Sunday 3 February 2013

PIA News Dispatch - Saturday, February 2, 2013


Palace: Economic gains achieved purely through Aquino administration’s efforts
 
 Malacanang said the economic gains posted by the Aquino administration were solely the result of the present government’s initiatives and not from the momentum set by the previous administration.

 In a statement, former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Friday commended President Benigno Aquino III over the 6.6-percent growth in the country’s gross domestic product in the fourth quarter of 2012.

 Arroyo’s Friday statement is a complete turnaround from her previous comments two years ago saying President Aquino obscured the economic gains of the Arroyo presidency to allegedly make up for his own shortcomings.

 In a radio in interview over government-run dzRB Radyo ng Bayan on Saturday, Deputy Presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the recent development is "a classic case of the student already surpassing the teacher.”

 President Aquino was a former student in economics at Ateneo de Manila University by President Arroyo.

 But Valte said the former President’s statement isn’t true particularly on her claim that President Aquino’s administration just sustained the gains of the previous government after the former leader left office in 2010.

 Arroyo said she welcomed the development in the country’s economy noting the President is on track to restoring the growth of 7.9 percent where it was before the first half of 2010.

 “But, we all have to remember that 2010 was an election year, and historically, if you look at all the data, simulan natin: Kapag election year, mataas talaga ang growth, mataas talaga ang GDP. Bakit? Because of election spending, and ask any economist, they’ll tell you the same thing,” Valte said.

 Based on historical figures, Valte said election years really have high GDP growths. For instance in the 1988 election, the GDP was 6.8 percent; in 2004, the GDP was 6.7 percent; and in 2007, it was at 6.6 percent.

 “But if you take out all the election years noon, when you look at the GDP, if you exclude all the election years, ‘yung 6.6 percent natin for 2012 is the fastest growth the Philippine economy has seen in the past 30 years, surpassing all the past presidents, beginning from the former President Cory Aquino,” she added.

 Commenting on criticisms saying the government’s campaign against corruption must uphold the rule of law, due processes and the independence of the judiciary, Valte said the anti-corruption fight of the administration is within the bounds of the rule of law.

 “The anti-corruption fight of the President has always been within the bounds of the rule of law with respect to other institutions, which is why it translates into good governance, and good governance translates to good economics,” she said. PND (as)


Palace providing info on constitution, its history as country marks 25th Constitution Day today
 
 Malacanang said the public can access details from a Palace website of the Philippine Constitution and its history as the country marks today the 25th Constitution Day.

 Former President Corazon C. Aquino proclaimed in 1988 that February 2 would be a national commemoration for the ratification of the 1987 Constitution on February 2, 1987.

 As a contribution to the observance of Constitution Day, the office of the Presidential spokesperson, together with the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office, is making available to the public information about the Constitution and its history.

 These include a briefer on the history of the constitutions, as well as the history of the Constitution Day observance in the country.

 There will also be an educational infographic map charting the distribution of delegates to the 1934 and 1971 Constitutional Conventions.

 It is also presenting the continuation of the government’s digital colorization project, colorized archival images of the 1899 Malolos Congress, the 1934 Constitutional Convention and the 1943 election of the National Assembly. PND (as)