Government to continue carrying out
job-generating projects to boost economic growth
The Palace said it will continue to implement
the strategies in the updated Philippine Development Plan to generate more jobs
for the people.
"To further boost employment, the
Department of Labor and Employment will focus on implementing job creation facilitation
programs targeted at businesses that are expanding operations,"
Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr.
said in a statement Thursday.
Coloma said that according to the Bangko Sentral
ng Pilipinas (BSP), in its first quarter 2014 Business Expectation Survey, more
than a third of the respondents have indicated expansion plans that could lead
to an increase in job openings for the remainder of the year.
He said that National Economic Development
Authority (NEDA) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan has emphasized that the government
will focus on increasing investments from employers to generate high-quality
and remunerative employment, which is vital in achieving rapid poverty
reduction towards inclusive growth.
According to the NEDA, the country remains on
track to reach its full-year growth target of between 6.5 and 7.5 percent as
the government speeds up rehabilitation, construction, and recovery projects in
areas devastated by Typhoon Yolanda last year, Coloma said.
The sectors of manufacturing, tourism,
information technology, business process management, construction, logistics,
and agribusiness will be given priority in the hope that they would create more
jobs, the Palace official said.
He further said that President Aquino is slated
to convene a NEDA Board Meeting on Thursday afternoon.
The meeting’s main agenda would be the
discussion and approval of Investment Coordination Committee (ICC) matters:
road and interchange projects in NCR, Region I, and Region IV-A of the
Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH); water district development
projects of the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA); the Angat Water
Transmission Improvement Project of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage
System (MWSS); LRT Line II Operations and Maintenance Project of the Department
of Transportation and Communication (DOTC), River Irrigation Project of the
National Irrigation Administration (NIA) and government hospital modernization
of the Department of Health (DOH). PND (as)
Government bent on building strong case against
those involved in pork barrel scam: Palace
Malacanang on Thursday reiterated that the
administration would rather build strong cases than hasten the filing of weak
lawsuits against those involved in the pork barrel scam.
“The government remains committed to pursuing an
evidence-based inquiry and that any legal action will be based on firm and
substantiated proof that can pass judicial scrutiny,” Presidential
Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. told Palace
reporters.
“The President believes that filing weak cases
based on speculation or unsupported by unverified, or supported only by
unverified information will be an exercise in futility, as those accused can go
scot-free by invoking the principle of double jeopardy,” he said.
The Communication Secretary said that with the
proliferation of lists and scenarios surrounding the testimony of the scam’s
alleged mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles, it is likely that “certain quarters” are
muddling the issue.
“They may be carrying out a strategy of ‘burn
the house down’ by implicating as many political personalities as possible,
thereby misdirecting the inquiry and dissipating efforts to make those involved
accountable before the bar of justice,” Coloma explained.
As for the Cabinet members implicated in the
controversy, he said the President has reiterated that “mere allegation does
not affect the presumption of regularity in the performance of their current
duties.”
Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, Agriculture
Secretary Proceso Alcala, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority
(TESDA) Secretary Joel Villanueva have been included in Napoles’ list of those
involved in the scam.
“There is a need to recognize the right to
‘presumption of innocence’, especially while no concrete proof of wrongdoing
has been presented against them,” Coloma said.
“As the President has always emphasized, let the
evidence point to the direction of the inquiry and let justice be carried out
without fear or favor,” he added. PND (ag)
Philippines preparing for ASEAN integration,
says official
The government will pay special attention to the
improvement of sectors with a competitive advantage in preparation for the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) integration next year,
Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr
said.
One major focus of the government is the
improvement of the country's agriculture sector, especially the production of
high-quality and high-value crops, such as coffee, cacao, and sorghum, he said
during Thursday’s press briefing.
"Mayroong mga programa ang ating Department
of Agriculture para palakihin o yumabong ang mga sektor na ito, at mag-increase
ang productive capacity ng mga lupang sinasaka," Coloma told reporters.
The DA also has tie-ups with food manufacturing
companies to ensure a steady supply of fruits and vegetables for their
processing operations, he added.
This initiative is part of the DA's
diversification program to make the agriculture sector competitive by producing
high-quality crops and increasing the productivity of local farmers, he said.
The government is also looking into ways to help
provinces with a high incidence of poverty, the Palace official said.
He noted that the ASEAN integration is not
"one big bang" event.
"ASEAN integration 2015 is an aspirational
objective and a continuing work in process," Coloma said.
On the country's commitments to ASEAN
integration, he said the Philippines is about 85 to 87 percent compliant and is
not lagging behind its neighboring countries.
Although there are still gaps and there are
sectors that need government support, the administration is doing everything to
improve their performance so they could contribute to the national economy, he
said.
The government also wants to help people in the
marginalized section of society so they would be able to elevate themselves
from the subsistence level to become self-reliant, Coloma said, adding that
once this is achieved, they would be able to attain the basic level of
sufficiency and quality of life. PND (as)
Palace awaiting Vatican’s official announcement
of Papal visit
The Palace said Thursday it is awaiting the
Vatican’s official announcement of Pope Francis’ visit to the Philippines in
January next year before the government starts making preparations.
“The Pope is a head of state and head of
government, and not just a spiritual leader. So, there are protocols and
diplomatic processes that will be observed. We will await the official
announcement from the Vatican, which will be acknowledged or verified by our
own Department of Foreign Affairs,” Presidential Communications Operations
Office Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr., said during a press briefing.
He however noted that the government is always
in a state of preparing and improving the country, “visitor or no visitor”.
“Hindi naman po driven by state visitors ‘yung
ating pagpapahusay sa ating bansa,” Coloma said.
“Kaya makatitiyak po tayo araw-araw, oras-oras,
tinututukan po ng ating pamahalaan ang mga dapat na gawin para sa kapakanan ng
mga mamamayan; para may bisita man o wala, naasikaso po natin at natugunan ang
kanilang mahahalagang pangangailangan.”
Pope Francis announced recently that he is
planning to visit the Philippines, especially the areas battered by Typhoon
"Yolanda." PND (ag)
Cabinet members to meet Friday to finalize work
programs for ‘Yolanda’-hit areas
Cabinet members will meet on Friday afternoon to
finalize the work programs for the rehabilitation of areas devastated by
Typhoon Yolanda, a Palace official said.
Presidential Assistant on Rehabilitation and
Recovery Secretary Panfilo Lacson will lead the four-hour meeting, which will
be attended by Vice President Jejomar Binay (shelter sector); Social Welfare
Secretary Corazon Soliman (social services sector); Public Works Secretary
Rogelio Singson (infrastructure sector); Trade and Industry Secretary Gregory
Domingo (livelihood sector); and Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio
Balisacan (support sector), Presidential Communications Operations Office
Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said Thursday.
“Isasapinal na at isasakongkreto ‘yung work
program para sa mga sumusunod na lalawigan: Leyte, Eastern Samar, Western
Samar, Cebu at siyudad ng Tacloban. Ito ‘yung pinag-usapan natin dati. Ang
baseline nila ‘yung PDNA (Post-Disaster Needs Assessment),” Coloma said during
a press briefing.
“Pag nakumpleto ‘yung PDNA, pwede nang gumawa ng
kongkretong work program in each of the five aspects of shelter, livelihood,
infrastructure, social services and support. They can already identify concrete
programs and the corresponding budget. At pag nabuo ito, handang-handa nang
i-release ng DBM (Department of Budget and Management) ‘yung budgetary support
for implementing these projects,” he said. PND (ag)
Government working continuously to address
concerns in education
As the new academic year opens next week, Malacanang
has assured that it is doing everything to solve the various concerns in the
education sector.
When the administration assumed office in 2010,
it faced a backlog of 66,000 classrooms but the Department of Education (DepEd)
has been able to construct 66,213 classrooms, Presidential Communications
Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. told reporters on Thursday.
The DepEd also faced a shortage of 2.5 million
chairs and tables but was able to remedy the problem, he said, adding that the
department lacked 61.7 million textbooks but was able to reduce the average
price of textbooks from P55 to P35.
Coloma however noted that although the DepEd was
able to address these major problems, the country has suffered a setback due to
the natural and man-made calamities last year, resulting in new problems for
the education sector.
Nonetheless, the department has continued to
address the problems, he said, adding that about two weeks ago, it spearheaded
the Brigada Eskuwela, which was participated in by millions of citizens.
Brigada Eskwela is a nationwide voluntary
effort, with teachers, parents and other members of the community offering
their services to help clean and repair public schools in time for school
opening.
"Siguro mas magandang pagyamanin natin dito
‘yung spirit of bayanihan at kilalanin din natin na kung tutunghayan ang
empirical evidence, this administration has allocated more for the education
budget than any other previous administration," he said.
He further said that President Aquino is leaving
it to Education Secretary Armin Luistro to decide on the implementation of a
three-day school week to ease the time and space constraints being experienced
by the students.
Education officials have proposed a three-day
school week to address congestions in schools and make students more
comfortable. PND (as)
