Aquino welcomes delegates of 8th Ambassadors,
Consul Generals and Tourism Directors tour in Malacanang
President Benigno S. Aquino III took time from
his “stressful” work activities and welcomed delegates of the 8th Ambassadors,
Consul Generals and Tourism Directors (ACGTD) who called on him in Malacanang
on Thursday.
In his speech, the President said the presence
of the delegates provided a welcome breather from the gargantuan task of
finalizing the national budget “for next year and even beyond.”
“Recently, I have been busy finalizing the
national budget, where we are laying out the priorities for next year, and even
beyond. Every line must be thoroughly scrutinized before the entire document is
submitted to congress, and so finalizing the budget, as you can imagine, it is
a somewhat stressful task,” the President said.
“You thus have my gratitude: Welcoming you all
today offers me a fulfilling break from my other duties—and it gives me a
special happiness as I am receiving balikbayans here in Malacañan, the home of
every Filipino,” he added.
A joint project of all Philippine Foreign
Service Posts in the United States and Canada in cooperation with the
Department of Tourism and the Department of Trade and Industry, the ACGTD tour
aims to promote the Philippines as a top tourist destination by encouraging
Filipino Americans, their family and friends, particularly those who have not
been to the Philippines to visit and discover the beauty of the country.
The President then invited the delegates – 392
from the United States of America (Los Angeles, Hawaii, Washington DC, New
York, San Francisco and Chicago) and 105 from Canada (Toronto, Winnipeg,
Edmonton and Vancouver) to join government efforts to spur tourism in the
country by inviting their family and friends to experience why it is more fun
in the Philippines.
“As I welcome and thank you today, I likewise
invite you to join us—to do whatever part you can in building a Philippines
that truly lives up to its potential—like being informal Philippine ambassadors
by telling your friends back home just how much fun it is here,” the President
said.
“The spirit of bayanihan—the spirit of coming
together to lift each other up—burns bright in every Filipino, and far though
you may be, I know that it resides in you. Our country is in an upswing, and I
invite you, and every Filipino out there, to help keep our momentum going—to
help us bequeath to future generations a Philippines they can be truly proud
of,” he said. PND (rck)
Aquino cites efforts of Civil Aviation Authority
of the Philippines to improve Philippine air safety compliance
President Benigno S. Aquino III cited the Civil
Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) for its untiring efforts to
improve the country's compliance to international air safety levels which has
resulted in the lifting of a European Union ban prohibiting Philippine carriers
from traveling to Europe.
The President congratulated the CAAP, led by
head Director General William Hotchkiss, for a job well-done in his speech keynoting
the 8th Ambassadors, Consul Generals and Tourism Directors Tour held at
Malacanang on Thursday.
“The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines
or CAAP has also been working long nights to allow carriers to offer direct
flights from the Philippines to Europe and to more destinations in the United
States. Today, I am pleased to announce that they have made stunning progress.
It began back in March with the International Civil Aviation Organization
lifting the Significant Safety Concerns that they had previously identified in
our country,” the President said.
“This led to the very good news we received just
yesterday: that the Air Safety Committee of the European Commission has allowed
our flag carrier—Philippine Airlines—to resume direct flights to Europe. CAAP
has achieved one of its major goals, and I extend my full gratitude and
congratulations to its head General Hotchkiss and all who worked to make this
possible. Hopefully, this development will give them the extra energy they need
to pursue all our other goals in the aviation sector,” he added.
In 2008, the US Federal Aviation Authority
(FAA), acting on a recommendation from International Civil Aviation
Organization (ICAO), downgraded the country’s air safety rating to Category 2
from Category 1 after the CAAP failed to comply with safety standards for the
oversight of air carrier operations.
Two years later, in March 21, 2010, the EU
followed suit in downgrading Philippine carriers to the same category.
Category 2 means the civil aviation authority of
a country does not provide safety oversight of its air carrier operators in
accordance with the minimum safety oversight standards established by the ICAO.
PND (rck)
President Aquino declares August 1 as special
non-working day in Kawit, Cavite in celebration of ‘Kawit Day’
President Benigno S. Aquino III has declared
August 1, which falls on a Thursday, as a special (non-working) day in the
municipality of Kawit in the province of Cavite in celebration of the “Kawit
Day.”
The Chief Executive issued the declaration
through Proclamation No. 613 signed by Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr.
on June 28 to give the people of Kawit the full opportunity to celebrate and
participate in the occasion with appropriate ceremonies.
On June 12, 1898, General Emilio F. Aguinaldo
proclaimed at the balcony of his ancestral home on Calle Real in Kawit, Cavite,
the independence of the Republic of the Philippines, and the Philippine flag
was hoisted as the national anthem called Marcha Filipina was played in the
presence of a huge crowd.
The proclamation of Philippine independence was,
however, promulgated on August 1, 1898, when many towns had already been
organized under the rules laid down by the dictatorial government of General
Aguinaldo. PND (js)
