Calamba City – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo lauded Friday companies who look after the welfare of their displaced employees by paying them cash subsidies despite the difficulties brought by the global economic crisis.
The President expressed her appreciation during the launching of the enhanced price and supply monitoring project of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) at the Yazaki Torres Manufacturing Inc. gymnasium here on Friday morning.
Among those present were more than 500 newly-designated DTI price monitors led by DTI Secretary Peter Favila and Undersecretary Merly Cruz.
Also present were Calamba City Mayor Joaquin Chipeco, 2nd District Rep. Justin Chipeco, 3rd District Rep. Ivy Arago, Tanauan City Mayor Sonia Torres Aquino and Yazaki Torres president and CEO Feliciano Torres.
The President lauded companies such as the Yazaki Torres for practicing corporate social responsibility by providing subsidies to displaced workers.
In his welcome remarks, Mr. Torres informed the President that his company subsidizes 25 percent of the income of their workers who are “on vacation” as a result of reduced order in their automotive parts and supplies.
Torres said they support government agencies who continue to provide emergency employment hoping that these agencies also find ways to help companies reeling from the global crisis cope up with expenses and become more competitive.
Instead of conducting lay-offs, the President called on companies to follow suit by following the suggestion of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to pay half the minimum wage of their employees for their training with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) so that they become more competitive.
DTI improves CLEEP in CALABARZON
Government will help CALABARZON cope up with the financial slump.
Launched on Friday by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the Enhanced Price and Supply Monitoring project of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will strengthen the Comprehensive Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program (CLEEP) in the region where the number of displaced workers is significantly high.
“Yan pong CLEEP natin…dalawang bagay po ang matutumbok na ito…hindi lang po emergency employment kundi patuloy na pagmomonitor natin sa presyo ng bilihin sa merkado,” said Deputy Presidential Spokersperson Lorelie Fajardo.
The monitoring project will help ensure products in the region will be safe, high quality and reasonably-priced.
It will also hire displaced workers as price monitors to be deployed in Laguna, Batangas, Cavite, Quezon and Rizal for the next six months.
Each price monitor will receive Php 5,082 monthly allowance.
Apart from watching prices, the monitors will be helping business establishments to comply with the Price Tag and Labeling laws, Product Standard Law and other trade laws.
In Laguna, DTI will hire at least 500 for the next three months.
To date, more than 527 displaced workers were trained on how to put their own businesses under the CLEEP in Laguna.
Ninety-seven entrepreneurs have applied for loans worth P855,000 with the Small Business Corporation while 180 applied for loans with the Postal Bank.
Church leaders join call for caring for the environment
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has found strong allies in Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Rosales and Infanta (Quezon) Bishop Julio Labayen in her campaign to preserve the environment and mitigate the impacts of climate change.
A recipient of the Fr. Neri Satur Awards for Environmental Heroism, Archbishop Rosales said in a video message that the Philippines is very rich in natural resources but these resources are being depleted faster by the wanton neglect and abuse by the people, particularly loggers who destroy the forests.
He reminded Filipinos that forests purify the air and prevent floods.
The archbishop’s video message was played during the concelebrated Earth Day mass held at the NBN Studia A in Quezon City Friday morning which was officiated by Bishop Labayen.
Rosales is awarded for establishing ecology desks in parishes and using the pulpit in staunchly protecting the environment.
Rosales extolled Fr. Neri Satur, after whom the environmental awards for 2009 was named, as a hero and a martyr. At a very young age, he spent two years, three months and two days doing his priestly duties and exposing the violations of the forests by loggers.
Bishop Labayen, whose program, Adopt a Mountain in Infanta Quezon, won for him an environmental heroism award for climate change mitigation, said in his sermon that “earth was given to us all to be our source of livelihood.”
“But we are destroying Earth through logging, removing the indigenous people and wildlife from their natural habitat and violating our women of their rights and potentials,” Labayen lamented.
“The Earth mass is a mass for life. Let us now stand united for life because God gave it to us,” Labayen added, as he acknowledged the presence of guests from Spain and made the “Earth call” a global call as well.
At the offertory, gifts of potted plants and tree saplings and paintings about the environment were given, among other offerings, from the public.
The Earth mass was attended by officials of government, led by Press Secretary Cerge Remonde, who represented President Arroyo; churchmen, indigenous people, the awardees and local and foreign guests.
Aside from Cardinal Rosales and Bishop Labayen, the other awardees were: Muntinlupa City Mayor Aldrin L. San Pedro for the public market with best solid and water waste management program; principal Elvira M. Camacho of the Talavera National High School of Nueva Ecija for its mini hydro power invention; Dr. Schultz GTZ-German Technical Cooperation for its green energy initiatives;
Atty. Dumlao of Northwind Power Development Corporation for its green wind energy power; Green Architecture Movement/United Architects of the Philippines represented by Architect Amado de Jesus for its green building sector; the Green Renewable Independent Power Producers Inc. represented by Project Director Yvonne Castro for electric jeepney for the transport sector; Bensan Industries for its zero waste recycling of machine oil for transport represented by its president, Engr. Benjamin Santos;
Arts Association of the Philippines for environmental arts education for visual arts; Joey Ayala and Bagong Lumads for eco-cultural communications through music; Kidlat Tahimik for film documentation for indigenous peoples; and special citations for media and culture to: Filipino rap music king Francis Magalona (posthumous award received by his wife) and Timmy Cruz (eco friendly artists) who also rendered a musical piece on Sumusumpa Ako; Richard Gutierrez of GMA7 and Kim Atienza of ABS-CBN for being eco friendly hosts; Angelo Palmones of DZMM for Takbo Para sa Kalikasan and Clement Bautista of DZRH for environmental reporting.
Near the end of the program an interpretative dance was performed with musical accompaniment from the composition and song of Francis Magalona entitled Basura.
Palace respects IMF projection, will strive for slower but positive growth
The International Monetary Fund’s failure to see the country’s economic fundamentals maybe the reason for its dismal economic projections, a ranking Malacanang official said Friday.
“We respect the opinion of the International Monetary Fund that the Philippines will reportedly have a zero growth rate this year. Clearly the views of the global financial intermediaries like the Fund mattered a lot to all of us. Especially now that they have been entrusted with the disbursing of the trillion dollars stimulus funds committed by G-20 at its last conference,” said Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said
“Even the most pessimistic or cynical will have to agree that the possibility of a zero growth for our country will still be even better than the negative growth already being registered by many other countries especially those in the West,” Remonde said, “after all, zero growth also means zero recession. And recession is what all of us is afraid of.”
Remonde said the sound fundamentals that helped the country to grow in the midst of global slowdown include overseas workers’ remittances which supported domestic consumer demands, a financial sector shielded from the sub-prime crisis that caused the recession, fiscal reserves that funded stimulus programs and ample monetary space that enabled the Bangko Sentral to perform its duties.
“We can live with the IMF’s zero growth outlook as no more than just a worst case scenario,” Remonde said.
Remonde said NEDA’s number rates this year are better ranging from 3. 1 percent to 3.7 percent.
He believed NEDA can justify its data which can stand as an alternative forecast to the IMF’s zero growth outlook for the Philippines.
Palace: government never abandoned Nicole
Malacanang disputed insinuations that government has not done anything to support the complainant on Subic Rape Case.
“To say the government has been remise on its duties is unfair,” Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said, “there was conviction at the regional trial court. Of course, this went through the Department of Justice. The prosecution and the conviction at the RTC levels are works of government.”
Remonde said government did what it has to do and followed the principles of due process.
“The courts have spoken and we have to respect the decision,” said Remonde, “we have to rely on our judicial system. If they (critics) are not contented with the decision of the Court of Appeals, they can do whatever they wanted to do within our legal system.”
Meanwhile, the Department of Justice called on the public to respect the decision of the Court of Appeals.
Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales said the court strictly adhered to judicial process and government did everything to prosecute Smith.
Before leaving for the United States, Nicole retracted her statements against Smith citing her doubts about the details of the supposed rape.
Marine acquitted of rape may still face martial court
Lance Corporal Daniel Smith is now free but may not evade charges in a military court like his comrades did, an interior and local government executive said Friday.
“His (Smith) legal ordeal may not be over yet since he may still have to deal with the court martial," DILG Undersecretary Marius Corpus said who previously headed an inspection team tasked to oversee Smith’s custody.
Smith was with fellow marines Lance corporals Keith Silkwood and Dominic Duplantis and Staff Sargent Chad Carpentier when the supposed rape of Suzette Nicolas otherwise known as Nicole took place onboard a van in Subic Bay Free Port in 2005.
Silkwood, Duplantis and Carpentier were discharged from the marine service following their acquittal at the Makati Regional Trial Court in December 2006.
The four soldiers were members of the 31st US Marine Expeditionary Force based in Okinawa, Japan.
The Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed Friday that Smith left the country after the Court of Appeals (CA) Special 11th Division reversed the decision of Makati RTC convicting him of rape with a sentence of 40 years imprisonment.
On Thursday, CA ordered the release of Smith after finding no evidence that the marine coerced, threatened or intimidated Nicole when they met in bar in Subic Bay.
Palace hopes for peaceful resolution on the Sulu Hostage Crisis
Press Secretary Cerge Remonde got word from Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno and Sulu Governor Abdul Sakur Tan that government forces are still pursuing the safe recovery of the last ICRC worker, Eugenio Vagni, held hostaged in Sulu.
Remonde added that the communication line between the Abu Sayyaf and local negotiators remained open where the Ulamas are participating well.
Comelec proclaimed new party lists groups
The House of Representatives has now 55 party list groups.
The new sectoral groups in Congress are the following: Aba-Ako, Abakada, ABS, ANAD, Ang Kasangga, AT, Bantay, Banat, 1-Utak, Kabataan, Kakusa, Senior Citizens, TUCP, Uni-Mad and VFP.
PhilHEALTH to serve DSWD indigent clients
The MOA was signed by DSWD Secretary Esperanza I. Cabral and Mr. Ernesto V. Beltran, PhilHealth Senior Vice-President for Operations.
The DSWD, through its Crisis Intervention Units (CIUs) in its 16 Field Offices provides assistance to individuals and families in emergency and crisis situations needing financial, medical and related concerns.
The tie-up project will be implemented nationwide using the Indigent Sponsorship Program (ISP) of the National Health Insurance Program (NHIP) which serves the health insurance of the indigent sector. It is a tool by which the State envisions to provide Medicare to the indigent population.
The insurance covers hospitalization and outpatient benefits from Philhealth accredited hospitals, lying-in clinics and Rural Health Units.
The DSWD will initially identify 1,000 indigent household-beneficiaries for the project.
