PGMA cites PWU support to ladderized education
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President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, saying that her administration has invested heavily in education, today
recognized the support of the Philippine Women’s University (PWU) to her Ladderized Education Program (LEP).
In her visit to the oldest university for women in Asia, the President checked on the implementation of the LEP at
the university’s Hotel and Restaurant Management (HRM) course.
“Congratulations PWU for being a pioneer in many educational endeavors… you are among the first among
higher education institutions accredited to offer ladderized education,” she said.
The President stressed that the ladderized program opened pathways of opportunities for career progression to
students and even workers.
The LEP allows students to progress between Technical - Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and
College, and vice versa. This is embodied in Executive Order 358 promulgated by the President on September
15, 2004, providing the mandate and legal framework for wider scale and accelerated implementation of
Ladderized Education nationwide.
The President said that her administration, through the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority
(TESDA), has invested some P36.5 billion over nine years, benefiting some 11.5 million youth in tech-voc
scholarships.
The President said scholarships and other educational programs were funded through revenues raised in the
implementation of the EVAT.
She said she believes in investing heavily in the country’s education sector, because “it is the key to a better life.
It opens minds and doors.”
Under the ladderized system of education, there are two ways by which a student can transfer or move between
tech-voc and college education. First is Credit Transfer for Tech-Voc to College and Articulation which refers to
the recognition and carrying forward of overlapping learning from tech-voc to college.
A credit transfer system allows the tech-voc graduate to earn credit units for his tech-voc courses. Thus, the tech-
voc graduate readily articulates to a college degree program with ease.
The second way is called Embedded Tech-Voc Qualification in Ladderized Degree Programs which refers to
tech-voc contents that are already included in a college degree program. Such contents are mapped out and
identified, and the curriculum is restructured to allow a student of a Ladderized College degree program to earn
tech-voc credits and qualifications without having to repeat the same tech-voc subjects for which he has already
acquired knowledge and competence.
The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority or TESDA has provided some 150 scholarships to
PWU worth P750,000 and was distributed to the different Occupational Areas of Hotel and Restaurant Services.
Several frameworks were considered as an articulation mechanism to ensure efficient and effective
implementation of Executive order 358 at Philippine Women’s University (PWU). These mechanisms establish
equivalency pathways and access ramps for a ladderized system, allowing easier transition and progression
between short-term courses developed by the Career Development and Continuing Education Center (CDCEC)
of the university and degree courses offered at the tertiary level.
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PGMA opens RP furniture show
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President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo this morning led ceremonies formally opening “Manila Now 2010 – the
Philippine International Furniture Show,” at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.
Joining the President for the ribbon-cutting ceremonies were Technical Education and Skills Development
Authority Director General Augusto Syjuco, Manila Now 2010 chairman Eduardo Zaluaga and show organizer
Josefina Cancio, president of the Chamber of Furniture Industries of the Philippines.
After the opening, the President was given a guided tour of the expo’s exhibit area where 14,300 square meters
of the SMX Convention Center was packed with over 100 manufacturers and exporters of furniture, furnishings,
lighting and houseware items.
Zaluaga and Cancio took turns presenting and introducing the exhibitors’ items to the President who expressed
amazement at the craftsmanship and attention to detail poured into each furniture piece.
The President made several stops, particularly at the J. Antonio Mendoza and Maze booths to personally “test”
the sturdiness and level of comfort afforded by the pieces of furniture and have her picture taken with the proud
exhibitors.
The President was attracted by a dining table and seat displayed by the designer, Kenneth Cobon-Pue, who
made use of Philippine materials such as rattan and abaca twine.
Now on its 14th year, Manila Now 2010 is expected to surpass its previous exhibits.
Zuluaga, in an interview, noted that despite the recession, foreign customers still visit these expos to check out
the latest designs in furniture.
“They can’t afford not to come,” he said.
“They have to fill their showrooms with the newest designs. They can’t have more of the same look every year.
Each year, they have to have something new and different for their customers,” he added.
For her part, Cancio said the number of buyers the show generates every year the trust these customers have in
the design quality of furniture the local industry produces.
“They know they can find pieces here that will do well in their stores and homes,” she said.
Held in conjunction with two other shows – the Philippine Institute of Interior Designers’ New Essentialism and
Hotel Show Philippines, the Manila Now 2010 will be held from March 3 to 7.
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DELFIN ALBANO, Isabela -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today ordered government officials to provide
emergency employment program for farmers who lost their harvest income due to the long dry spell brought by
the El Nino weather phenomenon.
At the Tap J Hotel here this afternoon, the President presided over a roundtable discussion with local officials,
various stakeholders and the El Nino Task Force, which she reactivated last month to address the effects of the
dry spell predicted for the first half of 2010.
Among those present were farmers and town mayors led by First District Rep. Rodito Albano and his father
former Rep. Rodolfo Albano, and Delfin Albano Mayor Thomas Pua, Jr. Also present were outgoing Agriculture
Secretary Arthur Yap, Social Welfare and Development Secretary Celia Capadocia Yangco, Trade and Industry
Secretary Peter Favila, Public Works and Highways Secretary Victor Domingo, Environment and Natural
Resources Secretary Horacio Ramos, Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman, Press Secretary
Crispulo Icban Jr. , and Presidential Assistant on Climate Change Secretary Heherson Alvarez.
The President told local officials and farmer representatives that the employment of affected farmers will be the
main tool to address the drought problem in the countryside, this province included.
Affected farmers, according to her, will be employed in the desilting of rivers and other water tributaries, and in
repairing and rehabilitating water irrigation systems.
As long as the El Nino problem exists, the President said, affected farmers will also be given a moratorium on
the payment of the 150 kilos of palay per hectare irrigation fee of the National Irrigation Authority (NIA).
The President said another relief for affected farmers is the restructuring of loans and interest payments in
government banks such as the Land Bank of the Philippines.
Even with El Nino, the President assured a stable supply and price of rice with the timely importation of the
staple by the National Food Authority (NFA).
She added that the farmers will continue to be updated on the use of science and technology to support
agribusiness and mitigate the impact of harsh weather conditions such a El Nino.
In preparation for El Nino, the President said more than 700,000 hectares were provided with irrigation in the
North Luzon Agribusiness Quadrangle (NLAQ).
The President said an additional 150,000 hectares were also irrigated by small water impounding projects
(SWIP).
During the discussion, Agriculture officials reported to the President that as of March 1, some P5.3 billion worth
of crops in agriculture and fishery were totally lost or damaged in Region 2 as a result of the long dry spell,
affecting some 191,613 farmers and fishermen.
Affected in Region 2 were an estimated 54 percent of the total 487,389 hectares devoted to rice, corn, tobacco,
fisheries and other high-value commercial crops.
Most affected was Isabela with some P3.3 billion worth of damage to agriculture and fishery affecting some
100,215 farmers and fisherfolk. This prompted provincial officials to place the province under a state of calamity
last January.
In Cagayan, the drought affected 62,748 farmers and fishermen with total damage pegged at P1.42 billion.
After the roundtable discussion , the President led the ceremonial switch on of the newly established P40-
million Communal Pump Irrigation Project Phase I in Barangay San Antonio that would benefit some 1,200
farmers by irrigating 200 hectares, including seven other barangays here.
Aside from Barangay San Antonio, the project will irrigate farmlands in Barangays San Juan, Ragar Sur, San
Jose, San Patricio, Rizal, and Villaluz.
The President said the P60 million that would be spent for the next phase of the project will be used instead for
the repair and rehabilitation of irrigation systems to irrigate more farmlands at the soonest time.
The President also turned over eight irrigation pumps equipped with 240-horsepower engines to Mayor Cua
and the other mayors of the municipalities of San Pablo, Cabagan, Tumauini, Ilagan, Sto. Tomas, and Sta. Maria.
The President also inaugurated the P500-million Delfin Albano Bridge along the Delfin Albano-Tumauini Road
as part of her program to fully harness the potentials and competitiveness of the North Luzon Agribusiness
Quadrangle (NLAQ) as the food basket of Luzon.
The Delfin Albano bridge spans the Cagayan River, connecting the Pan-Philippine Highway (Cagayan Valley
Road) and the Santiago-Tuguegarao Road. The bridge now links the municipalities of Delfin Albano, Tumauini,
Santo Tomas, and Mallig in Isabela, and other areas in the provinces of Kalinga and Apayao with the various
commercial centers in the NLAQ.
Completed last December six months ahead schedule, the bridge now facilitates the efficient transport of goods
and services, particularly rice, corn and other high-value agricultural products, between the eastern and western
municipalities of Isabela and the various commercial centers in the Northern Luzon Quadrangle.
In 2006, the President introduced the super regions concept, dividing the country into five areas of development
themes – the North Luzon Agribusiness Quadrangle (NLAQ), Urban Luzon Beltway, Central Philippines for
Tourism, Agribusiness Mindanao and the Cyber Corridor which is concentrated on information and
communications technology (ICT) and the knowledge economies.
To fully develop the super regions, the President tasked government agencies to invest heavily in human and
physical infrastructure in these areas, promote investments, motivate entrepreneurs and local government
units, and help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to spur its growth.
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PGMA sees stronger economy in 2010
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President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today said the country’s economic growth will accelerate this year even as
she completes all the major projects started during her nine-year term.
“I will leave the nation in better shape. I am confident of the future,” she told the business community and
members of the diplomatic corps who attended this morning’s annual Philippine economic briefing at the Dusit
Thani Hotel in Makati organized by the Investor Relations Office (IRO), which handles the concerns of different
stakeholders of the country’s economic team.
Government sources, particularly the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas also made the same observations that the
economy, which grew by 0.9 percent last year, is expected to grow faster at between 2.6 percent and 3.6 percent
while inflation is expected to range between 3.5 percent and 5.5 percent.
The President said that when she assumed the presidency nine years ago, inflation stood at 7.5 percent; the
balance of payments (BOP) was at $2.02 billion; the ratio of external debt to gross domestic product (GDP) or
how much of the country’s total goods and services annually go into servicing the debt, 72 percent; and
unemployment at 20 percent.
Today, inflation is stable at 2.9 percent; the BOP stands at $5 billion; external debt to GDP ratio is down to 34
percent; and unemployment is single-digit at seven percent.
The President also noted the foreign exchange rate was strengthened by 19 percent during her administration.
In contrast, the peso started out in 1970 at P3.94 to the dollar under the Marcos administration and slid further to
P22.05 in 1986. This was also true for the Aquino administration, which saw the peso’s value drop by 14
percent; the Ramos administration, 14 percent, and the Estrada administration, 39 percent.
Because it was economically sound, the President said the country was one of only four countries in Asia which
escaped recession brought about by the 2008 global financial crisis.
“We had to make tough and unpopular decisions to keep the economy ahead,” the President said, including the
passage of the 12 percent expanded value added tax, which generated P80 billion in its first full year of
implementation in 2007 and passage of so-called sin taxes for cigarettes and liquor.
The President also deferred plans toward balancing the budget this year as she saw the need for government to
pump-prime the economy last year with P330 billion to create jobs and sustain economic and business activity
in the face of the global economic crisis.
As a result, the government posted a budget deficit of P298.5 billion last year, or the equivalent of 3.9 percent of
GDP.
In her speech, the President congratulated Finance Secretary Margarito Teves and Bureau of Internal Revenue
commissioner Joel Tan-Torres for exceeding target collections since Tan-Torres was appointed in December
2009.
The President also thanked former Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap for his efforts in generating 1.8 million jobs,
which is higher, she said, than the targeted one million jobs.
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AMBASSADOR GAA WELCOMES MARTIN NIEVERA AND GARY VALENCIANO
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01 MARCH 2010 WASHINGTON DC – Philippine Ambassador to the United States Willy C. Gaa welcomed Gary
Valenciano and Martin Nievera here during the performing artists’ courtesy call at the Ambassador’s
Residence. Ambassador Gaa described the two as “among the Philippines’ best,” citing their musicality and
commitment to their craft. Valenciano and Nievera are in the United States for a series of concerts entitled, “As
1.” Also in the photo is Madame Erlinda Gaa, the wife of Ambassador Gaa.
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AMBASSADOR GAA CITES FILIPINO-AMERICAN LEADERS IN VA, MD
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01 MARCH 2010 WASHINGTON DC – Philippine Ambassador to the United States Willy C. Gaa cites Delegate
Ron A. Villanueva for his “demonstrated performance in the field of leadership and governance” during a Filipino-
America community event here recently. Villanueva represents the 21st District, City of Virginia Beach, in the
Virginia House of Delegates 2010. During the ceremonies, Ambassador Gaa described Villanueva’s
achievements as an elected official as “providing inspiration to a new generation of Filipino-American leaders to
pursue higher levels of political engagement and participation. END
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01 MARCH 2010 WASHINGTON DC – Philippine Ambassador to the United States Willy C. Gaa reads the
citation for Delegate Kris Valderrama for “demonstrated performance in the field of leadership and governance”
at the DC Armory recently. Valderrama has been a Member of the Maryland House of Delegates since January
10, 2007, representing District 26, Prince George’s County of the State of Maryland. Delegate Valderrama is a
member of the Judiciary Committee; Vice-Chair of the Law Enforcement and State-Appointed Boards
Committee and a member of the Prince George's County Delegation, 2008. During the ceremonies,
Ambassador Gaa described Valderrama’s achievements as an elected official as “providing inspiration to a
new generation of Filipino-American leaders to pursue higher levels of political engagement and participation.
Shown in the photo is David Valderrama, Kris Valderrama’s father. David Valderrama, was the first Filipino-
American elected to a state legislature on the mainland United States. Elected representative of Prince George’
s County to the Maryland House of Delegates in 1990, he served for three terms. Also shown is Miss Naomi
Fitzwilliams who handed the award to Mr. Valderrama. END
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PHILIPPINE AGRIBUSINESS EXPORTERS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE NATURAL PRODUCTS
EXPO WEST AT ANAHEIM CONVENTION CENTER
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A group of 10 Philippine agribusiness exporters organized by the Department of Agriculture (DA) and assisted
by the Philippine Trade Representative in Los Angeles will be participating in the Natural Products Expo West
(NPEW) at the Anaheim Convention Center from March 12 to 14, 2010.
These companies are: Atson/Tropicana Food Products, CRD Herbal Products, Earth Seeds and Gems Inc,
Gracias Food Manufacturing Corp, Pasciolco Agri-Ventures, Prime Fruits Intl Inc, Primex Coco Products Inc,
Prosource International Inc, Rohi Rapha Corp, and See’s International Food Manufacturing Corp.
An exciting range of coconut products such as virgin coconut oil, nata de coco, natural coconut vinegar, coconut
vodka, coco jam, coco sugar, coco nectar syurp, coco flour, coco chips, coco nectar jam, dessicated coconut,
coconut juices will form part of the exhibits.
Natural food supplements, personal care products, herbal products, organic and homeophatic foods and
various tropical fruit preparations such as banana chips, dehydrated papaya, pineapple and dried mangoes,
tamarind fruit candy and other dried fruits, pili nut, coffee and tea will also be showcased in the Philippine booth.
New products will also be highlighted like mango moringa jam using coco sugar, strawberry rolls and mango-
strawberry rolls.
Since 2008, Philippine exporters have participated yearly in this trade show. Best sellers in the past two years
were dessicated coconut, banana chips, coconut sugar, coconut jam and other coco products.
For inquiries, please email the Office of the Trade Representative, Philippine Consulate in Los Angeles at ptic-
la@earthlink.net or the Office of the Agriculture Attache in the Philippine Embassy, Washington DC at philagri.
wdc@gmail with NPEW 2010 in subject line.
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