PGMA inaugurates Ifugao State University
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LAMUT, Ifugao -- The Ifugao State College of Agriculture and Forestry (ISCAF) has been converted into the Ifugao
State University (IFSU).
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today re-enacted the signing of Republic Act 9720 at the IFSU gym here. She
signed the bill into law, converting the state college into a state university, on Oct. 14 last year.
In her impromptu remarks, the President said the conversion of the state university “will sustain the tradition of
excellent education in the Cordilleras and the province of Ifugao.”
IFSU started as a farm settlement elementary school in 1920. It became ISCAF in 1982 with four other satellite
campuses in the towns of Alfonso Lista, Tinoc, Lagawe, and Asipulo.
As the premier institute of higher learning in the province, IFSU offers courses in agriculture and forestry,
education, computer science, business management, health sciences, engineering and industrial technology,
among others
During the course of her speech, the President thanked the local government officials for adopting her as the
Most Distinguished Daughter of Ifugao, conferring on her the honorific gulinamay, which means a hard working
woman with strong character.
She also told the audience that she is happy with the upgrading of the Halsema Highway, which leads to the
Ifugao rice terraces, the Philippine War Memorial Shrine, and the surrender site of Japanese Imperial Army
General Tomoyuki Yamashita, and other favorite tourism destinations.
The President also noted that the Halsema Highway was first opened to motorists by her father, the late
President Diosdado Macapagal.
The Chief Executive was welcomed by some 4,000 students, local government officials and other guests at the
IFSU main campus gym, site of the inaugural rites.
Among those who led the welcoming party were Ifugao Governor Teddy Baguilat Jr., Lone District
Representative Solomon Chungalao, Lamut Mayor Francis Tenenan, the 10 other town mayors led by Ifugao
Mayors’ League president and Alfonso Lista Mayor Charles Cattiling, and IFSU president Serafin Ngohayon.
The President was accompanied by Cabinet Secretary Silvestre Bello III and CHED chairman Emmanuel
Angeles.
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BIR ‘likely’ to meet 2009 target
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The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) “will most likely” meet its full year 2009 target of P742 billion, in large part
because of the P61.5 billion collected in December.
BIR Commissioner Joel Tan-Torres made the projection in a Jan. 5 memorandum to Executive Secretary
Eduardo Ermita.
Since the total BIR collection accounts for more than 60 percent of the country’s revenues, the budget deficit, or
the difference between government revenues and expenditures, could be less than P300 billion.
Earlier, the international ratings agency, Moody’s Investors Services, said the 2009 deficit may hit P291 billion or
the equivalent of 3.5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), which is the total of goods and services
produced in the country. Right now, the Philippines’ international credit rating, which is dependent on the country’
s ability to pay its foreign debts, has remained stable at Ba3.
For a time, the Arroyo administration came close to attaining a balanced budget, with a deficit dropping from
P210.7 billion in 2002 to P12.4 billion in 2007.
The government, however, found the need to step up spending in 2008 and 2009 to cushion the impact of the
global financial crisis and the devastation of back-to-back typhoons in September and October 2009.
With no new revenue-generating taxes expected in the next semester of 2010, the BIR commissioner told Ermita
he will try to meet his P830 billion target through improved collections.
Tan-Torres identified the following tax enhancement measures:
Ø Invigorating the Run After Tax Evaders (RATE) program;
Ø Integrated approach in administering the country’s large tax payers program;
Ø Close monitoring of recently enacted tax-reducing measures and several incentives programs; and
Ø Focus on the collection of big ticket items.
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PGMA certifies 8 bills urgent
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Before stepping down in mid-2010, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo hopes to see the passage of eight bills,
including one that will give better protection to inter-island sea passengers and one that will give amnesty to
rebel returnees.
In a press briefing this morning, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the proposed Philippine Maritime Bill
will result in the creation of the National Maritime Authority as “the sole authority to regulate the maritime industry
of the country.”
Right now, shipping vessels and the rights of passengers are supervised by different government agencies,
including the Maritime Industry Authority. In part because these agencies do not regularly coordinate with each
other, shipping accidents such as the two that occurred during the Christmas season have become common.
The bill, which is still pending committee deliberations in both Houses of Congress, goes hand-in-hand with
the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) bill, which has already been approved by both Houses and is now ready for
enrollment. Under this bill, the PCG will fall under the jurisdiction of the Department of Transportation and
Communications except in times of war when it will be attached to the Department of National Defense.
The seven other urgent measures being pushed by Malacanang are:
• LPG bill, which aims to supervise more closely the LPG industry;
• Disaster Risk Reduction and Management bill, which seeks to institutionalize an integrated and coordinated
disaster management policy and goes hand-in-hand with the Climate Change Act signed by the President last
October;
• Infant and Young Child Feeding bill, which seeks to promote breastfeeding and to protect the rights of mothers,
one of the country’s commitments to the United Nations-sponsored Millennium Challenge up to the year 2015;
• Gun Control bill, which imposes stiffer penalties for crimes related to firearms and light weapons;
• Rationalization of Fiscal Incentives bill, which seeks to reduce tax exemptions given to corporations and, in the
process, raise additional revenues for government;
• Simplified Net Income Taxation for Individuals Engaged in Trade/Business and/or Practice of Profession,
which seeks to widen the country’s taxpaying base by making it easier to file BIR-mandated tax documents; and
• Amnesty Proclamation to Rebel Returnees, which seeks to help rebel returnees reintegrate into their
communities.
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Government social payback schemes benefiting a lot of Filipinos -- Ermita
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Of the many things Filipinos should be thankful for during the past year, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita
said social payback stands out among the many accomplishments of the Arroyo administration.
In his first media briefing for the New Year, Ermita said there are many reasons why 89 percent of Filipinos
remain hopeful that good things will happen in 2010.
“Sa kabila ng mga pagbatikos nila sa Pangulo , marami siyang nagawa na marahil ay hindi alam ng
sambayanan. Mahalagang malaman nila ito upang makilala nila at mapahalagahan ang kaniyang
pagsusumikap (Despite criticisms, the President has done a lot to uplift the plight of the poor and the needy, It is
important for the public to know these),” he said.
Ermita enumerated the social payback schemes which he said has been working well. These include the
Accelerated Hunger Mitigation program (AHMP), Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), national Health
Insurance Program under Philhealth, and the Botika ng Bayan/Botika ng Barangay program.
The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino program, according to Ermita, has benefited 687,883 households with grants
worth P4.396 billion as of August last year. The AHMP, on the other hand has focused on 54 food-poor provinces
through increase in food production, enhanced food delivery, employment, good nutrition and population
management.
Philhealth, Ermita said, now covers 86 percent of Filipinos including the self-employed and the indigent.
Potable water, according to him, is now available in 516 previously waterless municipalities outside of Metro
Manila, more than the 432 target municipalities.
A total of 205 areas in Metro Manila have also been given access to potable water or 75 percent of the targeted
274.
“All these things fall under the pro-poor program of the President,” Ermita said. “I can tell you more than 90
percent of what this administration does is aimed at helping the poor.”
As of October last year, Ermita said local employment remained at above 92 percent whereas unemployment
was at its lowest rate since 2001 as of the same month last year.
To address the effects on employment of the global financial crisis, the government has implemented programs
to boost local employment. These include:
n Comprehensive Livelihood and Emergency Unemployment Program (CLEEP) which generated 203,712 jobs
and employed 340,078 individuals as of November 13, 2009.
n Executive Order 782 which provided temporary employment to 30,397 displaced workers and their relatives as
of Nov. 30 last year; and
n Executive Order 788 which recruited 15,158 young people, aged 18-24, to undertake a two-year national
service commitment with modest stipend under the National Service Corps or the Youth Conservation Corps
components of the Youth national Service.
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PGMA to sign law condoning penalties on SSS contributions
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CALAUAN, Laguna--- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is expected to sign tomorrow a law condoning
penalties on the monthly premiums paid by both employees and employers to the Social Security System as a
result of increased SSS premiums effective last July.
The SSS Premium Contribution Penalties Condonation Bill is authored by Deputy Speaker and Mindoro Rep.
Amelita Villarosa and co-sponsored by Reps. Roman Romulo and Felix, Alfelor, Jr.
SSS president will witness the signing of the law.
The President will also i inspect anew the relocation sites for over 3,000 victims of storm Ondoy in Southville
Phase 7 housing projects of the National Housing Authority (NHA). The projects cover three sites with a total
land area of 107.233 hectares in Barangays Dayap and Sto. Tomas here.
Of the 3,000 relocatees, 59 families came from Marikina, 1,775 from Pasig, 125 from Estero de San Miguel near
Malacanang, 72 from Calauan, 17 from Kasaka, Binan; 643 from the Pasig riverbanks, one from Sta. Mesa,
Manila; 136 from Tripa de Gallina, 21 from Dasmarinas, Bagong Bayan, 34 from Dagupan Extension in Manila,
83 from Makati, 55 from Estero de Balete, San Marcelino, 72 from Paco, Manila, and 35 from Pandacan, Manila.
The President will award Pag-Ibig Fund calamity loan checks to beneficiaries. As of Dec. 23, total calamity loans
granted by the Fund reached P10 billion for 731,974 borrowers.
The NHA will also formally turn over the deeds of donation and acceptance of the 37 units of NHA’s Southville,
Northvile and Kasiglahan Ville School Building projects to Education Secretary Jesli Lapus.
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