President Aquino declares May 13 National and
Local Elections as special public (non-working) holiday nationwide
President Benigno S. Aquino III has declared May
13, 2013 as a special public (non-working) holiday throughout the country to
enable the people to properly exercise their right of suffrage.
Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda
announced during the regular press briefing in Malacanang on Wednesday that the
Chief Executive issued the declaration by virtue of Proclamation No. 571 signed
by Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr. on April 23.
The national and local elections will be held on
May 13 which falls on a Monday.
"The Constitution designates national and
local polls to be held on the second Monday of May and by virtue of
Proclamation No. 571, s. 2013, the President wishes to enable the Filipino
people to exercise their right of suffrage," Lacierda said.
"We enjoin all those eligible to vote to
use this non-working holiday to participate in the electoral process that forms
the bedrock of our democracy," Lacierda stressed.
Last January, the Chief Executive has ordered
the deputation of law enforcement agencies and instrumentalities of the
government, including the Armed Forces of the Philippines to ensure free,
orderly, honest, peaceful and credible conduct of the May 13 automated national
and local elections. PND (js)
Gov’t. allocates P7-M for President Aquino’s
attendance to ASEAN Summit in Brunei Darussalam
The government has set aside around P7 million
for President Benigno S. Aquino III’s attendance to the 22nd high-level meeting
of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Brunei Darussalam from
April 24 to 25, Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr. said on Wednesday.
President Aquino left this afternoon for Bandar
Seri Begawan via a chartered Philippine Airlines flight accompanied by
51-member delegation that includes Foreign Secretary Albert Del Rosario,
Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo, Cabinet
Secretary to the President Rene Almendras, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin
Lacierda, Mindanao Development Authority Secretary Luwalhati Antonino, and
Presidential Protocol Chief Celia Anna Feria.
The expenses cover the charter lease,
accommodation, transportation, food and equipment, among others, for the
President and the delegation.
According to the Department of Foreign Affairs
(DFA), President Aquino is expected to focus on maritime security and
cooperation in the region when he meets other ASEAN leaders in Bandar Seri
Begawan for the annual summit.
The DFA said the Chief Executive will push for
the full implementation of the Declaration of the Conduct of Parties in the
West Philippine Sea and the early conclusion of a substantive and legally
binding code of conduct, as well as the review of the ASEAN Charter with the objective
of streamlining the work and meetings of the regional bloc.
The DFA added that the 9th
Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) Summit
is also set on the sidelines of the summit meeting.
The DFA said the 22nd ASEAN Summit’s theme “Our
People, Our Future Together” emphasizes the importance of ASEAN citizens in
realizing the vision of an ASEAN Community by 2015.
Malacanang says Aquino government remains
committed in providing jobs for Filipinos
The Aquino government remains focused on
generating jobs for Filipinos in the urban areas and countryside in keeping
with its goal to mitigate poverty, a Palace official said on Wednesday.
Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda issued
the statement during the regular press briefing in Malacanang on Wednesday
following reports that the percentage of Filipinos living below the poverty
line has remained almost unchanged in the past six years.
"These are Year 2012 numbers, these are not
current numbers. The survey yesterday (Tuesday) that was conducted by the NSCB
(National Statistical Coordination Board) was for the first semester of 2012,
which means the first half of 2012," Lacierda said.
Lacierda said the government remains optimistic
that the next rounds of poverty statistics will give better results that will
reflect the government’s massive investment in human development and poverty
mitigation.
In the second quarter of 2012, Lacierda said the
economy grew by 5.9 percent, which was later revised to 6.0 percent.
"And in the third quarter, the GDP growth
was 7.1, the fisheries sector grew by 4.1 from .7 of the second quarter of
2012. In the fourth quarter, the GDP was 6.8 and the agricultural-fisheries
sector grew by 4.7," he said.
"We have also seen an increased in
investments on the part of the private sector. We have also accelerated our
disbursement program," he continued.
Lacierda said the Human Development and Poverty
Reduction Cabinet cluster has come up with an action plan to generate jobs for
people living in the urban areas, as well as the countryside. He said various
programs to support the farmers are now in place to improve the agricultural
sector.
"Ang focus ng ating problema ngayon is
agriculture. Doon medyo mababa ang growth. What’s also important right now is
we’re trying to link farmers and technology, sources of technology and sources
of credit," he said.
"Now with respect to industries, we have
seen private investments coming in. The private sector during the latter half
of 2012, has really poured in their investments. Malaki ang improvement ng
ating private sector as based on our figures during the last year. So we will
expect a greater improvement in our numbers with respect to poverty," he
said. PND (js)
Aquino to push for binding code of conduct in
South China Sea during ASEAN Summit
President Benigno S. Aquino III said he would
push for the crafting of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea when he
attends the 22nd Association of Southeast Asian Summit (ASEAN) Summit in Brunei
Darussalam Thursday.
“Sa pagtitipong ito, muli tayong nabibigyan ng
pagkakataong ibahagi sa ating mga karatig-bansa ang saloobin ng Pilipinas ukol
sa mga napapanahong isyu, at ang kahandaan ng mga Pilipinong makipagtulungan sa
iba’t ibang larangan,” the President said in his departure statement at the
Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2.
Peace and stability are important because any
instability in one area could affect the entire global economy, the President
said.
“Wala tayong ibang hangad kundi ang magtaguyod
ng kaayusan at kapayapaan, kaya naman itutulak nating isabuhay ng lahat ang mga
prinsipyong nakapaloob sa Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South
China Sea o DOC,” he said.
“Hihikayatin din natin ang ibang pinuno sa
pagpapanday ng isang Code of Conduct sa lalong madaling panahon, na kikilalanin
at susundin ng lahat. Sa liderato ng kasalukuyang ASEAN Chairman, si Sultan
Haji Hassanal Bolkiah ng Brunei, buo ang kumpiyansa nating mas makakausad nang
patas ang paksang ito,” he added.
The President’s attendance to the summit would
be brief and he said he would seize the opportunity to push the country’s
interest in the regional gathering. The President also hopes to build stronger
relations with fellow ASEAN countries.
The ASEAN and China agreed in 2002 on the
Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea to maintain peace
and stability in the contested area, a major lane for global trade and believed
to be rich in mineral resources.
Some claimant countries including the
Philippines are pushing for the crafting of a binding Code of Conduct for the
eventual peaceful resolution of the South China Sea issue. PND (as)
Palace to communist rebels: Join us in progress
Malacanang asked communist insurgents to lay
down their arms and join the nation reap the fruits of an improved economy and
developing country.
Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda said in a
press briefing in Malacanang on Wednesday that the Aquino government has been
focusing on achieving progress and inclusive growth for the benefit of all
Filipinos.
He said the government is pushing for more jobs
in the countryside, improving the productivity of the farmers so there’s no
sense for the rebels to spend time in the mountains.
“Come down and join us in sharing the wealth and
sharing the progress of the country. They have been reduced to a bandit group,
and it makes no sense for them to continue their nefarious ways, and just help
us,” he said.
Part of the government initiative to entice the
members of the New People’s Army (NPA) to go back to the fold of the law is the
Armed Forces of the Philippines’s Bayanihan program, he said.
The present activities of the rebels such as
extorting politicians for permit-to-campaign fees, destroying telecommunication
facilities, as well as harassing the members of the police and the military are
not constructive, Lacierda said.
To counter these activities, Lacierda said the
government will remain committed to uplifting the situation of the masses.
Despite the continuing operations against the
rebels, Lacierda said the government wants the members of the NPA to be part of
the current developments.
“Whether or not there is an ongoing peace talks,
we are telling these people: It makes no sense for you to stay in the
mountainside. It makes no sense for you to conduct ambushes,” he said.
“This government is committed to equitable
progress; this government is committed to inclusive growth. And now is the best
time for you to come down and be part of this campaign of making sure that you
will be part [of] and share the progress that this country is experiencing,” he
added.
This week, the President instructed the AFP to
dismantle roadblocks set up by the rebels in areas they control.
The Palace also asked local candidates to shun
the demands of the NPA for campaign fees in exchange for allowing them entry to
rebel strongholds. PND (as)
