President Aquino receives Director-General of
International Labor Organization in Malacanang
President
Benigno S. Aquino III received on Monday International Labor Organization (ILO)
Director-General Guy Ryder who reiterated the organization's support for the
country's rehabilitation program for workers affected by typhoon
"Pablo."
Ryder
paid a courtesy call on Monday at the Music Room of the Malacanang Palace. He
met with President Aquino and key officials to support the country’s goal of
achieving inclusive growth through decent work.
The ILO
director-general arrived in the country on Sunday for a two-day visit, his
first to the Philippines since he was elected as the 10th ILO Director-General
on October 1, 2012. The last visit of an ILO Director-General to the
Philippines was in February 1995.
Ryder was
accompanied by Yoshiteru Uramoto, Regional Director of ILO Regional Office for
Asia and the Pacific; Director Lawrence Jeff Johnson, ILO Country Office for
the Philippines; Paulo Bárci, ILO Chief of Cabinet and Alcestis A. Mangahas,
Deputy Regional-director for Policy and Programs of the ILO regional office for
Asia and the Pacific.
Also in
attendance were Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, Labor Secretary
Rosalinda Baldoz and Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Eduardo Meñez.
Ryder
extended his sympathies for the families of the victims of typhoons Sendong and
Pablo. Sendong is the deadliest storm that hit the country last year while
Pablo devastated Mindanao recently.
An
estimated 2.3 million workers have been directly affected as of December 14,
the ILO Country Office for the Philippines said in a statement.
The ILO
also reported that majority of affected workers were in the Davao region, where
the impact has taken toll on the livelihoods of 767,000 agricultural and
fishery workers.
The ILO
has set aside initial funding of US$50,000 (P2 million) to jump-start a
livelihood program in collaboration with the Department of Social Welfare and
Development and the Department of Labor and Employment.
Ryder is
scheduled to meet with representatives of employers and workers organizations
and Haruhiko Kuroda, the President of the Asian Development Bank. PND (js)
Aquino government expresses belief that it can
maintain good relations with Japan after Prime Minister Noda conceded defeat in
parliamentary elections
The Aquino government expressed strong belief
that it can maintain good relations with Japan after Japanese Prime Minister
Yoshihiko Noda conceded defeat in parliamentary elections on Sunday, signaling
the return to power of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
"As a strategic ally and partner, we can
work with any government in Japan. And certainly we can work with the new
leadership, the LDP leadership. We look forward to having a continued warm
relation with Japan," Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said during
the regular press briefing in Malacanang on Monday.
Prime Minister Noda pledged to step down as
party president after exit polls showed that the opposition LDP has won a
landslide victory in the parliamentary elections.
The move of Noda paves the way for the return to
power of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the current leader of the
conservative-leaning LDP.
Last year, President Aquino visited Japan in a
bid to further strengthen and cement the special bonds of friendship cultivated
by both countries over the last 55 years. PND (js)
