Sunday 10 November 2013

PIA News Dispatch - Friday, November 8, 2013

President Aquino declares November 12 as special non-working day in Valenzuela City in celebration of ‘Araw ng Valenzuela’

President Benigno S. Aquino III has declared November 12, which falls on a Tuesday, as a special (non-working) day in Valenzuela City, Metro Manila in celebration of "Araw ng Valenzuela."

The Chief Executive issued the declaration by virtue of Proclamation No. 678 signed by Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr. on November 6 to give the people of Valenzuela the full opportunity to celebrate and participate in the occasion with appropriate ceremonies.

The city marks the celebration of its 390th Foundation Day.

During the Spanish colonization, Valenzuela, then known as sitio Polo, was then incorporated into the township of Catangalan (now Meycauayan) in the Bulacan alcaldia.

In 1623, Spanish Governor-General Alonso Fajardo de Entenza ordered the separation of sitio Polo from Catangalan and its establishment as an independent town.

Polo was changed into its present name in honor of Dr. Pio Valenzuela, the city’s most distinguished son who had figured prominently in the Philippine revolution against Spain during the late 19th century. PND (js)


Palace says proactive efforts continue to minimize damage from Yolanda

Amid efforts to assist those affected by Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) and to restore power and communications, the government continues to employ proactive efforts to minimize the loss of lives, Malacañang said Friday.

Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma Jr. also said an additional P53.24 million has been earmarked for assistance to those affected by Yolanda.

"Sa ngayon, walang dahilan para mabahala. Ang mapapansin natin, ang pagsisikap ng pamahalaan ay maging proactive ang mauna tayo sa sitwasyon at magkaroon ng sapat na inpormasyon ang ating mga kababayan para huwag na maulit ang naganap noong nakaraan dahil sa kulang ang impormasyon, maraming nasawi o naapektuhan ng kalamidad (What we in government have been doing is to be proactive. We are giving information to the public in advance so they can make informed choices and prevent loss of lives)," Coloma said at a media briefing in Malacañang.

He also said the government had already conducted preemptive actions with the early evacuation of some 26,675 families or 125,604 people in potential danger zones.

He added the government continues to monitor the movement of Yolanda so it can warn people in areas in the typhoon's path.

"Ang bulk ng aming nakuhang report at mino-monitor pa ngayon ay yung movement ng typhoon, so that we can still give adequate warning to our people (Our efforts to monitor Yolanda's movements are meant to give people adequate warning)," Coloma said.

"Nakatuon ang buong puwersa ng pamahalaan sa pagtulong sa ating mga mamamayan at paglalayo sa kanila sa panganib sa pinsalang hatid ng Super Typhoon Yolanda (The government is going all-out to help protect people from the effects of Super Typhoon Yolanda)," he said.

Super Typhoon Yolanda had made several landfalls in various parts of the country Friday. State weather forecasters said it may exit the Philippine area of responsibility on Saturday.

Coloma said concerned government agencies remain on full alert, with the Department of Social Welfare and Development earmarking an additional P53.24 million for relief operations.

The DSWD is also calling on volunteers to help repack relief goods.

For his part, Department of Health Secretary Enrique Ona has ordered government hospitals to tend to those affected.

Government agencies are also monitoring the water level of dams in areas where heavy rain from Yolanda had fallen.

Meanwhile, the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines is working to restore power in Catbalogan, Samar; Southern Leyte; parts of Western and Eastern Leyte; Calbayog City in Samar; Tacloban City and Palo, Leyte; and part of Surigao del Norte.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines had ordered the suspension of operations of airports in areas affected by Yolanda.

On the other hand, Coloma said the government is not giving up on its zero casualty goal, and is aiming to improve its disaster response mechanism.

"Hindi tayo natitinag sa layuning zero casualty ... Yan pa rin ang gusto nating matamo (We are not abandoning our goal of zero casualty. That is still our target)," he said. PND (jl)


Palace: Efforts continuing to resolve Manila hostage tragedy row despite Hong Kong lawmakers' motion for visa sanction

Despite a reported motion from Hong Kong lawmakers to scrap Filipinos' visa-free access to Hong Kong, the Philippine government continues to quietly work to resolve the situation, Malacañang said Friday.

Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio  “Sonny” Coloma Jr. said the Philippine government's position to quietly work toward a "mutually satisfying conclusion" to the row has not changed.

"Our position remains the same. Both sides are working quietly to address these concerns and reach a mutually satisfying conclusion," Coloma said at a media briefing.

He added the Philippines remains focused on working with Hong Kong to achieve a resolution.

In the meantime, Coloma appealed to Filipinos who may be affected by such a sanction to remain calm as the government will continue to look after their welfare.

"Ang gobyerno natin ay tuwirang nakikipag-ugnayan sa kanila. Habang patuloy ang pakikipag-ugnayan, patuloy ang focus na matamo ang ultimate objective (Our government continues to work with the Hong Kong government. While this is going on, we remain focused on achieving our ultimate objective)," he said.

Coloma pointed out that the Philippine Consulate General continues to coordinate with the Department of Foreign Affairs to achieve this goal.

Besides, Coloma said President Benigno S. Aquino III and Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying had agreed at the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meet in Indonesia to reach a mutually satisfactory closure.

"Mutual yan. Nagsimula sa mutual agreement from the face-to-face meeting. Doon galing ang daloy ng kasalukyang pangyayari (We are undertaking mutual efforts. We have a mutual agreement that stemmed from President Aquino and Chief Executive Leung's face-to-face meeting. That is what our ongoing efforts are based on)," he said.

The row stemmed from a hostage taking incident in Manila on Aug. 23, 2010, when a dismissed policeman took a busload of Hong Kong tourists hostage to demand his reinstatement in the police force.

But a botched police rescue attempt resulted in the death of the policeman and many of his hostages.

Following the incident, Hong Kong has imposed a black travel warning that discourages its residents from visiting the Philippines.

Earlier this week, a Hong Kong news site reported that Hong Kong lawmakers voted in favor of a non-binding motion to press the Hong Kong government to impose sanctions on Manila, and to cancel visa-free access of Filipinos to Hong Kong. PND (jl)


President Aquino says securing people’s health remains the most important national agenda

President Benigno S. Aquino III reiterated that securing the people's health remains the most important national agenda.

In his message to the Philippine Naturopathic Society Inc. (PNSI), the Chief Executive cited the naturopathic sector for efforts to help the government in realizing its goal to provide better health for the Filipinos.

"We consider groups who help us realize this responsibility as important partners in nation-building. As advocates of naturopathy, you introduce various methods that expand our current approaches to healing, complementing traditional medicine," the President said to PNSI on the occasion of the Second Philippine Naturopathic Practitioners’ Convention and Exhibition.

"May this convention lead to an even greater understanding and awareness of your field, establishing for it a bigger role in national rejuvenation, that your practice may gain wider approval among our people and earn greater acceptance among medical professionals," the President said.

He said the Philippines's collective success as a nation depends on the commitment of all sectors of society to rise to the challenge of citizenship and contribute resources and skills towards securing the welfare of the Filipino people.

"As long as integrity, excellence, and service define our pursuits, we will succeed in our endeavors as we continue our journey on the straight and righteous path towards a more equitably progressive Philippines," he said.

Naturopathic doctors are health practitioners trained in family practice with a specialty in natural medicine. PND (js)


Government to prioritize restoring power, communication in typhoon-ravaged areas, says Palace

Malacanang said the government will ask telecommunications companies to make their system available particularly in areas devastated by Typhoon Yolanda so that people could easily communicate with their families.

The priority is to restore power in those areas so that the communication system could work, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma Jr. said in a press briefing in Malacanang on Friday.

“Bibigyan po ng prayoridad ng National Grid Corp. ang restoration of power kasi mahalagang elemento po ito sa connectivity. Nakikipag-ugnayan din tayo sa mga telecommunications company dahil kahit walang kuryente maaari pong magamit ang mga mobile phones,” Coloma told reporters.

The National Grid Corp., according to Coloma, is working double time to restore power services in Catbalogan, Samar; Southern Leyte; the province of Leyte; Calbayog City in Samar; Tacloban City and Palo in Leyte; and parts of Surigao del Norte.

The government is also working closely with the telecommunications companies to ensure minimal disruption of services, he said noting that in times of calamities, it is important for the people to have means of communication to assure the safety of their families.

As to the concerns for weak telecommunication signals by some telecom providers, Coloma said the Palace will ask the National Telecommunications Commission to look into the problem.

Typhoon Yolanda continues to hit several provinces in the Visayas region. Coloma said the fifth landfall was in Concepcion, Iloilo; the fourth was in Bantayan Island, Cebu; the third in Daanbantayan, Cebu; the second in Dulag-Tolosa, Leyte; and the first in Guiuan, Eastern Samar.

He said the government will continue to provide the public updates on the typhoon until it exits the country. PND (as)


Aquino wants continuous search, rescue efforts in areas devastated by Typhoon Yolanda

President Benigno S. Aquino III has directed all government agencies to conduct extensive search and rescue operations to ensure that everyone along the path of Typhoon Yolanda, which hit the country Friday, is accounted for.

In a statement on Friday, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the President instructed agencies to pay special attention to areas that may have been isolated from town centers in the aftermath of the typhoon.

At the same time, Coloma advised everyone to remain vigilant until the exit of the storm from the Philippine Area of Responsibility, which according to PAGASA will be on Saturday morning, November 9.

Also, Coloma commended the people along the typhoon path for heeding the call of the government to evacuate and take the necessary precautions as the typhoon approached.

“We commend our countrymen for heeding the call of the government to take the necessary safety precautions and for following by the evacuation measures that have been put in place by local government officials especially those residing in danger zones and high-risk areas,” he said.

Coloma said that based on the latest update from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) there is still a low number of reported casualties from the onslaught of Typhoon Yolanda.

Only three casualties have been reported, two were electrocuted in separate areas in San Jacinto, Masbate and Surigao del Sur, Coloma said, adding the last fatality was struck by lightning in Zamboanga City.

The NDRRMC also reported seven people were injured because of the typhoon, he said.

Typhoon Yolanda hit several provinces in the Visayas region including Iloilo, Cebu, Leyte and Eastern Samar. The typhoon is expected to affect Mindoro province around 7 p.m. Friday.


He said in a press briefing earlier that the government will continue to provide the public updates on the typhoon until it exits the country. PND (as)