PGMA off on a 3-nation swing
The President’s visit to the Turkish capital city of
The Department of Foreign Affairs said the President was invited by Turkish President Abdullah Gul.
The celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the
The Philippines-Turkish diplomatic relations began with a Treaty of Friendship on June 30,1949. It was further strengthened with their exchange of resident ambassadors in 1990 and 1991.
Diplomatic ties between the two countries gained dramatic boosts with the State Visits of President Fidel Ramos in March 1995 and President Suleyman Demirel to the
It is the 16th largest economy in the world and the sixth in
Last year, trade between the
Philippine products being promoted in
While in
Presidential Spokesperson on Economic Affairs Gary Olivar, in a press briefing, said President Arroyo will also take the opportunity to thank President Gul for
Olivar said the
The President is also scheduled to meet with OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu to solidify the
The President is also scheduled to meet in
Olivar said the Filipinos in
Most of them, he said, work for households of diplomatic and expatriate community or rich Turkish families.
Ten percent or approximately 500 Filipinos in
From
DoLE: RP job quality has improved
“The National Statistics Office labor force survey shows that the quality of employment continues to improve,” Secretary Marianito D. Roque said, highlighting the fact that wage and salary employment increased by 7.3 percent over last year’s, as the survey showed.
“The number of persons in full time employment also increased by 500,000, or 2.2%, while self-employed workers and unpaid family workers fell by 335,000 and 174,000, respectively,” Roque said.
The DOLE chief explained that the dip in the number of self-employed and unpaid workers mean either of two things: the self-employed and unpaid family workers could have dropped out of the labor force or found full-time employment.
On the unemployed, Roque said the number of workers that entered the labor force – 1.089 million – higher by 0.3 percent than last year’s, could have contributed to the spike in the number of unemployed persons – 173,000 – which is generally at the same level as that of July 2008.
Roque also said that the survey also shows that total employed persons grew by nearly a million – 916,000 – albeit lesser than last year’s growth of 3.8 percent, or 1.275 million. The survey says the employment level increased by 2.6 percent to 35.509 million from 34.593 million a year ago.
He attributed the modest hike in employment to the government’s economic stimulus program, adding that the DOLE itself has embarked on several emergency employment projects nationwide.
“This is how we see the NSO’s labor force survey. We are concerned with the unemployment rate, but we are also hopeful about the quality of employment that continues to improve and for which we continue to focus our work on,” Roque said.
Lakas-Kampi-CMD endorses Teodoro-Puno for 2010 elections
Lakas-Kampi-CMD secretary-general Gabriel Claudio, during the 3rd national executive committee meeting of the party held at the Edsa Shangrila Hotel, said both Teodoro and Metropolitan Maniila Development Authority (MMDA) Chair Bayani Fernando, another presidential aspirant, articulated their vision of government and aspirations for the country as well as discussed their credentials and justifications for seeking their partymates' support.
"The encounter validated what our party leaders had known and acknowledged from the start -- the two gentlemen (Teodoro and Fernando) are both outstanding in their qualities as leaders, their experience and accomplishments in their respective fields of endeavor, and the genuineness and profundity of their dedication to the cause of our nation," he said.
In the end, however, Claudio said, "one man alone had to be chosen as standard bearer to lead our country to its rightful place of dignity, unity, peace and prosperity."
"Subject to the ratification by a national convention to be called by the party in accordance with law, the candidate of Lakas-Kampi-CMD for the 2010 presidential election, as endorsed by the party's national executive committee, is the honorable Gilbert C. Teodoro," he said.
"The committee also expressed its preference for Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno who had earlier declared his intention to seek the vice presidential nomination of the party," he added. -
The party's national executive committee, before the selection process, gave Teodoro and Fernando a chance to say their piece on why they should be chosen to be the standard bearer of the ruling administration party.
In his speech, Fernando said that selecting the party's standard bearer in the 2010 elections "must not be a simple party consensus but a very important selection process as that holds the future of the party."
"It should be decided as democratically as possible and with the full participation of all party members who will work for the election of the standard bearer," he said.
Fernando said that the selection should also be done "in accordance with the inspiration and guidance of the party's founding fathers who stood for fair play, democracy and morality."
"Our loyalty and love for the party must come first before our own personal ambitions," he stressed.
For his part, Teodoro said he joined the merged Lakas-Kampi-CMD because he believed that the ruling party has a vision of integrity.
He said that he will leave to the party's wisdom whoever it chooses to be its standard bearer.
What is important, Teodoro said, is that for the country to continue move forward for development.
"We (present administration) have already delivered. We need (more) reforms, changes and support to be able to continue to move forward. And, together, we shall win," he said.
13 NPA rebels surrender in
CAMP EDILBERTO Evangelista, Cagayan de Oro City, Sept. 16 – The government’s peace and development effort again gained headway when 13 regular fighters of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) voluntarily surrendered Wednesday morning to Army authorities in
Anayron said the NPA fighters voluntarily gave up themselves to Lt. Col. Cresente Maligmat, commanding officer of the Army’s 23rd Infantry Battalion at 6:45 in the morning at Barangay Managok, in
The 13 returnees brought with them two carbines, two 357 and two caliber 38 revolvers, three caliber 22 long barrel rifles, two shotguns, one 9mm Ingram, 2 hand grenades and several assorted live ammunition.
In his report to Brig. Gen. Mario F. Chan, commanding general of the Army’s 4th Infantry (Diamond) Division, Col. Nick Dolojan, commanding officer of the 403rd Infantry Brigade, said that the surrenderees are the NPAs armed militias operating in Canangaan and Cabanglasan areas, in Bukidnon province.
It can be recalled that sometime late June this year, the platoon leader of guerilla-Front Committee 89 (GF-89) of the CPP-NPA North-Central Mindanao Regional Committee (NCMRC), a certain “Ka Sino”, was accused by rebel returnee Ruben Tilucan of raping his wife who was also a regular member of guerilla-Front Committee 89, Anayron said.
Disgruntled by GF-89 leadership’s exoneration of “Ka Sino” from the rape case, the couple decided to surrender bringing one M16 rifle. Since that exposé, NPA regulars and armed militias in Cabanglasan and Canangaan areas started to send surrender feelers to authorities, Anayron added.
Meanwhile, Gen. Chan said the government’s all-out insurgency campaign in that province is gaining headway.
“The exodus of surrender further gained momentum when peace and development teams (PDT) of 23rd IB and 8th IB were deployed in the hinter barangays of
He said Mapano is facing a total of eight criminal charges before the courts in Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental, Cagayan de Oro City and Agusan del Sur. The suspect is presently detained at the Cagayan de Oro Police Office.
Since Mapano’s capture, more than 50 armed NPA regulars and militias from Guerilla Front 89 have already surrendered with their assorted high powered firearms, Gen. Chan said.
It can be recalled that last August 18, also this year, 24 NPA regulars and militias from the municipality of Cabanglasan already surrendered to the military, bringing nine high-powered and 14 low-powered firearms, added Maj. Anayron.
