by Misael | May 29, 2008 | Headlines
IHATAG na ang P12.5B nga wala pa madawat nga Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) sa tanan nga local government units, apan may bahin niini nga ipagamit usab aron kapatas-an pa ang ani ug kita sa mga mag-uuma ug mangingisda.
Kini human gilagdaan ni Presidente Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ang usa ka executive order (EO) kabahin niini aron kaluag-luagan ang suliran sa mga kabarangayan ug mapundohan na ang pagpalig-on sa agrikultura, matud ni Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap sa mga taho.
Ang wala mahatag nga IRA naglakip sa kuwang nga madawat unta sa mga LGU gikan sa 2001 ug diin ang nasudnong budgets igo ra nga gire-enact.
Subay sa Republic Act no. 7160, o ang Local Government Code of 1991, hatagan ang LGUs ug 40% nga bahin sa buhis sa nasudnong pangagamhanan ug kini iuli gilayon.
Gibutyag ni Yap nga ang EO 723 nga giluwatan sa Presidente ubos sa kondisyon nga kabahin sa IRA differential gamiton sa LGU executives aron ipahuwam alang sa programang rice self-sufficiency ug uban pang pagpaneguro nga may makab-ot nga securidad sa pagkaon subay sa mga tumong sa Department of Agriculture (DA).
Sumpay niya nga sa kapakyas sa mga mag-uuma nga makakuha ug sayon nga pautang bisan sa kadaghang bangko nga nagtanyag sa pahulam, kini na maoy ilang higayon nga makagamit sa pundo.
Kini na ang hagit karon sa mga local nga tinugyanan kon unsaon nila pagbuhi ning pundo alang sa mga mag-uuma.
Usa sa mga paagi nga magamit ang pundo, matud ni Sec. Yap mao ang pahuwam alang sa abono ug sa liso nga igtatagud o igtatanum, mga himan sa panguma. (rachiu/PIA)
by Misael | May 29, 2008 | Tourism
If we implement the “save-a-liter-a-day formula at a P45/liter, this will translate to a daily savings of P70.2 billion for the country’s 1,561,935 diesel-fed vehicles, or in one year, the total savings would hit an eye-popping P78.9 billion.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said in his weekly press briefing.
According to Ermita, there are 4,211,932 units of gasoline-fed vehicles throughout the country. If they were to consume one liter less fuel a day at the current price of gasoline of P52 a liter, the savings would amount to more than P219 million a day, or P6.6 billion a month.
On a monthly basis, this means a savings of more than P2 billion, or P63.3 billion a year.
Ermita said that for the government’s 80,000 vehicles, a one-liter reduction in fuel consumption would translate to a daily savings of P4 million, P120 million a month, or P1.44 billion a year.
He said the figures were taken from a study undertaken by the Land Transportation Office (LTO).
LTO computed the planned fuel savings based on the total of 4,211,932 registered gasoline-fed vehicles multiplied by P52 per liter; and based on the total of 1,561,935 diesel-fed vehicles multiplied by P45 per liter.
If we implement a program of saving one liter a day
Ø With 4,211,932 gasoline-fed vehicle (source: LTO) and at P52 per liter, we save:
o P219 million a day (P219,020,464.00/day)
o P6.6 billion a month (P6,570,613,920.00/month)
o P78.8 billion a year (P78,847,367,040.00/year)
Ø With 1,561,935 diesel-fed vehicles and at P45 per liter, we save
o P70.3 million a day (P70,287,075.00/day)
o P2 billion a month (P2,108,612,250.00/month)
o P63.3 billion a year (P63,258,367,500.00/year)
Ø For Gov’t vehicles:
o 80,000 vehicles X P50/liter=P4 million/day
o P120 million/month
o P1.44 billion/year
by Misael | May 27, 2008 | Features
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo directed the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to freeze all tuition fee increases in the 110 state-run colleges and universities nationwide. This is inorder to help students and parents cope with the global rise in oil and food prices.
The President issued her directive at the start of the command conference with education officials and Oplan Balik Eskwela partners.
She also appealed to private colleges and universities to reconsider and freeze plans to hike tuition and other school charges.
The President said the freeze on tuition fees would greatly help ease the financial burden of students and their parents.
At present, parents are spending an average of P450 per unit, or about P10,000 per school year for their children taking a 21-unit load in college.
The Chief Executive said shelving tuition fee increases in SUCs and private institutions of learning would also help reduce the college dropout rate and set off an environment conducive to quality tertiary education for all.
An estimated 21.66 million enrollees are expected to troop to the various schools nationwide when classes open on June 10. (PIA/Bohol)
by Misael | May 27, 2008 | National News
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Swaziland King Mswati III inked two memoranda of agreements (MOA) that hope to bring the two countries into a cooperative partnership in economic, scientific, technical and cultural fields.
One of the MOAs establishes the bilateral consultation mechanism between the Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and Swaziland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT).
The Leaders’ Meeting was also attended by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, and Trade Secretary Peter Favila as well as their Swaziland counterparts and other officials.
The King’s consort, together with King Mswati’s 13th wife, Inkhosikati Lankhambule was toured for some 30 minutes around the Palace Museum.
The Swazi king’s visit to the palace was kicked off with military arrival honors at the palace courtyard, complete with the firing of cannons.
Prior to his meeting the President, the King and his party was supposed to visit Bohol but later on cancelled his trip. The king’s private plane was not given landing rights by the Air Transportation Office (ATO) for the obvious risk of landing at the airport’s very limited runway, among others. (PIA/Bohol)
by Misael | May 27, 2008 | National News
“Ensure the smooth opening of classes,” said President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as she presided a conference attended by top Department of Education (DepEd) officials two weeks before the start of the school year on June 10.
The Chief Executive instructed them to take all the necessary steps so that the more than 20 million students nationwide will not be inconvenienced when they troop back to schools.
For the coming school year, there is a projected total enrollment of 21.66 million students, 18.81 million of which are in public schools or 87 percent and 2.85 million in the private schools.
Mrs. Arroyo also gave out checks for the P500 chalk allowance for each public school teacher.
She also instructed school officials to strictly observe the no-collection fees policy.
For his part, Education Secretary Jesli Lapus informed President Arroyo that 10,000 new classrooms have been constructed and 10,000 new teachers have been hired. He also informed the President that 97 percent of all public schools are already on a one-shift classroom use.
Of the total 21 million students, 6.66 million are secondary students, with 5.33 million in public schools or 80 percent, and 1.33 million in private schools. Those in the elementary total 13.93 million, with 12.84 million in the public schools or 92 percent, and 1.09 million in the private schools.
Some 1.06 million will enroll in the pre schools with .64 million in public schools or 60 percent and .42 million in private schools. (PIA/Bohol)
