by aimee | Jul 5, 2012 | Headlines, National News
THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) approved the release of P941.3 million to the Department of Education (DepEd) for the purchase of additional chairs and tables for elementary and secondary schools all over the country.
The release will be charged against the DepEd’s Lump Sum for the Requirement of Basic Educational Facilities under the 2012 General Appropriations Act.
“This is part of the Aquino administration’s goal to boost facilities in our public schools, so that we can create a better learning environment for schoolchildren across the country. Too often, the students themselves outnumber the chairs and tables, and many of the children are forced to stand up during class or squeeze uncomfortably into their classmates desks,” says Budget and Management Secretary Florencio B. Abad.
“With the addition of much-needed furniture, however, it will be easier for schoolchildren to pay attention to their lessons and participate in class. This will of course result in improved academic performance, and the children will be better-positioned to perform well in and outside the school halls,” Abad added.
According to Abad, the chairs and tables will be distributed to schools with facility shortages, with priority given to newly constructed and still-to-be constructed school buildings. Recipient schools will be furnished 45 arm chairs for every classroom, along with a table-and-chair set for the teacher/class instructor.
Of the P941.3 million, schools in NCR will receive the largest share of the release, with their allocation amounting to P109 million. Region 4-A follows closely with P99 million, while Region 5 will receive P83 million from the total release.
Apart from purchasing additional school furniture, the DepEd is also tasked to construct rehabilitate, replace, complete and repair school buildings in areas experiencing acute classroom shortage, as well as provide sufficient water and sanitation facilities to several schools and campuses.
Earlier this year, President Aquino approved the “K-12” program, which adds one more year in elementary education and one more year in secondary education to boost student competitiveness prior to entering college. (DBM)
by aimee | Jul 5, 2012 | National News
TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, July 05 (PIA)–Gitumbok karon sa Malacañang nga ang ‘BB+’ rating sa Standard & Poor’s (S&P) sa Pilipinas nagpamatuod lamang nga epektibo ang fiscal management sa Aquino administration.
Sa maong credit upgrade, usa ka lakang na lang ang Pilipinas gikan sa investment grade status nga dugay nang gitinguha sa gobyerno aron mas modaghan pa ang mga mamuhunan sa nasud.
Matud pa ni Presidential Communications Sec. Ricky Carandang, samtang aduna pay debate karon tali sa pagdaginot batok sa paggahin og stimulus, napamatud-an sa Pilipinas nga kaya niining mogasto nga dili kinahanglang mohinay ang atong fiscal position.
Dugang pa ni Carandang, gipaningkamotan kini sa Presidente kauban ang economic team aron ma-upgrade ang credit status sa nasud.
“The President and the economic team have worked hard to win ratings upgrades and we’re another step closer to investment grade status,” matud pa ni Carandang.
Gikan sa ‘BB+,’ usa ka lakang na lamang ang Pilipinas sa ”BBB-‘ credit rating, ang pinaka-ubos nga investment grade matud pa sa mga market participants.
Sunod niini ang ‘BBB’, ‘A,’ ‘AA,’ ug ang labing gitinguha nga ‘AAA.’
Apil sa mga nasud nga may ‘AAA’ credit rating (as of January 2012) ang UK, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Sweden ug Switzerland.
Ang ‘AAA’ maoy pinakataas nga rating nga nagpasabot nga ang nasud nga aduna niini wala’y problema sa pagbayad sa utang. (‘AAA’ – Extremely strong capacity to meet financial commitments, Highest Rating). (PIA-Bohol/ecb)
BSP nimandu sa pagbutang sa mga detalye sa utang ug interes sa mga konsyumer
TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, July 05 (PIA)–Nipagawas og direktiba ang Bangko Sentral sa Pilipinas (BSP) sa tanang lending institutions nga ihikyad sa ilang mga konsyumer ang detalye sa utang ug interes.
Matud pa sa BSP, kauban niini ang total cost sa loan, apil na ang tanang interes, fees, service charge, discounts ug mga gipatong nga galastohan nga adunay kalabotan sa utang.
Angay usab nilang ipatong ang interes sa outstanding balance ug dili sa principal amount o kinatibuk-ang kantidad sa gi-utang.
Pasabot pa ni BSP Deputy Governor Nestor Espenilla, “‘Yung focus kasi lagi ng uutang is on the money, just sign on the dotted line, then he will realize later na its quite expensive pala.”
Sakop niining direktiba ang mga bangko, credit card, lending companies, pawnshop ug bisan ang mga ahensya sa gobyerno nga nagpautang. (PIA-Bohol/ecb)
by aimee | Jul 4, 2012 | National News
TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, July 04 (PIA)–Sugdan dayon sa Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) ang public interview sa mga pagapiliang chief justice sa Supreme Court (SC) human sa State of the Nation Address (SONA) ni Presidente Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III.
Matud pa ni Atty. Jose Mejia, miyembro sa JBC, sa Hulyo 24 na nila sugdan ang paggisa sa mga aspirante.
Giingong mahuman nila ang interview sa Hulyo 27.
Sa pagkakaron, 24 ang giingong nasulod sa unang parte sa screening o ang nomination.
Kinahanglang masumite na nila ang short list kang Presidente Aquino sa Hulyo 30 aron makapili na og bag-ong punong mahistrado.
Adunay hangtud Agosto 27 ang punong ehekutibo aron makapili og ihulip ni kanhi Chief Justice Renato Corona.
Kahinumdoman nga gitugotan sa JBC ang live coverage sa public interview apan gitataw nila nga mga JBC member lang ang mahimong mangutana sa mga nominado. (PIA-Bohol/ecb)
Senior citizens lane sa eleksyon, gihangyo sa COMELEC
TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, July 04 (PIA)–Gihangyo sa Commission on Elections (Comelec) ang pagbutang og special lane alang sa mga senior citizen sa adlaw sa piniliay.
Nakigpulong na ang Alliance of Senior Citizens Organization sa panguna ni kanhi brodkaster ug kanhi Senador Eddie Ilarde nilang Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes ug Commissioner Rene Sarmiento aron ihikyad ang balaodnon nga maghatag og special accomodation sa mga senior citizen sa adlaw sa piniliay.
Sa iyang petisyon, gusto ni Ilarde nga himuong compulsory sa tanang voting center ang pagbutang og entrance, precinct booth ug passage nga exclusive alang sa mga senior citizen aron masiguro nga hapsay ug hamugaway silang makabotar.
Matud usab ni Sarmiento nga napatuman na ang special lane alang sa mga senior citizen ug buntis sa ubang dapit niadtong 2010 elections ug plano kining ipatuman sa midterm elections sa sunod tuig. (PIA-Bohol/ecb)
All-time high record, natala sa lokal nga merkado
TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, July 04 (PIA)– Nagsarado sa all-time high record ang trading sa Philippine stocks kagahapon.
Human makaginhawa ang mga investors sa kahadlok tungod sa euro debt crisis, nadasig ang transaksyon sa lokal nga merkado, diin ang main Philippine Stocks Exchange (PSE) index mikita og 65.46 points o 1.23 percent human magsarado sa 5,365.70.
Giingong kini ang labing taas nga rekord ukad niadtong Mayo 3, diin ang record close nitala sa 5,300.41.
Mas daghan usab ang mga gainers o stocks nga mikita nga naa sa 122 kun itandi sa 52 losers.
Gawas sa giingong lig-on nga economic fundamentals sa Pilipinas, nakatabang usab ang pagkalma sa sitwasyon sa Euro zone ug US market.
“We are the strongest market in the region, inspired by improvements in net foreign funds’ inflow,” matud pa ni Freya Natividad, research president sa F. Yap Securities Inc. (PIA-Bohol/ecb)
by aimee | Jul 4, 2012 | National News
THE Aquino administration assured that it would come up with a well-defined mining policy consistent with the 1987 Constitution, a Palace official said on Wednesday.
Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda issued the statement during the regular press briefing in Malacanang following reports that some governors and stakeholders plan to challenge the Aquino administration’s new mining policy before the Supreme Court (SC) the moment it is signed.
“We can’t preempt anyone from filing a lawsuit. What is important is that we are making sure that the Executive Order (EO) on mining will stand constitutional scrutiny,” Lacierda said.
Lacierda noted that the administration is presently conducting extensive consultations with mining stakeholders before finalizing the draft EO.
“We don’t have yet the final EO but it has been discussed. It would be released soon,” Lacierda said adding that the new mining policy is undergoing “fine-tuning” in certain provisions.
The government is pushing efforts for the crafting of the new mining policy that will be beneficial for both the government and mining investors.
The Chamber of Mines of the Philippines claimed that the mining industry lost significant amount of mining investments last year because of the absence of a new mining policy in the country.
With the crafting of the new mining policy, the Aquino administration hopes that the new measure will generate more revenues for the government in the face of a high demand for metallic resources. The new EO also aims to balance out concerns on environment protection and economic gains. (PCOO)
by aimee | Jul 3, 2012 | National News
MALACAÑANG reiterated that the Philippines remains committed to the peaceful resolution of the dispute in the West Philippines Sea saying that the President’s statements on US spy planes monitoring the borders was taken out of context.
It was reported that the Chinese Foreign Ministry had released a statement asking the Philippine government not to issue more provocative statements that would raise tensions.
The Chinese officials are referring to the statement of the President Benigno S. Aquino III about a possible assistance of the US through the use of American spy planes in the West Philippine Sea to monitor the country’s borders.
Secretary Ramon Carandang of the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office (PCDSPO) said during a press briefing in Malacanang on Tuesday that the Chief Executive was just responding to specific questions during an interview by Thomson Reuters this week.
One of the questions was whether or not the Philippines would approve flyovers by the US surveillance planes called Orions, and whether or not the government had approved flyovers to monitor the Philippine territory, he said.
“The President said that was one of the options. Remember that we have a responsibility to monitor our territory to make sure that there are no incursions for one reason or another and our capabilities are rather limited,” Carandang said.
“The President was responding in the context of saying that it’s one of the options being considered to enable us to enhance our ability to monitor our territory. Now, he reiterated that there have been no decisions and that the primary responsibility belongs to the Philippine government.”
And if the Philippine government authorizes surveillance flights using US spy planes, they are not meant to be provocative, Carandang noted, adding that it was in reference to the monitoring of Philippine territory.
“There’s no offensive capability here. So this should not be viewed as a provocative statement,” he added.
Carandang also explained that any US spy plane flyover in the West Philippine Sea wouldn’t require a treaty or agreement with the US because there are existing military agreements with the American government.
The Palace official also hopes that the recent spat between the People’s Republic of China and the Philippines will be resolved soon as the two countries continues to talk through diplomatic channels. (pcoo
