by aimee | Jan 29, 2013 | Headlines, National News
THE Department of Budget and Management announced the release of P4.83 billion to cover the retirement benefits of 54,660 retirees of the Philippine National Police (PNP), which has made the switch from check to electronic payments for monthly pension releases.
The total release will support pension payments for retired policemen from January to March 2013.
“Even as we aim to give proper budgetary support to our retired policemen, we also want to ensure that their pension payments are made in a transparent and accountable way. Our transition to electronic payments for distributing the monthly pension allows us to preserve the accuracy and timeliness of the pension payments, so that retirees can claim their set monthly payments more quickly and efficiently,” Budget and Management Secretary Florencio B. Abad said.
Abad also said that the use of Automated Teller Machine (ATM) for pension payments—instead of the traditional check payment—has enabled the government to weed out fictitious or “ghost” entries from the PNP pensioner database. He added that electronic banking will also prevent fraudulent accounts, since the creation of an ATM account will require a personal appearance and valid identification documents from a prospective account holder.
As of December 31, 2012, the PNP has documented 63,465 retirees, of which 54,660 entries have already been verified and enrolled in ATM accounts with the Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK). Aside from the PNP, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO) have also transitioned to the use of ATM for pension benefits release.
The move to ATM pension releases is part of the Aquino administration’s drive for improved transparency and efficiency in government transactions. The country’s digitization reforms were recently hailed in the Better Than Cash (BTC) Alliance High-Level Panel Discussion, which was held in January 23 during the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland.
“More than ever, we need to lay down the necessary structures for transparency, accountability, and openness in the way we handle public funds. With digital technology now at our disposal, it will be easier for us to track and monitor all transactions within the bureaucracy. This doesn’t just lead to faster transactions, liquidation, and auditing—it also helps us ensure that every peso spent by government will not be wasted on corruption, but will instead benefit the ordinary taxpayer in a real, immediate, and substantial fashion,” Abad said. (DBM)
by aimee | Jan 28, 2013 | Headlines, National News
MALACAÑANG appealed on Monday to all mall operators to review their respective security measures and ensure that these conform to strict monitoring and detection protocols in order to prevent the entry of firearms and other illegal weapons into their premises.
Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda issued the appeal in light of the recent robbing of a jewelry store at the ground floor of the SM Megamall Department store in Mandaluyong City last Saturday.
Speaking to reporters during his regular press conference in Malacanang, Lacierda said mall operators should conduct this strict review in close coordination with the Philippine National Police to “reassure the public that patronizing their malls is a safe weekend venture to go to.”
“In that regard, we would like to appeal to the mall operators to study their security measures and make sure that the security equipment that they have installed in their premises does in fact detect the presence of firearms,” Lacierda said.
“What they have to study (is) their security features again and try to see (if) there was a failure of security measures undertaken by the mall operators, in the hope that they can reassure the public that patronizing their malls is a safe weekend venture to go to,” he added.
Lacierda said it was important to maintain the safety within malls and other centers of recreation as “there’s an emphasis on gathering in malls in spite of the fact that these are… These malls have assumed a quasi-public character where, despite being owned privately, people do patronize malls and spend their weekends in malls whether they’re buying (something) or not..” (PND)
by aimee | Jan 28, 2013 | National News
TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Jan. 28 (PIA)–GIBUTYAG ni Presidente Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III nga sa Pilipinas ipahigayon ang East Asia Summit sa World Economic Forum (WEF) sa 2014.
Wala una mohatag ang Presidente og komento kun makatambong pa sa sunod tuig ang Pilipinas sa tinuig nga WEF nga ginapahigayon sa Davos, Switzerland matag katapusang semana sa buwan sa Enero.
Nagtuo ang Pangulo nga daku ang makuhang benepisyo sa Pilipinas kun dinhi ipahigayon ang East Asia Summit.
Matud pa nga namatngonan na karon ang Pilipinas sa mga “political ug economic honchos” sa Europe human ang lima ka tuig.
Dungan niini, gibutyag usab sa Presidente nga mobisita sa nasud sa sunod nga mga buwan ang usa ka global economic team aron mangita og business opportunities partikular na sa sektor sa edukasyon ug information technology. (PIA-Bohol/ecb/i-ed)
GPH ug MILF, nagkauyon sa pagtukod og panel nga mag-monitor sa peace deal
TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Jan. 28 (PIA)–MILAGDA ang gobyerno sa Pilipinas ug Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) sa mga termino kalabot sa pagtukod og ika-tulong partido nga mag-monitor sa implementasyon sa Bangsamoro Framework agreement.
Matud pa ni government chief negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, usa kini sa pinakamahinungdanong nakab-ot sa pagtapos sa 35th round sa formal exploratory talks nga gipahigayon sa Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Dugang pa ni Ferrer, siguradohon sa maong third party nga mahuman ang implementasyon sa kasabotan dili susama sa mga naunang proseso.
Mag-nominate ang duha ka panig sa mahimong tinugyanan gikan sa lokal ug international non-government organization.
Samtang kinahanglang magkauyon ang gobyerno ug ang MILF kun kinsang indibidwal ang mamuno sa tukoron nga panel. (PIA-Bohol/ecb/p-sjp)
by aimee | Jan 28, 2013 | National News
TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Jan. 28 (PIA)–NIABOT na si Presidente Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III gikan sa gipahigayon nga World Economic Forum sa Davos, Switzerland.
Sakay sa Philippine Airlines flight 001, miabot ang Presidente sa Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) mga alas-2:30 kagahapon sa hapon nga gisundan og press conference.
Sa iyang arrival statement, gipasigarbo ni PNoy ang pagsaka sa imahe sa nasud sa international community.
“Katangi-tanging pagkakataon po ito upang ipaliwanag sa kanila ang ating mga mabubuting adbokasiya at patunayang ibang-iba na ang Pilipinas kumpara sa ating dinatnan.”
Giingong apil sa iyang gikahinabi ang founder sa WEF nga si Klaus Schwab nga midayeg sa mga programang gihikyad sa iyang administrasyon.
Agig pagmatuod nga misaka ang kumpiyansa sa kanhi ‘Sick Man of Asia’ ang pagpahigayon sa WEF-East Asia sa Pilipinas sa 2014.
Giingong nakig-pulong usab kang PNoy si International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Christine Lagarde aron makisayod sa mga bag-ong patakarang ipatuman sa nasud.
Nagpakita’g balik og interes ug giingong gidayeg pa sa mga kumpanya gikan sa nagkalain-laing nasud ang malungtarong istratehiya sa pamuhunan sa nasud.
“Ibang-iba na nga po ang Piilipinas. At ngayon po, nakikita na ng pinapatunayan natin sa buong mundo, hindi tayo mabibigo, handa tayong humarap sa anumang hamon, taas noo po nating isusulong ang ating mga sarili sa landas ng pagbabago,” pagpasigarbo sa Presidente.
Samtang gibutyag usab ni PNoy ang pagdawat niya sa usa ka tseke gikan sa Filipino community sa Switzerland nga giingong ikaduhang parte sa tabang nga gipaabot niini sa mga naapektuhan sa Bagyong Pablo. Butang nga gidayeg sa Presidente.
Gisugat si PNoy ni Bise Presidente Jejomar Binay ug halos tanang miyembro sa iyang gabinete sama nilang National Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez, Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz, Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson, Social Work Secretary Dinky Soliman, AFP chief of staff General Emmanuel Bautista ug airport General Manager Jose Angel Honrado.. (PIA-Bohol/ecb/i-ed)
by aimee | Jan 25, 2013 | Headlines, National News
PRESIDENT Benigno S. Aquino III thanked International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Christine Lagarde for her confidence in the Philippines during their meeting on the sidelines of the President’s attendance to the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland.
President Aquino met with Lagarde on Thursday evening (Swiss time). The meeting took about 40 minutes, according to Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office Secretary Ramon Carandang.
“It was basically a courtesy call; they exchanged pleasantries. Ms. Lagarde informed the President that the IMF had upgraded the growth projections for the Philippines,” Carandang told members of the Philippine media in Davos, Switzerland.
“They (IMF) said that based on their analysis, things were looking very positive for the Philippines, and that they were confident that the growth targets could be attained, given the momentum that we‘ve had,” he added.
IMF has raised its economic growth forecast for the Philippines for 2013 to 6 percent from 4.8 percent.
Carandang said IMF increased its 2013 forecast for the country because “they expect growth to be faster than they initially expected.” He said that President Aquino, in turn, thanked Lagarde for her confidence in the Philippines.
During their meeting, President Aquino shared his government’s efforts to bring about growth through wise spending of government expenditures and leveling the playing field to encourage more investors, said Carandang.
The Secretary said the President also commended the IMF chief. “Ms. Lagarde has a tough job because it is her job to convince world leaders to make difficult choices. He commended her for being able to do that in such an effective way,” he said.
Also present in the meeting were Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, Budget Secretary Butch Abad, Secretary Cesar Purisima, Secretary Gregory Domingo, Secretary Rene Almendras and Secretary Arsenio Balisacan. (PND)
by aimee | Jan 25, 2013 | National News
TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Jan. 25 (PIA)–NAKADAWAT og “very good reception” ang speech ni Presidente Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III atubangan sa mga global leaders ug mga nag-unang financial executives sa tibuok kalibotan.
Nasentro ang speech sa Presidente sa World Economic Forum (WEF) sa kasinatian sa Pilipinas sa pagbatok sa kurapsyon ubos sa tema nga “Partnering Against Corruption Initiative”
Matud pa ni Communications Sec. Ricky Carandang, mikabat sa 10 minutos ang speech sa Presidente diin seryosong gipaminaw kini sa mga chief executive officers sa mga pribadong kumpanya ug mga lider sa nagkalain-laing nasud nga nisalmot.
Si Carandang nagkanayon nga nasabtan sa mga nisalmot nga seryoso ang Pilipinas sa pagpatuman og reporma partikular na sa sektor sa ekonomiya.
Giingong dakung butang kini aron makuha ang kumpiyansa sa mga investors ug madani nga mobubo og puhonan sa atong nasud.
“I think this is good because when the CEOs hear from the leaders and not just President Aquino but the President of Mongolia – when they hear straight from the leaders about what they’re doing to fight corruption, I think it helps instill confidence in them because everyone of those people was a potential investor in our country,” matud pa ni Carandang.
Si Presidente Aquino ang unang speaker sa maong forum ug gisundan sa lider sa Mongolia. Ang ubang lider gikan sa nasud sa India ug Peru mipa-ambit usab sa ilang mga kasinatian ug unsay ilang mga gibuhat sa ilang kaugalingong nasud. (PIA-Bohol/ecb/i-gg)
