PIA Dispatch - Monday, September 14, 2009

Floridablanca residents thank PGMA for new potable water system’s pumping station

FLORIDABLANCA, Pampanga, Sept. 14 -- Thousands of residents in this municipality would have the benefit of safe and potable water as the government has boosted its water supply development program in the countryside.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Monday led the inauguration of the Floridablanca Water District (FWD) pumping station no. 15 at Barangay Anon here.

This is in line with the President’s continuing effort to provide safe drinking to every barangay by 2010.

The Chief Executive, together with Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) Chairman Prospero Pichay, CORD-3 Secretary Edgardo Pamintuan, Floridablanca Mayor Eduardo Guerrero, opened the butterfly valve that released water into the flush box and the distribution lines leading to residential houses in this municipality.

With a total project cost of P3,609,740, the FWD’s project in Barangay Anon will benefit an additional 485 households or 2,910 constituents.

FWD general manager Jeffrey Lintag briefed the President on the construction of the water district’s pumping station project which includes the drilling of the water well, setting up of pumping station facilities and installation of distribution pipelines.

As of now, Lintag said a total of 27 out of 33 barangays in Floridablanca have already been served by the FWD, with a percentage coverage of 90.

He said the FWD has an active service connections of 11,837, representing 90 percent of the town’s total population of 76,940.

Guerrero thanked the President for her unwavering support and concern to Floridablancans, sayings millions worth of infrastructure projects have been realized under the Arroyo administration.

Local residents as well expressed their gratitude to the Chief Executive for her unrelenting efforts to provide safe and potable water.

For 44-year old Imelda Rivera, who runs a sari-sari store in Barangay Anon, the new potable water pumping station is a great help to the residents.

“Thank you very much, Madame President for providing us this new potable water pumping station. Life would then be easier and more convenient for us,” Rivera said.

Cely Rivera, a 57-year old widow, also expressed her deep appreciation, saying they would no longer have to worry about the water-borne diseases.


PGMA's Turkey trip highlights 60-year RP-Turkey relations

MANILA, Sept. 14 — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Monday officially announced the visit to Turkey of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on September 16 to 17, upon the invitation of Turkish President Abdullah Gul.

The visit highlights the 60th anniversary this year of the establishment of Philippine-Turkey diplomatic relations.

Turkey has been supportive of the Philippine bid for an Observer-State status with the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and President Macapagal-Arroyo will reiterate her gratitude to President Gul for this support.

While in the capital of Ankara, the Chief Executive will also meet with OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu to solidify the Philippine bid and update the latter on the progress of the Mindanao peace process.

Turkey actively supported the GRP-MNLF-OIC Tripartite Meeting held in Manila last March. p>Also in March this year, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo visited Turkey and met with then Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan, who is now Deputy Prime Minister.

Romulo was told that President Gul looks forward to his participation in the forthcoming Non-Aligned Movement's (NAM) Special Ministerial Meeting on Interfaith Dialogue and Development to be hosted by the Philippines in early December 2009.

From Turkey, the President will proceed to the United Kingdom, then to Saudi Arabia.

Turkey is now the 16th largest economy in the world and the 6th in Europe, and an emerging market for Philippine exports.

In 2008, trade volume between the Philippines and Turkey amounted to more than USD114-million, with Philippine exports to Turkey reaching USD63-million, and Philippine imports from Turkey at USD51-million.

Among Philippine products for further promotion to Turkey include costume and precious jewelry (especially pearls, other precious stones), fresh and processed fruits (especially bananas, mangoes), garments and furniture, organic chemicals, and coconut products.


PGMA orders DOH to intensify campaign vs dengue

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has ordered the Department of Health to intensify the campaign against dengue through its public health educational programs.

The President, according to Deputy Spokesperson Anthony Golez, asked local government units and national health officials to cooperate in combating the scourge which has claimed a number of lives in depressed communities.

“Ang importante lang yung kooperasyon ng lahat. With the LGUs, ang kanilang mga health officials with the national health officials, and at the same time, ang suporta ng ating DOH particularly ang mga hospitals doon sa pamilya o pasyente na may dengue ngayon , kinakailangan magtulungan sila nang sa gayon ay maiwasan o mabawasan ang mga kaso ng dengue, (The important thing here is cooperation between LGUs and health officials and how to support hospitals with dengue cases) ” Golez quoted the president as saying.

Part of the DOH mandate, according to Golez is to destroy breeding grounds of mosquitoes.

“Kailangan alamin dapat nila kung ano puwede pag protekta sa kanila, number one yung mga screens para sa mga ekswelahan. Ang mga lotion kung may mga lotion sila para maprotektahan sila. Isa sa mga pinaka importante ay yung pagpunta nang maaga sa kanilang doctor. They should seek early consultation on the second or third day of high fever, kailangan na silang pumunta sa kanilang mga doctor kung dengue nga ito o hindi, (They should know how to protect the public, like the use of screens in schools, and the need to see their doctors if they have fever)” Golez said in a press briefing.

The DOH, he said, has recommended, defogging in cases where dengue has already become an outbreak.

“We should be doing all these things because we know dengue is very preventable,” he said.


Seoil rolls back fuel prices

MANILA, Sept. 14 -- Independent oil player Seaoil Philippines is also rolling back prices of its diesel, gasoline and kerosene by 25 centavos per liter.

But Rey Jimenez of Seaoil said their price cut will take effect 10 pm tonight.
According to Jimenez the rollback was due to the softening of the international fuel prices.

Earlier, Shell announced it is implementing rollback of the same about at 12:01 am of September 15.


More NPA rebels renounce communism

MANILA, Sept. 14 -- More New People’s Army (NPA) rebels continue to renounce armed struggle and embrace a life of peace as evidenced in the various surrenders in the different parts of the country, the military reported today.

Five members of the local terrorist groups operating in the provinces of Bukidnon, Quezon, Albay and Kalinga surrendered to the government forces in four separate incidents over the weekend.

Reports reaching the Philippine Army headquarters in Fort Bonifacio disclosed that Edgar Sarino, alias Carlo, team leader of the local terrorist group operating in Sitio Mahayag, Barangay St. Peter, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon, voluntarily surrendered to the 8th Infantry Battalion (IB), bringing along his firearm and ammunition.

In Luzon, Billy Leynes, alias Kris, member of a local terrorist group under Komite sa Probinsya (KOMPROB), surrendered to the elements of the 1st IB at Barangay Aluyon, Burdeos, Quezon.

In Albay, two local terrorist group members identified as Antonio Macasinag, alias Bong, and Sopromio Llorca, alias Jacky, yielded to the elements of the 2nd IB Battalion in Barangay Maopi, Daraga town, while another NPA rebel identified as Jeony Pebenito voluntarily surrendered to the elements of the 41st IB in Kalinga.

Army spokesman Lt. Col. Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos said the Philippine Army has recorded a total of 173 NPA surrenders in the past two months.

"Just a year after the Social Integration Program (SIP) was launched, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process recorded a total of 548 surrenderers, 330 of which yielded firearms," said Burgos.

In addition, Burgos said the papers of another batch of 261 former communist rebels, who recently surrendered to avail of the SIP, are currently being processed.

At least 18 former rebels from Luzon were awarded financial assistance package under the SIP during the conduct of the Army Social Responsibility Symposium at the Army headquarters over the weekend.

"As agents of peace, the Philippine Army shall continue to conduct peaceful and development endeavors all over the country with the end in view of providing an environment of peace and stability," said Burgos.