President Aquino cites role of agricultural and
biosystems engineering sector in the Philippines for integration of economies
among ASEAN
President Benigno S. Aquino III acknowledged the
crucial role of the agricultural and biosystems engineering sector in ensuring
that the Philippines is ready for the integration of economies among the
10-member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) by 2015.
"As our goal of an integrated ASEAN
Economic Community nears, the need to refine our responses to the challenges it
brings forth becomes apparent," the Chief Executive said to the organizers
and participants of the ASEAN Conference on Agricultural and Biosystems
Engineering.
"This is particularly true in terms of the
trade of agricultural and forestry-based products: Much of ASEAN’s population
rely on these two sectors for their livelihood and sustenance; our success in
addressing concerns in these two fields will be crucial not only in shoring up
our respective economies, but also in solving problems such as rural poverty,
malnutrition, and inequality," the President said.
Filipino agricultural engineers and their
counterparts from South East Asia convened on Tuesday, the first-ever ASEAN
Conference on Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (ACABE 2013) at the
Manila Hotel. The event will end on September 27.
President Aquino called on Filipino agricultural
engineers to take advantage of this activity to establish linkages, exchange
information, and manage key issues concerning agricultural and biosystems
engineering. He also hope that the sector may play a much larger role in the
collective development of the ASEAN community.
"Together, let us work hand-in-hand in
ensuring the realization of our goals, in line with our vision of greater ASEAN
integration, in a way that will be meaningful, beneficial, and empowering for
all peoples of the region," he said.
The conference aims to harmonize agricultural
engineering qualifications, standards and services to make the region’s
agricultural and fishery sector globally competitive, and climate
change-resilient. PND (js)
Government plans to hire private company to
dredge rivers to alleviate flood situation in Subic
The Aquino government, through the Department of
Public Works and Highways (DPWH), plans to hire a private company to dredge the
rivers in Subic, Zambales in an attempt to alleviate the worsening flood
situation a Palace Official said on Tuesday.
Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte
assured during the regular press briefing in Malacanang that the DPWH is now
addressing the concerns of the Subic communities that were hit by Super Typhoon
Odette.
The monsoon rains, enhanced by Odette
(international name Usagi), poured incessantly over the weekend, swelling
rivers, causing floodings and triggered landslides in Subic and other areas in
Zambales.
Calaclan River and other rivers that pass
through Subic were heavily silted and overflowed, causing the floods.
"Apparently, there is already a dredger
from DPWH that is on standby in Olongapo. But it has not been operational since
August of 2011 because there is a certain part -it’s called a converter module,
na sira. It’s not working because of that and there are no available parts in
the market. That’s why Secretary (Rogelio) Singson said that they are already
considering contracting out the dredging to a private company," Valte
said.
Aside from dredging the rivers, Valte said the
DPWH also plans to widen watersways to address the massive floodings.
"It’s not just the dredging kasi that is
the solution. Siguro the knee-jerk solution to any siltation in a river would
be desiltation and dredging. But, as what always Secretary Singson says, ‘yung
widening also of the waterways a kailangan," Valte said.
"And, normally, the widening is hampered by
the presence of some structures along those rivers—or, at least, in this
particular river—and the DPWH is dependent also on the local government to help
in clearing the structures along the waterways," she said. PND (js)
Palace condemns alleged atrocities of Bangsamoro
Islamic Freedom fighters in North Cotabato
The alleged beheading of a farmer in North
Cotabato is not only cruel but also inhuman, Malacanang said as it vowing to
hold the perpetrators accountable for the crime.
The military reported that a farmer was beheaded
by the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighter (BIFF) in Midsayap, North Cotabato.
The military said soldiers found the decapitated
body of Ricardo Dionio in Sitio Dimapulot in Barangay Malinao, Midsayap, North
Cotabato.
The fighting spread on Tuesday, with hostilities
reported on the outskirts of Tulunan town as well as in the Maguindanao towns
of Parang, where a civilian was wounded when an improvised explosive device was
set off.
In Datu Saudi Ampatuan, the BIFF fighters
reportedly attacked a military detachment.
Security officials in Mindanao said they have
enough forces to prevent a spillover of the violence.
Despite the barbarity of the BIFF acts, Deputy
Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said it’s up to the military and
security officials to decide whether to declare the BIFF a terrorist
organization.
The Abu Sayyaf Group, who did similar brutal
acts in the past, is considered a terrorist organization by the government. PND
(as)
