Aquino says Philippines strong enough to handle
impact of US financial troubles
(BRUNEI DARUSSALAM) A potential US financial
meltdown is unlikely and in case it happens, the Philippines is prepared to
handle it, President Benigno S. Aquino III said on Wednesday.
“There are these several steps that have been
done by both the economic cluster and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and they
can explain the technical... the technical aspects of how we are cushioning the
effects,” the President during an interview by the Philippine media at the
Philippine Embassy here Wednesday.
“The world’s biggest economy turns belly up, how
can you actually protect yourself? But I don’t think that will happen,” he
added.
The President said even US Secretary of State
John Kerry said that this is just an excess of politics in the US and every
American politician knows the consequences of a prolonged government shut down
and a default.
For his part, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima
said the default is something that is unthinkable, but nevertheless, the
Philippine government is preparing for any eventuality by making sure that the
country is in a flexible position such as in its liquidity position.
“Everyone’s affected, as the President said. But
the good thing about the Philippines is that our OFWs are all over the world
not just in the US,” Secretary Purisima noted.
“Our BPO industry becomes stronger when times
become difficult because of the need to become more competitive and more
efficient, and then tourism is increasingly becoming an important
consideration,” he added.
The credit risk of the country has also improved
as a result of recent investment rating upgrades, Purisima said.
“In fact, when we did the auction the other day,
we borrowed at a lower cost than the US for the first time. This is an anomaly
but it was—we borrowed for 90 days at one basis point; the US borrows at two
basis points,” he added.
President Aquino also said that in times of
turmoil, investors try to find safe harbor, and bringing their money to the
Philippines is better because of the country’s more stable financial
environment. PND (as)
Aquino, Prime Minister Abe discuss digital TV
system shift during bilateral meeting
(BRUNEI DARUSSALAM) The Philippines may prefer
using the Japanese standard when the country shifts to digital terrestrial
television (DTV), said President Benigno S. Aquino III who talked with his
Japanese counterpart here during a bilateral meeting on Wednesday.
In an interview with the Philippine media at the
Philippine Embassy here Wednesday night, the President said he told Japanese
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe about the government study on the planned transition
to another TV standard.
The technical working group has completed their
assessment, and the stakeholders proposed that the Philippines adopt the
Japanese system, the President said.
“May last step na gagawin ang NTC which is to
hold a hearing among the stakeholders who were actually the proponents. So
parang we are migrating to the Japanese digital standards—that’s one thing we
discussed,” he said.
To finalize the process, the President said the
National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) will call for a final hearing among
the stakeholders. This will be the last bureaucratic step necessary for the
transition, he added.
The reason why Philippine industry experts
prefer the Japanese standard is its ability for an emergency broadcast during
emergencies, he said.
“We are told that it was used during the
Fukushima incident. Yung Shinkansen bullet trains managed to stop x number of
seconds on a minute prior to the earthquake hitting, (and) saved lives; ‘yung
ability to turn on television sets to broadcast this warning maski na
naka-off,” the President explained.
On the other hand, the proponents of the
European system said they could also come up with the same system with similar
capability. But what makes it advantageous for the Japanese system is that
Japan is frequently visited by disasters like the Philippines and it has used
the system on those occasions, the President noted.
“The European continent is not visited by the
disasters that Japan and we are visited with. So they might be able to meet
that need, whereas Japan has demonstrated that they are actually meeting this
particular facility of service,” the President noted.
A few months ago, the NTC endorsed to the
Department of Science and Technology (DOST) the adoption of the Japanese
standard — Integrated Service Digital Broadcasting-Terrestrial or ISDB-T
standard — instead of Europe’s Digital Video Broadcasting-Terrestrial 2 or
DVB-T2 for the Philippines’ migration to digital terrestrial TV by 2015.
The NTC was supposed to issue the implementing
rules and regulations for digital TV in July 2010 but was delayed following an
order from the President for a review.
As early as 2010, the agency issued an order
adopting ISDB-T as the standard. PND (as)
President Aquino says ASEAN must continue
helping Myanmar turn to a democracy
(BRUNEI DARUSSALAM: Myanmar has benefited a lot
when it opened up to the rest of the world and fellow members of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations must help it democratize further,
President Benigno S. Aquino III said.
Interviewed by the Philippine press Wednesday
night at the Philippine Embassy here, the President said there are still many
challenges that lie ahead of Myanmar domestically especially on politics.
The President said President Thein Sein has to
contend with those who are less liberal than him adding that opposition leader
Aung San Suu Kyi also has to deal with those who are more zealots than her.
“But if they don’t talk to each other, then
they’re left to a confrontational relationship, and they will persist in what
has been persisting for the longest time,” the President said.
But the good thing is both leaders are beginning
to work together, which is good for the country.
“They’re beginning to cooperate actually, in a
sense, cooperating where they can cooperate. So I think we really, ‘yung ‘us’,
should help them get to the point na it is worthwhile that you stop the
confrontation and then to start in cooperating,” he said.
The President said he also believes Myanmar,
which will chair the next ASEAN Summit, could handle the chairmanship well.
As to the closeness of Myanmar to China,
especially now that it is expected to host the next summit, the President said
he thinks Myanmar will be impartial in handling issues such as the South China
Sea.
The Philippines’s interest is also protected
because under ASEAN, everything must be agreed based on consensus, he said.
Brunei, the current ASEAN host will turn over
today the chairmanship to Myanmar at the closing ceremonies of the 23rd ASEAN
Summit here. PND (as)
US supports quick conclusion of talks on Code of
Conduct in the West Philippine Sea—President Aquino says
(BRUNEI DARUSSALAM: The Philippines and United
States share the same view on the necessity for the immediate crafting of a
legally binding Code of Conduct (COC) to avoid tensions in the contested area
in the West Philippines Sea, President Benigno S. Aquino III said on Wednesday.
“Ang iminungkahi ni Secretary Kerry basically is
papaspasin natin ‘yung proseso na to get that code of conduct and the absence
of which, syempre adds to the sense of uncertainty which is not a factor that
would enhance… stability and prosperity for all parties concerned,” the
President said in an interview with the Philippine media at the Philippine
Embassy here.
There is nothing wrong with the proposal of US
Secretary of State John Kerry to immediately adopt a COC to prevent tensions,
which if the parties opt to shelve may add to uncertainties, the Chief
Executive noted.
Claimant countries tried to come up with a COC a
decade ago but was able to produce only the Declaration of the Conduct of
Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) in 2002, he said.
“So does it benefit anybody to delay the process
again for another decade, two decades, three decades? Is there a possibility na
‘yung sa uncertainty, hindi mo alam ang rules, how do you actually
operationalize the principles embodied in the DOC, which is supposedly what the
COC will do,” the President continued.
To avoid the gray areas, claimants must agree on
certain rules and guidelines that will include everyone’s obligations, rights,
and the way each party would behave with regards to specific claims.
The good thing this time is that everybody is
interested in reviving the talks on the COC, the President said.
Unlike before, China today is showing strong
willingness to work with other claimants on a mutually agreed COC, he added.
Among the claimants to the territory include
China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines. PND
(as)
President Aquino says people at the grassroots
level understand the value of DAP
(BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Brunei Darussalam)
President Benigno S. Aquino III wants more people to look at the upside of the
government’s Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP), especially its benefits
to those who are at the grassroots level.
In an informal chat with members of the
Philippine media delegation who are covering his participation in the 23rd
Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) Summit here, President Aquino
enumerated some of the benefits the DAP mechanism has given to underprivileged
Filipinos.
“Pumunta tayo sa probinsya, you name the
province—preferably Tagalog-speaking, ...punta tayo sa palengke; punta tayo
(sa) isang barangay doon; kayo mamili ng probinsya’t barangay, ...ibigay ko
lang ang araw para ma-schedule natin—magtanong tayo: kailangan ba niyo dito o
hindi?” President Aquino told reporters, late Wednesday night, at the
Philippine Embassy here.
“And I think, baka mahina ‘yung nine out of 10
will say: ‘Aba, kung hindi dahil diyan hindi kami nagkaroon nitong footpath
papunta sa poblacion; hindi kami nagkaroon nitong kalsada; hindi kami nagkaroon
ng ganyang eskwela,’” he added.
The President issued these statements in
response to lingering questions over the DAP mechanism employed by his
administration since 2011, weeks after the issue on the alleged pork barrel
fund misuse by some lawmakers elicited public outrage.
Protesters are urging the President to
completely abolish the controversial Priority Development Assistance Fund
(PDAF) of legislators as well as the DAP machinery of the executive branch
owing to various allegations of corruption leveled against some public
officials.
The President said he is aware of the criticisms
being thrown at them by different sectors but he didn’t hear anyone making
suggestions as to what the government should do about the thousands of scholars
and ailing people who need to have access on these public funds.
“I’m just trying to be fair. And I think there’s
a resource that can be gotten when you have people who are involved in local
politics who would know the actual people who are in need, the actual sitios
who are in need, their voices also have to be heard naman. We are Filipinos
regardless of where we came from—an urban center or in the most rural areas—we
are entitled to the same services,” the President explained.
The President stressed that he doesn’t want to
argue with people who are protesting against the DAP but he would like them to
consider the situation of the poor who are benefiting from this mechanism.
He also reiterated that the DAP has legal and
constitutional bases, citing provisions stipulated under Executive Order 292 of
the Administrative Code of 1987, which recognized the legislative powers of the
executive at the time, and the several General Appropriations Acts passed by
Congress under his administration.
Moreover, the President said he already gave his
commitment to hold accountable anyone who may be found to have misused these
public funds provided that the evidence gathered supports these accusations.
“Ulitin ko lang, ‘yung nagkamali, hindi ba,
nag-commit na ako e: naipon natin ang ebidensya, kakasuhan natin lahat,
pasensyahan na lang,” he said. PND (hdc)
Over 1,000 NHA houses ready for homeless
policemen in Zamboanga, President Aquino says
(BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Brunei Darussalam) Over
1,000 housing units are ready to be distributed by the National Housing
Authority (NHA) to some members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) who
lost their homes during the recent Zamboanga crisis, President Benigno S.
Aquino III said.
The President mentioned this in passing during
his meeting with members of the Philippine media delegation at the Philippine
Embassy here late Wednesday evening at the end of his discussion about the
Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) of the government.
“Sabi ng NHA there’s over a thousand houses
ready for occupancy in Zamboanga City for the PNP under that program,” the
President said, referring to the funds provided for by the DAP, which helped
the housing agency build the units.
The Chief Executive added that, if necessary,
eligible beneficiaries from the PNP can already apply to avail of these housing
units so they can move to their new homes right away.
“We are just vetting na hindi kasama sa victims
‘yung mga PNP na unang beneficiaries nito, at maninigurado na rin kami na
pwedeng i-swap ‘yung parating na bahay dito sa program na ito para matirhan at
mabawasan ‘yung 10,000 houses na shortage ng mga pamilyang over 100,000,” the
President added. PND (hdc)
Aquino says Department of Labor and Employment
ready to assist OFWs under threat of ban by a Hong Kong political party
(BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Brunei Darussalam)
President Benigno S. Aquino III said the Department of Labor and Employment
(DOLE) is ready to assist overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who are reportedly
facing another threat of a ban issued by a Hong Kong political party that was
irritated by the scars of the 2010 Manila hostage crisis.
“Kung ano ang kilos nila doon sa ating mga
workers, syempre may kalayaan silang desisyunan kung ano ang gusto nila sa
lipunan nila. At kung tayo naman ay magkakaroon ng—ang mabalik ang mga
trabahador natin doon, e palagay ko naman nakahanda rin ang DOLE,” the
President told reporters in an interview Wednesday night here.
Old wounds created by the 2010 Manila
hostage-taking incident recently seemed fresh again after some Hong Kong
journalists who rudely demanded an apology from President Aquino at the
sidelines of the just concluded Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
Leaders’ Summit held in Bali, Indonesia incurred disciplinary actions from the
organizers of the said event.
The President said he already spoke with Hong
Kong Chief Executive Leung Chunying about it during their brief encounter at
the APEC Summit and repeatedly explained to him the reasons behind the
Philippines’ refusal to issue a public apology on behalf of a deranged
individual who killed eight of their citizens three years ago.
“Ang posisyon natin merong isang tao na, shall
we say, at that point in time (was) mentally unstable that did this act
practically on a solitary basis. May allegation na kasabwat niya ‘yung kapatid
niya pero, at this point in time, dinadaan pa sa korte ‘yon. So paano tayo
aamin ng kasalanan na hindi atin?” the President said.
“Kung aakuin namin lahat ng kasalanan, lahat ng
penalties amin, hindi ba parang hindi yata kaalinsunod doon sa nangyaring
sitwasyon? So pinilit kong ipaliwanag sa kanya ‘yon. Sana maita-transmit niya
‘yan sa kanilang mga kababayan,” he added.
The Philippine government had frequently extended
its sincere condolences as well as given necessary assistance to the families
of the victims of the said Manila hostage crisis.
The Aquino administration also took measures
like increasing the number of tourist police units in the city to prevent the
same unfortunate incident from happening again. PND (hdc)
Rule of law must prevail for peaceful,
prosperous Asian region, says Aquino
(BRUNEI DARUSSALAM: Countries in East Asia must
adhere to the rule of law to maximize opportunities for growth and development
and attain a more stable and secure Asian region, President Benigno S. Aquino
III said on Thursday.
"Let us bear in mind that the law is an
expression of our collective need to be bound by duties and obligations. Equal
application of the law strengthens the ties that bind us," President
Aquino said in a message during the 8th East Asia Summit (EAS) here in Brunei.
There will be order in a community of nations if
there is predictability in everyone’s behavior among states, the President said
stressing that order leads to stability, and stability leads to peace and over
all prosperity.
"This is the very motivation behind the
Philippines' decision to pursue a two-track complementary approach to disputes
in the sea known by many names, an approach that is both peaceful and
rule-based," the President said.
He pointed out that to manage tensions, the
Philippines advocates the conclusion of talks on a legally-binding Code of
Conduct as soon as possible. And to resolve maritime disputes, it pursuits
international arbitration.
“The Philippines views arbitration as an
internationally recognized form of peaceful settlement of maritime disputes. In
addition to clarifying entitlements and the corresponding obligations,
arbitration promotes the rule of law and redounds to the benefit of all
parties," he explained.
The East Asia Summit is composed of the 10 ASEAN
member states as well as Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, the
Republic of South Korea, Russia, and the United States. PND (as)
Philippines emerge as stongest performer among
East and Southeast Asian neigbors in terms of export growth, Palace official
says
The Philippines emerged as the strongest
performer among its East and Southeast Asia neighbors in terms of export growth
in August 2013, a Palace official said.
Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda
announced during the regular press briefing in Malacanang on Thursday that the
country exported a total of US $4.6 billion worth of merchandise in August
2013, 20.2 percent higher than the US$ 3.8 billion shipped out in the same
month in 2012.
"Manufactured and mineral products mainly
buoyed export performance in August 2013. The exports of manufactured goods
rose by 8.7 percent in August 2013 to US$3.7 billion from US$3.4 billion in
August 2012," he said.
Lacierda said higher exports of total agro-based
and forest products also contributed to the robust export in 2013.
According to Lacierda, Japan was the
Philippine's top export market in August 2013. Data showed that Japan accounted
for 25 percent of the country’s total export receipts.
He said the United States of America was the
second largest export destination of Philippine products with a 12.6 percent
share, and the other major markets of Philippine exports in August 2013 were
the People’s Republic of China, 10.5 percent; Singapore, 8.5 percent; and Hong
Kong, 7.6 percent.
Following the Philippines as top export
performer are Vietnam that recorded an annual increase of 15.5 percent; the
Republic of Korea with 7.7 percent annual gain; and the People’s Republic of
China with 7.2 percent annual increase. PND (js)
ASEAN leaders agree on Bandar Seri Begawan
Declaration on the ASEAN Community’s Post 2015 Vision
BRUNEI DARUSSALAM: President Benigno S. Aquino
III joined other leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in
affirming the Bandar Seri Begawan Declaration on the ASEAN Community’s Post
2015 Vision tied on people-oriented, people-centered and rules-based approach.
The President and his ASEAN counterparts also
agreed to commit themselves to the development of the ASEAN Community’s
post-2015 vision.
To realize this, the leaders tasked the ASEAN
Community Councils to expedite their work on developing the ASEAN Community’s
post-2015 vision. The councils must recognize the importance of promoting
coherence and consistency in efforts to develop this vision, and build upon the
achievements recorded in the implementation of the Roadmap for an ASEAN
Community from 2009-2015.
They also requested the ASEAN Coordinating
Council (ACC) to further develop the central elements of the ASEAN Community’s
post-2015 vision for endorsement by the ASEAN Summit in 2014.
The leaders also requested the ACC to establish
a working group at the level of senior officials of the three pillars to
oversee the overall process of developing this post-2015 vision by the 27th
ASEAN Summit, with progress reports submitted to the 24th, 25th and 26th ASEAN
Summits.
They expressed their continued commitment and
involvement in the process of developing the post-2015 vision for the ASEAN
Community.
Towards the conclusion of the 23rd ASEAN Summit,
the leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the principles enshrined in the
ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok, 1967), the Declaration on the Zone of Peace,
Freedom and Neutrality (Kuala Lumpur, 1971), the Treaty of Amity and
Co-operation in Southeast Asia (Bali, 1976), the Declaration of ASEAN Concord
(Bali, 1976), the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone
(Bangkok, 1995), the Declaration of ASEAN Concord II (Bali, 2003) and the ASEAN
Charter (Singapore, 2007).
They also mentioned the Roadmap for an ASEAN
Community (2009-2015) which envisage the establishment of an ASEAN Community by
2015 and the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity which would complement ASEAN
integration.
The ASEAN leaders also said they remain
committed to the Bali Declaration on the ASEAN Community in a Global Community
of Nations (Bali Concord III) and its Plan of Action (2012-2017) that brings
the ASEAN common platform on global issues by 2022. PND (as)
US Secretary of State to visit the Philippines
before the end of the year instead
(BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Brunei Darrussalam)
Malacañang may expect United States Secretary of State John Kerry at a later
date instead as he was advised to postpone his trip to the Philippines due to
an approaching storm in the country.
Kerry personally expressed his regrets on this
sudden change of plans on their part to Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del
Rosario, who kindly accepted his decision, during a press conference here
Thursday afternoon.
“I’ve just had a communication with President
Aquino and the Foreign Minister and we have agreed for a decision that we have
made because of the judgment of our pilots and the airlines that, with the
approaching typhoon, we are going to postpone the trip that I was going to make
to the Philippines,” Kerry said.
Kerry is scheduled to be in Manila on Friday
until Saturday on behalf of US President Barack Obama who was also forced to
defer his visit to the Philippines and other Southeast Asian states owing to
the federal shutdown in their country.
“We regret the postponement of Secretary Kerry’s
visit to Manila and this is due to the possibility, increasing possibility now,
that there is a major typhoon that may be entering Philippine responsibility.
Nonetheless, we are looking forward to the visit of Secretary Kerry. He has
promised the President that he will be coming before the end of the year, so
we’ll see him then,” Del Rosario said for his part.
Kerry said he is ‘absolutely committed’ to
returning to Southeast Asia and push through with his planned visit to Manila
as he wished for the safety and well-being of the Filipinos amid heavy rains
over the next few days.
“We wish the people of the Philippines safety
and their well-being is our concern over the course of the next days. But I’m
very appreciative to the Foreign Minister for his understanding,” Kerry said.
PND (hdc)
ASEAN renews commitment for regional, global
peace
(BRUNEI DARUSSALAM) Leaders of the Association
of Southeast Asian Nations reaffirmed their commitment in maintaining peace,
stability, and maritime security in the region in accordance with previously
agreed principles, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei said in a statement at the
conclusion of the 23rd ASEAN Summit here.
This principle includes the Declaration on the
Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), ASEAN’s Six-Point Principles
on the South China Sea, and the Joint Statement of the 15th ASEAN-China Summit
on the 10th Anniversary of the DOC.
Bolkiah, the chair of the 23rd ASEAN Summit and
Related Summits, said each member state remains committed to the DOC to ensure
the resolution of disputes by peaceful means in accordance with universally
recognized principles of international law, including the 1982 United Nations
Convention on the Law of the Sea without resorting to the threat or use of
force, while exercising self-restraint in the conduct of activities.
Every member state will push for the effective
implementation of the DOC in its entirety, including the mutually agreed joint
cooperative activities and projects in accordance with the Guidelines for the
Implementation of the DOC.
The 10-country regional grouping also welcomed
the formal consultations between ASEAN and China on the COC following the 6th
ASEAN-China Senior Officials Meeting on the Implementation of the DOC and the
9th ASEAN-China Joint Working Group on the Implementation of the DOC held in
Suzhou, China on September 14 to 15, 2013.
“The COC will serve to enhance peace, stability
and prosperity in the region. We also looked forward to developing the ideas of
establishing hotlines of communication to further enhance trust, confidence and
to respond to emergency situations at sea and cooperate in the area of search
and rescue for vessels in distress at sea as part of an 'early harvest' package
of the COC,” Bolkiah said in the statement.
With regards to other international issues,
Bolkiah said ASEAN stressed the need to maintain peace, security and stability
in the Korean Peninsula, as well as encouraging peaceful dialogue to create a
positive atmosphere for the resumption of the Six-Party Talks.
At the same time, the ASEAN expressed its
support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people for an independent
state of Palestine and a two-state solution where both countries and peoples
can live side by side in peace.
ASEAN also shares the concerns of the
international community on the use of chemical weapons in Syria, stressing the
importance of ensuring the safety and security of civilians, including
personnel involved in international peace operations.
The regional block underscored the importance of
resolving the crisis in a peaceful manner and supported all efforts,
particularly by the United Nations.
On the economic front, Bolkiah said the ASEAN
supports the outcomes of the G20 Summit held in St. Petersburg, Russia, on
September 5 to 6, 2013 and appreciated the opportunity to share ASEAN’s views
on current issues affecting the global economy.
The group also congratulated Indonesia for the
successful outcomes of the 21st APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting held in Bali,
Indonesia on October 7-8, 2013.
In the end, ASEAN supports initiatives ensuring
the growth of the global economy through fair global trade.
“In this regard, we reaffirmed our commitment
towards a successful outcome at the 9th WTO Ministerial Conference in Bali,
Indonesia, which will include trade facilitation, some elements of agriculture
and a set of development issues that would be a stepping stone towards seeking
to successfully conclude the Doha Development Agenda Round and providing
renewed confidence in the multilateral trading system,” Bolkiah said.
President Benigno S. Aquino III joined fellow
ASEAN leaders during the 23rd ASEAN Summit here as well as other dialogue
partners. The President left for Manila at 6:35 p.m. on board a Philippine
Airlines flight Thursday. PND (as)
