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| 09 FEBRUARY 2007 | ||
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| 09 FEBRUARY 2007 | ||
| Statement of Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye Re: Anti-Terror Bill |
| The swift passage of the
anti-terror bill by the bicameral conference committee of both Chambers of Congress
underscores the resolute commitment of all our institutions to the relentless fight
against terror. President Arroyo is prepared to sign the bill into law as soon as it is ratified by the House. This will put the Philippines a step higher beside all nations in protecting mankind from this scourge, even as we purge it from our own backyard through the vigilance of our soldiers, police and communities. |
| Statement of Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye Re: IMF Growth Forecast |
| The IMF forecast is a solid affirmation of the
strength and momentum of President Arroyo's economic reform agenda. This development comes at a propitious time with the appointment of Rep. Joey Salceda as the President's Chief of Staff. He is a champion of free enterprise and social reform and we expect him to help put into action the blueprint of a new Philippines in a vibrant global economy. Strong leadership at the top, good governance, and the political will to fight corruption and poverty will continue to drive confidence in the Philippines. This will ensure a better future for all Filipinos as investments, jobs and opportunities for the grassroots increase |
| Statement of Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye Re: Nigerian Crisis |
| President Arroyo is monitoring developments
closely and the DFA is now verifying the veracity of the latest abduction. We remain hopeful that all of the abducted Filipinos will be released unharmed. We assure the families of the victims that our diplomatic personnel are on the ground and that the Government will see through this crisis the soonest possible time. This government will always look after the safety and welfare of our overseas Filipino workers wherever they are. |
| PGMA leads guests at reception on board visiting USS Blue Ridge |
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo led the guests at the reception last night on board the visiting USS Blue Ridge, the flagship of the US Navy’s Seventh Fleet, which arrived Thursday afternoon at Pier 13 of Manila’s South Harbor. The President was welcomed by US Ambassador Kristie Kenney and US Seventh Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Douglas Crowder. She was ushered to the top deck of the US naval ship where the US Blue Ridge Band played the national anthems of the Philippines and the US. The President and Ambassador Kenney then sliced the ceremonial cake designed with the flags of both countries. Among those present were Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, US Deputy Chief of Mission Paul Jones and Philippine Navy Flag Officer-in-Command Vice Admiral Rogelio Calunsag. In her welcome remarks, Ambassador Kenney said the US naval ship’s visit marks the long-standing friendship and partnership between the Philippines and the US. "It is a tremendous partnership with the Philippines that goes back so many years. Our nations and people have been friends. Many of our crewmen are married to Filipinas and have relatives in the Philippines. It is truly an extraordinary partnership and friendship," Kenney said. Crowder said they are happy to be back in the country for a three-day goodwill mission that would take them to Cebu in the Visayas and General Santos City in Mindanao in partnership with the Philippine Navy and other government agencies. During the cocktails, the President interacted and had photo sessions with the ship personnel that include more than 300 Filipinos and other crewmembers of Filipino-American descent. The US Seventh Fleet is the largest of the US naval fleets with an area of responsibility from the Western Pacific to the Indian Ocean. During its regular outreach missions in the region, the USS Blue Ridge delivers toys, food and medical supplies, provide free health clinics, and conduct improvement projects to assist communities in need of humanitarian outreach. |
| IMF growth forecast: A solid proof of booming RP economy -- Palace |
Malacanang welcomed today the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) 5.8 percent growth forecast on the Philippine economy this year as another solid proof that indeed "2007 will be the year when it all comes together" and that the country is ready for an economic takeoff and well on its way to achieving the First World status in the next two decades. "The IMF forecast is a solid affirmation of the strength and momentum of President Arroyo’s economic reform agenda," Press Secretary and concurrent Presidential Spokesperson Ignacio R. Bunye said in a statement. He said the IMF expression of confidence on the Philippine economy came at a time when the President appointed Rep. Joey Salceda, the architect of the President’s fiscal reforms, as her new Chief of Staff. Bunye expressed confidence that with Salceda’s appointment, coupled with the President’s strong leadership, good governance and determination to rid the bureaucracy of graft and corruption, the Philippine economy would go no other way but on a takeoff. "This development comes at a propitious time with the appointment of Rep. Joey Salceda as the President’s Chief of Staff. He is a champion of free enterprise and social reform and we expect him to help put into action the blueprint of a new Philippines in a vibrant global economy," Bunye said. "Strong leadership at the top, good governance, and the political will to fight corruption and poverty will continue to drive confidence in the Philippines," he added. The country’s economic indicators are all encouraging--- a bullish stock market, the peso continues to be strong, foreign direct investments (FDI) reaching $2 billion, exports registering double-digit increase, inflation dropping at all-time low, credit agencies outlook turning positive, creation of over one million jobs, and the approval of the national appropriations for 2007. A sustained economic growth, according to Bunye, would "ensure a better future for all Filipinos as investments, jobs and opportunities for the grassroots increase." The IMF has forecast that the Philippine economy would grow by 5.8 percent this year and could further expand to seven percent if the government could sustain its favorable economic momentum. The IMF report specifically noted the "impressive" fiscal reforms in an environment of sustained economic growth and declining inflation that resulted to strengthened investors’ confidence in the Philippines. |
| People starting to feel effects of gov't efforts to bring down prices of basic goods |
The government's efficient price monitoring and productivity program has improved the availability of basic commodities at lower prices. This is what 53-year-old Romeo Casingal, a physically-handicapped retail storeowner, told President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today as he thanked her for the availability of low-priced commodities that is giving the poor a big lift. "Maraming salamat po, Ma'am, sa mababang presyo ng mga bilihin ngayon," Casingal said when he met the President during her visit to Barangay 639 in San Miguel, Manila, as part of the Chief Executive’s efforts to reach out to the masses. Casingal, who is on crutches because of an accident, is operating a retail store in the barangay. Early in her term, the President has launched the Ginintuang Masaganang Ani (GMA) program and ordered the opening up of millions of hectares of land for cultivation to increase farm productivity and raise the income of farmers particularly in the countryside. Hand in hand, the government is monitoring the availability of basic goods at reasonable prices to protect consumers against undue price increases. The lower prices of basic commodities coupled with a stronger peso are helping bring down inflation which has hit record lows. The President was welcomed by some 200 residents and officials led by Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Bayani Fernando, Presidential Commission on Urban Poor (PCUP) Chairman Percival Chavez, and Barangay Chairman Stanley Huang III. She awarded a certificate to operate a Tindahan Natin to Ms. Aida Agbin and turned over to the barangay chairman 100 scholarship vouchers under the PGMA Training for Work Scholarship project of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). During an interaction with the barangay officials at
the nearby Quickee Snack House, the President instructed Fernando to help Huang establish
a barangay hall by expropriating a vacant lot along J.P. Laurel The President also assured Huang that the Maynilad Water company would provide the availability of a 24-hour water service after learning that water trickles down in the area between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. |
| Palace lauds swift passage of Anti-Terror Bill by bicam committee |
Malacanang said today the swift passage of the Anti-Terrorism Bill by the bicameral conference committee of both chambers of Congress "underscores the resolute commitment of all our institutions to the relentless fight against terror." The bicameral committee approved last night the anti- terror bill or the "Human Security Act of 2007" after the House and Senate panels adopted the Senate version of the measure. The Senate immediately ratified the conference committee report but the House failed to follow suit due to lack of quorum. Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye said President Arroyo is ready to sign the Anti-Terror Bill as soon as the House ratifies the conference committee report. "President Arroyo is prepared to sign the bill into law as soon as it is ratified by the House," Bunye said. President Arroyo has said that with an anti-terrorism law in place, the government’s fight against terror would have "legal teeth" and would put the Philippines as a strong global player in the fight against terror. "This will put the Philippines a step higher beside all nations in protecting mankind from this scourge, even as we purge it from our own backyard through the vigilance of our soldiers, police and communities," Bunye added. President Arroyo has placed the fight against terrorists and terror acts on top of her agenda as she believes that peace and order is an essential factor in achieving economic stability. |
| Palace assures gov't on top of hostage situation in Nigeria |
Malacanang assured today the families of the 26 Filipinos being held hostage in Southern Nigeria that diplomatic personnel are on the ground and that the government will see through the crisis the soonest possible time. Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesperson Ignacio R. Bunye said in a statement that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is monitoring developments closely and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is now verifying the veracity of the latest abduction. "This government will always look after the safety and welfare of our Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) wherever they are," he said. "We remain hopeful that all of the abducted Filipinos will be released unharmed." Bunye made the pronouncements following the latest abduction of Josie Beth Orasan, a 37-year-old Filipina from San Jose, Occidental Mindoro who was seized by armed men in Nigeria’s oil capital of Port Harcourt to become the first female hostage in the South African nation. Wednesday’s attack followed the abduction Tuesday of a Filipino employe of Netco Dietsmann, a land-based engineer who was seized from a company car heading for the airport in Owerri, the capital of Imo state. The latest two incidents bring to 26 the number of Filipino nationals being held hostage in Southern Nigeria. The other 24 were seized from a cargo vessel in Nigerian waters in January. In a television interview late this afternoon, however, DFA Undersecretary Esteban Conejos pointed out that all facts in the Orasan abduction seem to indicate that it is a police case as distinguished from that of the 24 seamen and the land-based engineer which is considered a national security case. "There is no correlation between previous kidnappings and this one," Conejos said, referring to Orasan’s. Conejos assured relatives of Orasan, however that the amount of attention and dedication they are putting to effect the safe and immediate release of the Filipino nationals would be the same whether it is national security case or police case. "We have talked to the family, husband and relatives of the Filipina and assured them we will do everything to ensure her safety," he said. |
