PIA Dispatch - Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Despite rains, PGMA completes Pampanga sked

PORAC, Pampanga – Despite inclement weather, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo went on with her scheduled visits and completed all her Presidential appointments here.The President motored to this municipality on Monday to personally check on the status of infrastructure projects and ensure that their scheduled dates of completion were on track.

First off, the President took a windshield inspection of the P6.33-million Pias-Balubad Road Improvement Project (PBRIP) at the Pias-Balubad Junction in Barangay Pias.

The asphalting program of the PBRIP, which is funded through the President’s Social Fund, will provide fast, convenient and better mobility of goods and services to and from the various barangays in Porac including Pias, Salu, Balubad, Sepung Bulaon & Pulung Santol.

Next was the President’s visit to Mekeni Food Corporation’s (MFC) meat processing plant in Bgy. Balubad, where the President took a brief tour of the plant’s administrative offices, viewed the hotdog production and packaging areas and watched an audio-visual presentation on the history and operation of MFC.

After lunch at MFC, the President visited the Sepung Baluan Elementary School where she was briefed on the the Kalayaan Barangay School Building Project (KBSBP) for said school.

The KBSBP is a school building construction project that hopes to address the lack of classrooms for students. Through the efforts of the Philippine Air Force 355th Aviation Engineering Wing, a P350,000 school building measuring seven by eight meters has been constructed in the Sepung Bulaun Elementary School grounds.

The President then proceeded to Palat Elementary School in Bgy. Palat and was briefed on the province’s adoption of the President’s One Town One Scholar program.

Under the OTOS program, all town scholars will each receive a scholarship for a four or five-year college degree program, including free tuition and transportation and living allowances, not exceeding P15,000 per semester for SY 2009-2010 and every year thereafter. The Town Scholar, however, must pass the state college or university’s entrance examination.The President’s One Town, One Scholar Program, which is a separate, special program under the Commission on Higher Education’s (CHED) Scholarship Program, aims to ensure that the best public high school graduate from every municipality, especially those who have no financial means, will get a college education.

The President then awarded OTOS scholarship certificates to 20 deserving high school students who represented the 20 towns of Pampanga.

In a short message, the President wished all the scholars good luck saying, “You will all be successful.”

To cap off the event, the President issued Assignment Orders to five police officers and Field Orders or on-the-job training orders to 10 police officers assigned to Porac.

These newly deployed policemen, the President said, would greatly enhance the peace and order situation in Porac and in the whole of Pampanga.


PGMA signs Rent Control Law

MANILA, July 14 - President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Tuesday morning signed the Rent Control Law or Republic Act No. 9653 which will protect more than 1.5 million Filipino tenants from indiscriminate rent increases.

The enactment of what is actually the consolidated version of Senate Bill 3163 and House Bill 6098 was held in simple ceremonies in Malacañang Palace.

Among those who witnessed the signing were Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri, House Speaker Prospero Nograles and officials of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC).

Based on the 2006 Family Income and Expenditure Survey, about 1.6 million families are renting nationwide, with about 1.55 million or 96 percent paying monthly rent of P10,000 or less.

"This puts an end to the problems of low-income renters and poor families," said Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita in an ambush interview with reporters.

Citing the provisions of the law, Ermita said, the state shall continue to protect housing tenants in the lower income brackets and other beneficiaries from unreasonable rent increases.

The measure imposes a one-year moratorium on rent increases for covered residential units, and caps subsequent annual hikes at a maximum of 7-percent cap until December 31, 2013.

It covers all residential units in Metro Manila and other highly urbanized cities where monthly rents do not exceed P10,000. The cut-off is P5,000 for residential units in other areas.

The law also prohibits lessors or owners of residential units from demanding advance rent of more than one month as well as deposits of over two months. The Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council is tasked to study if rents should remain regulated after 2013.

For a period of one year from the effectivity of the new law, no rent increase shall be imposed in any residential unit covered under the Act.

After such period until December 31, 2013, the increase in rent should not be more than seven percent annually as long as the unit is occupied by the same tenant.

When the residential unit becomes vacant, the owner may set the initial rent for the next tenant.

However, in case of boarding houses, dormitories, rooms and bed spaces offered for rent to students, increase in rental should be allowed only once a year.

Covered under the Rent Control Act of 2009 are dwelling units in the National Capital Region NCR and highly urbanized cities whose monthly rent ranges up to P10,000; as well as units located in other areas whose rent ranges up to P5,000.

The Department of Interior and Local Government and the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council HUDCC, in coordination with other concerned agencies, are tasked to conduct a nationwide information drive on the provisions of the new rent control law.


RP economic recovery, military assistance up in PGMA-Obama meeting; ‘quid pro quo’ issue baseless

MANILA, July 14 - The country’s economic recovery and possibly, the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), are the two main agenda which will be discussed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo when she meets United States President Barack Obama during her visit to the US on July 30, Malacañang said today.

This was bared by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita and Deputy Spokesman for Economic Affairs Prof. Gary Olivar in separate interviews.

At the same time, Ermita also reacted sharply to the “quid pro quo” issue hurled at the President by opposition groups, stressing such an insinuation is baseless.

“I dont know what’s the basis of the statement of Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay but the thing is, the fact is the President was invited by US President Barack Obama,” Ermita told reporters this morning.

“She has accepted the invite and this is a very good opportunity for her to have a first hand conversation with President Obama who is a newly elected President,” Ermita explained.

Ermita also said Mrs. Arroyo is the first elected President from Asia and South East Asia to have been invited and to have the privilege of a meeting with the President of the US. On the other hand, Olivar said Mr. Obama might also end up using some of President Arroyo’s advice on dealing with the global economic crisis.

"I do not see any reason why she will not be as candid with President Obama as she was during the World Economic Forum in February. He (Mr. Obama) may have some questions to ask our President as to how we did it (fared better in the face of the crisis) and maybe he might end up using some of her advice as well."

The two leaders may also discuss a review of the (VFA) as well as boosting efforts to combat terrorism, Olivar said.

Before her Washington trip, Mrs. Arroyo is set to attend the 15th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. She leaves today. The NAM, which counts 118 heads of state, is the largest grouping of countries outside of the United Nations.

Mrs. Arroyo will call on member countries of the Organization of Islamic Conference to assist in peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo should make a pitch for increased military assistance and strengthened economic partnership with the United States when she meets with President Barack Obama, leaders of the House of Representative said on Monday.

Olivar said the issue on military assistance and VFA is on President Arroyo’s agenda after several lawmakers from the opposition said the Chief Executive should also discuss the VFA with Mr. Obama, saying this affected the country’s relations with the US.

The White House announced over the weekend that the two leaders would meet on July 30, their first meeting since Obama won in November last year and barely a year before President Macapagal-Arroyo steps down after nine years in Malacañang.


PGMA meets Vagni in Malacanang

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Tuesday welcomed with a warm smile 62 year old Italian Red Cross volunteer Eugenio Vagni in Malacanang. After half a year of captivity at the hands of the AbuSayyaf group, Vagni was released Sunday morning.

Although tired, Vagni was a picture of gratitude as he faced the Chief Executive. He was thankful for the support extended him by the President. Who ordered all out rescue operation against the Abu Sayyaf Group which kidnapped Vagni and two other International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) workers. .“Good to have you back. Welcome,” President Arroyo told Vagni, the last of three ICRC workers taken captive by the Abu Sayyaf in Patikul, Sulu January of this year.

Vagni was released Sunday morning in Maimbung town in Sulu, after almost six months in captivity.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, together with Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, joined the President in welcoming Vagni at Malacanang’s Music Room.

Ermita said Vagni related to the President how life was with the bandits-- his feeling of hopelessness as well as a life of prayers that were eventually answered with his release.

The Executive Secretary further said that Vagni will fly back to Italy then to the ICRC Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

“He will do some thinking back home,” Ermita said.

Aside from Vagni, also held captive were 44-year-old Filipina engineer Mary Jean Lacaba and 38-year-old Swiss Andreas Notter.

Lacaba was released by the kidnappers last April 2 after 77 days in captivity while Notter walked to freedom on April 18 in Indanan, Sulu amid intense military operations.

The three ICRC workers were on a humanitarian mission in Sulu when the group of Abu Sayyaf leader Albader Parad kidnapped them.

Accompanying Vagni during the call were Italian Ambassador to the Philippines Reubens Fedele, Philippine National Red Cross Chair Senator Richard Gordon, Western Mindanao Command Commanding General Nelson Allga and Task Force Comet head Major General Juancho Sabban.


Puno is back to work – Palace

MANILA, July 14 – Malacañang today said Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno is back to work and doused speculations that he would be sacked.

This after Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. on Monday dared President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to clarify Puno's appointment status in view of talks that he was on the way out.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said Puno was still the Interior and Local Government Secretary.

Ermita said Puno was back to work and has returned Monday. He would reassume his post immediately after meeting with Public Works and Highways Secretary Hermohenes Edbane, who was designated as DILG officer-in-charge following Puno's leave of absence.

“I just spoke with Public Works and Highways Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane now and he’s back to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH),” Ermita told reporters.

Puno went on personal leave to attend the wedding of his daughter in the United States and undergo a medical check up.

“If he is there but he has returned he arrived yesterday and so during that period the President thought over a period of 10-12 days would name a cabinet rank secretary as OIC of the DILG,” Ermita said.


Cebu’s BPO sector a bright spot amid global economic crisis

CEBU CITY, July 14 – Jonah Suico, 29, worked in an electronics- manufacturing firm in Taiwan but returned to the country three years ago after she and her husband decided to raise children.

Maria Lourdes Albo, 27, is a licensed secondary school teacher but she failed to get a teaching job in her hometown in Mindanao.

Conilyn Ramos, 23, an accountancy graduate also from Mindanao, failed to take the board exams for certified public accountants because of an error in an entry in her birth records.

But all three found employment in Cebu’s business process outsourcing (BPO) sector, a bright spot in the province’s economy amid the global financial crisis.

They are part of the 1,500 employees of Aegis PeopleSupport at the eOffice 1 Building at the Asiatown IT Park in Lahug, Cebu City and part of some 50,000 people employed by the BPO sector in Cebu.

Aegis PeopleSupport is investing USD15-million dollars or roughly P800 million for the construction of its first company-owned building in Cebu - a sign that the industry is growing.

The Aegis People Support building, located at the Asiatown IT Park, will also increase the company’s employees in Cebu from 1,500 to 5,000.

”We want to create more jobs and grow the domestic market here,” Aegis chief operating officer for India and the Philippines Rajiv Ahuja said after they broke ground on the project last month.

The first phase of construction, set to be completed in 18 months, involves an 11-story building with a gross floor area of 13,900 square meters. It will occupy a land area of 2,200 square meters.

The second phase, whose construction date is yet to be set, will involve a 15-story building covering a total floor area of 12,700 square meters.

Aside from offices, the first building will house parking spaces, retail establishments at the ground floor, an employee food court, a multi-purpose function area and training rooms at the mezzanine.

Both buildings will be registered with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) as information technology (IT) facilities.

For Suico, the company’s expansion simply means an opportunity for Filipinos like her who worked abroad but wanted to go home to raise a family and be closer to home.

”Together with my husband, I am raising a two-year-old girl. Another baby is coming in a few months. I can’t afford anymore to be away from my family,” she said.

Suico said as a call center agent, she gets about 70 percent of what she used to earn in Taiwan but being close to her family is more than enough to compensate for it.

”I thank the government and especially President (Gloria Macapagal)-Arroyo for encouraging call centers to open in the country and most of all in Cebu,” she said.

”There is no 'palakasan' in the call center industry. You get hired if you qualify for the job, not because you are endorsed by a politician,” said Albo, who said she failed to get a teaching job in a public school because she was up against applicants with strong political backers.

Ramos has not entirely given up her dream of becoming an accountant.

”Errors in the record of my birth need a court proceeding. I’m saving money and hopefully, I’ll be able to take the accountancy board and pass,” Ramos said.

The company they are working for, Aegis, has a workforce of 32,000 agents with multilingual capabilities in 32 locations worldwide. The company serves more than 60 Fortune 1000 companies in the areas of acquisition, customer care, technical support, receivables management, health and transaction processing.

Ninety percent of Aegis Philippines client portfolio is in the United States. But at the end of this year, 200 to 400 members of the company’s work force will service domestic clients.

Ahuja said the BPO industry is pretty much recession-proof and they continue to get inquiries from companies from different industry sectors.

Ahuja said Filipinos have distinct advantages that will help the country grow, among them, the Filipinos’ ability to adopt the American culture and their "extremely good” English speaking skills.

Filipinos are also disciplined workers, he said.

In the next two years, Aegis is looking at increasing its workforce in the Philippines from 8,000 to 15,000.