by jeyzsonic | Jun 17, 2008 | National News
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered four government departments to oversee the shift or conversion of motor vehicle engines from fossil fuel-run-to alternative gas-run engines in accordance with the implementation of the Bio-Fuels Act.
The President issued the directive to the Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
She made this announcement at the launching of the terminal for hybrid buses, LPG and CNG driven vehicles or Clean Air Buses (CAB) that include taxis and jeepneys at SM Central Business Park Bay in Pasay City.
The launching is in line with the President’s initiative to help all public utility vehicle drivers to lessen the impact of high price crude oil such as diesel and with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) program on : “Makabagong Sasakyan Para sa Ligtas na Kalusugan at Kapaligiran Tungo sa Mabilis, Maingat at Maginhawang Paglalakbay.”
The President also ordered Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes to convert all government vehicles from oil to LPG-run engines (which is 21 percent in the total volume of vehicles in the country).
She also assured the government will assist transport groups to convert their existing passenger jeep into LPG powered vehicle. (PIA/Bohol)
by jeyzsonic | Jun 16, 2008 | National News
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has directed the Department of Agriculture to strengthen the measures to protect human health and the country’s P60-billion poultry industry from the bird flu virus (AI).
The Department of Agriculture (DA) has recently slapped a temporary ban on all imports of domestic and wild birds, along with poultry and its products from Denmark, following the reports of (AI) or bird flu virus in that country.
Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap said the ban covers all “domestic and wild birds and their products, including day-old chicks, eggs and semen.”
He issued the ban after the Office of International des Epizooties (OIE) or the Animal Health Organization confirmed that low pathogenic AI has been detected in a poultry farm in Stenstrup, Svendborg Kommune, South in Denmark which affected geese, chickens, ducks and mallards.
Besides Denmark, the Philippines also currently bans imports of birds, poultry and its products from among others, Korea, Saudi Arabia, Poland and the western African country of Benin, to protect human health and the poultry industry in the Philippines.
The country has remained free of bird flu ever since the H5NI strain of this virus resurfaced in Asia in 2003. (PIA/Bohol)
by jeyzsonic | Jun 15, 2008 | National News
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo stressed that economic integration within the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) is imperative to face the challenges of globalization.
According to the President, strong global engagement and the establishment of an ASEAN Charter would certainly open more opportunities for its member countries.
During its chairmanship, the Philippines pushed for the establishment of an ASEAN Charter to create a single regional community by 2015 that was eventually signed by the ASEAN leaders in Singapore and is now up for ratification by member countries.
“As for the passage of the ASEAN Charter, we would love nothing more than to see ASEAN consolidate its gains and move closer together. However, we’ll leave this up to the Philippine Senate which has been asked to review the charter for ratification,” the President said.
As a responsible member of the international community, the President added, ASEAN members including the Philippines are presently united in helping its needy neighbors in the region. (PIA/Bohol)
by jeyzsonic | Jun 15, 2008 | National News
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo recently assured the public that the government has a “solid plan for self-sufficiency” in food, particularly rice.
She made this assurance during her Independence Day speech.
According to the president, part of the plan is to make sure the country’s rice situation remains stable by securing its supply, ensuring its proper distribution, and guaranteeing the enforcement of laws to protect the people against gouging and corruption of rice.
She stressed that the government is sparing no effort to ensure that the country’s supplies of rice get from the source to the tables of Filipinos throughout the nation.
She also expressed appreciation that even with the very high price of rice in the whole world market in the last two quarters, “hunger has gone down significantly.”
“If we cannot avoid these problems brought about by external forces, it is our duty to help those who are affected by it,” President Arroyo stressed. (PIA/Bohol)
by jeyzsonic | Jun 15, 2008 | National News
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will award certificates for the conversion of diesel to LPG to five transport groups.
Dubbed as “Mga Makabagong Sasakyan Para sa Ligtas na Kalusugan at Kapaligiran Tungo sa Mabilis, Maingat at Maginhawang Paglalakbay,” the conversion of the passenger jeepneys from diesel to LPG is part of the government public land transportation modernization program.
This is also part of the administration’s effort to raise the income of the drivers of public utility vehicles who were affected by the global oil price increases.
For his part, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Chairman Thompson Lantion said the objective of the project is to raise the income of the public transportation drivers as well as strengthen the implementation of the Clean Air Act Law.
The President is also scheduled to ground break the proposed grand terminal for the PUV’s using alternative fuels, hybrid bus run by compressed natural gas (CNG), airport taxi with meter-issuing receipt, and public utility jeepney (PUJ) run with liquified petroleum gas (LPG) at the One Esplanade, SM Mall of Asia (MOA) Complex in Pasay City. (PIA/Bohol)
