• President Aquino tells Benguet residents to support continuity of ‘Daang Matuwid’
• Government monitoring implementation of programs to mitigate effects of ‘El Niño’, says Palace official
• President Aquino leads turnover of 23 Shared Service Facility projects in Pangasinan

In a meeting with local leaders and the community at the PFVR Multi-Purpose Youth Center, the President noted major projects by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Benguet that were accomplished because of the Daang Matuwid advocacy that is anchored on good governance.

“Iyong pinalitan po natin, ang naibigay po raw sa inyo ay 5.69 billion mula noong 2005 hanggang 2010. So, mga limang taon po ‘yan di ba. Tayo naman po mula 2011 hanggang 2016, ‘yung 5.69 billion nila, ginawa nating 12.08 billion sa imprastruktura. Saan ho napunta ‘yan? Nandoon na ho ibinalita sa atin ng DPWH ang pagsasakongkreto at pagsasaayos ng Gurel-Bokod-Kabayan-Buguias-Abatan Road, Baguio Circumferential Road-Eastern Link, ng Balay-Tabio-Tonoman-Bulalacao-Tawangan-Lusod Road, at ang Ambangeg Junction National Road, at marami pang iba,” said President Aquino.

He said 200 farm-to-market roads and 242 irrigation projects have been completed from 2011 up to the present, according to the DPWH report.

“Nakadala na rin tayo ng tinatawag na agricultural tramlines sa Benguet. Iyong tramline po dati bibitbitin mo ang iyong produkto, tatawid ng bundok, pagdating sa kalsada, ‘yung gulay pwede nang salad. Tama ho ba… nabugbog eh? Itong tramline ho, maibababa, lalapit sa kalsada, madadala mo sa merkado, mas perpekto ang itsura at siyempre mas maganda ang presyo, tatlo na po nito ang nagawa…,” he added.

President Aquino mentioned the ongoing construction of the Benguet-Agri Pinoy Trading Center in La Trinidad. Considered as a flagship project in Benguet, the facility that will benefit some 20,538 farmers was partially opened last October and will be fully operational in the second quarter of the year.

“Meron na rin ho tayong 37 Shared Service Facilities galing sa DTI (Department of Trade and Industry)… sa industriya ng loom weaving, may itinayong Shared Service Facility para sa Sitio Upper Goldfield Weavers Association noong 2013. Ang kinikita raw po nila kada taon 100,000 dahil ho dito sa pasilidad na ito, napataas din ang kinikita nila to 141,000 pesos at hindi pa ho kabuuan ng 2014 iyon. Siguro naman ho sa 2015 ay di hamak mas malaki ang naiko-contribute niyan,” he said.

The Chief Executive further pointed out that Baguio City is now one of the leading centers of the Information Technology and Business Process Management (IT-BPM) industry, which has provided jobs to an estimated 1.07 million people and added P18.9 billion to the economy in 2014.

President Aquino said that 4.7 million households have benefitted from the Conditional Cash Transfer Program or the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) of the government.

“Pag-upo ko po sa pwesto, ang bilang ng benepisyaryo niyo dito sa Benguet, 2,151 lang. Ngayon pong 2015, nasa 14, 713 na pong mga kabahayan ang tinutulungan natin dito sa Benguet,” he noted.

“Sa darating na halalan po, muling haharap sa sangandaan ang sambayanan. Isa nga po itong referendum. Itutuloy ba natin ang maganda nating nasimulan o babalik tayo sa lumang kalakaran? Kaya ako po talagang nakikiusap sa inyo, dito talagang dapat may Mar Roxas na tayo, may Leni Robredo pa tayo … siguradong tuloy tuloy ang Daang Matuwid,” the President said, referring to the administration’s standard bearers. PND (jm)

“Masinsing tinututukan ng pamahalaan ang pagpapatupad ng mga programa upang maibsan ang epekto ng El Niño, at bigyan ng sapat na tulong ang mga manggagawa sa sektor ng agrikultura. Sa katunayan, binanggit ni Pangulong Aquino sa kaniyang panayam sa mga mamamahayag noong nakaraang Miyerkules na isa ang El Niño sa mahalagang usaping kaniyang binabantayan sa nalalabing panahon ng kaniyang termino,” Secretary Coloma said during an interview with Radyo ng Bayan.

He said that during the El Niño Summit held in Pampanga last March 1, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala announced that cloud-seeding operations are being conducted in areas affected by severe drought.

“Noong ika-1 ng Marso ay nagdaos ng El Niño Summit sa Pampanga, at doon inihayag ni Secretary Alcala ng Department of Agriculture na higit pang pinaiigting ng pamahalaan ang iba’t ibang hakbang tulad ng cloud-seeding operations sa iba’t ibang panig ng bansa, tulad ng Mindanao, na nakaranas na ng pag-ulan sa ilang lugar,” said Coloma.

“Bukod pa rito, ang mga programa ng Department of Agriculture ay ang sumusunod: Pagtatayo ng solar at wind pump irrigation system; maliit na imbakan ng tubig o small water impound; at iba pang alternative irrigation systems sa mga taniman sa mga lalawigan kung saan ang agrikultura ang pangunahing ikinabubuhay. Ang mga proyektong ito ay bahagi ng pangmatagalang solusyon na nakapaloob sa El Niño Action Plan ng Department of Agriculture na may dalawang mahalagang bahagi. Una, production support; at ikalawa, water management,” he explained.

The Palace official said test surveillance and monitoring of ricefields, as well as distribution of quality seeds to farmers are ongoing.

“Tuluy-tuloy din ang test surveillance at monitoring sa mga bukirin, at ang pagbibigay ng mataas na kalidad ng binhi sa mga nagtatanim ng palay at mais at alternatibong pananim tulad ng mungo o bean, peanut, soybean, sweet potato at cucurbit. Namamahagi din ng fingerlings, livestock buffer feed stockings at maging veterinary drugs upang punan ang posibleng epekto ng kabawasan sa produksiyon sa sektor ng pangingisda at paghahayupan,” said Coloma. PND (jm)

“Ngayong araw nga po, nasaksihan natin ang turnover ng dagdag pang 23 Shared Service Facility o SSF Projects ng Department of Trade and Industry dito sa Pangasinan,”‘ the President said in a speech during the turnover.

“Sa tulong po nitong mga SSF, naibabahagi sa mga komunidad ang mga modernong kagamitan sa paglikha ng iba’t ibang disenyo at produkto.”

The SSF turnover is part of government strategy to strengthen cooperatives, micro-, small and medium scale enterprises, which in turn open up more opportunities for the people of Pangasinan, the President said.

Currently, there are 49 SSF projects in Pangasinan, mainly processing bangus, bagoong and engineered bamboo.

President Aquino said the turnover of the facilities will help small business and eventually provide livelihood to Pangasinenses.

For instance, the President said in Sto. Tomas, producers of pastillas, polvoron, and rice cake double their monthly output because of SSF from 300 packs to 600 packs.

“Ang buwanang kita naman nila, mula sa P63,500, aabot na raw po sa P226,000. Dahil po sa tulong ng Shared Service Facility,” he noted.

The Binmaley Rural Improvement Club was also able to increase its bangus production, according to the president. From P211,000 monthly income, the organization now post a monthly income of P723,000, he said.

There are 1,681 SSFs in the country since the government launched the program in 2013. Around 16,192 MSMEs, and 72,864 entrepreneurs, are benefiting from the government initiative, he said.

“Ang good news pa: Target ng DTI na magbukas ng karagdagang 200 SSF Projects bago tayo bumaba sa puwesto.” PND (as)