Marcos wants to see more women in key leadership posts

BY BETHEENA UNITE

Dec 13, 2023 12:32 PM 

President Marcos is hoping to see more women in key leadership positions in the country, including government seats.

 National Executive Board and Regional Presidents of the Lady Local Legislators League of the Philippines, Inc. (Photo courtesy of PCO)

Marcos made the statement in his speech at the oath taking ceremony of the National Executive Board and Regional Presidents of the Lady Local Legislators League of the Philippines, Inc. (Four-L Phil’s), stressing the "steady" work women put in their work.

The President noted that women have been working very hard for the society all throughout the country's history, so he hopes to see more opportunities in facets of the society open for women.

"[C]reate a conducive and nurturing environment for women and for girls to participate freely and equally in our political, social and economic spheres," Marcos said on Tuesday, Dec. 12.

"So, moving forward, I hope to see more women in key leadership positions in the country," he added.

He further said that women, especially girls, must not be excluded from certain sectors of the economy and the society, stressing that "women leaders play an indispensable role in the vital task of nation building."

Marcos encouraged the women leaders to continue to work for the passage of local legislative measures that aim to improve the lives of the people, especially the vulnerable.

He urged them to embrace their commitment to conduct fair and gender-responsive programs in their respective localities and broaden the growth of opportunities and enhance the role of women in the society.

"Let us aim to eradicate prejudice and discrimination against women in every facet of our society," he said.

The Chief Executive also told the women legislators to work with the government in closing the country's gender parity to improve the Philippines' ranking in the global gender gap index in the World Economic Forum.

This year, the Philippines attained a rating of 79.1 percent in gender parity, ranked 16th among 146 countries globally

The administration, he said, remains steadfast in implementing the magna carta of women at all levels of government. 

Meet new Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel

BY BETHEENA UNITE

Nov 3, 2023 01:20 PM

  

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From handling his family's business, fishing tycoon Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. will now lead the country's Agriculture department currently hounded by rising prices, production, and supply issues.

New Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. (Noel Pabalate)

Laurel, Kiko to his friends and colleagues, joined his family’s business— Frabelle Fishing Corporation— in 1985, where he moved from division to division, learning as much as he can about the company’s operations and processes first hand.

He trained in refrigeration, net manufacturing, engine overhauling, electronics, hydraulics, food manufacturing, shipbuilding, and ship repair.

Frabelle Fishing Corporation is the world’s third largest tuna fishing company with a major presence in the Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and many other major regions across the globe.

Prior to his appointment to the DA post, Laurel also held the following positions: president of Agusan Power Corporation which operates a 24.9 Megawatt Hydro Electric Power plant in Agusan del Norte and chairman of the World Tuna Purse Seine Organization that advocates sustainable resource management of fishing operations globally and a member of the Private Sector Advisory Council for Agriculture.

Currently, he is a captain and commander in the Naval Affiliated Reserve Force NCR (WESPHIL) of the Philippine Navy.

LONG-TIME PALS—President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. talks with new Department of Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. after the latter's appointment to the post on Nov. 3, 2023. (Noel Pabalate)

Laurel, 56, is President Marcos' long-time friend.

During the announcement of his appointment at the Malacañan Palace, with reporters and Laurel's family in attendance, Marcos said he has known him since they were boys.

According to Marcos, his long-time friendship with Laurel, whom he also calls Kiko, has given him the confidence to appoint him to the post he held on for more than a year.

"I've known him since we were boys. So, malakas ang loob ko na ma-i-appoint siya kasi kilala ko pagkatao niya. Alam kong napakasipag nito, unang-una. Pangalawa, nauunawaan niya nang mabuti ang sistema ng agrikultura dito sa Pilipinas (So, I am confident to appoint him because I know his whole personality. I know that he is hardworking and he understands very well the system of agriculture here in the Philippines)," Marcos vouched for his long-time pal.

"So, I am expecting that he will do a good job," he said.

Germany, Japan are PH's top investors in 2023

BY BETHEENA UNITE

Oct 17, 2023 06:14 PM

  

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Germany and Japan are the top foreign investors in the Philippines from January to September this year, a Cabinet official said.

(Photo courtesy of PCO)

Trade Undersecretary  Ceferino Rodolfo said Germany has the biggest investment pledges with 80 percent of the P427-billion foreign investments in the first nine months of the year.

Japan was the second top investor during the same period, Rodolfo added. 

"I would say 80 percent of the P427 billion have come from Germany. Pero marami pa iyang nasa pipeline ha, marami tayo ngayong nasa pipeline (But there are more projects in the pipeline), particularly for renewable energy projects," the Trade official said.

He added that foreign investors are seeing the Philippines as a good investment hub because of the government’s policy-related reforms and the further removal of the foreign equity restriction on renewable energy.

He further said the Philippines used to not be the "darling of European Union countries due to "some reasons."

"Pero ngayon nakikita natin that when the President has said, ‘we are open for business’ at saka nakikita naman nila iyong mga policy reforms dito sa Pilipinas, pumapasok na sila (But now, when the President said: we are open for business and they are seeing the policy reforms in the Philippines),” Rodolfo said.

PBBM's 20 priority bills on track for passage by December—Palace

BY BETHEENA UNITE

Sep 20, 2023 04:26 PM

  

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Malacañang said the 20 priority bills pushed by President Marcos are on track for passage this year.

President Marcos attends the third Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) meeting on Sept. 20, 2023 in Malacañan Palace. (Photo courtesy of PCO)

Following the third Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 20, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said that both houses of Congress are on track for the December passage of the 20 priority measures requested by the President, including the General Appropriations Bill.

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said the 20 measures were requested by the President to be passed in December during the last LEDAC meeting. 

“And we are happy to announce na halos kalahati ay natapos na rin namin sa Senado. Magiging batas na po siya and those that are pending na magiging batas within the next few weeks, and hopefully the President will be able to sign it (And we are happy to announce that almost half have been completed in the Senate. Those that are pending will be passed into law within the next few weeks), and hopefully the President will be able to sign it ,” Zubiri said.

"[W]e will pass this as soon as possible time. Pinakamatagal na end of the year, which is this December, kasama po ng kanyang (including the) General Appropriations Act,” Zubiri added.

The 20 bills identified as priority measures for passage by end of December this year include the National Employment Action Plan; LGU Income Classification, Internet Transaction Act, BOT/PPP Act, Salt Development Industry Act, Ease of Paying Taxes, Real Property Evaluation and Assessment Reform Act, Magna Carta for Seafarers, and Anti-Agriculture Smuggling Act.

Other measures are the Waste-to-Energy Bill, National Disease Prevention Management Authority, Amendments to the Banking Act or the Fund Secrecy Law, Medical Reserve Corps, Virology Institute of the Philippines, E-Governance Act, New Philippine Passport Act, the National Government Rightsizing Act, the National Scamming Act, the National Citizens Service Training Program Act and the Military and Uniformed Personnel Pension System Act. 

House Speaker Martin Romualdez, on the other hand, said that 18 out of the 20 legislation to be passed by year-end had already been approved by the House of Representatives.

PH gets P73-B investment leads from Europe --- DTI

BY BETHEENA UNITE

Jul 12, 2023 01:48 PM

  

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The Philippines has received P73-billion in investment leads during a three-week investment roadshow the country participated in across Europe.

Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Alfredo Pascual said these investment leads were from the renewable energy and infrastructure development sectors.

"During the three-week investment roadshow that we had in Europe, I had the opportunity to witness first-hand the positive outcomes of our efforts. I am pleased to emphasize the roadshow success which has resulted, as mentioned, in 48 potential investment leads," Pascual said in a Palace briefing on Wednesday, July 12.

"Of these, 16 have explicitly indicated investment values totalling more than P73 billion, potentially generating more than 4,300 jobs – these are direct jobs," Pascual added.

The Trade Secretary said they went to five countries —France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.

According to Pascual, these countries have expressed interest in investing in the Philippines.

He added that it became "very clear" that their main attraction to the Philippines includes its strategic location; the large population that can translate to a good market for them; and the young, talented and skilled workforce.

The Europe roadshow, Pascual said, has generated 48 project investment leads, with interest in manufacturing and related services such as IC design training, Information Technology and Business Process Management, and renewable and clean tech energy.

Investment pledges from foreign trips

Pascual has also addressed speculations regarding the investment leads garnered during previous foreign trips, assuring the public that DTI has mechanisms to monitor and evaluate the progress of investment leads from its previous foreign trips.

"We ensure transparency and accountability, although we cannot always disclose the names of specific companies that we deal with due to confidentiality demanded by private companies which are subject to competitive pressures," Pascual said.

The DTI chief explained that "some leads may take longer to materialize."

He further said that there is normally a series of steps in investment decisions involving foreign direct investment. These steps that must be followed include expression of the interest; decision to explore the feasibility; feasibility study; among others.

"It is essential for us to understand that investment leads are typically long-term commitments rather than immediate actions. It’s not like, you know, investing in shares listed in the stock exchange where after you show the potential of particular issue that an immediate investment decision can be made, and remittance of the investment follows, you know, the decision right away," Pascual said.
Sustained investments

The Trade official also stressed that the country needs a continuing flow of investments in order to support economic growth and the creation of jobs.

He emphasized that the country produces 800,000 college graduates a year and the government needs to find jobs for them.

"And of course, there is local capital, there is expansion of existing businesses. But these additional job-creating opportunities might not be sufficient with the new businesses and then we need to diversify our economy so that it is more resilient and could withstand shifts in the market and shifts in the global environmental situation," Pascual said.

Frasco continues to enjoy Marcos' trust despite tourism ad mess

BY BETHEENA UNITE

  

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President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said that Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco continued to enjoy his trust despite the tourism campaign controversy.

President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. receives the plaque of appreciation for his late father from the Department of Tourism on June 27, 2023 at the Manila Hotel. (Ali Vicoy)

"Yes absolutely. No question," Marcos said on Friday, July 7, when asked if Frasco still enjoyed his trust despite the issues surrounding the "Love the Philippines" tourism campaign.

The President said he had spoken to Frasco about the matter, and noted that Frasco had already addressed the issue by terminating the contracts that were in question.

He also expressed confidence that Frasco will be able to "fix the problem", and that the new tourism campaign will succeed.

"She has also, since then, put under review all of the other contracts that were in the pipeline," he said.

"Kaya't sa aking palagay (So, I think) she has it under control, she knows what to do, what she has done so far inspires confidence that she will fix the problem and that the campaign of 'Love the Philippines' will be as successful as we hope for it to be," Marcos said.

The Department of Tourism earned flak after DDB Philippines admitted to using foreign stock footage for its content when it launched the tourism promotional campaign video.

The promotional video was shown during the launch of the new tourism slogan "Love the Philippines" on June 27.

Frasco then said that  the new tourism slogan was in recognition of the Philippines’ natural assets, its long history, and its rich culture and diversity.

Marcos urges Pinoys to be PH tourism's top influencers

BY BETHEENA UNITE

  

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"Be our country's top influencers."

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said this to encourage Filipinos to be the country's own advocates for tourism as the government unveiled its new tourism slogan.

"Keep introducing the Philippines to the world as a top tier tourist hub," Marcos said during the 50th anniversary of the Department of Tourism (DOT) on Tuesday, June 27, held at the Manila Hotel.

"On that note, I call on the entire Filipino nation to allow yourselves to be our country’s tourism ambassadors. I enjoin you all to be our country’s promoters, advocates, and if I may borrow a coined term in this age of social media, be our country’s top influencers," he added.

The President emphasized that the genuine warmth of the Filipino people "is indeed our greatest asset."

He added that the hospitality Filipinos extend to visitors is a unique characteristic that is innately embedded in the social fabric of being a Filipino, which, he said, "is something that we should all be very proud of."

The DOT also unveiled "Love the Philippines" as the country's new tourism slogan, which, Marcos said, will serve as a guide post for the Philippine tourism industry moving forward.

Tourism powerhouse

The President also urged public officials and tourism stakeholders to "strive to translate our golden vision into reality" using the National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP) for 2023 to 2028 which was approved in March.

He said the five-year plan stemmed from the administration's determination to implement programs that will transform the country towards being a tourism powerhouse in Asia in the coming years.

"You are the main drivers in the promotion of our beautiful country. I urge you to continue in your role in sustaining the momentum that we have built towards improving our tourism landscape," Marcos said.

"To everyone in the industry who offer their services, to our guests, to our travel agents, to our hotel staff, airline crews, boat operations, everyone who welcomes our tourists with a warm and bright smiles, to make certain that they have a great and memorable experience, maraming maraming salamat sa inyong lahat (thank you very much to all of you)," he added.

In May 2023, the chief executive approved the NTDP as the administration's blueprint and development framework anchored on Filipino culture, heritage and identity. It aims to be sustainable, resilient and competitive in order to transform the country into a tourism powerhouse.
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In the same month, the department’s latest report showed that the total number of international tourist arrivals in the country is at 2,029,419.

Marcos eyes nuclear energy use to stave off power crisis

BY BETHEENA UNITE

May 12, 2023 01:55 PM

  

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AT A GLANCE

• President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has once again pronounced his intention to tap nuclear energy to avert possible power crisis in the country

• He said the Philippines is "open to everything" as it needs additional power supply at present

• His statement came after the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) urged the public to support the plan to adopt nuclear technology for power generation to cut down the increasing energy costs in the country

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President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. is keen on tapping nuclear energy to beef up the country's power supply and avert a possible power crisis.

President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. answers questions from the media on board a flight back to Manila after attending the 42nd ASEAN Summit in Indonesia on May 11, 2023. (Photo courtesy of Yummie Dingding / PPA POOL)

Marcos revealed that even before assuming the presidency, he had been looking to nuclear energy as an option to address the power shortage in the country.

"Even before I took office, pinag-uusapan na namin tingnan ‘yan. It turns out there are many nuclear technologies, iba-iba. Ang dami naming natutunan in our last visit to Washington and then --- even yung nasa EU (European Union) kami, marami palang iba-iba (we were already talking about that. It turns out there are many nuclear technologies, of different kinds. We learned a lot in our last visit to Washington and then even in EU, we learned there were actually a lot of technologies)," Marcos said in a media interview onboard his flight back from Indonesia on Thursday, May 11.

The President said when it comes to power, the Philippines is "open to everything" as the country needs additional power supply at present.

“So, what else can we do? Find new sources. That’s what we’re trying to do. The situation with renewables is also improving but we may have found some other technologies na hindi mag-antay ng lead time ng (that won't have lead time of up to) six, seven years,” the President added.

Marcos' statement on nuclear energy came days after the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) urged the public to support the administration's plan to adopt nuclear technology for power generation to cut down the increasing energy costs in the country.

Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) Director Carlos Arcilla stressed the need to lower the cost of electricity to attract more investors, boost economic activity, and reduce the burden of consumers.

Island provinces or those not connected to the grid, will particularly benefit from using small modular nuclear reactors, the PNRI official said.

Marcos earlier eyed a “cutting-edge” micro nuclear fuel technology to solve the country’s power crisis particularly after he met with officials of Ultra Safe Nuclear Corp., a US-based firm global leader and vertical integrator of nuclear technologies and services.

USNC officials expressed interest in bringing clean and reliable nuclear energy to the Philippines, describing the move as "probably a very important way for us to enter the market.”

They are also considering the Philippines for its first nuclear energy facility in Southeast Asia and vowed to help address the series of blackouts that hit several areas of the country.