Monday’s address is the people’s SONA, says
Aquino
Midway into his six-year term in office,
President Benigno S. Aquino III said the State-of-the Nation Address (SONA) he
delivered on Monday is an address by the Filipinos who believed that change is
possible and there’s a bright future for the country.
“Sa bawat Pilipinong nagtitiwala sa
kapangyarihan ng maliliit na anyo ng kabutihan: Kayo po ang gumawa ng
pagbabago. SONA po ninyo ito,” the President said in his 4th SONA at the House
of Representatives in Quezon City.
“Sa bawat gurong bumabangon nang madaling-araw
para magturo sa kanayunan: SONA mo ito. Sa bawat pulis na nagsilbi at hindi
nanghingi ng kapalit: SONA po niyo ito,” he said.
Monday’s address is also the SONA of the people
who worked together to find the most qualified leaders during the May mid-term
election, he said.
“Sa bawat estudyanteng mulat sa mga napapanahong
isyu sa lipunan, at sa halip na magreklamo lang sa Facebook ay nagmumungkahi ng
solusyon: SONA mo ito.”
The address is also for those who encouraged
others to contribute to nation building and to forget the old, corrupt system,
the President further said.
The President also mentioned Brigadier General
Ramon Mateo Dizon, the head of the Presidential Security Group (PSG), who will
be retiring soon, personally thanking the PSG chief for securing him and the
Aquino family. He said his Monday’s address to the nation is the SONA of
General Dizon and his wife.
“Chito, nakiambag ka rin sa pagbabago; tunay
kang tapat sa watawat, sa Saligang Batas, at sa sambayanang Pilipino. Siyempre,
kung di ka inalalayan ng iyong butihing maybahay na si Jo-ann, hindi mo naabot
ang iyong mga tagumpay. SONA ninyong dalawa ito,” he said expressing his
gratitude to General Dizon.
It’s a long way to go, according to the
President noting that there will be challenges and stumbling blocks ahead.
But he said he has full confidence on the
abilities of Filipinos to overcome those challenges. “Hindi tsamba ang mga
tagumpay na tinatamasa natin ngayon; huwag tayong papayag na maging panandalian
lamang ang transpormasyon. Samantalahin natin ang pagkakataon upang gawing
permanente ang pagbabago,” he stressed.
The country has always been his source of
strength, the President said.
“Ito po ang aking ikaapat na SONA. Noong ako’y
Congressman, ang mga taga-Tarlac ang aking lakas; nang ako’y maging Senador, at
hanggang ngayon, sa aking pagkapangulo, nariyan ang sambayanan—Pilipinas, kayo
ang aking lakas. Sa patuloy nating pag-aambagan at pananalig sa kapwa at sa
Maykapal, sinasabi ko po sa inyo: Kayo pa rin ang sisigurong magpapatuloy ang
ating nasimulan; kayo ang sisigurong mabubura na nang tuluyan ang mga mukha ng
katiwalian; kayo ang sisigurong hinding-hindi na tayo muling lilihis sa tuwid
na daan.” PND (as)
President Aquino praises good performers, warns
wrongdoers in 4th SONA
While President Benigno S. Aquino III praised in
his State-of-the-Nation Address (SONA) the members of his government who
performed well, he warned those who continue to commit abuses and other
offenses telling them their days are numbered.
The President expressed elation over the
performance of Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, saying the foreign
affairs chief could have chosen staying in the private sector and avoid the
headaches in working in government.
Immediately after taking his oath as Foreign
Affairs Secretary the President said Del Rosario flew to Libya to assist more
than 20,000 Filipinos affected by the tensions there. Del Rosario also helped
other nationalities moved out of Libya, he said.
“Puwede naman siyang nadismaya nang pababain
siya sa puwesto, dahil tinutulan niya ang pagdeklara ng State of Emergency ng
nakaraang administrasyon noong 2006,” the President said.
“Pero tinawag po natin siya para bumalik, at
tumugon siya. Ngayon po, nagbibigay siya ng mas malaki pang ambag bilang
kalihim. Handa niyang ilagay ang sarili sa panganib, dahil alam niyang walang
ibang sasaklolo sa Pilipino kundi ang kapwa rin Pilipino. Sa patuloy mong
paninindigan para sa ating karapatan, saludo po ako sa inyo, Secretary Albert
del Rosario,” he added.
The President also praised the late Interior and
Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo, who died in a plane crash in Masbate
last year.
Robredo, who led Naga City transform itself in
around two decades, contributed a lot to the nation particularly when he joined
the Aquino administration.
The President said he believes Robredo wouldn’t
allow change and reform to halt after his passing.
“Nabigyan lamang ako, at nabigyan din lamang si
Jesse, ng pagkakataong maglingkod sa bansa dahil sa inyo. Hindi nag-iisa ang
mukha ng pagbabago. Hindi na aabutin pa ng isandaang taon bago isilang ang
susunod na mabuting tao, bago tumindig ang susunod na mabuting Pilipino,” he
said.
There are other Filipinos who continue to
inspire until today such as Commodore Ramon Alcaraz who fought Japanese
invaders in World War II.
Similar heroic deeds are being shown by
present-day Filipino soldiers, guarding the farthest islets and barangays to
protect the country’s sovereignty, the President said.
While praising good performers, the President
issued a stern warning to those who continue to commit abuses and offenses,
against people who refuse to mend their ways.
The government will go after a former TESDA
official for his involvement in anomalous transactions and the Office of the
Ombudsman has already filed charges against him, the President said.
A former official of PAGCOR is also facing
corruption charges for unlawful use of the agency’s funds.
Former officials of the PNP are also facing
charges for the purchase of defective rubber boats, and second-hand
helicopters.
Officials involved in the Cadavero murder, the
anomaly in the illegal use of lawmakers' pork barrel, and the MRT 3 anomaly
will not be off the hook, the chief executive noted.
His administration will also go after corrupt
officials and personnel of the Bureau of Immigration, who allowed or
facilitated Joel and Mario Reyes escape. The two are prime suspects in the
murder of environmentalist Gerry Ortega in Palawan.
His administration will also initiate a clean-up
drive in the Bureau of Customs to get rid of corrupt personnel who are involved
in smuggling of goods, drugs, and weapons. He said the Department of Finance
estimated the government’s loss to be about P200 billion due to the activity.
Reforms must also be carried out in the National
Irrigation Administration, he said.
“Para naman po sa mga kawaning walang balak
tumalikod sa kulturang wangwang: Tapos na ang pakikiusap,” the President said.
“Nagkaroon kayo ng tatlong taon para ipakitang
handa kayong umayos; ngayon, hahanapin, kung hindi pa kayo nahahanap, pero
‘yung ‘di talaga mahahanap, lalahatin na po natin kayong lahat; ngayon,
pasensyahan tayo.” PND (as)
President Aquino declares July 25 as special
non-working day in Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte in celebration of the
Feast of Saint James the great and ‘Kinabayo Festival’
President Benigno S. Aquino III has declared
July 25, which falls on a Thursday, as a special (non-working) day in the city
of Dapitan in Zamboanga del Norte in celebration of the feast of patron saint
James the Greater and the holding of the “Kinabayo Festival.”
The Chief Executive issued the declaration
through Proclamation No. 623 signed by Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr.
on July 17 to give the people of Dapitan City the full opportunity to celebrate
and participate in the occasion with appropriate ceremonies.
During the pre-Spanish times, Dapitan was a
tribal settlement of the migrant Boholanos led by Datu (chieftain) Pagbuaya.
Moro pirates sailed in from the sea to plunder the tribal village.
The Spanish Jesuit missionaries arrived in
Dapitan in 1629 and discovered the place was similar to Spain which was
harassed by Moor invaders centuries before.
This prompted the Jesuits to choose St. James
the Greater as the settlement’s patron saint to protect the Dapitanons from the
attack of invaders.
The City of Dapitan celebrates Kinabayo Festival
every July 25 with religious, cultural and sports activities to venerate Saint
James the Greater or Señor Santiago as its patron saint.
During the festival, Dapitanons reenact, through
a traditional pageant, the Battle of Covadonga in 722 A.D. (recently made
correct to be the Battle of Clavijo).
It was believed that, an apparition of St.
James, atop a horse carrying a sword, guided the Spanish Christians into
victory over the Moors in the Battle of Clavijo. PND (js)
Malacanang submits proposed P2.268-T budget to
Congress Tuesday
Malacanang will submit the proposed
P2.268-trillion National Expenditure Program to the members of Congress this
afternoon, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said on Tuesday.
In a press briefing in Malacanang, Valte said a
substantial portion of the budget will go to the Department of Education with
P336.9-billion, the Department of Public Works and Highways at P213.5-billion
and the Department of Interior and Local Government at P135.4-billion.
Valte added that the other three departments
that round off the top six government agencies to receive substantial portions
of the proposed 2014 budget are the Department of National Defense with
123.1-billion, Department of Health with P87.1-billion and the Department of
Agriculture at P80.7-billion.
“As the President mentioned yesterday, the
budget will be submitted to the leaders of Congress, and I’m told by our
fellows in the DBM (Department of Budget and Management) that Secretary
(Florencio) Butch Abad will be in the House at 3:00 p.m., so that is the
schedule,” Valte said.
“Prior to that, we are waiting for clearance to
release the budget message to all of you, that will be shared later in the
afternoon, as soon as we have the final version,” she added. PND (rck)
Aquino establishes Mindanao Modular Generator
Sets Program
President Benigno S. Aquino III has established
the “Mindanao Modular Generator Sets Program” to provide the needed additional
power supply to electricity end-users in Mindanao.
The Program was created through Executive Order
No. 137 signed by Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa on July 12.
Under the Program, a loan facility may be
extended to participating electric cooperatives for the acquisition of modular
gensets. Consistent with their respective mandates, the Program shall be
implemented by the Department of Energy (DOE) as the lead agency, through the
National Electrification Administration.
"There is a consensus among the members of
the Mindanao Power Monitoring Committee, created under Executive Order No. 81
(s. 2012), that there is a need to augment the Interruptible Load Program and
the Interim Mindanao Electricity Market Program, to address the deteriorating
power situation in Mindanao," EO 137 stated.
The DOE, as Co-Chair of the Mindanao Power
Monitoring Committee, proposes the use of modular generator sets as an
immediate short-term solution to the urgent electricity needs of Mindanao until
base load power plants come online by 2015.
Under EO 137, the Department of Budget and
Management is hereby directed to release the amount of Four Billion Five
Hundred Million Pesos for the implementation of the said modular generator sets
program, which shall be sourced from the Malampaya Fund of the DOE.
"The release shall be subject to the
submission of the Bureau of Treasury Certification on the availability of
deposited collections with the Special Account in the General Fund–151 of the
DOE and to existing laws and the usual government budgetary, accounting, and
auditing rules and regulations," the new Executive Order said.
The National Electrification Administration, in
consultation with the Mindanao Development Authority, may seek the assistance
of the Association of Mindanao Rural Electric Cooperatives and other Mindanao
stakeholders to implement the Mindanao Modular Generator Sets Program.
President Aquino directed all the departments,
bureaus, offices, agencies or instrumentalities of the government, including
Government-Owned or -Controlled Corporations and government financial
institutions to extend such assistance and support to the modular gensets
program as may be necessary for its successful implementation.
The DOE shall promulgate the rules and
regulations for the implementation of this Order within fifteen (15) days from
the effectivity of EO 137.
This Order shall take effect immediately upon
publication in two newspapers of general circulation. PND (js)
Aquino asks Congress to approve the proposed
P2.268-trillion National Budget for 2014
President Benigno S. Aquino III asked the
Congress on Tuesday to approve the proposed P2.268-trillion National Budget for
2014 saying the budget will support his administration's agenda for inclusive
development.
"This proposed Budget is 13.1 percent
higher than the current year’s budget of P2.006 trillion. It is consistent with
our macroeconomic and fiscal program for the medium term. More important, this
proposed Budget is designed as a tool that we must maximize as we continue to
fortify the foundations for inclusive development," the Chief Executive
said in his 2014 Budget Message.
President Aquino said the proposed budget will
enables the nation to sustain its growth trajectory in a way that promotes
growth that directly and substantially benefits the lowest of sectors.
"Ang hangarin natin ay ang mga mamamayan
mismo ang lumilikha at magmamay-ari ng bagong kasaganaan ng ating bansa. Ang
obligasyon natin bilang pamahalaan ay ilagay ang ating mga kababayan sa patas
na tungtungan. At upang magampanan ang obligasyong ito, kailangan nating maging
masigasig sa pagtupad sa ating sinumpaan sa bayan: Kung walang corrupt, walang
mahirap," he said.
Allocated with P336.9 billion, the Department of
Education (DepEd) will again have the largest part in the budget.
Also in the Top 10 are the Department of Public
Works and Highways with P213.5 billion, Department of Interior and Local
Government with P135.4 billion, Department of National Defense with P123.1
billion, Department of Health with P87.13 billion, Department of Agriculture
with P80.7 billion, Department of Social Welfare and Development with P79
billion, Department of Transportations and Communications with P48.7 billion,
Department of Environment and Natural Resources with P23.9 billion and
Department of Agrarian Reform with P20.4 billion.
"We want to leave behind this legacy ---a
transformed government, a capacitated people, an inclusive economy, and a
better nation. I cannot overemphasize my deep commitment to laying the
foundation that will ensure the realization of this legacy," the President
said.
"Such is the goal of this 2014 National
Budget, a Budget for Inclusive Development, a national expenditure program that
builds on the new prosperity we have created for our country in the past three
years," he said. PND (js)
