President Aquino honors Outstanding Policewomen
President Benigno S. Aquino III honored the
country’s Ten Outstanding Policewomen for 2013 during a ceremony held at the
President’s Hall of Malacanang Palace on Tuesday.
In his speech, President Aquino recognized the
exceptional dedication and commitment of policewomen in performing their duties
and serving their countrymen.
“Tunay po na kayong mga awardees ay bantayog ng
pinakamabubuting katangian ng Pilipino, at nagsisilbing mukha ng pagbabagong
tinatamasa na ng ating lipunan. Dahil sa mga gaya ninyo, lalong nagiging
pursigido ang inyong gobyerno sa pagpapaunlad ng inyong kakayahan,” he said.
The awardees were Police Inspector Arieza Otida,
Senior Police Officer 3 Melinda Amsali, Police Superintendent Maria Leonora
Chua Camarao, Police Chief Inspector Gemma Vidal Braganza, Police Officer 3
Annaliza Palicpic Flores, Senior Police Officer 1 Ruth Bongo Violango, Senior
Police Officer 1 Cheryl Quinto Saldo, Police Senior Inspector Jovelyn Abe
Bañares, Police Officer 2 Cheryl Lyn Wagas Ano-os, and Police Senior
Superintendent Herminigilda Dumaguin Salangad.
President Aquino lauded the exemplary service
demonstrated by female police officers, noting that gender is inconsequential
when it comes to public service.
As continued support for the police force, the
Chief Executive vowed to upgrade their facilities and equipment, continue in
reforming their ranks and map out programs that will uplift the quality of life
of uniformed men.
In his speech, President Aquino also commended
Police Senior Inspector Charity Galvez for successfully defending a police
precinct against a rebel attack in Agusan del Sur, and Police Officer 3 Edlyn
Arbo for foiling a jeepney robbery, an incident the President mentioned during
his State of the Nation Address last year.
He mentioned Police Inspector Marjorie Manuta of
Tacloban, who was the first police officer to brief him when Typhoon Yolanda
hit Tacloban, Leyte last year.
President Aquino cited Police Officers 1 Juliet
Macababbad, Delia Langpawen, Mercelina Bantiyag and Maricel Rueco, for
responding during a robbery incident at the SM Mall of Asia.
“Ang ganito nga pong antas ng katapatan at
dedikasyon ng inyong mga kasamahan sa serbisyo ang siya mismong nagbunsod sa
nabawi na ninyong tiwala at paghanga ng ating mamamayan,” he said.
The Search for the Ten Outstanding Policewomen
of the Philippines is an annual search sponsored by the Zonta Club of the
Makati Paseo de Roxas Foundation Inc., to discover and recognize the efforts
and achievements of the female members of the Philippine National Police. PND
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Palace encouraged by allies' support regarding
South China Sea issue
The Palace said it is encouraged by the
supportive statements of the country’s allies on the importance of seeking a
peaceful settlement to the disputes in the South China Sea (West Philippine
Sea).
"We note that in the 13th Asia Security
Summit, held over the weekend in Singapore, the participants affirmed the
importance of respecting the rule of law as the key to regional
stability," Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary
Herminio Coloma, Jr. said in a statement on Tuesday.
During the summit, the Philippines’ key
allies--the United States, Australia, and Japan—expressed similar views that
support the country's basic position on the importance of a peaceful settlement
of the South China Sea issue.
Coloma noted that as the President has pointed
out in recent interviews with the international press, 40 percent of world
commerce passes through the South China Sea, making freedom of navigation an
important issue.
Freedom of aviation must likewise be upheld, as
emphasized in the ASEAN-Japan Summit last December 2013, he added.
During last month’s ASEAN Summit in Myanmar, he
said, the heads of states and governments affirmed the importance of fleshing
out a Code of Conduct on the South China Sea to ensure regional stability.
The Palace official also emphasized the
importance of ASEAN centrality, saying that together with other neighboring
countries, the Philippines will continue to advocate the crafting of a Code of
Conduct in the South China Sea.
"We see this as an important opportunity
for institutionalizing peace and stability in the region arising from the
disputes in the South China Sea," he said.
And since the President started to pursue such
advocacy in Cambodia two years ago, it has gained traction, he added.
This issue has progressed through the various
ASEAN and APEC meetings, especially during the ASEAN-Japan Summit last
December, and the ASEAN Summit in Myanmar in May, he said.
A day before the heads of states convened in
Myanmar, the foreign ministers of all ASEAN member countries issued a unanimous
joint statement affirming the basic principles that the Philippines has been
advocating, Coloma said.
"We have seen important progress made in
our advocacy and we continue to be encouraged by all of these developments,"
he said. PND (as)
Funds for infrastructure projects will not come
from congressional insertions, Palace says
Not a single centavo will come from
congressional insertions or pork barrel funds when the government carries out
recently approved big-ticket infrastructure projects, the Palace said Tuesday.
The present government has not funded projects
through congressional insertions, Presidential Communications Operations Office
Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said, adding that even former President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo’s administration, during its last year, had disallowed the
funding of projects through insertions.
"Doon naman sa Aquino administration,
totally abolished ‘yung concept of insertion dahil nagkasundo ang ehekutibo at
lehislatura na kung ano lamang ang budget na iniharap ng executive as the
National Expenditure Program, ‘yun lamang ang pwedeng repasuhin o pag-aralan ng
Kamara at ng Senado," he said during a press briefing
The government has also ceased funding projects
through the lawmakers' Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) after the
Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional, Coloma said, noting that the PDAF
has been completely scrapped from the 2014 budget.
Last week, the National Economic and Development
Authority (NEDA) Board chaired by President Aquino approved nine major projects
that will improve the country's water and irrigation system, transportation and
health care.
These projects will be carried out through
various funding schemes, among them public-private partnership (PPP) and
private sector investments. PND (as)
Government to address coconut infestation
Newly appointed Presidential Adviser for Food
Security and Agricultural Modernization Secretary Francis Pangilinan and
officials of the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) have informed President
Benigno S. Aquino III of the infestation in the country's coconut farms.
During Tuesday’s press briefing in Malacanang,
Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr.
said the government aims to prevent the spread of the infestation through
various means, as proposed by the PCA and supported by the Department of
Science and Technology.
The government will allocate funds for the
initiative, Coloma said, adding that local government units will also be
involved in preventive and remedial measures to stop the spread of the
infestation.
The coconut industry is a major part of the
agricultural sector.
According to the PCA, of the country’s 12
million hectares of agricultural lands, 3.1 million hectares are coconut farms
being tended by 3.5 million coconut farmers.
Some 25 million Filipinos are directly or
indirectly dependent on the coconut industry, which is among the top five net
foreign exchange earners, bringing in an average of $760 million per year, the
PCA said. PND (as)
Government funds are being used for economic
growth, not for anything else: Palace
Government funds are being used to boost the
country’s economic growth and not for anything else, Presidential
Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said Tuesday.
“The government’s resources are being used in
the campaign to ensure sustainable and long-term economic growth, as well as
inclusive growth, in accordance with the objectives of the Philippine
Development Plan (PDP),” Coloma said, commenting on a reporter’s observation
that with the recent approval of big-ticket infrastructure projects, government
resources are already being used for the campaign of the administration’s
standard bearer for the 2016 election.
“You can check against the updated Philippine
Development Plan matrix and all of the projects are aligned with the main
thrust of the PDP,” he said.
The PDP outlines the government’s five major
guide posts: Anti-Corruption/Transparent, Accountable and Participatory
Governance; Poverty Reduction and Empowerment of the Poor and Vulnerable; Rapid,
Inclusive and Sustained Economic Growth; Just and Lasting Peace and the Rule of
Law; and Integrity of the Environment and Climate Change Mitigation and
Adaptation.
In terms of transparency, Coloma said, “I think
we have never seen a more open and transparent government as we see today,
because of the people’s clamor for openness and transparency.”
As for the past administrations’ contributions
to the country’s economic growth, the Palace official said the credit still
goes to them.
“Wala tayong inaagawan ng kredito. Hindi
mahalaga para sa kasalukuyang administrasyon ‘yung pag-claim ng credit,” he
explained.
“Kaya wala tayong problema doon sa kung sino ang
bida or who gets the credit. Wala ‘yan sa konsiderasyon ng ating administrasyon,”
he added. PND (ag)
Government enticing new scientists to address
'brain drain' in DOST, says Palace
The government is trying to entice scientists
from the country’s universities to replace those who have left, in an effort to
address the "brain drain" in the Department of Science and Technology
(DOST), Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio
Coloma, Jr., said Tuesday.
Coloma said market forces are at work, thus it
is only natural for the country’s talented and highly qualified scientists to
leave their government posts in search of better compensation abroad.
“Ganunpaman, sinisikap pa rin ng ating
pamahalaan na mapanatili ang mga mahuhusay na manggagawa sa loob ng mga
regulasyon ng pamahalaan at sa abot ng kakayanin ng resources ng ating
pamahalaan,” he added.
The Senate during a hearing on Tuesday learned
that employees of other science and technology agencies, not just the
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
(PAGASA), have left to work in other countries.
They include employees of the Philippine
Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHILVOLCS) and the Advanced Science
and Technology Institute (ASTI).
“Maaari ring maging senyales ‘yan para tingnan
ng ating mga mambabatas ang pangangailangan na ayusin ang pasahod sa mga
empleyado ng gobyerno, kaya nga nagkakaroon ngayon ng talakayan hinggil sa
panibagong Salary Standardization Law, para maipatupad din ang inaasam na
pagpapataas ng sahod sa iba’t ibang sektor, kabilang na ang mga sundalo, pulis,
guro at iba pang government employees,” said Coloma. PND (ag)
