Filipino community in Laos eagerly awaiting
President Aquino's arrival Sunday
VIENTIANE, Lao People's Democratic Republic:
Filipinos living and working in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic are
eagerly anticipating the arrival of President Benigno S. Aquino III, who is set
to attend the 9th Asian-Europe Meeting that will be held here from November 5
to 6.
Apart from participating in the discussions to
be held during the ASEM9 Summit, the President’s first visit to this fellow
ASEAN member country will allow him the chance to meet with fellow Filipinos
who have chosen to make Laos their second home.
Leodia Pagunsan, a native of Camiguin Island and
now School Director of the Sangdara International Bilingual School here, said
she and 15 of her compatriots working as teachers in said school expressed
happiness and excitement after being invited to personally meet the President
during a Filipino community get together that will be held upon the arrival of
the President on Sunday (November 4).
“When I heard about being invited, I was very
happy. Even up to now, I am still happy about the prospect of meeting the
President,” Pagunsan said.
She said she feels like a child whose father is
about to visit her after being away from home for too long.
“Meeting the President is not a simple event. We
will be so happy to meet him because he is the father of our nation,” Pagunsan
said.
Roselie Mabunga, Head Teacher for the Primary
Level of the Panyathip International School here, echoed Pagunsan’s sentiments
saying the President’s upcoming visit made her and her compatriots upbeat,
elated and excited.
“May dalang sigla ang bisita ng Presidente natin
dito,” Mabunga said in an interview.
She, however, wished that the President would
visit Laos more often to impart to fellow overseas Filipino workers that they
are not and have not been left alone.
“Happy
kaming mga Pilipino dito kasi bibisitahin kami ni Presidente at ang feeling
namin ay hindi kami napabayaan. Parang siya ang tatay, tapos dinadalaw kaming
mga nagtrabaho sa ibang bansa,” Mabunga said.
Ashmad Hiya Hiya, a businessman who hails from
Tawi-Tawi and Cavite City is also thrilled at the prospect of personally
meeting the President on Sunday
“Maligaya kami na makikita namin ang Pangulo,”
Hiya Hiya said.
“Sana magpatuloy ang magandang pamamaraan niya
sa palakad ng gobyerno natin,” he added.
Hiya Hiya, who owns a guest house and restaurant
called “Bahay Pinoy” here, will join Pagunsan, Mabunga and some 300 Filipinos
in welcoming the President when he arrives on Sunday. PND(rck)
President Aquino
expands investment areas for Filipinos
President
Benigno S. Aquino III has signed Executive Order No. 98 to expand the
investment areas and economic activities reserved to Philippine nationals under
the 9th Regular Foreign Investment Negative list, Executive Secretary Paquito
N. Ochoa Jr. announced on Friday.
According
to Ochoa, EO No. 98, signed by the President on October 29, 2012, replaces EO
No. 858, which has been in effect since February 2010.
The 9th
Regular Foreign Investment Negative List enumerates the industries and business
activities that are open to Filipino businessmen, and defines the extent of
participation of foreign investors in areas allowed by specific laws and the
Constitution.
“There
are investments areas or activities which foreign ownership limitations imposed
by law were not included in EO 858. Those changes are now reflected in the
‘List A’ of the new presidential directive,” Ochoa explained.
Among the
amendments, Ochoa said, are the foreign ownership and foreign practice
limitations imposed under the Real Estate Service Act of the Philippines (RA
9646), the Philippine Respiratory Act (RA 10024) and the Philippine Psychology
Act (RA 10029) – all enacted in 2009 – and the Lending Company Regulation Act
of 2007 (RA 9474).
Except
for RA 9474, which allows foreign ownership of up to 49 percent in lending
companies, the three others limit the practice of non-Filipinos in the areas of
real estate and health care such as respiratory therapy and psychology, unless
there is a reciprocity arrangement prescribed by a law.
List A of
EO No. 98 specifies the areas of economic activity where foreign ownership is
prohibited or limited by the Constitution or laws, among them the mass media,
practice of all professions, cooperatives, private security agencies,
small-scale mining, private radio communications network, private recruitment
for local or overseas employment, advertising, ownership of private lands,
lending companies, financing companies and investment houses regulated by the
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
List B
contains economic activities regulated by law such as small- and medium-scale
domestic enterprises, defense-related industry (i.e., manufacture of firearms,
etc.), and businesses that have implications on public health and morals (i.e.,
gambling, sauna, massage clinics, etc.).
“List A
may be amended any time to reflect changes brought about by new laws. List B
may be amended not more than once every two years upon the recommendation of
the departments concerned and endorsed by the National Economic and Development
Authority, or upon NEDA’s own initiative and recommendation, approved by the
President and promulgated by a presidential proclamation,” Ochoa said.
“For now,
List B stays while the changes to the negative list covers only List A,” he
added.
Under the
Foreign Investments Act of 1991 (RA 7042), foreign investors are allowed to own
100-percent equity in businesses excluded from the negative list.
EO No. 98
takes effect 15 days after its publication in a newspaper of general
circulation.
Malacanang says President Aquino continues to
monitor situation in Metro Manila, provinces for safety of people
President
Benigno S. Aquino III is continuously monitoring the situation in Metro Manila
and in the provinces to ensure the safety of people during the observance of
"Undas 2012," a Palace official said on Friday.
"The
President intends to continue to monitor the progress of the security here in
Metro Manila and other areas because of the Undas Exodus," Deputy
Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said in an interview aired over
government-run radio station dzRB Radyo ng Bayan.
The
President vowed that concerned government agencies remain on heightened alert
for the safety and orderly travel of passengers.
According
to Valte, the Philippine National Police - National Capital Regional Police
(PNP-NCRPO) reported that no untoward incident occurred in Metro Manila until 9
a.m. Friday.
Valte
reiterated the enforcement of the ban against bringing into the cemeteries of
any deadly weapon, liquor, gambling paraphernalia and other prohibited items to
ensure the peace and solemnity of the occasion.
"Patuloy po ang kanilang pagbibigay ng seguridad
sa mga bus terminals, sa mga seaports, at mukhang back to normal po nang kaunti
ang volume ng mga pasahero dahil sa naging rush hour po kahapon," she
said.
"But
just the same, kahit po nag-normalize ang number of people sa mga terminals,
the security will remain to make sure that nothing untoward will happen,"
she said. PND (js)
Government to provide assistance for family of
Filipino killed in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
The
Aquino administration assured that it would provide the necessary assistance
for the family of the Filipino who was among the 22 people killed in a fuel
truck blast and building collapse in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Thursday, a Palace
official said on Friday.
In an
interview aired over government-run radio station dzRB Radyo ng Bayan, Deputy
Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said the government extended its
condolences to the family of Florentino Santiago.
Valte
assured that the government is also extending assistance to Filipino workers
who were injured during the explosion.
"Binabantayan po ‘yan ng ating embahada
at sinisigurado na all the necessary assistance is being given to them by their
employers," she said.
Valte
said the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh is also coordinating with the employers
to ensure the safety of all Filipino workers there following the tragic
incident.
Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs
said the repatriation of the deceased, however, is still being worked out by
the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh.
Reports
said a fuel truck crashed into a flyover, triggering an explosion that brought
down an industrial building and torched nearby vehicles. PND (js)
Aquino leaves Sunday to attend 9th Asia-Europe
Meeting in Laos
President
Benigno S. Aquino III will leave Sunday afternoon for the 9th Asia-Europe
Meeting (ASEM 9) that will be held in Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic
Republic (PDR) from November 5 to 6, Malacanang said on Friday.
In a
radio interview over government-run radio station dzRB Radyo ng Bayan on
Friday, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said the President will
take time Saturday to prepare for his trip to Laos.
“Maraming
preparations… ang mga briefing niya on the agenda at kung ano ang kanilang mga
pag-uusapan,” Valte said adding that the President always prepares for all his
meeting especially overseas.
The
Palace official said Malacanang will be providing the media information on the
President’s Sunday trip such as the members of his delegation, total expenses
and the rough schedule of the ASEM trip.
According
to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), President Aquino’s attendance to
the ASEM 9, his first since he assumed office, “signals the Philippines’
renewed focus on Europe and reaffirms the importance of the region as an
economic and political partner.”
The
President is expected to exchange views with his counterparts from the two
regions on the Eurozone crisis, trade and investment facilitation, energy and
food security, disaster management, counter-terrorism, migration, and regional
issues during the two-day Summit.
Europe is
the Philippines’ third largest trade partner after North America and Asia with
trade pegged at $13-billion for about 12 percent of Philippine total trade to
the world in 2011, the DFA said.
More than
P33-billion investments also came from the European Union during the same
period, primarily from the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France and Germany,
it added.
The
President will likewise showcase, during the summit, the reforms he has
implemented to fight corruption and alleviate the lives of the Filipino people.
The Chief
Executive is also expected to highlight Philippine’ accomplishments in good
governance and inclusive growth and at the same time call for an enhanced
Asia-Europe economic partnership in the midst of global economic uncertainties.
He will
also underscore the importance of upholding the rights of migrant workers,
especially at a time when most European countries encounter socio-economic
difficulties.
As of
2011, there are 746,701 Filipinos living and working in Europe, the foreign
affairs department said.
The ASEM
is a dialogue process started in 1996 with the main objective of forging a
comprehensive partnership between Asia and Europe. It is currently composed of
48 partners – all 10 ASEAN countries, 9 other Asian countries, the 27
member-states of the European Union, the European Commission and the ASEAN
Secretariat.
It is the
only forum where Europe and Asia engage one another at the highest levels of
government to discuss international issues of common concern and to formulate
mutually beneficial cooperation on region-to-region basis.
This
year’s theme is “Friends for Peace, Partners for Prosperity.” PND (as/3:15pm)
