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| 02 AUGUST 2007 | ||
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| 02 AUGUST 2007 | ||
| Negroponte lauds ASEAN's Role in promoting democracy in Southeast Asia |
| US Deputy
Secretary of State John Negroponte cited on Wednesday the critical role of
the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in promoting democracy in
the region, lauding its decision to include a human rights provision in the
group’s proposed Charter. "Our common interest is not just economic. One area where ASEAN is playing a stronger role is in support of democracy," Negroponte said in his opening statement at the ASEAN Post Ministerial Conference in conjunction with the 40th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM) in Manila. Negroponte also headed the US delegation to the one-day 14th ASEAN Regional Forum, which was held at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC). Negroponte also said the US was elated by the recommendations of the ASEAN Eminent Persons Group (EPG) that helped draft the proposed charter because they “strengthened democratic values, good governance, the rule of law and respect of human rights and freedom.” "We commend these objectives and encourage your efforts in these areas," Negroponte said. Negroponte said the US recognizes the significance of the statements of ASEAN leaders "on the shared vision to achieve peace, stability, democracy and prosperity in the region.” Negroponte, the second highest official in the US Department of State, also cited the surging economic ties between the United States and ASEAN which reached US$168 billion in 2006. ASEAN's combined gross domestic product (GDP) exceeded the US$1 trillion mark for the first time in 2006, he said, adding that with this accomplishment: "we continue to be strong economic partners." The ASEAN countries represent the fourth largest export market of the United States "and as a group is one of the most rapidly growing and dynamic economies in the world," Negroponte said. American private sector has pumped in close to US$90 billion in direct investments to ASEAN countries. Negroponte also said the US and ASEAN "will review the progress on enhanced partnership announced by President Bush and ASEAN leaders in November 2005." Also up for discussion, Negroponte said, is the Plan of Action that US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and the ASEAN foreign ministers signed in Kuala Lumpur last year "towards a road for implementing the enhanced partnership." The Plan of Action includes economic cooperation, health, scholarship, information and communication technology, transport, energy, disaster management and environmental management. Negroponte said that since the first ASEAN-US dialogue in Manila in 1977, the world has changed in many ways. "Today we face challenges unforeseen in those years, but we also look to a future of even greater opportunities. The US considers its relations with ASEAN as a critical component of its dealings with East Asia as a whole. We want to deepen our partnership with you, individually or collectively, to help build a better future that people expect and deserve," Negroponte concluded. |
| PGMA creates task force vs. investment scams |
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In a move to curb the proliferation of illegal
pyramiding and network investment schemes victimizing the general public and
the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has
issued Administrative Order No. 185 creating an Investor Protection Task
Force (IPTF). Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the primary job of the IPTF is to strictly monitor investment schemes, including real estate projects, especially those marketed to the general public and the families of the OFWs. Headed by the Department of Finance, the IPTF member agencies are the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the House and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB). Among the salient tasks of the IPTF are the following:
The President directed the IPTF to consult with the Department of Justice (DOJ) on the status of cases filed at the prosecutor’s office. However, the prosecutors must keep the standard distance from investigators. |
| ASEAN-Russia Ministerial Meeting identifies areas for further cooperation |
|
Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto G.
Romulo and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov co-chaired on Wednesday
the ASEAN-Russia Ministerial Meeting at the Philippine international
Convention Center (PICC), underscoring the importance of an even deeper
ASEAN-Russia engagement and identifying areas for further cooperation. During the meeting, Romulo also expressed the hope that Russia would be welcomed to the “broader East Asian family,” pointing out that ASEAN-Russia relations were significantly moving forward across all fronts. “Our efforts to build an East Asian community cannot be complete without Russia – a great nation that is truly a part of the East Asian region – in spirit, in geography and in terms of depth and breadth of relations,” Romulo told his ASEAN counterparts during the Meeting. ASEAN Foreign Ministers separately stressed during the Meeting Russia’s important role in the collective pursuit of greater peace, progress and prosperity in the East Asian region, said Romulo. Russia’s contributions to regional security and stability, particularly as member of the Six-Party talks, were also recognized, Romulo added. Lavrov, for his part, reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to broaden cooperation with ASEAN, particularly in the areas of fighting transnational crime, counterterrorism, energy, science and technology, tourism, culture and trade and investments. To demonstrate Russia’s firm intent of deepening its engagement with ASEAN, Lavrov called for the “elaboration of a roadmap” to implement the ASEAN-Russia Economic Development Cooperation Agreement signed in 2006 in Kuala Lumpur. According to Romulo, Lavrov even suggested the creation of a “checklist,” to which Vietnam reacted positively by stating that an identified set of clear deliverables would be most helpful. “Minister Lavrov announced during the Meeting that Senior Officials of Russia dealing with ASEAN would be instructed to work in a more intense mode so that we move on all areas agreed upon during the 1st ASEAN-Russia Summit,” said Romulo. Lavrov also expressed confidence in the forward moving directions of ASEAN-Russia relations and called for the implementation of agreed plans “consistently” and “on time,” said Romulo. “Like Minister Lavrov, we believe ASEAN and Russia have good plans. And both ASEAN and Russia look forward to the holding of the next ASEAN-Russia Summit,” said Romulo. |
| U.S. remains key player in region's growth - Romulo |
|
Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto G. Romulo told
the participants in the ASEAN-United States Post Ministerial Conference
Wednesday that the US remains an important and key player in the region’s
growth and security. “The history of our region’s security and stability could not be written without entire chapters being devoted to the central role played by the United States,” Romulo declared. The DFA secretary said that “perhaps in no other situation is this more potent than on the issue of bringing the Korean peninsula out from under the dark shadow of nuclear weapons,” adding “on this issue, diplomacy and dialogue, coupled with the leadership of the United States, have been the key to recent successes.” Romulo also informed the officials that the foreign ministers and heads of delegation of the Six Parties called on President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in Malacañang Tuesday night. “Their (Six-Party Talks Ministers) desire to work together to bring about this new era of peace was unmistakable,” he said. US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte, the Co-Chair of the meeting, expressed deep appreciation for the initiative of the Philippines to bring about the historic gathering of the high officials of the Six-Party Talks. On specific areas of cooperation, Romulo stressed the great importance the Philippines attaches to closer cooperation with the United States to combat terrorism, radicalization and transnational crime. “In this regard, we appreciate American support for peace in Mindanao, where our joint efforts, together with other partners, including ASEAN members, have neutralized terrorists, improved local living standards, and promoted inter-communal harmony through interfaith dialogue and education,” the secretary told the officials. During the exchange of views portion of the meeting, Romulo said the Philippines shares with the United States and Iraq their sorrow at the loss of the lives of soldiers and civilians alike. “We sympathize with the families and friends of all the innocent victims of violence in Iraq,” the DFA secretary said. “We express our deep concern on the escalating sectarian and ethnic violence and condemn all acts of terrorism in Iraq.” “We stand four-square with the Iraqi people in their aspirations of peace. We are optimistic that through the concerted efforts of the international community, working in coordination with local authorities, there will be peace in Iraq,” Romulo said. On the Israel-Palestine issue, he said the Philippines deplores the escalating violence there and calls for the immediate cessation of hostilities. “The Philippines has consistently supported the peaceful coexistence of the State of Palestine with the State of Israel and has always voted for resolutions on the peace process to end the conflict and to ease the suffering of the Palestinian people,” Romulo added. On Afghanistan, Romulo said the reconstruction of Afghanistan should be an Afghan-led process in the long-term. “Afghanistan should be assisted in taking a larger role in its own reconstruction process,” he said. Romulo also said that on Tuesday, the foreign ministers of the participating countries to the East Asia Summit condemned the hostage taking and killing of nationals from the Republic of Korea. They also issued a call for the safe and prompt release of all the hostages. “I would like to reiterate that call and express our hope that they are released soon and unharmed,” the Philippine official said. |
| Romulo calls for greater counter-terrorism cooperation among ASEAN, dialogue partners |
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Pointing out that global terrorism poses a
serious threat to all nations, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto G. Romulo
called for greater counter-terrorism cooperation between ASEAN and its 10
dialogue partners during the ASEAN Plus Ten Post-Ministerial Conference
Working Lunch Wednesday at the Philippine International Convention Center. Romulo told the gathered foreign ministers that “ASEAN cooperation in counter-terrorism encompasses our Dialogue Partnerships. We are all committed to the full implementation of all our joint declarations on counter-terrorism.” “In line with our declarations, we intend to forge stronger counter-terrorism cooperation with each of you, and we hope that you will all share your own experiences and insights in battling this problem,” Romulo stressed during the meeting. ASEAN’s dialogue partners are Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Russia, and the United States. ASEAN has been addressing this threat at the national, regional and global levels, the secretary said. “At the 12th ASEAN Summit in Cebu, the Leaders of ASEAN concluded the ASEAN Convention on Counter-Terrorism (ACCT), the first such regionwide instrument against global terrorism,” he noted. Romulo explained that this milestone agreement combines ASEAN’s efforts in effective border control, control in the issuance of identity papers and travel documents, measures to prevent the use of fake travel documents, capacity building and intelligence exchange, among others. “ASEAN will also move forward with other regional initiatives, including the ASEAN Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty. We will negotiate an ASEAN Extradition Treaty as well,” he said. During the discussions, Romulo pointed out that for its part, “the Philippines has decimated the Abu Sayyaf Group and neutralized important JI elements. We have done so through a strategy that combines “hard” military power and “soft” elements, including humanitarian assistance, inter-faith and cultural awareness programs to bring different communities in Mindanao closer together.” He also updated the gathered officials on the developments in Mindanao. “Our friends, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam, have facilitated the peace process over the years. They are leading a broad range of international organizations and countries, including the United States, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the EU, that back peace and development in Mindanao. We thank you all for your cooperation in this regard,” Romulo said. |
| Dialogue partners optimistic about ASEAN's future |
|
Drawing from the consensus of its dialogue partners, it looks like the
future is indeed very bright for the 10-member Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (ASEAN). Three of the six dialogue partners in Wednesday’s ASEAN Plus One sessions, according to Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary and Spokesman Claro Cristobal, expressed particular satisfaction at the turn of events in the history and life of the ASEAN, saying they are very positive about the organization and its future. Canada, New Zealand and the European Union, Cristobal said, welcomed the expression of solidarity among the ASEAN members and their desire to bind themselves under a landmark charter. They also expressed particular satisfaction, he noted, at the fact that the ASEAN has made known its desire to see the creation and establishment of a human rights body incorporated in the charter. “One may conclude that these dialogue partners view ASEAN as a strong organization in the years ahead, rules based and bound under a charter which will embody the wishes and aspirations of the people in the region,” said Cristobal, who attended the sessions of the Post Ministerial Conferences (PMC) at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC). Ambassador Victoriano Lecaros, spokesman for the 40th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting, who sat in during the sessions with Australia, Russia and the United States, said the dialogue partners view the ASEAN as a 500-million strong organization, with increasing purchasing power, and becoming increasingly unified in the next eight to 10 years. What is only lacking, he said, is an ultimate goal of forging comprehensive free trade agreements (FTAs) with these dialogue partners “for it to be the next poster boy for success of an open market.” An indication of ASEAN’s growing importance to the world, according to Lecaros, is the United States’ firm commitment to the region despite the inability of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to make it to the ongoing meetings. “They did not dwell too much on the bearer of the message but on the content of the message,” he said. “The United States remains committed to this region. It’s just that there are pressing matters for them elsewhere. |
| ASEAN to tackle climate change, energy security, and inter-cultural dialogues |
| As
safety net for a rapidly changing world, the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) will push for an intensified cooperation in three new areas
-- climate change, energy security, and inter-cultural dialogues. Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo, speaking on behalf of ASEAN, raised these issues at the ASEAN-US dialogue at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) Wednesday. Climate change has alarmed mankind for the past few decades because of the unusual behavior of world temperature, which has become warmer even in some cold countries. The burning of fossil fuel has tremendously increased greenhouse gas content of the earth's atmosphere. "As we move into the fourth decade of direct relations, let us push cooperation into new areas like climate change, energy security and inter-cultural dialogues," Yeo said in his opening statement. Development of alternative fuel is expected to be given top priority by ASEAN countries as part of its energy security program. At the same time, Yeo paid tribute to the role of the United States in Southeast Asia which, he said, "provided a strong foundation for us to create a regional framework." "America's presence in Asia has played a large role in shaping the region's development in the past decade," Yeo, who assumed on Tuesday as new chairman of the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting, said. Singapore will host the 13th ASEAN Summit in November this year. |
| Sri Lanka, Bangladesh accede to ASEAN TAC |
| The
Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and the People’s Republic of
Bangladesh acceded on Wednesday to the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC). The TAC aims to promote peace, amity and cooperation that would contribute to the collective strength, solidarity and closer relationship among contracting parties. The documents on the accession to the ASEAN TAC were signed by the ASEAN Foreign Ministers and Sri Lanka Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama, and Bangladesh Adviser for Foreign Affairs Dr. Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury in simple ceremonies held at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC). The TAC was signed by the ASEAN leaders during the First ASEAN Summit in Bali, Indonesia in 1976. After the signing ceremony, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo handed down copies of the documents of accession to ASEAN Secretary General Ong Keng Yong. The TAC raised the provisions of the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on the Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality in 1971 to the level of a treaty to which other Southeast Asian countries could accede to. In their relations, parties to the TAC are guided by the fundamental principles of mutual respect for independence, sovereignty, equality, territorial integrity, and the national identity of all nations. The parties are likewise guided by, among others, the principles of non-interference in the internal affairs of one another and settlement of differences or disputes by peaceful means. To date, TAC remains as the only indigenous regional diplomatic instrument that provides a mechanism and process for the peaceful settlement of disputes. |
| PGMA inaugurates P67.6-M Kraft Foods Philippines' R&D City |
|
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s thrust to strengthen research and
development (R&D) in the country received a much-needed boost from the
private sector with the inauguration this morning of Kraft Foods
Philippines’ P67.6-million Research and Development (R&D) Center in
Parañaque City. The President has said that “at the core of knowledge lies good research” and so the government, through the Department of Science and Technology, has allocated some P150 million for the strengthening of R&D in universities and colleges, in partnership with the private sector, in a move to promote and accelerate sustainable countryside development. The President, assisted by United States Ambassador to the Philippines Kristie Kenney and Kraft Foods Philippines President Ma. Victoria Tiongson, cut the ceremonial ribbon and unveiled the marker of the new facility. She also toured and inspected the R&D Center. The inauguration of the R&D Center coincided with the 44th year of operations of Kraft Foods in the country. Kraft Foods started operations in the Philippines in 1963. The new Kraft facility would also support the President’s thrust of creating at least a million jobs a year or six to 10 million jobs before her term ends in 2010. The R&D Center would be staffed by highly-skilled Filipino food research scientists and food technologies. The Center, which includes a state-of-the-art pilot plant and packaging innovation laboratory for testing new products and packaging materials, would also serve as the regional hub for food product R&D services for other Kraft Foods Southeast Asia and Asia-Pacific business units. Kraft Foods Asia-Pacific Director for Corporate Affairs Tod Gimbel said the new R&D Center “symbolizes Kraft’s commitment to R&D because our future is built on innovation and breakthrough products.” “It also serves as a testimony to Kraft Foods’ commitment and confidence in the Philippines’ continued economic growth and development,” he added. Kraft Foods is the second largest food and beverage company in the world today, manufacturing and marketing popular brands in more than 155 countries. |
| Australia pledges more financial aid for ASEAN's anti-avian flu campaign |
| The
Australian government has pledged an additional $850 million (Australian
dollar) aid for the member-countries of the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) in their projects, particularly in the regional bloc’s
awareness campaign against avian influenza. Ambassador Victoriano Lecaros, spokesman of the 40th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting, made this disclosure during a press briefing on the ASEAN Post Ministerial Conference with Australia held Wednesday at the Philippine International Convention Center. Lecaros said the bulk of the financial assistance will go to Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines as part of the Australian government’s initiative to combat the avian flu which had detrimental impacts on the socioeconomic development of the ASEAN member-countries. According to Lecaros, the new funding will help ASEAN countries strengthen their ability to manage public health emergencies, with particular focus on avian influenza. Australia has taken the lead role in helping the ASEAN prepare for and respond to pandemic threats. World Health Organization (WHO) records showed that from the year 2003 up to July 25 this year, there have been 319 cases of human infections globally. Of the 319 human cases, 192 have died, mostly in Indonesia and Vietnam. During the PMC, ASEAN and the Commonwealth of Australia signed a comprehensive partnership agreement which expresses their shared desire to continue working closely together on the basis of friendship, goodwill and understanding for the realization of an integrated ASEAN Community. The Joint Declaration on ASEAN-Australia Comprehensive Partnership agreement was signed between the ASEAN Foreign Ministers and Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer. After the signing ceremony, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo handed a copy of the agreement to ASEAN Secretary General Ong Keng Yong. Australia became the first dialogue partner of ASEAN in 1974 and their relations since then have grown through the annual ASEAN Post Ministerial Conferences, the ASEAN-Australia Forum, as well as other regional forums. The Partnership Agreement promotes, among others, engagement in dialogues and support for efforts to realize the ASEAN Security Community. It will likewise promote favorable environments for trade, investments and other economic linkages between ASEAN and Australia. |
| Agreement brings Sri Lanka, Bangladesh into wider ASEAN family -- Romulo |
|
Foreign Affairs Secretary and ASEAN Standing Committee Chair Alberto G.
Romulo hailed the accession of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to the region’s
Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) as a “positive move that further
broadened stakeholder participation in the shared pursuit of greater peace,
progress and prosperity for the region.” Sri Lanka and Bangladesh became the 13th and 14th countries to accede to the ASEAN’s Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia in simple ceremonies during the Post Ministerial Conferences of the 40th ASEAN Ministerial Meetings Wednesday at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC). Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama signed for Sri Lanka; Foreign Affairs Adviser and Foreign Minister Dr. Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury signed for Bangladesh. Secretary Romulo said Sri Lanka and Bangladesh’s accession came at “a most opportune time” and “reaffirmed a partnership for and shared commitment to security, stability and development in the region.” “The TAC embodies our aspirations and commitments with our partners within and outside the region. The accession of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka demonstrates the widening of the ASEAN family based on shared values,” Secretary Romulo added. Under the TAC, State Parties shall be guided by the fundamental principles of mutual respect for the independence, sovereignty, equality, territorial integrity and national identity of all nations. State Parties shall also be guided by: the right of every State to lead its national existence free from external interference, subversion or coercion; non-interference in the internal affairs of one another; settlement of differences or disputes by peaceful means; renunciation of the threat or use of force; and effective cooperation among State Parties. Signed in Indonesia on Feb. 24, 1976, the TAC raised the provisions of the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on the Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality in 1971 to the level of a treaty to which other Southeast Asian countries could accede and with which the non-regional countries could associate themselves. To this day, TAC remains the only indigenous regional diplomatic instrument providing a mechanism and processes for the peaceful settlement of disputes. |
| PGMA to inaugurate P707-million water treatment plant expansion in Capiz Friday |
|
ROXAS CITY, Capiz -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is set to inaugurate
tomorrow (Friday) the newly-completed P707-million water treatment facility
of five local government units that comprise the Metro Roxas Water District
(MRWD) here. The Metro Roxas Water Supply System Improvement and Expansion Project (MRWSS-IEP) will benefit 35,000 households comprising some 210,000 people within its service area. The MRWSS-IEP is located at Barangay Salacon, Panitan, Capiz, some 15 kilometers from the center of this city and along the Aklan-Estancia ( Iloilo) Highway. Funded by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), the P707.112-million project turns water from the Panay River into potable water. It contains "zero bacteria," enthused Engr. Pablo Bercilla, interim general manager of the MRWD since May 2006. Bottles of mineral water treated at the plant await tomorrow's inauguration participants. The MRWD taps the Paslang River, a tributary of the Panay River which has its headwater in Tapaz town, some 62 kilometers southwest of Roxas City, according to Philippine Information Agency (PIA) provincial officer James Cabag. Using the "Design & Build" concept, the project is owned by the MRWD with the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) as project proponent. The MRWSS-IEP will enhance the provision of piped water to five local government units covered by the Metro Roxas Water District --Roxas City and four municipalities, namely, Panay, Panitan, Ivisan and Sigma. The five LGUs have been using piped water from the water district's old treatment facility at Sitio Arcabalo, Barangay Lawaan, Roxas City, Cabag said. Built by JV Angeles Construction Corporation, the MRWSS-IEP has a total spread of 108 kilometers of 50-mm to 500-mm distribution and transmission pipes and 10 kilometers of 600-mm main transmission pipelines from the new water treatment plant to its original plant at Sitio Arcabalo here. The project also includes a kilometer's length of a 500-mm transmission pipeline from Arcabalo to the Lawaan Reservoir. To expand its available reservoir, the MRWSS-IEP also constructed ground reservoirs of 700 cubic meters and 300 cubic meters capacities and rehabilitated 1,000 cubic meters of its original ground reservoir. Also constructed was a fully-automated 30,000-cubic-meter per-day water treatment plant. MRWD Manager Bercilla explained the water treatment process, thus: Raw water from the river goes through "flocculators" or chambers which mix the river water with cleansing chemicals; then the water goes through the Clari-Trac equipment which removes flocs from the reservoir bottom. Next, the water goes through a "conventional yet very efficient" two-chamber filter that removes silica sand and anthracites from the water bottom. Then the "finished water" goes through the "chemical feeds" stage where it is mixed with aluminum sulfate, plus a polymer compound and soda ash for the "correction of the normality of water" so that a pH of 7 is achieved for a "neutral" acid-alkaline ratio. |
| Breastfeeding Week celebration under way; 12 given awards |
|
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo opened today in Malacañang the World
Breastfeeding Week celebration by giving recognition to those who have
contributed much in the success of the government’s breastfeeding program. She presented plaques of international icon to the 12 awardees during the 3rd opening of the festivities entitled “Breastfeeding: The First Hour, Save One Million Babies” and launching of the Synchronized Breastfeeding Worldwide at the Rizal Hall of the Palace. The awardees were Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Director General Augusto Syjuco Jr., Health Undersecretary Alexander Padilla, the late Assistant Solicitor General Nestor Ballocillo (posthumous), former Philippine Medical Association president Dr. Bu Castro, SM Supermalls, broadcast journalist Ramon Jacinto, Blow-up Babies, Marvin’s Web (an I.T. Company), and Atty. Ma. Paz Luna. Other awardees (not present in the awarding) were Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, Social Welfare Secretary Esperanza Cabral, and former Manila Mayor and newly installed Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Jose Atienza. Children for Breastfeeding Director Elvira L. Henares-Esguerra assisted the President in the awarding ceremony. The international icon, a symbol conceptualized by the Children for Breastfeeding organization, suggests the discarding of the feeding bottle in favor of breastfeeding for babies. Secretaries Duque, Syjuco and Cabral were cited for their advocacy to strengthen laws that protect breastfeeding, establishment of the Philippine Lactation Resource and Training Center, and mobilization of daycare workers for feeding program that relies on the use of indigenous foods. Dr. Castro and SM Supermalls were also honored for helping the Children for Breastfeeding group in the establishment of the Philippine Academy of Lactation Consultants, the institutionalization of medical education on breastfeeding, and the creation of breastfeeding station at SM Megamall and its other branches nationwide. On the other hand, Secretary Atienza, who led the City of Manila to break the Guinness World Record on Simultaneous Breastfeeding in a Single Site, Ramon Jacinto, Blow-up Babies and Marvin’s Web were cited for their contribution to breastfeeding advocacy that created impact nationwide and worldwide. Undersecretary Padilla, Atty. Luna and Assistant Solicitor General Ballosillo were cited for the passage of breastfeeding laws that protect breastfeeding. Before the awarding ceremony, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) acting president and CEO Lorna Fajardo presented to the President the copy of PhilHealth Board Resolution No. 1029 on the promotion of breastfeeding to ensure the health and well-being of the future generation of Filipinos. During the program, the President witnessed the pinning of the golden bow to mothers who participated in the synchronized breastfeeding worldwide campaign. At the sidelines of the program, Remedios Ticzon-Gonzales, head of the Mother of the Nation by the La Leche Movement, presented the image of La Nuestra Señora de la Leche y Buen Parto, the Virgin Mother of all Mothers, as the group’s gift to the President for her all-out support to the breastfeeding campaign. |
| PGMA to open Accenture Cebu Facility tomorrow |
|
CEBU CITY - President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is scheduled to arrive here on
Friday (August 3) to inaugurate a new call center facility that is expected
to contribute greatly to her administration’s job generation agenda. The President is expected to plane in at the Cebu Mactan International Airport around noontime from Roxas City in Capiz and will proceed to the Accenture Cebu Facility located at the Pioneer House Bldg. at the Cebu Business Park, Cebu City. She will be accompanied by Presidential Management Staff (PMS) Head Cerge Remonde, Trade and Industry Secretary Peter Favila and Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano. The President will lead the ribbon cutting ceremony at the ground floor level of the building to signal the start of operations of the Accenture Cebu. She will also have a brief tour of the facility, observe its initial operations, and conduct an informal interaction with the 30 newly-hired call center employees who are undergoing hands-on training at the company’s 4th Floor Training Room. She will be joined in the facility tour by Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmena, Accenture Country Managing Director Beth Lui, Accenture Delivery Center Network Technology Managing Director Kith Haviland, Cebu Congressmen Raul del Mar and Antonio Cuenco and Pioneer Insurance Surety Corp. President and Chief Executive Officer David Coyukiat. |
