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| 21 MARCH 2007 | ||
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| 21 MARCH 2007 | ||
| Statement of Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye Re: Gen. Ligot |
We would like to state up front there are no negotiations taking place involving the government on this matter, and we shall let the law take its course. We owe it to our soldiery and the people to act in their supreme interest, and there can be no bargains in this regard. |
| PGMA welcomes plan of Chinese firm to invest $200-M in mining in RP |
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo welcomed today the plan of one of China’s top 100 corporations to invest an initial US$200-million for the construction of a ferro nickel plant in Eastern Samar. Zhang Xiangqing, chairman of the board of RockCheck Steel Group Co. Ltd. based in Tianjin City, China, informed the President of his company’s plan to set up the modern nickel plant at the Hinatuan Mining Corporation (HMC) plant site in Manicani, Guiuan, Eastern Samar. "I am determined to bring more investments here in the Philippines. Filipinos are very hardworking, kind and good. I am impressed with your very good government, with your great leadership, it’s very democratic and very hospitable," Zhang told the President during his courtesy call in Malacaņang this morning. The President thanked him for the new investment and for believing on her leadership. Zhang also said he was impressed by the hospitality extended to him by the officials and people of Eastern Samar during his visit there last week. "I am very glad. Congratulations. Thank you for your investment and I am looking forward for the soonest mining construction in Samar," she told Zhang. Rockcheck Steel Group is one of China’s top corporations with trans-region operation. It has a combined steel production of 3.5 million tons with annual sales last year reaching more than 22 billion yuan or US$300 billion. The firm has a total property worth 5.5 billion yuan or US$ 700 million and more than 7,000 employees. Rockcheck Steel has signed an agreement with Fulim Mining and Export Corporation, the exclusive marketing arm of HMC in China, to set up the modern ferro nickel plant at the HMC mining site in Manicani. Construction will commence on the third quarter of this year and when fully operational, the new plant will employ at least 5,000 local residents. HMC will be the source of all nickel ore needed by the plant. Zhang was accompanied to the Palace by Alex Fu Kong Sang, chairman and chief executive officer and Lito Jimenez, executive vice president of Fulim Global Mining and Export Corp., Eastern Samar Governor Ben Evardone and Environment and Natural Resources Undersecretary Demetrio Ignacio. |
| PGMA welcomes Sino University tie-up with U.P. |
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo welcomed today the tie-up forged by China’s prestigious Tsinghua University with the University of the Philippines which paves the way for the introduction of distance learning program (DLP) in the latter’s educational system. Chen Xi, chairman of the Tsinghua University informed the President of the partnership during a courtesy call in Malacaņang this morning. "We came to the Philippines to promote research, cooperation with the Philippine universities, to provide scholarship training with UP particularly on the distance learning program," Chen told President Arroyo. The President was visibly elated by the commitment made by the Chinese education delegation. She expressed hope that they will focus on the many remote villages in the countryside so that students and teachers could have access to the program through the broadcast medium. "We should adopt DLP in remote villages particularly in the countryside. My commitment now is to put up electricity in areas where there is no power in order for them to have access to this program," she said. Chen said that he wanted the Philippines to adopt the DLP because China has similarly established it in 80 other countries. In China alone, he said, they have put up 100 DLPs in 2,000 remote villages. Chen told the President that they will likewise visit the University of the East in Manila for a possible inclusion of DLP in their system. He also said that they would donate non-invasive type of X-ray machines to the government’s customs bureau particularly the fast cargo scanning where cargo unloading process is no longer an imperative. "Good! The business community would benefit from it," the President retorted. Also present at the courtesy visit were China’s Ambassador to the Philippines Li Jin Jun, University of the East chairman Lucio Tan and Chairman Carlito Puno of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). |
| Skyway extension all set, PGMA announces |
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo broke the good news today that the Philippine National Construction Corporation (PNCC) would proceed with the extension of the Metro Manila Skyway project stretching from Bicutan to Alabang in Muntinlupa City. In her speech at the 28th national conference of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) this afternoon at the Manila Hotel, the President said PNCC president Maria Theresa Defensor-Asuncion informed her this morning of the welcome development. "I am happy to report a news from the PNCC president today that tomorrow, the PNCC board will ratify the joint investment proposal with CITRA (Citra Metro Manila Tollway Corporation) for the continuation of the Skyway project from Stage 2," she said The President pointed out that the completion of the Skyway extension project would offer a more convenient travel for people, facilitate the movement of goods, and further spur business and development in other areas in the Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon (CALABARZON) growth area. The Skyway project, an overhead motorway along the South Luzon Expressway, is one of the priority projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in the CALABARZON area under the President’s 10-point agenda. Earlier, Trade and Industry Secretary Peter Favila had given CITRA a deadline to submit a plan for the completion of the Skyway project. Citra had already completed the first stage of the project covering the Buendia to Bicutan stretch. Stage 2 of the Skyway project is the portion from Bicutan to Alabang which covers 9.9 kilometers, while the third stage, which will extend from Buendia to Balintawak, covers 13 kilometers. |
| Let the law take its course on ill-gotten wealth case vs Ligot family -- Palace |
Let the law take its course. Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesperson Ignacio R. Bunye stressed this today as he said that the government has no plan to negotiate with retired Lt. Gen. Jacinto Ligot on an amicable settlement of the ill-gotten wealth case against the Ligot family. "We would like to state up front there are no negotiations taking place involving the government on this matter, and we shall let the law take its course," Bunye said. "We owe it to our soldiery and the people to act in their supreme interest, and there can be no bargains in this regard," he added. Bunye issued the statement in response to published reports saying that Ligot, accused of amassing P135 million unexplained wealth, offered to turn over part of the alleged wealth to the government for the dropping of the charges filed by the Office of the Ombudsman. Ligot was a former comptroller of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. His legal counsel, Rafael Zialcita, announced earlier that his client was ready to return P21 million of the alleged ill-gotten wealth as part of the amicable settlement with the government. |
| Ermita bares 3 Presidential appointees |
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has appointed Ma. Juanita Elegir-Cueto as acting Commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said today. In his weekly press conference in Malacaņang this afternoon, Ermita also announced the appointments of Ramon Vicente T. Kabigting as Assistant Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry, and Daniel A. Dimagiba as Executive Director of the Air Transportation Office-Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC). Cueto, whose first seven-year term as SEC commissioner expired last March 11, 2007, was reappointed by the President as acting commissioner on March 12. |
| PGMA hails gov't-business-labor partnership on pushing economic reforms |
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo hailed today the continued tripartite partnership among government, business, and labor that resulted in the third largest wage improvement in the Asia-Pacific region, creation of more than one million jobs, and pushing the country towards attaining "permanent economic growth and stability." The President made the remarks at the Manila Hotel this afternoon during the 28th national conference of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) with the theme, "Reaching Out: Competitiveness, Partnership and Reforms." Among those present were Labor and Employment Secretary Arturo Brion, ECOP president Sergio Ortiz-Luis, Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FFCCCII) president Francis Chua Jr., ECOP board chairman Miguel Varela, ECOP chairman emeritus Donald Dee, and Don Emilio Yap, the first recipient of ECOP’s Gawad Lakan ng Kalakalan award. In her speech, the President said the partnership among business, government, and labor has been tested through the many economic reforms that are now bearing fruit. "New revenues, better collection, fiscal discipline has put the Philippines to the path of permanent economic growth and stability," she said. The President also congratulated the successful wage-setting of the regional wage boards (RWBs) that enabled the country accomplish the distinction of having the third highest wage increase in the Asia-Pacific region. "Aside from having the third largest improvement in wages in the Asia- Pacific, we also together created 1.16 million jobs from January last year to January this year," she said. The President noted that her administration’s jobs creation program has provided a policy environment for faster and sustainable economic growth, including good governance to attract more foreign investments, investment in public infrastructure and human capital such as in education and basic health care. She said these accomplishments would be sustained and her administration is committed to consolidate the gains in new revenues by making the long overdue investments in human and physical infrastructure and other vital social and economic needs. These include investing billions of pesos in education, health care, and training along with new bridges, roads, and ports to upgrade the competitiveness of the Philippines. "I take great pride in the discipline of our administration to focus on the economy and our overall economic growth. I am personally proud of the fact that external debt is declining at a rapid clip, optimistic that we will balance the budget on schedule," the President said. |
| RP: One of the best values for money in Asia for investors -- PGMA |
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo bared today a $2-billion fresh foreign investments that would greatly help accelerate the conversion and development of former military bases in the country into economic zones and make the Philippines "one of the best values for money in Asia for investors." Speaking at the 28th national conference of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) this afternoon at the Manila Hotel, the President said she was informed last night by Trade and Industry Secretary Peter Favila of the new tourism investments in former military bases now under the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA). "Just last night, I got a call from Secretary Peter Favila, he was with the Shanghai World Trade group. And they gave me the good news of a forthcoming $2 billion tourism investments in the BCDA," the President said. She said this good news was confirmed to her during the visit of Chinese Ambassador Li Jinjun this morning in Malacaņang. "We believe the Philippines is one of the best values for money in Asia for investors," the President said. "There has been a surge in investments. Exports, notwithstanding the strong peso, our exports growth in January was 27 percent," she added. The President signed Republic Act No. 9400 yesterday converting the Clark Special Economic Zone in Pampanga into a freeport zone. The Clark Freeport Zone is the country’s second freeport after the Subic Freeport and Special Economic Zone that provides several incentives to locators. The President said the freeport zones, particularly Clark, will continue to spur investments in the super regions in Luzon, level the playing field in investments, and create well-paying jobs such as call centers and business process outsourcing (BPOs) providers. As political stability dawns in the Philippines, the President said her administration would continue to liberalize the investment climate, including liberalizing the cement industry to make it less costly to invest in factories and public infrastructure such as roads and bridges. |
| Out-of-school youths in barangay near Islamic Center get PGMA scholarship vouchers |
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo awarded today 125 scholarship vouchers for out-of-school youths during her visit this afternoon to the Muslim community in Barangay 648, San Miguel, Manila. The scholarship certificates are for training of the youths as call center agents, welders and in slaughtering of swine and cattle as part of the PGMA Training for Work Scholarship Project of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). The President arrived at 1:30 p.m. in Barangay 648 along Palanca St. in San Miguel where she was welcomed by some 200 residents led by Chairperson Bai Nurhana Macabato-Lucman and Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Bayani Fernando. The President also awarded to Ms. Laila Hadji Ali a certificate to operate a "Tindahan Natin" which sells basic commodities at low prices. During an informal interaction with the residents, the President instructed the barangay and government officials present to attend to the community’s problem on informal settlers, lack of potable water, peace and order, and livelihood. |
