President Aquino declares October 4 as special
non-working day in Infanta, Pangasinan in celebration of its 137th Foundation
Day
President Benigno S Aquino III has declared
October 4, which falls on a Friday, as a special non-working day in the
municipality of Infanta in Pangasinan province in celebration of its 137th
Foundation Day.
The Chief Executive issued the declaration
through Proclamation No. 653 signed by Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr.
signed on September 24 to give the people of Infanta the opportunity to
celebrate the occasion.
According to the National Historical Institute,
Infanta was a former barrio of Sta. Cruz, Zambales named San Felipe, and was
organized into a municipality by the Superior Decree of October 4, 1876.
Upon receipt of the papers establishing the
foundation date of the municipality of Infanta, the Sangguniang Bayan issued
Ordinance No. 4 series of 2010 declaring October 4, 1876 as the town’s official
foundation day. PND (js)
Malacañang announces Department of Agrarian
Reform has begun distributing land titles of Hacienda Luisita to
farmer-beneficiaries
Malacanang announced on Monday that the
Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) had begun distributing land titles to
qualified beneficiaries in line with the government’s agrarian reform law that
aims to allow farmworker-beneficiaries (FWBs) of Hacienda Luisita to finally
receive land titles for the farm lots allocated to them.
In a press briefing in Malacanang, Presidential
Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said that a simple ceremony was held where 600
farmer-beneficiaries in Barangay Pando in Tarlac were awarded their Certificate
of Land Ownership Awards (CLOAs).
“The Department of Agrarian Reform has started
distributing (land) titles of Hacienda Luisita. Today almost 600 farmer
beneficiaries in Barangay Pando were awarded their Certificate of Land
Ownership Awards (CLOAs) and there was a short ceremony today,” Lacierda said.
“The CLOAs represent some 5,800 of 6,200
beneficiaries that have already been registered with the Register of Deeds
while more are expected to be registered as beneficiaries come forward to claim
their CLOAs,” he added.
According to DAR legal affairs Undersecretary
Anthony Parungao, as of September 25, 2013, the CLOAs of about 5,800 qualified
FWBs who had signed and filed their Application to Purchase and Farmers
Undertaking (APFU) were already generated by DAR and registered with the
Register of Deeds. As of September 25, 2013, only 296 FWBs have yet to claim
their Lot Allocation Certificates (LAC), while some 377 FWBs have yet to sign
and file their APFUs.
Parungao, however, clarified that the DAR
continues to seek out the FWBs who have yet to claim their LACs or file their
APFUs.
He noted that a good number of FWBs are either
working abroad or living outside of Tarlac, and were thus unable to claim their
LACs or sign and file their APFUs.
Parungao further explained that under the law,
agrarian reform beneficiaries have to pay amortizations for their CARP-awarded
land for a period of 30 years. In the meantime, the Owner’s Duplicate Copy of
the CLOAs will be held by the Land Bank of the Philippines. He clarified that
what will be distributed to the FWBs of Hacienda Luisita will be the certified
true copies of their CLOAs, which, nevertheless, constitute proof of ownership
of their CARP-awarded farm lands.
The distribution of CLOAs will begin in Barangay
Pando on September 30, to be followed by Barangay Motrico on October 1, and
Barangay Lourdes the following day. Distribution resumes on October 8 at
Parang, then Mabilog (October 9) and Bantog (October 10). The following week,
DAR will distribute CLOAs in the four remaining barangays: Cutcut (October 15),
Asturias (October 16), Balete (October 17), and Mapalacsiao (October 18). PND
(rck)
President Aquino issues proclamation declaring
regular holidays, special non-working days and special holidays for schools in
2014
President Benigno S. Aquino III issued a
proclamation declaring regular holidays, special (non-working) days and special
holiday for schools for the year 2014, a Palace official said.
Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda
announced during the regular press briefing in Malacanang Palace on Monday that
the Chief Executive issued Proclamation 655 on September 25.
The following regular holidays and special days
for the year 2014 shall be observed in the country:
Regular Holidays for 2014 are as follows:
New Year’s Day
January 1 (Wednesday)
Araw ng Kagitingan
April 9 (Wednesday)
Maundy Thursday
April 17
Good Friday
April 18
Labor Day
May 1 (Thursday)
Independence Day
June 12 (Thursday)
National Heroes Day
August 25 (Last Monday of August)
Bonifacio Day
November 30 (Sunday)
Christmas Day
December 25 (Thursday)
Rizal Day
December 30 (Tuesday)
Special (non-working) Days
Chinese New Year
January 31 (Friday)
Black Saturday
April 19
Ninoy Aquino Day
August 21 (Thursday)
All Saints Day
November 1 (Saturday)
Additional special (non-working) days
December 24 (Wednesday)
December 26 (Friday)
Last Day of the Year
December 31 (Wednesday)
Special Holiday (for all schools)
EDSA Revolution Anniversary
February 25 (Tuesday)
The proclamations declaring national holidays
for the observance of Eid’l Fitr and Eidul Adha shall hereafter be issued after
the approximate dates of the Islamic holidays have been determined in
accordance with the Islamic calendar (Hijra) or the lunar calendar, or upon the
Islamic astronomical calculations, whichever is possible or convenient.
The National Commission on Muslim Filipinos
shall inform the Office of the President on which days the holidays shall
respectively fall.
The Department of Labor and Employment shall
promulgate the implementing guidelines for this Proclamation that shall take
effect immediately. PND (js)
Malacañang says government moving to assist in
the rehabilitation of Zamboanga City
Malacanang said on Monday that the government
was moving all concerned agencies to provide assistance and help the people of
Zamboanga City get back on their feet.
The city was thrown into chaos after the members
of the Moro National Liberation Front-Misuari faction stormed the coastal towns
last September 9 and engaged government troops in a three-week long gun battle.
In a press briefing in Malacanang, Presidential
Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said government agencies such as the Departments of
Social Welfare and Development, Health, Labor and Employment and Education have
pooled their resources together to provide the necessary aid needed by the
people such as food, water, medicines and shelter.
“For the Department of Social Welfare and
Development, it has allotted 99.5-million pesos for food assistance, non-food
items, financial assistance, cash-for-work in the operation of community
kitchen, hygiene and sanitation, and meal distribution,” Lacierda said.
“Personnel were deployed to assist the
management of evacuation centers and warehouses, media coordination, and data
information management operations. We’ve also established a computerized
profiling of displaced families,” he added.
“For the Department of Health, we have
established stress debriefing posts and medical clinics in evacuation centers.
We have also deployed personnel for the medical needs of those affected and
operating rooms were established at the Western Mindanao State University,”
Lacierda said.
“For the Department of Labor and Employment, we
have provided dental supplies, assorted supplies, medicines in evacuation
centers. Department of Education, we have conducted psychosocial intervention
for teachers and schoolchildren,” he said.
Lacierda said the Department of Trade and
Industry is “coordinating with private institutions to ensure the supply of
basic goods, and they continuously monitor prices of basic commodities, imposed
suggested retail prices for different establishments.”
He pointed out that security forces “have
facilitated the airlift of emergency supplies and equipment” while social
institutions such as Home Development Mutual Fund (PAG-IBIG), the Social
Security System, and the Government Service Insurance Syten (GSIS) “have
granted calamity loans to those affected.”
“The Philippine Navy is also accepting relief
goods and construction materials for the rehabilitation of different barangays
of Zamboanga City. The BRP Benguet will start loading relief goods and
construction materials intended for Zamboanga City on October 1 at the Naval
Base-Cavite, Sangley Point in Cavite City,” Lacierda said, adding those who
want to help and provide additional assistance may contact: Ensign Chester Ross
Cabaltera at mobile no.: 0915-790-8459 and 0939-384-1279. PND (rck)
Aquino government welcomes UN Secretary-General
Ban Ki-Moon's commendation for Philippine support to peacekeeping in the Golan
Heights
The Aquino government welcomed the move of
United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon commending the Philippines
for its decision to maintain Filipino peacekeepers in the United Nations
Disengagement Force in the Golan Heights, a Palace official said on Monday.
"It is an acknowledgement of the work that
the Philippine peacekeeping forces have done in the Golan Heights and also in
the other areas," Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said during the
regular press briefing in Malacanang on Monday.
The UN Secretary-General conveyed his gratitude
to the Philippines through Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario during
his meeting with the ASEAN Foreign Ministers in New York, United States of
America on September 26.
Ban publicly commended the Philippine government
for its support to UN peacekeeping and described the Filipino peacekeepers
"as being extremely courageous in performing an outstanding necessary
task."
Del Rosario had recommended to President Benigno
S. Aquino III to allow the more than 300 Filipino peacekeepers from the Golan
Heights to stay after the United Nations agreed to meet all the conditions set
by Manila to ensure greater protection for the Philippine troops.
"May mga concerns po tayo doon for our
continued stay and ina-address po ‘yan ng United Nations. Nakikita ng United
Nations ang katapangan at kagitingan ng ating mga peacekeeping forces at saka
ang commitment ng ating pamahalaan doon," Lacierda said. PND (js)
