President Aquino lauds businesses that
contribute to social reforms
President Benigno S. Aquino III on Wednesday
honored Asian businesses that have contributed to social transformation by
carrying out projects through corporate social responsibility.
In his speech during the 13th Asian Forum on
Corporate Social Responsibility in Makati City, the President said businesses
have changed for the better through the years.
He said that while in the past, businesses only
considered profit as the end-all and be-all and viewed their responsibilities
in isolation from the community, today's manufacturing facilities think of how
to minimize their environmental impact and waste, thus preserving the
sustainability of their source materials as well as enhancing their relations
with the community.
"When I see corporations focused on social
responsibility, I see kindred spirits who, like me, have to tackle issues in
their multifaceted forms and complications—who realize that, indeed, no man is
an island," he said.
To the institutions being recognized for helping
redefine the concept of business, the President said corporate responsibility
is good business.
“Your shareholders include your employees,
consumers, and now, the members of the communities in which you operate, thus
redefining value not only in terms of profit, but also in terms of the
empowerment of others,” he said.
Citing examples, he said Jollibee Foods
Corporation’s Busog, Lusog, Talino School Feeding Program, which provides lunch
for undernourished students in kindergarten, and first and second grades, has
resulted in 80 percent of the beneficiaries reaching a normal Body Mass Index,
as well as a decrease in absenteeism.
The Farmer Entrepreneurship Program, which aims
to support the livelihood of Filipino farmers by linking them to the supply
chain of institutional markets such as Jollibee, has helped more than 900
farmers across the country become more productive and gain access to a broader
market, he added.
The President commended the awardees for proving
that the growth of companies and of private industry cannot be separated from
the growth of the communities.
He further said that companies joining social
reforms inspire him.
"These events never fail to inspire me—and
I hope that they have the same, if not a greater effect on you and even your
peers," he said.
"Through your work, you have already shown
that the simplest ideas can bring about the most profound
transformations."
Several companies were awarded during
Wednesday's event for their contributions to solving social challenges.
The awardees were the Jollibee Group Foundation
for its poverty alleviation initiatives; the Dow Chemical Thailand for its
works on preserving the environment; the Jollibee Group Foundation for its
initiatives on education; PT Unilever Indonesia for its health care programs;
the Valsad District Cooperative Milk Producer in India for providing livelihood
to farmers; and the Magsaysay Maritime Corp. for producing highly skilled
seafarers for the maritime industry.
The Asian Forum on Corporate Social
Responsibility (AFCSR) is the largest annual conference on corporate social
responsibility in the region.
It was launched in 2002 by the AIM-Ramon V. del
Rosario Sr. Center for Corporate Social Responsibility, one of the first
research centers in Asia to concentrate on corporate social responsibility
issues. PND (as)
Security authorities tackling criminality in the
country, says Palace
The Palace made an assurance on Thursday that
the government is doing everything to address crimes in the country, especially
kidnapping for ransom.
“The Philippine National Police (PNP) is
exerting all efforts to crack down on the criminal elements behind
kidnapping-for-ransom cases,” Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary
Herminio Coloma, Jr. said during a press briefing in Malacañang.
He said that on Wednesday, Interior and Local
Government Secretary Manuel Roxas, PNP Chief Director General Alan Purisima,
and representatives of concerned citizens’ groups, including Teresita Ang See,
discussed the concerns of the Filipino-Chinese community.
Coloma said that according to the PNP, the
reported number of kidnaping-for-ransom cases as of last August increased to 38
from 31 in the same period last year.
“This is what the police are working on now, in
terms of intensified police efforts,” he said.
The people need to understand the situation in
perspective, he said, noting that in his State of the Nation Address (SONA)
last month, the President made it clear that the government's thrust is to
capture the criminals, and gather strong evidence to successfully convict them.
"Ang palaging ipinapahayag ng Pangulo at
ine-emphasize hinggil diyan ay ito: Dapat ay may kasiguruhan na ang mga
hinuhuli at isinasakdal ay mapaparusahan," he said.
"Dapat may kasiguruhan na pangangalagaan ng
pamahalaan ang kaligtasan at kapakanan ng mga mamamayan. Kaya iyan ang patuloy
na nagsisilbing pamantayan sa lahat ng ating mga law enforcement
authorities."
Coloma said that as the President leaves for
Europe and the United States next week, the chief executive can assure
investors that the Philippines is safe for doing business.
"The President can face the world with a
clear view that the Philippines is safe for investors, the Philippines is safe
for its citizens," he said, appealing to the public to avoid painting a
gloomy picture of the country's security situation.
“Hindi kinakailangang magpinta tayo ng larawan
ng ligalig dahil ang sitwasyon naman ay masasabi nating stable. The crime
situation is well under the control of the police authorities. Kaya hindi dapat
lumikha ng ligalig hinggil dito,” he said. PND (as)
Filipino peacekeepers in Golan Heights to end
tour of duty properly, says Palace
The government wants the Filipino peacekeepers
in Golan Heights to complete their tour of duty to fulfill the country’s
commitment to the United Nations (UN) properly, Malacañang said on Thursday.
“We want to complete our tour of duty and wind
down our UN commitment in the proper way,” Presidential Communications
Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. told reporters during a press
briefing at the Palace.
He noted that the government’s decision to
recall peacekeeping forces from Liberia and the Golan Heights came earlier than
last week’s stand-off between the Filipino peacekeepers and Syrian rebels.
“Kung maalala natin, bago pa sumiklab ang
insidente noong nakaraang linggo ay naihayag na ang pasya na tatapusin na
lamang ang current tour of duty at ito ang naging desisyon. Hindi naman ito
naapektuhan nang mga kaganapan noong nakaraang lingo,” he explained.
Meanwhile, he said the Department of Foreign
Affairs (DFA) is coordinating with the Department of National Defense (DND) and
the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) regarding the report on the Golan
Heights incident.
“The Department of Foreign Affairs is
coordinating with the DND and the AFP, and is in close consultation with the
United Nations on this matter. After all, the deployment of Filipino
peacekeepers is a UN matter and that is a matter of international diplomacy for
which the DFA is responsible,” he said.
President Aquino has sought a comprehensive
report on last week’s incident in the Golan Heights to use it as the basis for
future deployments of Filipino peacekeepers. PND (ag)
President Aquino wants hoarders, price
manipulators behind bars, Palace official says
President Benigno S. Aquino III continues to
monitor cases on alleged abuses in the import and trade of basic commodities,
warning that the authorities will prosecute those found to have violated the
law, a Palace official said Thursday.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday
attributed the spike in garlic prices a few months ago to collusion between
government officials and a garlic importer.
During a press briefing in Malacañang,
Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr.
said that the DOJ's finding “is the outcome of the continuing efforts of the
government to stop abuses that produce disadvantage and detriment to our
populace.”
He said that last month, the President called
meetings among concerned agencies to determine the cause of unusual movements
in the price of prime commodities.
He further said that the President has already
instructed government agencies, especially the Department of Agriculture (DA),
to focus on the supply of goods and their prices in anticipation of the
Christmas season.
"Nagpatawag na ang Pangulo ng pagpupulong
at mahigpit ang pag-uutos sa lahat ng mga ahensiya, lalung-lalo na ang
Department of Agriculture na tutukan ang supply and price situation,
lalung-lalo na at padating ng holiday season at tiyak na mag-i-increase ang
demand," Coloma said, referring to the supply of pork, chicken, and the
usual Noche Buena fare.
As for those who have violated the law by
engaging in hoarding and price manipulation, cases have been filed against
them, based on the President's instruction, Coloma said. PND (as)
Government eyes single broadcasting network
before President Aquino steps down in 2016
The government is eyeing the privatization of
the television stations it controls before the term of President Aquino ends in
2016, Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio
Coloma, Jr. said Thursday.
Two TV stations are currently under the
administration: IBC-13 and RPN-9. IBC-13, a sequestered asset, is 100-percent
government-owned.
Coloma said in a press briefing in Malacañang
that the government is working on the privatization of IBC-13, and that the
Governance Commission for Government-Owned or -Controlled Corporations has
decided to allow the Development Bank of the Philippines to become the
privatization manager of the station.
“Sa aking pagkabatid ay inuumpisahan na ang
prosesong ito at ang target ay matapos ito sa pagtatapos din ng termino ni
Pangulong Aquino,” he said.
He noted that RPN-9 is already privatized, with
the government owning only 20.8 percent of the station.
Coloma said that the administration has since
2010 wanted only one government-owned broadcasting network, which includes
television and radio.
The state-run radio station is Radyo ng Bayan,
and aside from IBC-13 and RPN-9, the government also runs PTV-4.
The PCOO administers these stations pursuant to
Executive Order No. 4. PND (as)
Palace: We should all be proud of 'Gilas
Pilipinas'
Despite losing to Puerto Rico, the country
should still be proud of Gilas Pilipinas’ efforts in the 2014 FIBA World Cup in
Seville, Spain, the Palace said Thursday.
“Sa aking palagay ay dapat pa ring ipagpatuloy
ang ating pagsuporta at dapat pa rin nating ipagmalaki ang Gilas Pilipinas,”
Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr.
said during the daily press briefing in Malacañang.
Puerto Rico won against the Philippines 77-73
after trailing behind Gilas Pilipinas in the first half of the game.
With the result, Gilas Pilipinas has lost its
chance to advance to the round of 16.
“Hindi nga lang nakaya na talunin ang Puerto
Rico. Pero katulad nang naganap na mga laro laban sa Croatia at Argentina,
nagwakas ito sa napakalapit na score, at sinumang nakakaunawa ng basketball ay
magsasabing kung nadagdagan lang ang swerte ay maaari pang napagtagumpayan
ito,” said Coloma.
The Philippine Basketball Team had lost its
previous games with a margin of less than 10 points: against Croatia (81–78);
Greece (82–70); and Argentina (85–81).
The team even took the lead in its games with
Croatia, Argentina and Puerto Rico before losing.
“Taas-noo ang ating mga manlalaro, taas-noo pa
rin ang mga Pilipino, sapagkat kahanga-hanga rin naman ang kanilang ipinakitang
husay sa pakikipaglaro,” said Coloma. PND (ag)
