Aquino to lead the 115th Anniversary of
Philippine Independence Day at Liwasang Bonifacio
President Benigno Aquino III will lead on
Wednesday the celebration of the 115th Anniversary of the Proclamation of
Philippine Independence at the Liwasang Bonifacio on P. Burgos St., Manila.
Upon arrival at the Liwasang Bonifacio, the
Chief Executive will be accorded full military honors. The President and other
government officials will walk towards the flagpole for the flag-raising
ceremony.
After the flag-raising ceremony, President
Aquino and Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Emmanuel T.
Bautista will lead the wreath-laying ceremony.
The President will join the brief program which
has for its theme "Kalayaan 2013: Ambagan Tungo sa Malawakang
Kaunlaran" as guest of honor and speaker.
Joining the President during the event are
Defense Secretary Voltaire T. Gazmin, Manila Mayor Alfredo S. Lim, National
Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) Chairperson Maria Serena I.
Diokno, NHCP Executive Director Ludovico Badoy, Philippine Postal Corporation
Board Chairman Cesar Sarino, Postmaster and Chief Executive Officer Josefina M.
dela Cruz, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Francis
Tolentino, among others.
There will be simultaneous flag-raising and
wreath laying ceremonies on the Independence Day (June 12) at the Liwasang
Bonifacio, Manila; Rizal National Monument, Rizal Park, Manila with Vice
President Jejomar C. Binay leading the ceremonies; General Emilio Aguinaldo
Shrine in Kawit, Cavite with Senator Franklin Drilon;
Barasoain Church, Malolos City, Bulacan, with
Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr.; Pinaglabanan Memorial Shrine, San
Juan, with Lone District Mandaluyong City Representative and Majority Floor
Leader Neptali M. Gonzalez II; Mausoleo de los Veteranos de la Revolucion,
Manila North Cemetery with Philippine Veterans Affairs Office Administrator
(ret.) Lt. Gen. Ernesto Carolina; Bonifacio National Monument, Caloocan City
with Caloocan City Mayor Enrico “Recom” Echiverri and Pamintuan House, Angeles
City, Pampanga with NHCP Commissioner Dr. Ferdinand C. Llanes.
After the program at the Liwasang Bonifacio, the
President will proceed to the Malacanang Palace for the Vin D’ Honneur with
members of the Diplomatic Corps, Cabinet secretaries, government officials,
Congressional representatives of various districts, Manila Mayor Lim and city
officials, representatives of the local government units, non-government
organizations and other sectors, veterans, teachers, students, among others.
The country celebrates the Independence Day each
year to raise awareness among the Filipinos that freedom is the most precious
right of every citizen.
The holiday commemorates the Declaration of
Independence on June 12, 1898 by General Emilio Aguinaldo and the Filipino
revolutionary forces from Spanish colonization.
Independence Day was officially observed on July
4 until the Republic Act No. 4166 that designated June 12 as the country's
Independence Day was signed by the late President Diosdado Macapagal on August
4, 1964.
The Palace earlier called on Filipinos to
display the Philippine flag at their respective home, offices, schools, public
buildings and plazas, as well as embassies and consulates overseas beginning
May 28, in celebration of National Flag Day, until June 12, in preparation for
the Independence Day. PND (js)
Aquino leads final inspection of Laguindingan
Airport in Misamis Oriental
LAGUINDINGAN, Misamis Oriental: President
Benigno S. Aquino III made a final inspection Tuesday of the Laguindingan
Airport here, which will become the gateway of Northern Mindanao.
The P7.8-billion airport project is expected to
boost tourism in the region as it addresses the limitations of Lumbia Airport
in Cagayan de Oro City and the Balo-i Airport in Lanao del Norte.
“Kasabay nito ang pag-inspeksyon natin sa mga
pasilidad nito upang siguruhin ang epektibo nitong operasyon at serbisyo.
Kompiyansa po tayong magiging bukal ito ng mas malakas na turismo, at mas
malawak na oportunidad para sa ating mga kababayan,” the President said in his
message during the inspection.
The completion of the Laguindingan Airport is
one part of the administration’s thrust to upgrade the country’s transportation
and tourism sectors, the President said who initially visited the facility last
February.
Aside from the money allocated to build the new
airport, the government shelled out P17 billion to construct more roads,
airports, ports that connect major tourist destinations in the country with
other destinations, he said.
And with the key reforms carried out in the
country’s aviation industry, the President said the International Civil
Aviation Organization has removed the Philippines from the Significant Safety
Concerns that it imposed.
The delisting is a major step in the
Philippines’s campaign for the eventual removal of the country’s aviation
industry from the watch list imposed by the European Union and the US against
the industry.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines
(CAAP) put up the Certificate Management Department aimed at ensuring the
safety of local carriers operating in the Philippines, the President said.
The President also mentioned the passage of RA
10378 that eliminates the 3 percent Common Carriers Tax imposed on passengers
traveling on foreign airlines and vessels.
“Ang resulta: mas mahihikayat ang mga
international carrier na tumungo sa bansa, at lalo pang mapapalago ang turismo,
gayundin ang mga industriyang kakambal nito. Malinaw po na habang bumibilis ang
biyahe sa Pilipinas, pumapaspas din ang pag-asenso ng ating ekonomiya at ang
antas ng buhay ng ating mamamayan,” he said.
President extended his gratitude to the
government of South Korea that provided the $30.6 million official development
assistance (ODA) to complete the Laguindingan Airport.
Also, among the entities that contributed money
for the construction of the airport include the KEXIM Bank Export Credit, $62.7
million; Philippine government, $60.3 million and the Air Navigation
Facilities, $13.3 million.
The President also commended the cooperation
between the Department of Transportation and Communication and the local
governments of Misamis Oriental, and the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan.
The Laguindingan Airport is expected to cater to
around 1.6 million passengers a year, tripling the annual capacity of the
Lumbia Airport in Cagayan de Oro City. PND (as)
President Aquino explains country’s job rate
adjustment
LAGUINDINGAN, Misamis Oriental) The net loss of
around 21,000 jobs was the result of delayed planting season in the agriculture
sector, President Benigno S. Aquino III said on Tuesday.
The National Statistics Office (NSO) reported
that the country’s April unemployment rate was at 7.5 percent, highest in three
years, year-on-year.
“The major issue there is the agriculture sector
because of the delay in the planting season,” President said during an
interview after his final inspection of the new airport facility here.
Referring to a National Economic and Development
Authority (NEDA) report, the President said the decline in employed persons was
accounted for by agricultural workers especially unpaid family workers.
“‘The Bureau of Agriculture Statistics reported
that farmers delayed their planting in April. Unfortunately, the survey also
was done in April. So, at the time na nag-survey sila, sumabay ‘yung delay. So
lalabas talaga na medyo nagkaroon ng decline,’ he said.
There were also perceptions that the weather was
too harsh for planting making the situation unfavorable for the farmers, he
said noting that the farmers always has the weather dictating their planting
cycles.
But there are good developments, the President
said, because despite the decline in agriculture, this was offset by the
improvements in the industry and service sectors. Wage and salary workers
working fulltime increased in both sectors, he said.
“Therefore, ‘yung naging net result was a net job
loss of 21,000. Can I just add that in the two years between 2010 and 2012, the
net new jobs generated were a total of 1.57 million,” the President explained.
The number of new persons employed in the wage
and salary category, a category used as an indicator of quality jobs, increased
by 1.9 million during the same period, he said.
The President explained further that there was a
suspicion during the survey that if people were ask about their employment
status, many of them considered themselves self-employed which might be a
euphemism for not employed.
“So ‘pag napasok doon sa wage and salary sector,
‘yung tunay na may trabaho talagang maliwanag. So that growth of 1.9 million is
significant,” he said. PND (as)
President Aquino orders all concerned agencies
to adopt gender equality guidelines
President Benigno S. Aquino directed all
concerned government agencies to adopt gender equality guidelines in the
development of their respective media policies and implementing programs in
order to promote gender mainstreaming.
The Chief Executive issued the directive by
virtue of Memorandum Circular No. 48 signed by Executive Secretary Paquito N.
Ochoa Jr. on May 30.
Pursuant to Section 14, Article II of the 1987
Constitution, the State recognizes the role of women in nation-building, and
shall ensure the fundamental equality before the law of women and men.
The State recognizes the vital role of
communication and information in nation-building," the President said.
"Republic Act No. 9710, otherwise known as
“The Magna Carta of Women," mandates the State to formulate policies and
programs for the advancement of women in collaboration with government and
non-government media-related organizations and to raise the consciousness of
the general public in recognizing the dignity of women and the role and
contribution of women in the family, community, and the society through the
strategic use of mass media," President Aquino said.
Under the RA 9710 and its Implementing Rules and
Regulations (IRR), the Office of the Press Secretary, now the Presidential
Communications Operations Office (PCOO), and its attached agencies are mandated
to ensure formulation of policies and implementation of programs.
Pursuant to the IRR of RA 9710, the PCOO,
together with the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), convened the Gender
Equality Committee (GEC) which is tasked to promote gender mainstreaming and to
formulate the gender equality guidelines and Code of Ethics for media.
After conducting consultations with various
stakeholders and representatives from the government and private media entities
and the public sector, the GEC approved the gender equality guidelines for
media such as Gender Equality Guide, Code of Ethics for Media, and Guidelines
to Protect Women against Discrimination in Media and Film.
Republic Act No. 10352, otherwise known as the
General Appropriations Act of 2013, provides that all agencies of the
government shall formulate a Gender and Development (GAD) Plan designed to
address gender issues within their concerned sectors or mandate and implement
applicable provisions under Republic Act No. 9710 and other laws.
The GAD Plan shall be integrated in the regular
activities of the agencies, which shall be at least five percent (5%) of their
budgets.
The President ordered all concerned government
agencies to adopt the gender equality guidelines for media, namely: Gender
Equality Guide, Code of Ethics for Media, and Guidelines to Protect Women against
Discrimination in Media and Film, as frameworks in developing media policies
and implementing programs in order to promote gender mainstreaming.
Expenses related to the implementation of this
Memorandum Circular may be charged to the GAD budget, which is at least five
percent (5%) of the total agency budget, and/or other available funds of the
concerned agency.
This Memorandum Circular shall take effect
immediately. PND (js)
President Aquino says review of all Phl
peacekeeping missions abroad ongoing
LAGUINDINGAN, Misamis Oriental) President
Benigno S. Aquino III said there is an ongoing review of the country’s United
Nations (UN) missions around the world aimed at determining if there’s a need
for the Philippines to retain those missions considering the risk they posed to
Filipino peacekeepers.
During an interview with the media after his
final inspection of the new airport here, the President said he ordered an
evaluation of all the Philippine missions overseas following the first Golan
Heights issue.
The latest incident is a Filipino peacekeeper
being injured by a mortar round exploding in their camp in Golan Heights
between the Israeli-Syria border.
“I have asked a review of all of these
engagements. For instance, I’m very concerned with two observers from the
Philippines in an area—I think it’s in the South Sudan,” he said.
South Sudan, the newest country in Africa, hosts
two Filipinos. The President said he wondered how two Filipinos personnel could
respond to an emergency considering the very small number and their
inaccessibility to government help.
The Philippines doesn’t have an embassy in Sudan
or South Sudan, and the closest embassy is located in Egypt, according to the
President.
The Philippines also has a very small
contingent—two personnel in Jammu-Kashmir in India. The Indian government
battles Muslim separatists in Jammu-Kashmir.
“So, again, dadalawang tao na naman. So ano ba
ang ginagawa nitong dalawang tao doon? Ano ba ang mangyayari sa kanila kung
saka-sakaling merong hostilities sa mga lugar na ito? Sino ba ang directly
in-charge sa kanila, which embassy?” he asked.
There are also personnel from the Bureau of Jail
Management and Penology (BJMP) deployed in Haiti to assist the Caribbean
country build its own penal system, the President said.
After the first Golan Heights incident, he said
he asked all concerned agencies to make an assessment of all the Philippine
missions abroad.
The review will involve determining the primary
mission, the effectivity of carrying out the mission and knowing whether the
risks are reasonable for the Filipino personnel to stay on those locations, the
President said.
He said the Philippine’s engagement in the UN
peacekeeping missions started in the 1960s and there is no new commitments
under the President’s watch. Everything became routinary.
There are changing conditions on the ground
particularly on how the UN and other interested states deal with the situation,
the President said.
He said that among the major issues include
whether UN personnel get better equipment, adopt different standard operating
procedures or rules of engagement to enhance their capacity to safeguard
themselves. PND (as)
