Palace: DBM not holding people's survival fund intended for climate change mitigation

The Palace denied that the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is holding the P1 billion People's Survival Fund (PSF) intended for climate change mitigation initiatives.

Senator Chiz Escudero called on the DBM to make the one-billion peso people’s survival fund available to local communities.

Deputy Presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the DBM is not the lead agency in implementing the initiative.

A board, headed by Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, was created to facilitate the access to the fund. The creation of the board was mandated in the law that put up the PSF.

Among the members of the board include the vice chairperson of the Climate Change Commission, the budget secretary, the director-general ng National Economic Development Authority, DILG secretary, chairperson ng Philippine Commission on Women, one representative each from the academe, scientific community, business sector, and from non-government organization.

"Very recently, Secretary Purisima announced that the call for proposals for access to the PSF will be on October 28, 2015," she said noting the board would soon receive proposals from LGUs who wants to avail of the fund.

It took time before the board started accepting proposals because the implementing rules and regulation (IRR) should have to be put up, and there must be criteria in place.

"Hindi naman po kasi pwedeng basta’t sinabing climate change mitigation related tatanggapin na at bibigyan na ng pondo," Valte said.

"They wanted to make sure that it was very streamlined, it was very standard, that the systems are transparent to enable everyone to better access the fund."

Valte also brushed off notions that the administration will only support LGUs allied with the administration saying the money will be available to everyone.

"The reason why they wanted very clear guidelines on what proposals can and cannot be accepted was precisely for the fact that it has to facilitate equal access for everyone regardless of political affiliation," she said. (PCOO News Release)

Government continuously monitoring haze situation in Mindanao

Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. has assured that the government is monitoring the haze situation in Mindanao.

The haze caused by forest fires in Kalimantan, Indonesia, has already affected Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines.

Secretary Coloma said agencies such as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Health (DOH) and Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC), and local disaster risk reduction management councils, are working together to deal with the situation.

Ayon sa mga ulat ng PAGASA (Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration), ang pagkapal ng haze na naunang bumalot sa ilang bahagi ng Mindanao ay bunsod ng equatorial winds na pinaigting ng nagdaang bagyong ‘Lando,’ Coloma said.

Coloma said DENR is monitoring its stations in Davao, Cotabato, Zamboanga and other strategic locations to check on the ambient air situation there.

“Ayon kay Secretary (Ramon) Paje, tinututukan ng mga DENR monitoring stations sa Davao, Cotabato, Zamboanga at iba pang istratehikong lokasyon ang ambient air situation na kung saan ang pamantayan o standard ay particulate matter (PM) 2.5 microns na kung saan ay natutunton ang pinakapinong usok na maaaring may elementong abo o carbon sa himpapawid. Makailang beses pa lamang lumampas sa standard ang sinusukat na komposisyon ng haze sa mga naturang monitoring station,” Coloma explained.

He said the Department of Health also advised residents, especially those with respiratory diseases, to wear masks as precaution.

“Gayunpaman, pinag-iingat ng Department of Health ang mga may sakit hinggil sa paghinga o mga respiratory diseases na gumamit ng face mask kung nasa lugar na may haze. Nakahanda namang magbigay ng kaukulang serbisyo medikal ang lahat ng pampublikong pagamutan sa mga lalawigan sa Visayas at Mindanao sa sinomang magkaroon ng sakit o sintomas na kaugnay sa haze, at patungkol ito partikular sa mga mayroong asthma o cardiopulmonary obstructive disease (CPOD),” the Palace official said.

“Ayon kay Secretary Paje, may umiiral na kooperasyon ang ASEAN Ministers for Environment hinggil sa haze at patuloy ang pagtutok at palitan ng impormasyon hinggil dito,” he added. (PCOO News Release)

Gov’t to increase state workers' pay soon

The government will soon augment the salaries of state workers after the administration reported it already made progress in standardizing their salaries.

Quoting President Aquino in an interview this week, Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said they are "making very good progress on that proposal because at the end of the day we want to be able to give our government workers a competitive standing as compared to their counterparts in the private sector."

Valte said that so far, the government has already standardized the pay of workers in government-owned and/or -controlled corporations, and the administration would want to replicate it to other agencies.

In the 14th SEIPI CEOs forum on Friday, the President said they were considering a new round of salary standardization increases.

"The idea is to match the private sector by about 70 percent of what a private sector employee gets and the bonuses will no longer be pro forma bonuses but rather performance-based bonuses," the President said.

The Performance-Based Bonus (PBB) system is a merit-based incentive program that recognizes and rewards exemplary performance in government.

Launched by the Aquino administration in 2012, the PBB ultimately aims to improve the delivery of goods and services to the public as well as institute a culture of excellence in public service across the bureaucracy.

The PBB is “a top-up bonus to be given to personnel of bureaus or delivery units in accordance with their contribution to the accomplishment of their department’s overall targets and commitments.”

The bonus is given when the department achieves the performance targets under their respective so-called major final outputs and also their priority program commitments earlier approved by the President.

The government is adjusting the salaries of state workers to discourage them from being involved in corruption, the President said. (PCOO News Release)

Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. has assured that the government is monitoring the haze situation in Mindanao

The haze caused by forest fires in Kalimantan, Indonesia, has already affected Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines.

Secretary Coloma said agencies such as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Health (DOH) and Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC), and local disaster risk reduction management councils, are working together to deal with the situation.

Ayon sa mga ulat ng PAGASA (Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration), ang pagkapal ng haze na naunang bumalot sa ilang bahagi ng Mindanao ay bunsod ng equatorial winds na pinaigting ng nagdaang bagyong ‘Lando,’ Coloma said.

Coloma said DENR is monitoring its stations in Davao, Cotabato, Zamboanga and other strategic locations to check on the ambient air situation there.

“Ayon kay Secretary (Ramon) Paje, tinututukan ng mga DENR monitoring stations sa Davao, Cotabato, Zamboanga at iba pang istratehikong lokasyon ang ambient air situation na kung saan ang pamantayan o standard ay particulate matter (PM) 2.5 microns na kung saan ay natutunton ang pinakapinong usok na maaaring may elementong abo o carbon sa himpapawid. Makailang beses pa lamang lumampas sa standard ang sinusukat na komposisyon ng haze sa mga naturang monitoring station,” Coloma explained.
He said the Department of Health also advised residents, especially those with respiratory diseases, to wear masks as precaution.

“Gayunpaman, pinag-iingat ng Department of Health ang mga may sakit hinggil sa paghinga o mga respiratory diseases na gumamit ng face mask kung nasa lugar na may haze. Nakahanda namang magbigay ng kaukulang serbisyo medikal ang lahat ng pampublikong pagamutan sa mga lalawigan sa Visayas at Mindanao sa sinomang magkaroon ng sakit o sintomas na kaugnay sa haze, at patungkol ito partikular sa mga mayroong asthma o cardiopulmonary obstructive disease (CPOD),” the Palace official said.

“Ayon kay Secretary Paje, may umiiral na kooperasyon ang ASEAN Ministers for Environment hinggil sa haze at patuloy ang pagtutok at palitan ng impormasyon hinggil dito,” he added. (PCOO News Release)

Government supports actions to stop violence against Lumads

Malacanang welcomes and supports calls by local government units to stop the violence against Lumads in Mindanao, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said.

The Palace official issued the statement saying he was informed that some LGUs have passed resolutions regarding the situation of the indigenous people in the south.

“Nakikiisa ang ating pamahalaan sa lahat ng panawagan sa pagpigil sa karahasan laban sa ating mga kapatid na Lumad sa Mindanao.

Ipinagpapatuloy ng pamahalaan ang pagtataguyod ng kaunlaran at kapayapaan sa lahat ng mga lugar na apektado upang matiyak ang patuloy na paghahatid ng serbisyo publiko ng ating mga lingkod-bayan,” said Coloma.

“Maaalalang noong nakaraang linggo. mariing kinondena ng pamahalaan ang pagpaslang kay Mayor Dario Otaza ng Loreto, Agusan del Sur, isa sa mga matibay na nagtataguyod sa prosesong pangkapayapaan at pangkaunlaran ng mga Lumad at Manobo communities,” he further said.

Coloma also stressed that the national government is using its resources to ensure peace and order in indigenous communities.

“Gusto natin na mabatid at maunawaan ng mga lokal na pamahalaan sa iba’t ibang bahagi ng ating bansa na ang buong pamahalaan ay ginagamit ang mga resources nito para itaguyod ang katahimikan, kaayusan at kapakanan ng ating mga kapatid na katutubo o indigenous peoples o Lumad communities sa Mindanao,” he added.

Marikina is the first LGU in Metro Manila to urge the government to stop the attacks againsts Lumads through Resolution No. 15-235, which was approved by the 14-member city council on October 14.

Principally sponsored by Councilor Joseph Banzon, the resolution condemns the series of Lumad killings in Mindanao and the destruction of their indigenous culture.

Other LGUs which are taking action on the plight of the Lumads are Quezon City and Caloocan. (PCOO News Release)