President Aquino receives credentials of new
ambassadors of Iraq and Sovereign Military Order of Malta
President Benigno S. Aquino III welcomed the new
ambassadors to the Philippines of the Republic of Iraq and the Sovereign
Military Order of Malta, who presented their respective letters of credentials
to him in Malacañang Palace on Tuesday.
First to meet with the Chief Executive at 10
a.m. at the Music Room of the Malacañang Palace was His Excellency Dr. Ahmed
Kamal Hasan Al-Kamaly, who presented his credentials as Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Iraq.
Accompanying the new Iraqi Ambassador were his
spouse Sameera Al-Aril and Iraqi diplomats.
Joining the President in welcoming the new Iraqi
Ambassador and his party was Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. Del Rosario.
The Iraqi envoy thanked President Aquino for
welcoming him to the country and assured the President of his country's
commitment to further enhance the bilateral ties between the Philippines and
Iraq. He then introduced the members of his delegation to President Aquino.
The President, together with Del Rosario, then
ushered the Ambassador and his party to the adjoining room for a closed-door
meeting.
The President also received the credentials of
Her Excellency Odelia Gregorio Arroyo as Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary to the Philippines of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta
during a simple ceremony at the Music Room at 11 a.m.
Ambassador Arroyo was accompanied by her family
and other diplomats from Malta.
In presenting the credentials, she also thanked
the President for the warm welcome and wished him good health and peace and
prosperity for the Philippines and the Filipino people. Then she met with
President Aquino in a close-door meeting. PND (js)
President Aquino welcomes Vietnamese Defense
Minister in Malacanang
President Benigno S. Aquino III welcomed
Vietnamese Defense Minister General Phung Quang Thanh in a bid to enhance
cooperation between the Philippines and Vietnam on maritime security in
Malacanang Palace on Tuesday.
The Chief Executive welcomed General Thanh and
his party at the President's Hall receiving area at 11:30 a.m.Tuesday. Thanh is
here in the Philippines for an official visit from August 25-27, upon the
invitation of Defense Secretary Voltaire T. Gazmin.
"The visit of General Thanh to the
Philippines clearly reflects the commitment of both countries to enhance
cooperation in jointly developing their defense capabilities and in
contributing to regional peace and stability," the Department of National
Defense said in a statement.
Thanh earlier held talks with Gazmin regarding
issues of mutual concern, including future cooperation aligned with a
memorandum of understanding on national defense agreed between the two
countries.
The bilateral talks Monday included cooperation
for humanitarian assistance and relief cooperation, the DND said.
The Philippines and Vietnam signed a defense
cooperation agreement in 2010.
Since the signing of the defense cooperation
agreement between the Philippines and Vietnam in 2010, "defense relations
between the two countries have progressed through high-level visits, personnel
exchanges and information-sharing," reads the DND statement.
Joining the President in welcoming the
Vietnamese Defense Minister were Gazmin, Cabinet Secretary Jose Rene Almendras,
Philippine Navy chief Vice Admiral Jose Luis Alano, among others.
Joining General Thanh were His Excellency Nguyen
Vu Tu, Vietnamese Ambassador to the Philippines, and Major General Vu Chien
Thang, Chief of International Relation Department. PND (js)
Palace monitoring typhoon Nando
Malacanang said it is on heightened alert as
tropical storm Nando enters the Philippine Area of Responsibility.
In a press briefing in Malacanang on Tuesday,
Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said there are 547 families in
Samar that have been displaced from 11 barangays because of flashfloods.
The affected families took temporary shelter at
the schools but some of them went home when the floodwaters subsided.
“But again we continue to be on alert for the
effects of the tropical storm,” Valte said.
Also the Palace official reported that the
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has so far spent a total of
P78.6 million to assist the victims of Typhoon Maring and habagat.
There are only seven evacuation centers
remaining in the affected areas sheltering 178 families or some 736 individuals
as of Tuesday morning, she added.
The DSWD distributed 1,884 family kits worth
P20.68 million in evacuation centers as of Tuesday morning. The DSWD also
released P30.17 million worth of food and non-food items. PND (as)
President Aquino declares September 2 as special
non-working day in Ifugao in commemoration of the 68th anniversary of the
surrender of General Yamashita
President Benigno S. Aquino III has declared
September 2, which falls on a Monday, as a special (non-working) day in the
province of Ifugao to mark the 68th anniversary of the surrender of General
Tomoyuki Yamashita of the Japanese Imperial Army to combined Filipino and
American troops in Kiangan, Ifugao Province.
The Chief Executive issued the declaration
through Proclamation No. 636 signed by Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr.
on August 22, to give the people of Ifugao the full opportunity to celebrate
and participate in the occasion with appropriate ceremonies.
Yamashita's surrender to the combined Filipino
and American troops on September 2, 1945 led to the end of the Second World War
in the Pacific.
"The Province of Ifugao has been
commemorating said event as Victory Day since September 2, 1991, to honor the courage
and sacrifices of Filipino and American World War II soldiers and veterans,
including Ifugao’s own guerrillas and women who served in the Women’s Auxiliary
Service," the President said.
"The celebration of Victory Day in the
Province of Ifugao also promotes interest and pride in our history as a people,
forges closer bonds of unity and renews our resolve to secure true and lasting
peace," he stressed. PND (js)
Palace says President’s Social Fund being used
with utmost transparency
Malacanang assured the public on Tuesday that
the President’s Social Fund is being used with utmost accountability and
transparency.
“Klaro naman ang pinagkakagastusan niyan at
taun-taon na-au-audit din naman ‘yan at nakikita ng COA (Commission on Audit),”
Deputy presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a press briefing in
Malacanang.
Everything is accounted for with regards to the
use of the President’s Social Fund, Valte said adding that all the receipts,
vouchers, and disbursement requests are submitted to the Commission on Audit.
At the end of the calendar year, COA summarizes
all its observations in the annual audit report or AAR. The agency would post
and upload it for the public to see, she said.
“We invite everybody to look at these COA
reports to familiarize yourselves with its contents para makita kung saan
napupunta ang mga ibinabayad nating buwis,” Valte said.
The Department of Budget and Management also
have posted in its website all the expenses made using the President’s Social
Fund through the Statement of Allocations, Obligations and Balances, she noted.
The public can view the amounts as of the first
quarter this year and whatever allocated by the offices as well as the balances
that have to be paid.
“Ina-update natin ito every quarter. Makikita
doon for the Office of the President, magkano ang allocated na pera, magkano
ang balanse, magkano na ‘yung na-obligate, and this is also the same for the
other line departments,” she said.
Unspent money is rolled over to next year, Valte
added.
The Palace official also explained that the
President’s Social Fund is a trust fund and not funded by the General
Appropriations Act (GAA), the Internal Revenue Collections or Customs Duties.
Valte pointed out that the Executive department
does not propose an amount for the Presidential Social Fund every year. The
money is supported and replenished by a percentage of the profits from the
Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) and Philippine Charity
Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).
The public can see the percentages by looking at
the laws that created the charter of PAGCOR and PCSO, which contain the amount
remitted by the two bodies to the Presidential Social Fund, Valte said. PND
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