President Aquino declares August 2 special
non-working day in Kabangkalan City, Negros Occidental in celebration of 16th
Charter Day
President Benigno S. Aquino III has declared
August 2, which falls on a Friday, as a special (non-working) day in the city
of Kabankalan in the province of Negros Occidental in celebration of its 16th
Charter Day.
The Chief Executive issued the declaration
through Proclamation No. 622 signed by Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr.
on July 12 to give the people of Kabankalan the full opportunity to celebrate
and participate in the occasion with appropriate ceremonies.
The town of Kabankalan was declared by former
president Fidel V. Ramos as a chartered city on August 2, 1997, under Republic
Act No. 8297. PND (js)
President Aquino cites Association of Safety and
Health Training Organizations of the Philippines for its dynamic contribution
to country’s development
President Benigno S. Aquino III cited the
Association of Safety and Health Training Organizations of the Philippines
(ASHTOP) for its dynamic contributions towards equitable progress.
"Occupational safety is a vital component
of our collective task to further unify the public and private sectors. In this
light, your specialization adds strength to the foundations we have laid in
securing inclusive growth," the Chief Executive said in his message to
ASHTOP on the occasion of the 3rd ASHTOP National Congress.
The ASHTOP will hold the two-day 3rd ASHTOP
National Congress which has for its theme "Public & Private
Partnership in Occupational Safety and Health" at the Subic Bay Travelers
Hotel in Olongapo City on July 25 and 26.
"As you promote health and safety in behalf
of the Filipino workforce, may you help generate more effective results among
our public-private partnership programs. May your members remain passionate in
this significant undertaking," the President said.
The President called on the association to work
with the government in creating a more conducive atmosphere of cooperation
among our institutions to accelerate Philippine development.
"May this occasion empower you further in
your dynamic contributions towards stability and lasting, equitable
progress," he said. PND (js)
President Aquino lays down the principles and
reforms that shaped the proposed P2.268 trillion National Budget for 2014
President Benigno S. Aquino III laid down the
principles and reforms that shaped the proposed P2.268-trillion National Budget
for 2014.
In his 2014 Budget Message, the Chief Executive
said the 2014 National Budget will support his administration's agenda for
Inclusive Development.
The key reforms include the Performance-Informed
Budgeting, Tighter Budget Prioritization for Inclusive Development, Better
Collaboration as the New Standard in Government, Enabling the Private Sector as
Engine of Economic Growth,Transparency at the Core of Effective Public
Financial Management and Empowering the Citizenry Through the Budget.
"For this Proposed Budget for 2014, we
embark on a bold move to change the way the Budget is presented. With the
Performance-Informed Budget Structure (PIB), each peso is now presented
alongside the results that we want to achieve," the President said.
Before, the annual Budget presented an
incomprehensible mix of financial numbers. With the PIB, the Budget has a new
face which presents each peso together with the outcomes, outputs and
performance targets that government agencies commit to achieve with their
respective budgets.
In preparing the 2014 Budget, the President said
the government issued a Budget Priorities Framework that enjoins all agencies
to design their respective proposals along program priorities with the Key
Result Areas of the Aquino Social Contract.
"This Budget Priorities Framework also
identifies geographic focus areas where our poorest people are and where great
potential lies. We have directed these departments to not only prioritize their
resources for these programs and areas but also tighten their collaboration in
these areas for greater impact," the President stressed.
The President said Budget was designed not in
the usual way, where agencies competed against each other for a share of scarce
national resources. With the Program Budgeting Approach, government agencies
moved out of their silos to converge their efforts and resources along priority
programs.
"Sa pagsasakatuparan ng ating Social
Contract, mahalagang siguruhin na nagbubukluran—at hindi nagkakanya-kanya—ang
bawat institusyon ng ating pamahalaan," he said.
He acknowledged that government spending alone
is not enough to push growth upwards. Thus, he underscored the need for the
administration to create the right environment for the private sector to
flourish.
"As we do our part in establishing the
right environment for growth, the private sector must likewise fulfill its role
as engine of economic growth," he said.
This Budget seeks to sustain macroeconomic
stability, promote the streamlining of business processes and invest in the
needed public goods like infrastructure.
In line with the Public Financial Management
Reform Roadmap, the government will move towards a Budget-as-Release Document
regime in 2014.
"Last year, we announced the move toward a
Budget-as-Release-Document Regime through the 2014 Budget. This regime promotes
predictability and speed in budgetary releases, as well as in implementation,
as the budgets of agencies—except for those that need prior clearance, to be
contained in a negative list—are considered as released as soon as the Budget
is enacted," he said.
In crafting the 2014 Budget, the government
expanded mechanisms for citizen's meaningful participation in the budget
process.
"We introduced the process of Budget
Partnership Agreements between government agencies, corporations, and civil
society organizations and piloted it in crafting the 2012 Budget. In this
process, government agencies and civil society organizations partners enter
into a formal partnership in the review of the budgets, programs, and projects
of the agencies, as well as in the crafting of their budget proposals for the
following fiscal year," he said. PND (js)
Government vows transparent, real public
consultation for the planned MRT, LRT fare hikes
Malacanang assured Wednesday on the conduct of a
transparent and real public consultation before the government adjusts the
rates of the Metro Rail Transit and Light Rail Transit as mentioned by the
President in his 4th State-of-the-Nation Address on Monday.
“Yes, you can be assured of a transparent, real
public consultation. And they will inform the public, all the stakeholders. It
is going to be a free public consultation,” Presidential spokesman Edwin
Lacierda when asked by reporters in a press briefing in Malacanang.
The Department of Transportation and
Communication (DOTC) is currently studying the MRT and LRT rates as spelled out
by the President in his SONA, Lacierda said.
The DOTC will also follow all the requirements
for the conduct of public consultation before a fare hike is implemented,
according to the Palace official.
The President laid down the reasons why there is
a need to adjust the fares of the MRT and LRT considering its toll on the
country’s financial condition and the ability of the MRT and LRT managements to
provide better services to the riding public, Lacierda said.
In his SONA on Monday, the President criticized
previous officials for delaying fare increases in the MRT and LRT at the
expense of public good.
The LRT rate is P40 for each passenger, with the
government subsidizing P25 for every LRT passenger. Every passenger only pays
P15 per ride.
MRT’s original fare rate is P60 but every
passenger only pays P15. This means the government shoulders P45 for every
passenger.
“Nasa Mindanao ka o Visayas ka man, na ni minsan
ay hindi nakatuntong sa LRT o MRT, kasama ka sa pumapasan nito,” President
Aquino said.
Former officials have also given away the
commercial development rights for the LRT and MRT, which could generate
advertizing revenues that could augment LRT and MRT operations.
“Ang puwede sanang pagkunan ng pantustos sa
maintenance at operasyon, nawala pa.
Siguro naman po, makatuwirang ilapit man lang
natin sa ibinabayad sa aircon bus ang pasahe ng LRT at MRT, upang maituon ang
subsidiya sa iba pang serbisyong panlipunan,” the President said. PND (as)
Aquino in good health condition, says official
President Benigno S. Aquino III is in the pink
of health and the public should not worry about his health condition, a Palace
official said on Wednesday.
The Philippine Medical Association, expressing
concern over the Presidents health condition, had advised the President to
undergo a full executive check-up after his coughing episode during his
State-of-the-Nation Address (SONA) on Monday.
But Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said
in a press briefing in Malacanang on Wednesday that there is no concern over
the health of the President and he could very well fulfill his function as
chief executive.
“The President is in good condition, good
health. Sa haba ng pagsasalita niya, walang patid na talumpati, siguro naman
kahit sino ay masasamid o mauubo nang kaunti,” he said.
Still health experts underscored the need for
the chief executive to be always in tip-top shape as he confronts enormous
tasks with limited time to rest. It was noted that speaking lengthily, as the
President did last Monday, could dry up the pharynx which leads to coughing.
Pharynx dryness without lubrication is what stimulates the coughing reflex.
Considering the age of the President, who is in
his 50’s, a chronic smoker and with a family history of cancer, are the reasons
for him to undergo a full executive checkup, they added.
The President’s mother, the late President
Corazon Aquino, died of colon cancer on August 2009.
An executive checkup involves a complete
physical examination and consultation by a qualified physician. PND (as)
