Renewed trust and confidence in the Philippines
reflects on Filipinos abroad
(NAY PYI TAW, Myanmar) The renewed trust and
confidence of the foreign investors in the Philippine economy also reflects on
Filipinos working and living abroad.
Esperanza Ordoño-Saw, marketing manager for
Global Sky Company Limited in Myanmar, said more foreign entrepreneurs are now
willing to look into possible investment opportunities in the Philippines due
to the renewed confidence.
Ordoño-Saw said the renewed trust and confidence
of the foreign investors in the Philippines has a positive effect on them
because “it gives a better impression" of Filipinos abroad.
Since his assumption to office in June 2010,
President Benigno S. Aquino III has instituted key reforms and measures to
achieve inclusive growth and to make the Philippines more competitive.
“Kasi how your country is doing reflects on a
Filipino who's working outside of the country; kahit pa malayo kami, it
reflects on us,” Ordoño-Saw said during an interview with PBS-RTVM here.
Another Filipino, Roberto Pulido, who is a
creative and business director for River Orchid here, noted the Aquino
administration’s focus on its campaign against corruption.
“‘Ang malaking pagbabago na nakita ko, mas may
focus ngayon na ayusin at linisin ang government,” Pulido, who has been in
Myanmar for five years, said in a separate interview with PBS-RTVM.
Joey Borja, principal at Myanmar International
School, agreed and cited some of the positive changes in the Philippines, such
as the renewed confidence of foreign investors in the country and the
administration’s anti-corruption campaign.
According to Philippine Ambassador to Myanmar
Alex Chua, there are around 590 Filipinos registered with the Embassy as of
December last year.
“Most Filipinos in Myanmar are engaged in the
engineering and manufacturing sectors, comprising 45 percent of the total
number of Filipinos with temporary migrant status in Myanmar,” Chua said.
President Aquino is scheduled to visit Myanmar
on Saturday to attend the 24th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
Summit that will be held at Myanmar International Convention Center in Nay Pyi
Taw on May 10 to 11. PND (co)
Gov’t allots P6.8-M for President Aquino’s
attendance in ASEAN Summit in Myanmar
The government has set aside P6.8 million for
President Benigno S. Aquino III’s participation in the 24th Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar
from May 10 to 11, Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr. said on Saturday.
President Aquino left this afternoon for Nay Pyi
Taw via a chartered flight to attend the two-day meeting of ASEAN leaders where
the Chief Executive is expected to push for the early conclusion of the Code of
Conduct (COC) with China in order to ease the tension in the disputed waters in
the region.
He was accompanied by a 56-member delegation,
including House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima,
Press Secretary Herminio Coloma, Presidential Management Staff Chief Julia
Andrea Abad, Mindanao Development Authority Chairperson Luwalhati Antonino and
Presidential Protocol Chief Celia Anna Feria. Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert
Del Rosario and Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo left ahead of the presidential
team.
Funding for the trip covers expenses for
transportation, accommodation, food, equipment and other requirements of
President Aquino and his official delegation.
“President Aquino is expected to discuss quite a
few issues of parallel interest with his fellow ASEAN leaders and stress on our
decisive stance for the peaceful resolution in the disputed waters in the
region,” Ochoa said.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said the
President will attend a dinner to be hosted by Myanmar President U Thein Sein
for the heads of states and governments, ASEAN plenary session and retreat,
interface meetings with representatives of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary
Assembly, civil society organizations and ASEAN Youth, among others.
Palace spells out major thrusts to attain
continuing, inclusive growth
The government carries out three major thrusts
to address the weaknesses in the economy as it envisions continuing and
inclusive growth, a Palace official said on Friday.
In a press briefing in Malacanang, reporters
asked Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma
Jr about the government's measures to address several areas raised by Standard
& Poor's in its assessment of the Philippines and its recent rating
upgrade.
Among the issues mentioned by S&P include
narrowing the revenue base, shortage of basic infrastructure, government
services, and low-income level.
Coloma mentioned three primary government
measures to address those issues.
He said that to narrow the country's revenue
base, the government through the Bureau of Internal Revenue, works to increase
the taxation-to-gross domestic product (GDP) ratio to1990s levels.
Coloma said that during the Ramos
administration, before the onset of the Asian financial crisis, the country's
taxation-to-GDP ratio was at 16 to 17 percent of the GDP. Currently, he said
the Philippines is at 12 to 13 percent of the GDP.
"Ang target natin doon sa Millennium
Development Goals ay pataasin ito. Sa Millennium Development Goals at saka doon
sa Philippine Development Plan pataasin ito doon sa... na maibalik doon sa
halos kasingtaas ‘nung sa Ramos administration," he explained.
In area of infrastructure development, Coloma
said the government acknowledged the need for more infrastructure it has been
carrying out several measures to address this need.
The Palace official noted that in the last three
years of the Aquino administration, it carried out accelerated spending on
public infrastructure.
"At kapag nagbunga nang ganap ang mga nasa
pipeline ng Public Private Partnership—‘yung iba’t ibang mga MRT, highway, at
infrastructure projects—ay tiyak na madadagdagan ‘yung mga mahahalagang public
infrastructure projects," he said.
In terms of reducing poverty in the country, he
said that the administration did not wait for the recent economic gains to
trickle down to the poor.
This is the reason why the administration
implemented the conditional cash transfer (CCT) program. The government even
increased the number of family beneficiaries this year, he noted.
"Kaya lahat ng mga tatlong bagay na ito ay
desididong ina-address ng ating administrasyon para ma-convert natin mula sa
kahinaan at maging malakas na aspect rin ng ating pag-unlad bilang isang
bansa," he said.
Coloma also said he is glad about S&P's
assessment that noted a strong basis to believe the current economic gains
under the present administration would be sustained event after President
Aquino leaves office in 2016.
"Bilang isang mamamayang Pilipino, ako ay
nagagalak doon sa isinasaad sa Standard and Poor’s credit ratings report, na sa
kanilang pakiwari mayroong basis o mayroong batayan para umasa na ang mga
kasalukuyang reporma at ang kasalukuyang magandang performance ng Philippine
economy ay masu-sustain beyond the term of the Aquino administration," he
said.
"Sa aking palagay ito ang mas mahalagang
aspeto ng Standard and Poor’s investment upgrade report." PND (as)
President Aquino leaves Saturday 24th ASEAN
Summit in Myanmar
President Benigno S. Aquino III left for Nay Pyi
Taw, Myanmar Saturday afternoon to join his fellow leaders in the 24th
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in that country.
Among the issues to be discussed in the ASEAN
meeting are regional security, climate change, and anti-poverty initiatives,
the President said in his departure speech at the Ninoy Aquino International
Airport Terminal II.
"Malinaw naman po sa atin: Mas mapapabilis
ang pagresolba sa mga suliraning kinakaharap ng ASEAN kung may maigting na
kooperasyon ang mga kasaping bansa," he said.
He said this is the basic principle of the ASEAN
Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER) signed by the
Philippines and its fellow ASEAN countries.
Through the agreement, the President said
communities devastated by typhoon Yolanda received assistance from the
country's neighbors.
He said he will personally thank fellow leaders
in the ASEAN for the assistance extended to the Philippines in the aftermath of
the disaster.
The President also said he will mention the
Philippine Memorial in the Arbitral Tribunal under the United Nations
Convention on the Law of the Sea submitted by the Philippines last March.
"Ang nais po nating ihayag: itaguyod at
sundin ang rule of law sa pagresolba sa mga usapin sa teritoryo, upang
mangibabaw ang pagkilala at respeto sa karapatan ng bawat bansa," he said.
"Sumasalamin ang hakbang na ito sa ating
paninindigan: Hindi maaaring madaan sa diyalogo ng dadalawang bansa lamang ang
mga usaping nakaka-apekto sa iba’t ibang kasapi ng rehiyon," he continued.
At the same time, the chief executive said he
will seize the opportunity to share the country's experience in the successful
conclusion of the peace talks with Muslim rebels in Mindanao.
He said he hopes that the signing of the
Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro will serve as model to other
countries having similar problems with separatist movements.
With his attendance to 24th ASEAN Summit in
Myanmar, the President said he hopes that it benefits the ongoing
transformation of the country into a more progressive nation.
"Patuloy nating patutunayan sa mundo: Ang
Pilipinas ay isa nang maaasahang kabalikat sa kaunlaran, at handang
makipagsabayan at magpakitang-gilas sa iba’t ibang larangan," he said. PND
(as)
Government will remain committed to resolving
territorial spat with China diplomatically, says official
Malacanang said it remains committed to
resolving the dispute in the West Philippines Sea despite the signing of the
Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) with the US and other regional
developments, a Palace official said on Saturday.
In a radio interview over dzRB Radyo ng Bayan,
Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte was asked about the country's
determination regarding the issue after it filed a case in the international
arbitral tribunal.
As the Philippines and the US signed the EDCA in
addition to the planned integration of the ASEAN next year, there are doubts
that the government will no longer prioritize its case in the international
tribunal.
"Magkakahiwalay na mga inisyatiba ‘yon. At
‘yung pagpirma ng EDCA, pati ang nalalapit na ASEAN integration in 2015, walang
kinalaman doon sa ating mga kasong isinampa sa arbitral tribunal," Valte
said in the interview.
The palace official also said there will be no
changes in the planned modernization of the armed forces despite the signing of
EDCA. She said the modernization budget will remain the same although the
government forged a stronger military tie up with the US.
"Kahit wala ang EDCA nakaplano na ‘yan.
Even without the negotiations for the EDCA, the main program really of the
administration is the AFP modernization plan. That includes procurement of
equipment, and capacity-building for our soldiers," she said.
Apart from the acquisition of helicopters,
Hamilton class cutters and combat planes, Valte said there is still a need to
upgrade the hardware of the military. PND (as)
Palace: Increase in tuition fees must be
justified
The Palace said it hopes the Commission on
Higher Education (CHED) will conduct strict screening of colleges and
universities applying for tuition fee hikes to avoid unjustified increases.
As many colleges and universities want to
increase their tuition rates, some teachers organizations are also asking for
an increase in their pay.
In a radio interview on Saturday over dzRB Radyo
ng Bayan, Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said there is an
instruction for CHED to check thoroughly all the applications for tuition fee
increases.
The government wants to ensure that educational
institutions asking for tuition fee adjustments complies with the law, Valte
said.
There is a Memorandum Circular issued by CHED
mandating colleges and universities to hold truthful student consultations with
regards to their plans to increase tuition fees.
"Umaasa po tayong mahigpit na ipapatupad
ito ng CHED habang sinasala nila ang mga aplikasyon para magtaas ng tuition
fees," she said. PND (as)
President Aquino arrives in Myanmar for ASEAN
Summit
(NAY PYI TAW, Myanmar) President Benigno S.
Aquino III arrived here Saturday afternoon to join fellow Southeast Asian
leaders in the 24th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit.
President Aquino together with the Philippine
delegation arrived at Nay Pyi Taw International Airport at 3:32 p.m (Myanmar
time) onboard Philippine Airlines flight PR001.
Upon arrival, the President was welcomed by
Philippine officials led by Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario,
Philippine Ambassador to Myanmar Alex Chua; Maria Lourdes Salcedo, deputy head
of mission Philippine Embassy in Yangon; and Defense and Armed Forces Attache
Colonel Edgardo de Leon.
Also present at the airport to receive the
President were Myanmar officials namely U Than Htay, Union Minister for Rail
Transportation and Spouse; U Ye Myint Aung, Ambassador of Myanmar to the
Philippines; U Thurein Thant Zin, Director-General Protocol, Ministry of
Foreign Affairs; Han Wing Naing, Deputy Director, Economic Department, Ministry
of Foreign Affairs (Liaison Officer to the President) and Police Major Myat
Koko, Security Officer to the President.
Philippine officials who accompanied the
President were Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, Communications Secretary
Herminio Coloma Jr., Mindanao Development Authority Chair Luwalhati Antonino,
Presidential Management Staff head Julia Abad and House Speaker Sonny Belmonte.
President Aquino is leading the Philippine
delegation to the ASEAN Summit. The theme for this year’s summit is
"Moving Forward in Unity to A Peaceful and Prosperous Community,"
which stresses the importance of a united ASEAN.
Myanmar is hosting the ASEAN summit for the
first time in 17 years since the country joined the regional bloc.
Later in the evening, President Aquino will attend
the welcome dinner to be hosted by Myanmar President U Thein Sein for all ASEAN
leaders and their delegations.
On Sunday, the President will join other leaders
in the opening ceremony of the Summit. Then the President is also scheduled to
attend the Plenary Session, and the Summit Retreat.
After which, President Aquino will attend the
meetings with the representatives of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly,
the Civil Society Organizations, and the ASEAN Youth.
Thereafter, the President will participate in
the 10th Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area
(BIMP-EAGA) Summit.
Aside from the Philippines, other members of
ASEAN are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar,
Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. PND (jb/co)
