President Aquino graces thanksgiving mass for
reopening of Manila Cathedral
President Benigno S. Aquino III on Wednesday
night joined the faithful in the Thanksgiving Mass for the reopening of the
historic Manila Cathedral, known formally as Cathedral-Basilica of the
Immaculate Conception, in Intramuros.
Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle
led the bishops in officiating the Mass. The Cathedral closed its doors to the
public in February 2012 to undergo major structural repairs and restorations.
In his homily, Cardinal Tagle welcomed the
faithful and recalled that one of his first decisions as newly installed
archbishop in 2011 was to close the cathedral to make way for repairs.
“Now, we are all home, “he said. “Welcome home
to this house of the Archdiocese. The home of our God; the home of our Mother.”
Cardinal Tagle also thanked those who helped in
the reconstruction of the Church, saying that the Manila Cathedral could not
have been rebuilt without their generosity, expertise, and faith in God.
He further said that just like the cathedral,
survivors of recent calamities would rise again. “Dumamay po tayo sa mga
kapatid natin, na hindi lamang building ang dapat patatagin at itayo, kundi mga
pangarap at buhay,” he said.
“Kaya para sa mga kapatid nating patuloy na
itinatayo ang kanilang buhay dala ng Yolanda, kasama po namin kayo; at kami na
bumubuo sa Archdiocese of Manila ay inyong kaagapay,” he added.
In his homily, Cardinal Tagle also reminded the
people to worship the “true God” and ignore the “false gods” of money, power,
and lust. “The essence of worship is just to worship because God deserves such
worship,” he said.
“And the invitation to serve God comes with the
reminder: Beware of the many false gods asking us to worship them and to serve
them,” he said. “Let us not offer worship and sacrifice to false gods.”
Prior to the Mass, former Chief Justice Artemio
Panganiban, President of the Manila Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica Foundation
Inc., unveiled the historical marker for the reopening of the cathedral.
Accompanying President Aquino at the Mass were
his sisters, Maria Elena “Ballsy” Aquino-Cruz, Victoria Elisa “Viel”
Aquino-Dee, and Kris Aquino.
Also present at the Mass were Senate President
Franklin Drilon, Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, members of the Diplomatic Corps
and other government officials. PND (co)
Palace welcomes US Federal Aviation Authority
upgrade Phl air safety measures to category 1 status
Malacanang welcomed on Thursday the U.S Federal
Aviation Authority’s upgrade of the country’s air safety measures to Category 1
from Category 2.
In a press briefing, Communications Secretary
Herminio Coloma, Jr. said the upgrade “demonstrates the capability of the Civil
Aviation Authority of the Philippines to implement institutional reforms to
ensure that the county’s aviation industry is globally competitive and conforms
with international safety standards."
“We join the Department of Transportation and
Communications in welcoming the United States Federal Aviation Authority (FAA)
decision to upgrade the Philippines’ safety status to Category 1 after meeting
the standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO),” Coloma
said.
“The upgrading comes on the heels of the
favorable action by the European Union on safety compliance of Philippine
carriers. The benefits of this development include greater access to US routes,
use of more fuel-efficient planes, and faster growth of the Philippine tourism
and aviation sectors,” he added.
Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte
lauded the DOTC and the CAAP saying the upgrade is a result of their hardwork
and commitment to rectify lapses and inactions of the past.
“We laud the DOTC and CAAP for the commitment
and hard work they have demonstrated in rectifying the lapses and inaction of
the past. As they have done this, so too have they instituted a truly
service-oriented regime -- one which is committed to its mandate of ensuring
that our aviation industry meets international standards,” she said.
“This upgrade is a result of the can-do attitude
that prevails in government and society today -- an attitude that enables our
agencies to continuously strive to ensure the safety and well-being of the
wider public, as we all tread the straight path to greater progress and
success,” she added.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administrion
downgraded the country to Category 2 due to safety concerns in 2008. This
downgrade meant that the country’s carriers could only continue flights to the
U.S. under strict regulation by the FAA. PND (rck)
President Aquino remains focused on attaining
long-term goals, says official
Malacanang said Thursday the main focus of the
administration is the implementation of reforms in the country and not public
approval ratings.
“We will note that the decline in the
performance approval—I believe it is from 73 percent to 70 percent—is a marginal
decline and well within the usual statistical margin of error,” Presidential
Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. told reporters
during a press briefing.
Coloma was commenting on Pulse Asia’s Ulat ng
Bayan Survey for the First Quarter of 2014, which showed a slight dip in the
President’s satisfaction and trust ratings.
“We have pointed out in previous briefings that
our main concern is the implementation of the reforms and of the major programs
in the Philippine Development Plan,” he said.
While there will likely be ups and downs or ebbs
and flows in public opinion survey results, he said, the Aquino administration
remains focused on the attainment of its development plan objectives.
In a separate statement on Thursday, Deputy
Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said public confidence and trust on
President Aquino remain overwhelming.
“Today, Pulse Asia reported, in its Ulat ng
Bayan survey for the first quarter of 2014, that 70 percent of Filipinos
approve of the President’s performance, while 69 percent continue to trust him.
According to the report, there have been only marginal movements in the
President’s performance and trust ratings,” Valte said.
“The most recent sampling of public opinion is
the latest manifestation that the President’s efforts, his governance, and the
administration’s mission to empower our people by instituting permanent change,
are indivisible from the aspirations and efforts of our people as a whole.”
The Filipino people will remain the President’s
main source of strength, she said, adding that with this in mind, the President
and his team will persevere to accelerate even further the country’s pursuit of
progress, as it treads the straight path to inclusive growth. PND (as)
Government to look into reports of prostitution
in evacuation centers
The Department of Social Welfare and Development
(DSWD) is monitoring the situation in different evacuation centers in the
country to ensure the welfare of evacuees, Malacanang said Thursday.
It was reported that prostitution thrives in and
around evacuation camps in Zamboanga City as many of the evacuees see it as a
way to survive.
“Sinusubaybayan ng ating Department of Social
Welfare and Development ang lahat ng mga evacuation centers. Meron sa Zamboanga
City, meron pa rin sa Bohol, meron pa rin sa mga lugar na nasalanta ng
kalamidad. Bahagi ng kanilang tungkulin ay pangalagaan ang kapakanan ng mga
mamamayan doon, kasama na ang mga kababaihan,” Presidential Communications
Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr said during a press briefing.
“Tinitiyak ko sa inyo na determinado ang ating
pamahalaan na subaybayan ang sitwasyon sa lahat ng mga evacuation centers.
Hindi na dapat madagdagan pa yung sakripisyo o yung pagdurusa ng mga pamilya,”
he told Palace reporters.
He said the survivors have suffered enough from
the consequences of the disasters and violence in Mindanao and the government
won’t allow prostitution to continue in temporary shelters.
One of the major thrusts of the administration
is to stop human trafficking, Coloma said, noting that prostitution is an
aspect of trafficking.
The Zamboanga City Police said they have
increased patrols inside evacuation centers and adjacent areas to prevent
prostitution.
Health officials are also working to prevent the
spread of sexually transmitted diseases among the evacuees. PND (as)
Talks on disaster risk reduction cooperation
with United States underway, Palace says
There are ongoing talks at the Department of
Foreign Affairs on an enhanced defense cooperation between the Philippines and
the United States that will include disaster risk reduction and management,
Malacanang said Thursday.
“There is now a new concept of non-traditional
defense and that includes disaster risk reduction and management, in which the
defense forces of countries in our region have shown their buildup of forces
that are capable of assisting the civilian population to cope with the
after-effects of calamities,” Presidential Communications Operations Office
Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said during a press briefing with reporters.
He cited as an example the support extended by
Japanese self-defense forces after Typhoon Yolanda devastated parts of the
Visayan region.
He also said members of the South Korean and the
Philippines armed forces completed a school building in Tanauan, Leyte.
“(This) is now gaining currency in the defense
and security sector—the emergence of non-traditional defense and security
coorperation,” said Coloma. PND (ag)
