Business credits P-Noy for undeniable economic gains
CEBU CITY , July 10 (PIA) --- The Makati Business Club (MBC) believes P-Noy deserves the credit for the undeniable economic gains the country is experiencing today.
In its press statement recently, the Makati business group credited the Aquino administration for the highly successful issuances of long-term peso-denominated global bonds.
“The bond swap where nearly P200B of the country’s old debts were exchanged for new 10-and 25-year bonds were unprecedented and indicative of foreign investors’ optimism in the country’s long-term economic prospects,” the MBC assessment reads.
The latest upgrades conferred on the country’s credit and sovereign ratings by Fitch Ratings and Moody’s Investors Service further affirmed that the government is on the right track with its fiscal consolidation efforts and maintenance of macroeconomic stability.
According to the MBC these are all important and undeniable gains that should not be disregarded or belittled, and it believes the Aquino administration deserves credit for these, the group added.
However, if Year One was a period for laying the foundations for sustained and inclusive growth, the business club expects the Aquino administration to take this to the next level of effective implementation in Year Two.
With the crafting of the comprehensive Philippine Development Plan for 2011-2016, the direction has been set. This is the time for the communication of the vision and, more importantly, execution, the MBC statement went on.
It also suggested that the government’s PPP program must now be vigorously pursued; the NAIA 3 dispute must be finally settled; and the Freedom of Information Bill must be passed.
According to the businessmen these are just some of the critical yardsticks by which the Aquino government’s performance will be measured in Year Two and onwards.
Ultimately, it is what comes to pass in the future that will determine the true worth of the underpinnings of reforms laid in the first year of the Aquino administration, the MBC concluded.(PIA-7/MBCNewman with press statements from the MBC)
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NGO in Cebu presents finalists of its 5th Triennial Awards
By: Minerva BC Newman
CEBU, July 10 (PIA) --- The Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI), a leading NGO in Cebu presented the top five finalists per category of its 5th RAFI Triennial Awards for the Visayas and Mindanao in a public forum at the Eduardo Aboitiz Development Studies Center recently.
The top five finalists for the individual category include Fr. Angelo Buenavides; Prof. Estrella Cantallopez; Apolinario Leyson, Sr.; Fr. Dennis Tamayo; and Rene Vendiola.
For the institution category, the top five finalists are SOS Children’s Villages Philippines; Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation Inc.; The Great Physician Rehabilitation Foundation Inc.; Agri-Aqua Development Coalition-Mindanao; and Alternative Indigenous Development Foundation Inc.
The finalists in both categories were formally presented in a public forum that was attended by local government units; national and regional government agencies; non-government organizations; academe, youth and civic organizations; business, and media.
The public forum has a featured ‘question-and-answer portion’ where the public can ask the finalists individually about their work, advocacies and their respective contribution to the community.
This year’s search committee was headed by Prof. Margarita dela Cruz, Dean of the University of the Philippines-Tacloban. It selected the top five finalists per category after a seven-month screening and assessment process.
According to the search committee, there were 262 nominations for the current run that were vying for the two categories of the Triennial Awards– the Ramon Aboitiz Award for Exemplary Individual and the Eduardo Aboitiz Award for Outstanding Institution.
The outstanding winners will be conferred during the 5th Triennial Awards on March 2012 in Cebu .
The RAFI Triennial Awards was established in 1996 to honor the men and women who, through their efforts bring about change and improve the lives of the less-privileged in society and those that reflect the humanitarian and holistic ideals of the RAFI founders, Don Ramon Aboitiz and Don Eduardo Aboitiz.
The Triennial Awards aims to provide a platform in recognizing individuals and institutions that are instrumental in leading change in their respective communities within the Visayas and Mindanao areas. (PIA-7/mbcn & RAFI-NRCudis)
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NYC now accepts entries for Rizal You Tube Tilt
By: Minerva BC Newman
CENTRAL VISAYAS, July 10 (PIA) --- The National Youth Commission (NYC) in the Visayas Area is now accepting entries for the Idol Ko si Rizal You Tube Video Contest.
This was the call of NYC in a press release to the Philippine Information Agency (PIA). “We should bring Rizal to where young people are, let us bring Rizal online,” the release reads.
NYC-Visayas Area cluster head, Rhenelyn Queen Dadulo said the contest aims to make young Filipinos revisit Rizal’s works and find meaning in his heroism and share their reflections with other young people online.
The contest is open to young people ages15 to 30 to make a short video for YouTube answering the question, “Bakit idol ko si Rizal?” in celebration of the National Hero’s 150th birth anniversary.
The video entries should be 150 seconds or less. NYC encourages the youth to be creative hence, the entries can be in any format, genre or style.
NYC chairman Leon Flores III said, any style that the youth can think of will be accepted.
Flores explained in Tagalog that “Bukod sa gusto nating ibalik sa consciousness ng mga kabataan ang ating pambansang bayani, gusto rin nating i-harness ang creativity nila.”
“Gusto nating malaman kung paano ba pinapahalagahan ng kabataang Pilipino ang mga ginawa ni Rizal,” Flores added.
The National Historical Commission of Philippines (NHCP) will award cash prizes to the winners that are selected by a jury composed of respected artists and film makers.
There will also be an online poll for the most popular videos and the top vote getters will also receive special prizes, NYC said.
The deadline for the submission of entries is on August 19, 2011. Application forms and detailed contest mechanics are in the NYC website, www.nyc.gov.ph (PIA-7 & NYC-Visayas)
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NYC now accepts entries for Rizal You Tube Tilt
By: Minerva BC Newman
CENTRAL VISAYAS, July 9 (PIA) --- The National Youth Commission (NYC) in the Visayas Area is now accepting entries for the Idol Ko si Rizal You Tube Video Contest.
This was the call of NYC in a press release to the Philippine Information Agency (PIA). “We should bring Rizal to where young people are, let us bring Rizal online,” the release reads.
NYC-Visayas Area cluster head, Rhenelyn Queen Dadulo said the contest aims to make young Filipinos revisit Rizal’s works and find meaning in his heroism and share their reflections with other young people online.
The contest is open to young people ages15 to 30 to make a short video for YouTube answering the question, “Bakit idol ko si Rizal?” in celebration of the National Hero’s 150th birth anniversary.
The video entries should be 150 seconds or less. NYC encourages the youth to be creative hence, the entries can be in any format, genre or style.
NYC chairman Leon Flores III said, any style that the youth can think of will be accepted.
Flores explained in Tagalog that “Bukod sa gusto nating ibalik sa consciousness ng mga kabataan ang ating pambansang bayani, gusto rin nating i-harness ang creativity nila.”
“Gusto nating malaman kung paano ba pinapahalagahan ng kabataang Pilipino ang mga ginawa ni Rizal,” Flores added.
The National Historical Commission of Philippines (NHCP) will award cash prizes to the winners that are selected by a jury composed of respected artists and film makers.
There will also be an online poll for the most popular videos and the top vote getters will also receive special prizes, NYC said.
The deadline for the submission of entries is on August 19, 2011. Application forms and detailed contest mechanics are in the NYC website, www.nyc.gov.ph (PIA-7 & NYC-Visayas)