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MANILA: The Philippines is open to forging partnership with Vietnam to address ‘land-based and maritime pollution,’ President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said on Tuesday.

During his separate meetings with Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in Hanoi, Marcos said the Philippines is keen on pursuing land-based and marine pollution abatement projects with Vietnam.

He cited the two countries’ vulnerability to climate change and stressed the need to explore opportunities for low carbon growth and other joint research initiatives.

‘Recognizing the vulnerability of both our nations to climate change, I am eager to collaborate with Vietnam on projects focused on mitigating land-based and [marine] pollution,’ Marcos said.

Following the recent adoption of a ‘Loss and Damage Fund’ to help developing nations cope with the extreme impacts of climate change, Marcos said the Philippines is interested in having a seat on and hosting the Board of the Fund to ‘grant it the requisite
legal personality and capacity to fulfill its duties.’

Marcos hopes that Vietnam will support the Philippines’ hosting of the Board of the Loss and Damage Fune.

‘The offer to host the Board of the Fund is in line with the Philippines’ long-standing engagement on discussions of this Fund for the past decades, and it is our belief that all States must contribute to the success of its institutional architecture,’ he said.

Circular economy

Marcos also emphasized the Philippines’ resolve to develop a circular economy that will reduce further consumption of natural resources, and develop an alternative method to current plastic waste management approach.

He said the Philippines is optimistic about the full implementation of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Framework for Circular Economy, starting with different sectors depending on each country’s circumstances.

‘The Philippines also recognizes that saving the environment is an existential issue that demands concrete, innovative, and immediat
e solutions. Thus, the Philippines welcomes an approach to economic development that maximizes all of its produces use in a manner that reduces further consumption of natural resources,’ Marcos said.

‘I believe that a circular economy is an important component for achieving sustainable economic growth and mitigating carbon emissions in ASEAN,’ he added.

Considering the growing demand for responsible consumption and production, Marcos said the Philippines is committed to engaging the micro, small, and medium enterprises as they shift to greener practices.

Marcos said the Philippines’ efforts to strengthen the program and policies for a circular economy are essential in developing the Sustainable Development Goals.

He said such transitions will be ‘a long-term multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder process’ which needs the strong support of both the private and public sectors.

‘With our cooperation and the rest of ASEAN member states, I am certain that we can make the circular economy a reality for us in ord
er to save our region’s natural resources and growing economies,’ Marcos said. ‘I trust that Vietnam would be the Philippines’ willing partner in this endeavor, and we are eager to learn from Vietnam and from your good experiences.’

Source: Philippines News Agency

The Philippine Information Agency (PIA), the Presidential Broadcast Service-Bureau of Broadcast Services (PBS-BBS), and the Philippine News Agency (PNA) extend our sincere appreciation to United Nations Special Rapporteur Irene Khan for engaging in a frank and insightful discussion during our meeting today, January 30, 2024, in Quezon City.

In reiterating our commitment, we underscore our determination to tackle the underlying causes of misinformation and disinformation, particularly as we embark on the nationwide rollout of the government’s Media and Information Literacy campaign this year.

Acknowledging the complexities faced by government communicators, we are dedicated to upholding the principles of transparency and good governance. Our collective efforts are aimed at overcoming challenges and fostering trust among the public.

Emphasizing the strides we have taken, we highlight our initiatives to rebuild public trust through media and information literacy campaigns, along with our active engagement wi
th community media, especially in the provinces.

We assure Ms. Khan of our unwavering advocacy for the people’s right to information and the preservation of freedom of expression and opinion.

The visit of Ms. Khan has afforded us an opportunity to elucidate our roles as government communicators and facilitators in ensuring the unimpeded flow of accurate, relevant, and timely information to the public.

We look forward to continued collaboration with the United Nations and other stakeholders in advancing these shared objectives for the betterment of society.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: – The anchors and reporters of Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) on Tuesday filed a petition before the Supreme Court, questioning the order of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), which suspends the network.

In their 46-page petition filed by their lawyer, former presidential spokesperson Herminio ‘Harry’ Roque, the group claimed the NTC’s action infringes on their freedom of press and expression.

‘(W)ithout any mandate and without any clear or present danger, the Respondent is curtailing the Petitioners’ right to freedom of expression and of the press,” the group’s petition read.

‘Whenever the force of government or any of its political subdivisions bears upon to close down a private broadcasting station, the issue of free speech infringement cannot be minimized, no matter the legal justifications offered for the closure,” it added.

SMNI earlier filed a petition with the Court of Appeals, challenging the NTC’s initial order, but it was dismissed on Jan. 4, 2024, due to a t
echnicality.

The NTC issued the order which extends the network’s earlier suspension.

The petitioners, SMNI anchors and reporters, reiterated that the orders are invalid, unconstitutional, and violate their right to freedom of expression and the press.

“Jurisprudence unequivocally holds that the National Telecommunications Commission has no jurisdiction to revoke the right of a holder of a legislative franchise to operate its broadcast stations,” they said.

“Such suspension not only deprives them of income, but also and more importantly, operates to curtail their right to freedom of expression and of the press,” they added.

Source: Philippines News Agency

BUTUAN: At least 3,310 families from the Agusan del Sur town of Veruela received family food packs (FFPs) through the augmentation operation conducted by the Department of Social Welfare and Development-Caraga Region (DSWD-13) on Monday.

On the same day, 281 families from Sta. Josefa town, also in Agusan del Sur, was aided by the agency with food packs.

‘The DSWD-13 has stepped up its response efforts by providing immediate relief through the FFPs,’ the DSWD said in a statement on Tuesday.

DSWD-13 noted while the distribution activities to the affected families are ongoing, rains caused by the shear line continued to affect most areas in Agusan del Sur and the rest of the region.

Also on Tuesday, the agency reported that 5,100 FFPs are in transit for affected families in Bunawan, Agusan del Sur.

Meanwhile, the Department of Public Works and Highways-13 said clearing operations continue in different areas of Surigao del Sur, which are hit by landslides and floods due to continuous heavy downpours.

Cleari
ng operations are being conducted along the Lingig-Bislig highway, particularly in Barangay Pagbakatan, Lingig town, and in the collapsed slope protection at Bislig Bridge in Bislig City.

Similar operations are ongoing at the Taongon Bypass Road in Tagbina, Surigao del Sur, due to flooding and in the Surigao-Davao Coastal Road in Barangay Ipil, Placer, Surigao del Norte due to soil erosion.

Source: Philippines News Agency

TACLOBAN CITY: The rural health unit (RHU) of Guiuan in Eastern Samar on Tuesday received from the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) two solar generators to ensure the facility’s operation amid power outages.

During the turnover event, Guiuan RHU chief Maria Socorro Flores said using a renewable source of energy for the electricity needs of the facility will also lessen their electricity cost.

‘This will also strengthen the RHU’s resilience during emergencies, aside from enhancing the RHU’s services,’ she said.

She said due to power outages after the onslaught of Super Typhoon Yolanda, health services were interrupted, limiting the local health workers’ capacity to respond to medical attention.

‘The absence of electricity delays and hampers the delivery of services to the people who are in need, especially those who need healthcare, like women who will give birth,’ Guiuan town administrator Kinna Kwan during the turnover ceremony.

Earlier, ICSC provided a solar generator to the RHU faci
lity in the island village of Sulu-an in Guiuan.

‘We hope that the RHU will lead in promoting the use of renewable energy, not only encouraging communities to shift to the use of RE but also explaining its importance and its significant effect on the environment,’ ICSC representative Orland Quesada said.

ICSC is a non-government group advancing fair climate policy and low-carbon, climate-resilient development. It is engaged with the wider international climate and energy policy arena, particularly in Asia.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: The Philippines is eyeing the expansion of its bilateral trade with Vietnam to USD10 billion (about PHP563.38 billion) from the current USD7 billion, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said Tuesday.

Marcos made the statement during his separate meetings with Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi.

‘The Philippines is committed to enhancing and fortifying our economic, trade, and investment ties with Vietnam. Our objective is to expand our bilateral trade which stands at just about USD7 billion today, to expand that to USD10 billion by exploring untapped resources,’ Marcos told Chinh.

In another meeting with Thuong, Marcos said there are ‘countless’ options that may be explored, including business opportunities, technology exchange, capacity building, and project collaboration on biomass and waste-to-energy, geothermal, and offshore wind industry.

He said the micro, small, and medium-scale enterprises (MSMEs) may also be t
apped, considering that they constitute the ‘very large majority of the businesses’ in the Philippines and other Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) member states.

Marcos said Philippines is ready to work with Vietnam in streamlining the trade and investments procedures and requirements, minimizing trade barriers, and fostering a transparent and predictable business environment that encourages ‘fair competition and mutual growth and development.’

‘We hope to capitalize on our countries’ ratification of the RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) to maintain the upward trend in our trade,’ he said.

Reliable partner in digital transformation

Marcos said the Philippines also wants to be Vietnam’s ‘reliable partner’ in digital transformation, citing the country’s readiness to adapt to new technology given its ‘future-ready’ Filipino work force.

He hoped that Manila and Hanoi would collaborate in maximizing the use of technology and developing their infrastructure for digital transformati
on, to spur economic growth in the two countries and address cyber security threats.

‘There is another side to the development of the digital economy and the digital space and that is security, and not only in terms of defense, security of our militaries, but also security for our people who have fallen victims to some of the more sinister hacking and scanning that does occur over the digital space, and I hope that we can explore further ways so that we can cooperate to avoid and to mitigate this new found problem,’ he said.

Marcos noted that the government has created the Philippines Science, Technology, and Innovation-driven Industrial Strategy for 2022-2028 and the E-commerce Philippines 2022 Roadmap to drive the Philippines’ Digital Economy to hit the gross merchandise in value of over USD100 billion by 2030.

He also trumpeted that in the 2022 annual e-Conomy Southeast Asia report, the Philippines was considered as ‘one of the fastest growing digital economies’ among major ASEAN members and is expected
that its gross-merchandise value of USD22 billion in the same year will grow to US35 billion in 2025.’

‘The emergence of information and communications technology gave rise to fresh business models and groundbreaking products and services, notably through the growth of e-commerce and digital payment system,’ he said.

Positive economic outlook

Marcos also touted the Philippines’ ‘positive’ economic outlook, adding that foreign investors may take advantage of the government’s policy reforms and initiatives to create a conducive business environment.

He noted that the country’s economy grew by 5.9 percent in the third quarter of 2023, making the Philippines ‘one of the stronger major economies in Asia.’

‘Furthermore, our ratings, the Fitch Rating affirmed the Philippines’ ‘BBB’ rating, which is a notch above the minimum investment grade, and has kept the outlook as stable, citing the Philippines’ strong medium-term growth prospects and declining government debt to GDP (gross domestic product) ratio,’ Marcos
said.

‘This reflects the Philippine government’s efforts to implement structural economic reforms, including the enactment of the Public-Private Partnership Code last December, which will streamline the PPP processes and eventually address the Philippines’ large infrastructure gaps,’ he added.

Source: Philippines News Agency