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| 23 OCTOBER 2007 | ||
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| 23 OCTOBER 2007 | ||
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| Barangay leaders want prompt Senate ratification of economic accord with JPEPA |
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The Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership
Agreement (JPEPA) which President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed with former
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi during the 6th Asia-Europe Meeting
in Finland in September 2006 has received strong backing from the country’s
barangay leaders. The Liga ng mga Barangay headed by its president James Marty Lim, through a resolution as expression of support to President Arroyo, appealed to the Senate for the early ratification of the economic accord with Japan, saying it would open new doors for economic opportunities and help alleviate poverty, particularly in the barangays. In the resolution passed during the recent National Liga Board meeting in Manila, the barangay officials expressed “full support for the signing of the JPEPA by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo,” and appealed for its prompt ratification by the Philippine Senate. The barangay leaders said that based on the study made by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), which headed the treaty negotiations with Japan, the Philippines would gain around P222 billion in Japanese foreign direct investments (FDIs) within three years upon the ratification of the agreement or from 2007 to 2010. As a result of this, the barangay leaders are optimistic this would result in the generation of some 330,000 jobs which, in turn, would cause an inflow of some P32 billion in tax revenues. The barangay leaders noted that Japan is the country’s biggest source of FDIs and official development assistance (ODA), aside from being its second biggest trading partner. “The above benefits which our country shall derive from the JPEPA will surely catapult our present economic standing to greater heights and will unquestionably alleviate the poverty of a wide margin of our population,” their resolution read. Earlier this month, Malacanang created an inter-agency task force composed of 18 government agencies to provide the Senate with the needed inputs on the immediate and long-term benefits and advantages the country would derive from the agreement. Under the JPEPA, the Philippines would gain greater access not only to the Japanese agricultural and other markets but also Tokyo’s financial services. Japan would also allow the entry of a greater
number of Filipino professionals, including doctors, nurses and caregivers. |
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PGMA's Opening Statement at the National Security Council
Meeting Malacańang’s Aguinaldo State Dining Room October 23, 2007 |
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Mga kababayan, magpupulong
tayo ngayon kasama sina Vice President Noli de Castro, dating Pangulong
Fidel V. Ramos, Speaker Jose de Venecia, at Senate Majority Leader
Pangilinan na kumatawan kay Senate President Villar na wala sa Maynila
ngayon, kasama ang National Security Cabinet group. |
| Press Statement |
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Upon advice of Palace lawyers, the President
directed the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission (PAGC) to give way to the
Office of the Ombudsman in the investigation of the alleged “payoff” at
Malacańang last Thursday, 11 October 2007. The decision came in the wake of
the announcement by the Ombudsman that it was conducting its own
investigation of the same incident. It will be recalled that as early as
Friday last week, the President ordered PAGC Chair Connie de Guzman to
conduct its investigation of the alleged “payoff”. The decision to allow the Ombudsman to investigate the incident was based on the possibility that PAGC’s effort might lead to a waste of time and resources because it does not have jurisdiction over elected officials such as congressmen and local government executives. PAGC’s jurisdiction is limited only to presidential appointees. With the Ombudsman announcement that it is investigating the “payoff” incident, the public is assured that the matter is now being looked into by a constitutionally mandated and independent body. |
| PGMA: Gov't will strengthen security measures, programs to fight poverty |
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President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said today the
country’s anti-terrorism strategies and other security measures will be
tightened to ensure the safety of the people in the aftermath of the
Glorietta explosion. At the same time, she also warned enemies of the government that they are gravely mistaken if they believe that Filipinos will succumb to the sinister forces trying to sow fear among the people, violence and national discord. “Rerepasuhin natin ang kampanya kontra terorismo at iba pang programang pangseguridad,” the President said in her opening statement at the full National Security Council (NSC)-Cabinet meeting at the Aguinaldo State Dining Room of Malacanang this morning. The President said the capability of both the police and the military against terrorism will be strengthened, hand-in-hand with government efforts to forge a peaceful resolution of all armed conflicts. It is imperative that the people, military, police and the government join hands in the nation’s efforts to achieve unity, she said, adding that the country will continue to keep its partnerships with other countries strong. She called on the Filipino people to unite and work together towards progress, peace and stability. “Sama-sama nating itataguyod ang kaunlaran, kapayapaan at katatagan ng bayan, at mas magandang buhay para sa bawat Pilipino. Sumusulong na ang Pilipinas. Huwag nating payagang pigilin tayo.” “Although the investigation of the (Glorietta) attack has yet to be completed, it is important that we take further measures to ensure the security of the country,” she said. The President pointed out that hand-in-hand with the tightening of security measures, the government will accelerate the implementation of agricultural development programs as a key component of the government’s anti-poverty initiative. She said she had convened a meeting of the Anti-Poverty and Economic and Development Cabinet groups immediately after the NSC-Cabinet meeting to discuss the government’s program to develop two million hectares of agricultural lands, and create two million new jobs. Among those present at the NSC-Cabinet meeting were former President Fidel V. Ramos, Vice President Noli de Castro, Senate Majority Leader Francis Pangilinan, House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., Acting Executive Secretary Ignacio Bunye, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro and Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Ronaldo Puno. Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Hermogenes Esperon, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Avelino Razon, National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales, Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes, Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane, Trade Secretary Peter Favila, Acting Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Sergio Apostol, and Presidential Management Staff head Cerge Remonde. Aside from the two million new agriculture-related jobs, the President said the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has launched it own initiatives to help Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) cope with the current strengthening of the Philippine peso. These initiatives include the “series of Bangko Sentral investment incentives and programs for overseas Filipino remittances to be invested into capital enterprises,” she said The President said that she has ordered the Cabinet to keep her posted on the government’s security and human rights measures and other administration programs to alleviate poverty, especially in the countryside. |
| New York-based Fil-Am Chamber reiterates support for RP in face of Glorietta incident |
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The Philippine-American Chamber of Commerce, one
of the oldest bilateral business organizations in the United States, has
renewed its support for the Philippines and its faith in the Filipino people
in the face of the Glorietta mall blast in Makati City last Friday. In a joint statement, Butch Meily and Richard Rosenberg, Phil-Am Chamber president and chairman, respectively, called on Filipino and American businessmen to continue investing in the Philippines in spite of the isolated incident that killed 11 persons and wounded dozens of others. Meily is currently an executive of the Philippine Long Distance and Telephone Company (PLDT) while Rosenberg is the president of Data Symmetry. “We believe in the Philippines and its future, we believe in the strength of its economy and most of all, we believe in the capability, fortitude and goodness of the Filipino people. We call on the business community in the Philippines and the US to continue to invest in the country and provide jobs,” they said in a statement. Meily and Rosenberg said the isolated Makati incident has not dampened their spirits and should never discourage anyone. “If we work together, we will prevail,” they said. Founded in 1920, the Philippine-American Chamber of Commerce includes among its members some of the largest corporations in the US. |
| Statement of Cabinet Secretary Ricardo Saludo: Financial Literacy Campaign, Pag-iibayuhin pa para sa OFWs |
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Nanawagan ang pamahalaan sa iba’t-ibang sangay
ng ahensiya na pag-ibayuhin at palawakin ang programang Financial Literacy
Campaign (FLC) sa pulong na ginanap sa Malacanang kaninang umaga. Sa National Economic and Development Authority-Cabinet meeting sa Palasyo, iginiit ni Pangulong Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo na malaki ang naitutulong ng programa ng Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) at Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) sa laganap na suliranin ng mga Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) sa paglakas ng piso laban sa dolyar. Layunin ng FLC na palawakin ang kaalaman ng mga OFWs at kanilang pamilya ukol sa financial education. Nais din ng FLC na itaguyod ang pag-iimpok at pamumuhunan sa pamamagitan ng pagtuturo sa mga OFWs ng iba’t-ibang gamit ng remittances. Ayon kay BSP Officer-in-Charge Nestor A. Espenilla, kasalukuyang ipina-package ang FLC sa CD-ROM para maipamahagi sa OFWs sa ibayong dagat sa pamamagitan ng Labor Attaches o Philippine Overseas Labor Offices. Kaugnay nito, nakiusap si Pangulong Arroyo na ipakita ang CD ng FLC sa Cabinet meeting bago ito ipamahagi. Ipinahayag din ni Pangulong Arroyo na mas makakabuting isama rin dito sa lalong madaling panahon ang pagsasama ng FLC sa pre-departure orientation seminars (PDOS) na isinasagawa ng Philippine Overseas Employment Adminisitration (POEA). Sa kasalukuyan, umabot na sa 14 na FLCs ang isinagawa ng BSP at OWWA sa bansa mula noong Pebrero 2006 hanggang Setyembre 2007. Kaalinsabay nito, nanawagan si Pangulong Arroyo na isama sa naturang kampanya ang top 13 origins ng OFWs sa bansa tulad ng La Union, Isabela, Pangasinan, Samar, Aklan, Iloilo, Capiz, Butuan, Leyte, North at South Cotabato, Zamboanga, Maguindanao. Tanging ang Maguindanao lamang ang kasama sa tinatawag na “10 poorest provinces in the Philippines.” Ayon naman kay Department of Labor and Employment Acting Secretary and OWWA Administrator Marianito D. Roque, maaari ring magsagawa ng ’roadshows’ sa mga estratihiyang lugar kung saan mataas ang bilang ng OFWs tulad ng Saudi Arabia at Hong Kong. Idinagdag pa niya na nararapat din sa FLC ang suporta ng local government units (LGUs), non-government organizations (NGOs) at ng iba pang sektor para humikayat ng lalahok sa FLC seminars. Kasama rin dito ang pagsasagawa ng trainings for trainors (TOTs) upang maiparating ang idelohiya at layunin ng naturang kampanya. Sinabi rin ng Pangulo na lalong mas mapapabuti ang programa kung magkakaroon din ng resource speakers na magtuturo ng agri-business, microfinance, at mga kooperatiba. Kasama rin dito ang pag-iimbita ng OFWs na makapagbibigay ng testimonya ukol sa tagumpay ng FLCs sa kanilang buhay. ****** *For further referente please call Secretary Ric Saludo at 0919-3959215 or Asec. Carlos P.V. Rivera at Tel. 735-7853. |
| Latest PNP findings on Glorietta mall blast point to gas explosion |
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The Philippine National Police (PNP) told the
expanded National Security Council (NSC)-Cabinet Group meeting in Malacanang
this morning that based on its latest findings, the Oct. 19 Glorietta blast
was a “gas explosion” and not a terrorist bombing as earlier feared. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo convened the high-level meeting among Congress leaders, members of the Cabinet and top military, police and security officials for wide-ranging discussions on the Glorietta incident. Southern Police District (SPD) Chief Supt. Luizo Ticman, who conducted the power point presentation on the Glorietta blast, told the NSC-Cabinet Group that bomb experts from the United States and Australia have been helping the PNP in the investigation of the explosion. Ticman heads the multi-agency team investigating the Glorietta explosion in Makati City. He said the investigators’ theory of a gas explosion was based on their findings that the blast left no crater, there were no signs of tearing effect from bomb explosion, there was no soot or blackening on the concave ceiling, no IED compound (bomb ingredient) was found, and laboratory test results were negative for explosive ingredients. Ticman explained that PNP investigators were pursuing the gas-explosion theory because of the upward ruptures and damage on the diesel tank, concave concrete slab directly above the diesel tank, presence of septic tanks and waste-water treatment facilities that produce methane. He added that there was also no functioning ventilation, and no exhaust system, giving rise to increase in temperature, and accumulation of diesel vapor/fumes, the presence of open switches, motor pumps, batteries and other possible igniters, and the vent of explosion clearly showed strong upward push which characterize gas explosion. But the President pointed out that “even if it was an accident, the event made us more conscious to act on terrorism… and strengthen our counter-terrorism (measures).” She also asked Ticman to clarify whether “RDX,”
a bomb ingredient, is “found in nature” and if it has “non-lethal uses.” The
initial report on the cause of the blast said RDX traces were found at the
site of the blast. |
| PGMA unlikely visitor at Glorietta blast site |
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The Glorietta Mall in Makati City had a very
unlikely visitor this afternoon, four days after it was rocked by a powerful
explosion that left 11 dead and scores of other people injured. It was no other than President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who made a surprise inspection of the blast site and did some shopping on the side, her way of saying it’s business as usual at the popular commercial center. The President toured the second floor of the Glorietta where she smiled and waved at the shoppers and onlookers. She also posed for souvenir photos overlooking the mall of the atrium. At the ground floor, she proceeded to a coffee shop where she had black coffee with Social Welfare Secretary Esperanza Cabral and Ayala Land President Jim Ayala. "It's business as usual here. Hayaan na lang muna natin ang mga imbestigador na gawin ang kanilang mga trabaho,” she told media men who followed her surprise inspection. Cabral said the President felt saddened by the incident which claimed the lives of innocent shoppers and ripped a portion of the mall last Friday She said the President wants to assure the public that security has been tightened to ensure the safety of the people. While touring the mall, the President did some shopping and bought some shoes and blouses, according to Cabral. "Nagkaroon daw siya ng opportunity na makapunta dito dahil matagal na siyang hindi nakapag-shopping,” the DSWD chief said. Ayala, meantime, said the police had declared the Glorietta mall 1,3 and 4 as safe and secured places for shopping once more. |
