President Aquino to attend 24th ASEAN Summit in
Myanmar
President Benigno S. Aquino III is scheduled to
attend the 24th ASEAN Summit, to be held in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar on May 10 to
11.
Department of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson
Charles Jose said during a press conference on Wednesday that the President
will have a tight schedule in Myanmar.
Upon his arrival on Saturday, the President is
slated to 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 attend the 24th ASEAN
Summit Plenary; the 24th ASEAN Summit Retreat; the ASEAN Leaders’ Interface
Meeting with Representatives of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA);
the ASEAN Leaders Interface Meeting with Representatives of the Civil Society
Organizations; and the ASEAN Leaders Meeting with ASEAN Youth.
During the ASEAN Summit Plenary, the leaders
will discuss and exchange views on the progress of the implementation of the
Roadmap for an ASEAN Community, the initiative for ASEAN Integration Work Plan
II and the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity, said Jose.
They will also discuss and exchange views on the
future of the ASEAN community, as well as external relations and future
directions, he added.
At the 24th ASEAN Summit Retreat, the leaders
are expected to exchange views on current regional and international issues.
Jose said the crafting of the Code of Conduct
(COC) and the situation in the South China Sea or the West Philippine Sea are
expected to be discussed in the summit. He noted that the President will most
likely ask his fellow ASEAN leaders to work for the early conclusion of the
COC.
“There have been three meetings thus far since
September 2013; and we take note of the discussions of the working groups on
the crafting of the COC. I am sure the President will be bringing up this
agenda item,” he said.
“I would imagine the President will be informing
his fellow ASEAN leaders on the submission by the Philippines of our Memorial
last March 30 on the progress of our case. And I would also imagine that there
would be discussions on the general situation in the South China Sea,” he
added.
Asked if there will be bilateral meetings on the
sidelines of the summit, Jose said the President’s schedule would be “tight”
but they are still open for last minute bilateral meetings with other leaders
or officials.
Myanmar, as ASEAN Chair, will brief the leaders
on its preparations relative to ASEAN’s participation in the G-20 Summit to be
held in November 2014.
The President, together with all the other ASEAN
leaders, is also scheduled to meet with leaders of the AIPA, representatives of
the Civil Society Organizations, and representatives of the ASEAN Youth.
“Moving Forward in Unity to a Peaceful and
Prosperous Community” is the theme for this year’s ASEAN, highlighting the
importance of a united ASEAN. PND (jb)
Rehabilitation ‘on track’ six months after
‘Yolanda’: Lacson
Six months after Super Typhoon Yolanda
devastated central Philippines, government rehabilitation work on affected
communities is on track, Presidential Assistant for Recovery and Rehabilitation
Panfilo Lacson said on Wednesday.
In a press briefing in Malacanang, Lacson, who
was accompanied by Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman and Trade
Undersecretary Zenaida Maglaya, said the Philippines, compared to other nations
which suffered natural calamities, has recovered in just six months.
“Kung ibabase natin sa international
experiences, ‘yung experience ng ibang countries: ‘Katrina’ fully recovered
after eight years; Banda Aceh fully recovered after eight years; Haiti four
years after, has yet to see their road to recovery. Tayo, six months after,
marami na pong nangyari doon sa ‘Yolanda’ avenue, and considering the vastness
of the area and the extent of devastation, ay mukhang hindi naman talaga
nahuhuli, at sinisikap pa nating mas madaliin,” Lacson said.
He said the Philippines took a “clustered
framework approach,” which formed five clusters, each headed by a Cabinet
Secretary, to expedite the formulation of plans and programs for
rehabilitation.
“The infrastructure cluster is headed by
Secretary (Rogelio) Singson of DPWH, social services cluster headed by
Secretary (Dinky) Soliman of DSWD, resettlement cluster headed by Vice
President (Jejomar) Binay, in his capacity as HUDCC chairman, support services
cluster co-chaired by Secretary (Butch) Abad of DBM and Secretary Arsi
Balisacan of NEDA, and the livelihood cluster that is headed by (DTI) Secretary
Gregory Domingo,” Lacson said.
“They will submit to my office their respective
action plans and programs, and then, we will consolidate and that will form
part of the master rehabilitation plan na isusumite kay Pangulong Aquino,” he
added.
He said the initial rehabilitation plan has
already been submitted to Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and that they are
just waiting for the President to convene a full Cabinet meeting so they could
present the plan to him. PND (rck)
Conditions in typhoon-hit Eastern Visayas
beginning to normalize, Social Welfare Secretary says
Conditions in Eastern Visayas are beginning to
normalize six months after the region was devastated by super typhoon
"Yolanda," Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman said Wednesday.
The government has so far released P1.4 billion
for the rehabilitation of the affected areas in Eastern Visayas, Soliman said
during a press briefing in Malacanang.
She said that of the amount, P467.3 million came
from the government’s calamity fund, P764 million from cash donations and
P131.3 million from an Asian Development Bank (ADB) grant.
The fund has been used for core shelter efforts;
the cash-for-work program; the provision of pedicabs and motorized bancas, as
well as kitchen sets; supplemental feeding; livelihood assistance; and the
provision of toys for children, she said.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development
(DSWD) continues to distribute family food packs, Soliman said, noting that in
the first three months following the calamity, the department regularly
provided each family three to six kilograms of rice, canned goods, noodles,
coffee, and sugar. The government spent P4,340,059 for this effort, she said.
A total of 3,455 families have already moved to
bunkhouses, while 10,795 families have received building materials --
corrugated iron sheets, nails, common wire nails, hammers and handsaws --
distributed by the DSWD and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
The DSWD has also extended emergency shelter materials
to 571,206 households, trained 2,552 carpenters, and given cash to 26,972
households, she said.
“Ito po ay galing sa gobyerno at sa mga NGO and
international organizations,” she said.
Soliman further noted that the government has
spent P2,534,431 for the cash-for-work program, that benefitted 7,367
individuals who agreed to help in food preparation and repacking, as well as
those who did hauling and cleaning work.
Starting February, the DSWD carried out the
cash-for-assets program, handing out cash to 186,080 individuals who cleaned
canals, irrigation and farmlands, Soliman said, adding that the program was
worth P531million.
She reported that schools are preparing to
reopen in June.
School authorities in Leyte, Samar and Panay are
focusing on repairing classrooms instead of constructing new ones so they would
be ready next month, she said.
They are also assessing the need for teachers,
she added.
Soliman said the government is drawing up a list
of students who want to go to college and is helping those who want to enroll
in state universities.
The Budget Department has readied funds for the
repair of damaged university facilities, she added. PND (as)
Lacson: There is enough funds to rebuild
typhoon-hit Eastern Visayas
Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and
Recovery Secretary Panfilo Lacson said the national government has enough funds
to reconstruct typhoon-devastated areas in Eastern Visayas.
In a press briefing in Malacanang, Lacson said
all the government has to do is to comply with the requirements of the law and
determine the spending capacity of each locality affected by the disaster.
He said the post-disaster assessment report is
done and is awaiting the President’s approval while the master rehabilitation
plan is being prepared by his office.
The government, in its rehabilitation efforts,
has forged tie-ups with the private sector, he said, noting that it is getting
help from 48 private companies and NGOs in different locations in Eastern
Visayas.
Lacson further reported that on Thursday, 20
housing units will be turned over to beneficiaries in Tanauan, Leyte, in
addition to the 20 units turned over last week.
The government, he said, aims to construct
216,966 housing units but has so far built only 26,000 housing units in safe
zones.
Different government agencies, such as the Mines
and Geosciences Bureau and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), are
identifying safe areas for the construction of new residential areas, he said.
The government and the private sector are also
actively providing livelihood to the typhoon victims, he added. In Western
Samar, farmers have already harvested crops, after receiving seedlings a few
months ago.
Lacson said he expects the efforts to continue
and succeed because there is not much problem on the ground. He was referring
to the fact that there has been no reported mass hunger, epidemic or breakdown
of law and order in the typhoon-stricken areas. PND (as)
Survey result on declining poverty, encouraging,
says Coloma
Malacanang said it will continue to carry out
programs to fight poverty and attain inclusive growth in the country after a
recent survey showed declining poverty levels in the Philippines.
“While we are encouraged by these results, the
government is determined to intensify efforts to implement reform measures and
poverty reduction programs that will lead to the attainment of the goal of
inclusive growth,” Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary
Herminio Coloma, Jr. said in a statement issued on Wednesday in response to a
Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey on poverty.
Coloma noted that according to SWS president,
Dr. Mahar Mangahas, “the SWS surveys anticipated the official finding that
poverty declined from the first semester of 2012 to the first semester of
2013.” The survey results were published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer on
May 3.
Citing a report from the Philippine Statistics
Authority, Coloma said poverty incidence declined from 27.9 percent in 2012 to
24.9 percent in 2013.
“In terms of families, poverty incidence
likewise declined to 19.1 percent in the same period from 22.3 percent in
2012,” he said.
Meanwhile, reacting to another survey by Pulse
Asia regarding Charter change, Coloma said the perception on the need to amend
the present Charter did not get much support from the public.
He noted that based on the Pulse Asia survey,
only 468 or 39 percent of 1,200 respondents, are aware of the House of
Representatives’ resolution on Charter change.
Of those who are aware, only 204 or 17 percent
agree that there should be Charter change, he said.
“The survey results seem to indicate that there
is a low awareness level and that agreement on the need for Charter change is
still a minority view among the citizenry,” he added.
President Aquino remains firm in his stand that
Charter change is not a priority of this administration, Coloma said. PND (as)
Palace renews appeal for water conservation
Malacanang on Wednesday renewed its call for the
public to support water conservation efforts in anticipation of the onset of
the El Nino weather phenomenon next month.
Presidential Communications Operations Office
Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said in a statement that the special
inter-agency task force on El Niño was convened on Tuesday by Public Works and
Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson to monitor the impact of the phenomenon on
the situation in the country’s major water sources.
Coloma said that according to the National Power
Corp. (NPC), the water level in Angat Dam, which supplies more than 90 percent
of potable water in Metro Manila, has continued to drop and is nearing the
critical level of 180 meters.
“Given the tight water supply situation in Angat
Dam, the MWSS (Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System) has said that
priority will be given to potable water supply over irrigation and
hyrdroelectric power plant requirements,” he said.
He added that the NPC however reported that the
water levels in the Magat and Pantabangan dams are projected to be sufficient
for the June planting season.
To induce rain over the major watersheds and
drought-affected farming areas, the Department of Agriculture and the
Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and
Astronomical Services (DOST-PAGASA) will continue with their cloud-seeding
operations, the Palace official said. PND (as)
Most businesses in typhoon-hit Visayas operating
normally, says trade official
A Trade Department official reported on
Wednesday that most of the businesses in the typhoon-stricken areas in the
Visayas have begun to operate normally.
Trade Undersecretary Zenaida Maglaya said in a
press briefing in Malacanang that businesses in Leyte, Samar and in other
regions are 80 to 90 percent back to normal.
“Nakita po natin sa mga report at sa mga
pagbisita natin sa Tacloban, Leyte, Samar and even in other regions, ay
lumalabas po na sa Region VI, 80 to 90 percent na po ng negosyo or businesses
are back in operation, except for parts of the Iloilo area,” she said.
Maglaya said 60 percent of these businesses were
affected by the disaster.
Business operations and food production in
northern Cebu, particularly in Bantayan Island, have also begun to normalize,
she said.
Bantayan Island is Cebu’s source of chicken
eggs, Maglaya said, noting a drop in egg prices in Cebu.
In Region VIII, which covers Eastern Visayas, 50
percent of the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are operating normally, she
said, describing it as “good news.”
The trade official also said that her department
continued to carry out the Diskwento Caravan until last month to give the
people a cheap source of basic commodities.
There is a regular flow of goods from Cebu and
from Manila and the supply of basic commodities is no longer a concern, she
said, adding that the only problem is providing warehouses for the goods.
As far as financing is concerned, Maglaya said
that a month after the disaster, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)
conducted a financing forum for micro and small entrepreneurs.
She said that the Land Bank and the Development
Bank of the Philippines (DBP) will also conduct a financing forum for micro and
small entrepreneurs.
“Of the P70 million, P42 million ang aprubado sa
Region VIII and the rest will be for Antique, Capiz, and of course Northern
Cebu na mga around P28 million,” she said.
The DTI is working together with its development
partners and donor organizations, as support for typhoon survivors continue to
arrive, she said.
The assistance is intended for sustainable
livelihood as well as for the government thrust of generating jobs over the
medium to long term, the trade official said. PND (as)
