Palace welcomes VFA review
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Malacañang today said it welcomes a proposal by the Philippine Senate to revisit the Visiting Forces Agreement
(VFA) with the United States government.
In fact, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo informed reporters in a press briefing today the
administration had directed “the VFA Commission to work with the Senators, who know what is best for our
country.”
The VFA allows American military personnel to enter the Philippines, under the Mutual Defense Treaty of Aug.
30, 1951, to promote US and Philippines’ common security interests.
Military personnel means members of the US Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.
The first VFA was signed on Feb. 10, 1998 by US Secretary of State Thomas Hubbard and then Foreign Affairs
Secretary Domingo Siazon. Both officials signed the second VFA on Oct. 9, 1998.
“We will respect whatever decision reached by the Senate,” Fajardo said. However, she added, the senators
should consider the benefits the country is getting from the VFA security-wise.
The Palace, she said, has not received a copy of the formal Senate resolution.
It is thus premature for the administration to comment on the matter for the time being, she added.
The office of the President she said, expects to get a copy of the Senate Resolution from the Presidential
Legislative Laison Office.
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PGMA’s visit to London focuses on promoting RP to investors
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LONDON— Under overcast skies and chilly autumn weather, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo arrived here
Thursday evening (early Friday in Manila) from historic Istanbul.
Fresh from Turkey, where she solicited support for the Philippines’ bid to be granted observer status in the
Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), the President prepares to spend the next two days selling the
Philippines as an attractive investment destination.
The President got off the chartered Philippine Airlines flight at 7:10 p.m. (2:10 a.m Friday Manila time). Wearing a
dark business suit and a smile, she was welcomed by Ambassador Antonio Lagdameo and other Embassy
officials at the Heathrow International Airport. With her are Press Secretary Cerge Remonde, Trade and Industry
Secretary Peter Favila, and Finance Secretary Margarito Teves.
The President is here to attend the Emerging Markets Summit hosted by London-based news magazine “The
Economist.” Five other heads of emerging economies have confirmed participation: Thailand, India, Turkey,
Tunisia, and Rwanda.
The Chief Executive will deliver the keynote address in the high-level conference Friday afternoon. She is
expected to highlight the country as an attractive investment destination.
An interview with the highly respected “Financial Times” will start her day Friday, followed by business calls from
officials of Metals Exploration PLC, mobile communications firm T-Mobile, multinational mining company Rio
Tinto, and bioenergy develope Bronzeoak group.
The President will also witness the signing of two landmark agreements between the Philippines and the
United Kingdom. Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo and British First Secretary of State Lord Mandelson
will sign the RP-UK Mutual Legal Assitance Treaty and the RP-UK Extradition Treaty.
On Saturday, the President will have brunch with the Filipino community at the ballroom of the Intercontinental
Park Lane where she is billeted. Some 200,000 Filipino migrant workers are in the United Kingdom, 70 percent
of whom are based in the Greater London area.
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Palace cites three positive economic indicators
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Malacañang today expressed confidence the country will meet this year’s growth target for gross domestic
product (GDP) because of improvements in three vital economic indicators—inflation, remittances, and
employment.
GDP is is the sum of all goods and services produced in the country, exclusive of overseas remittances. GDP
growth for the first semester stood at one percent, taking into account the 0.6 percent growth in the first quarter
and the 1.5 percent growth in the second quarter. This means the economy is on target to reach the projected
growth range of between 0.8 percent and 1.8 percent for the full year.
Earlier, the Bangko Sentral has indicated it is preparing for a wider zero to two to three percent GDP growth
range this year, given stronger purchasing power as a result of low inflation and the continued surge of
remittances from overseas Filipino workers.
In a briefing today, National Economic and Development Authority Deputy Director General Romeo Tongpalan
said August inflation was down at 0.1 percent versus its peak in the comparative period last year of 12.5 percent.
This bolsters the administration’s confidence that target inflation this year of between 2.5 to 3.5 percent is
achievable, Tongpalan said.
“Even with the January to June inflation, this would add up to 3.7 percent (for the first eight months of the year),
indicating better purchasing power for the people. If you connect this with anticipated expansion in personal
consumption expenditures, consumers would have more buying power,” he said.
Remittance growth continues to defy the flat growth forecast of economic planners at the start of the year. As of
July, Bangko Sentral data recorded almost $10 billion in remittances, a 9.3 percent increase from a year ago.
Meanwhile, the labor force survey of July showed 900,000 jobs were generated even as the unemployment
numbers increased slightly by 200,000 to 7.6 million. Given there are one million more potential workers in the
market, however, unemployment has actually gone down from last year’s 21 percent to this year’s July level of
19 percent.
“The issue now is how long the recovery should last. The export sector is now rehiring those laid off during the
crisis,” said Tongpalan.
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RP gets $6.3-M grant from World Bank for environment
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The Arroyo administration obtained $6.3 million (or P305 million) in grants to fund conservation projects and to
promote sustainable land management in upland areas in target sites in Mindanao. The grant was approved by
the World Bank today.
World Bank Country Director Bert Hofman said the grant is another example of the bank’s commitment to
support the government in realizing its goal of inclusive growth through better natural resource management.
The grant from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) will support the National Resource Management (NRM)
component of phase II of the Mindanao Rural Development Project (MRDP2), now on its second five-year phase
of a 12- to 15-year program to reduce poverty in Mindanao. The MRDP seeks to promote growth with social
inclusion and to strengthen decentralization, devolution, and collaboration between the national government and
local government units. The MRDP project began in 2000 as part of the commitments by both the government
and WB to address poverty and resource management concerns.
The fishery sector accounts for four percent of the total gross domestic product (GDP) and 20 percent of the
gross value in agriculture, fishery and forestry sector.
“This may seem small compared to high technology sectors like the financial services. But for Mindanao, these
sectors are more important as they account for a third of Mindanao’s GDP,” explained Agriculture Secretary
Arthur Yap.
By the end of the grant, the World Bank and the national government expect fish population in the 11
municipalities to increase significantly (or a 30 percent rise in fish biomass and density in project sites); reduce
silt and sediment in targeted coastal areas by 10 percent; and build up live coral and sea grass cover by 10
percent.
The project is also designed to expand the number of protected mangrove areas in the covered municipalities
and to heighten public awareness and community participation in protecting endangered species by 20 percent.
Components of the grant program are: participatory national resource management planning and policy
development; selective on-the-ground investments on coastal and marine sustainable land management
practices; assistance to the development of sustainable income generating activities; strengthening the
community’s environmental monitoring capabilities; and improving the public’s awareness on biodiversity
conservation.
On-the-ground investments include establishing fish sanctuaries and marine protected areas and mangrove
reforestation.
The project also entails providing capital and know-how on alternative livelihood that do not hurt the environment.
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FILIPINO ARCHITECT SELECTED AS FINALIST IN GUGGENHEIM ART SHELTER COMPETITION
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Filipino architect Gonzalo “Jun” Raymundo, Jr. who is based in Quezon City, Philippines was selected as one of
the top ten finalists in the prestigious Guggenheim Art Shelter Competition.
The Guggenheim Art Shelter Competition is an exhibition contest sponsored by the Guggenheim Museum and
Google SketchUp. It is open to both amateur and professional designers who are challenged to come up with
various 3D designs inspired from different shelters in any part of the world using Google SketchUp and Google
Earth. Submissions were received from nearly 600 contestants in 68 countries around the world. Ten finalists
were then drawn from this pool of contestants for the People's Prize Award, which will be chosen through an
online public voting. Currently, Mr. Raymundo is leading the voting polls.
In a statement, Philippine Ambassador to the United States Willy C. Gaa said, “Mr. Raymundo has exhibited
exceptional skill in design and architecture. Truly, his work best reflects ingenuity, workmanship and culture that
the Filipino people can be proud of. I encourage members of the Filipino community to extend their support to
Mr. Raymundo by casting their votes for his meritorious piece of art.”
Mr. Raymundo’s work entitled, “A Bamboo Shelter in a Garbage Dump City,” is a bamboo design shelter built on
a concrete base situated at a garbage dump in the Philippines. The bamboo wall represents a strong sense
camaraderie or “bayanihan” to signify that “where there is unity there is strength.” His work collectively
symbolizes “sustainability and hope.”
The voting period will run until 10 October 2009. A link to the voting page can be accessed at: http://www.
guggenheim.org/new-york/education/sackler-center/design-it-shelter/vote-for-shelters. END
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PHILIPPINE EMBASSY WARNS FILIPINO COMMUNITY ON TEXT SCAMS
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The Embassy of the Philippines in Washington, D.C. advises the public to take caution on the growing number
of incidents of text scams plaguing the Filipino community around the world.
The Philippine Government has received numerous reports from members of the Filipino community on alleged
text messages received from various government offices stating that they have been awarded cash prizes from
electronic raffle draws.
The Embassy requests Filipinos in its area of jurisdiction to be mindful of these text scams and to immediately
report any information that they may know to the proper authorities. END
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