President Aquino inducts into office new members
of ULAP National Executive Board
President Benigno S. Aquino III administered the
oath of office to the new members of the National Executive Board of the Union
of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP) in a simple ceremony held at the
President’s Hall of Malacañang Palace on Thursday.
In his speech, President Aquino reminded local
officials to remain faithful to their mandate of serving the public with
honesty and integrity.
He told the government officials to focus on
coming up with long-term solutions to the problems of their constituents,
rather than giving temporary assistance, citing the practice called KBL or
“kasal, binyag, libing” (wedding, baptism, burial).
“How can we change the system of helping our
constituents mostly during weddings, baptism and burial? I believe that we
should not just give them temporary relief but what is more important is to
give them assistance that will sustain their needs for a long time,” he said.
“As what the elders would say, let us teach our
people to fish rather than have them keep coming back to ask for fish. A
complete and comprehensive solution is the key to the change that we are all
hoping for,” he added.
The President cited the strategy used by the late
Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo in solving Naga City’s problem on informal
settlers.
He said that aside from giving informal settlers
permanent and decent housing, Robredo also provided them with sustainable
livelihood.
“All our sacrifices in serving the public would
only be meaningful if they give rise to significant changes to our countrymen,
especially the needy,” he said.
The President also underscored the importance of a
smooth working relationship between the national and local governments to
ensure effective service to the public.
During the ceremony, ULAP president Oriental Mindoro
Governor Alfonso “Boy” Umali, Jr. presented the group’s accomplishment report
to the President.
Among the officers who took their oath were Iloilo
Governor Arthur Defensor, Sr. as chairman; Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista
as executive vice president; Mayor of Javier, Leyte Sandy Javier Jr. as vice
chairman; and Manila City Vice Mayor Isko Moreno as 1st vice president.
In his opening remarks, Umali pledged the
continuous support of the local government units to the reforms being
implemented by the Aquino administration.
He said the Seal of Good Housekeeping has been
conferred on 80 percent of the LGUs, which means that majority of the local
offices are “willing and able to become transparent.”
“We want the reforms which we started together
with the national government to continue. We want performance evaluations, we
want open government, we want convergence with private and civil society
groups, and we want leadership in the national and local levels to work closely
in treading the straight path,” Umali said. PND (jb)
Palace says it gladly accepts public pulse on
Charter change
The Palace said Thursday it was not surprised by a
recent Pulse Asia survey, which found that a majority of the people do not want
Charter change, nor do they support a term extension for the President.
In the latest Pulse Asia survey, 62 percent or a
majority of the respondents asked by the research group rejected Charter
change.
In a press briefing in Malacañang, Presidential
Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said they were
not surprised by the survey result and they gladly accept it.
"Tinatanggap namin ito nang mahinahon at
walang sorpresa," Secretary Coloma told reporters.
At the same time, he said the President continues
to listen to the people, with the aim of making ongoing reforms in government
permanent.
"Patuloy ang ginagawang pakikinig ng Pangulo
sa pagpapahiwatig ng saloobin ng mga mamamayan alinsunod sa layuning patatagin
ang mga reporma at gawing ganap ang transpormasyon sa ating lipunan," he
said.
Public opinion surveys, such as the one conducted
by Pulse Asia, are among the tools to feel the people’s pulse, according to
Coloma.
The Palace official also said that since day one,
the President has made it a point to know the opinion of his “bosses” because
he considers this an important element of good governance.
"Dahil ang pamahalaan na naglilingkod nang
taus-puso ay palaging bukas sa pagpapahiwatig ng mga mamamayan ng kanilang
saloobin," Coloma noted.
"This is a continuing process that the
President has committed to undertake as part of his stewardship as Chief
Executive of the land." PND (as)
Palace condemns attack on Tagum City peasant
organizer
Malacañang on Thursday condemned the attack on a
peasant organizer in Tagum City, Davao del Norte early this week, saying the
police will hunt down the perpetrators.
"Patuloy pong tinitiyak ng ating pamahalaan
ang malayang pagpapahayag at kinokondena po natin ang karahasan na isinagawa
diyan na iyong nabanggit," Presidential Communications Operations Office
Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said in response to reporters' questions during
a press briefing at the Palace.
"At tiyak pong tinututukan kaagad ito ng
ating mga awtoridad para matunton ang salarin at mapanagot. Wala pong puwang sa
ating kasalukuyang administrasyon ang pagsasagawa ng karahasan laban sa mga
mamamayan."
Dexter Librando, the 31-year-old organizer of the
Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, was shot and injured by unidentified gunmen
on Monday (September 29), after attending the launch of the People’s Initiative
to Abolish Pork Barrel System (PIAP) in Tagum.
Librando sustained wounds in the nape and hip, and
is recovering in a local hospital. PND (as)
Palace thanks private sector for helping the
government address energy concerns
Malacañang on Thursday welcomed the participation
of the private sector in solving the government’s energy concerns, especially
the possible power shortage next year.
During a press briefing at the Palace, Presidential
Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. also assured
that the government will continue to work to provide enough power supply during
the summer months next year.
"Patuloy na tinututukan ng ating Department
of Energy ang sitwasyon dahil tungkulin ng pamahalaan na tiyakin ang kasapatan
ng supply ng kuryente at ‘yung pagiging available nito sa mga mamamayan sa
resonableng halaga," he told reporters. "Iyan ang pangunahing layunin
ng ating pamahalaan."
Secretary Coloma further said that the government
continues to encourage different sectors to address problems in the energy
sector.
He noted that the Manila Electric Company
(MERALCO) has announced the participation of their major customers in the
government’s Interruptible Load Program (ILP).
“Ang mga inisyatibang ganyan ay tinatanggap natin
at pinapasalamatan natin ang hanay ng private sector sa kanilang pakikiisa sa
pagharap sa power situation, dahil dapat naman talagang pagtulungan ito ng
lahat ng mga stakeholders,“ he said.
Under the ILP, customers with huge power
consumption, such as commercial establishments, will be asked to operate their
own generator sets if the grid operator sees the need to augment power
generation.
The program would make it easier to manage the
demand for power, helping ensure power supply during the summer.
The ILP targets those with large embedded
generation capacities, such as malls, large business establishments, and
factories. PND (as)
