‘Gains are now being felt’
Aquino upbeat on economic takeoff in 2011
SOURCE: Jerome Aning, Norman Bordadora
MANILA, Philippines—Feel that light.
“We’re not just seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. In certain sectors, we can already feel the light, the warmth of the new beginning,” President Benigno Aquino III told reporters after leading the Rizal Day ceremonies yesterday at the Rizal Park in Manila.
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Aquino upbeat on economic takeoff in 2011
SOURCE: Jerome Aning, Norman Bordadora
MANILA, Philippines—Feel that light.
“We’re not just seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. In certain sectors, we can already feel the light, the warmth of the new beginning,” President Benigno Aquino III told reporters after leading the Rizal Day ceremonies yesterday at the Rizal Park in Manila.
Mr. Aquino said the country’s citizens could already feel the gains of his administration in managing the economy.
The President referred to the government registering a budget surplus of P500 million in November when a deficit of P6 billion was expected at that time.
“And we didn’t achieve that by tightening our belts and those that needed funds were no longer funded so we can window dress. All [items] that needed funding were funded but still we had a surplus,” he said.
The President also said the needs of Filipinos could be met as soon as possible if the government was prudent in spending money. “Somehow, I believe that is now being felt,” he added.
BPO hiring
Government savings, he said, would be used to fund social services such as the need for nurses in rural health units.
Mr. Aquino also noted an improved employment picture as shown by the business process outsourcing firm Convergys occupying two more floors at its facility in the San Lazaro area.
“They have a total of eight (floors) in a period of a month or so. That I think is an anecdotal reference to what we should be expecting. The unemployment rate (and) the underemployment rate have all been improving,” President Aquino said.
People’s positive outlook
The President made the remarks following a Social Weather Stations survey that showed that 93 percent of Filipinos were facing 2011 with a positive outlook.
“That hope has basis. And if we would all help each other, the development would even be faster,” he said.
“Sometimes, I think the good news that we have gets unnoticed. But sooner or later that will be felt by our countrymen,” he added.
Pagasa right again
Mr. Aquino said the people felt how quickly the administration acted to mitigate the effects of recent calamities. “Pagasa said we’d have good weather today. They are again right,” he said.
The President said the government would focus its spending on social services such as basic education and public health.
He noted that the Department of Education was already looking at building 13,000 classrooms and hiring thousands of teachers.
He added that the Department of Health would deploy nurses in the countryside to address the need for midwives.
In his New Year’s message, the President expressed the hope that development would come at a faster pace next year.
He asked the people to unite so that Filipinos could achieve their dreams.
3 bishops
Which may be why three Roman Catholic bishops are contented with the performance of President Aquino, who is just six months into his six-year presidency, as 2010 comes to an end.
Novaliches Bishop Emeritus Teodoro Bacani yesterday gave Mr. Aquino a grade of 90 percent, saying he was satisfied with the President’s anticorruption crusade.
On Church-run Radio Veritas, Bacani said this was the reason Mr. Aquino, compared with his predecessor, enjoyed a high trust rating.
“From 1 to 100 percent, I will give him a 90-percent grade. I think his leadership this year was effective,” Bacani said.
He said the President was affective “because of the thing that the people have been looking for, foremost of which is for them to have somebody they could look up to for good governance.”
Sincere
The bishop emeritus said it was important that the President could count on the people supporting his administration so he could continue to do better.
“His image is strong with the people because the people see that he’s sincere. His administration is straightforward, especially in curbing corruption. It’s sad that the previous administration could not be looked up to. Not just because the President then was little but because the people believed that they were deceived again and again,” Bacani said.
Human rights, education
Antipolo auxiliary bishop Franciso de Leon said the Aquino administration had made clear its advocacies and values.
“It’s good that the advocacies and values are clear and these are the ones that are being advanced and strengthened,” De Leon said, citing human rights and the appointment of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima.
De Leon said one of the Aquino administration’s concerns should be the improvement of education. “Our children are our wealth and if their education is poor the country would not benefit. That is why there should be excellence in teaching,” he said.
De Leon expressed the hope that the government would be convinced by the Church’s position on the controversial reproductive health bill.
“The solutions [to the population problem that the bill hopes to address] should not be temporary because in the long run, they will be disadvantageous to us. A two-child policy, the use of condoms—these are all temporary solutions. Other countries have already found that that there’s no future with these policies so we should learn from their mistake,” he said.
Be discerning
Here comes the unsolicited advice.
Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo said Mr. Aquino needed to be discerning when it came to the pieces of advice he was getting from the people around him.
“He’s still adjusting. He is facing new problems not as a senator anymore but as President of the country. He has to surround himself with lots of people [from whom he can get input] to address different concerns of our government,” said the former president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.
Lagdameo said the President “really needs to be strong and should balance the different opinions coming from different parties and levels of the institution.”
On suggestions that the President replace some of his “weak” Cabinet members, Lagdameo said, “I don’t know them, but certainly by this time he has known already the people around him and he should be able to listen to some impressions.”
The key to a good government, he said, was getting lots of suggestions and choosing which ones benefit the country, Lagdameo said.
He said the President would have to do a balancing act—listen to what everybody has to say and pick up the best elements for the good of the country.
The President referred to the government registering a budget surplus of P500 million in November when a deficit of P6 billion was expected at that time.
“And we didn’t achieve that by tightening our belts and those that needed funds were no longer funded so we can window dress. All [items] that needed funding were funded but still we had a surplus,” he said.
The President also said the needs of Filipinos could be met as soon as possible if the government was prudent in spending money. “Somehow, I believe that is now being felt,” he added.
BPO hiring
Government savings, he said, would be used to fund social services such as the need for nurses in rural health units.
Mr. Aquino also noted an improved employment picture as shown by the business process outsourcing firm Convergys occupying two more floors at its facility in the San Lazaro area.
“They have a total of eight (floors) in a period of a month or so. That I think is an anecdotal reference to what we should be expecting. The unemployment rate (and) the underemployment rate have all been improving,” President Aquino said.
People’s positive outlook
The President made the remarks following a Social Weather Stations survey that showed that 93 percent of Filipinos were facing 2011 with a positive outlook.
“That hope has basis. And if we would all help each other, the development would even be faster,” he said.
“Sometimes, I think the good news that we have gets unnoticed. But sooner or later that will be felt by our countrymen,” he added.
Pagasa right again
Mr. Aquino said the people felt how quickly the administration acted to mitigate the effects of recent calamities. “Pagasa said we’d have good weather today. They are again right,” he said.
The President said the government would focus its spending on social services such as basic education and public health.
He noted that the Department of Education was already looking at building 13,000 classrooms and hiring thousands of teachers.
He added that the Department of Health would deploy nurses in the countryside to address the need for midwives.
In his New Year’s message, the President expressed the hope that development would come at a faster pace next year.
He asked the people to unite so that Filipinos could achieve their dreams.
3 bishops
Which may be why three Roman Catholic bishops are contented with the performance of President Aquino, who is just six months into his six-year presidency, as 2010 comes to an end.
Novaliches Bishop Emeritus Teodoro Bacani yesterday gave Mr. Aquino a grade of 90 percent, saying he was satisfied with the President’s anticorruption crusade.
On Church-run Radio Veritas, Bacani said this was the reason Mr. Aquino, compared with his predecessor, enjoyed a high trust rating.
“From 1 to 100 percent, I will give him a 90-percent grade. I think his leadership this year was effective,” Bacani said.
He said the President was affective “because of the thing that the people have been looking for, foremost of which is for them to have somebody they could look up to for good governance.”
Sincere
The bishop emeritus said it was important that the President could count on the people supporting his administration so he could continue to do better.
“His image is strong with the people because the people see that he’s sincere. His administration is straightforward, especially in curbing corruption. It’s sad that the previous administration could not be looked up to. Not just because the President then was little but because the people believed that they were deceived again and again,” Bacani said.
Human rights, education
Antipolo auxiliary bishop Franciso de Leon said the Aquino administration had made clear its advocacies and values.
“It’s good that the advocacies and values are clear and these are the ones that are being advanced and strengthened,” De Leon said, citing human rights and the appointment of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima.
De Leon said one of the Aquino administration’s concerns should be the improvement of education. “Our children are our wealth and if their education is poor the country would not benefit. That is why there should be excellence in teaching,” he said.
De Leon expressed the hope that the government would be convinced by the Church’s position on the controversial reproductive health bill.
“The solutions [to the population problem that the bill hopes to address] should not be temporary because in the long run, they will be disadvantageous to us. A two-child policy, the use of condoms—these are all temporary solutions. Other countries have already found that that there’s no future with these policies so we should learn from their mistake,” he said.
Be discerning
Here comes the unsolicited advice.
Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo said Mr. Aquino needed to be discerning when it came to the pieces of advice he was getting from the people around him.
“He’s still adjusting. He is facing new problems not as a senator anymore but as President of the country. He has to surround himself with lots of people [from whom he can get input] to address different concerns of our government,” said the former president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.
Lagdameo said the President “really needs to be strong and should balance the different opinions coming from different parties and levels of the institution.”
On suggestions that the President replace some of his “weak” Cabinet members, Lagdameo said, “I don’t know them, but certainly by this time he has known already the people around him and he should be able to listen to some impressions.”
The key to a good government, he said, was getting lots of suggestions and choosing which ones benefit the country, Lagdameo said.
He said the President would have to do a balancing act—listen to what everybody has to say and pick up the best elements for the good of the country.
