Government working to ensure safe, orderly World
Economic Forum next week
The government has been doing enough
preparations for the World Economic Forum (WEF) on East Asia to be held in
Manila next week, a Palace official said on Saturday.
In a radio interview over dzRB Radyo ng Bayan,
Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said among the preparations
being done is ensuring fast and normal flow of air traffic at the Ninoy Aquino
International Airport as leaders and guests arrive.
“There are arrangements that are being made. If
you've travelled through the Terminal 1, rehabilitation works are ongoing and
will continue to make sure that we can handle the volume, the traffic—the
increase in traffic that will be—we will be expecting,” Valte said of the
measures being done at the airport.
For the NAIA Terminal 1 security, the Palace
official said security preparations are also in place and the Philippine
National Police started heightened actions to make sure that participants
arriving in the country remain safe.
President Aquino, who will keynote the first day
of WEF meeting, will also separately meet the leader of Vietnam who is also
coming to attend the forum, Valte said.
The meeting between the two leaders is highly
likely as the Philippines and Vietnam face a more dominant China in the West
Philippine Sea, according to Valte.
The WEF refers to itself as an independent
international institution committed to improving the state of the world by
promoting partnerships between governments and the private sector.
Philippines conglomerates such as Ayala Corp.
and SM Investments, Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co., and global port
giant International Container Terminal Services Inc. are members of WEF.
Forum participants will deliberate on the
opportunities of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Economic
Community to promote greater inclusion across the region.
The WEF meeting, to be held on May 21 to 23 in
Manila, has for its theme “Leveraging Growth for Equitable Progress.” PND (as)
Palace assures public of steady supply of
electricity
Malacanang made an assurance on Saturday that
the administration is doing everything to ensure continuous supply of power and
water in the midst of searing heat this summer.
On Saturday, Deputy presidential spokesperson
Abigail Valte told dzRB Radyo ng Bayan that the energy department said that the
Sual plant is running and the Pagbilao plant, which is undergoing repair, will
be operational after a week.
The Department of Energy, according to Valte,
said that power demand for electricity last night was not that much and it also
expects a lower demand this weekend.
"So hopefully, based on these projections
mukhang hindi naman magkakaroon ng power interruption huwag lang magkakaroon ng
breakdown doon sa ibang power plants," she said.
Asked about government actions to avert
electricity and water rationing, Valte said the government has been carrying
out different measures to avoid such problems.
With regards to repair of electric plants, Valte
said that once a plant goes on emergency shutdown that’s the problem that the
energy department needs to immediately address--to make sure that the plant
goes back online as soon as possible.
On Friday, Presidential Communication Operations
Office Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr., said in a press briefing that the
emergency shutdown of the Pagbilao Plant resulted to rotational brownouts in
parts of Manila, Quezon City, Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas and Bulacan. He quickly
noted though that the Department of Energy expected the supply problem be
resolved later in the evening.
On the water supply on dams that runs
hydroelectric plants, Valte said the National Power Corp. is actively watching
the water levels of the dam and has been cooperating with other agencies in
doing cloud seeding operations to induce rain.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) and the
Department of Science and Technology (DOST) are actively conducting cloud
seeding operations in different areas to produce rain for the agriculture
sector. PND (as)
