by anyajulia | Jul 29, 2009 | Headlines, National News
The Department of Finance expressed optimism that the country will remain on track with its deficit program of P250 billion or 3.2 percent of GDP (gross domestic product) this year.
For the month of June, the national government incurred a budgetary deficit of P30.2 billion, a reversal of the P800- million surplus posted during the same month last year. Total revenues for the month reached P89.6 billion while total expenditure hit P119.8 billion.
Finance Secretary Margarito Teves said the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and Bureau of Custom (BoC) are vigorously pursuing action plans to improve revenue collection despite a difficult environment. (PIA)
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by anyajulia | Jul 29, 2009 | Headlines, National News
HUNGER mitigation, as what the recent Social Weather Station survey would prove, is not just solved by the government’s brisk intervention.
In fact, even with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) doing its best to respond to the needs of poor families, “there simply to much to be done, and leaving the government alone to do it, would make it seem helpless.”
The recent SWS survey that some 3.7 million families in the country experience hunger in the past three months.
“A lot of factors need to be considered here,” presses one population and health education (PHE) advocate in Bohol who asks not to be named.
She said “while the government deals on providing the immediate assistance towards hunger mitigation, local governments should now see the correlation between uncontrolled population, resource use and channeling the country’s resources to where they could dent on poverty and not on politician’s pockets.”
“I believe the government today is slowly addressing the problem in its own way but we need to take our part, not just criticize because whether we admit it or not, we all going down on this same boat,” she said. (PIA)
by anyajulia | Jul 29, 2009 | Headlines, National News
Despite her critics insisting that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo failed to categorically state her relinquishing power in 2010 in her last State of the Nation Address, Malacañang advises them: “digest well [their] interpretations on the President’s statements.”
Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Anthony Golez said PGMA was clear in her SONA when she said she “never expressed the desire to extend myself beyond my term.”
With that statement alone, I think there is no need for the President to speak categorically hat she will step down,” he said.
Golez added that the President’s statement answered the worries of the government, critics about her possible term extension.
Golez quoted the President as stating: “at the end of this speech I shall step down from this stage, but not the Presidency. My term does not end until next year. Until then, I will fight for the ordinary Filipino. The nation comes first. There is much to do as head of state- to the very last day.”(PIA)
by btpo | Jul 29, 2009 | Headlines
An inspection team was sent in the province of Bohol to conduct the evaluation of sites and facilities for the planned third leg of the “Philippine Kayaking Series 2009”. The PCVC or the Philippine Convention and Visitors Corporation, the marketing arm of the Department of Tourism (DOT) would like to make the Philippines the kayaking capital of Southeast Asia, the country being the second largest archipelago on the planet after Indonesia; with 64 out of 79 provinces having coastlines and 7,107 islands. The Philippines is therefore is a natural playing field for water sports, environment and adventure tourism activities. The PCVC Inspection Team brought with them expert photographers and videographers who took footages of the various attractions along the route, assisted by some of the tourism officers of the municipalities. Scenes of sandbars, uninhabited islets and mangrove areas were taken. Due to the very limited time and hectic schedules, they were only able to take materials from three locations. This however, was deemed more than enough for use in the promotions of Bohol as one of the kayaking destinations within the Philippine Kayaking Trail, for the tourism fair in September.
by btpo | Jul 29, 2009 | Headlines
Almost all Cebuanos favor a law in the Philippines on reproductive health (RH) and family planning (FP). This is according to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) Survey in all the six congressional districts of the Province of Cebu. 87 percent of Cebuanos according to the survey favor an RH and FP law in the country while 9 out of 10 or 90% of Cebuanos favor a provincial policy in RH. According to the SWS survey 93% of those who took part in the survey are Catholics. “This survey proves yet again that being Catholic has no effect when it comes to people’s or couple’s decision in matters related to their health and their families.” Mr. Benjamin de Leon, President of the Forum for Family Planning said. “It has always been used by the Catholic hierarchy as leverage to scare politicians into making the right policy decisions when it comes to reproductive health.” De Leon added.
A few months ago, a similar survey was conducted in Districts 1 and 2 of Cebu province and yielded almost the same results that 9 out 10 Cebuanos from District 1 and 2 agree that the province should have a policy on reproductive health while 88% also agree that the Philippines should have a policy on family planning and reproductive health. The Reproductive Health Bill is currently pending in Congress and NGOs and local organizations like The Forum are urging Congress to put the bill to vote. “Anti-RH Bill legislators are deliberately delaying the proceedings and we are saddened and disturbed by the lack of respect for the legislative process.” De Leon said. But while government and legislators are still entangled in the discussions, majority of Filipinos have made their decision. Two other local surveys conducted by Social Weather Stations (SWS) in the cities of Manila and Paranaque reveal an overwhelming support for a national policy on reproductive health. Despite the huge amount of money used by government to promote natural family planning (NFP) method, the 2008 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) show that NFP was not the method preferred by Filipinos with a merely 0.1% of Filipinos using Mucus/Billings Method, 0.0% for Standard Days Method and 0.4 for Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM).
