Filipinos may soon, in the coming years, learn to meet and celebrate the New Year in silent fashion sans the use of fireworks, a long held practice and tradition derived from the Chinese.
This as President Rodrigo Duterte said on Thursday, November 24 that he is mulling the ban of the manufacture and use of firecrackers.“At this time, I’d like to put on notice everybody that I am seriously considering making the entire Philippines like Davao. We observe the Christmas time with solemnity,” Duterte told reporters in an interview at the Wireless Cemetery (Roman Catholic Cemetery) in Davao City where he visited the grave of his father.
“I’m putting up a notice that I might. But that decision should not go beyond April, May kasi but too late na naman. It has to be decided,” he added.
The President said he wants Congress to act on it first.
“And if I, if they do not want it, well I will see if I can do it by executive order. Tutal naman ang ano diyan is the power of the President to come up with measures to protect public property, public interest, public safety,” he said.
The Chief Executive said it would be too late to implement a firecracker ban for the coming New Year, noting that it would not be fair.
“Too late na. Nabili na ‘yung ano eh. Everybody has invested… It would not be fair,” he said.
“The least that I can say or I do is just to issue a warning that it’s very, very dangerous,” Duterte said.
“If you lose your eye or if your hand is cut or when it explodes in front of you, you suffer burns that is a very serious health issue,” he said.
Duterte, who was Davao Mayor for a long time prior to running and winning as President of the country, banned firecrackers from the city.
“I decided to ban it in Davao because most of the victims are children,” he said.
“We used to hit something like almost, in the previous years, 600 serious cases of the children going blind, losing a limb, finger, a hand, a foot,” the President said. ###PND |
| This is in reference to a news story, entitled, “Duterte: US allowed same-sex marriage, where are their principles?” published 24 November 2016, where the President had been depicted as against same-sex marriages and which had offended our allies in the LGBT community.
There is absolutely no truth to the insinuation that the President was questioning the principles of the United States of America in upholding same-sex marriages.
The statements of the President referred to countries such as the United States, which gave aid and assistance to those in need, but only upon certain conditions. The President was calling out the United States, which, he said, would offer aid and assistance to countries in need, such as Liberia, but only upon compliance with certain conditions lobbied and thereby imposed by local pressure groups, such as LGBTs. The President found it appalling that when such conditions were not met, the United States would unilaterally withdraw the aid and assistance, regardless of whether such withdrawal would cost lives and cause damage to the beneficiary. The President then asked, “Where are the principles that they, the builders of America [espoused]?”
The President has remained steadfast in respecting the rights of LGBTs, evident in his pioneering programs while still a local executive. He will continue to uphold their rights and protect their well-being as the Chief Executive.
Moving forward, we hope that media likewise remain firm in your commitment to provide our country truth in reporting. |
| We welcome the latest Social Weather Stations survey showing the ‘very high’ (+43) net personal optimism of our people and their ‘very high’ (+44) net optimism about the economy.
We also take note of so-called ‘very high net gainers’ (+19), or those who believed that their personal quality of life had changed compared to twelve months ago. This is a record-high from the previous +11 in March 1987.
These encouraging numbers are consistent with the findings, also from SWS, that showed a decline in the number of families rating themselves as poor/mahirap. They affirm that the Duterte Administration is on the right track in its fight against drugs and crime while pursuing a 10-point socioeconomic program.
The survey results likewise inspire us in the government to roll up our sleeves and double our efforts in improving the lives of the disadvantaged and marginalized. As the President said, “For what good will progress be if its benefits do not trickle down to the poorest of the poor.”
Currently, the Duterte administration is pushing for big-ticket infrastructure projects. Once implemented and completed, these projects will help attain our medium-and long-term development goals, such as making our agriculture competitive, improving transport and mobility by making it safe and efficient, and improving health and other social services. |
| Filipinos have a ‘very high’ optimism level under the Duterte administration.
The 3rd Quarter 2016 Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey, conducted from September 24 to 27, found many Filipinos anticipate an improved quality of life and better economy in the next 12 months.
Net personal optimism posted a score of +43 as more respondents felt their lives to improve in the year ahead.
Net optimism about the economy, on the other hand, scored +44 as more respondents foresee the better improvement in the economy in general.
Malacañan welcomed this latest survey as it took note of so-called ‘very high net gainers’ (+19), or those who believed that their personal quality of life had changed compared to twelve months ago.’
This is a record-high from the previous +11 in March 1987,” Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said.
Andanar added that the numbers are “encouraging and are consistent with the findings, also from SWS, that declining number of families rating themselves as poor/mahirap.”
“They affirm that the Duterte Administration is on the right track in its fight against drugs and crime while pursuing a 10-point socioeconomic program, “ Andanar underscored.
SWS classifies net personal optimism as ‘very high’ (+30 and above), ‘high’ (+20 to +29), ‘fair’ (+10 to +19), ‘mediocre’ (+1 to +9), ‘low’ (0 to -9), and ‘very low’ (-10 and below).
Net optimism about the economy scores of at least +10 are considered “very high”; +1 to +9, “high”; zero to -9, “fair” because “a slightly negative score is already better than normal”; -10 to -19, “mediocre”; – 20 to – 29, “low”; and those – 30 and below as “very low.”###MARO-CONTENT |
