President Aquino leads inauguration of aircraft
components manufacturing facility in Batangas
TANAUAN,
Batangas: President Benigno S. Aquino III attended Wednesday the opening of the
B/E Aerospace Inc. Philippine facility as he thanked the company for choosing
the Philippines over other locations.
“Events
like these are road signs along the path to progress. They tell us that we are
going to the right direction—that the world is beginning to acknowledge the
long-overlooked talents of the Filipino worker,” the President said in his
message during the event
The
President noted that events like this mean new job for Filipinos and more gains
for the country’s economy. The Chief executive expressed his gratitude to the
B/E Aerospace Inc. for investing money in the country, considering that the
Batangas facility is the first outside the United States and Europe.
The
Philippines, chosen from the shortlist of six countries to have the facility,
is a testament that it is becoming a truly competitive destination, he said.
The
President pointed out that with the opening of the B/E Aerospace Inc.’s
operation in the Philippines, the country regains its foothold in the
manufacturing sector, especially in aircraft components manufacturing.
More
foreign investors have been coming in, the President said, adding that
AG&P, also located in Batangas, has invested in the Philippines to manufacture
large oil, gas and mining modules. Other companies on the other hand invested
in shipbuilding, he said.
The
President also mentioned the progress of the country’s aviation sector
highlighting the factors that sustain those developments. Investors are coming
to the Philippines because of its highly skilled, English-speaking workforce,
the government policy that level the playing field for businesses and the
assurance of a corruption-free bureaucracy, he stressed.
“Our
administration is as committed as ever to honesty and transparency. We will not
misplace your confidence, and we will certainly not betray the trust of our
workers, who deserve employers like you,” President Aquino said.
B/E
Aerospace Inc., which planned to invest $100 million in its Philippine
facility, is opening its operations with an initial of 200 employees. The
company plans to increase it to 500 next year and eyes to have 1,000 workers in
the next three years.
The
company is one of the world’s leading manufacturing of aircraft passenger
cabins interior products for commercial, business and military aircraft. It is
also a major distributor of aerospace fasteners.
B/E
Aerospace Inc. serves almost all of the world’s airlines, aircraft
manufacturers and leasing companies through its direct global sales and
customer support organizations. PND (as/1:32pm)
Aquino government urges stakeholders to engage
DOJ in a dialogue to address their concerns on the newly enacted Cybercrime
Prevention Act of 2012
The
Aquino administration urged concerned stakeholders to engage the Department of
Justice (DOJ) in a dialogue to address their concerns as the process of
drafting the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the newly enacted
Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 would begin.
"In
the meantime we believe there is an opportunity for reasonable discourse
between concerned stakeholders and the Department of Justice. We urge the
fullest and widest participation of stakeholders in this process,"
Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in a statement during the regular
press briefing in Malacanang on Wednesday.
Lacierda
reiterated the Aquino administration's position to uphold the civil liberties
as guaranteed by the Constitution in response to the claims of the critics and
some people who question the constitutionality of certain provisions of the new
Act.
"Our
Constitution is clear and uncompromising in the civil liberties it guarantees
all our people. As the basic law, its guarantees cannot, and will not, be
diminished or reduced by any law passed by Congress," Lacierda said.
"The
administration is equally adamant in upholding these liberties, which were
regained at such high cost by our people. As the President said on September
27, the vigorous exchange of ideas that is the hallmark of a vibrant democracy,
requires those who disagree not to oppress others," Lacierda said.
The
Cybercrime Prevention Act was enacted by Congress to address legitimate
concerns about criminal behavior on the Internet and the effects of abusive
behavior, according to Lacierda.
"Questions have been raised about the
constitutionality of certain provisions of the Act. We recognize and respect
efforts not only to raise these issues in court, but to propose amendments to
the law in accordance with constitutional processes," he said.
Lacierda
pointed out that "no government entity has moved to deprive anyone of
access to the Internet or to suppress civil liberties as exercised
online."
"In
fact what has taken place is that hackers who claim to be aligned with critics
of the Cybercrime Act are the ones who have engaged in online vandalism,
depriving the broader public of access to much needed government information
and services online," he said.
Lacierda
called on the critics of the Cybercrime Act to speak out against online vandalism
and bullying with as much vigor and passion as they have expressed in their
objections to certain provisions of this law.
"If
our freedoms have been hard won, it would do us all well to remember that in
the end, vigilantism harms the cause of freedom of expression and civil
liberties for all netizens," he said. PND (js)
