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| 10 JANUARY 2007 | ||
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| 10 JANUARY 2007 | ||
| Statement of the President Re: ASEAN |
The Philippines hosts the ASEAN summit at a time that the whole region is taking stock of the present and planning ahead for the future. Great stakes are involved in the continuing integration of the entire East Asia, which is driven by strong centripetal forces to close ranks for a safer and more secure community, more open and equitable trade, cooperation in all fronts of energy development, and the prosperity of its diverse peoples. We face a great future in East Asia as a caring and sharing community, and this meeting of leaders will be another golden opportunity to carve out new directions of development across borders, fighting poverty and building coalitions of technology. We stand at the threshold of great challenges and opportunities, and timely decisions will enable ASEAN and East Asia to seize the moment and the momentum to achieve broader human security, peace and prosperity at the grassroots of every village and community. The Philippines is determined to exercise its leadership towards this noble end, and the Filipino people are determined to play their role as good regional and global citizens to spread the message of goodwill, cooperation and consensus for the benefit of all. All roads lead to Cebu; all for one and one for all! |
| Statement of Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye Re: Budget |
We are hopeful that with the opening of session in Congress before the end of the month our legislators would be able to get their act together and pass the General Appropriations Act. Combined with our very strong economic indicators, the passage of the 2007 budget will sustain the momentum that is driving the peso up, keeping inflation down and moving investments forward. he remaining issues should not be an obstacle to its speedy passage and we are confident that our legislators would be exercising the highest degree of statesmanship in this regard. |
| No-fly-zone only for small aircraft |
CEBU CITY-- The "no-fly-zone" being imposed during the holding of the 12th Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) here Jan. 10-15 will only apply to small aircraft and not for commercial airlines, according to retired Maj. Gen. Leo Alvez, National Organizing Committee assistant secretary general for security. Alvez made the clarification to squelch speculation that air traffic over Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) would be disrupted. "The no-fly-zone refers only to small aircraft," Alvez said at a press conference at the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) Tuesday afternoon. Commercial traffic is not disrupted at any point in time, before and during the summit, Alvez said. Alvez said that only small planes such as those conducting training for student pilots would not be allowed to fly over Mactan airport during the summit. Philippine Air Force (PAF) planes and helicopters will be patrolling Cebu's airspace to intercept small aircraft that may violate the "no-fly-zone" area, Alvez said. |
| Umbrellas readied, eggs offered for successful summit |
CEBU CITY – Eggs for sunshine, umbrellas for the rain. The message here is that organizers of the 12th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit here will spare no efforts to ensure its success. Aside from prayers, Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia has reportedly offered two truckloads of eggs to the Carmelite sisters as an offering for good weather, the bad one last month being the reason for the postponement of the original summit. Even in the event the weather turns sour again and rain comes pouring down on Cebu this time (which weather forecasters discount), National Organizing Committee secretary general Ambassador Marciano Paynor has come up with the closest thing to most everyone’s simple answer: umbrella. Paynor said more than 500 umbrellas will be available to protect summit participants from the rains. This much, Paynor and Garcia detailed to members of the media men in Tuesday’s press conference at the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) to emphasize the readiness of the country, particularly the province of Cebu, as the host of the five-day conclave slated here Jan. 10-15. "We are procuring more than 500 umbrellas to protect us from the rain," he said in answer to the possibility of the rainy weather continuing to the days leading to the summit. "In the event that it continues, we just have to accept it as it is." Metro Cebu has been blanketed by rains spawned by the intertropical convergence zone since Monday, raising concern yet again that the summit might be postponed for the second time because of bad weather. But Paynor quickly assured the fainted-hearted, saying "Natural occurrences such as the weather is something we cannot do anything about. Other countries still hold their summits even when snow is falling and world leaders still attend because they cannot do anything about it." Paynor assured that there has been no waning of enthusiasm among the participants notwithstanding the postponement of the summit last December. "Everyone who needs to be here are here. The same countries that are supposed to come last December are also coming this January," he stressed. Paynor added that the postponement last month was a blessing in disguise as it allowed organizers to fine-tune preparations for the high-level meeting, including putting the finishing touches to the CICC, reinforcing security, and beautifying the city. Garcia, who was obviously disappointed when the summit was postponed last month, put it more succinctly when she said: "We are ready then, we are more than ready now." |
| ASEAN leaders to affirm MRA on nursing services |
CEBU CITY--The leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will affirm the Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) on Nursing Services when they meet here this week for the 12th ASEAN Summit. The MRA, which opens new and greater opportunities for Filipino nurses to work within the member countries of ASEAN, was signed by economic ministers of the 10 ASEAN member countries last Dec. 9 before the first scheduled summit was postponed due to Typhoon "Seniang." Ramon Kabigting, director of the Bureau of International Trade Regulation (BITR) of the Department of Trade and Industry, said the arrangement offers new opportunities to Filipino nurses who will now be allowed wider access to nursing employment in the ASEAN region. ASEAN, with a combined population of 470 million, groups Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. The regional grouping has been fast-tracking efforts to open its economies to free trade in services and goods. Under the MRA, rules were liberalized to allow free exchange of nursing services within the region. First, an individual must be registered and/or licensed as a professional nurse by the nursing regulatory authority in their country of origin. Nurses seeking jobs within the ASEAN member countries may then apply for registration or license in a host country to be recognized before being allowed to practice nursing in accordance with the laws and regulations of the host country. "This means our nurses do not have to take the national nurse licensure examinations of other ASEAN members to be able to practice in those countries," Kabigting said. A minimum practical experience in the practice of nursing of not less than three successive years prior to the application is also required. The MRA also provides for the establishment of the ASEAN joint coordinating committee on nursing services to facilitate greater understanding of existing policies, procedures and practices and develop and promote strategies to manage the implementation of the MRA. "The Philippines will be the MRA's biggest beneficiary, since we are now the world's biggest exporter of nurses," Kabigting said. DFA Assistant Secretary Luis Cruz, Director-General for the ASEAN Affairs, said earlier that the ASEAN member-countries are also pursuing negotiations for similar agreements in the architectural, accountancy, surveying, medical practitioners, tourism and information technology professions. |
| Cebu awaits ASEAN leaders' spouses |
CEBU CITY – Cebu City is preparing a two-day program for the spouses of the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) who are attending the 12th ASEAN Summit that will formally open here Friday, Jan. 12. Foreign Affairs Undersecretary and former Ambassador Francisco Benedicto, who is chairman of the Cebu Organizing Committee Subcommittee on Spouses Program, said they have already finalized the details of the spouses program scheduled Jan. 13 and 14. Benedicto is confident that the spouses program would be implemented successfully with the help and cooperation of the Cebuanos from all walks of life. Similar optimism about the program’s smooth implementation was expressed by Margot Osmeña, wife of Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña and the subcommittee’s co-chair; Paz Radaza, wife of Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Arturo Radaza; and Linda Ouano, wife of Mandaue City Mayor Thadeo Ouano. Mrs. Radaza, Mrs. Ouano and Tina Sitoy, wife of Cordova Municipal Mayor Arliegh Sitoy, are members of the subcommittee on spouses program. The activities for the ASEAN spouses, led by the host, First Gentleman Jose Miguel T. Arroyo, will be held in Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City and Mandaue City. Earlier, Mrs. Osmena said that through the program, the ASEAN leaders' spouses will discover the richness of Cebu's culture made even richer yet distinctive by American, Spanish and Chinese influences. "Our visitors will see the province's rich culture and history. We will also showcase Cebu as a festival island," Osmena said. She said the cultural program prepared for the visitors from the other ASEAN countries and the regional grouping’s dialogue partners was a product of nine-month planning and labor. "We are trying to do our best to make sure that the program would be something that the Cebuanos would be proud of," she added. The program will culminate on Saturday, Jan. 13, with the re-enactment of the Battle of Mactan, called "Kadaungan sa Mactan," to be followed by a pre-Hispanic cultural presentation and sumptuous lunch at Mactan-Lapu-Lapu Shrine. At 8 p.m. on the same day, the First Gentleman will host a dinner at the Malacanang sa Sugbu, which will also showcase the different products of Cebu, especially the province’s world-class furniture and accessories. Osmena said the Malacanang sa Sugbu will be transformed into an elegant and formal dining venue for the visiting spouses. The next day, the spouses will go on a guided tour of Cebu’s historical landmarks starting with the unveiling of the bamboo sculpture at the ASEAN Friendship Park in Talamban. The copper-made sculpture features 10 big bamboos, representing the 10 ASEAN member-countries, intermingled with six small bamboos representing ASEAN's dialogue partners—Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, New Zealand and China. The sculpture showcases the "unity and spirit of the ASEAN and its dialogue partners," Osmena said. The spouses will also plant trees at the Friendship Garden. From there, the ASEAN leaders' spouses will go to the Provincial Capitol, a structure rich in American influence. Osmena said the design of the Capitol building was patterned after the capitol in Texas, USA. Members of the Sinulog contingent, including the past and present Miss Cebu, will participate in the parade wearing American-inspired dresses. The spouses will then head to Fuente Osmena, which will be transformed into a Sunday picnic environment with vendors selling balloons, cotton candies and others. They will also pass by Osmena Boulevard where dancers wearing Filipiniana costume will line the streets to showcase 10 of Cebu's festivals. Upon reaching Colon, the oldest street in the Philippines, the spouses will find themselves in Cebu’s Chinatown. The streets will be adorned with Chinese lanterns. Along the route in Colon, students will be performing different Chinese dances like dragon and lion dances. The last stop will be Cebu's famous landmark—the Magellan Cross-- where candle vendors will perform the Sinulog dance. After a brief stopover, the spouses will return to the Capitol along the same route for lunch to be hosted by the provincial government and the Mandaue City. |
| Ermita bares new Presidential appointees for 2007 |
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has appointed Deputy National Security Adviser (NSA) Virtus Gil as Undersecretary under the Office of the President and four others to various positions in the government, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita announced today. In his weekly news conference in Malacañang this afternoon, Ermita said that aside from Gil, the other four appointees are Ellaine Rose Sanchez-Corro, Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, Josyline Chio-Javelosa and Jessup Navarro. Ermita said Corro was appointed Assistant Solicitor General replacing the late Nestor Ballacillo who, together with his son Benedict, was gunned down as they were leaving their home in Parañaque City last Dec. 6. Ballacillo was one of the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) lawyers handling the multibillion-peso Philippine International Air Terminals Co. (PIATCO) case and the ill-gotten wealth suits the government filed against the family of the late President Ferdinand Marcos Romulo-Puyat and Javelosa were appointed Undersecretary for Special Concerns and Assistant Secretary, respectively, at the Department of Agriculture (DA), while Navarro was appointed Administrator of the National Food Authority (NFA). All appointment papers were signed by the President last Jan. 2 except those for Corro and Navarro which were signed last Dec. 28 and Jan. 1, respectively. |
| PGMA names Remonde as oversight official for micro, small and medium enterprise programs |
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has designated Presidential Management Staff (PMS) Director-General Cerge Remonde as oversight official for micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) programs to ensure that the government’s commitment to provide credit and finance to aspiring entrepreneurs is met. The President, who is a staunch supporter of MSMEs, has pledged to provide the more than three million entrepreneurs with ready credit in order to contribute to her legacy agenda of generating six to 10 million jobs by 2010. In signing Memorandum Order No. 238 last Jan. 4, the President said Remonde will be responsible in "synchronizing and orchestrating the policies, programs and activities of the different implementing agencies so that these support and/or complement one another to further spur the development of that sector." Among the functions Remonde will be performing as oversight official of MSMEs are:
Remonde will also "sit in the meetings of the Small and Medium Enterprise Development (SMED) Council" to ensure the effective compliance of the above mentioned functions. |
| Summit showcases best of Cebu, RP furnishings |
CEBU CITY -- World-class! This was the general impression of members of the media and foreign dignitaries of the Cebu-made furnishings at the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC). The native furniture and furnishings were the centerpiece of the Cebuano products display that opened Wednesday at the CICC in time for the arrival of foreign dignitaries attending the 12th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit here. The furniture exhibit by the Cebu Furniture Industries Foundation Inc. (CFIF) is intended to highlight the "Best of Cebu and the Philippines" in line with the call of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia to highlight Philippine products during the four-day conclave. Seven country rooms where the bilateral meetings are slated, including the lobby and the open areas at the ground and second floors of the newly-completed convention center, were furnished with products from the 25 manufacturers and exporters under the CFIF umbrella. CFIF Public Relations Officer Laurie Boquiren said that while the furnitures are world-class, they are distinctly ‘Pinoy.’ "Filipino craftsmen have that ability to combine materials—both traditional and standard – to make them unique. Every detail is carefully planned. Iba talaga ang Pinoy (Pinoy is really different)," she explained. Aside from the CICC, the Cebuano manufacturers also furbished the interiors of eight rooms at the Shangri-La’s Mactan Island Resort and Spa where the heads of state of the 10 ASEAN member countries and ASEAN’s six dialogue partners will hold their summit meetings. "This is a big opportunity for us to show the world what the Cebuano, or the Filipino for that matter, can do," Boquiren said. "This is one of the expected economic benefits we will derive from the summit." Aside from the furniture display, a trade fair and exhibit showcasing various products from different Cebu towns is also ongoing at the CICC. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will formally open the product exhibits on Friday afternoon. |
| Corporate groups extend support to ASEAN Summit |
CEBU CITY – From coffee, soft drinks to food, vehicles to sophisticated communications systems, some of the country’s top corporations and media outfits are chipping in the massive effort to ensure the success of the 12th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit which opened today in Metro Cebu. The Manila-based AMA Computer University, the information technology (IT) partner of the 12th ASEAN National Organizing Committee and Asia’s first and largest IT institution, oversees the ASEAN website for free. The Philippine Long Distance Company (PLDT) and its corporate sister Smart Communications have put up the main Internet access for members of the local and foreign media at the principal summit venues like the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) and Shangri-La’s Mactan Island Resort and Spa and at various locations, including the Mactan-Cebu International Airport. Smart has also put up a high-speed broadband wireless internet connection called Smart Bro which utilizes the firm’s nationwide cell phone network’s wireless internet delivery service. A Smart official said that "regardless of where the delegates are coming from, they will be able to roam seamlessly in our network as most of the operators in ASEAN are roaming partners of Smart." San Miguel Corporation "keeps the coffee flowing" while Coca-Cola Philippines has donated Coke. Patronage of San Mig coffee series cuts across national, religious and political boundaries. The other top corporate patrons of the summit are Diamond Sponsors, LG, BMW and Honda Cars, Petron and JRS Express. BMW, Germany’s auto giant, and Japan’s Honda Cars are providing free of charge their latest model cars to be used by the ASEAN heads of state and the leaders of the regional grouping’s dialogue partners. BMW Philippines is lending its latest BMW 7 Series and 5 Series. BMW’s top of the line 7 Series would cost P4.1 million .each. Honda Cars, on the other hand, is lending 41 units, including 3.0 liter V-6 models which cost P1.6 million apiece. |
| PGMA orders transfer of gov't agencies to super regions where they are needed most |
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has directed Presidential Adviser for New Government Centers Secretary Rodolfo del Rosario to expedite the transfer of the central offices of three national agencies outside of Metro Manila to promote and speed up regional development. In a recent Cabinet meeting, the President tasked Del Rosario to focus on the transfer of the central offices of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) to Davao, the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) to Clark Special Economic Zone in Pampanga and the Department of Agriculture (DA) to Baguio City. According to Cabinet Secretary Ricardo Saludo, the decentralization of government departments to regions where they are needed most is "envisioned to promote regional development." The President said that the introduction of the Super Regions made it more appropriate to move the agricultural agencies DA and DAR to North Luzon and Mindanao, respectively, while maintaining the plan to move DOTC to Clark since ports are the priority in the Luzon Urban Beltway. In her 6th State of the Nation Address (SONA) last year, the President noted that the concept of the Super Regions is to promote and spur growth in regions from Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao. The Super Region is part of the President’s massive investment program designed to sustain economic growth, spread progress to all areas of the country through the Mega-Region economic development strategy, and propel the Philippines to the First World status. Under the super-regions concept, which forms part of the Medium-Term Public Investment Program (MTPIP), the country’s 16 regions have been grouped into four mega-regions, plus another region that cuts across the four mega-regions, to create an enlarged economic landscape based on the natural competitive advantage of these areas. These are the North Luzon Mega-Region, the Metro
Luzon Urban Beltway, the Central Philippines Mega-Region, the Mindanao Mega-Region and the
cyber corridor that serves as the cyber link between these four regions. |
| PGMA cites gains of tough economic reforms |
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said today the benefits of the strict reform measures implemented by her administration have begun to be felt by the Filipino people, particularly since the last quarter of 2006. The President disclosed this good development after Director General Lilia de Lima of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) reported that like the bullish stock market and strong peso, the other economic indicators such as investment, export and employment in the country’s economic zones also registered significant growth last year. In a roundtable discussion on the economic zones and information and communications technology (ICT) held at Malacañang’s Kalayaan Briefing Room, De Lima told the President that investment, export and employment rates in the ecozones recorded double-digit increases in 2006. "Kung sa basketball, all triple double-digit scores," De Lima said, referring to the positive performances of the companies and industries within the economic zones. As of December 2006, De Lima said, the investments in the ecozones rose by 24.69 percent, employment by 21.30 percent and the number of projects jumped from 389 to 463. The value of exports increased from $29.887 billion to $34.64 billion as of November. The President noted that the increase in remittances of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and the growth in exports of the economic zones contributed a lot to the strong performance of the peso against the dollar. "Kaya bukod sa OFWs, iyong exports natin, lalo na sa economic zones, ang laki-laking bagay sa pagbaba ng halaga ng dolyar at pagtaas ng piso na kung saan ay nagkaroon tayo ng savings sa ating pagbabayad ng utang at ito ay nagagamit naman sa mga imprastruktura," the President said. Aside from the investments in the economic zones, she said, the call centers and business process outsourcing (BPO) industry are also among the best providers of job opportunities to Filipinos. Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) Chairman Ramon Sales told the President that the country’s ICT industry continues to be a major contender in the ICT global arena. He also informed the President that as of December 2006, the top BPO locators in the country in terms of number of employees were Convergys with 10,300; Sykes, 9,240; People Support, 7,800; eTelecare, 7,000; Teletech, 7,000; ACS Inc., 5,700; ePLDT, 5,000; ICT, 4,000; Ambergris, 4,000; and Client Logic, 3,500. Among the new large locators or new players in the BPO as of end-December were Dell, JP Morgan, Manulife (BPO), Harte Hanks, Tiger Office, Intellerisk, Sutherland, GE Money, and Brady (Canadian Center). During the discussion, Sales presented to the President a diminished size central processing unit (CPU) with half the price compared to the regular desktop or personal computers that are being sold in the market. Sales also informed the President that the reduced size CPU would be introduced by the CICT to be used in the "Philippines Computer for All (PC4All) Initiative." He invited the President to be the guest in the launching of PC4All in February as part of the commission’s effort to encourage the use of information and communication technology for the development and modernization of the country’s education system. Also present in the roundtable discussion were Greg Ricechow, managing director of the Sun Power Philippines; and Victor Endaya, president and CEO of the Advanced Contact Solutions Inc. |
