| President Benigno S. Aquino III on Thursday underscored the role of barangays as partners of the national government in its pursuit of genuine social development anchored on Daang Matuwid and excellence in local governance.
“Tayo po sa Daang Matuwid, simula’t sapul, iisa ang binibigyang-diin: Taumbayan ang Boss; sa inyo nagmumula ang mandato; kayo ang nagbibigay ng lakas. Ang paninindigan ko nga noon pa man: Narito ako bilang tagapaglingkod ninyo, at malinaw sa akin na kung ano ang hiling ng mga Boss, iyon ang tututukan ko,” the President said in his speech during the Liga ng mga Barangay (LnB) National Assembly and Forum on Bottom-up Budgeting (BuB) at the Reception Hall of the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.
The BuB program of the Department of Budget and Management is designed to ensure the attainment of the goals of the Philippine Development Plan of inclusive growth and poverty reduction. Starting next year, the program will be expanded to cover 42,036 barangays.
The President noted that based on the report of Budget Secretary Butch Abad, a total of P74.06 billion has been allocated to 54,000 projects since the BuB was implemented in 2013.
“Simula nga nang ipatupad ang BuB noong 2013, P74.06 billion na ang nailaan para sa mahigit 54,000 na aprubadong BuB projects. 13,712 na ang natapos dito; samantalang ongoing at nasa pre-implementation stage, gaya ng planning, designing, at bidding ang iba pang proyekto. Inaasahan ngang matatapos ang bulto ng mga proyekto pagdating ng susunod na taon,” he said.
“Ganyan nga po tayo sa Daang Matuwid. Kitang-kita kung saan tayo patungo: Tumataas ang estado ng bawat komunidad, at direkta silang nabibigyang-lakas na isulong pa ang positibong transpormasyon na maghahatid ng pakinabang sa lahat. Kung noon, may gobyernong naghahari-harian at nawili sa pamumudmod ng serbisyo sa mga kaalyado lang; ngayon, sa atin, sa Daang Matuwid, nagbubuklod ang lahat ng antas ng lipunan at sangay ng pamahalaan, at sama-sama nating tinutukoy ang mga tamang hakbang para sa isang mas magandang kinabuksan,” the Chief Executive further said.
President Aquino said the continuity of his administration’s programs could only be ensured with the victory of Liberal Party standard-bearer Manuel Roxas II and vice presidential candidate Leni Robredo in the May elections.
“Sa tingin ko, lahat ng narito, sasang-ayon na dapat lang maging permanente ang pagbibigay-lakas sa ating mga LGU at mga barangay. Kayo na ho ang testigo sa bunga ng mabuting pamamahala. Kayo rin ang magsasabi kung gaano kalayo na ang naabot natin. Ang lahat ng napagtagumpayan natin, umpisa pa lang ng transpormasyon, at kayo ang magsasabi kung magtutuloy-tuloy tayo. Para nga ho mangyari ito, kailangan nating ihalal ang totoong tambalang magpapatuloy ng Daang Matuwid. At para sa akin po, walang iba po iyan kundi si Mar Roxas at si Leni Robredo,” said the President.
“Mga Boss, gaya ng lagi, kayo ang magtatakda sa direksiyong ating tatahakin. Tiwala nga ako sa aking mga Boss: Pipiliin nila ang tama at makatwiran, papanig sila sa may paninindigan at meron nang napatunayan, at talagang dadalhin nila ang ating bansa sa tama nitong kalalagyan,” he added.
“Saan po tayo pupunta? Sa sigurado o sa bahala na? Palagay ko kung maayos tayo mag-isip, dito na tayo sa sigurado. Kaya kayo ho ang bahala,” said President Aquino.
Also present during the event were Roxas, Abad, Interior and Local Government Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento, LnB National President Atty. Edmund Abesamis, Jr., and LnB Secretary General Lorenzo Zuniga, Jr. PND (jm) |
| President Benigno S. Aquino III has ordered the creation of a National Organizing Council (NOC) that will handle the country’s hosting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) next year.
Administrative Order (AO) No. 48, which was signed by the Chief Executive on February 4, also prescribes the authority and functions of the ASEAN-NOC.
“There is a need to constitute a separate National Organizing Council to manage and supervise all tasks and activities related to the Philippines’ hosting of the major ASEAN meetings,” the Order stated.
The ASEAN-NOC is composed of the Executive Secretary and the Secretary of Foreign Affairs (for the ASEAN Political Security Community) as chairpersons; the Secretaries of Trade and Industry (for the ASEAN Economic Community), Social Welfare and Development (for the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community), Interior and Local Government, National Defense, and Public Works and Highways as vice chairpersons; and the Secretaries of Transportation and Communications, Tourism, Budget and Management, and Presidential Communications Operations Office as members.
The ASEAN-NOC has the authority to approve and recommend to the President a Master Plan for the Philippines’ hosting of the ASEAN in 2017, including an estimated budget for the hosting of the ASEAN meetings and necessary communication mechanisms to ensure efficient and effective coordination among member agencies; issue such administrative guidelines and instructions as may be necessary to achieve the objectives of the Order; submit periodic reports to the President throughout the duration of the ASEAN 2017 hosting; and perform any and all acts and functions as may be deemed appropriate and necessary to ensure the proper functioning of the ASEAN-NOC, the Executive Committee, and the Committees, to advance the purposes of this AO, and to ensure the successful hosting of the ASEAN in 2017.
The committees under the ASEAN-NOC are Security, Peace and Order, Emergency Preparedness and Response; Infrastructure; Transport and Telecommunications; Tourism Hospitality, Tours, Social Events and Site Enhancement; Finance, Budget and Procurement; Business and Investment Promotion; and Media Affairs and Strategic Communications.
Funding for the ASEAN-NOC for fiscal year 2016 shall be charged against the general fund of the Department of Foreign Affairs, in accordance with the general provisions of the FY 2016 General Appropriations Act, Republic Act. No. 10717.
The country’s hosting of the ASEAN in 2017 will coincide with the ASEAN’s 50th founding anniversary.
The Philippines is one of the founding members of the ASEAN and a signatory to the ASEAN Charter, which entered into force on December 15, 2008. PND (jm) |
| President Benigno S. Aquino III will attend a special summit between the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the United States (US) in Sunnylands, California next week, a Foreign Affairs official announced on Thursday.
Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Hellen Barber-dela Vega said the President will be leaving on Monday (February 15) to join fellow ASEAN leaders in a summit to be hosted by US President Barack Obama.
“President Aquino will leave for the US on 15 February 2016 to attend the ASEAN-US Leaders’ Summit in Sunnylands, California,” said dela Vega, who heads the Department of Foreign Affairs’ Office of ASEAN Affairs.
“This summit was proposed by President Obama during the third ASEAN-US Summit held in Kuala Lumpur on 21 November 2015, following the decision of the leaders to elevate the ASEAN-US dialogue relations to strategic partner level,” she added.
Dela Vega noted that it will be the first meeting between the ASEAN and the US as strategic partners.
“The summit aims to explore how ASEAN and the US, after elevating their relations to strategic partnership level, can work more effectively together; and especially now with the establishment of the ASEAN community,” she said.
Dela Vega said the summit would be like a retreat where the leaders would have the opportunity to discuss economic and political issues.
“It’s really more like (an) open, informal and less-structured atmosphere,” she said.
On economic issues, she said, more likely to be discussed is how the US could support the ASEAN integration process.
On political issues, leaders are expected to tackle such issues as maritime security, transnational challenges and countering violent extremism, she added.
“We expect leaders to be free and to raise any issues that might be of interest to them,” dela Vega said.
After the summit, the President will embark on a one-day working visit to Los Angeles, California.
He will be meeting with some top business leaders and the Filipino community in Los Angeles.
Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Maria Austria further said that President Aquino will be presented with an honorary degree in Humane Letters by the Loyola Marymount University in recognition of his achievements as President of the Philippines, “for his integrity and for embodying the spirit of the Jesuit education”. PND (jb) |
