NEDA Sec. Paderanga to brief RDC-7 on
Phil. Dev’t Plan in Cebu this Thursday
By Fayette C. Riñen
CEBU CITY, August 9 (PIA) -- Rolling out the economic blueprint for the future under the AquinoAdministration, the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) goes full blast in its advocacy drive for the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2011-2016.
No less than Economic Planning Secretary Cayetano Paderanga will be in Cebu on Thursday, August 11 to give the briefing to members of the Regional Development Council (RDC) – 7 chaired by Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama and inform local leaders in Central Visayas on the specific agenda of the President to fast track the country towards the 21st century.
The PDP places emphasis on the 16-point transformational agenda of Pres. Aquino based on his social contract to the Filipino people. The plan has an overarching theme of anti-corruption and good governance as the President always stressed that “if walang corrupt, walang mahirap!”
Priority thrusts on essential concerns inlcuding poverty alleviation, education, social justice, food security, fiscal management and good governance are given prominence under the plan and the specific measures to attain the ultimate objective of improving the quality of life of majority of poor Filipinos.
After the briefing, Sec. Paderanga will meet with members of the media in a press forum to entertain questions regarding the medium term plan. This is also one way of soliciting the partnership of media to help the government inform the public the vision of the present administration for the nation. (PIA 7-Cebu)
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‘ Leadership Sea Expedition’ program tests the mettle of RAFI’s micro-finance team
By: Minerva BC Newman
CEBU, Aug. 7 (PIA) –-The Micro-finance team of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (RAFI) got to experience its “Leadership Sea Expedition” program as 25 of its managers, supervisors and officers paddled their way across the Hilutungan Channel to the Islands of Olango, Pangan-an and Caohagan, braving the big waves and rains recently.
A fleet of 13 kayaks travelled an average of 20-km per day for four days (July 14-17) to experience the Leadership Sea Expedition Program of the foundation’s Kool Adventure Camp that were held in Cordova, Cebu and Olango Island in Lapulapu City.
RAFI Micro-finance supervisor, Nineveh Mascarinas described the program as a “challenging experience and an adventure to the highest level. It was tiring but definitely worth it.”
She shared that the RAFI Micro-finance team camped out on the shores of the Island when they reach it in the evening.
She said that food was rationed and water was scarce but they were able to go through the experience as a team.
According to RAFI, the Leadership Sea Expedition program was designed in such a way that the bond among team members is strengthened and tapping personal development in the process.
Life and leadership skills were also promoted through experiential learning and discussions, Mascarinas noted.
She likened the Leadership Sea Expedition to a metaphor of leadership. The tides, current, weather, and waves all bring about the true experience of how the leader brings the group to a sense of oneness, Mascarinas stated.
The bugsay (paddle) principle of RAFI President Roberto Aboitiz also connects to the experience of the response-ability of a leader in a crisis situation and in still waters.
It brings out real leadership, its challenges, and how one influences the fleet in a given formation and direction,” Anthony “Totits” Ocampo, Kool Adventure Camp deputy director for adult programs, explained.
RAFI Micro-finance is a program under the Micro-finance & Entrepreneurship focus area of RAFI, providing financial resources and know-how to women micro-entrepreneurs to nurture financial independence and entrepreneurship. (PIA-7/mbcn & RAFI)
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Local info officers' network prexy lauds P-Noy, MILF meet
By: Minerva BC Newman
CEBU, Aug. 7 (PIA) – The president of a local information officers’ network of Cebu lauded the meeting of President Benigno S. Aquino III and MILF chair Murad Ebrahim in Tokyo , Japan to push forward the peace process between the PHL government and the Muslim rebels in Mindanao .
Cebu Association of Municipal and City Public Information Officers (CAOCAMPIO) president, Carlo Dugaduga said “Ako dakong uyon sa gihimo ni Pnoy nga pakigtagbo sa MILF didto sa Japan , dili kini angay nga panghimarauton ang Pangulo sa iyang gihimo kay ang hisgutanan sa kahusay ug kalinaw tali sa nagkabangi nga hut-ong mangugubat sa Mindanao dili angayang gamiton sa pampamolitika.” (I strongly agree with the President’s meeting with the MILF in Japan , the President shouldn’t be criticized with what he did because the talks on development and peace between the warring groups in Mindanao should not be tainted with politics.)
“Kon dili ang panagsabot maghisgot sa tiunay nga pagsabot sa mga batakang hinungdan sa pagsukol niining mga Muslim nga pwersa diha sa Mindanao,” ni Dugaduga pa. (The meeting should be treated as a sincere discussion and talks on how to understand fully the root causes of the Muslim rebellion in Mindanao).
The PHL government maintains its position that the President’s meeting with the MILF chair was a “political masterstroke.”
Samar congressman Ben Evardone said it is the highest form of humility and sincerity of P-Noy to bring about lasting peace in Mindanao.
“PNoy was just true to form in his desire to lift our country from unnecessary conflict. The ball is now in the hands of the MILF to reciprocate the unprecedented move of the leader of our country,” Evardone stated.
Congressman Evardone further noted that the gesture of the President was the most concrete and sincere confidence-building move of the Aquino administration.
He urged the government and MILF panels to immediately resume the talks and iron out the remaining kinks in the negotiations to hasten the attainment of peace and development in Mindanao.
“I will not be surprised also if PNoy will again initiate bold and dramatic moves in dealing with other armed groups to attain peace and development,” Evardone said.
Senator Loren Legarda, the chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on the other hand also expressed her support to the meeting of President Benigno Aquino III and MILF chair Murad Ebrahim.
Legarda described the meeting as “highest level on both sides in planting trust and good faith” so necessary for the peace process to prosper.
“This can only augur well for the early conclusion of the peace process," Legarda said.
Legarda added the reported dropping by the MILF of their secessionist agenda is a major milestone in the peace process.
Mindanao is the richest part of the country in terms of mineral and other resources. The peace process will most likely result to a peace agreement which is good for all 100 million Filipinos, the senator stated. (PIA-7/mbcn)
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Congress already authorizes 2012 budget appropriations
CENTRAL VISAYAS, Aug. 7 (PIA) -- Congress has previously authorized the P723.6B of the proposed 2012 National Budget and this need not be included in the General Appropriations Act (GAA) that it will approve for 2012.
Budget and Management Secretary Florencio Abad said, such automatic appropriations have not been included in the National Expenditure Plan (NEP), which is the proposed form and content of the General Appropriations Act (GAA).
But these have not been “hidden,” as alleged by some, as details on automatic appropriations are in the Budget of Expenditures and Sources of Financing (BESF), Abad added.
“What Congress enacts every year are the New General Appropriations, which is composed of Programmed New Appropriations amounting to P1.092 trillion and Unprogrammed Appropriations worth P161.7 billion for 2012,” Abad explained.
Abad noted that the 2012 National Expenditure Plan (NEP) follows the format of the 2011 NEP that was submitted, and later on approved by Congress.
“Legislators can only change the automatic nature of these appropriations by amending the specific laws that authorize these. To do so via the GAA is a rider and would be unconstitutional,” the budget secretary said.
Abad further noted that automatic appropriations were not included in the NEP in order to avoid what happened in the authorization of the 2010 Budget, where Congress changed the interest rate assumption to “lower” interest payments.
The reduction was used to illegally increase the NEP through some P60 billion in Congressional initiatives, which were eventually vetoed.
The share of automatic appropriations in the 2012 budget decreased by 3.5 percentage points from last year’s amount which was 43.3 percent of the 2011 GAA.
For 2012, automatic appropriations include Interest Payments worth P333.1B or 46.0 percent of automatic appropriations; Internal Revenue Allotment of local government units, P273.3B or 37.8 percent; customs duties and taxes, including the Tax Expenditure Fund, P33.0B or 4.6 percent; Special Accounts, P26.8B or 3.7 percent; Retirement and Life Insurance Premiums, P23.3B or 3.2 percent; and Net Lending, P23.0B or 3.2 percent.
"This administration is committed to transparency and accountability, and that is why all appropriations—whether automatic or general appropriations—are all indicated in the budget books we have submitted to Congress,” Abad stated.(PIA-7/mbcn /Betty Lou Penera & with reports from DBM-OSEC Public Info Unit)