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| 24 JANUARY 2007 | ||
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| 24 JANUARY 2007 | ||
| Statement of the President |
| Our joint military training
exercises with the United States constitute a spearhead against the spread of terror in
the region, even as we are closely coordinating with our neighbors in stepping up
vigilance along our common borders to close the dragnet on Abu Sayyaf remnants on the run.
The security of the Asia-Pacific lies in a terror-free Southeast Asia, stability in the Korean Peninsula and a stable environment in the South China Sea. The recent ASEAN and East Asia Meetings tackled these issues to provide a comprehensive umbrella of peace and security to facilitate trade and development in the region; and the Philippines is committed to do its share of the work. Our young soldiers spearhead the fight against terror in the same way that our young professionals and young entrepreneurs are leading the fight against poverty while helping build excellence in the entire region. This generation will wrap up the fight versus terror and poverty in no time at all and lead our nation to the ranks of the first world in the coming decades. |
| Statement of the President Re: Instructions to the PNP |
| I am instructing the PNP to map out in detail
all potential election hot spots, disarm any private armies and help the COMELEC enforce
clean, honest and peaceful polls. The will of the people must be upheld because the strength of our democratic system must go hand in hand with the strength of our free enterprise system. We are lifting our economy to the standards of the 21st century and we should modernize our political institutions in the same vein. All Filipinos have stake in this goal; and let us cut the partisan strife and noise and join hands to fix up the political system just as we fixed up the economy. |
| Statement of Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye Re: OFWs |
| We assure the families of the 24 OFWs that the
Philippine government will exhaust all available means to bring the victims home safely. We are working closely with the Nigerian authorities who are on top of the situation and we are confident that they will be able to persuade the abductors to release the hostages unharmed. Meanwhile, the temporary ban on OFW deployment in that country will remain until this problem is settled and we are given the assurance of the safety of our workers there. This government stands for the security and welfare of our OFWs anywhere in the world. |
| Statement of Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye Re: Wage Issue |
| We support the move of the House of
Representatives to withhold for the mean time the legislated wage hike. The call for broader consultations is well taken and will help in keeping economic confidence up, remove the anxieties over layoffs and ease the concerns of small and medium scale enterprises. Meanwhile, the Government continues to muster the tripartite wage boards and seek all means of uplifting the lot of our workers through key socioeconomic programs that increase their purchasing power, effectively deliver essential services and open more opportunities to move up along the job train-all in the best interest of the country. |
| MWSS seals $503-million agreement with DMCI-MPIC in Palace ceremony |
| The state-owned Metropolitan Waterworks and
Sewerage System (MWSS) formally turned over on Tuesday its 83.97 percent equity in
Maynilad Water Services Inc. to DM Consunji Holdings Incorporated-Metro Pacific
Investments Corporation (DMCI-MPIC) Water Company, a corporate takeover that is expected
to give new life to MWSS' water supply program for Metro Manila and five municipalities
and one city in Cavite. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo witnessed the simple turnover ceremony held this morning at Malacañang's Rizal Hall. At the same ceremony, DMCI-MPIC Water Company, Inc. turned over to MWSS $59.1 million, representing the receivables, deferred concession fees, interest and arbitration fees which had been held in escrow with the Land Bank of the Philippines (LDP) on Jan. 10, 2006. DMCI-MPIC won last year's competitive public bidding to acquire MWSS' receivables and subscription right. Under the turnover agreement, DMCI-MPIC, which won the contract by offering the highest bid of $503 million, will supply water and sewerage services to Metro Manilans living in its western portion particularly: Bacoor, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Cavite, Imus, Parañaque, Kawit, Pasay, Rodriguez, and certain portions of Quezon and Makati Cities. Government Corporate Counsel Chief Agnes Devanadera said "this ceremony is a living testament and testimony to the value of privatization as a national policy of Her Excellency President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo." "It is a recognition of the private and public sector partnership in governance in the delivery of basic services," she said. Devanadera added that the DMCI-MPIC takeover will boost Maynilad's chances of completing its various expansion and rehabilitation programs that had been stalled due to financial difficulties. Maynilad was awarded the right to operate the waterworks and sewerage services under a Concession Agreement signed in August 1997. Under the agreement, Maynilad is required to pay MWSS concession fees aside from the performance of service obligations. Unfortunately, financial difficulties prevented Maynilad from performing its obligations to MWSS starting in March 2001 when it suspended payments of its concession fees to the government water firm "So since the problem (of Maynilad) was (with its) finances, it is important that we have new funding so that Maynilad can really serve the consuming public," Devanadera said. |
| PGMA hails efforts to harness potentials of sweet sorghum as alternative fuel source |
| President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo welcomed
today the efforts of an India-based non-government organization (NGO) to harness the
potentials of the water-efficient sweet sorghum as another source of biofuel. William Dar, former secretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and now director general of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), paid the President a courtesy call this morning in Malacañang to report his organization's successful foray into ethanol manufacturing using sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench). Dar also said that the President was "happy" with his report, saying she would immediately promote sweet sorghum as an alternative feedstock to ethanol manufacturing/extracting processes. Sweet sorghum is similar to grain sorghum with sugar-rich stalks. Being a water-use efficient crop, sweet sorghum has the potential to be a good alternative feedstock for ethanol production, Dar said. Dar said that ICRISAT has developed the variety of sorghum used in ethanol extraction and has tested it "under Philippine conditions" to verify its viability and if it is able to propagate properly here. He added that the research institute's sweet sorghum plantation testing center at the Mariano Marcos State University in Batac, Ilocos Norte has responded well to ICRISAT's extraction process and is immediately available for planting in areas where future ethanol distillers may be put up. Last Jan. 17, the President signed into law Republic Act No. 9367, also known as the "Biofuels Act of 2006," that promotes the use of alternative transport fuels consistent with the Declaration on East Asian Energy Security ratified by the 16 heads of state of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its dialogue partners during the just-concluded 12th ASEAN Summit in Cebu. The Biofuels Act of 2006 seeks to reduce the country's dependence on imported fuels with due regard to the protection of public health, the environment and natural ecosystems consistent with the country's sustainable economic growth that would expand opportunities for livelihood. The Act mandates the use of biofuels as a measure to develop and utilize indigenous renewable and sustainably-sourced clean energy sources to reduce dependence on imported oil. Biofuel refers to bioethanol and biodiesel and other fuels made from biomass and primarily used for automotive, thermal and power generation with quality specifications in accordance with the Philippine National Standards (PNS). |
| Palace backs House move to hold P125 wage increase |
| Malacañang expressed support today for the
move in the House of Representatives to freeze the legislative proposal for a P125
across-the-board increase in the daily minimum wage to allow further consultations on the
issue with concerned sectors. "We support the move of the House to withhold for the meantime the legislated wage increase," Press Secretary and concurrent Presidential Spokesperson Ignacio R. Bunye said in a statement. "The call for broader consultations is well taken and will help in keeping economic confidence up, remove the anxieties over layoffs and ease the concerns of small and medium enterprises," Bunye added. The House passed a bill last December increasing the minimum wage of Filipino workers by P125, staggered over three years, in what it said was a move to give low paid workers more purchasing power. Bunye said that while awaiting the results of the consultations with the concerned sectors, the government would continue to prod the tripartite wage boards to periodically review the salary of workers in the private sector to determine if a salary increase is urgently needed. He added that the government would continue to pursue socio-economic programs to uplift the lives of the workers, generate more employment opportunities and deliver social services. The House moved to recall its approval of the bill to allow further debates and consultations with the affected sectors. The minimum wage varies by region but the national daily average wage is around P283. In Metro Manila, the minimum wage is P350 a day. |
| Statement of Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye: Re World Economic Forum |
| The Davos Annual Meeting of the World Economic
Forum is presented as an opportunity for leaders - from government, business, academe,
media and civil society - to "shape the global agenda for 2007 and make change
happen." The participation of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo provides her the opportunity as chair of the ASEAN to draw attention to the ASEAN Agenda among global leaders and decision-makers and highlight the progress we are making towards economic integration. Coming at the heels of our successful hosting of the ASEAN Summit, the Davos meetings will enable the Philippines as ASEAN chair to present the emergence of the ASEAN community as a formidable bloc as it celebrates 40 years of existence. |
| PGMA welcomes resumption of Balikatan exercises |
| President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo welcomed
today the resumption of the Balikatan joint military exercises with the United States
scheduled to start on Feb. 18. "Our joint military training exercises with the US constitute a spearhead against the spread of terror in the region," the President said in a statement, adding that the Philippines is closely coordinating with its neighbors in bolstering "vigilance along our common borders to close the dragnet on Abu Sayyaf remnants." Under intense pursuit by government forces, the Abu Sayyaf terror group has suffered serious blows over the last few months, with the death of two of its key leaders - Khadaffy Janjalani and Abu Solaiman. The President stressed that the security of the Asia-Pacific region lies in a "terror-free Southeast Asia, stability in the Korean Peninsula and a stable environment in the South China Sea." She pointed out that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and East Asia Summit hosted by the Philippines in Cebu last Jan. 10-15 gave top priority to peace, security and raising the ramparts of the region against terrorist attacks. "The recent ASEAN and East Asia Meetings tackled these issues to provide a comprehensive umbrella of peace and security to facilitate trade and development in the region, and the Philippines is committed to do its share of the work," the President said. She also gave due recognition to members of the military engaged in the successful operations against Muslim extremist groups, saying, "Our young soldiers spearhead the fight against terror in the same way that our young professionals and young entrepreneurs are leading the fight against poverty while helping build excellence in the region." "This generation will wrap up the fight against terror and poverty in no time at all and lead our nation to the ranks of the First World in the coming decades," the President added. The Balikatan Exercises is a series of annual joint military maneuvers aimed at improving the combined planning, combat readiness and coordination of Filipino and American soldiers. |
| Mindanao residents can look forward to increased assistance -- Palace |
The dividends of peace will be felt even more significantly in Mindanao if the core leadership of the terrorist Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) is dismantled and a final peace agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is forged, hopefully this year, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita and Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza said today. At Ermita’s regular Wednesday press briefing in Malacañang this afternoon, Dureza revealed that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has directed that side-by-side with the military successes against the ASG and other terrorist elements is an upgraded assistance program for Mindanao. Dureza said that officials of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) and other government agencies met recently with a group from the donor community to map out increased assistance to the civilian communities in Sulu in terms of relief and rehabilitation, reconstruction, development and other economic projects. "We are going to open up an OPAPP office in Sulu to see to it that intervention is focused and upscaled as per instruction of the President," Dureza said. He added that government personnel were set to dialogue with the local stakeholders in Sulu on what kind of assistance they need for the information of donor countries. The OPAPP chief attributed the success of the military operations against the Abu Sayyaf to the cooperation of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the local community. Dureza said that as regards the peace process, the government has already submitted its proposal to untangle the contentious issues and was only awaiting word from Malaysia on the resumption of the formal peace talks with the MILF. "We are now awaiting word from our Malaysian facilitators on when the resumption of the talks would be but the government panel had already submitted a new package approach on the issue of ancestral domain," Dureza said. Ermita said the death of ASG leaders Abu Solaiman and Khadaffy Janjalani was a big accomplishment in the fight against terrorism, not only for the Philippines but in the whole region of Southeast Asia. With the dismantling of terrorist groups, Mindanao residents can look forward to a package of socio-economic development assistance from donor countries such as the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, and the European Union, he said. |
| Statement of Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye: Re World Economic Forum |
| While in Davos, she will open the working
luncheon of the World Economic Forum whose theme is "ASEAN's Economic Roadmap."
Later in the evening, she will be one of the discussants on "ASEAN's 40 Years - a New
Future." Other participating country leaders are PM Badawi of Malaysia and PM Nguyen Tan Dung of Vietnam. She will also take the opportunity to meet with various business groups who have present or potential investments in the Philippines. |
| PGMA orders PNP to identify election hot spots, disarm private armies |
| President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered today
the Philippine National Police (PNP) to identify potential election hot spots in the
entire country and disarm private armies in a move to ensure clean and peaceful elections
in May. "I am instructing the PNP to map out in detail all potential election hot spots, disarm private armies and help the Commission on Elections (Comelec) enforce clean, honest and peaceful elections," the President said in a statement. She said that the May polls should serve as a showcase of the government's efforts to modernize its political institutions alongside its programs to raise the country's economy to the standards of the 21st century. "The will of the people must be upheld because the strength of our democratic system must go hand-in-hand with the strength of our free enterprise system," the President said. "We are lifting our economy to the standards of the 21st century and we should modernize our political institutions in the same vein," she added. She called on all Filipinos to "cut the partisan strife and noise" and instead work together in improving the country's political system" and "fix up the political system just as we fixed up the economy." The PNP on Tuesday identified 49 election hot spots nationwide, with the Bicol region on top of the list. Police forces are to be increased in the hot points in the run-up to the elections. Up for grabs in the May 2007 elections are the entire membership of the House of Representatives, half of the 24 Senate seats and thousands of local officials, including governors and mayors. |
| PGMA leaves tomorrow for Davos annual meeting of World Economic Forum |
| President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo leaves early
tomorrow for Switzerland to attend the Davos annual meeting of the World Economic Forum
and meet with leaders of government, the academe, business, media and civil society to
"shape the global agenda for 2007 and make change happen," Malacañang said in a
statement this afternoon. Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman Ignacio R. Bunye said the President's participation in the global forum will provide her the opportunity as "chair of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) to draw attention to the ASEAN Agenda among global leaders and decision-makers and highlight the progress we are making towards economic integration." He said that coming on the wake of the Philippines' successful hosting of the 12th ASEAN Summit in Cebu, the "Davos meetings will enable the Philippines as ASEAN chair to present the emergence of the ASEAN community as a formidable bloc as it celebrates 40 years of existence." Bunye added that in Davos, the President will open the working lunch of the World Economic Forum whose theme is "ASEAN's Economic Roadmap." She will also be one of the discussants later in the evening on the topic, "ASEAN's 40 Years - A New Future." Other ASEAN leaders participating in the Davos meetings include Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung. While in Davos, the President will hold meetings with various business groups and other potential investors in the Philippines. |
| Filipino seamen abducted in Nigeria are safe -- Palace |
| Malacañang assured today the families of the 24 overseas
Filipino workers (OFWs) abducted recently in Nigeria that the Philippine government is
exhausting "all available means to bring the victims home safely." "We are working closely with the Nigerian authorities who are on top of the situation and we are confident that they will be able to persuade the abductors to release the hostages unharmed," Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye said in a statement. At the same time, Bunye said the temporary ban on the deployment of OFWs in Nigeria "will remain until this problem is settled and we are given the assurance of the safety" of Filipino workers there. "This government stands for the security and welfare of our OFWs anywhere in the world," he added. During Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita's weekly press conference in Malacañang this afternoon, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Esteban Conejos said the Filipino seamen abducted in Nigeria are all safe and sound and the government is doing everything to secure their safe release as soon as possible. "All our seamen are safe. They are in good condition," Conejos said, adding that the Philippines is now awaiting the result of ongoing negotiations between the Nigerian government and the group that abducted the Filipino seamen. "The talks are ongoing between the government of Nigeria and the group that abducted our seamen," Conejos said. |
