• Government supports actions to stop violence against Lumads
• Government continuously monitoring haze situation in Mindanao
• Palace welcomes UN statement praising Philippine government for rapid, pre-emptive response to Typhoon Lando

APEC News Release

• APEC endorses framework that seeks to ensure safety and sustainability of blood supply chain in the region

The Palace official issued the statement during an interview over government-run Radio ng Bayan, saying he was informed that some LGUs have passed resolutions regarding the situation of the indigenous people in the south.

“Nakikiisa ang ating pamahalaan sa lahat ng panawagan sa pagpigil sa karahasan laban sa ating mga kapatid na Lumad sa Mindanao.

Ipinagpapatuloy ng pamahalaan ang pagtataguyod ng kaunlaran at kapayapaan sa lahat ng mga lugar na apektado upang matiyak ang patuloy na paghahatid ng serbisyo publiko ng ating mga lingkod-bayan,” said Coloma.

“Maaalalang noong nakaraang linggo. mariing kinondena ng pamahalaan ang pagpaslang kay Mayor Dario Otaza ng Loreto, Agusan del Sur, isa sa mga matibay na nagtataguyod sa prosesong pangkapayapaan at pangkaunlaran ng mga Lumad at Manobo communities,” he further said.

Coloma also stressed that the national government is using its resources to ensure peace and order in indigenous communities.

“Gusto natin na mabatid at maunawaan ng mga lokal na pamahalaan sa iba’t ibang bahagi ng ating bansa na ang buong pamahalaan ay ginagamit ang mga resources nito para itaguyod ang katahimikan, kaayusan at kapakanan ng ating mga kapatid na katutubo o indigenous peoples o Lumad communities sa Mindanao,” he added.

Marikina is the first LGU in Metro Manila to urge the government to stop the attacks againsts Lumads through Resolution No. 15-235, which was approved by the 14-member city council on October 14.

Principally sponsored by Councilor Joseph Banzon, the resolution condemns the series of Lumad killings in Mindanao and the destruction of their indigenous culture.

Other LGUs which are taking action on the plight of the Lumads are Quezon City and Caloocan. PND (jm)

The haze caused by forest fires in Kalimantan, Indonesia, has already affected Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines.

Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said agencies such as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Health (DOH) and Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC), and local disaster risk reduction management councils, are working together to deal with the situation.

“Patuloy na tinututukan ng pamahalaan sa pamamagitan ng masinsing ugnayan ng DENR at DOST, DOH at DOTC, katuwang ang mga lokal na disaster risk reduction management council ang posibleng pangmatagalang epekto ng makapal na usok o ‘haze’ na sinasabing nagmula sa nasusunog na kagubatan ng Kalimantan region sa bansang Indonesia. Ayon sa mga ulat ng PAGASA (Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration), ang pagkapal ng haze na naunang bumalot sa ilang bahagi ng Mindanao ay bunsod ng equatorial winds na pinaigting ng nagdaang bagyong ‘Lando,’ said Coloma in an interview over government-run Radyo ng Bayan.

Coloma said DENR is monitoring its stations in Davao, Cotabato, Zamboanga and other strategic locations to check on the ambient air situation there.

“Ayon kay Secretary (Ramon) Paje, tinututukan ng mga DENR monitoring stations sa Davao, Cotabato, Zamboanga at iba pang istratehikong lokasyon ang ambient air situation na kung saan ang pamantayan o standard ay particulate matter (PM) 2.5 microns na kung saan ay natutunton ang pinakapinong usok na maaaring may elementong abo o carbon sa himpapawid. Makailang beses pa lamang lumampas sa standard ang sinusukat na komposisyon ng haze sa mga naturang monitoring station,” Coloma explained.

He said the Department of Health also advised residents, especially those with respiratory diseases, to wear masks as precaution.

“Gayunpaman, pinag-iingat ng Department of Health ang mga may sakit hinggil sa paghinga o mga respiratory diseases na gumamit ng face mask kung nasa lugar na may haze. Nakahanda namang magbigay ng kaukulang serbisyo medikal ang lahat ng pampublikong pagamutan sa mga lalawigan sa Visayas at Mindanao sa sinomang magkaroon ng sakit o sintomas na kaugnay sa haze, at patungkol ito partikular sa mga mayroong asthma o cardiopulmonary obstructive disease (CPOD),” the Palace official said.

“Ayon kay Secretary Paje, may umiiral na kooperasyon ang ASEAN Ministers for Environment hinggil sa haze at patuloy ang pagtutok at palitan ng impormasyon hinggil dito,” he added. PND (jm)

Margareta Wahlstrom, head of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, even said that other countries could learn from the Philippine government’s rapid and pre-emptive response.

“Malugod nating tinatanggap ang pahayag ng United Nations, partikular ng UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, hinggil sa ginawang paghahanda ng Pilipinas sa pagtama ng bagyong ‘Lando.’ Sa simula pa lamang ng administrasyong Aquino, isa sa mga pinagtuunan ng pansin ang pagpapahusay sa mga programa, proyekto, at pangkalahatang sistema patungkol sa climate change mitigation and adaptation, alinsunod sa layuning matamo ang kaligtasan ng lahat ng mga mamamayan at residente sa panahon ng kalamidad,” said Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. during an interview over dzRB Radyo ng Bayan.

The Palace official also cited the government’s effort to make the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) improve their services.

“Isa sa mga tinututukan ng pamahalaan ang pagpapalakas sa kakayahan ng DOST-PAGASA sa pagtataya ng lakas at pagtukoy sa galaw ng isang bagyo na siyang batayan sa isasagawang pagkilos ng mga lokal at pambansang disaster risk reduction management council. Kabilang ang pagsasagawa ng pre-disaster risk assessment at pagtatalaga ng mga first responders na binubuo ng ating kasundaluhan at kapulisan at mga empleyado ng pamahalaan, ang pag-preposition ng mga rescue equipment, food packs, at relief goods sa mga istratehikong lugar para sa agarang deployment,” Coloma explained.

“Makatitiyak po tayo na tuloy-tuloy ang modernisasyon ng mga equipment ng DOST-PAGASA at ang higit pang pagpapalakas ng ating kapasidad na magbigay ng napapanahong pagtaya sa panahon at iba pang sitwasyon ng kalamidad para mabigyan din ng sapat na paghahanda at nang matiyak ang kaligtasan ng lahat ng mga mamamayan at residente sa Pilipinas,” he added.

Coloma also stressed the importance of making the public well-informed during calamities.

“Dagdag pa rito ang tuloy-tuloy na pagpapakalat ng impormasyon sa ating mga kababayan na maaaring tamaan ng bagyo o kalamidad. Sa mga hindi pangkaraniwang pagkakataon tulad ng nakaraang bagyong ‘Lando’ at ng super typhoon ‘Yolanda,’ mismong ang Pangulo ang siyang nangunguna sa panawagan sa mamamayan at nag-uulat ng mga isinagawang paghahanda ng pamahalaan,” he said.

Coloma assured that the government will do its best to minimize if not prevent destruction of lives and properties during calamities.

“Sa mga nalalabing panahon ng administrasyon, hindi titigil ang pamahalaan na ibayo pang mapalakas ang ating pambansang kakayahan at kapasidad laban sa pananalasa ng anomang kalamidad upang maibsan ang pinsala sa mga mamamayan at sa mga ari-arian,” he noted. PND (jm)

In a joint statement issued at the conclusion of the Fifth APEC High Level Meeting on Health and the Economy (HLM5) held here last August, the APEC health officials expressed their support to the APEC Blood Supply Chain 2020 Roadmap in order to ensure sustainable access to safe blood across the APEC region.

Formulated during the APEC Life Sciences Innovation Forum held in Manila October the previous year, the Roadmap is the first of its kind in the region.

Delegates to the said policy dialogue and workshop noted that demand for human blood is increasing at a rapid rate throughout the Asia-Pacific. They pointed out that rising populations and living standards, healthcare infrastructure development and greater healthcare spending are driving the region’s need for blood and creating greater impetus for action to meet this challenge.

In an effort to address these problems, the APEC 2020 Blood Supply Chain Roadmap was crafted to provide guidance on implementing and harmonizing international standards; optimizing blood processing, testing, and distribution systems; improving clinical transfusion practices and patient blood management; and boosting capacity to develop and export plasma to help sustain blood systems in APEC economies.

During the HLM5, APEC health ministers also welcomed the establishment of the Blood Supply Chain Partnership Training Network to support the Roadmap’s implementation. The aim is to support supply chain knowledge and best practice sharing and technical capacity building cooperation, based on contributions from APEC economies, academia and professional societies, the Red Cross, key international organizations and industry. (APEC Communications Group)