ST. PETERSBURG, June 3 (PNA via PLDT) –- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will share the limelight Friday (June 5) with Russian Federation President Dmitry Medvedev, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koiizumi, former German Chancellor Gerand Schroeder and Nobel Prize Laureate in economics, Dr. Robert Mundell at the opening session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
Under the parameters drawn up for discussion for the opening session are such issues as how the system of global governance institutions should evolve to avoid a repeat of the crisis sweeping across the world economies, and what problems have still been overloaded that may emerge in the near future.
Aside from her world view of the global economy, President Arroyo is expected to discuss the measures her administration had taken and continues to pursue to steer the Philippines away from the direct hit of the global crisis that has left many advance economies limping.
The first plenary at the Lenox Pavilion of the Congress Hall in St. Petersburg, will have Maria Bartiromo, anchor of CNBC’s Closing Bell” program, as moderator.
The session will actually be the first general meeting of political and economic leaders all over the world in the St. Petersburg forum. The June 4 opening day sessions will be dominated by dialogues between Russia and its major business partners such as the Arab world, Europe and the United States.
Increased but controlled spending key to maintain RP's economic resiliency – PGMA
South Korea – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo revealed Tuesday that her government’s “battle plan” and strategy on how to keep the country’s economic resiliency in the face of the threat of recession confronting the entire world.
By embarking on increased but “controlled” spending on vital food, energy and infrastructure programs, the President said “we will be able to “secure our food, fuel and rice needs.”
“So we intend to increase our spending and direct this spending to secure our food, fuel and rice needs which means investing in food security and energy security and also in jumpstarting our economy by investing in long delayed infrastructures – infrastructures that were needed from decades ago which we could not afford until now,” she added.
President Arroyo spelled out her battle strategy to reporters on the sidelines of the 20th Anniversary of ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Leaders Summit on tuesday.
The President further pointed out that aside from the above-mentioned list of “spend-worthy” items, human and physical infrastructures are equally critical.
“Spending in human and physical infrastructure means investments in education, healthcare and social services along with roads, bridges and ports,” the President stressed.
She vowed, however, that this calculated and planned spending would not be used improperly assuring that “we will maintain benchmarks of fiscal discipline so that we will continue to have a stable macro-economic environment.”
“The important thing is that we have jobs, jobs, jobs and jobs for our people,” the President emphasized.
NEDA says RP survives global recession
With expected upsurge in consumer spending and the various efforts to generate more jobs, the country is clearly headed for a rebound, a ranking National Economic and Development Authority official said Wednesday.
“What we started to see is real good evidence that the worst is over,” NEDA Deputy Director General Rolly Tongpalan said, “we have reason to believe that a recession is not a likely scenario in our case.”
After the first quarter report, Tongpalan said the Philippine stock market immediately surged and the country’s April and May economic performance fared better due to heightened consumer spending and investments.
Palace: will not meddle in Charter change in Congress
Malacanang will not meddle in the Congressional business as far as Charter amendments are concerned, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said Wednesday.
“We are still unsure of the outcome. Let’s wait for the final results,” he said.
Ermita, however, assured there will be elections in 2010 as provided for by the Charter even as preliminary moves to amend the Constitution can also be done.
He emphasized that while the President supports any move to amend the present charter, she specifically mentioned in her last State-of-the-Nation Address the need to amend only some of its economic provisions.
In a related development, Ermita said he has no knowledge that at anytime the President gave her blessings to administration congressmen to push for charter change.
As to the claims of the opposition that the President gave P20 million each to congressmen who will support the Constituent Assembly mode to amend the Charter, Ermita said it is “highly speculative..not necessarily true.”
On Tuesday night, the House of Representatives approved through a "viva voce" vote House Resolution 1109, which seeks to convene Congress into a Constituent Assembly (Con-Ass).
The bill was drafted by Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Villafuerte and authored by Speaker Prospero Nograles.
The resolution also states that "there shall be elections in 2010," and that the term of office of the 12 senators who were elected in 2007 for a six-year term ending in 2013 shall not be shortened and that they should be allowed to finish their term.
Duque lauds DLSU- Manila for suspending classes after student turns positive for A (H1N1)
The new confirmed case is a 21 year-old female foreign student who arrived in the country last May 12.
The foreign student only reported very mild symptoms on May 29 which came to the attention of school authorities.
The specimen turned positive for A (H1N1) following confirmation tests by RITM.
Initial findings reveal that there is very limited exposure of other students to the confirmed case and that both DOH and school authorities can trace them.
Meanwhile, Duque already met the officials of DLSU to discuss the situation and come up with the next steps to prevent the spread of the virus to other students, faculty and other school staff.
Starting June 4, classes will be suspended at the DLSU Manila and will last until June 14 in accordance with the guidelines set by the DOH.
Meanwhile, Secretary Duque appealed to these students and school staff to temporarily avoid going to malls and other crowded areas during the period of class suspension.
Secretary Duque thanked the officials of DLSU for keeping their school clinic open for any consultation during the period of class suspension.
Students who may need additional information may inquire at the DE LA SALLE UNIVERSITY A (H1N1) Hotline 526-5913 or the DOH Hotlines 711-1001 and 711-1002.
Duque said that the three previously reported confirmed cases will be discharged today.
Since May 1, 2009, the DOH has monitored a total of 401 CUOs.
There are 56 new Cases Under Observation (CUOs) as of Wednesday.
There are now a total of 17,410 cases and 115 deaths from 62 reporting countries.
Palace calls for collaborative efforts to contain AH1N1
Cabinet Secretary Silvestre Bello III on Tueday said Health Secretary Francisco Duque III has met with health officials to come up with a collaborative measures to contain the spread of the flu virus which has already registered 21 cases in the county.
“Last Monday Secretary Duque of the Department of Health met with all his department heads to come out with an analysis of the extent of the virus in our country and also to come out with a collective effort on the prevention as well as control of the disease in our country,” Bello said.
Bello said the DOH has assured there is no community outbreak yet of the illness and the increase in flu cases has not yet reached an alarming level.
Notwithstanding, Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs Gabriel Claudio advised the public to heed the DOH call to take all the necessary precautionary and preventive measures to stop the spread of the disease.
“Our authorities especially the DOH has succeeded in keeping the entry of this virus into the country to the barest minimum,” Claudio noted.
The DOH and other agencies have been making sure thermal screenings in all points of entry are undertaken and quarantine protocols are observed on travelers who came from affected areas and those who show signs of sickness.
The DOH and other agencies including the Department of Education (DepEd) have also activated an alarm system to monitor possible contamination of the virus in schools to prevent large-scale flu outbreaks.
Dengue cases diving
The government drive to reduce dengue cases is taking effect, the Department of Health reported Wednesday
During the launching of the government’s nationwide anti-dengue campaign in Tondo, Manila, Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque said the drop in cases is motivating government health workers to improve their services further.
“We are heartened by the heroic efforts of all those who worked hard so that there is a big 57.4% decrease in the number of dengue cases compared to the same period last year,” Duque revealed, adding that even the case fatality rate has lowered to .9% compared to the 1% recorded in the same period.
Duque disclosed that the first five months this year already showed a steady decrease in the number of cases.
Data showed that from January to May 9, there were only 6,537 cases recorded with 62 deaths; the previous year’s (same period) figure was 15,334 cases with 163 deaths.
Duque cited the role of the local chief executives in spearheading the campaign in their respective localities against the dreaded disease.
“With the 4S strategy that was widely disseminated in communities and schools last year, people became more aware how easy it was to prevent the spread of the dengue-carrying mosquitoes,” Duque said.
The 4S strategy against dengue involves Search and Destroy, Self-protection, Seek early treatment, and Say no to indiscriminate fogging.
“Our success last year, however, should not lull us into complacency this year,” Duque noted adding that dengue is now an all-year round phenomenon due to climate change.
Duque also underscored diseases common during rainy season called WILD diseases.
These consist of waterborne infectious diseases, influenza, leptospirosis, and dengue.
He added that these WILD diseases are easily preventable if only people will follow the advisories issued by the health department on television, radio, newspapers, and even on the internet via the DOH website.
Thirty seconds of handwashing with soap and water or the equivalent of singing the Happy Birthday song twice in order is good enough to remove most bacteria.
Also, Duque reminded everyone to use handkerchief or tissue when coughing or sneezing to prevent transmission of disease through droplet infection.
“The most important key to prevent and control diseases is empowering our people with correct information so that they can take steps to stop their transmission and limit the harm that they bring through proper and timely health-seeking behavior,” Duque concluded.
