President Aquino declares November 15 as special
non-working day in Oriental Mindoro in commemoration of its 62nd Foundation Day
President
Benigno S. Aquino III has declared November 15, which falls on a Thursday, as a
special (non-working) day in the province of Oriental Mindoro in commemoration
of its 62nd Foundation Day.
The Chief
Executive issued the declaration through Proclamation No.499 signed by
Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr. on Nov. 7 to give the people of
Oriental Mindoro the full opportunity to celebrate and participate in the occasion
with appropriate ceremonies.
In 1950,
Oriental Mindoro became an independent province by virtue of Republic Act No.
505 otherwise known as "An Act to Create the Provinces of Oriental Mindoro
and Occidental Mindoro." PND (js)
President Aquino witnesses signing of purchase
agreement for the sale of Food Terminal, Inc. to Ayala Land, Inc.
President
Benigno S. Aquino III witnessed the signing of a purchase agreement formally
completing the sale of the Food Terminal, Incorporated (FTI) in Taguig City to
Ayala Land, Inc. (ALI) in ceremonies held in Malacañang on Monday.
The sale,
paid by Ayala Land to the National Government for P24.3-billion, is considered
one of the largest in the history of government privatization and can be
attributed to the Aquino administration’s policy towards transparency and
competitive bidding.
Under the
terms of the purchase agreement, ALI will develop the FTI, which sits on a
74-hectare parcel of land located in Taguig City, into an integrated, mixed-use
and sustainable business district that will offer excellent living and working
spaces.
It will
have new infrastructure envisioned to spur economic activity in the area and
will feature convenience-centric retail, dining and entertainment offerings set
within generous spaces and surrounded by pockets of greens and will promote
social interaction and an active community life.
Signing
for the government was Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima who was joined by
Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson, Chief Privitization Officer of the
Privitization and Management Office Karen Singson, FTI president Rene Fuentes
and Taguig City mayor Maria Laarni Lopez-Cayetano.
Representatives of Ayala Land meanwhile,
consisted of its chairman Fernando Zobel de Ayala, and president and CEO Tony
Aquino.
In her
opening remarks, Singson said Ayala Land's bid was chosen among Robinsons Land
(P14.7-billion) and Empire East (P11-billion) for being the highest and most
comprehensive.
She said
the proceeds of the sale would be used “to support the department of
agriculture’s agriculture and fisheries modernization program and projects of
the department of agrarian reform.”
“We hope
the re-development of the FTI complex will lead to a surge in economic activity
and increase employment in the City of Taguig and the surrounding metropolitan
area,” Singson said. PND (rck)
Aquino cites goals of Money Market Association
to standardize and professionalize trading practices in support of country’s
development
President
Benigno S. Aquino III said the government has taken steps to ensure that
transparency and corporate responsibility are integrated in the operations of
the country's financial establishments.
"The
Philippines remains vibrant and open for business; our economy now enjoys an
upsurge in investor confidence, sustained by our efforts to maintain the stability
we are now enjoying in our institutions," the Chief Executive said in his
message to the Money Market Association of the Philippines on the occasion of
its 41st Anniversary.
The Money
Market Association of the Philippines is holding its 41st anniversary and 15th
Money Market Consciousness Week.
"Your organization’s objectives to
standardize and professionalize trading practices and to support our nation’s
capital requirement for development are achieved through your solidarity with
our communal mission," he said.
As the
government revitalizes the bureaucracy and infrastructure, President Aquino
said his administration counts on the organization's partnership in sustaining
the momentum of the nation’s growth.
"May
these events serve as a celebration of your milieu, and empower you to pass on
your gains to the rest of the Filipino people," he said. PND (js)
President Aquino to lead 27th Anniversary
celebration of Philippine Rice Research Institute
President
Benigno S. Aquino III will lead the commemoration of the 27th Anniversary
celebration of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) that will be
held at the agency’s headquarters at the Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija on
Tuesday.
Joining
officials and employees of PhilRice, the President will also formally launch
2013 as the National Year of Rice with the unveiling of the official logo as
one of the event’s highlights.
This
launch is encapsulated in Proclamation No. 494 the President issued last
October 18.
The
National Year of Rice 2013 is a social marketing and advocacy project of the
Department of Agriculture led by PhilRice to enlist the support of producers,
farmers, consumers and policy-makers in the country’s endeavor to be rice
self-sufficient in 2013.
It aims
to boost the farmers’ morale and motivate them to adopt technologies to further
improve farm productivity and encourage the general public to be responsible
rice consumers.
The event
will also feature the Gawad Saka awarding ceremony, which is annually conducted
by the Department of Agriculture to pay tribute to model farmers, fishermen,
and similar groups who have excelled and made significant contributions in
their respective fields.
The Gawad
Saka Award is the most prestigious award conferred by the Department of
Agriculture to farmers and fisher folk who have showcased exemplary
achievements in agriculture.
Joining
the President will be Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, PhilRice executive
director Eufemio Rasco and Acting deputy executive director Cesar Joventino
Tado. PND (rck)
Govt ready to assist MILF in translating
Framework Agreement into different Muslim dialects
Malacanang said it is ready to assist the Moro
Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in translating and disseminating the Framework
Agreement to several languages for the easier understanding of the Muslim
population in the south.
The MILF
said it is seriously considering the translation of the Framework Agreement
into different languages acknowledging however that they could encounter
logistical difficulties in mass producing the peace pact translation.
In a
regular press briefing in Malacanang on Monday, Presidential Spokesman Edwin
Lacierda said the Aquino government is ready to assist the MILF in raising
awareness on the peace agreement by translating it into different languages.
Lacierda
said the Palace is ready to support initiatives that will benefit the people
particularly the Framework Agreement for Mindanao peace. He added that they
will consult with government chief negotiator Marvic Leonen on how the
government could extend its assistance.
“That’s
something that we certainly would help. May mga nuances sa language so
pag-uusapan pa ‘yun. Pero certainly it’s something that we would like to help,”
he said.
Lacierda
also expressed hopes that both panels will be able to come up with a decision
on the annexes of the Framework Agreement.
The
Palace official likewise expressed optimism that both sides could immediately
complete the annexes of the agreement. A comprehensive peace pact is being eyed
by the government and the MILF before the year ends.
The peace
discussions resumes today and the government and the MILF are tackling
wealth-sharing, normalization as well as power-sharing concerns. PND
(as/3:03pm)
President Aquino to choose next Supreme Court
Associate Justice based on probity, independence and integrity
President
Benigno S. Aquino III will choose the next Supreme Court Associate Justice
based on the constitutional standards of probity, independence, and integrity,
a Palace official said on Monday.
Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said
during the regular press briefing in Malacanang that the Chief Executive has
until November 22 or 90 days after the post was vacated to choose who among
seven nominees would be the new associate justice.
The
Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) recommended to President Aquino seven candidates
for a vacant Supreme Court associate justice post.
JBC
ex-officio member and Senator Francis Escudero said the seven nominees are
Court of Appeals (CA) Associate Justice Rosemari D. Carandang, former
University of the Philippines Law Dean Marvic M. Leonen, former Department of
Energy Secretary Raphael Perpetuo M. Lotilla, CA Presiding Justice Andres B.
Reyes, Jr., CA Associate Justice Jose C. Reyes, Jr., CA Associate Justice Noel
G. Tijam, and founding dean of the De La Salle University College of Law Jose
Manuel Diokno.
Lacierda
clarified that the President Aquino has yet to decide who among the seven
nominees who will be next SC associate justice contrary to reports that he is
inclined to choose government chief negotiator Leonen.
"The
deadline is November 22. So let’s wait until the 22nd of November. Remember, he
promised in Laos that he is going to meet the nominees. Each and every nominee
will be given a chance to be heard by the President," Lacierda said.
"Certainly, the fact that he has worked
with the President and that the President has confidence in Dean Marvic Leonen
as a peace negotiator cannot be denied. But the President is fair to all
nominees. He has not preempted or neither has he informed us of his choice.
And, in that aspect, he would like to evaluate each nominee based on the
constitutional standards of probity, independence, and integrity; and, on that
basis, he would be talking to all the nominees," Lacieda said. PND (js)
Palace says there are no plans to allow
Americans to put up military bases in the country
Malacanang made an assurance Monday there were
no plans to allow the return of American military bases in the country despite
the announcement of the Obama administration to increase military presence in
the Asia Pacific region.
“There
are no basing arrangements with the Americans. That has been ruled out,”
Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda said Monday during the regular press
briefing in Malacanang.
Allowing
the US to revive its military bases in the Philippines is not consistent with
the country’s 1987 Constitution, Lacierda said. The Philippine government will
instead focus on the Visiting Forces Agreement to improve the capability of the
Philippine military. Under the VFA, US and Filipino forces conduct joint
military exercises to increase their combat readiness.
The
Philippine military is in the process of modernizing its military, Lacierda
said, adding that during the visit of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper
last weekend, the Philippines and Canada agreed for the purchase of military
hardware for the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
During
the commemoration of the Veterans’ Day at the Manila American Cemetery and
Memorial in Taguig City Sunday, US Ambassador Harry Thomas Jr. said the US
government has no plans of putting up military bases in the Philippines despite
President Barack Obama’s Pacific Rim policy.
Under the
new US policy, the American military aims to refocus its forces in the Asia
Pacific region.
Thomas
said, however, that the US military will continue giving extensive trainings to
Philippine military personnel under the existing military tie up.
Aside
from providing the Filipino soldiers' training, the US military is also
committed in assisting the Philippines by extending humanitarian assistance
particularly during calamities, he said.
Under its
military engagement in the Asia Pacific region, the US government has increased
its military presence in Singapore and Australia.
In 1991,
the Philippine Senate voted to shut down US military bases in Clark and Subic.
The last American forces left in 1992. PND (as/5:10pm)
