President Aquino leads Philippine Navy change of
command in Cavite
CAVITE CITY) President Benigno S. Aquino III on
Wednesday led the change of command of the Philippine Navy in Sangley Point
here, asking Navy personnel to continue their dedication to service for the
benefit of the people.
“Ngayong may bago nang magtitimon sa Philippine
Navy, ito naman po ang panawagan ko sa inyong hanay: Manatili nawa kayong matatag sa inyong
tungkulin,” the President told the uniformed personnel of the Navy.
“Ituring ninyong angkla ang tiwala at malasakit
sa inyo ng sambayanang Pilipino, sa pagharap ninyo sa anumang misyon sa
serbisyo. Sa huli, nasa iisang bangka pa rin ang ating lahi, iisang bansa pa
rin tayong susulong sa pagkamit ng mga tagumpay na matagal na nating
minimithi.”
President Aquino said that under his leadership,
the government has paid extra attention to the needs of the armed forces with
the paramount thrust of modernizing it.
The previous administrations neglected the needs
of the military, he said, noting that the present government however will
continue to pursue the modernization of the armed forces.
For instance, he said, the Philippine Navy was
able to acquire two Hamilton-class Cutters from the US—the BRP Gregorio del
Pilar, and BRP Ramon Alcaraz –which now patrol the country’s coastlines.
The Navy also commissioned the BRP Tagbanua, the
first landing craft utility made in the Philippines.
These ships are in addition to new sea craft,
three new naval helicopters, and the modernization of the country’s coast watch
stations, he said.
President Aquino said he is excited to see more
upgrade in the Navy under the Revised AFP Modernization Program.
He praised the leadership of outgoing Navy Chief
Vice Admiral Jose Luis Alano, who spearheaded the
acquisition of new vessels and equipment for the Navy.
He also commended Alano for accomplishing the
Navy’s missions during several crises in the country, such as the Lahad Datu
incident, the Zamboanga siege, typhoons Pablo and Santi, as well as the Bohol
and Cebu earthquake and super typhoon Yolanda.
The President expressed confidence that new Navy
Chief Rear Admiral Jesus Millan would be able to continue the programs
initiated by his predecessor.
Prior to his new appointment, Millan was
commander of Naval Forces Western Mindanao, chief of Naval staff, commander of
the Naval Reserve Command and commander of the Naval Air Group.
Millan was also commander of several Navy
vessels, among them the PS 36, PS 31, PG 374 and PG 388.
A member of Philippine Military Academy Class of
1982, Millan is a recipient of the distinguished service stars, the
distinguished Navy cross, bronze cross medals, military merit medals and
military commendation medals.
Aside from presiding the Navy’s change of
command, the President also led the retirement ceremony for Rear Admiral Alano.
Present during the event were Defense Secretary
Voltaire Gazmin, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary
Herminio Coloma, Jr., and AFP chief of staff Gen. Emmanuel Bautista. PND (as)
Government-Private sector tie-up already bearing
fruits, says President Aquino
BINAN, Laguna) The partnership between the
government and the semiconductor and electronics industries has created a
significant number of jobs for Filipinos, President Benigno S. Aquino III said
on Thursday.
The President, who led the Labor Day celebration
here by visiting semiconductor and electronics manufacturing facilities, said a
training program spearheaded by the Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in
the Philippines, Inc. (SEIPI) and the Technical Education and Skills
Development Authority (TESDA) has begun to bear fruit.
President Aquino cited recent data showing a
91.4 percent employment rate for scholars who underwent training under the
Training for Work Scholarship Program (TWSP) of TESDA and SEIPI.
Under the TWSP, participating companies provide
the training for the scholars, with support from TESDA.
President Aquino visited the three companies
that participated in the training program.
Testech in Calamba City had 130 scholars last
year, 113 of whom have now been employed. Integrated Micro-Electronics Inc.
(IMI) had 100 scholars and all of them have been absorbed, while Alliance
Mansols Inc. (AMI) had 400 scholars, all of whom have been employed. Both AMI
and IMI are located in Binan, Laguna.
This year, the three companies increased the
number of their scholars, with Testech taking in 200, and AMI, some 1,500.
As the country’s semi-conductor and electronics
industry develops, the need for additional manpower also increases, the
President said.
He told industry leaders that the government
remains committed to helping the industry for its continuous development.
In October last year, he said, the Trade
Department and SEIPI spelled out the updated electronics roadmap for the
country.
Among the major thrusts of the roadmap are
product innovation, strengthening the industry’s manufacturing capability, and
coming up with strategies to overcome industry challenges, he said.
“Bahagi po ito ng isang malawakang stratehiya
upang gawing permanente ang pagbabagong tinatamasa natin. Pangunahin pong
pundasyon nito ang pagsisigurong ang pag-angat ng ekonomiya ay napapakinabangan
ng nakakarami—sa pamamagitan ng trabaho, kabuhayan, at pagkakataong bumubukas
sa iba’t ibang sector,” he said.
He further said that reforms in the government
have begun to produce results.
In 2013, the contribution of the manufacturing
industry to the national economy increased by 22.8 percent, according to the
President.
Of the country’s total exports of $ 53.98
billion, 40.4 percent came from the electronics industry. It is estimated that
18.6 percent of the entire GDP came from electronics exports, he noted.
Because of the significant contribution of the
semiconductors and electronics industry to the economy, the government will
continue supporting this industry, considered as the pillar of the country’s
manufacturing sector, he said. PND (as)
President Aquino marks Labor Day with
semiconductor and electronics industry workers in Laguna
CALAMBA CITY, Laguna) President Benigno S.
Aquino III spent Labor Day on Thursday with semiconductor and electronics
industry workers in this province, including beneficiaries of the Training for
Work Scholarship Program (TWSP) of the Technical Education Skills Development
Authority (TESDA).
President Aquino first visited and inspected
Testech Inc. of the Testech Group of Companies located at the Calamba Premier
International Park (CPIP), which currently employs some 4,800 employees.
Testech Group is one of the leading outsourced
solutions providers of the electronics, semiconductors, and non-electronics
industries, known for its world-class inspection facilities, highly skilled
manpower, and state-of-the-art visual inspection equipment.
The 12-year-old company continues to expand with
three other companies under its wing: the Device Dynamics Asia in the
Philippines, Device Dynamics in Malaysia, and Next Gen Innovations.
In the nearby town of Biñan, President Aquino
toured the facilities of Alliance Mansols, Inc. (AMI) and Integrated
Microelectronics, Inc. (IMI) both located at the Special Export Processing
Zone, Laguna Technopark.
AMI is a management solutions company that
provides human resources services, specifically for the placement of production
operators to electronics companies in the areas of Laguna, Batangas, Cavite,
and Cebu.
It has expanded in a span of four years,
employing 7,000 people and currently serves as a key training center in the
implementation of TESDA’s Electronics Production Line Back-end Operation with
2,953 graduates.
IMI, meanwhile, is a leading provider of
electronics manufacturing services (EMS) and power semiconductor assembly and
test services, with facilities in Asia, Europe, and North America.
It is a subsidiary of the Ayala Corporation and
the 21st largest EMS provider in the world in terms of 2013 revenues, based on
the Manufacturing Market Insider’s list.
In his Labor Day speech delivered at IMI's
Karangalan Hall Compound, President Aquino noted the significant contributions
made by the semiconductor and electronics industries to the country’s economy,
generating a 91.43 percent employment rate.
“Patuloy nga po ang pagtaas ng employment
numbers ng electronics industry nitong mga nagdaang taon. At hindi lang po ang
inyong mga empleyado ang nakikinabang dito; dahil sa multiplier effect,
nabigyan ng indirect jobs ang napakarami pa nating mga kababayan,” he said.
Testech Inc. trained 130 students last year and
employed 113 of them. IMI provided jobs to 100 people it has trained, while 400
scholars are working for AMI.
This year, President Aquino said Testech Inc.
has increased its target, taking in 200 scholars, while AMI is training 1,300.
He expressed hope that IMI would increase the number of its scholars to 1,000.
Among those who accompanied the President in his
tour of the companies’ facilities were Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda
Baldoz, Trade and Industry Secretary Gregory Domingo, Socioeconomic Planning
Secretary Arsenio Balisacan; Secretary to the Cabinet Jose Rene Almendras,
Presidential Management Staff chief Julia Abad, TESDA director general Joel
Villanueva, Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Inc.
(SEIPI) president Dan Lachica, Testech Group chairman Alfonso Yuchengco III, and
Testech Group president Fernando Silva. PND (hdc)
President Aquino: Government reforms starting to
create dent in anti-poverty fight
BINAN, Laguna) Government programs under the
“Tuwid na Daan” good governance have already gained momentum and have begun to
create a dent on the government’s fight against poverty, President Benigno S.
Aquino III said on Thursday.
In his message during his visit to the
manufacturing facility of the Integrated Microelectronics Inc. (IMI) here, the
President said reforms in agriculture, infrastructure, tourism and social
services have reduced the number of poor Filipinos.
In a NEDA report, the President said, the
country recorded a three percentage points drop in the number of Filipinos
living below the poverty line since the first semester of 2012 until 2013.
The three-percentage point drop is equivalent to
2.5 million Filipinos, whose lives have improved in the last two years, he
said.
“At ngayong higit pang nagbubunga ang mga
repormang ipinatupad at ipinapatupad natin, tiyak na dadami pa ang mamamayang
mabibigyan natin ng mas komportableng pamumuhay,” the President said in his
message.
“Kaugnay po nito, patuloy po nating paiigtingin
ang pagkalinga at pagkakaloob ng serbisyo sa Pilipino. Ang nais natin:
masigurong hindi na babalik pa sa dating kalagayan ang ating mga kababayan,
sakaling tumama muli ang anumang sakuna.”
The President thanked the people of Laguna for
supporting him and members of his party in previous elections.
He also advised the people of Laguna to choose
the right leaders in future elections so that the reforms initiated by his
administration could continue.
“Ang pakiusap ko po: Kung naniniwala kayo na
tama ang ating ginagawa, kung ayaw ninyong mabalewala ang maganda nating
nasimulan sa tuwid na daan, piliin natin ang mga susunod na pinunong
magpapatuloy at higit pang magpapayabong sa ating mga naipunlang reporma,” he
said. “Piliin natin ang karapat-dapat upang maging permanente ang malawakang
transpormasyong tinatamasa na ng ating lipunan.”
Apart from IMI, the President also visited
Testech Inc. in Calamba City, and Alliance Mansols Inc., also in Binan. PND
(as)
President Aquino to lead launch of Bohol
Fabrication Laboratory
President Benigno S. Aquino III will lead the
launch of the Bohol Fabrication Laboratory (Fablab) at the Bohol Island State
University (BISU) in Tagbilaran City, Bohol on Friday.
The Bohol Fablab is a technical prototyping
platform designed to improve the competitiveness of the Boholano creative
industry sector and support its long-term viability by providing the necessary
tools and equipment to do rapid prototyping and modeling.
The President will be inspecting the
state-of-the-art equipment inside the Fabrication Laboratory, which include a
laser cutter, a high-resolution milling machine, a CNC ShopBOt, a 3D printer
scanner, a sewing and embroidery machine, a drying machine, a LED TV, a laptop
and video conferencing equipment.
President Aquino will be briefed by Department
of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Gregory Domingo, Department of Science
and Technology (DOST) Secretary Mario Montejo, and BISU President Dr. Elpidio
Magante regarding the new facility.
The President will also witness the turnover of
the Certificate of Award by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
Representative Noriaki Niwa to BISU for the equipment donated to Fablab.
The Bohol Fablab, the first of its kind in the
country, is a platform for learning and innovation, which provides stimulus for
local entrepreneurship.
It is connected to a global community of
learners, educators, technologists, researchers, makers, and innovators, a
knowledge-sharing network.
The project also seeks to develop, through the
BISU System, a pool of designers who can readily assist Boholano Micro, Small
and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in product design and development, and to
upgrade the framework conditions for creative work in the province.
The Bohol Fablab was co-founded by the DTI,
DOST, BISU and JICA. It will be under the mentorship of Japan’s prestigious
Keio University. PND (jb)
