Palace announces appointment of COA chair as
Food and Agriculture Organization auditor of UN
Commission on Audit Chairman Grace Pulido-Tan
has been appointed to a six-year term as the external auditor of the Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Malacanang announced on
Wednesday.
“We [Philippines] were elected to a six-year
term and I would like to congratulate Chairman Grace Tan who is the only female
external auditor in the entire UN system,” Presidential spokesman Edwin
Lacierda said in a press briefing on Wednesday in Malacanang.
Tan and other Filipino embassy staffs as well as
the agriculture attaché were in Rome and were instrumental in laying the
groundwork for the presentation of the Philippines as one of the candidates for
external auditor of FAO, he said.
Lacierda also congratulated the country’s
embassy officials and agriculture attaché in Rome, Italy, for helping in the
presentation of the Philippines’s candidacy.
The Food and Agriculture Organization under the
UN ensures global food security so that people have regular access to enough
high-quality food and lead active, healthy lives. Its mandate is to raise
levels of nutrition, improve agricultural productivity, better the lives of
rural populations and contribute to the growth of the world economy. PND (as)
Government renews commitment to finalize peace
discussion with MILF
Malacanang made an assurance on Wednesday that
both the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) could finish
all the remaining issues in the peace talks as soon as possible.
In a press conference in Malacanang on
Wednesday, Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda explained President Aquino’s
requests for time extension in discussing certain issues asking to move the
exploratory talks to April instead of March.
“There are certain issues in the annexes that
have to be addressed so we needed time… the President wanted more time to
discuss the annexes, the remaining issues in the annexes,” Lacierda said.
“There are remaining issues in these annexes and
by no means are we stopping. We just wanted to clear all the issues before we
move to the next exploratory talks so we decided to ask for a resetting of the
talks to April.”
Currently, there are two annexes that are in
discussion, he said. There’s a draft annex already on wealth-sharing,
power-sharing, as well as the normalization, he added.
The Palace official also made it clear that the
Sabah conflict isn’t an issue in the ongoing peace discussion. The government’s
primary concern is ironing out all the remaining issues in the annexes.
“Those things are going to be discussed on our
end. And, as soon as we send them over by April, hopefully there will be
further discussions, but it’s one of the reasons why we’d like to make sure
that we try to finish the annexes at the soonest possible time.
In a briefer released by the Office of the
Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), the 37th Formal Exploratory
Talks was postponed from March to April after the President requested for more
time for the formal talks
It was originally scheduled to begin March 25,
but the President requested the schedule to be reset to April next month.
OPAPP said the Philippine government panel
conveyed the President’s request to the MILF and the Malaysian facilitators.
After a meeting on the President’s request, both
sides issued a “firm commitment of the two parties to continue the talks in an
expeditious manner,” OPAPP said. PND (as)
Aquino calls on people to emulate the example
set forth by our Savior Jesus Christ
President Benigno S. Aquino III joins the
Filipino nation in the observance of the Holy Week and called on the people to
emulate the example set forth by our Savior Jesus Christ.
"Bilang mga tagasunod ni Kristo, nararapat
lamang na tayo’y tumulad sa Kanyang mabuting ehemplo," the Chief Executive
said in his Lenten message issued on Wednesday.
President Aquino asked his fellow Catholics and
Christians to remember the great atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the sins
of mankind.
"Ngayong panahon ng Kuwaresma, ginugunita
po natin ang natatanging halimbawa ni Hesukristo sa sangkatauhan.
Nagkatawang-tao siya, nagpakumbaba, at iniligtas tayo sa kasalanan; naging
huwaran Siya sa landas ng pagbubukas-palad, at wagas na pagmamahal sa kapwa,"
he said.
The Chief Executive emphasized that one of the
great messages of the Holy Week celebration is sacrifice.
"Wala na nga pong tutumbas sa sakripisyong
ipinamalas ni Hesukristo. At kung tutuusin, dahil sa dakilang pag-aalay Niya ng
buhay para sa kaligtasan natin, kakarampot na lamang ang kanyang hinihiling –
ang mahalin at arugain ang ating kapwa. Makukuha pa ba nating ipagkait ito sa
Kanya?." the President noted.
President Aquino said the Filipino nation is now
succeeding in pushing for reforms in a bid to attain unity and progress. He
also noted that the Filipinos continue to manifest God's love and compassion
through their charitable works.
"Bilang isang bansa, marami na po tayong
napatunayan sa landas ng pagkakaisa, pagkakawanggawa, at pagmamalasakit sa
kapwa: hindi imposibleng bumangon mula sa halos isang dekadang pagkadapa; hindi
suntok sa buwan ang muling maaninag ang kaunlaran, lalo na para sa mga
kababayan nating higit na nangangailangan," he said.
"Sa gabay at patnubay ni Kristo, naipamalas
natin ang bisa ng pagtuon—hindi sa pansariling interes—kundi sa kapakanan ng
ating mga kababayan," he stressed.
He also called on the Catholic faithful and
Christians to stand firm on our Christian faith to be able to attain our goal
to transform the country into a progressive nation.
"Ngayon pong Mahal na Araw, muling
ipinapaalala sa atin ang halaga ng pagiging tanglaw sa isa’t isa, at ang
liwanag na hatid nito sa buong bansa. Napakaganda na po ng mga nasimulan nating
hakbang; at ngayong Semana Santa, patuloy nawa tayong makapagnilay kung paano
pa mapapayabong ang mga butil ng pakikipagkapwa na ibinahagi sa atin ng Poong
Maykapal.," he said.
The President also wished all Filipinos a
peaceful and blessed celebration of Lent. PND (js)
Aquino welcomes the move of Fitch Group granting
the Philippines investment grade status
President Benigno S. Aquino III expressed
elation over the move of the credit ratings agency Fitch Group granting the
Philippines its first investment grade status.
"We are pleased to hear that this
afternoon, the Fitch group announced that they upgraded the status of the
Philippines from BB+ to BBB-. This marks the first time in history that our
nation has been granted investment grade status by a major credit ratings agency,"
the Chief Executive said in a statement released on Wednesday.
The Philippines has finally won its much-coveted
investment grade status from Fitch Group, one of the three major international
credit rating agencies that assesses the government’s ability to pay back its
debt and the chance of non-payment.
"This means much more than lower interest
rates on our debt and more investors buying our securities. Greater access to
low-cost funds gives us more fiscal space to sustain and further improve on
social protection, defense, and economic stimulus, among others," the
President said.
President Aquino said more companies in the real
economy can now consider the Philippines an investment destination after the
Philippines got the investment grade status.
"Investment grade for sovereign debt should
also lead to lower borrowing costs for Philippine companies in the
international markets, consequently allowing for higher valuations for their
securities. This in turn enables industries to expand and generate more jobs
for our countrymen-- fostering a virtuous cycle of growth, empowerment, and
inclusiveness that will redound to the benefit of Filipinos across all sectors
of society," the President stressed.
The President said the Philippine's investment
grade rating from Fitch represents the perception of lessening risk in the
country's markets.
"It formalizes the investment grade level
at which the Philippines has already been securing credit. This is an
institutional affirmation of our good governance agenda – Sound fiscal
management and integrity-based leadership has led to a resurgent economy in the
face of uncertainties in the global arena. It serves to encourage even greater
interest and investments in our country," he said.
"It is one among many other positive
developments that demonstrates the reclamation of our national pride. Truly,
what was once known as the perennial laggard of Asia is taking off, and is
accelerating towards its goal of an equitably progressive society," he
noted.
The Philippines’ economic growth, as measured by
its gross domestic product (GDP), has been progressively growing despite the
economic downturn in the global environment, expanding by 6.6 percent in 2012.
"The task now is to ensure that expected
inflows will be used to maximum effect towards a sustainable, progressively
empowering economy. We are determined to build on our economic gains to usher
in a society wherein every Filipino, today and for generations to come, may be
given the wherewithal to realize their full potential," President Aquino
concluded. PND (js)
