Swedish King visits Laguna Jamborette, says
scouting can change the world
LOS BANOS, Laguna) Visiting Swedish monarch King
Carl XVI Gustaf joined thousands of boy and girl scouts here participating in
the 3rd One Regional Scout Jamborette saying scouting offers a lot of
possibilities to change the world. The Southern Luzon scouting event started
January 22 and will continue until January 26.
During Saturday’s event, the Boy Scouts of the
Philippines (BSP) National Court of Honor conferred on King Carl XVI Gustaf the
Mt. Makiling Award. The awarding ceremony was spearheaded by Vice President
Jejomar Binay, the president of the BSP.
The king said he is deeply honored by the award
conferred on him noting that what all scouts should do is to work together to
change the world and make it better, he said.
“I think what you are doing here in your country
is fantastic. But what we can do together not only here but also around the
world to work together and that will be possible to many, many young boys and
girls, to make a difference for them and to all the possibilities to start a new
life,” the Swedish monarch said in a message during the awarding rites.
“And we can all do that together. And I will
promise that I will continue to work for the scout movement international and
in Sweden and elsewhere in the world. And I want to wish you all, everybody
good luck for the future.”
King Carl XVI Gustaf, whose major advocacies is
scouting, visited several areas in the scout camp site and met with scouts as
they participated in the different activities and exercises.
After his event at the Philippine scouting
center, the Laguna provincial government hosted a lunch for the visiting
European monarch.
King Carl XVI Gustaf expressed his gratitude to
Laguna Gov. ER Ejercito for supporting the conduct of the scouting event in Los
Banos.
After his visit in Laguna, the Swedish king went
to the Catholic Center of the Our Lady of Remedios in Malate, Manila for
another scouting event. Boy and girl scouts from different high schools and
colleges in Manila welcomed the king in a program for him. King Carl XVI Gustaf
joined them in different activities at the center.
Showing deep interest on how scouting reformed
and improved the lives of the youth in Manila, the king toured the areas near
the Catholic Center to see the places where poor scouts earned their living.
On Sunday, the king will fly to Tacloban City to
take part on different scouting-related activities. He is expected to join a
flag-raising ceremony and the distribution of neckerchiefs and scout uniforms
to patrol leaders.
He will also visit areas where scouts
participate in post-typhoon rehabilitation works. The Swedish monarch will also
visit the projects of the BSP in Tacloban City and other related projects
supported by the Swedish government in cooperation with the United Nations in
the Philippines.
King Carl XVI Gustaf arrived in the Philippines
Friday for a three-day visit and will depart Sunday evening. PND (as)
Palace: President Aquino welcomes signing of
last annex in peace pact with MILF
President Benigno Aquino III welcomes the
signing of the final annex paving the way for a comprehensive peace agreement
between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Malacañang said
Sunday.
Speaking on state-run dzRB Radyo ng Bayan,
Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma
Jr. said the President congratulated the panels of both sides for the signing
of the annex in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday.
"Malugod na ipinaaabot ng Pangulong Aquino
ang kanyang pagbati at pasasalamat sa mga kasapi ng Philippine at MILF peace
panels sa paglagda sa ikaapat at panghuling annex on normalization kahapon sa
Kuala Lumpur na siyang magbibigay daan sa pagbubuo ng Bangsamoro Peace
Agreement (The President sends his congratulations and thanks to the Philippine
government and MILF peace panels for signing the fourth and final annex on
normalization in Kuala Lumpur. This will pave the way for the Bangsamoro peace
agreement)," Coloma said.
He said next step now is to craft the proposed
Bangsamoro Basic Law that will be submitted to Congress. The measure will then
be subjected to a plebiscite.
Coloma noted the normalization annex provides
for the gradual laying down of arms by the MILF and the decommissioning of its
troops.
For its part, the government will also lessen
the number of military forces in Mindanao, and help the MILF neutralize private
armed groups.
The government will also implement social and
economic programs for MILF members, he said.
"Ang mga pagsusuko ng armas ay
pangangasiwaan ng isang third party decommissioning body alinsunod sa
napagkasunduan ng dalawang panig (The surrender of arms will be supervised by a
third-party decommissioning body agreed upon by both sides)," Coloma
pointed out.
Meanwhile, Coloma said the government panel
fulfilled Aquino's instructions to make sure the pact is:
- compliant with the 1987 Constitution
- reflects the lessons government learned from
past peace efforts
- in line with the political, cultural and
economic principles of both sides
"Umaasa tayo na malaki ang magiging
kahalagahan nito sa katahimikan ng rehiyon at ganap na kapayapaan sa Mindanao
(We expect this will have a major impact on peace in Mindanao)," Coloma
said. PND (jl)
Palace hopes Congress will pass Bangsamoro basic
law soonest
With the last annex for a comprehensive peace
agreement between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front now
signed, Malacañang hopes Congress will quickly pass a basic law for a proposed
Bangsamoro political entity.
Presidential Communications Operations Office
Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma Jr. said Sunday the next step is to craft the
proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law and submit it to Congress.
"Umaasa tayo na sa kasalukuyang session ng
Kongreso matalakay ng ganap ito para maipasa at nang maidaos ang plebisito (We
hope the measure can be tackled in the present session of Congress so it can be
passed soonest, and a plebiscite can be held)," Coloma said on
government-run dzRB Radyo ng Bayan.
Coloma said the government is confident both
houses of Congress will act on the Bangsamoro basic law soonest.
"Umaasa tayo na bibigyan ito ng naaangkop
na atensiyon ng ating mga mambabatas (We are hoping our lawmakers will give
priority to this)," he said.
He added the issue has a "sense of
urgency," since the aim is to not only hold a plebiscite but to elect the
new officials of the Bangsamoro political entity by 2016.
The Bangsamoro entity is intended to replace the
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. PND (jl)
Palace: Freedom House report on Phl shows
reforms bearing fruit
Malacañang on Sunday welcomed the results of a
study by US-based non-government organization Freedom House, saying this shows
reforms by the present administration to uphold basic freedoms are bearing
fruit.
Presidential Communications Operations Office head
Herminio Coloma Jr. said the Philippines stood out among the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations in terms of political rights and civil liberties.
"Malugod na tinatanggap ng Pilipinas ang
ulat ng Freedom House, isang pandaigdigang non-governmental organization na
naka-base sa Washington, D.C. sa Estados Unidos, na sa ikaapat na sunod na taon
napanatili ng ating bansa ang puwesto nito bilang isa sa 59 na bansang
itinuturing na partly free sa buong mundo (The Philippines welcomes the report
of Freedom House, an international NGO based in Washington D.C., for its report
where the Philippines maintained a 'partly free' status)," Coloma said on
state-run dzRB Radyo ng Bayan.
He noted the Philippines was tops among ASEAN
member countries when it got a score of 3 in the categories of political rights
and civil liberties.
Under Freedom House's rating system, a score of
one meant the most free and seven meant least free. Coloma pointed out other
Asian nations got a score of 4.
Coloma pointed out the Philippines' scores may
also be due to the reforms the Aquino administration had adopted to uphold
democracy and human rights.
"Ang resulta ng nagsabing pag-aaral o
survey ay pagpapatunay lamang na nagkabunga ang mga isinagawang reporma ng
pamahalaan upang mapangalagaan ang demokrasya at maitaguyod ang karapatang
pangtao at kalayaan sa pagkilos ng ating mamamayan na siyang susi sa
pagpapatatag ng mga pampublikong istitusyon ng isang progresibong bansa (The
results of the survey showed the fruits of the reforms by government to uphold
democracy and human rights, which are key to a progressive nation)," he
said. PND (jl)
Palace supports tougher measures vs
'riding-in-tandem' crimes
Malacañang on Sunday said it supports tougher
measures against crimes by perpetrators who ride "in-tandem" on
motorcycles.
Presidential Communications Operations Office
Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma Jr. said government will keep tab on the
progress of such tougher measures in Congress.
"Nais naman po nating makita yung pagsulong
ng mga inisyatiba ... na makatutulong talaga sa pagtigil sa mga krimen. At
batid natin na ang pangkaraniwang modus na ginagamit, lalo na sa mga walang
habas na pagpapaslang, ay ‘yung paggamit ng motorsiklo ng mga assailant na
riding-in-tandem (We want to see such initiatives to curb crime take off. We
are aware that many recent crimes including murder involve the perpetrators
riding-in-tandem on motorcycles)," he said on state-run dzRB Radyo ng
Bayan.
Some officials had reportedly proposed the
banning of people from riding motorcycles tandem-style.
Coloma said they are hopeful laws that could
help prevent such crimes will be passed soonest.
"Kaya po tinututukang maigi ‘yan ng ating
mga awtoridad at umaasa po tayo na kung magkakaroon ng mas mahigpit na batas
maaari ring maisulong ‘yung minimithi nating pagbaba ng krimen (Our authorities
are closely monitoring the progress of such measures. We hope Congress could
come up with measures that will help curb such crimes)," he said. PND (jl)
Palace invites all groups to take part in
Mindanao peace process
Stressing that the peace efforts in Mindanao are
inclusive, Malacañang on Sunday reiterated its invitation to all concerned
groups, including the Moro National Liberation Front, to take part in the peace
process.
Presidential Communications Operations Office
Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma Jr. said this after the government and the
Moro Islamic Liberation Front signed an annex that would lead to a peace pact.
"Ang nais po ng ating pamahalaan ay maging
kalahok ang pinakamaraming stakeholders, yun pong may mga taya sa katahimikan o
kapayapaan sa Mindanao. Kasama pa rin naman diyan yung ating mga kababayan na
kasapi ng MNLF dahil doon sa mga naunang panahon sila ay nagsikap din na
maitatag ang kapayapaan (Our government wants as many stakeholders taking part
in the peace process as possible. This includes fellow Filipinos who are
members of the MNLF, which in the past also fought for peace)," Coloma
said on state-run dzRB Radyo ng Bayan.
On Saturday, government and MILF negotiators
signed the last annex that would pave the way for a comprehensive peace
agreement.
"Kung maaari po ay kasama ang pinakamaraming
Pilipino na naniniwala sa mga batayang prinsipyo na atin na pong nailinaw at
nabuo sa Bangsamoro Peace Agreement (If possible, we want as many Filipinos as
possible to support efforts for a peace agreement)," Coloma said. PND (jl)
King Carl XVI visits projects of the Boy Scouts
of the Philippines in Tacloban City
TACLOBAN CITY) His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf
of Sweden on Sunday distributed uniforms to members of the Boy Scout of the
Philippines (BSP) in Tacloban City during his visit here.
His Majesty arrived at Tacloban airport past 9
a.m. Sunday and was welcomed by city government officials led by Mayor Alfred
Romualdez and other officials from the BSP and the United Nations.
The Swedish monarch is here to see the projects
of the BSP in the aftermath of super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), and the other
projects of the Swedish Government implemented through the United Nations
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
King Carl XVI Gustaf was accompanied by Vice
President Jejomar Binay in his visit here. Binay is also the current National
President of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines.
His Majesty is the Honorary Chairman of the
World Scout Foundation and the Guest of Honor at the Invitational Peace
Jamboree of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines in their centenary year.
King Carl XVI, along with Vice President Binay
and officials from BSP and UN, visited first the San Jose National High School
where he distributed Type “B” uniforms (shirt, neckerchief and pants) to the
boy and girl scouts.
The Swedish monarch also interacted with the
scout members.
His Majesty dropped by at the Boy Scout Rotunda
for the flag ceremonies before he proceeded to San Fernando Central School for
the distribution of uniforms to the scouts.
The Swedish monarch then inspected the Boy
Scouts of the Philippines Leyte Building, which was also damaged by Typhoon
Yolanda.
After his inspection of the BSP Leyte Building,
His Majesty proceeded to the Leyte Park Hotel for lunch before flying back to Manila.
Vice President Binay said the BSP has 286,027
members in Eastern Visayas. And for Leyte alone, it has 28,564 members. In
Tacloban City, it has 4,500 scout members.
King Carl XVI Gustaf arrived in the Philippines
on Friday. This is the first visit of a Swedish monarch and Head of State of
Sweden to the country.
His Majesty paid a courtesy call on President
Benigno S. Aquino III, who is the country’s Chief Scout as mandated by R.A.
7278, upon his arrival in Manila on Friday.
PND (co)
Swedish Monarch says 'working together'
necessary for recovery
TACLOBAN CITY) His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf
of Sweden on Sunday cited the importance of “working together” and “helping
each other” to cope in every situation, particularly in a calamity, during his
visit to Tacloban City, one of the areas hardest-hit by super typhoon
"Yolanda" (Haiyan).
King Carl XVI visited Tacloban on Sunday to see
the projects of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines in the aftermath of Yolanda,
as well as the other projects of the Swedish Government implemented through the
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
The Swedish monarch was accompanied by Vice
President Jejomar Binay, who is also the National President of the Boy Scouts
of the Philippines.
During his press conference here, King Carl XVI
said he was saddened by the loss of lives and extensive damage brought by super
typhoon Yolanda to the country.
“Everybody has to help each other in whatever
condition there is,” His Majesty said.
The Swedish monarch said that anybody can do
something to help the survivors of the super typhoon, which brought extensive
damage and left thousands of people dead in Eastern Visayas.
“Everybody in the world, of course, knows this
very tragic situation and everybody wants to do the utmost to help these poor
people who have been seriously, terribly… struck by this storm,” His Majesty
said.
Sweden is among the countries that have given
assistance to the Philippines to help the people affected by super typhoon
Yolanda in the Eastern Visayas.
“We have
to do what we can do,” the Swedish monarch added. “You can’t do everything but
everybody can help to do something... and that is working together, and I
believe that’s where the scouts are good at.”
King Carl XVI emphasized the scouts are trained
to work together as a team. His Majesty said that one of the values being
taught in scouting is to “always think of your neighbor” and to help each other
in every situation.
Vice President Binay said the Boy Scouts of the
Philippines has 286,027 members in Eastern Visayas. For Leyte alone, BSP has
28,564 members while in Tacloban City, it has 4,500 scouts.
The Vice President, during the press conference
here, also said that 276 (boys and girls) BSP members died during the onslaught
of super typhoon Yolanda last year.
King Carl XVI is in the country for the
three-day visit as he is the Guest of Honor at the Invitational Peace Jamboree
of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines in their centenary year.
His Majesty is the Honorary Chairman of the
World Scout Foundation. PND (co)
