PGMA to convene Cabinet in
The government will make a comprehensive assessment of its overall response to the havoc wreaked by typhoons “Ondoy” and “Pepeng” during the cabinet meeting President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will convene tomorrow (Tuesday, Oct.13) in Dagupan City.
Press Undersecretary Anthony Golez said an assessment on the response of all government agencies to the recent disasters that hit Metro Manila and
Golez said the recent disasters--Ondoy and Pepeng -- were abnormal weather conditions and unexpected, -- with the former bringing in so much precipitation while the latter taking three landfalls.
“They were first times,” he said.
At the same time, the President will also distribute relief goods to the victims of typhoon “Pepeng” in
Pangasinan was among the provinces hardest hit by typhoon “Pepeng,” with 23 municipalities and three cities still inundated.
PGMA distributes more relief goods to typhoon victims in low-lying areas in Pampanga
MASANTOL, Pampanga, Oct. 12 -- Local officials and residents in the flood-stricken areas of the province's fourth district profusely thanked President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for finding time in attending to their needs, especially in times of calamities.
Although some portions of this fishing town remained flooded, the local folks queued patiently in a hope to personally see the President and receive relief assistance which, they said is indeed a big help for them.
Amid her hectic schedule, the President arrived exactly at 10 a.m. Monday at the Masantol Municipal Hall where she was warmly welcomed by the residents as well as the local executives here.
The Chief Executive personally led the distribution of relief goods to flood victims in barangays San Isidro Matua, Sta Lucia Matua and Sto. Nino.
Rosauro Torres, 60 and Mariana Viray, 65, who were in tears, thanked the President for the relief goods.
“Maraming, maraming salamat sa tulong na ito. (Thank you for the help), the two residents of Barangay San Isidro Matua said as they narrated that their houses are still under water.
Mayor Peter Flores said that their town has been one a perennial catch-basin of backfloods every time a storm hit the country.
“Kami ay laging binabaha dahil sa tubig tuwing bumabagyo at nagpapakawala ang Pantabangan dam sa Nueva Ecija. Kaya kami ay labis na nagpapasalamat sa Pangulong Arroyo sa pagbibigay niya ng tulong sa amin (We have been experiencing flooding every time there is a storm and when the Pantabangan dam releases water. Thus, we would like to thank President Arroyo for providing us help),"
Thereafter, the President proceeded to a chapel in Barangay San Gabriel in Macabebe town where she also distributed relief packs containing rice and assorted canned goods.
She also provided relief assistance to typhoon victims in barangay Sto. Tomas, also in Macabebe town.
These two municipalities have been experiencing perennial flooding due to its proximity in the Pampanga river where floodwaters from Nueva Vizcaya, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, Aurora, Tarlac, Bulacan and the eastern side of the Zambales Mountain Range and the western side of the Sierra Madre, flow leading to Manila Bay.
From Macabebe town, the Chief Executive went to Sto. Tomas municipality where she attended the 50th founding anniversary of this smallest town of the province.
PGMA allows use of Presidential plane, C-130s to carry relief goods to Baguio, Cordilleras
STO. TOMAS, Pampanga, Oct. 12 — President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Monday allowed the use of presidential plane and the C-130 plane of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) in delivering more relief goods to Baguio City and other parts of Benguet and Mountain Province severely hit by typhoon Pepeng.
Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo said that President Arroyo was informed that there was a shortage of rice supply in
Fajardo also said that the government was still studying the possibility of importing vegetables after typhoon Pepeng devastated the vegetable producing farm in Benguet.
Fajardo said that the agricultural sector suffered much damaged due to typhoon Ondoy and typhoon Pepeng.
Meanwhile, Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap said the public should not panic on the shortage of vegetable supply in Metro Manila coming from the Cordillera region, saying there were many parts of the country that were also vegetable producing provinces.
Yap also said that aside from
About three tons of vegetables from
AFP-US troops speed up relief in typhoon-hit areas
CAMP AQUINO, Tarlac City, Oct. 12 -- Soldiers from Northern Luzon Command (NOLCOM) and US troops from the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade have shifted their efforts to relief operations in the
In coordination with the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), NOLCOM Disaster Response Task Force (NDRTF) spearheaded the delivery of 36.1 tons of relief goods to calamity victims in La Union, Pangasinan and Nueva Ecija.
As early as 1:30 a.m. Sunday, 10 tons of food packs courtesy of ABS-CBN were motored to affected families in
On the same day, 5.3 tons of assorted food packs, native mats and blankets were brought by soldiers to Lingayen, Pangasinan aboard M35 trucks.
Joint RP-US troops also delivered 16.3 tons of assorted food packs and clothing in the said municipality.
Army unit of the 7th Infantry Division in Licab, Nueva Ecija served as drop point of 4.5 tons of food packs last Sunday that were eventually delivered to evacuees in dire need of relief assistance.
Since Friday, a Combined Coordination Cell (CCC) has been established at NOLCOM Headquarters, particularly at the Command Information Office (CIO), which is manned by AFP and
Its task is to coordinate and integrate disaster response and humanitarian assistance efforts of the US Disaster and Relief Contingent to the overall rescue and relief efforts of the Command in
A joint medical-dental mission is being conducted by AFP and US troops in Calasiao, Pangasinan.
The
NEDA expects OFW remittances to grow by 5% this year
The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) announced on Monday that they expect the remittances of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to increase by 5 percent in 2009.
Acting NEDA Director-General Augusto Santos said the Christmas season and the recent calamities could prop up remittance inflows in the remaining months of the year as OFWs are expected to send more money home to help their families recover immediately from the effects of the weather disturbances that hit the country recently.
“It looks like that the behavior of our OFWs is to send more money during calamities and Christmas season,” he said.
The NEDA’s projection is more optimistic than that of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, which forecast a 3-percent growth.
In the first seven months of the year, remittances rose 3.8 percent year-on-year to $ 10 billion. In July alone, remittances accelerated 9.3 percent to $ 1.5 billion.
Remittances from sea- and land-based workers both recorded gains of 5.6 percent and 3.4 percent, respectively.
Major sources of remittances during the seven-month period were the
Earlier, Dennis Arroyo, NEDA National Planning and Policy Staff director, said remittances would “offset” the impact of storm "Ondoy" and typhoon "Pepeng" on the economy.
The government estimated about P9.76-billion worth of infrastructure and agriculture facilities were damaged by the two weather disturbances.
Given this, the NEDA said the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) may be cut by 0.2 percentage points this year to 0.6 percent to 1.6 percent from an earlier forecast of 0.8 percent to 1.8 percent.
But the government is maintaining its growth target because of robust remittances from OFWs.
The country's GDP in the first half grew by 1 percent, lower than the 4-percent expansion in the same period last year.
CSC Chief lauds sacrifices of state workers
It was supposed to be just another regular working day for these civil servants but as fate would have it, the day would be their last as they had to make the supreme sacrifice.
In her last of countless trips to the rugged terrains of Benguet attending to sick calls, midwife Teresita Dodon was sideswiped by a bus, her lifeless body sprawled on the rain-drenched road.
Las Pinas District Public Attorney Teresita Vidamo was about to start another day providing free legal service to indigent litigants when she was shot dead in front of her house.
After 29 years of defending his countrymen in various legal battles that include the P28 billion MERALCO refund and the Marcos ill-gotten wealth, Assistant Solicitor General Nestor J. Ballacillo was gunned down, together with his son.
Last April, unknown assailants snuffed life out of Gumersindo Lasam, a Department of Agriculture official who led the development of more than 40,000 hectares of idle land in
And in the onslaught of typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng, many civil servants lost their lives in saving and bringing men, women and children into safer ground.
Many these people did not make it to the headlines but their deeds are no less heroic than the soldiers and servicemen who are usually honored with medals and other commemorative ceremonies.
The Civil Service Commission (CSC) hopes to make the sacrifice they made more bearable, especially to the families they left behind, by providing financial assistance and scholarship.
Late last year, CSC launched the Pondong Pamanang Lingkod Bayan for the families of government employees who die in the line of duty or while performing their tasks. A number of government agencies have responded to the call for assistance and made monetary donations. Among the recipients of financial assistance was the family of the late Nelly D. Banaag, a teacher at the
CSC has also forged a partnership with the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC) for the grant of scholarships to heirs of the deceased state employees. The scholarships, which range from 50% to full discount on tuition and school fees for baccalaureate, masteral or doctoral courses, may be availed of by the beneficiaries in any of PASUC’s 110-member institutions nationwide.
The CSC hopes that through Pondong Pamanang Lingkod Bayan, the sacrifices of these state workers who offered their lives to public service be acknowledged. CSC Chair Ricardo L. Saludo expressed that “It is high time that we translate that gratitude into something that they would have pursued – the hope of a brighter future for their families.”
The Commission enjoins heads of agencies to report to the CSC, through its nearest regional office, personnel who died or were killed in the line of duty, particularly in the relief and rescue operations conducted during the past two weeks. A benefit show will also be staged in December to raise funds for the families of civil servants killed in the line of duty.
“As in past calamities, soldiers, policemen and other rescue and relief workers are braving the monster storms to save life and limb”. Most media focus on sufferings and failings, but for every casualty, countless others were rescued by the government. If we were invaded, all Filipinos would mobilize to face the attacker. But these disasters have wrought more destruction than a small war. We must all join hands to protect and rebuild our people and our communities.” Saludo expressed.
DBP, AAIIBP officers undergo training on Islamic Banking
Seventeen officers from state-owned Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) and the Al Amanah Islamic & Investment Bank of the Philippines (AAIIBP) attended a one-week seminar-workshop on Islamic Banking and Finance recently in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to equip themselves with the right knowledge and understanding of Shariah banking.
Led by AAIIBP chairman and chief executive officer Armando Samia, the participants underwent an intensive and comprehensive training consisting of lectures by topnotch experts on Islamic Banking, case studies and group discussion and project visitation to Bank Negara
The topics covered by the seminar-workshop included an overview of the Islamic financial system, Shariah fundamentals, roles and functions of the Central Bank / legal and regulatory framework, and Islamic banking principles and operations. The group also tackled topics such as roles and responsibilities of Shariah advisers, Islamic insurance (Takaful), Islamic banking products, financing models, Islamic asset financing, Islamic cash financing, Islamic trade financing, Islamic project financing, Islamic corporate financing, legal documentations for Islamic financing facilities, Islamic money market and Islamic capital market. Other topics discussed during the workshop-seminar were success factors in marketing of Islamic banking products, building customer relations, organization structure and governance, operational issues, Islamic treasury management, accounting treatment in Islamic finance, Shariah risk management and Shariah audit and compliance.
