President Aquino declares March 22 as special
non-working day in Cavite in commemoration of 144th birth anniversary of Gen.
Emilio Aquinaldo
President Benigno S. Aquino III has declared
March 22, which falls on a Friday, as a special non-working day in the province
of Cavite in commemoration of the 144th birth anniversary of General Emilio
Aguinaldo, the first President of the Philippine Republic.
The Chief Executive issued the declaration by
virtue of Proclamation No. 556 signed by Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa
Jr. on March 7, to give the people of Cavite the full opportunity to celebrate
and participate in the occasion.
General Aguinaldo was born to Gobernadorccillo
(Municipal Governor) Carlos Aguinaldo and Trinidad Famy on March 22, 1869 in
Cavite Viejo (now called Kawit town).
The Philippines won independence from Spain in
hard-fought battles led by Aguinaldo and other Filipino leaders in 1898.
On June 12, 1898, Aguinaldo, the revolutionary
leader declared the Philippines independent, with himself as the unelected
President.
Emilio Aguinaldo was officially inaugurated as
the first president of the Philippine Republic in January, 1899. PND (js)
Malacanang says government hopes to achieve rice
self sufficiency by 2014
The Aquino government expressed optimism that it
would be able to achieve its goal of not importing rice by 2014, a Palace
official said on Tuesday.
Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said
during the regular press briefing in Malacanang that the Department of
Agriculture, under the helm of Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, has
remained firm on its efforts to attain 100% rice self sufficiency by next year.
Lacierda said Alcala reported that the
Philippines attained an increase in the productivity of rice since President
Benigno S. Aquino III assumed his post in 2010.
According to Lacierda, Alcala cited the rice
self-sufficiency program and overall growth in the crops subsector as the main
growth drivers in attaining the agriculture growth.
"In 2010, we imported 2.4 million metric
tons; in 2011, it was reduced to 860,000 metric tons; in 2012, it was further
reduced to 500,000 metric tons; and in 2013, we are only importing 187,000
metric tons. By 2014, we will not be importing any metric tons," Lacierda
said.
Lacierda noted that the Philippines is more
focused on improving productivity in its rice sector to meet its rice
self-sufficiency targets.
"Now, we’re just importing 8 percent of the
2.4 million metric tons in 2010, so you’ve seen the considerable increase in
our own production, and the gradual lesser importation and by 2014, we will not
be importing. This is according to Secretary Proceso Alcala," Lacierda
said. PND (js)
Aquino government vows to continue providing
more scholarship programs for the poor
The Aquino government vowed to continue
providing more scholarship programs for the poor but deserving students, saying
that education remains one of the priorities of the government to help support
the country’s economic growth.
Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said
during the regular press briefing in Malacanang on Tuesday that the Commission
on Higher Education (CHED) offers various scholarship programs aimed at
providing better opportunities for the Filipinos, especially the youths.
"For instance, we’ve got scholarships for bright
Filipino students whose general weighted average is 90 percent and above. The
financial benefit is P30,000 per annum. We grants-in-aid for bright Filipino
students whose general average is 85 to 89 percent and the grant is P15,000 per
annum," Lacierda said.
"Then, we also have national integration
study grant program for members of the cultural minority groups; selected
ethnic group education assistance program for the members of the hill
tribes," he said.
"Meron po tayong OPAPP (Office of the
Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process)-CHED study grant program intended
for former rebels and the legitimate and legitimized dependents which expands
access to college education opportunities," Lacierda stressed.
The CHED offers Grand-In-Aid or “Tulong-Dunong”,
under the DND-CHED-PASUC (Department of National Defense-Commission on Higher
Education- Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges) Study
Grant Program, which is intended for dependents of killed-in-action (KIA),
battle-related Complete Disability Discharged (CDD), and Combat and Active
Military Personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
The commission gives education benefit to
children of KIA-CDD-Combat in order to contribute to the well-being of the
country's soldiers by ensuring their children’s education.
The CHED also provides the Student Loan Program
with the component of Study-Now-Pay-Later Plan (SNPLP), according to Lacierda.
The program is designed to promote
democratization of access to educational opportunities in the tertiary level to
poor but deserving students through financial assistance in the form of an
educational loan.
"Then, we have study grants for poverty
alleviation. We have the Bangsamoro special grant-in-aid program and other CHED
programs," he said.
The CHED is mandated to provide these
scholarship programs pursuant to RA 7722, otherwise known as the “Higher
Education Act of 1994.”
Lacierda said the government vows to implement
more reforms in education by increasing the budget. PND (js)
