‘Busy week’ marks President Aquino’s start of
official year
A busy week marks the start of President Benigno
S. Aquino’s Official Year, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said on
Monday.
In a press briefing in Malacanang, Lacierda said
the President’s official year will begin with two events: presentation of
credentials of non-resident ambassadors from Botswana, Ethiopia, Lithuania,
Portugal, Samoa, Sudan, Zambia, and Suriname “to further build on our
relationships with the international community, towards creating more
mutually-beneficial opportunities in the year ahead” and the traditional New
Year reception for Philippine officialdom and the Diplomatic Corps called the
Vin D’Honneur.
Lacierda said that “this is the President’s
first opportunity to communicate his priorities and expectations, as well as
his hopes, for the coming year.”
After a year of challenges—challenges endured by
the Filipino people, displaying solidarity and compassion above all, the
official year begins this week with two events.
He added that in between these events, “the
President will also take part in the launch of the new MMDA Traffic Signal
System and Command and Control Center as the Guest of Honor.”
“All of these cap what will be a busy week for
President Aquino, as he touches base with members of his Cabinet to ensure that
the momentum of 2013 is carried over into the New Year, in which several
significant objectives are due to be realized within the first quarter,”
Lacierda said.
“Among these are the transition from relief to
recovery and reconstruction for areas affected by Typhoon Yolanda, as well as
the signing of the Annex on Normalization of the Framework Agreement on the
Bangsamaro,” he added. PND (rck)
DPWH Chief: Contractors won't get paid for
substandard bunkhouses
Contractors tasked to build bunkhouses for
survivors of super typhoon "Yolanda" (Haiyan) will not get paid if
their work is substandard, the Department of Public Works and Highways
reassured the public Monday.
DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson said this even as
he prepared to go to Tacloban City on Tuesday to inspect the bunkhouses being
built for the survivors.
"I'm going there tomorrow to check. I can
tell you pag substandard, hindi sila babayaran (I can tell you that if the work
is substandard, the contractors won't get paid)," Singson said at a media
briefing in Malacañang.
"We have not paid any of the contractors at
this point. We asked them on voluntary basis ... If the contractors did not
follow the specifications we gave them, they will not be paid unless they
correct or rectify to meet our standards. So whether they want to retrofit to
meet our standards or they will not be paid," he added.
He also noted the contractors had agreed to
build the bunkhouses minus their overhead and profit margins.
Contractors whose work is found to be
substandard can retrofit the bunkhouses or donate them altogether, he said.
Also, he said he has discussed the matter of
substandard bunkhouses with Presidential Adviser on Reconstruction and
Rehabilitation Panfilo Lacson.
"I assured him that we have not paid the
contractors. If contractors want to be paid they have to follow the
specifications of the DPWH," he said.
Singson said that while there is no overpricing,
there could be the possibility of some contractors not following the
government's specifications.
The DPWH's original design is to have each
bunkhouse accommodate up to 24 families, but it revised the design to have the
bunkhouses accommodate up to 12 families each.
He said this stemmed from comments of
representatives from international agencies that one room unit is too tight.
Singson said they initially aimed to accommodate
up to 6,000 families in the bunkhouses by end-January, but because of the
reconfiguration of the bunkhouses, they had to reduce the number of families
that can be accommodated.
But he also pointed out there is no guarantee
the DPWH can complete the construction of bunkhouses in the last two-and-a-half
years of President Benigno S. Aquino III's term.
"We are doing our best to do what we can do
in two-and-a-half years. I cannot claim we can finish the shelter program in
two years," he said. PND (jl)
PCOO Chief warns vs scammers, namedroppers
seeking Yolanda 'donations'
A Malacañang official on Monday cautioned the
public to be wary of scammers using his name to solicit so-called donations for
survivors of super typhoon "Yolanda" (Haiyan).
Presidential Communications Operations Office
Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma Jr. said he learned of one scam using his
name, after being told by the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP).
"(Some unscrupulous individuals), while
impersonating me, or claiming to represent me and my office, have resorted to
soliciting donations related to Typhoon Yolanda," Coloma said.
Citing information reaching him, he said the
scammers had tried to victimize members of the MAP and the Financial Executives
Institute of the Philippines.
In another incident, Coloma said a scammer
dropped his name in calling a colleague and offering to set up a meeting with
President Benigno Aquino III.
"I wish to emphasize that I did not - and
will not - make such calls, nor authorize anyone to represent me in so
doing," Coloma said.
"This is evidently the work of scammers. I am
issuing statements to the mass media and in our office website as a
precautionary advisory," he added.
Meanwhile, he asked the MAP to note the caller
information used by the impostors, "so we can trace their identities
and/or whereabouts and make them accountable for their illegal acts." PND
(jl)
Palace: 100M Philippine population a challenge
and an opportunity
The prospect of the Philippine population
reaching the 100-million mark presents both a challenge and an opportunity for
the country, Malacañang said Sunday.
Presidential Communications Operations Office
Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma Jr. said the Philippine Development Plan aims
to make sure all Filipinos benefit from the nation's growth.
"Iyan po ay isang hamon at isa rin pong
pagkakataon dahil ang tao po ang pinakamahalagang bumubuo ng anumang lipunan.
Yan po ang balanseng pagtanaw natin sa sitwasyon na ‘yan (It is both a
challenge and an opportunity because people are the most important resource.
That is our balanced view of the situation)," he said on state-run dzRB
Radyo ng Bayan.
He said the Philippine Development Plan is
geared for inclusive growth, to make sure all Filipinos benefit from economic
growth.
Coloma also pointed out a large part of the
budget for 2014 is geared for social protection and social welfare and
development.
"Karamihan ng mga Pilipino hindi po dapat
maipwera o mailagay sa isantabi ang nakararami (The majority of Filipinos
should not be left out of any growth)," he said. PND (jl)
Government remains committed to giving justice
to Atimonan massacre victims' kin
Malacañang on Sunday assured relatives of last
year's Atimonan massacre that the government continues to work to make sure
they get justice, one year after the incident.
Presidential Communications Operations Office
Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma Jr. said administrative and prosecution
actions are being implemented to this end.
"Gagawin po ang mga kinakailangan sa
larangan ng administrative at prosecution actions sa hanay po ng lahat ng mga
concerned government agency para po magawaran ng katarungan ang mga naiwan ng
mga nasawi sa kaganapang yan (All concerned government agencies are
implementing all administrative and prosecution actions to ensure the victims'
kin get justice)," Coloma said on state-run dzRB Radyo ng Bayan.
In early January last year, 13 people were
killed after police and military personnel at a checkpoint in Atimonan town
reportedly fired on their vehicles.
Families of the 13 victims appealed to the
Aquino administration to speed up the resolution of the case and punish the
guilty.
Later last year, the Department of Justice
charged 13 law enforcers with multiple murder for the killing. PND (jl)
Palace to respect visits by allies, critics to
former President Arroyo
Malacañang on Sunday said it will respect the
visits to former President and Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo by her allies and
critics.
But Presidential Communications Operations
Office Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma Jr. maintained the issue of the recent
visits to Mrs. Arroyo is not a priority for the administration.
"Kung ano po ang naging pahayag nila ay
iginagalang po natin ang lahat ng mga nagpahayag na iyan. Pero sa amin po,
hindi po yan ang prayoridad na pinag-uukulan ng pansin, sapagkat marami pong
mahahalagang usapin sa ating bansa tulad po ‘nung agarang rehabilitasyon at
rekonstruksyon para sa mga nasalanta ng kalamidad ng ‘Yolanda’ at sa Zamboanga,
pati po doon sa Bohol earthquake at ‘yung ‘Santi’ (We respect whatever Mrs.
Arroyo's visitors said but that is not our priority. We are busy with the
rehabilitation of areas affected by recent cyclones like Yolanda and Santi, and
by the fighting in Zamboanga City and the Bohol quake)," Coloma said on
state-run dzRB Radyo ng Bayan.
He also said the government is busy pursuing
reforms and implementing the Philippine Development Plan.
Over the weekend, some of Mrs. Arroyo's allies
and critics visited her at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City.
Mrs. Arroyo has been under hospital arrest since
December 2011, on charges of electoral sabotage. She now faces plunder charges
as well.
Coloma maintained that while the Aquino
administration has no ill will toward Mrs. Arroyo, it maintains the need to
adhere to the accountability process. PND (jl)
