President Aquino visits Pier 12 in Port Area,
Manila to check preparations being undertaken for the security and safety of
travelling Filipinos, tourists alike
President Benigno S. Aquino III visited on
Tuesday Pier 12 in Port Area, Manila to personally check the preparations being
undertaken by concerned government agencies to ensure the security and safety
of Filipinos and tourists traveling to the provinces during the Lenten season.
The Chief Executive arrived at 9:15 am at Pier
12, where the Philippine Span Asia Carrier Corporation, one of the country’s
premiere shipping lines, is located.
Accompanied by Transportation and Communications
Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya, Presidential Communications Operations Office
Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma, Jr., the President was welcomed by
Philippine Ports Authority General Manager Atty. Juan Sta. Ana, Maritime
Industry Authority (MARINA) Administrator Nicasio Conti, Philippine Coast Guard
Commandant Rear Admiral Rodolfo Isorena, and officials of the Manila North
Harbour Port Inc. and the Philippine Span Asia Carrier Corporation.
Shortly after his arrival in the area, the
President immediately conducted a brief inspection of the shipping company’s
two ticketing booths, check-in counters, help desk areas (medical team and
security help desk) and passengers' pre-boarding facilities, including its
x-ray machines that can both scan passengers of the Princess of the South, a
passenger vessel, and their luggages.
On his way to inspect the facilities of the
shipping company, the President was briefed by Abaya about the preparations
being undertaken by concerned government agencies to ensure the safety of the
public.
President Aquino was likewise briefed on the
initiatives that are being implemented to make the harbor at par with other
commercial harbors in other countries.
The President then boarded the Princess of the
South which was docked at Pier 12 to check on the condition of the passengers.
Following the President's visit, the Princess of
the South, which has a total capacity of 2,000 passengers, left Manila for
Cebu.
In an interview, the President promised that
concerned government agencies will remain on heightened alert for the safety
and orderly travel of passengers. PND (js)
Govt fine tuning stop-gap measure to address
Mindanao power crisis
The government is working on a mechanism that
will assist power distribution utilities to buy diesel-fed electric generating
plants as an immediate stop-gap measure to the current energy crisis in
Mindanao, President Benigno S. Aquino III said on Tuesday.
In an interview during his visits to bus
terminals and ports Tuesday, he said the Department of Energy presented a plan
that details how the government could assist distribution utilities in
purchasing generating sets.
Using diesel power plants are seen as the
quickest remedy to the Mindanao power problem, he said, and with these plants
the government could set these up in six months to one year.
“Yung one year kasama na doon ‘yung four months
na procurement ng gobyerno,” he said. “So we’re working on the mechanism para
madala itong distribution utilities nitong mga generators na ito.”
The President added that the government is
working in an immediate solution that is lawful and his administration doesn’t
want shortcuts.
“Ang state of emergency will only help in terms
of ‘yung baka mas mapadali ang procurement. Ngayon, ayaw naman nating madaliing
sobra na baka magkaroon ng shortcut sa batas, tapos sasabihin ng COA
[Commission on Audit] hindi pwede lahat ‘yan. Balik na naman tayo sa wala,” he
said.
“Gusto lang natin from the start, ‘pag na-deploy
‘yan, talagang sumusunod sa lahat ng mga alituntunin, lahat ng patakaran, at
lahat ng batas para ‘pag naranasan na ay hindi naman mawawala kaagad,” he
added.
The government response is also intended to make
sure that the upcoming elections will not be affected and all the voting
precincts will have enough power to transmit all the election results, he said.
But by 2015, when the permanent plants start to
produce enough energy, the President said he expects the Mindanao power problem
to go away.
It takes between three to four years to set up
the power plants, he said noting the earliest target date is about 300
megawatts from coal-fired power plant by 2015. Similar other plants will also
start going online after that until 2017, he explained.
Also augmenting the insufficiency of power in
Mindanao is the Iligan diesel power plant, which has been operating and
returning to its rated capacity, he said.
Asked how long Mindanao residents would wait
before the remedial measure takes effect, the President said he wants to make
sure that government actions complies with the law.
He noted that currently, there is 35 megawatts
available off these diesel power plants. PND (as)
President Aquino orders DOTC and Philippine
Coast Guard to enhance security and emergency procedures in seaports for safety
of passengers
President Benigno S. Aquino III ordered on
Tuesday Transportation and Communications Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya and
Philippine Coast Guard Commandant Rear Admiral Rodolfo Isorena to enhance the
security and emergency procedures in the seaports to ensure the safety of the
passengers.
The Chief Executive issued the directive
following his visit to Pier 12 in Port Area, Manila, the Ninoy Aquino
International Airport (NAIA) and the Victory Liner Bus Terminal both in Pasay
City to oversee the preparations being undertaken by various concerned
government agencies.
Last week, the Department of Transportation and
Communications (DOTC) officially launched OPLAN Ligtas-Biyahe: Kwaresma 2013 to
ensure convenient, affordable, reliable, efficient, and safe travel for
motorists and commuters this Holy Week.
"Doon sa ship itself, may mga signs that
tells you where you are suppose to go, pero all in English. Tapos, sabi ko baka
naman dapat mas simplehan ang instructions in the event that there’s an
emergency.... These are being taken cared of now by both MARINA (Maritime
Industry Authority) and by the Coast Guard," President Aquino said.
The President, however, cited the enhanced
efforts initiated by both the shipping and government authorities to prevent
the shipping of drugs and prohibited items.
"Talagang thorough ang ginagawa nila to
prevent all of this contraband from getting on board," the President said.
The Chief Executive was informed that the law
enforcers, together with the vessel's security personnel, arrested a passenger
who was found in possession of shabu.
After his visit to Pier 12, President Aquino
proceeded to NAIA Terminal 4, at 10:15 a.m. and immediately inspected the
operations and security preparations at the airport.
The President inspected the ticketing booth,
x-ray area, check-in counters of the Sea Air and pre-boarding gate at the
departure area of NAIA Terminal 4. He then went to NAIA Terminal 3 and
inspected the airport facilities.
Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA)
General Manager Jose Angel Honrado briefed the President on the status of
passenger volume and traffic, airport security and assistance measures.
The President reminded the government agencies
namely, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, Department of
Transportation and Communications, Philippine National Police, Philippine Coast
Guard, Department of Health, Bureau of Fire Protection, among others to enhance
the implementation of their respective tasks to protect the travelling
Filipinos and tourists.
From NAIA, President Aquino proceeded to the
Victory Liner Bus Terminal on EDSA, Pasay City to inspect security
preparations.
He commended the government agencies concerned
and the bus operators for implementing initiatives in ensuring the safety of
the riding public.
" Andito ‘yung testing for drugs and
alcohol ingestion. So mukhang very thorough ang ginagawa nila MMDA Chairman
(Francis) Tolentinto, voluntary on the part of the drivers and conductors and
naging positive. Ngayon, they found one person out of everybody who’s driving
or conducting the buses. So nakaka-impress na meron tayong ganitong equipment
that is already being utilized to enhance the safety of our people," he
said. PND (js)
President Aquino intends to watch a film on
Jesus Christ this Lenten season
President Benigno S. Aquino III said on Tuesday
that he intends to watch a film about Jesus Christ this Lenten season.
In an interview during his visit at the Victory
Liner Bus Terminal on Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) in Pasay City on
Tuesday, the Chief Executive said he opted to spend the Lenten season in his
official residence called Bahay Pangarap located at the Presidential Security
Group (PSG) compound in Manila by watching a film about Jesus Christ.
The Bahay Pangarap is only five minutes away
from Malacañang Palace.
"I’m trying to look for my copy of the film
“Jesus Christ Superstar”. "Di ba, hindi (ito) masyadong heavy the way it
reminds (us) of what our Christian faith is supposed to be; what Christ had to
undergo to save all of us," the President said.
President Aquino visited on Tuesday the Pier 12
in Port Area, Manila, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and the
Victory Liner Bus Terminal both in Pasay City to check on the preparations
being undertaken by various concerned government agencies to ensure the
security and safety of Filipinos and tourists traveling to the provinces during
the Lenten season.
The President vowed that the concerned
government agencies remain on heightened alert for the safety and orderly
travel of passengers. PND (js)
