|
|
| PGMA pays last respects to “Tiya Dely” |
|
|
|
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo paid her last respects this morning to
Philippine broadcaster icon Fidela "Tiya Dely" Magpayo at the Loyola
Memorial Chapel in Marikina City. The President stayed for 30 minutes at the wake with Magpayo's daughters, in-laws and family members. After condoling with Magpayo's relatives, she visited the grave of Don Ignacio Arroyo, the father of the First Gentleman, at Loyola Memorial Park, and offered flowers. Tiya Dely is the acknowledged first lady of Philippine radio and on-air counselor of love- struck and lovelorn for the past 68 years. Tiya Dely, 87, was working in the radio booth of dzRH when she suffered a stroke on Saturday at 11:30 p.m., while hosting the program “Serenata Kolektibista”, which features one of her many longtime passions, kundiman and rondalla music. She died on Monday. She had maintained a full schedule at the radio station, hosting a nightly show, “Ang Inyong Tiya Dely,” apart from the weekend program. Her career in the broadcast media started when she was about 18 years old, when she joined the group of radio comedians Andoy Balunbalunan and Dely Atay-atayan as a singer. Tiya Dely got her first counseling program at dzRH in October 1953. She later transferred to dzMM, and was the last radio host heard on air before the Lopez-owned station was padlocked by the Marcos regime. She later resumed her career on radio at dzRH. Aside from being a radio personality, Tiya Dely also acted in movies produced by Sampaguita Pictures, LVN and Larry Santiago Productions. Among her films were "Basahang Ginto" and "Hinihintay Kita." She was also a singer, recording songs like "Pamaypay ng Maynila," "Sa Ilalim ng Ilang-Ilang," "Pandanggo ni Neneng" and "Nabasag ang Banga." After World War II, she supported the presidential campaign of the late
President Manuel Roxas. When he won, Roxas appointed Tiya Dely as
confidential secretary of then Vice President Elpidio Quirino, who
encouraged her to get a college degree. Among the awards she received for her contributions to the Philippine broadcast industry are the Pama-As Gintong Bai award from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, Gawad Plaridel from the University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas. She was about to receive an award from the Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino when she suffered a stroke. With the President at the wake were Cecile Guidote L Alvarez, executive director of the National Commission of Culture (NCCA) and the Arts; Department of Education Undersecretary Vilma Labrador, NCCA Chairman; Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) Chief Percida V. Rueda Acosta and Commissioner Joelad Santos of the Komisyon ng Wikang Pilipino. |
|
|
| U.N. reaffirms commitment to provide humanitarian assistance to Mindanao |
|
The United Nations has reaffirmed its support to the on-going efforts to end
the conflict in Mindanao and provide humanitarian relief assistance to
communities affected by the current hostilities in the region. In a press statement issued Thursday, the office of the UN resident commissioner in the Philippines clarified that the reported “food blockade” in Lanao del Norte was an isolated case “among a series of successful relief operations undertaken in the framework of the government of the Philippines-UN (GOP-UN) project Action for Conflict Transformation (CT) for Peace.” A news report datelined Koronadal City that appeared in the Philippine Daily Inquirer yesterday said that aid agencies in the area had accused the military of putting up food blockades. The same report said that Brig. Gen. Jorge Segovia, acting chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) command center, denied the existence of food blockade. ”There was no food blockade. We want to ensure the safety of anybody involved in the relief operations. In fact, they can go through provided they have coordinated with the Disaster Coordinating Councils (DCCs) so that everything will run smoothly,” the PDI reported, quoting Segovia. This was confirmed by the UN statement, which said that it “has not experienced any difficulties or challenges in delivering food to the distribution centers. Dispatches of food support for displaced families have been unhampered amidst recent hostilities and increased security precautions being taken by UN staff and its cooperating partners,” the UN statement said. It added that the UN would continue to coordinate closely with the authorities at both the national and provincial levels in carrying out its humanitarian relief assistance, especially disaster coordinating councils and social welfare offices. “The United Nations appreciates the continuous and proactive support of the Philippine Government to humanitarian efforts in Mindanao and understands the military’s concern over the safety and security of humanitarian relief workers,” the statement added. |
|
|
| United Nations Press Statement |
|
In response to the news article “Aid agencies accuse military of mounting
food blockades” that appeared in the 4 September 2008 issue of the
Philippine Daily Inquirer, the United Nations system in the Philippines,
reaffirms its support to on-going peace efforts and commits to provide
humanitarian relief assistance to conflict-affected communities in Mindanao. The incident reported in the article mentioned above is an isolated case among a series of successful relief operations undertaken in the framework of the GOP-UN project Action for Conflict Transformation (ACT) for Peace. The United Nations has not experienced any difficulties or challenges in delivering foods to the distribution centers. Dispatches of food support for displaced families have been unhampered amidst recent hostilities and increased security precautions being taken by UN staff and its cooperating partners. The United Nations will continue to coordinate closely with national and provincial government authorities especially disaster coordinating councils and social welfare offices at all levels. The United Nations appreciates the continuous and productive support of the Philippine Government to humanitarian efforts in Mindanao and understands the military concern over the safety and security of humanitarian relief workers. |
|
|
| Apostol urges Senate to close book on NBN-ZTE probe following Supreme Court decision |
|
Presidential Legal Counsel Sergio Apostol urged the Senate today to finally
close its inquiry into the National Broadband Network (NBN) controversy
following the Supreme Court’s decision upholding the executive privilege
invoked by former National Economic Development Authority (NEDA)
Director-General Romulo Neri. In an interview this afternoon, Apostol said, “Yes, it is time for the Senate to close its investigation. They (senators) have gathered enough evidence in aid of legislation, nasabi na lahat at wala namang ebidensiya (everything has been said and there was no evidence).” “Pero kung iba ang motibo ng iba diyan -- as in aid of the 2010 presidential elections, iyan ang problema,” Apostol said. He added that the NBN-ZTE deal had been cancelled by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. “The Supreme Court has spoken, we urge them (the senators) to draft legislation already. But if they cannot do that, they’re just wasting the people’s money,” Apostol said. Apostol also allayed fears that the Supreme Court ruling would encourage the President to abuse the power to invoke executive privilege, saying it is enshrined in the Constitution. “On the part of the ZTE-NBN contract, wala namang itinago si Presidente. Yung project, ‘di pa finalized. “Pero kung finalized na, the President and the NEDA (National Economic Development Authority) will bring this to the Cabinet for the project’s implementation, at ipa-paalam sa publiko talaga ang mga detalye sa proyekto – eh, na-cancel ang proyekto so wala na,” Apsotol said. He also dismissed the claim of Jun Lozada that the public will never know the truth about the contract because of the Supreme Court’s decision. “Ano pa ang dapat malaman ng publiko? Idinada na niya lahat-lahat sinabi na niya. ‘Di ba nag-drama-drama pa siya? Wala namang ebidensiya (What else should the public know? He has revealed everything with drama and all and yet he had no evidence to prove his claims).” Apostol said. “I-respect niya ang SC decision – tapos na ang isyung ito (he should respect the SC decision – this issue has ended); it’s time we moved forward,” he added. |
|
|
| Statement of Press Secretary Jesus Dureza in reply to senators Re: Transparency and Supreme Court ruling on executive privilege |
|
The issue here is not about transparency. The invocation of executive
privilege was not to cover up facts or put a lid on the public disclosure of
vital information. May I remind the good senators that it was their palpable
abuse of their privilege to call on Cabinet members and subject those who
voluntarily appeared before Senate hearings to public ridicule and even
arrest and detention that triggered the availment of that privilege. It is pathetic that some members of the Senate vainfully justify their constitutional excesses by grandstanding as if they are the paragons of truth and transparency. Unfortunately for them, the Supreme Court saw through this and struck them down. Let’s hope they come around and show respect to the highest tribunal and submit to its final ruling. |
|
|
| Statement of Deputy Spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo |
|
The slowdown of our economic growth is the direct result of the public’s
reaction to the market. People tend to spend wisely and use their resources to spend on important things rather than on the luxury items. The government has been implementing several programs through the DTI (Department of Trade and Industry) to mitigate measures to stabilize the price of prime commodities amid the growing inflation, like closely coordinating with the manufacturers and retailers of basic necessities and prime commodities to keep prices at reasonable levels, and publishing price guidelines on basic and prime commodities whenever necessary for the information and guidance of the consumers. The PITC (Philippine International Trading Corporation) has also been empowered to intervene aggressively in the importation of prime commodities. The government is also poised to continually execute its infra program and other economic activities to create more opportunity for our people to get jobs and earn more, thus increasing public expenditure and investment. We expect growth to recover as fuel and food prices stabilize in the last quarter. |
|
|
| Remonde calls on oil firms to roll back prices immediately when world prices dip |
|
Pump prices of oil products should reflect immediately any price downtrend
of the commodity in the world market, Presidential Management Staff (PMS)
chief Secretary Cerge Remonde said today. He said it’s just fair to the consumers that oil companies roll back immediately their prices in the same way that they are quick to raise their pump prices when world oil prices go up. Remonde said rolling back the pump prices of oil products such as gasoline and diesel when the international price of the commodity goes down is part of the social responsibility of oil companies who should be sensitive to the plight of consumers. “Oil companies should price their products accordingly. They should roll
back prices as fast as they hike them in accordance with international
market prices. That is their social responsibility,” Remonde said. |
|
|
