President Aquino cites role of doctors as
partner of government in proviidng better health services to Filipinos
President Benigno S. Aquino III cited the role
of the doctors as important allies of the government in carrying its mandate of
providing the people with better health services and defend them from the
threat of cancer.
"Our people are our most valuable asset:
They lend our nation its vibrancy and fuel its industries, and collectively,
their individual struggles and triumphs compose the Filipino narrative,"
the Chief Executive said in his message to the Philippine Society of
Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery and the Asian Society of Head and Neck
Oncology (ASHNO) on the occasion of the 3rd ASHNO Congress.
The ASHNO opened the 3rd congress which has for
its theme "The Challenges of Head and Neck Oncology in the 21st
Century" on Wednesday at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Cebu. The event would
end on Friday.
"It is government’s duty to protect this
precious resource, and as doctors, you are important allies in this mission.
You lead our drive towards health, defending our people from the threat of
cancer," the President said
The President expressed hope that the 3rd ASHNO
Congress would help the doctors in their efforts to combat the dreaded disease.
"This event is timely, as it coincides with
the passing of the landmark Sin Tax Reform Law of 2012. Through it, we seek to
drive our collective task of building a better, more equitably progressive
Philippines by channeling the gains of our resurgent economy towards vital
social services such as healthcare," he said.
"This forms part of our roadmap to
inclusive growth, and your active participation in its effective implementation
will be integral to its success," the President said. PND (js)
President Aquino signs bill into law
‘revitalizing’ People’s Television Network
President Benigno S. Aquino III signed into law
a Bill that will “revitalize” the operations of government television station
PTV-4 (People’s Television Network, Incorporated) to be at par with global
standards with programming relevant to the times Communications Secretary
Herminio Coloma, Jr. said.
Coloma, in a press conference held at Malacanang
on Wednesday, said that the President signed into law Republic Act No. 103901
or An Act Amending Republic Act No. 7306, entitled “An Act Providing for the
Establishment of the People’s Television Network, Incorporated, Defining Its
Powers and Functions, Providing for Its Sources of Funding and for Other
Purposes” last March 14, 2013.
“Ikinagagalak ko pong ibalita sa inyo na, noong
ika-14 ng Marso, nilagdaan ng Pangulong Aquino ang batas na ngayon ay alam
natin na Republic Act 10390, an Act Revitalizing the People’s Television
Network. Ang original title po niyan ay an Act Amending the Charter of People’s
Television,” Coloma said.
He pointed out that the new law addresses two
main problems of the government-run television station: the “financial hemorrhage”
marked by the depletion of the station’s capital and the lack of a stable
source of income.
“So that was the situation and President Aquino
directed the crafting of a proposed bill, later on, this bill was included in
the priority list of the LEDAC (Legislative-Executive Development Advisory
Council). And so we worked on the Senate and the Congress to pass a new charter
for People’s Television that had two important features: number one, infusion
by government of fresh capitalization in the amount of P5-billion; and, number
two, giving the network authority to collect commercial revenues,” Coloma said.
He noted that out of the P5-billion, P3-billion
would be sourced from the General Appropriations Act in the next three years
(P1-billion/year) while the remainder will be sourced from revenue generated
from advertising and airtime sales.
“So it was important that the new law provided
for new capitalization and permitted the network to generate commercial
revenues, so that there will be a stable source of sustenance for the network,”
Coloma stressed.
Aside from addressing these problems, Coloma
said that the new law will introduce reforms relevant to the dispensing of
PTV-4’s operations through the nomination of an advisory council “to advise the
network on relevant programming that will bolster the character of PTV as a
public service broadcasting network” and the shifting of focus towards a “new
global best practice of public service broadcasting which means that government
television becomes an active partner or an active instrument for promoting the
public welfare.”
“So, with the enactment of the new PTV law, we
hope to broaden the participation of the citizens in having a network that will
mirror their aspirations. We want to invite the various sectors to give
concrete suggestions on programs that will be beneficial to the community and
to society. That is the rationale for the formation of an advisory council,”
Coloma said.
With regards to content, Coloma said that
programs on PTV-4 would allow block time programming (the scheduling of similar
television programs back-to-back) “provided that it is focused on education,
history, propagation of Philippine culture and quality entertainment.”
He added that the majority of programs would
focus on “news and public information” and will not “compete directly” with
private station’s programs.
“We do not intend to produce entertainment shows
like the telenovela of the type that they have produced. Perhaps we can have a
telenovela featuring the heroism of our Medal of Valor or Gold Cross awardees,
or of the Dangal ng Bayan awardees of the civil service, or outstanding public
school teachers, outstanding policemen, soldiers,” Coloma said.
“Telenovelas that will edify the nobility of the
Filipino public servant, that will be our orientation, not the telenovela that
is commercially available at present. So it is farthest from our intention to
compete directly with private media,” he added.
He said that the new law will “also enable the
network to keep abreast with latest technological developments” such as digital
television and transmission upgrades to improve signal quality.
“We all know that by 2015, the ASEAN standard
will be digital television. We have made some acquisitions of basic digital
equipment in our studios now but we need to do more. Of course, we are still
awaiting the promulgation of official policy on digital television but we’re
confident that we can keep abreast with the rest of ASEAN and with the
commercial broadcasting industry,” Coloma said.
“Because when digital transmission is fully in
place, we will also be able to multiply the channels of government
television—from one free TV station to at least two more cable stations—and we
may be able to dedicate the cable stations to educational programming or
cultural programming. There are also those who say that we should have programs
on Philippine history and culture,” he said.
RA 103901 is a consolidation of Senate Bill No.
3316 and House Bill No. 6703 passed by the Senate and House of Representatives
on January 21, 2013 and December 19, 2012, respectively. PND (rck)
Malacanang elated over latest Pulse Asia survey
showing President Aquino's continued high trust and performance ratings
The Aquino administration expressed elation over
the latest Pulse Asia survey showing that President Benigno S. Aquino III
continues to enjoy high trust and performance ratings, a Palace official said
on Wednesday.
Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda issued
the statement during the regular press briefing in Malacanang following the
release of the Pulse Asia’s February 2013 Nationwide Survey on the Performance
and Trust Ratings of the Country’s Top Government Officials and the Trust
Ratings of Key Government Institutions.
Based on the firm's latest survey released
Wednesday, President Aquino has a 68% approval rating, up by 2 percentage
points from the January 2013 survey result (66%). His "undecided"
rating went down 4 percentage points, while his disapproval rating is still at
6%.
According to the survey, the Chief Executive got
a 70 % trust rating.
"Yes, we are certainly happy that despite
all the concerns, the people continue to repose their trust in the President.
This is an affirmation of the governance of President Benigno S. Aquino
III," Lacierda said.
The President has consistently received the
highest ratings since he assumed his post in 2010.
The survey fieldwork was conducted from February
24 to 28, 2013 using face-to-face interviews.
According to Pulse Asia, some of the major
events that occurred during the survey period were election-related events such
as mock elections and the start of the national campaign period, the Sabah
standoff, the release of the report on the Atimonan incident, the salvage
operations for the USS Guardian in Tubbataha Reef and the 27th anniversary of
the EDSA People Power revolution.
A total of 1,800 registered voters aged 18 years
old and above formed the pool of respondents, coming from across the country.
The nationwide survey has a +/-2% margin of error at the 95% confidence level,
the Pulse Asia said.
The Aquino administration continues to pursue
its relentless pursuit of reform towards positive change. PND (js)
