Sunday 13 July 2014

PIA News Dispatch - Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Palace assures PTV-4 employees of just compensation and benefits

MalacaƱang has assured employees of state-owned television network PTV-4 that they will receive just compensation and benefits.

“Ipinaliwanag namin ito sa kanila at tiniyak na sumusunod ang ating pamahalaan sa mga umiiral na batas hinggil sa compensation and benefits of government employees,” Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. told reporters in a press briefing on Tuesday.

Coloma said that the ongoing dialogue with PTV-4 employees is a concrete action on the part of the government to address their demands.

“Isinasagawa na iyong dialogue na iyon at iyon namang kanilang mga kahilingan ay patungkol pa doon sa nakaraang mga benepisyo na ipinangako sa kanila, na sa aming posisyon ay governed by the principle of availability of funds and the Department of Justice has already ruled on one of the benefits that they are raising,” he said.

He noted that PTV-4 was in a state of “financial hemorrhage” when the new administration took office.

“Walang pera sa kaban nito, walang pangsweldo, walang pondo, sira-sira ang mga equipment,” said Coloma.

“Kaya nagsikap tayo at natamo natin iyong pagtatatag ng bagong charter na kung saan ay nagbigay ang Kongreso ng panibagong kapitalisasyon na 5 billion pesos at isinasaayos na natin ngayon ang operasyon ng People’s Television.”

He further said that although premiums for the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) and PhilHealth were collected from the employees under the past administration, none of them was remitted to these agencies.

“Kaya noong kami na ang namahala ay tiniyak namin na maisauli o maipanumbalik iyong kanilang GSIS at mga PhilHealth premiums,” he said, adding that the government strived to seek funds to promote the employees’ welfare.

PTV-4 is under the PCOO. PND (ag)


Boosting gross domestic product a top priority, Palace official says

It is the administration's goal to increase the country's gross domestic product (GDP) to attain inclusive growth, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said during Tuesday’s press briefing.

Coloma was commenting on reports that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) plans to cut its 2014 growth forecast for the Philippines due to data showing a slump in government spending.

He said that despite the forecasts of such external entities as the IMF, the real challenge to the government is how to revitalize the economy and strengthen industries and services to attain high GDP growth that would in turn help the government carry out its reform programs and achieve inclusive growth.

"Kung anuman po ang pananaw nila, ang determinasyon pa rin ay buo na dapat mapalaki ang GDP growth natin at maging inclusive growth ang matamo natin mula sa pagsulong na ito," he said.

The IMF has said that reduced government spending would curtail economic activities in the country.

The government posted a budget surplus in the first five months of the year, the result of higher revenues and a marginal decline in disbursements.

The surplus came in the midst of the need to spend aggressively, especially on rehabilitation efforts in areas devastated by Typhoon Yolanda last year.

The IMF however said that the slower disbursements in the second quarter might not support economic growth.


The Philippines’ first quarter GDP growth slowed to 5.7 percent from 6.3 percent in the fourth quarter of 2013. PND (as)