by anyajulia | Aug 19, 2008 | Headlines, National News
Press Secretary Jesus Dureza branded as totally baseless, the charges from the opposition, that a shift from presidential to a federal system of government through an amendment of the Constitution would open the way for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to extend her term beyond 2010.
In an interview, Dureza stressed that Malacanang is supporting Senate Joint Resolution No. 10 because it jibes with the administration’s and the Filipino people’s aspirations for a lasting peace in Mindanao.
The Senate resolution calls for the convening of “Congress into a constituent assembly for the purpose of revising the Constitution to establish a Federal System of government.”
Backed by 16 senators, among them are Senate President Manuel Villar and Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr; Dureza pointed out that it is very clear, that there is nothing in the resolution that cites any extension of the President Arroyo’s term limit.
He also made clear that on various occasions in the past, the President reiterated that she would step down when her term ends in 2010.
“The problem is that at times we are very negative, that even the reforms of government were delayed because of too much criticism”, he stressed.
Dureza, who hails from Mindanao, said that the administration’s support for the Senate resolution would, hopefully, hasten the government’s earlier plan to grant the Muslims their own autonomous area, for starters. (PIA/Bohol)
by anyajulia | Aug 19, 2008 | Headlines, Major Events, National News
The Democratic Republic of Timor Leste (East Timor) signed three agreements with the Philippines on education, marine and fisheries, and diplomat training and development.
The three agreements were signed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and East Timor President Jose Ramos Horta.
The first Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) was on Academic Cooperation that will strengthen cooperation and mutual assistance between the Philippines and Timor Leste in the provision of education and professional training.
This include Academic networking and exchanges as well as reciprocal access to institutions of higher education; trainings and exchange of academic staff, teachers, experts and students; among others.
The second was on Marine and Fisheries Cooperation which shall promote cooperation in the sustainable development and responsible management of marine life as well as encourage consultation and greater cooperation on agreed areas of fisheries.
The third agreement signed was on the Training and Development of Timor Leste Diplomats at the FSI.
This MoU provides for the acceptance of junior diplomats of Timor Leste into the FSI’s Foreign Officers’ Cadetship Program and FSI’s other training programs. (PIA/Bohol)
by anyajulia | Aug 19, 2008 | Headlines, National News
Malacanang today threw its full support behind Senate Resolution No. 10 calling for the convening of Congress into a constituent assembly to revise the Constitution and pave the way for the adoption of a Federal System of government.
Press Secretary Jesus Dureza made this statement saying, “it’s all systems go” for Senate Resolution No. 10, entitled, “Joint resolution to convene the Congress into a Constituent Assembly for the purpose of revising the Constitution to establish a Federal System of Government.”
Dureza also made it clear that the proposed Federal System of government is not intended to prolong President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s hold on power, as administration critics claim.
Principally authored by Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr., along with 11 other senators, stressed that “the federalization of the Republic would speed up the development of the entire nation and help dissipate the causes of the insurgency throughout the land, particularly, the centuries-old rebellions.”
They also noted that under the present system of government as mandated by the 1987 Constitution, the “country’s development programs are centrally determined, planned, funded and implemented by the national government in Manila.”
The Senate resolution hopes to create 11 states as also centers of finance and development in the archipelago.”
The 11 proposed states are the State of Northern Luzon; State of Central Luzon; State of Southern Tagalog; State of Bicol; State of Minparom (Mindoro, Palawan, Romblon); State of Eastern Visayas; State of central Visayas; State of Western Visayas; State of Northern Mindanao; State of Southern Mindanao; and State of Bangsamoro. (PIA/Bohol)
by anyajulia | Aug 19, 2008 | Headlines, National News
Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Jesli Lapus urged the House of Representatives to approve House Bill 4734 that authorizes public school teachers to receive an additional one-time increase of P9,000 within three years and another P3,000 every year thereafter.
Its Senate counterpart, Senate Bill 2408, has been passed on second reading.
The increase will make the teachers’ pay at par with those received by soldiers and policemen, Lapus noted.
“The welfare of teachers are our foremost priority,” Lapus stressed.
In November 2007, DepEd signed a memorandum of agreement with Gawad Kalinga, Pag-Ibig Fund, and some pioneering local government units to undertake an affordable housing program for its more than 90,000 teachers who do not have their own homes yet. (PIA/Bohol)
by anyajulia | Aug 19, 2008 | Headlines, National News
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo recently set aside some P786 million for the Coconut Industry Investment Fund Safety-Net Program (CSNP), said Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap.
According to Yap, another P86 million is allotted for the upgraded insurance program that would benefit some 1.02-million coconut farmers nationwide.
The amount earmarked by President Arroyo is in line with her State-of-the-Nation Address (SONA), to raise farm productivity, particularly, for the coconut sector.
Yap also revealed that the DA and the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) are carrying out a P107.94 million program to intercrop corn in coconut plantations across the country.
He explained that said intercropping project is a component of the President’s Accelerated Hunger Mitigation Program (AHMP) that aims to revitalize new or idle coconut farms and to increase the income of coconut farmers, on top of producing and making available more food for low-income families.
PCA Administrator Oscar Garin disclosed that last year, over 100,000 farmers benefited from a P100-million corn intercropping program of the DA in Bicol and other parts of Luzon.
This year, the PCA is carrying out three short- to long-term initiatives that will involve the massive fertilization, intercropping and planting of coconut to sustain the growth of this top Philippine export, Garin said. (PIA/Bohol)
