Palace calls for Bayanihan to counter adverse
effects of El Niño
Malacanang has called on the people to practice
“bayanihan” to counter the adverse effects of the El Nino weather phenomenon
that is expected to hit the country in June.
“Pairalin natin iyong diwa ng bayanihan. Ang
gagawin po natin sa ating kani-kaniyang sambahayan at komunidad ay malaki ang
maiaambag sa pambansang pagkilos,” Presidential Communication Operations Office
Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said, Monday, asking the public to heed
government calls for power and water conservation.
The El Nino is an anomalous phenomenon caused by
the warming of ocean water temperatures, affecting the countries surrounding
the Pacific Ocean. It is said to bring droughts and trigger abnormal weather
patterns.
Over the weekend, the Philippine Atmospheric,
Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) warned that the
El Nino might affect the country starting next month and could last nine
months.
Department of Science and Technology (DOST)
Secretary Mario Montejo said the phenomenon could result in reduced rainfall.
The department also warned that water levels in
Angat Dam, which supplies 90 percent of the water in Metro Manila and
surrounding provinces, are already at a critical level.
Coloma said an inter-government agency
cooperation is being implemented to counter the effects of El Nino.
He said the government agencies involved include
the Department of Agriculture (DA), PAGASA-DOST, Department of Energy (DOE),
Department of Trade and Investment (DTI), Energy Regulatory Board (ERB) and the
National Irrigation Administration (NIA).
Coloma said the DA is working closely with the
PAGASA-DOST to intensify cloud-seeding operations to induce rain in major
watersheds and drought-affected farming communities.
The DA will provide shallow tube wells and
drought-tolerant crop varieties to farmers in areas that will be affected by
the dry spell.
Coloma said the department has also increased
its investments on the establishment of small water-impounding facilities, as
well as the repair of existing irrigation systems and construction of new ones.
Meanwhile, the DTI will monitor the prices of
basic commodities to prevent any unwarranted price hikes, while the ERB will
watch for any power rate increase, he said, adding that the DOE will prevent
power plants from going offline unexpectedly to avert power interruptions.
“Kasama na rin po ang mga kawani at opisyal ng
pamahalaan na makikiisa sa wasto at matipid na paggamit ng tubig at ng
kuryente, dahil ito ay maaaring maapektuhan ng inaasahang pagpasok ng El Niño
phenomenon,” said Coloma. PND (ag)
Draft of Bangsamoro Basic Law now with
Presidential Legal Counsel, says Palace official
The draft of the Bangsamoro Basic Law is with
the Office of the Chief Presidential Legal Counsel, which is reviewing it
before presenting it to President Benigno S. Aquino III, Presidential
Communication Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr., said Monday.
“The draft Bangsamoro Basic Law prepared by the
Bangsamoro Transition Committee is currently being reviewed by the legal team
of the Office of the President and by the Office of the Chief Presidential
Legal Counsel to determine propriety for inclusion in the legislative agenda of
the President,” Coloma said during a press briefing.
“This review ensures meticulous and circumspect
evaluation that each provision of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law conforms to
the Constitution and the signed agreements,” he added.
He said there is a sense of urgency for the
draft Bangsamoro Basic Law to be enacted into a law and submitting it to the
House of Representatives is paramount.
“Binanggit na rin ito ng Pangulo na matatapos
iyong pagsasabatas nito sa loob nitong taong ito para maidaos din iyong
plebisito for referendum sa unang bahagi ng 2015, dahil kinakailangang
magkaroon din ng transition na kapag naganap na ang pag-ratipika nito,
magkakaroon ng Bangsamoro Transition Commission na papalit sa ARMM (Autonomous
Region on Muslim Mindanao) na iphe-phase out for approximately one year of last
period leading up to the 2016 elections,” Coloma explained.
Both Houses of Congress resumed sessions on
Monday. PND (ag)
It is up to ERB to look into reports of
Meralco’s dividend-sharing, Palace says
Malacanang said Monday it is leaving it to the
Energy Regulatory Board (ERB) to look into reports that the Manila Electric
Company (Meralco) has distributed P7.3 billion worth of dividends to its
shareholders.
“Part of the ERC’s regulatory functions is to
determine the propriety of expenses incurred by distribution utilities such as
Meralco,” Presidential Communication Operations Office Secretary Herminio
Coloma, Jr., said during a press briefing.
“ERC is also tasked to determine the
reasonability of power rates and power rate adjustments,” Coloma added.
He noted that the government is determined to
protect the citizen’s welfare and ensure that power rates are “fully justified
and will not unduly burden our people.”
The reported dividend-sharing comes at a time
when Meralco announced plans to impose higher electricity rates.
According to news reports, Meralco is seeking to
increase power rates this month by less than P1 to as much as P1.72 per
kilowatt-hour (kWh). PND (ag)
Former Senator Francis Pangilinan joins Cabinet,
scheduled to take oath before President Aquino tomorrow
President Benigno S. Aquino III appointed on
Monday former Senator Francis Pangilinan as Presidential Assistant for Food
Security and Agricultural Modernization, Malacañang said.
Pangilinan’s position has a Cabinet rank and he
is scheduled to take an oath of office before the President at the Palace Music
Room Tuesday afternoon.
Presidential Communications Operations Office
(PCOO) Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. made the announcement in confirmation of
reports that resurfaced over the weekend regarding the matter.
Coloma said Pangilinan’s position is similar to
that of former Senator now Presidential Adviser on Rehabilitation and Recovery
Panfilo Lacson, “hence, he will also hold the title of Secretary.”
President Aquino since last year had been open
about his plans to have Pangilinan in the Cabinet following his 12-year stint
at the Senate of the Philippines.
“Kiko in particular has several aspects of the
agricultural sector that he wants to concentrate on. He is a partymate. He has
already discussed his ideas with Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala and we
will try to maximize his involvement to the benefit of the agricultural
sector,” President Aquino told reporters in a March 2013 interview. PND (hdc)
