President Aquino declares February 22 as a
special (non-working) day in the City of San Pedro, province of Laguna in
celebration of its town fiesta and Sampaguita Festival 2014
President Benigno S. Aquino III has declared
February 22, which falls on a Saturday, as a special (non-working) day in the
city of San Pedro in the province of Laguna in celebration of its town fiesta
and the “Sampaguita Festival 2014.”
The Chief Executive issued the declaration
through Proclamation No. 721 signed by Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr.
on February 12 to give the people of San Pedro the full opportunity to
celebrate and participate in the occasion with appropriate ceremonies.
San Pedro City celebrates its annual town fiesta
in honor of its patron saint, St. Peter.
The town fiesta coincides with the celebration
of the “Sampaguita Festival 2014.” The festival aims to promote tourism in San
Pedro and revitalize the sampaguita industry in San Pedro, Laguna. PND (js)
Government prioritizes infrastructure projects
in addressing traffic congestion, Coloma says
The Aquino government is prioritizing major
infrastructure projects to ease travel amid reports that the Philippines is
losing over P2 billion daily in potential earnings due to heavy traffic in the
metropolis, a Palace official said.
"According to a JICA (Japan International
Cooperation Agency) study cited by Socio-economic Planning Secretary Arsenio
Balisacan, the Philippines is losing more than P2 billion daily in potential
income and foregone productivity due to severe traffic congestion in the metropolis,"
Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio B. Coloma Jr.
said during the regular press briefing in Malacanang on Friday.
"This is why the government has prioritized
two major infrastructure projects namely, the Skyway Stage III project and the
North Luzon Expressway -South Luzon Expressway (NLEX-SLEX)) Connector
Road," Coloma said.
When completed, the travel time from NLEX to
SLEX will be reduced drastically from an average of two hours to less than 30
minutes, the Communications Secretary said.
"These projects will bring about an
improved quality of life due to ease of travel across Metro Manila that will
benefit the citizens, communities, businesses and industries in CALABARZON
(Region IV-A), National Capital Region and Central Luzon, an area that
presently contributes about 60 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic
Product," Coloma said.
The President, in a meeting on Friday, directed
the secretaries of Department of Public Works and Highways, the Department of
Transportation and Communications and the Department of Interior and Local
Government, and the Chairman of Metropolitan Manila Development Authority to
fine-tune mitigation and remedial measures designed to minimize the citizens’
inconvenience.
President Aquino ordered the Cabinet secretaries
of the concerned government departments to carry out their tasks in
coordination with Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education,
Department of Labor and Employment and Department of Trade and Industry.
According to MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino,
traffic volume along South Super Highway has been reduced by more than seven
percent from 131,000 to 122,000 vehicles daily since the start of construction
last Monday evening, Coloma said.
"This shows that affected motorists have
begun using alternate routes, adjacent to the construction area. Construction
of the other major project, the NLEX-SLEX Connector Road, which follows the
same alignment as Skyway Stage III, will start in July this year. This means
that there is ample time to make further adjustments," he said.
Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson said
efforts will be exerted to ensure that road projects in other areas will be
implemented in a manner that will minimize disruption and inconvenience to
citizens.
"He (Singson) pointed out that EDSA, which
carries the heaviest volume of motor vehicles, will not undergo any major
construction or repair. Those using this major artery will not be affected
significantly," Coloma stressed.
"Malinaw ang benepisyo na idudulot ng
Skyway III at NLEX-SLEX Connector Projects. Magkakaroon ng malaking ginhawa
para sa mga mamamayan dahil sa pinaikling oras ng paglalakbay. Ngunit bago
natin makamit ang mga benepisyo, kailangan ng konting sakripisyo. Ayon sa isang
salawikain: “Kapag may tiyaga, may nilaga.” Di po ba, sulit na sulit naman ang
magiging resulta ng ating pagpapasensiya," he said. PND (js)
Philippines has good standing on reviving major
infrastructure projects, says Palace
Given the country’s good economic standing,
Malacanang said it is optimistic that big ticket infrastructure projects such
as the proposed rail system that will connect Metro Manila and Clark, Pampanga
could materialize.
In a press briefing on Friday, Presidential
Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr said the project
has not materialized because the present administration believed the cost
outweigh the benefit.
The government paid a commitment fee on the loan
as a penalty for not pursuing the project approved during the previous
administration, Coloma said.
The administration could find an alternative for
the project to continue without deviating from the original concept of
connecting Manila to Clark, he added.
The project concept, originally crafted during
the administration of former president Fidel Ramos is good and could benefit
the country economically, he said.
But since the country was recovering from the
effects of EDSA People Power revolution in the 80s, it didn’t have much good
financial standing in the international community which made it unattractive to
foreign investors.
“Sa kasalukuyan ay napakaganda ng financial
standing natin, investment grade tayo, mababa ang interest rates, at maraming
bansa ang gustong mamuhunan sa mga malalaking proyekto,” Coloma said.
“Kaya may posibilidad pa siguro na pag-aralan
muli kung paano mare-revive itong project na ito.”
Aside from the rail service, Coloma also
mentioned the revival of the ferry service along the Pasig River to ease
traffic congestion in Metro Manila as the government carries out major
infrastructure projects.
According to Coloma, the transportation
department said there were private business groups who have shown interest on
the project.
President Aquino wanted a thorough study of the
ferry service to determine its business viability.
The study will include the connectivity with
jeepney and public bus routes, and the right configuration of the service,
Coloma said.
Another measure to ease traffic flow is the
Philippine National Railway’s extended service through longer operating time,
he said.
The government has appealed for public’s
cooperation and patience as the government improves the road system in the
metro including the construction of Skyway connector. Coloma said it is
intended to solve traffic problems in the long term. PND (as)
Government remains open to talking peace with
communist insurgents
The government remains open to peace discussions
with the communist rebels as Communist Party of the Philippines’s founder Joma
Sison expressed willingness to continue peace talks with the government.
It was reported that Sison said he’s ready to
meet the President in a neutral place.
“Sa kabuuan, nanatili namang bukas ang
pamahalaan sa lahat ng mga option na maaaring tahakin dahil ang layunin natin
dito ay makamit iyong kapayapaan,” Presidential Communications Operations
Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr said said in a press briefing on Friday in
Malacanang.
“Kaya nga hindi naman tayo nagfo-focus sa
Bangsamoro lamang. Patuloy na umiiral iyong mga pakikipag-usap,
pakikipagtalakayan sa lahat ng mga kasapi ng ating lipunan na mayroon pang
nabibinbing usapin katulad nga noong sa CPP-NPA-NDF (Communist Party of the
Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front),” he added.
Secretary Teresita Deles of the Presidential
Adviser on the Peace Process has been coordinating with the Norwegian
facilitator to open the talks with communist rebels, he said.
The Philippine government wants to clarify the
intention of the rebels since this proposal is new and a turn-around from their
previous position, Coloma said.
Both sides halted talks due to disagreements on
rebel’s demands. Communist rebellion in the Philippines is one of the longest
running insurgency in Asia. PND (as)
