STILL IN CAMPAIGN MODE: NOY SEEKS PUBLIC SUPPORT / NOY MEETS PARTY-LIST LAWMAKERS
ROXAS CITY, CAPIZ, JULY 14, 2011 (STAR) By Aurea Calica – President Aquino rallied the people yesterday to support his programs for change, saying his "boxing" match has just begun after a year in office.
"We're just a year, the boxing is just starting. There are still many things to be done. Please help me so that when I step down in 2016, and I hope I will be retiring, we can look back and say, our mother nation, the Philippines has come a long way," Aquino said in a speech in Kalibo.
The President was in Kalibo, Aklan where he personally distributed certificates for conditional cash transfer program before coming here to distribute another batch of certificates to thousands of beneficiaries.
He also led the distribution of supplementary feeding program checks, Philippine Health Insurance cards, social pension for indigent senior citizens checks, certificates of land ownership awards and assistance for the agriculture sector.
Aquino said the P1,400 to P1,500 stipend for the qualified families every month could help them keep their children in school, avail of health services and improve their lives in the long run.
"Sulit. Hindi ho ito abuloy, 'di limos. Ito po ay investment, investment na tulungan ninyo ang kababayan natin, madagdagan yung kakayahan niya, mapaganda ang buhay niya, pare-pareho tayong magsikap (It's worth it. It's no dole out. It's an investment, an investment in helping others, in improving lives through hard work)," he said.
The President lambasted his critics for accusing him of staying in "campaign mode." He said that his administration has generated more jobs and has improved social services through the judicious use of resources.
Noy meets with party-list lawmakers By Delon Porcalla (The Philippine Star) Updated July 14, 2011 12:00 AM
[PHOTO - President Aquino is joined by Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. and party-list representatives during a courtesy call at Malacañang yesterday.]
MANILA, Philippines - Thirty-two party-list representatives, accompanied by Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., paid a courtesy call on President Aquino in Malacañang yesterday.
Among the party-list lawmakers who met with Aquino were An Waray Rep. Florencio "Bem" Noel, Alagad Rep. Rodante Marcoleta and Bagong Henerasyon Rep. Bernadette Dy.
Belmonte said the objective of the courtesy call was to "break the ice" and allow the lawmakers to meet the president before the re-opening of the 15th Congress this month.
"This meeting was organized just for the President to meet them (party-list solons). We have around 56 party-list members and a lot of them have not met the President yet," Belmonte said.
"Of course we have to break the ice. It's been a year since they were elected and have been rendering public service, and virtually all of them are staunch supporters of the President," he added.
Belmonte said 32 of the 56 party-list representatives were present during the meeting.
"I deemed it a good thing before session starts that the congressmen get to meet and talk with the President," he said.
FROM MANILA BULLETIN
Experts caution Aquino gov't on contracts By BEN R. ROSARIOJuly 12, 2011, 7:30pm MANILA BULLETIN
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MANILA, Philippines — A policy and research organization composed of veteran educators, economic and political experts advised government to play smart in dealing with foreign infrastructure contracts the Aquino government has subjected for review, saying that a wrong move could spell doom for its centerpiece private-public partnership project.
Integritas, a policy and research think tank, said the first year of the Aquino government saw the government courting disaster in connection with its review of the multi-billion peso contracts for the construction of steel modular roll-on, roll-off ports and the Laguna Lake development project.
The organization stressed that claims of irregularities in the contract, if indeed true, should not be blamed on the foreign contractors, but on their local counterparts.
"Besides, corruption, if there is any, transpires on the local side and therefore requires urgent and resolute punishment of those who are guilty," said former Dean Merlin Magallona of the University of the Philippines College of Law.
Magallona is a member of Integritas which is comprised of a group of UP professors and economists.
Evaluating President Aquino's first year in Malacañang the group has asked government to redirect courses of action in connection with international policies it had taken.
Integritas emphasized that the Aquino government may have taken a questionable policy direction in connection with the Official Development Assistance and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
In a press conference in Quezon City, former UP College of Law Dean Merlin Magallona urged Malacañang to "take a serious look" at ODA as a source of funds for its Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects, stressing that this could be the only source of development funds of the Aquino government.
With this fact as main consideration, Magallona warned that cancellation of contracts approved by the previous administration will be detrimental to the country as this may tarnish the country's standing in the international investment and business communities.
He stressed that still unfounded claims of anomalies in the contracts should not be used as a reason for disgracing our country by neglecting and reneging our contractual obligations.
Earlier, opposition and administration congressmen issued a similar warning on the Aquino government's reported plans to rescind the two contracts.
Opposition Rep. Mitos Magsaysay (Lakas-Kampi, Zambales) warned that government could face international civil suits that may turn out to be more expensive than the money it is trying to save in turning down the contracts.
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