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Cebu’s National Museum inaugurated
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. underscored the importance of museums in preserving and promoting a nation’s cultural heritage as he led the inauguration of the National Museum of the Philippines in Cebu City on Friday. The President stressed that museums can help people understand the past, appreciate the present, and build a better future. “Every country, a young country such as the Philippines, has to find its identity,” said Marcos. “And we need to answer the question; if we are to unite together, we need to answer the question: What does it mean to be Filipino?” He added that museums “shine a very, very strong light on where Filipinos came from, what we had done since, and what is the trend, where are we headed” as pointed out that the exhibits would attract the interest of museum-goers. Marcos also urged local and foreign visitors to include the NMP Cebu in their itinerary whenever they visit the province and encouraged his fellow government officials to support the initiatives of the NMP. “Let us persuade the local and foreign visitors alike to include the NMP Cebu in their itinerary whenever they visit our beautiful country and this vibrant, ancient province,” Marcos said. “That is also ensured that our cultural institutions and establishments are accessible to Filipinos from all walks of life.” The President said that it might require around a week of going to the museum religiously before one ultimately sees all the exhibits. From being a customs building to Malacañang sa Sugbo, one of Cebu City’s architectural treasures has been transformed into a National Museum which will be open to the public for free starting 1 August 2023 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Tuesdays to Sundays. It will feature exhibitions that capture the Cebuano spirit and heritage, including the island’s rich and diverse biodiversity, geology, archeological treasures, art, and ethnographic and maritime traditions. NMP-Cebu said this would host a special exhibition featuring artworks from the Philippine Center in New York and will soon feature artworks by Cebu master Martino Abellana. Aside from the five galleries, the National Museum will be boasted a lobby and reception hall featuring arts by Cebuanos with Cebuano culture and history, a terrace, a courtyard, and the NMP’s first-ever regional Museum shop. In 1910, Architect William Parsons designed and built the Customs (Aduana) building. It served its purpose as the old Customs house for 94 years and even survived the World War II bombings. In 2004, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo converted it into Malacañang sa Sugbo to bring the national government closer to the people in the region. The building was closed in 2013 due to a 7.1-magnitude earthquake. In 2019, the Old Customs House was declared a National Cultural Treasure. And in December of the same year, NMP was given the right to convert it into the National Museum- Central Visayas Regional Museum. With RICO MIRASOL OSMEñA The post Cebu’s National Museum inaugurated appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Fried in own lard
While the National Transmission Corp. or TransCo concessionaire National Grid Corp. of the Philippines has been awash with cash as reflected in its billions of pesos of early dividends, it has not paid the government P3 billion plus interest on transmission fees before 2009 when the private firm took over operations of the power grid. The amount represents collections from power plants to which TransCo is entitled but remains unremitted. Under a privatization program, former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo approved a plan to privatize TransCo through a 25-year Operation and Management Concession Agreement. The bidding for the license to run the Philippine power grid was won by the NGCP in 2007, while Congress approved the bicameral resolution granting its franchise in 2008, and PGMA signed RA8511 into law, granting NGCP its franchise. On 15 January 2009, TransCo turned over the management of the country’s power grid to NGCP. TransCo, owner of the electricity network, and energy assets holding firm Power Sector and Liabilities Management Corp. have been demanding the payment of the amount. An energy official said the government can use the money to reduce power rates by deducting this from the monthly bills under the item universal charges. Universal charges include the so-called stranded costs or payables to Independent Power Producers that PSALM assumed from state firm National Power Corp. Instead, the energy official suspects NGCP used the withheld payments for its benefit to consistently pay fat dividends to its shareholders. In the recent Senate inquiry on the power industry, NGCP said of its P20.3 billion net income in 2019, P15 billion, or around 74 percent, went to dividends. In 2017, around 90 percent of its P20.6 billion net income went to dividends. For 2015, the NGCP distributed around 93 percent of its P22.5 billion profit as payouts to shareholders. The company particularly made its investors happy in 2014, when it said dividends exceeded its net income or P24 billion handed to stockholders against P22 billion in profit. Counting the potential interest, an energy source said the receivables from NGCP have now ballooned to more than P6 billion. NGCP’s rampant violation of the provisions of the concession agreement had resulted in a serious financial drain on the government. The provisions of the 2009 deal, which included the settling of all arrears such as the TransCo collectibles, also provided separate audited accounts for each related business and the need for NGCP to hold an initial public offering that it skirted through the back door listing of a holding company. TransCo’s financial claim from NGCP was upheld by an opinion on 18 April 2012 by the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel. “TransCo has already acquired immutable vested rights over the contested revenues,” the OGCC decision indicated. “Public policy considerations and the public nature of the receivables impose upon TransCo the obligation to recover the disputed amount for its benefit,” it added. NGCP holds a renewable 25-year concession contract and a 50-year franchise to operate the power transmission network in the country. Since the agreement was signed in 2009, the contract will run until 2034 and from then, the government has the option to renew it for another 25 years. An audit that has long been blocked by NGCP should happen and from there, the government should muster the will to take the necessary steps if abuse is found in the performance of the provisions of the concession agreement. The post Fried in own lard appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
PGMA clears FL from ‘coup’
Breaking her silence on the alleged House tussle, former President, now Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo slammed efforts to drag First Lady Liza-Marcos into allegations that the latter supported a plan to oust Speaker Martin Romualdez. The effort to pull her into the friction at the legislature “is disrespectful to her and to her intelligence,” Arroyo said in a social media post yesterday. “A report is going around that I was ‘duped’ by a congresswoman into thinking that the alleged House coup had the blessings of the First Lady. I am truly sorry that she should even be dragged into this political fantasy of a House coup,” Arroyo said. She slammed efforts to spread “pathetic rumors” from those who “are the ones duping the Filipino people.” “They should now move on to the serious business of making positive contributions to national progress,” Arroyo said of the rumor mongers. The social media post came on the heels of allegations that she orchestrated a failed coup against Romualdez. Rumors flew thick about the failed ouster move on 17 May when members of the House, before it adjourned session, voted Pampanga Representative Aurelio Gonzales Jr. as the new senior deputy speaker in place of Arroyo. Gonzales is one of the chamber’s deputy speakers before he was promoted to the second-highest post at the House. The reason given for the switch in posts was that it will relieve Arroyo of “the heavy load required from the position.” Congratulations flowed A day after the apparent demotion, congratulatory messages from congressmen from prominent political parties in the House poured for Gonzales, as well as for Romualdez, which caused more tongues to wag. But the former Chief Executive previously set the record straight, saying that despite her previous ambitions, she had no intention of succeeding Romualdez and that she respected Mr. Marcos’ choice to support his cousin as House leader. “I will just say three things: Every politician worth his or her salt would know that in the Philippines, no House coup can ever succeed without the consent of the President. That is simply a fact of life in Philippine politics.” “Second, I made a humble contribution to the joining of forces that became the UniTeam, and the resulting supermajority in the House is a major force for delivering our President’s agenda. Thus, I would never take any action to destroy it.” “Third, I did not have any conversation, here or abroad, with any congressman or congresswoman, or any other politician active or retired, to plot, support, encourage or participate in any way in any alleged House coup.” Arroyo’s post puts it. Likewise, Arroyo firmly stated that being Speaker once more “is no longer part of my political objectives.” Arroyo held the post from 2018 to 2019. Arroyo added that when she learned of reports that she was suspected of plotting a “coup” against Romualdez, “I decided I must speak out to clarify my political position.” She ceded, however, that some of her actions may have been “misconstrued, such as my recent trip with a delegation of Congressmen to South Korea for some official meetings.” Arroyo insisted that her only aims as representative of the 2nd district of Pampanga were to support the legislative agenda of Speaker Romualdez and President Marcos and to use whatever experience as a former President to help out “when I am called upon to do so.” Diplomatic responsibility Outside of her role as Congresswoman, her public interest is to help reduce tension between the United States and China, “given that I was strongly allied to both countries when I was President.” Arroyo was elected Speaker of the 17th Congress in place of Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez. The fire was further fueled by an announcement of Vice President Sara Duterte, after the Arroyo’s demotion, that she was tendering her “irrevocable resignation” from the ruling Lakas-CMD, which she co-leads with Romualdez. Days following Arroyo’s statement, Romualdez slammed claimed attempts to destabilize the House, declaring that the lower chamber was “in order” and would not in any way allow political maneuverings. “There is still much work to do, so occasional moves to destabilize the House should be nipped in the bud,” he said. After exchanging barbs, Romualdez and Arroyo were seen together at the rostrum at Gonzales’ oathtaking on Monday last week, indicating that no further turmoil was on the horizon. Before the ceremony, Romualdez and Gonzales even made a traditional gesture of respect on Arroyo on the plenary floor with a pagmamano. The next day, Romualdez and Arroyo were spotted together after the swearing-in of 19 new Lakas-CMD members, dousing all suspicions of the leadership dispute in the chamber. The post PGMA clears FL from ‘coup’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Arroyo has Covid-19, will skip Monday s SONA
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12 people jailed over storming of legislature in 2019 protests
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Training program on the Revised Corporation Code
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