Palace assures PTV-4 employees of just
compensation and benefits
Malacañang 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)
