Philippines goes digital, Coloma says
President Benigno S. Aquino III has given the
go-signal to the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to begin the
groundwork for the migration to the Japanese digital television system of the
country’s television system, Presidential Communications Operations Office
Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma said on Tuesday.
Coloma said during the regular press briefing in
Malacanang on Tuesday that after a series of consultations by the Economic
Team, the Department of Science and Technology and the NTC with various
stakeholders, including broadcasters, the commission prepared a draft
memorandum circular that was discussed in a public hearing last October 29.
"All the major broadcasters attended the
public hearing and there were no noted objections to the issuance of the said
memorandum circular," he said.
"The Philippines is joining other Asean
member countries in switching over from analog to digital broadcasting,"
Coloma said.
Coloma said the Philippines, like the 15 fifteen
other countries, has chosen to adopt the integrated service digital
broadcasting-terrestrial (ISDB-T) system that was developed by Japan. The
ISDB-T paves the way for digital broadcast in the entire country, Coloma said.
"Such move will provide free-to-air digital
TV signal to televiewers and consumers that is clearer even if they are in
remote areas. The choice of this system was announced by President Aquino to
the Philippine media delegation at the recent Asean summit in Brunei
Darussalam," he said.
According to Coloma, the President emphasized
the new system is aligned with the government’s objective of zero-casualty in
times of calamities.
Coloma said the presidential directive will
phase out analogue transmission in approximately two to three years.
He stressed more than 20 typhoons strike the
Philippines every year. With six active faults, the country is situated within
the Pacific ring of fire thereby exposing the Filipino people to constant
danger and adversity.
To address this challenge, Coloma said the NTC
ascertained the compatibility of the ISDB-T system with mobile devices since
there are approximately 95 million mobile phone subscribers. This facility,
Coloma said, may also be accessed through other mobile devices such as laptops,
tablets, game consoles and the like.
He said ISDB-T has a built-in early warning
system to enable people with TV sets, mobile phones and other hand-held gadgets
with TV receivers to receive early warning announcements and advisories from
the National Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Council.
It has also a built-in mobile transmission that
can send early warnings to more than 100 million mobile phone users in the
country at the shortest possible, Coloma said.
“These features are very much applicable to the
Philippines as we have the same situation as Japan in terms of natural
calamities,” Coloma explained.
“This development is most relevant to a country
prone to natural calamities and will help increase our reaction and response to
calamities. The President is glad that our broadcasters are one with the
government in adopting the Japanese system for the same reasons,” he said.
"Another factor is the lower cost for
acquiring a set top box compatible with existing television sets. We expect
that by yearend 2013, the NTC, in coordination with the Kapisanan ng mga
Brodkaster ng Pilipinas, will be able to conduct public consultations leading
to the promulgation of the implementing rules and regulations," Coloma
said. PND (js)
Government to assist Filipinos abused in Saudi
Arabia
The government is prepared to support Filipinos
seek justice after some were reportedly abused and humiliated in the ongoing
crackdown on illegal immigrants in Saudi Arabia, Malacanang said on Tuesday.
“Tungkulin po ng ating pamahalaan na ipagtanggol
ang karangalan at karapatan ng lahat ng mamamayan,” Presidential Communications
Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said in a press briefing at
the Palace on Tuesday.
“Kung meron pong sapat na katibayan na ito ay
naganap, at sila ay handang magharap ng pormal na usapin, tutulungan po sila ng
ating pamahalaan na magawaran sila ng katarungan sa kanilang sinapit,” he said.
Thirty Filipino workers arriving from Saudi
Arabia on Monday said they were abused and humiliated in the midst of a Saudi
crackdown on illegal migrants as part of its “Saudization” policy.
The Filipinos claimed that Saudi police rounded
them up and placed them in a crowded cell for four days before they were
paraded from the immigration center to the airport.
The Filipino workers were among an estimated
6,700 Filipino workers stranded in parts of Saudi Arabia where an amnesty for
undocumented foreigners ended on Sunday.
As to the proposal of some non-government
organizations for the Philippine government to hire private lawyers to speed up
the repatriation of Filipinos there, Coloma said the Department of Foreign
Affairs handles the concerns of Filipino workers in Saudi Arabia.
“Ang Department of Foreign Affairs po ang
tumututok sa usaping iyan. Meron po tayong konsulado heneral sa Jeddah at
embassy sa Riyadh at sila po ang magpapanukala kung ano pang karagdagang
hakbang ang kinakailangan, bukod pa doon sa mga naisagawa na at kasalukuyan
pang isinasagawa, kaya hihintayin po namin ang rekomendasyon ng ating
Department of Foreign Affairs,” Coloma said.
“Saudization” is a national policy of Saudi
Arabia encouraging employment of Saudi nationals in the private sector, which
was largely dominated by Asian, European and American expatriate workers.
The Saudi government has enacted policies to
promote “Saudization,” including warnings to companies that will fail to comply
with regulations will not get government contracts. PND (as)
Government relentless in fighting poverty, say
Palace
The government is fighting poverty in a
sustained basis and concentrating in expanding the conditional cash transfer
program as well as providing informal education to lift people out of poverty,
a Palace official said.
Presidential Communications Operations Office
Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma, Jr. said in a press briefing on Tuesday that
one of the government’s biggest allocation in 2010 was for the Department of
Social Welfare and Development for its Pantawid Pamilya Pilipino Program.
“Ito ay isang determined effort on the part of
the government to lift our people from the lowest levels of poverty to attain
economic self-sufficiency,” Coloma said.
Over the years, even with some criticisms, the
government increased the allocations for the 4Ps and CCT programs and based on
the latest recommendation of the Philippine Institute for Development Studies
(PIDS), the government has allotted P10-billion for the programs in the 2014
budget.
The current CCT program only covers those in the
grade school and based on PIDS’s estimate, the anti-poverty effort will be more
enduring and long-lasting if it helps students finish high school.
Coloma said that out of 100 students enrolled in
Grade 1, only 33 make it to high school, with a high dropout rate. This is the
target of the CCT program: to cut the dropout rate in grade schools.
The government also strengthens non-formal
educational systems in the country to help out-of-school youth get the skills
for them to enter the job market.
The Aquino administration is determined to
attain poverty reduction and is also pushing for social protection programs,
hoping that in the near future it would be able to reduce the number of poor
Filipinos.
A nationwide survey conducted by the Social
Weather Station from September 20 to 30 showed that 50 percent of the
respondents rated themselves as poor, from 49 percent or 10.4 million
households in June. PND (as)
Philippines bids for organ donor world record
On November 28, the Philippines will attempt to
set a world record for "lifelines" - to convince more Filipinos to
sign up as organ donors.
The "I'm a Lifeline" campaign, which
aims to set a new Guinness World Record, will be held in six zones nationwide.
It will be held in North Luzon (San Fernando, La
Union), Naga (Bicol Medical Center), Tacloban City, Davao (Southern Philippines
Medical Center), Metro Manila (Polytechnic University of the Philippines)
A sixth zone will be in Metro Manila, with the
Department of Health determining the particular venue.
On the other hand, netizens can support the
campaign by liking its Facebook page at facebook.com/LifeLinePHL, or following
its Twitter account at @LifeLinePHL.
The campaign seeks to break the record for
single-site registration at 4,135, at Dharmsinh Desai University in Nadiad,
Gujarat, India on Jan. 1 this year.
It also seeks to beat the record in one hour for
a single site, at 2,755, held by Prakash Gurjar and Madadgar Parivar in
Ahmedabad, Gudjarat, India last Sept. 17.
By referring to organ donors as lifelines, the
campaign seeks as well to allay misconceptions about organ donation and help
create a national donor registry.
The Department of Health's Philippine Network
for Organ Sharing (PhilNOS) and the Philippine Information Agency are heading
efforts for an information drive to drum up public awareness on organ donation.
Signing a memorandum of agreement for the
campaign on Tuesday were Presidential Communications Operations Office
Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma Jr. and Polytechnic University of the
Philippines president Emmanuel de Guzman.
PUP vice president for administration Alberto
Guillo; DOH Philippine Organ Donation and Transplantation Program manager
Antonio Paraiso, and Emelyn Libunao, staff director for the PIA's Project
Management Division, witnessed the signing.
The campaign stemmed from a focus group
discussion of the PIA last July, which showed most people equate organ donation
with "great sacrifice."
It also showed most people are willing to
sacrifice only for immediate family members. PND (jl)
Palace says National Disaster Risk Reduction
Management Council preparing Eastern Visayas for typhoon Yolanda
Malacanang on Tuesday assured the public that
the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council, including its regional
and provincial units, is preparing for Tropical Storm Yolanda.
Presidential Communications Operations Office
Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma said that the Eastern Visayas Regional
Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council will meet today in preparation for
the approaching typhoon.
“Nakatutok po diyan ang ating NDRRMC, at doon sa
isang partikular na lugar na tinatayang tatamaan nito, gusto kong ipaalam sa
inyo na ang East Visayas DRRMC ay nakatakdang magpulong ngayong hapon sa
Leyte,” he said.
“Ito po ang partikular na aksyon nila on the
ground level: to discuss measures to undertake in preparation for the
approaching Tropical Storm Yolanda,” Coloma said during a press briefing in
Malacanang.
According to the Philippine Atmospheric,
Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, Tropical Storm Yolanda is
expected to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Thursday morning.
“Kahit na ang forecast po ng PAGASA ay sa
November 8 pa ang maigting na pagtama nito, pinaghahandaan na doon sa ground
through the regional and provincial units of the National Disaster Risk
Reduction Management Council,” Coloma said. PND (co)
