Lakandula awardee Jasmine Lee considers award a
challenge and a responsibilty to do even better
(SEOUL, South Korea) Proportional Representative
Jasmine Bacurnay-Lee of South Korea’s National Assembly, a recipient of the
Order of Lakandula, considers the award as a challenge and a responsibility to
do even better.
Lee, 36 years old, is the first Philippine-born
naturalized Korean to be elected as proportional representative to South
Korea’s National Assembly in 2012.
President Benigno S. Aquino III will confer the
Order of Lakandula with a rank of Officer on Lee as recognition for her
achievement and her advocacies in promoting migrant women’s rights and
multiculturalism.
The Order of Lakandula is one of the highest
recognitions given by the President of the Republic of the Philippines.
President Aquino, who is arriving here Thursday
for a State Visit upon the invitation of President Park Geun-hye, will confer
the award on Lee when meets the Filipino community living and working here in
Seoul on Friday.
During an interview with Radio-Television
Malacanang here in Seoul, Lee said that being the first Filipino to be elected
to the National Assembly is already a big responsibility for her.
“It’s a big challenge for me already; it’s a big
responsibility for me already kasi nga whatever I do, it will actually be the
result of kung magkakaroon pa tayo ng pangalawa, pangatlo o pang-apat,” she
said
“And when I heard that I’ll be given the award,
I thought, ‘Okay, this is another responsibility.’ I’m actually taking it as a
challenge, as a responsibility given to me to be better, to do what I can do
better,” she further said.
Representative Lee said that she also considers
the presidential award as a reminder of her roots. I’m hoping na this is going
to be a reminder for me to stay strong, to keep my feet on the ground,” she
said.
Lee, a mother of two, said that she started
working as an advocate of multiculturalism here because of her kids,
emphasizing that she wanted to make sure that this society will be a better
society for them and for all of the children.
Lee has received various awards in the past years
including the 2012 Immigrants’ Human Rights Award, 2012 CICI Korea Image
Milestone Award and the 10th Future Women Leaders Award. PND (co)
Aquino leaves for Republic of Korea for a
two-day state visit
President Benigno S. Aquino III said that his
two-day state visit to the Republic of Korea from October 17 to 18 will further
boost the already extensive trade relations between the two countries.
In his departure speech at the Ninoy Aquino
International Airport Terminal 2 in Pasay City on Thursday, the Chief Executive
said the country's strong and productive partnership with the Republic of Korea
would certainly benefit the country and the Filipino people as a whole.
Aquino left on Thursday for Seoul to undertake a
two-day state visit upon the invitation of President Park Geun-hye in a bid to
enhance bilateral ties between two Asian countries.
The Chief Executive departed at 8 a.m. on board
a chartered Philippine Airlines Flight PR 001.
"Kahapon po ay tumungo tayo sa Bohol at
Cebu para tignan ang kalagayan ng ating mga kababayan, at may mga naiwan kaming
miyembro ng gabinete para masigurado na mailagay sila, sa lalong madaling
panahon, sa tamang kaayusan. Tayo naman po ay tutungo ngayon sa South Korea,
upang asikasuhin naman ang kinabukasan habang inaasikaso natin ang
kasalukuyan," the President said.
"Alam po ng lahat na marami pong investors
na galing sa Korea, layon po natin lalo pang dagdagan ang kanilang investments
sa atin pong bansa. Palakasin rin sa larangan ng turismo, na siyang nagiging
daan ng kabuhayan ng marami po nating mga kababayan, at ang muli po, ay lalong
paigtingin pa ang ating ugnayan sa bansang South Korea sa pamamagitan ng marami
pang agreements na ating inaasahan mapirmahan itong araw na ito," he said.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said President
Aquino and President Park will hold their first summit meeting to discuss
bilateral issues particularly political, defense, economic, and development
cooperation and to exchange views on regional and international challenges,
among others.
"Alam po natin na talagang matindi nga ang
naging ugnayan na sa ilang dekada sa bansang South Korea, at lagi rin po nga
natin na talagang tangkilikin ang kanilang pag-aasikaso sa atin dito sa
pag-iimbita, at kauna-unahang State Visit sa panahon ng Presidente Park,"
President Aquino said.
During the two-day visit, the President will
also meet with the Korean business community to promote further trade and
investment in the Philippines and interact with the Filipino community in
Seoul.
The Philippines and Republic of Korea
established relations on March 3, 1949. During the Korean War in 1950, the
Philippine Expeditionary Forces to Korea (PEFTOK) joined the UN-led coalition
in defending the freedom of the Korean people. Until today, both countries
recognize this as the bedrock of Philippine-Korean relations.
The two countries have developed dynamic
economic relations with Korea now counting among the leading partners of the
Philippines in trade, investments and development cooperation. Likewise, South
Korea remains the country’s top source of tourists, with the number Korean
nationals who visited the country last year reaching more than a million or
nearly a quarter of the total tourist arrivals to the Philippines.
Vice President Jejomar C. Binay and other
government officials sent off President Aquino to Republic of Korea.
Joining the President to his trip to Republic of
Korea are Senate President Franklin Drilon, Cabinet Secretary Jose Rene
Almendras, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario, Defense Secretary
Voltaire Gazmin, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, Trade Secretary Gregory
Domingo, Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla, Presidential Management Staff
Head Julia Abad, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary
Herminio Coloma Jr., among others.
Also in attendance were Police Director General
Alan Purisima, Armed Forces of the Philippines Vice Chief of Staff Lieutenant
General Alan Luga, Philippine Navy Vice Admiral Jose Luis Alano, Army Chief
Lieutenant General Noel Coballes, Manila International Airport Authority
General Manager Jose Angel Honrado and members of the Cabinet.
President Aquino and his delegation will return
on Friday night (October 18). PND (js)
Government sets aside P12-M for President
Aquino’s state visit to the Republic of Korea
The government has allocated some P12 million
for President Benigno S. Aquino III’s two-day state visit to the Republic of
Korea, Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr. said on Thursday.
President Aquino left this morning for Seoul via
a chartered flight, accompanied by Senate President Franklin Drilon, Foreign
Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, Defense
Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo, Energy Secretary
Carlos Jericho Petilla, Cabinet Secretary Jose Rene Almendras, Presidential
Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma, Presidential
Management Staff head Julia Andrea Abad and Presidential Protocol Chief Celia
Anna Feria.
The budget covers, among others, transportation,
accommodation, food and equipment requirements for the President and his
60-member official delegation during the visit on October 17 and 18.
President Aquino’s trip to Seoul is on the
invitation of Republic of Korea President Park Geun-hye.
“Our President is expected to tackle several
issues with President Park. These concern not only South Korea and our country,
but also the region, and cover matters related to politics, defense, labor,
trade and development assistance,” Ochoa said. "The President will also meet
with key Korean business groups as well as the Filipino community there.”
According to the Department of Foreign Affairs
(DFA), President Aquino will be the first leader to undertake a state visit to
Korea since President Park took office in February this year. This is also the
first time that the two Asian leaders will meet.
While in Seoul, the DFA said President Aquino
will witness the signing of at least one memorandum of understanding (MOU)
between the defense ministries of the Philippines and Korea, which covers a
wide-range of cooperation from visit exchanges of military personnel and
experts to humanitarian assistance and international peacekeeping activities.
The DFA also said that President Aquino will
confer the Order of Lakandula on Representative Jasmine Bacurnay-Lee of the
Korean National Assembly in recognition of her achievement and advocacies in
promoting migrant women’s rights and multiculturalism.
Lee, who hails from Cavite and Davao City, is
the first naturalized Korean to be elected to the National Assembly, the DFA
added. PND (oes)
President Aquino urges Boholanons to help ensure
safety of Bohol structures
(TAGBILARAN CITY) President Benigno S. Aquino
III asked the people of Bohol to contact their local officials if they notice
defects in structures following a strong earthquake that hit the province.
“You can contact your LGU and have an assessment
as to kung may duda kayo, kung may napansin kayong cracks. You lead our
investigators, give them the clues,” the President said during a briefing with
government agencies here in Bohol on Wednesday.
If the people doubt the structural integrity of
a building, they must inform the experts so the government could focus on the
most critical structures.
The President also asked the Department of
Public Works and Highways to coordinate with the Provincial Engineering
Office—the local engineering centers to make sure that all structures are
checked.
The newest Building Code was implemented in
2010, mandating for the ability for new buildings to withstand magnitude 7.2
earthquakes, he said. But the problem is the older buildings.
There is a procedure called retrofitting to make
them compliant on a performance basis with the Building Code and basically to
ensure their safety, he stressed. PND (as)
Aquino asks Boholanons to avoid panic buying
(TAGBILARAN CITY) President Benigno S. Aquino
III appealed for calm particularly with regards to supply of food in Bohol
warning people not to overreact saying there is enough supply of food in the
province.
“Kung magtatakutan tayo dito, gagawa tayo ng
problema sa sitwasyon na walang problema, magpapanic buying tayong bigla na
nandiyan lang pala lahat ng supply,” the President said in a briefing with
government agencies here on Wednesday.
Panicking may induce shortages because people
may buy four or five times of their normal consumption.
The public will lose control of the present
situation if they panic, he said. It will not only disrupt the market but also
the farming sector since it may affect the prices.
“Yung merkado, pati ang farming sector apektado
rin sa fluctuation ng prices,” he said.
The President also warned those who will seize
the opportunity to overprice basic commodities, saying that once a state of
calamity is declared, there will be price controls.
“You mark it up, you are in violation, and there
will be sanctions. And I assure you we will be monitoring everybody’s
compliance with the said law,” the President said.
The chief executive also said he wants
government agencies to assure the people that there are sufficient funds
available, enough items, goods, and materials for all of those who have
evacuated.
The President arrived in Bohol Wednesday morning
to assess the quake devastation in the province. He also led the distribution
of relief goods to affected families. PND (as)
Aquino vows to help Bohol rebuild damaged
centuries-old churches
(TAGBILARAN CITY) President Benigno S. Aquino
III said on Wednesday that his administration is committed to assist the
province of Bohol restore its old churches damaged by an earthquake this week.
During a briefing with his Cabinet secretaries
and other local government officials, the President said he already ordered a
study about the possible assistance of the national government to restore
damaged old churches in Bohol with historical value to the country.
“You can expect me to help in getting the
private sector to help kung hindi puwede ang gobyerno as far as ‘yung
historical churches are concerned—at least to get them back,” the President
said.
He said rebuilding damaged churches must be
structurally compliant with the country’s 2010 building code.
Loboc Church and Baclayon Church, two of the
oldest churches in the Philippines, were heavily damaged on Tuesday after a 7.2
magnitude earthquake hit Bohol.
The National Commission for Culture and the Arts
(NCCA) said it was distraught by the extent of damage to churches in Bohol by
the October 15 quake. It said more engineering assessment has yet to be done to
determine the severity of the damage to the churches.
The Church of San Pedro in Loboc and Church of
Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception in Baclayon are both being conserved by
the National Museum with the funding of NCCA.
The NCCA and its affiliates like the Cultural
Center of the Philippines (CCP), the National Historical Commission of the
Philippines (NHCP), the National Museum, the National Archives Library,
Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino (KWF) are working together to assess the
aftereffects of this week’s earthquake in Bohol.
Even before the October 15 quake, the NCCA
spearheaded the conservation of 26 Spanish colonial-era churches in the
country, especially those that were recognized as National Cultural Treasures
by the National Museum in 2001. It is in support of the state policy to
preserve and protect important cultural properties and safeguard their
intrinsic value.
Those churches have outstanding historical,
cultural, artistic and scientific value and are representative of the original
church-building orders of Augustinians, Franciscans, Jesuits, Dominicans, and
Augustinian Recollects, and all the major regions of the country. PND (as)
Pulse Asia survey indicates strong support of
majority for President Aquino's response to PDAF issue
Just over six out of ten Filipinos approve of
the "response of President Aquino to the issue of the alleged anomalous
use of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF)," a manifestation
of public support for the Chief Executive's anti-corruption reforms and
initiatives.
This according to the latest Pulse Asia survey
that shows majority support for the President's call to “search for the truth,
and to hold accountable those who are responsible.”
The survey, conducted by Pulse Asia from
September 14 to 27, says that 63 per cent approve of the President’s response
to its alleged misuse, particularly his vow to prosecute individuals involved
in the misuse of the PDAF. This sentiment is echoed by majorities in every
geographic area (60% to 65%) and socio-economic grouping (63% to 68%).
“Despite efforts at misdirection, our people
clearly discern President Aquino’s determination to institute needed reform
measures to ensure that public funds are properly used in the delivery of
essential infrastructure and services," said Communications Secretary
Herminio Coloma.
According to Pulse Asia Research’s September
2013 Ulat ng Bayan Survey, 9 out of every 10 Filipinos (90%) are aware of the
issues surrounding the PDAF or pork barrel.
"Majority awareness levels are recorded
across geographic areas (82% to 95%) and socioeconomic classes (84% to 98%).
Awareness is more pronounced in Metro Manila, the rest of Luzon and the Visayas
(91% to 95%) than in Mindanao (82%) and in the best-off Class ABC (98%) than in
the poorest Class E (84%)," the survey showed.
The alleged misuse of the PDAF of several
members of Congress have dominated the news since September this year. At the
center of the so-called pork barrel scam is businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles,
who was reportedly responsible for funneling an estimated P10 billion sourced
from the PDAF of several lawmakers to fake non-governmental organizations
(NGOs) allegedly under her control.
On August 28, 2013, Napoles surrendered to
President Aquino. She surrendered two weeks after the Department of Justice
(DOJ) issued a warrant of arrest for her and her brother on charges of serious
illegal detention of the principal whistleblower in the pork barrel scam,
Benhur Luy.
Napoles is currently under the custody of the
Philippine National Police (PNP) in Fort Sto. Domingo, Laguna. On August 29,
2013, the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee began its inquiry into the matter while
on September 10, 2013, the Supreme Court ordered the executive department to
stop releasing the remaining PDAF of lawmakers for the current year.
On September 16, 2013, the DOJ filed plunder,
graft, bribery and malversation charges before the Ombudsman against former
Senate President Enrile, Senators Estrada and Revilla, Napoles and 34 other
individuals. PND (js)
Palace: Restoration of churches damaged by
earthquake needs foreign assistance
Malacanang said the country needs the assistance
of international experts for the restoration of the old churches in Bohol and
Cebu damaged by the October 15 earthquake.
In a press briefing in Malacanang on Thursday,
Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said Bohol churches must be rebuilt since
the province’s economy relies on eco-tourism.
“One of the things which is remarkable about
Bohol is that Bohol thrives on eco-tourism. And one of the civic prides in
Bohol is the number of churches, old churches that have been set up during the
Spanish era,” Lacierda said.
“What we need right now are restoration experts.
If there is one assistance that we need, (they) are the restoration experts.
Venice is one such capital where… If you remember, in the past, Venice was
flooded. And so, there was a number of restoration works that was done in
Venice.”
“And so, what we need in terms of assistance
also from our international friends would be experts in restoring churches,
restoring all these national treasures. These are already heritage sites, and
that’s what we are looking at,” he added.
The Aquino administration wants to make sure
that it could be able to restore the churches and the Department of Tourism is
supportive of the initiative, the Palace official said.
Asked what agency would be spearheading the
restoration process, Lacierda said: “We’ll have to coordinate first. But as far
as I know, Secretary of Tourism Mon Jimenez is one of the Cabinet secretaries
who (is) actively involved in the restoration, primarily because it is in his
jurisdiction. Eco-tourism is part of his mandate.”
While in Bohol on Wednesday, President Benigno
S. Aquino III said his government is committed to helping Bohol rehabilitate
its churches damaged by the quake.
Loboc Church and Baclayon Church, two of the
oldest churches in the Philippines, were heavily damaged on Tuesday after a 7.2
magnitude earthquake hit Bohol.
Prior to the quake that hit the province
Tuesday, both churches are being conserved by the National Museum with the
funding from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).
The NCCA spearheaded few years ago the
conservation of 26 Spanish colonial-era churches in the country, especially
those that were recognized as National Cultural Treasures by the National
Museum. PND (as)
President Aquino arrives in Seoul, South Korea
(SEOUL, South Korea) President Benigno S. Aquino
arrived at the Seoul Air Base here onboard a chartered Philippine Airlines PR
001 on the first day of his two-day State Visit upon the invitation of South
Korean President Park Geun-Hye from October 17 to 18.
The President, accompanied by a lean delegation
namely Senate President Franklin Drilon, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima,
Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, Trade Industry Secretary Gregory
Domingo, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Secretary to the Cabinet Jose Rene
Almendras, Communications Secretary Sonny Coloma, Presidential Management Staff
Head Julia Abad, touched down at the airport tarmac at exactly 12: 59 pm.
On hand to meet the President at the airport
were Philippine Embassy officials led by Philippine Ambassador to Korea
Ambassador Luis Cruz, and Korean officials.
The President started his visit by leading the
wreath-laying rites at the Memorial Tower in honor of the dead heroes who
fought during the Korean War in the Seoul National Cemetery.
From the Seoul National Cemetery, the President
proceeded to the Blue House for the official welcome ceremonies. This will be
followed by the signing of the Guest Book and the Summit Talks between
President Aquino and President Park.
After the talks, The two leaders will also be
witnessing the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on defense
cooperation between the defense ministers of the two countrise and an MOU on
sports cooperation between the Philippine Sports Commission and Korea's
Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
The first day of the visit will be capped by a
State Dinner hosted by President Park.
On the second day of his visit, President Aquino
will likewise lead a wreath-laying ceremony and awarding of a certificate of recognition
in honor of his father, Senator Benigno Aquino Jr., at the Hall of Heroes, War
Memorial of Korea.
After that event, the President will speak
before the Korean Business Community at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, to be followed
by his business meetings. He will also be interviewed by CNN-Korea after his
meetings with the Korean businessmen.
President Aquino will also have a chance to meet
the Filipino community here in Seoul and will confer on Proportional
Representative Jasmine Bacurnay-Lee the Order of Lakandula during the event.
After his interaction with the Filipinos, the President and his delegation will
depart for Manila. PND (rda/co)
