by anyajulia | Oct 13, 2009 | Headlines, National News
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo this morning thanked the rural Bankers association of the Philippines (RBAP) for helping the country’s marginalized people or the “base of the pyramid” as RBAP’s 52ndanniversary theme states.
“With your assistance, the Phlippines earned the respect and praises of multilateral finance institutions for being number three in the world and the best in Asia in terms of microfinance operations,” the President said.
Aside from the International Finance Corp. (IFC), the private sector arm of the World Bank, other global groups such as “the Economist” magazine have also taken notice of the robust growth in microfinance operations of the Philippines.
The President said the creditable economic performance of the country “enabled us to continuously grow for the past eight years. In fact we have not been through the normal boom and bust cycle since 2001. These same strong fundamentals will unable us to keep growing despite the destructions brought by typhoons “Ondoy” “Pepeng”, and “Quedan” and, with your help, we can propel the Philippines forward in the age of the First world by 2010.”
The President also acknowledged the role of Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP), headed buy its president and chief executive officer Gilda Pico, in channeling P180 billion to retail financial institutions like rural banks.
Rural Banking was introduced by the late President Elpidio Quirino in the late 1940s to be a catalyst for countryside development. As a senator, the President authored the law rehabilitating the rural banking system in the country.
Last year, privately-owned rural banks posted an outstanding loan portfolio of P6 billion to 290,000 clients.
by anyajulia | Oct 13, 2009 | Headlines, National News
PANGASINAN officials mull raps versus the management of San Roque Multi Purpose Cooperative (SRMP) in relation to the massive floods that submerged huge parts of the province last week.
Officials of the SRMP, operators of the biggest dam in Asia decided to discharge the excess water accumulated by the dam brought about by the rains dumped by storms Ondoy and Pepeng.
The dam levels rose to 286.9 meters, or 6.9 meters above normal last Wednesday prompting officials to discharge minimal water to reduce the water level on its reservoir.
Many observers have said that releasing that much of water per second that late was insensible as it would inevitably cause the already swollen Agno River to rise
The discharged water however, which was set to disperse into the Agno River caused the river to breach its banks, while joining with the already swollen river. (PIA)
by anyajulia | Oct 13, 2009 | Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita
LEAGUE of Municipalities of the Philippines, (Bohol Chapter) meets for its bi-monthly meeting this Wednesday, October 14, relays Chairman Roberto Salinas.
The league meeting, to be hosted by LGU Bilar through Mayor Fanuel Cadelina would be held at the Central Visayas State College of Agriculture, Forestry and Technology (CVSCAFT) Farmer’s Training Center in Zamora Bilar.
He adds that the meeting would immediately start at 9:00 AM and urges mayors to come early to finish tackling the days’ agenda. (PIA)
by anyajulia | Oct 12, 2009 | Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita, National News
For the 4th area consultation in crafting additional local inputs to the National Human Rights Action Plan (NHRA), more than 100 officials and partners from the government executive agencies and civil society from regions 6, 7 and 8 converged in Cebu City last Thursday (October 8).
The Cebu leg is the fourth in a series of area consultations that begun in Manila in August 2009 and to be completed in December through a national summit. The area consultation is a problem solving mechanism. It aims to instill national ownership of the plan in as many stakeholders as possible.
The consultation hopes to address human rights issues at their roots. It involves more than identifying wrongdoers and exhorting government to improve on its obligations.
The next and last consultation will be held in General Santos for cluster 5 comprising regions 11, 12 and ARMM.
Hopefully, the output of the series of consultations throughout the country is a legislative agenda on Human Rights. This piece of document will then be presented to the international community specifically, the United Nations that monitors human rights commitments.
The Philippines is a state party to about 26 international laws, treaties and covenants on human rights promotion, advocacy and protection. (PIA-7)
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by anyajulia | Oct 12, 2009 | Headlines, National News
In pursuant to the National Tourism Act (NTA) or RA 9593, every local government unit (LGU) is required to come up with a local tourism development plan thus promoting a culture of tourism and boosting the country’s tourism industry in its entirety.
Tourism Usec. Phineas Alburo bared that under the law, the Department of Tourism (DOT) will be the primary planning, programming, coordinating, implementing and regulatory government agency in the development of the country’s tourism industry to make it more globally competitive
Apart from requiring LGUs to come up with a local tourism development plan, they are also mandated to hire a permanent position for tourism officer in their respective areas.
The tourism undersecretary disclosed the second draft of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of RA 9593 is done as area consultations begin tomorrow starting in Luzon and on October 14 will be the Visayas consultation and the next day in Mindanao.
About 80 participants coming from tourism-related sectors and other various stakeholders are invited to the Visayas Consultation on the IRR of RA 9593 that is slated to be in Cebu. (PIA/FCR)
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