Government intensifies preparation against effect
of 'El Nino'
The government is intensifying its preparation
against the adverse effect of the El Nino phenomenon, Presidential
Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said on Sunday.
"Patuloy na pinaiigting ng pamahalaan ang mga
paghahanda upang labanan ang epekto ng El Niño sa bansa at masiguro ang
katatagan ng produksyon ng pagkain, partikular ang palay, sa iba’t ibang
bukirin at sakahan," said Coloma during a radio interview with dzRB Radyo
ng Bayan.
He noted that concerned government agencies are
working together to minimize the effect of El Nino.
"Kumikilos na ang iba’t ibang ahensya ng
pamahalaan sa pangunguna ng Kagawaran ng Agrikultura upang bigyan ng
karampatang tulong ang mga magsasaka at manggagawa sa kabukiran, tulad ng
pamamahagi ng mga drought resistant na punla ng palay, maging ang pagsasaayos
ng kanilang mga cropping season upang maiwasan ang mga tinaguriang
disaster-prone na mga buwan alinsunod sa inilatag na El Niño mitigation and
adaptation plan," he added.
The Department of Agriculture together with the
National Irrigation Administration will manage the water supplies for the
irrigation of crops as water level in dams dwindles this summer.
"Handa namang magpatupad ang pamahalaan ng
iba pang mga hakbang, tulad ng cloud seeding operations kung kinakailangan,
lalo na sa mga lugar na nakararanas ng matinding panunuyo ng pananim,"
said Coloma. PND (ag)
Palace looking into ways to reduce unliquidated
cash advances made by the Office of the President
The Palace is looking into ways to reduce the P437
million in cash advances made by the Office of the President but have not been
liquidated, Communication Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said on Sunday.
“Tinanong po natin ito sa ating Office of the
President, at ayon po sa Office of the Deputy Executive Secretary for Finance
and Administration, buong taon pong tinutukoy at tinututukan ito ng ating
pamahalaan para mapababa ang halaga na nabanggit—ang P437 million. Nagpadala po
ng mga letters of demand sa mga kinauukulang public officials na mayroong mga
unliquidated cash advances. Marami na rin po ang tumugon dito at nag-comply na
doon sa requirements of liquidation,” Secretary Coloma said during an interview
with radio station dzRB Radyo ng Bayan.
He was commenting on reports that Senator Miriam
Defensor-Santiago has sought an inquiry into the Commission on Audit (COA)
report that the Office of the President has accumulated some P437 million in
unliquidated cash advances as of December 2013.
The COA report noted that of the total P437
million, P425.6 million were supposedly amassed during the previous
administration, while the present administration accounted for P11.3 million.
“Mayroon din pong portion nitong pinag-uusapan
natin na na-write off na dahil po sa matagal nang yumao ang mga tinutukoy, at
mayroon ding mga inihahandang collection cases ang ating pamahalaan para
panagutin ang mga hindi tumutugon sa mga letters of demand,” Coloma explained,
emphasizing that only 2.5 percent of the total amount, or P11.3 million,
pertains to the present administration.
“Ganunpaman, sinisikap pa ring makolekta ang
pinakamalaking bahagi nito, at maresolba ang lahat ng mga unliquidated cash
advances para tumalima po tayo sa batas hinggil dito,” he added. PND (ag)
