MANILA, May 19 (PNA) — The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has noted President Benigno S. Aquino III’s commitment in improving the quality of life of Filipinos through family planning.

“What I saw is a President that is committed in providing services for the people. And he’s committed to actually procuring more family planning commodities for use in his country,” UNFPA Executive Director Babatunde Osotimehin said at a press conference at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Pasig City on Thursday.

He also commended the President for reaching out to as many Filipinos in providing better health services particularly for the poor.

Osotimehin assured of UNFPA’s continuous support to the Philippine government in providing resources and other assistance to secure the lives of every women and young people in the country.

According to UNFPA, some 54,000 births have been made safer for poor Filipino women in 10 provinces under their 6th Country Programme.

They have also invested P602 million in the public health system which made the government save P3.4 billion.

Generally, from 1972 to 2011, UNFPA has invested some 174 million U.S. dollars to support the government’s poverty reduction programs which include family planning, safe motherhood, gender equality, and population development.

“We, at UNFPA, assist the government in procurement, in distribution, in providing services, and ensure quality services to provide reproductive health services for women and young girls,” he stated. (PNA)
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He said these resources would encourage people in cities to settle and invest in the rural areas.

Counselor Philip Shull of the United States Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service was among the main speakers Wednesday during the 15th Dairy Congress and Exposition scheduled May 16-18 at the Hotel Supreme in this summer capital.

Shull cited the good dairy industries of the provinces of Bulacan and Nueva Ecija and other places in the country will benefit especially that the National Dairy Authority is about to adopt the dairy program of New Zealand.

Before more than 400 milk producers of the country, Shull said the Philippines and US have worked together in agriculture and trade resulting to the increased exports between both countries.

Shull said a successful Philippines dairy expansion program could entice urban dwellers to invest in the provinces thus help avoid too much in-migration to cities.

He recalled that 50 years ago in the Philippines, more work force were concentrated in the rural areas because of the profitability of agriculture-based industries.

The Baguio Dairy Farm here which had an outstanding production performance in the 1970s will join the nationwide dairy expansion program. (PNA)
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“My marching order is to address the critical constraints that make growth slow, uneven and exclusive to certain sectors of society,” Arsenio Balisacan, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary and NEDA director-general told reporters at a briefing.

Baliscan said one fundamental reason for this is the rather slow pace of economic growth relative to the country’s population growth.

As of May this year, the country’s population stood at 92.34 million, up by 15.83 million compared to the 76.51 million in 2000. In 1990, the total population was 60.70 million.

“Associated with this is the slow growth of high-quality employment opportunities for our rapidly growing labor force. The other fundamental reason is our weak capacity to transform whatever growth we achieve to poverty reduction,” he said.

“I share the view with our President that we need to permanently break away from this pattern of growth, making development more inclusive, ensuring that it benefits everyone, especially the poor and the highly vulnerable groups in our society. The President fully understands that this involves bringing development and economic opportunities beyond Manila, an understanding that parallels my scholarly works on poverty,” he added.

Certainly, Balisacan said the Philippine economy is growing, but the government needs to make it grow faster and to sustain high growth for the long term.

“There is also no question that we need the growth to be more inclusive, across and within sectors and areas of the country,” he said.

Balisacan’s another task is to facilitate the pace of and address the bottlenecks in building high quality infrastructure, especially those that support rural development.

“Infrastructure support is clearly linked with poverty reduction. The public-private partnership (PPP) program is just one of the many tools to achieve this goal. We will continue the initial strides of the PPP Center, and we hope to further make PPP projects attractive to investors even in rural areas,” he said. (PNA)
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Ang said the company is on the look out for other acquisition opportunities, particularly other refineries in Southeast Asia.

“We are very interested, if there are opportunities to acquire more in the region then we will. I cannot be specific which our target is, as competition is very tight. If there’s an opportunity for us to acquire then we are interested,” he said.

“Everybody’s dream is to become (the biggest in Southeast Asia). But we don’t know we can achieve that. We are just hoping we can advantage if there is some opportunity around,” he added.

Petron completed its mandatory takeover of Esso Malaysia shares with 8 percent of the total number of shares additionally acquired by the company bringing its ownership to 73 percent.

“When you do a tender offer, you wish you can buy everybody. But unfortunately from our previous 65 percent, after the first round of offer, we were only able to buy around 8 percent,” he said.

Ang said Petron will conduct another tender offer subject to the approval of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Malaysia.

Petron acquired ExxonMobil’s downstream business in Malaysia for US$ 610 million.

Petron, meanwhile, projects a net income of P10 billion for the full year, up 17.6 percent from P8.5 billion for the same period last year.

“The problem with Petron is when world oil prices are going down and you have a lot of inventory, you will incur losses. If world oil prices are stable then the results should be better in the next three quarters,” Ang said.

“If the downtrend will reach US$ 100 million, then maybe we could reach our target of at least P10 billion for the year barring sudden changes in the environment,” he said.

Petron also projects a P5 billion net income from its refinery in Malaysia.

“Our guidance is almost half of what Petron is doing. So it is estimated to be half of what we could at least make this year,” Ang said.

Esso Malaysia will be named Petron Malaysia, he said. (PNA)
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The dengue epidemic has claimed 10 lives since January with 835 cases attended by public and private medical facilities as of Tuesday.

Mayor Celso Lobregat directed the City Health Office Thursday to conduct the fumigation in public and private schools in the city.

The directive was issued as the Division of City Schools prepare to conduct its Brigada Escuela next Monday.

Lobregat issued the instruction during a meeting for Balik Eskwela at City Hall attended by school principals and administrators, police and fire officers, barangay officials and other stakeholders.

It was suggested schools belonging to barangays with the highest number of dengue cases will be prioritized in the fumigation to be carried out by CHO personnel.

Barangays with fogging machines are requested to conduct the fumigation in their schools with CHO providing the necessary chemical.

The chief executive said that the fumigation should be conducted from May 21 to Jun 3, when the schools are having their Brigada Eskwela.

Cleaning of school surroundings is requested before fumigation to ensure that dengue-carrying mosquitoes are killed.

Priority of fumigation is given to public schools in the affected Barangays Tumaga, Tugbungan, Canelar, Tetuan, Guiwan, Putik, Sta. Maria, San Roque, Talon-Talon, Baliwasan, Sta.Catalina, Upper Calarian, Sta. Barbara, San Jose Gusu, Mampang, Lunzuran, and Upper Pasonanca including the Zamboanga City Central School (East and West).

The fumigation will cover at least two schools every day. Private schools may be fumigated upon request by their administrators.

Likewise, Lobregat reminded school principals and administrators of their responsibility to ensure that their respective schools are always clean.

“Non-functional toilets should be made functional, broken window panes and doorknobs should be replaced. The condition of a toilet is a reflection of people using it,” he said.

A dengue outbreak was declared in Zamboanga City following the reported 774 dengue cases with 9 fatalities from January 1 to April 30, this year. Massive cleanup has already been conducted in all barangays.

Lobregat also directed the police to make sure that security and traffic measures are in place in all schools during the opening of classes. (PNA)
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Operating revenues grew 8.83 percent to P222.96 million as all components of income increased. Trading related fees expanded 31.39 percent to P62.28 million as trading volume surpassed the level last year. Average daily turnover value of P7.84 billion was recorded in March compared with P5.08 billion in average value turnover in the same period last year.

Likewise, service fees generated by the Securities Clearing Corp. of the Philippines, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the PSE, increased by 54.48 percent. Listing related income, on the other hand, was reduced mainly because of lower volume of listings in the first quarter this year compared with the same period last year.

Other income of P45.45 million was higher by 235.85 percent primarily due to mark-to-market gains on financial assets. These revenues came from the investment in equity funds managed by two external fund managers.

“The PSEi continues to be one of the top performing markets in Asia and we have seen a healthy increase in trading activity arising from this. The extension of trading hours into the afternoon at the start of the year has helped our market to accommodate this renewed interest from investors. We hope that revenues from listings will catch up as more companies have started to go to the stock market to raise capital,” PSE president and chief executive Hans B. Sicat said.

Total expenses for the first three months were slightly higher by 1.21 percent to P94.36 million as compared with the same period last year of P93.23 million. (PNA)
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Vehicular traffic returned to normal following assurances by local authorities they would not be displaced from their areas of livelihood.

The small-scale miners from mining sites in Barangays Kingking, Panganason, Gumayan, Di-at, Boringot and nearby areas occupied Kingking Bridge at 9:00 a.m. Thursday.

Juland Suazo, of the environment group Panalipdan (defenders), revealed the small-scale miners were angered by moves of barangay officials allowing big mining companies to operate the sites including those already declared as “Minahan ng Bayan.”

The miners are opposing the entry of mining firms Nationwide Development Corp. (Nadecor), Russel Mines and St. Augustine Copper and Gold.

The miners feared they will be displaced once these mining firms operate in the area.

They urged barangay officials and local government officials to junk barangay resolutions endorsing the mining companies.

The small-scale miners joined by other groups and farmers from other areas started their protest by occupying the vicinity of the municipal hall in Pantukan Wednesday.

When local officials ignored their protest, they decided to seize the bridge Thursday to show their anger.

Passenger buses and jeepneys and other vehicles piled up along the highway as miners on the bridge grew in numbers.

Passengers had no option but walk across the bridge to ride other vehicles.

At around 2:20 p.m. Thursday, Compostela Valley Gov. Arturo Chiongkee Uy and Pantukan Mayor Celso Sarenas arrived and talked to the protesting miners.

Uy gave assurances no small-scale miners would be displaced despite the entry of large-scale mining firms.

“Barugan gyud nako na. Dili ko mosugot nga dunay small-scale miners nga mawala sa mga lugar nga ilang gimina. (I will stand by my promise. I will not allow that small-scale miners will be displaced from their areas),” Uy told the protesting miners.

Uy said he was even shocked by the revelation by the national government that almost all areas in Compostela Valley have pending applications for mining explorations.

He said the province has issued 16 mining permits to small scale miners.

“It was only stopped when I was ordered to do so by the national government,” Uy added.

He also appealed to small scale miners to fast track their documents so he can declare their areas as “Minahan ng Bayan” and then no one would have the right to evict them.

He said he will do his best to stop big companies from ejecting small scale miners.

“We are one here. We should be the ones to benefit from our resources,” Uy said.

“As long as I am the governor, no small-scale miners would be displaced,” he assured.

During the open forum, Suazo told Uy and Sarenas the miners were angered by the barangay resolutions endorsing the big mining companies and only gave the small scale miners two more years to operate.

Upon reading the barangay resolutions, Uy told the miners the resolutions were improper.

According to him, it contradicts the provisions of their ordinance declaring some areas as Minahan ng Bayan.

Uy clarified that Minahan ng Bayan is lifetime and no barangay resolutions could supersede the declaration.

He assured the small-scale miners he would tell barangay officials to revoke their barangay resolutions since these are inconsistent with their declaration.

Uy also assured the miners there would be consultations whenever there are mining companies which would want to operate in the area.

With these developments, the small-scale miners slowly dispersed themselves and let the flow of traffic back to normal. (PNA)
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Dubbed “Walk for Cause, Isang Hakbang sa Kalikasan,” the 12-kilometer walk was organized by Mayor Nilo Leyble, the City Environment and Waste Management Office (CEWMO), City Hall Annexes 1 to 4, and the Sangguniang Kabataan to raise funds for the rehabilitation and sprucing up of Hinulugang Taktak Falls, one of the city’s major tourist attractions.

Participants in the undertaking carried different placards to promote environmental awareness during the 12-kilometer walk from Antipolo town proper to SM Masinag through the City Market to Marcos Highway.

Mayor Leyble said proceeds of the walk will go to the rehabilitation of the Hinulugang Taktak Falls.

He said the Antipolo CEWMO and other agencies have already conducted initial studies, and found the project would involve a large amount of money for its implementation.

One of the organizers, City Annex III officer-in-charge Dr. Rina G. Junio has expressed her gratitude to the public for making the walk a success. (PNA)
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Governor Junvic Remulla said at least 12 city and municipal mayors from the 5th, 6th and 7th congressional districts signed the accord to ensure protecting the health of their constituents, especially those residing in depressed areas.

Remulla said the local officials want to ensure that Caviteños, especially the indigents, can avail of discounts for member’s hospital expenses in any accredited hospital anywhere in the Philippines.

He said under the MOA, concerned local governments shoulder the enrolment of members with PhilHealth such as members’ contribution, monthly amortization and the like.

Signatories to the MOA include City mayors of Trece Martires and Tagaytay, and municipal mayors of Carmona, General Mariano Alvarez, Silang, Amadeo, General Trias, Tanza, Indang, Magallanes, General Emilio Aguinaldo, and Alfonso.

On the part of PhilHealth, the signatories were Dr. Eduardo P. Banzon, president and chief executive officer; PhilHealth Area 2 vice president Ruben John Basa, and PhilHealth vice president Alberto Mandurlao.

The provincial governor said the 21 other city and municipal mayors of Cavite have expressed interest in signing similar accord with PhilHealth, and their respective City and Municipal Councils are set to pass resolutions authorizing their local chief executives to push through with the project.

It will take sometime but definitely within this year, Remulla assured, noting that Cavite is the most populous province of the Philippines, meaning town and city officials should do something to help protect the health of their residents.

PhilHealth, he said, is a government institution that ensures sustainable, affordable and progressive health insurance for every Filipino. (PNA)
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Officials said this is expected to help improve Manila Bay’s water quality.

Called the “Metro Manila Wastewater Management Project” (MWMP), this will support investments of the two water concessionaires — Manila Water Company, Inc. and Maynilad Water Services, Inc. — to increase collection and treatment of wastewater from households and other establishments in the metropolis.

As the borrower of the World Bank loan, Land Bank of the Philippines will make available the loan proceeds to the two water concessionaires.

Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima said the approval of the new financing will boost the country’s efforts to clean up the bodies of water around Metro Manila.

“Water quality improvements in rivers and other water channels in and around the metropolis including Laguna de Bay and Manila Bay. It will help to improve the environment, and eventually enhance recreational and tourism opportunities,” he said.

Metro Manila generates about two million cubic meters of waste water everyday. Without adequate sewerage facilities, only around 17 percent of this volume gets treated before being discharged into water channels in and around the metropolis, which end up mostly in Manila Bay.

To address this problem, both Manila Water and Maynilad have planned a 25-year program for ensuring 100 percent waste water collection and treatment for Metro Manila.

“MWMP will help both concessionaires embark on this ambitious program by supporting investments in selected catchment areas, thus addressing the growing needs for improved waste water management and sanitation in Metro Manila,” said Gilda E. Pico, Land Bank president and chief executive.

With a total population of almost 12 million people, Metro Manila is located in the Laguna Lake-Pasig River-Manila Bay corridor.

Interconnected with more than 30 tributaries, most of these bodies of water are highly polluted.

In December 2008, the country’s Supreme Court passed a landmark decision mandating the clean up, rehabilitation, and restoration of Manila Bay’s water quality to levels fit for recreation.

“Restoring the quality of Metro Manila’s bodies of water and eventually Manila Bay is going to be a long process but I believe this project is one huge step towards achieving this goal,” said Pico.

The project has two components, namely:

• Investments by Manila Water worth P3.4 million comprising a sewage treatment plant and associated sewage lines covering North and South Pasig;

• Investments by Maynilad worth US$ 178.3 million in sewage treatment plants and associated waste water conveyance systems in Quezon City, Pasay, Alabang, Muntinlupa, Valenzuela, and a septage treatment plant in the southern part of Metro Manila.

World Bank Country Director Motoo Konishi said the project is part of the Bank’s broader program of support for Metro Manila urban renewal which includes work on flood management, disaster risk management, and slum upgrading.

Konishi said that inadequate sanitation imposes severe costs on the economy and the population.

Economic losses from inadequate sanitation nationwide due to health costs and impacts on water quality, tourism, and welfare of the population are estimated to be around 1.5 percent of Gross Domestic Product.

“The health of poor families, especially their young children, suffers the most from lack of proper wastewater treatment facilities and poor sanitation. Projects like these are important for achieving inclusive growth,” Konishi said. (PNA)
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