President Aquino declares April 25 as a special
non-working day in Isabela, Basilan in celebration of its 12th Foundation Day
President Benigno S. Aquino III has declared
April 25, which falls on a Thursday, as a special (non-working) day in the city
of Isabela in the province of Basilan in celebration of its 12th Foundation
Day.
The Chief Executive issued the declaration by
virtue of Proclamation No. 562 signed by Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa
Jr. on March 13, to give the people of Isabela the full opportunity to
celebrate and participate in the occasion.
On March 5, 2001, the municipality of Isabela in
Basilan became a component city by virtue of Republic Act No. 9023. Then on
April 25, 2001, residents ratified the cityhood of Isabela during a plebiscite.
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Aquino leads launching of Laguna Lake flood
control project in Sta. Cruz
STA. CRUZ, Laguna) President Benigno S. Aquino
III led Friday the launching of the Laguna Lake flood control and river
protection project that will shield communities along the lake from raging
flood waters during rainy seasons.
Upon arriving at the project site, the President
was briefed by Secretary Neric Acosta, the Presidential Adviser for
Environmental Protection and Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) general
manager, about the flood control project.
Acosta said the P180-million flood control
project in Sta. Cruz is the first to be implemented and other four projects in
several other locations along the Laguna Lake rim will also soon start.
The government is prioritizing the Sta. Cruz
flood control project following the visit of the President in the area after
the onslaught of habagat in Laguna, Acosta said.
Sta. Cruz was heavily affected by the flooding
and had the largest number of hectarage affected as well as families devastated
by flood waters, he added.
Acosta said they expect the Sta. Cruz flood
control project to be completed by November or December this year. They also
target to complete the entire flood control system along the lake by April next
year, he added.
The Sta. Cruz flood control project launched by
the President involves the construction of river control structures with
reinforced concrete river walls on steel sheet piles. The DPWH will also
excavate earthen embankments to widen the river and increase its flood
conveyance capacity, according to a project briefer.
It is designed to restore damaged river walls,
extend length of slope protection and balance the habitat and recreational
function of the area. The project design includes rock grade stabilization,
rock bank protection and the use of bio-engineering techniques.
The government is implementing the flood control
project based on the memorandum of agreement between the LLDA and the
Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
The LLDA and the DPWH have P780 million to
complete the project that will rehabilitate and construct river control
structures in Sta. Cruz, Mabitac, Sta. Maria, Binan, and San Pedro.
The P780-million fund is part of the P5 billion
allocation approved by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA)
board chaired by the President.
The government allocated P5 billion for the
Metro Manila Flood Management Master Plan that establishes the roadmap for a
sustainable and effective flood control management of the DPWH in cooperation
with the LLDA and local government units (LGUs). PND (as)
Govt has effective contingency plan for a Korean
Peninsula crisis, says Aquino
STA.CRUZ, Laguna) President Benigno S. Aquino
III made an assurance on Friday that the government has an intact emergency
response plan in case war breaks out in the Korean Peninsula as tension
continues to rise in the region.
In an interview with the media during an event
here, the President said he’s confident that Filipino community organizations
in South Korea are working hand-in-hand with the Philippine Embassy in that
country to organize Filipinos if there is a need for an evacuation.
“Maganda ang ugnayan ng ating embahada at ng mga
Filipino community groups doon. Iba-ibang mga grupo ang naghanda ng mga
evacuation plans kung sakaling kakailanganin,” the President said.
At the same time, the President said the
Philippine government is also talking with other countries for temporary
sheltering arrangements in case of any emergency evacuation.
The President said Foreign Affairs Secretary
Albert del Rosario is flying to South Korea tomorrow to check on the
government’s preparations for a possible emergency situation.
The Department of Foreign Affairs as well as the
intelligence services was also instructed to assess whether or not the threat
is real and how bad it is, the President said.
But the President added that he hasn’t received
any information about any eminent threat in South Korea that will require
evacuation of Filipinos.
The President recalled that during the shelling
of a South Korean island two years ago, there were about 50,000 Filipinos
living or working in South Korea. About 15,000 stay closest to the
demilitarized zone than Seoul, making them a top priority for the government in
case of an emergency.
The government said there are nine Filipinos
working in North Korea as United Nations staff.
Under the government’s contingency plan,
Filipinos will be brought to the southern portion of the country, in Busan, and
then they will be ferried or airlifted from there, the President said.
The government also has better capability now
than before in evacuating people because it has three operational C-130 cargo
planes. It also has a Navy ship that could ferry people from South Korea.
One C-130 can carry about 100 people per flight
for a four-hour flight, the President explained. A Philippine Navy ship can
carry a thousand but travel time could take around ten days.
Tension has been high in the Korea Peninsula
amid threats of North Korea to launch nuclear attacks against the US and its
ally, South Korea. On Thursday, the US announced it is deploying an
anti-missile defense system in Guam to shield its territory against a possible
North Korean missile attack. PND (as)
Aquino says, government implementing measures to
improve Laguna Lake communities
STA. CRUZ, Laguna) The government has been
carrying out several short-term and long-term measures to uplift the living
conditions of communities living along the Laguna Lake, particularly the
fisherfolks, President Benigno S. Aquino III said on Friday.
In an interview after meeting local leaders and
the community here, the President said among these measures include the
demolition of 30,000 hectares of illegal or abandoned fish pens that contribute
to the siltation of the lake.
There is also an ongoing cash-for-work program
of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to capture and
eliminate “knife fish” in the lake. It’s an immediate government program for
the people living along the Laguna Lake, he said.
The long-term plan is the National Greening
Program, he said. Under the program the government aims to plant 1.5 billion
trees near the lake to reduce the sediments flowing into the body of water.
There is also a P5-billion Flood Control Program
to protect communities located along the lake, the President said. In his visit
here, he launched the P180-million flood control project in Sta. Cruz that will
shield communities from floodwaters during the rainy seasons.
The government is allocating P780 million for
the flood control projects in five areas along the Laguna Lake, the President
said.
There are also jobs made available for informal
settlers who dump wastes into the lake, he said noting over a hundred thousand
families are considered informal settlers.
“Nagda-dump, ginagawang basurahan ang lawa. So
maski anong dredging ang gagawin, kung hindi aayusin ang bumubuhos mula sa
upstream at ‘yung nilalagay ng tao, useless. Ulit lang tayo nang ulit,” he
noted. PND (as)
President Aquino assures more government
fundings for infrastructure and development projects to enhance Laguna's
business and tourism sectors
CALAMBA CITY, Laguna) President Benigno S.
Aquino III assured on Thursday that the government remains committed to provide
more government fundings for various infrastructure and development projects as
part of efforts in enhancing the province's business and tourism sectors.
In his speech during his meeting with local
leaders and the community at the Calamba City Hall Grounds here on Friday, the
Chief Executive said road projects are now in place to boost the province's
tourism, commercial, agriculture sectors, among others.
"Sa ngayon, sinisikap nating pumaspas ang
pagpapagawa ng apatnapu’t pitong kilometrong Cavite-Laguna Expressway mula sa
Kawit, Cavite patungong Mamplasan, Laguna. Isinusulong na rin natin ang
Calamba-Los Baños-Bay Expressway na magmumula sa SLEX Extension at kokonekta sa
ating national road sa munisipalidad ng Bay, Laguna," he said.
President Aquino said the government started
working on the flood control dike expressway to address flooding in Metro
Manila, Laguna and nearby provinces.
"Batid po natin ang malaking pinsala ng
malawakang pagbaha. Kaya naman naglaan tayo ng limang bilyong pisong priority
flood control projects para sa Kalakhang Maynila at mga karatig bayan. Puspusan
nating itataguyod ang mga imprastrakturang pipigil sa pagragasa ng baha sa
iba’t ibang bahagi ng Laguna," the President noted.
"Nakapila na ang mga land raising projects
malapit sa Laguna de Bay at ang pagpapatibay sa mga dinadaluyan ng tubig
patungong lawa ng Laguna. Target rin nating simulan sa susunod na taon ang C-6
Extension, ang flood control dike expressway na babagtas mula Taguig hanggang
Laguna," he stressed.
President Aquino said the government started
implementing housing projects for the members of the Armed Forces of the
Philippines (AFP), Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Jail Management
and Penology (BJMP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and Bureau of Corrections
(BuCor) as part of the government's goal to improve their living conditions.
"Hulyo 2011 po nang huli akong magtungo
dito sa Calamba upang ipamahagi ang apat na libong pabahay para sa ating mga
sundalo’t pulis. At mula po noon, lalo pang umarangkada ang programa dahil sa
ating mabuting pamamahala. Natapos na po nating ipatayo noong nakaraang taon
ang 21,800 na pabahay para sa ating mga sundalo’t pulis. Nasa Phase II na rin
po ang programa kung saan 31,200 pa ang ipinapatayo natin para sa mga kawani ng
AFP, PNP, BJMP, BFP at BuCor sa buong bansa," he said.
The President expressed his gratitude to the
people of Laguna who affirm his administration’s commitment to tread the
straight and righteous path in transforming the Philippines into a progressive
nation.
"Maraming salamat po sa patuloy ninyong
pakikiisa sa tuwid na daan. Dahil sa nilikha ninyo at patuloy na ginagawang
pagbabago, kaya nating ipagsigawang ang sarap maging Pilipino,” he said.
He assured the people that his government would
continue to strengthen its efforts in ensuring that the benefits of the
country's growth are both equitable and inclusive.
"Mantakin po ninyo: mula nang manungkulan
tayo, naitaas natin ng dalawandaan at animnapu’t walong porsyento ang budget ng
DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Devlopment), pitumpu’t walong porsyento
sa DOH (Department of Health), apatnapu’t apat na porsyento sa DepEd (Department
of Education); at dalawampu’t tatlong porsyento sa DPWH," he said.
Anchored on the principle of "Tuwid na
Daan," the President stressed that his government was able to build on the
gains of the anti-corruption campaign and reduce poverty.
"Naitaas natin ang kanilang budget, nang
walang itinataas na buwis. Bakit? Dahil wala nang tagas sa kabang bayan; hindi
na nagso-shortcut sa kung kaninong bulsa ang pera ng taumbayan," he said.
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