Aquino to confer Legion of Honor with the degree
of Chief Commander on Dellosa
President Benigno S. Aquino III will confer the
Presidential Legion of Honor with the degree of Chief Commander and citation on
outgoing Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) General
Jessie D. Dellosa in ceremonies to be held at the AFP General Headquarters in
Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon City on Thursday.
The conferment rites will be simultaneous with
Dellosa’s retirement and turnover of command of the AFP to his successor
Lieutenant General Emmanuel T. Bautista.
Upon his arrival, the Chief Executive will be
accorded full military honors with 21 gun salute.
During the conferment ceremonies, the President
will be assisted by Defense Secretary Voltaire T. Gazmin and Dellosa’ s wife
Mary Rose. After the presentation of the award to Dellosa, the change of
command ceremony will immediately follow.
The President will then deliver his keynote
speech before an estimated 600 guests composed of former Presidents, members of
the Diplomatic Corps, Cabinet Secretaries, Senators, Congressmen, Supreme Court
Justices, Foreign Armed Forces Attaches, former secretaries of the Department
of National Defense, former Chiefs of Staff of the AFP, officials of the
Philippine Army, Philippine Navy, Philippine Air Force, and Philippine National
Police, Quezon City local government officials, veterans, and members of the
AFP Affiliated Organizations and the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1979.
Dellosa served as the 43rd Chief of Staff of the
AFP following the retirement of General Eduardo Oban, Jr. on December 13, 2011.
Dellosa, a former aide-de-camp to the late
former President Corazon Aquino, is a member of Philippine Military Academy
“Matapat” Class of 1979.
Prior to his appointment, he was the commander
of the Northern Luzon Command.
A decorated Army Scout Ranger officer, he also
received the Distinguished Service Star, two Wounded Personnel Medals, two Gold
Cross Medals, 39 Military Merit Medals, six Bronze Cross Medals, Long Service
Medal, Marksmanship Badge Expert, and Outstanding Achievement Medal.
Born in Bacon, Sorsogon in 1957, Dellosa is
married to former Mary Rose Fernandez with whom he has three children. PND (js)
President Aquino inaugurates Austal Philippines
Shipyard operations in Balamban, Cebu
BALAMBAN, Cebu: President Benigno S. Aquino III
led the grand opening of the Austal Philippines’s shipyard operations here on
Wednesday as he envisioned the shipbuilding company to further expand in the
future for the benefit of the Filipino people and the country as a whole.
“Today, we have the honor of formally welcoming
to our country yet another company that will accelerate the growth of this
sector: Austal Philippines. At the moment, you may still be a growing company
in our country, but I cannot overstate the impact of your arrival in the long
run,” the President said in his message during the opening ceremonies.
The President told Austal Philippines that his
administration will continue supporting the ship building industry to make it
easier for companies like Austal to build world-class ships.
For instance, as of the end of 2012, the
President said, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA)
certified around 95,000 welders in its registry, many of whom may be applying
at Austal.
“And I assure you, we will continue to make
certain that you will have access to a highly skilled Filipino workforce,” the
President said. Adding that the "government will not betray your trust,
and neither will our people.”
Austal made the right choice when it invested in
the Philippines, he said, noting that if the company treats its Filipino work
force well, they will not only perform their duties well, but they will take it
upon themselves to propel Austal to even greater heights.
The Philippines is currently the fourth largest
shipbuilding nation in the world and the President said he envisions the
country to be the leading shipbuilder in the future given the skills and talent
of Filipino workers and with the investments being poured by companies like
Austal.
As one of the leading shipbuilding country in
the world, the Philippines posted $638 million in ship exports in 2011, a 57.9
percent increase from the previous year.
Around 45,000 Filipinos make their livelihoods
working for shipbuilding companies, the President stressed.
Austal has already finished the construction of
one ship for export and it is expected to complete four more ships before the
end of the year, which will bring in a total of $70 million in export sales,
and give jobs to nearly 300 Filipinos.
The company, which started its shipbuilding
operations last year, committed $15 million to develop world-class
manufacturing facilities in the Philippines. It also has an additional $4.8
million investment to improve its Balamban shipyard.
Austal is a global defense prime contractor that
designs, constructs and maintains revolutionary naval platforms.
The company has facilities in Henderson, Western
Australia; Mobile, Alabama; and in Balamban, Cebu. Austal also provides vessel
support services from its facilities in Australia, US, Asia, Europe, the
Caribbean and the Middle East. PND (as)
President Aquino says he wants to assess PCGG's
relevance before its abolition
MANDAUE CITY: President Benigno S. Aquino III
said he wants a review of opinions proposing for the abolition or retention of
the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) as he stressed that the
body must finish its mandate before being abolished.
“Gusto nating masigurado muna bago tayo magposisyon
na natapos na ang dapat gawin ng PCGG,” the President said during an interview
after the visit of Liberal Party’ senatorial candidates here.
“The opinion of Chairman Bautista is that the
PCGG has done what it’s supposed to do. But I would want to review the premises
also.”
The President is asking for a thorough review
noting that the lengthy process that the PCGG has undergone in retrieving the
ill-gotten wealth of the Marcoses.
Previous administrations appointed wrong people
at the PCGG, he said adding that the government is still going after huge
amount of wealth like the paintings in New York and many other assets.
He said he wants to know whether the PCGG has
done its job and the judicial branch of the government could now take over as
recommended by PCGG chair Andres Bautista.
Bautista proposed that the government transfers
the PCGG’s jobs to the courts, the prosecutors, or the Office of the Ombudsman.
The President said he and Bautista met a few
months ago and the latter had proposed for the transfer of PCGG’s job. The
President said he and Bautista are yet to meet to formalize the verbal report
made a few months ago.
Instead of rushing to abolish PCGG, President
Aquino said the government must first determine whether it successfully has
done its job in going after the Marcoses. PND (as)
President Aquino calls on Higher Education
Institutions to join government advocacies of peace, education, opportunities
and improved way of life for Filipinos
ZAMBOANGA CITY – President Benigno S. Aquino III
called on heads and administrators of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to
join government in pushing for its advocacies of peace, education, opportunities
and an improved way of life for all Filipinos.
The President issued the call in his speech
keynoting the Top Level Agenda of Higher Education Institutions for Mindanao
Peace and Development held at the Garden Orchid Hotel here on Wednesday.
Heads and administrators of some 433 HEIs around
the country converged on this southern Philippine province to map out the
academe’s role in achieving lasting peace and development in Mindanao.
Spearheaded by the Ateneo de Zamboanga
University, the three-day forum-cum-conference will feature talks by Autonomous
Region in Muslim Mindanao governor Mujiv Hataman and by Mindanao Development
chair Luwalhati Antonino on the critical role of HEIs in the reform agenda of
the ARMM and the implementation of the Mindanao 2020: Peace and Development
Framework Plan.
In his speech, the President echoed this vital
role of HEIs saying they were intrinsic to the development and formation of
ideas in a community.
“Nagpapasalamat po tayo sa Ateneo de Zamboanga
University sa kanilang inisyatiba na likumin ang mga kolehiyo’t pamantasan mula
sa iba’t ibang bahagi ng bansa, at sama-samang humubog ng mga mekanismong
magpapabuti sa kalagayan, hindi lamang ng Mindanao, kundi maging sa kalakhang
bahagi ng lipunan,” the President said.
“Kritikal ang ginagampanang papel ng mga
kolehiyo’t pamantasan sa pagbabago sa mga produkto’t kaalaman ng kinabibilangan
nilang komunidad,” he added.
He told those present that now was the opportune
time to join forces in fulfilling government’s initiatives as the Philippines
is now enjoying renewed investor confidence from other economies.
“…mas magiging epektibo…kung handa rin ang ating
mga istitusyon para makisagwan tungo sa katuparan ng ating mga adhikain.
Samantalahin po natin ang kakaibang kumpiyansa ng mundo sa Pilipinas;
samantalahin po natin ang kumakalat na kapayapaan at kasaganahan sa buong
Mindanao sa tuwid na daan,” the President said. PND (rck)
