarding the CCT funds and the incident was just a
miscommunication that stemmed from the process of document flow from the
regional level to the national level.
“I understand that the DSWD cooperates with the
Commission on Audit whenever it comes to the auditing of public funds. I
remember in the last two months there was an issue when it came to the
disbursements that were being made to the beneficiaries and it turns out that
there was just a miscommunication in the sense that yung disbursement kasi ng
funding for the grants for the beneficiaries are down at the regional level and
not at the level of the national office,” Valte said.
“So what happened was, nang hinahanap ang
documents at the national level, hindi pa naita-transmit from the regional
offices, so as far as that incident was concerned it was just incomplete
documentation and from what I understand Secretary Soliman did give that
particular order to make the documentation complete when it comes to the CCT,”
she added.
“The particular issue that is being raised by
the Pamalakaya, I’m not familiar with the details of the entire amount that
they are saying that is allegedly been missing or misspent, but we’re always
open to answering these questions and in fact, even in the Congressional
Oversight Committee the DSWD has always been there to present the expenses,
what the program entails, and has always been willing to answer these
questions,” Valte further explained.
The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program is a
human development program of the national government that invests on the health
and education of poor households, particularly of children aged 0-14 years old.
Patterned after the conditional cash transfer scheme
implemented in other developing countries, the 4Ps provides cash grants to
beneficiaries provided that they comply with the set of conditions required by
the program. PND (jcl/2:30 p.m.)
Palace says residents of the Autonomous Region
in Muslim Mindanao want governor Hataman to continue his reforms in the region
The people in the Autonomous Region in Muslim
Mindanao (ARMM) want the continuation of reforms in the region compelling the
current officer in charge Gov. Mujiv Hataman to run for the forthcoming
election, Malacanang said on Tuesday.
There are questions being raised after Hataman
joined the gubernatorial race in ARMM especially after President Aquino said
the ARMM OIC governor should just serve as a transition leader.
But in explaining the Palace side, Deputy
Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a press conference in
Malacanang that the public has seen the reforms carried out in the ARMM under
the leadership of Governor Hataman.
“The President talks about it all the time.
Nakikita natin diyan nahanap ‘yung mga ghost teacher, ‘yung mga ghost school,
‘yung mga ghost buildings,” Valte said adding that "from what we
understand, there’s also a clamor from the people in that area to have the
present representation continue its work.”
Last week, the Palace threw its support to
Hataman after he filed his certificate of candidacy seeking a fresh mandate as
ARMM governor.
In a message released by Secretary Ramon
Carandang of the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning
Office (PCDSPO) Friday, he said Hataman has been effective in pushing the
Aquino administration’s reform and anti-corruption agenda.
Aside from cleaning up the bureaucracy that has
saved the government millions of pesos, Hataman also promotes transparency and
good governance in the ARMM, Carandang said.
Hataman’s running mate is Haroun Alrashid
Lucman, and both are official candidates of the Liberal Party.
Also aspiring to become ARMM governor are Moro
National Liberation Front leader Nur Misuari and former Sultan Kudarat governor
Pax Mangudadatu.
Hataman was appointed by President Aquino as
officer in charge of the ARMM in December 2011. Since his appointment he
succeeded in fixing serious administrative and fiscal woes that plagued line
agencies in the ARMM as a result of mismanagement and absenteeism among his
predecessors.
Hataman, an ethnic Yakan, started his political
career as representative of the Anak Mindanao Party List. PND (as/2:46pm)
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 retired Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno as Member of the Board of
Regents of the University of the Philippines, Commission on Higher Education
(CHED). His term of office will expire on September 30, 2014.
President Aquino, likewise, signed the
appointment letter of Eduardo B. Jose as Commissioner of the Philippine Racing
Commission (PHILRACOM). His term of office will expire on August 15, 2014.
Other presidential appointees include the
following:
- Roman M. Jumawan as Department of
Transportation and Communications (DOTC) Acting Director III.
- Raul B. Aguilos as Director II of the Land
Transportation Office (LTO) under the DOTC.
- Emiliano T. Bantog Jr., Putiwas M. Malambut,
Noreen Bernadette S. San Luis-Lutey and Jesus Ma. Y. Vitug as LTO Acting
Directors II.
- Manuel L. Betaizar, Macario D. Gonzaga,
Vicente O. Nato and Francisco P. Ranches Jr. as Acting LTO Directors I.
- Ramon Fiel G. Abcede as Acting Director III of
the Department of Education (DepEd).
- Miguel Mac D. Aposin, Roel F. Bermejo, Wivina
B. Gonzales and Josilyn S. Solana as Acting Schools Division Superintendents,
DepEd.
- Radne B. Jomuad and Clarissa G. Zamora as
Acting Assistant Schools Division Superintendents, DepEd.
- Reynalda R. Bangunan, Marites A. Ibanez,
Benjamin D. Paragas and Gloria R. Torres as Schools Division Superintendents,
DepEd.
- Rene R. Fuentes as member (representing
Private Sector), Board of Directors, Food Terminal Incorporated (FTI) under the
Department of Agriculture (DA).
- Maria Edita Z. Tan as Acting Assistant
Secretary of the Department of Finance (DOF)
- Gerardo R. Florendo as Director II, Head
Revenue Executive Assistant, Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) under the
Department of Finance (DOF)
- Antonietta F. Ibe as Commissioner, Securities
and Exchange Commission (SEC), DOF.
- Oswaldo C. Santos as Assistant Secretary of
the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). His term of office is
co-terminous with the appointing authority.
- Mediadora S. Claudio-Saniel and Jose Maria A.
Ochave as members of the Governing Council (representing the Private Sector),
Philippine Council for Health, Research, and Development (PCHRD), DOST
- Angel C. Alcala, Mercedes B. Concepcion,
Evelyn Mae Tecson-Mendoza, Jaime C. Montoya, William G. Padolina, Reynaldo B.
Vea, Ruben L. Villareal as members of the Executive Council, National Academy
of Science and Technology (NAST), DOST
- Helen J. Catalbas as Acting Directior IV of
the Department of Tourism (DOT)
- Juan Miguel T. Cuna as Director III of the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)
- Romeo Gonzales Hidalgo as Representative of
the Non-Government Organization, National Solid Waste Management Commission,
DENR
- Algamar A. Latiph as Acting Deputy Executive
Director IV of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF)
- John E. Barrios – Commissioner (representing
the Hiligaynon language) of the Commission on the Filipino Language, and
- Robert S. Martinez – Civil Service Commission
(CSC) Ad Interim Commissioner. PND (js)
