| Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella announced on Tuesday, May 9, that the Philippine manufacturing sector remains the second best performing economy among ASEAN countries.
Abella said under the recent Nikkei ASEAN Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index, the country’s manufacturing sector scored 53.3 indicating a solid increase in output for the month of April. It is second to Vietnam.
Meanwhile, Abella also said the January 2017 Labor Force Survey conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority’s showed that the largest percentage of employment can be attributed to the manufacturing sector.
“Hence, this is consistent with the Duterte administration’s goal of generating 1.2 million jobs annually as it continues to accelerate growth in the manufacturing sector,” Abella said.
Abella also underscored that two year record high by the Philippine Stock Exchange which surged to 7,962.33 last Monday reflects the growing market and investor confidence in the Duterte administration.
“The Philippine economy is said to have likely grown 7% in the first quarter of 2017 and we are optimistic that we will reach our target of sustained and inclusive economic growth for the rest of the year as we begin to roll out our Build-Build-Build infrastructure campaign,” Abella said.
The Duterte administration has started to lay down the foundations of bringing prosperity to all Filipinos.
Abella said Duterte presided over a meeting with his Cabinet secretaries Monday to discuss several issues, including the roadmap to federalism and the country’s preparations for the Big One.
“The Cabinet accepted the proposal of NDRRMC on the National Earthquake Preparedness Program subject to the inclusion of the comments and inputs of the Secretaries of the Department of Social Welfare, DSWD, and the PCOO on the possible relocation of government offices located near the West Valley Fault system and the organization of a comprehensive communications campaign on National Earthquake Preparedness,” Abella said.
Meanwhile, Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) Chief Persida Acosta announced on Tuesday in the same briefing that President Duterte has granted the payment of long awaited monetary gratuities due to public defenders who reached retirement age in 2010.
“Umaabot po ng more or less 178 million ang kanilang five year lump sum total at kasama na rin po dito ‘yung limang pamilyang na namatayan . Kabilang sa aming PAO44 ‘yung limang pamilya. Pamilya ni Atty. Rody Alonzo, Atty. Daoas, Atty. Savellano, at may dalawa pa. At may recent din pong namatay si Atty. Wilfredo Mayol ng Bohol,” Acosta bared.
Retired PAO lawyers had initiated legal action regarding the benefits during the previous administration. “Nanalo po kami noong February 14 ng taong ito sa Sala ni Judge Maria Gilda Loja Pangilinan, Branch 230 ng Quezon City,” the public defender explained.
The PAO retirees are claiming benefits similar to those received by their counterpart prosecutors-lawyers in the National Prosecution Service.
“(N)agwagi po ang PAO retirees. Karapat-dapat pong bigyan ng retirement equivalent to the retirement of the NAPROS and their counterparts in the judiciary,” .
“So ito po ang hinihintay namin na kasabay ng pagdating ng bagong Pangulo na naging pag-asa po ng maralitang Pilipino, Mayor Duterte,” Acosta said.
The PAO chief also announced that Supreme Court ruling which said public attorneys need no longer undergo Career Executive Service Officer (CESO) certification.
“(P)agpapasalamat sa Supreme Court sapagkat lumabas na po ang kautusan na panalo po ang PAO doon sa CESO Case. Hindi po kailangang mag-CESO ang mga public attorneys kagaya ng mga hukom at mga piskal,” Acosta said.
Acosta added there is sufficient legal protection for an accused under Philippine law and urged human rights advocates to consider the travails facing law enforcers facing well funded highly organized criminal syndicates in the country. ###PND
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