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From the Newsrooms: March 3 to 9, 2024
THIS WEEK the news followed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as he traveled to Australia to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Australia summit from March 4 to 6. The Australian government hosted this year's special summit in the city of Melbourne, to underscore among other issues roiling the region, maritime and security concerns in the South China Sea, an area which has been re-named by the P.....»»
From the Newsrooms: March 3 to 9, 2024
THIS WEEK the news followed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as he traveled to Australia to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Australia summit from March 4 to 6. The Australian government hosted this year's special summit in the city of Melbourne, to underscore among other issues roiling the region, maritime and security concerns in the South China Sea, an area which has been re-named by the P.....»»
President Marcos to attend Asean-Australia meet in Melbourne
President Marcos leaves today for Melbourne, Australia to take part in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-Australia Special Summit......»»
Philippine president leaves for Saudi Arabia to attend ASEAN-GCC summit
MANILA, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos left for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Thursday morning to participate in the inaugural summit between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) leaders. In his departure speech, Marcos said the summit on Friday will discuss "the challenges of major political developments and concrete enhancemen.....»»
Entrepreneurship eyed in SHS curriculum
The possibility of including entrepreneurship as a subject in the current senior high school curriculum is underway, said Go Negosyo chairperson Joey Concepcion following a meeting with Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte. Concepcion discussed with the Vice President several avenues in which entrepreneurship skills can be included in the school curriculum, among them through direct mentoring by veteran entrepreneurs, and another is through the help of private companies, specifically those engaged in the agriculture sector. “Our idea is if we open up this avenue to young people, there would be a way for them to find an alternative path to success,” Concepcion said. Under the current curriculum, Filipino children in public schools attend a minimum of 13 years under the K-12 program. An average of four more years would be added if the student decides to pursue higher education,” the Go Negosyo chairman said in a statement on Thursday. He added that not all families have the resources to support children through the completion of the entire curriculum, noting that “We could help these young people find their path, focus on it, and maybe one day the students can turn it into a business.” He said that there are many successful entrepreneurs who succeed even without the benefit of higher education. Concepcion noted that among the possible paths that were discussed in which entrepreneurship can be incorporated into the curriculum is through proven mentoring programs that are already being implemented by Go Negosyo. One of these is through roadshows in which a successful entrepreneur is sent to mentor the students at their respective schools; another way is for students to observe actual mentoring with active and aspiring entrepreneurs. Moreover, he said Go Negosyo has employed different methods of reaching out to potential entrepreneurs. It has conducted plenary events targeted toward women, the youth, OFWs, as well as thematic events that focus on introducing MSMEs to digital platforms and to opportunities offered by the tourism sector. During the pandemic, it ported its mentoring programs to social media and conferencing platforms, enabling it to continue mentoring entrepreneurs in the provinces and even across the ASEAN region. The post Entrepreneurship eyed in SHS curriculum appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Marcos off to Saudi Arabia for 1st ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council Summit
(1st UPDATE) President Marcos will attend the one-day ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council Summit in Riyadh on Friday, October 20.....»»
Southeast Asian air force chiefs to snub Myanmar meeting
Several Southeast Asian air force commanders will shun an upcoming meeting chaired by Myanmar's military rulers, officials told AFP, deepening the junta's regional isolation as it struggles to crush resistance. The annual ASEAN Air Chiefs Conference gathers top air force leaders from the 10-nation bloc to discuss cooperation in defense, combating extremism, and disaster relief. Current chair Myanmar is set to host the meeting next week but at least three Association of Southeast Asian Nations countries told AFP they will not send their top officials. The junta has been accused of war crimes over air strikes carried out by its jets -- mostly Chinese and Russian-built -- in support of ground troops battling opponents of its 2021 coup. Its air force chief Htun Aung, who will chair the conference, has been sanctioned by the United States and Britain. The air force chiefs of the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia will not attend the meeting, officials told AFP. Malaysia's air force chief will not attend, a spokesperson said, while the Philippine commander will send a video message to his counterpart rather than go in person. Indonesia's air force chief "will not be attending and won't be sending anyone to represent him either," air force spokesperson Agung Sasongkojati told AFP without giving a reason. At a summit this week, ASEAN accused the junta of targeting civilians in the grinding conflict sparked by its coup, and of ignoring a peace plan agreed with the bloc to end violence. Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said there had been "no significant progress" in the five-point plan agreed with the junta more than two years ago. ASEAN has barred junta officials from high-level meetings over their refusal to engage with the plan and their opponents. Cambodian air force commander Soeng Samnang declined to comment on whether he would attend, and the defence ministry could not be reached for comment. The air forces of Singapore, Brunei and Vietnam did not respond to requests for comment. But Thailand's air force chief will make the trip to neighboring Myanmar, a defense ministry official told AFP. While ASEAN has halted high-level meetings with Myanmar's generals, Thailand has held its own bilateral talks with the junta and deposed democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi in recent months, further dividing the bloc. War crime claims Amnesty International said last year the junta was likely using air strikes as "collective punishment" against civilians supporting anti-coup fighters, and in March the United Nations said the military had carried out more than 300 air strikes in the past year. Also in March, the junta held a parade to mark Armed Forces Day, with flyovers by Russian-made Yak and Sukoi Su-30 jets. The military bombed a gathering in northern Sagaing region in April that media and locals said killed about 170 people, sparking renewed global condemnation of the isolated junta. Human Rights Watch said it had evidence the military had used a thermobaric "vacuum bomb" in the attack, saying it likely amounted to a war crime. Air strikes on a concert held by a major ethnic rebel group in northern Kachin state killed around 50 people last October. The junta has said reports civilians were among the dead were "rumors". AFP has contacted a Myanmar junta spokesman for comment. The post Southeast Asian air force chiefs to snub Myanmar meeting appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
US, Chinese and Russian officials gather at Southeast Asia summit
US Vice President Kamala Harris, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will attend an East Asia summit in Indonesia on Thursday, offering an opportunity for direct, high-level diplomacy between the rivals. The 18-nation meeting will bring Washington and Beijing into contact a day after Premier Li Qiang warned major powers must manage their differences to avoid a "new Cold War", ahead of the G20 summit in New Delhi this week where Chinese President Xi Jinping will be absent. Interactions between the officials from the world's top two economies will be closely watched as they seek to control tensions that risk flaring anew over issues ranging from Taiwan to ties with Moscow and the competition for influence in the Pacific. "To keep differences under control, what is essential now is to oppose picking sides, to oppose bloc confrontation, and to oppose a new Cold War," Li told regional leaders on Tuesday. Harris held her own talks with Southeast Asian leaders on "the importance of upholding international law in the South China Sea", according to a statement from her office, the disputed waterway where Chinese claims have angered several Southeast Asian nations. Thursday's summit will be the first time top US and Russian officials have sat around the same table in almost two months after US and European officials condemned Lavrov at a July ministerial meeting over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It comes as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced $1 billion in new assistance to Ukraine in a surprise visit to Kyiv on Wednesday. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Japanese PM Fumio Kishida, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, Canada's Justin Trudeau, and Australian PM Anthony Albanese will attend the summit, as well as leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. G20 host Modi addressed ASEAN leaders on Thursday morning, telling them it is essential to "build a post-Covid rules-based world order" and make collective efforts to ensure a "free and open Indo-Pacific", using another term for the Asia-Pacific region. Thursday's talks come several months after Blinken traveled to Beijing, the first visit by the top US diplomat in nearly five years, where he met Xi as well as former foreign minister Qin Gang. - 'Broken' - The meeting was not expected to be a fiery affair despite the differences between the major powers, according to a Southeast Asian diplomat who will attend. "They will state their positions, these meetings are not tense. Especially at the leaders' level where some degree of decorum will be observed." The group will issue a negotiated joint statement after the summit. While the gathering can bring major players together, its ability to help resolve a range of regional and global disputes is limited, experts say. "It's a sign of the ASEAN convening power but lately we can say that the East Asia summit is broken. It has been turned into a forum for talking points," said Aaron Connelly, senior fellow at Singapore-based think tank IISS. While Thursday's meeting will be more geopolitical in scope, big powers used earlier talks in Jakarta to shore up alliances and lobby the Southeast Asian bloc. Li traveled on a Chinese-funded high-speed train project between the capital Jakarta and the Javan city of Bandung with a senior Indonesian minister on Wednesday. Harris held separate meetings with Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. -- both ASEAN members -- on the sidelines of the summit. "The Vice President reaffirmed the United States' ironclad alliance commitment to the Philippines, and highlighted the role the US-Philippines alliance plays in ensuring a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific," her office said in a statement. South Korea's Yoon reportedly pushed for the bloc to counter North Korea's nuclear threats, calling for any military cooperation with the country to stop. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will also give an address on the sidelines of the summit later on Thursday. ASEAN members are holding bilateral meetings with India, Australia, and the UN on Thursday. The post US, Chinese and Russian officials gather at Southeast Asia summit appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
PBBM to reiterate ‘rules-based int’l order’ for SCS at ASEAN Summit
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is set to reiterate the need for a rules-based international order in the South China Sea at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, amid increasing tensions between the Philippine and Chinese coast guards in the West Philippine Sea. Marcos made this remark as he left Manila on Monday bound for Jakarta, Indonesia, to attend the 43rd ASEAN Summit and Related Summits. Marcos said he will also bring up issues on strengthening food security, calling for climate justice, tapping the potential of the digital and creative economies, protecting migrant workers in crisis situations as well as combatting human trafficking in the region. “Once again, I will use his opportunity to advance Philippine priorities in ASEAN and work with our other ASEAN member states not only in addressing the complex challenges facing the region but also in pursuing opportunities for ASEAN as an epicenter of growth,” Marcos said. Marcos said there will be discussions covering developments in the South China Sea, the situation in Myanmar and the conflict in Ukraine during the ASEAN Plus 3 and East Asia Summits. “I will also take the opportunity to meet the bilateral partners at the sidelines of the SEAN summit to advance cooperation that will benefit our national priorities,” he said. Marcos said his administration would continue to ensure that the Philippines’ “constructive engagements with ASEAN, dialogue partners and stakeholders” will serve the national interest of the country and the well-being of the Filipino people. The post PBBM to reiterate ‘rules-based int’l order’ for SCS at ASEAN Summit appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
A dirty ice cream story
It wasn’t a few days ago, before I left for Indonesia to attend the ASEAN Business Investment Summit, that my team at Go Negosyo told me about an entrepreneur who sent a message on our Instagram page and said she was a participant at a youth event we held at SMX a few years ago......»»
Missing for a month: Where is Qin Gang, China’s foreign minister?
China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang has not been seen in public for almost a month, sparking a flurry of questions over his whereabouts. Here's what we know so far about the disappearance of one of China's most senior diplomats: Qin, considered a confidante of President Xi Jinping, was appointed foreign minister in December 2022. The 57-year-old spent several years at the Chinese embassy in London and is a fluent English speaker. Qin earned a reputation as a "Wolf Warrior", a nickname given to a new generation of Chinese diplomats who push back with often inflammatory rhetoric against Western criticism of Beijing. He said in 2020 the image of China in the West had deteriorated because Europeans and Americans -- in particular the media -- had never accepted the Chinese political system or its economic rise. While serving as ambassador to the United States, Qin stepped up his visibility through public and media appearances in Washington in which he explained the Chinese position. Following his appointment as minister, he kept up a busy schedule, visiting Africa, Europe and Central Asia as well as hosting foreign dignitaries in Beijing. Whereabouts Qin has not been seen in public since 25 June, when he met with Russia's deputy foreign minister Andrey Rudenko in Beijing. But it was his absence from a high-level ASEAN summit in Indonesia two weeks later that first raised eyebrows. China's foreign ministry said "health reasons" were to blame for Qin's absence. But that has done little to stem an explosion of rumors online. "Everyone is concerned about something but cannot discuss it publicly," Hu Xijin, a prominent commentator with the state tabloid Global Times, said in a post on Weibo. "A balance needs to be struck between maintaining the situation and respecting the public's right to know," he said. The foreign ministry has since deflected further questions about Qin's absence. Who's representing China? Qin's absence has left a vacuum at the top of China's foreign ministry. A visit by the European Union's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell to Beijing was abruptly called off this month. And Bloomberg reported on Friday that a visit by UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly was postponed due to Qin's absence. Top foreign policy official Wang Yi -- who outranks Qin in China's political hierarchy -- has taken on some of his responsibilities in the meantime, travelling to Africa this week to attend a BRICS meeting on security affairs in Johannesburg. And Beijing has insisted throughout his absence that China's diplomacy is functioning as normal. But as the foreign ministry reaches a month without a visible boss, doubts will start to mount over how much it's business as usual. "When the top dog is disappeared by the state, everyone in the organization freezes," Desmond Shum, a former Chinese business and political insider and author of "Red Roulette" tweeted. "Who's going to sign on the dotted line of the minister?" The post Missing for a month: Where is Qin Gang, China’s foreign minister? appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
ASEAN-plus-three to meet on South China Sea, economic ties
Economic cooperation and the disputed South China Sea will be on the agenda when Southeast Asian foreign ministers meet their Chinese, Japanese and South Korean counterparts for ASEAN-plus-three talks on Thursday. China will be represented at the talks by top diplomat Wang Yi instead of Foreign Minister Qin Gang after Qin pulled out for "health reasons", according to the Chinese foreign ministry. Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and his South Korean counterpart Park Jin will also attend. The grouping was established after the 1997 Asian financial crisis to develop better economic ties between Southeast Asian nations and East Asian powers. Association of Southeast Asian Nations members include this year's chair Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, the Philippines and Myanmar. Experts said the South China Sea will be a priority because China claims almost the entirety of the strategic waterway and several ASEAN members complain about Beijing infringing on their own overlapping territorial claims there. "South China Sea is probably going to be one of the issues discussed during the ASEAN-plus-three meeting in light of recent tensions in the area," said Aleksius Jemadu, professor at Pelita Harapan University in the capital Jakarta. The waterway is an important shipping route and is crucial for both Tokyo's and Seoul's global supply chains. Western and Asian powers have been rattled by Beijing's increasing assertiveness in the region, where it is applying pressure on self-ruled Taiwan and its patrol vessels have clashed with other nations' ships. The crisis in coup-racked Myanmar will also be on the list of topics to be addressed because it is a thorny issue that divides ASEAN members, said Teuku Rezasyah, international relations expert at Padjadjaran University. "Japan and South Korea have an interest to prevent Myanmar from joining China's orbit," he said. Recent meetings of the group have discussed ways to better cooperate on health and economic recovery after the Covid-19 pandemic to make the Asia-Pacific region one of the dominant drivers of global economic growth. ASEAN ministerial meetings will also be held around Thursday's ASEAN-plus-three talks with countries that will be taking part in Friday's 18-nation East Asia Summit. That includes India, New Zealand, Australia, Russia, China, Japan, the European Union, the United Kingdom and Canada. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives in Jakarta on Thursday morning and will meet ASEAN members the next day. The post ASEAN-plus-three to meet on South China Sea, economic ties appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Myanmar crisis to top agenda at ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting
ASEAN foreign ministers will gather in Indonesia on Tuesday for talks set to be dominated by the crisis in Myanmar, with the regional bloc divided over how or whether to reengage with the coup-wracked country's ruling junta. The two-day Association of Southeast Asian Nations meeting will be followed by talks with Beijing, Washington, and other powers where top US diplomat Antony Blinken will seek to push back on China's assertiveness in the South China Sea. ASEAN has long been decried as a toothless talking shop, and it remains split over diplomatic attempts to resolve the Myanmar crisis. The country has been ravaged by deadly violence since a military coup deposed Aung San Suu Kyi's government more than two years ago and unleashed a bloody crackdown on dissent. A Southeast Asian diplomat told AFP that "extra efforts" were being made in the days before the meeting to unite the group around the issue. However, the official was "not too optimistic" that would happen given that a "few members have different perspectives on how to approach the problem", they said. Myanmar remains an ASEAN member but has been barred from high-level meetings over the junta's failure to implement a five-point plan, agreed two years ago, to end the violence and restart negotiations to resolve the crisis. ASEAN efforts to kick-start the plan's execution have been fruitless, as the junta ignores international criticism and refuses to engage with its opponents. Thailand, meanwhile, hosted the junta's foreign minister for controversial "informal talks" last month, deepening the divisions between the ASEAN members that attended and abstained. 'Clearer' plan The bloc's initiatives are limited by its charter principles of consensus and noninterference, but analysts say the meeting could push members to do more. "It is hoped there will be a clearer implementation plan on what will ASEAN do going forward," Lina Alexandra of Jakarta-based think tank the Centre for Strategic and International Studies told AFP. The meeting would be a "crucial" opportunity for Indonesia as ASEAN chair to unite the regional bloc after the Thailand talks, she said. On Thursday, an ASEAN-plus-three ministerial meeting with Japan, South Korea, and China will take place ahead of an 18-nation East Asia Summit foreign ministers' meeting on Friday, which will also include Washington and Beijing. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is expected to attend the latter meeting, again putting him in the same room as US Secretary of State Blinken after a brief March meeting as Moscow's Ukraine invasion grinds on. Beijing's actions in the dispute-rife South China Sea will also be high on the agenda, Daniel Kritenbrink, the top US diplomat for East Asia, told reporters Saturday. China has made sweeping claims in the strategic waterway despite protests from ASEAN members Vietnam and the Philippines, as well as other nations who argue for unimpeded freedom of navigation and that their own territorial claims be respected. The United States and ASEAN will seek to "push back on behavior that runs counter to that vision and to those principles, including the many irresponsible acts that we've seen carried out by China over the last several years", Kritenbrink said. The post Myanmar crisis to top agenda at ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Marcos eyes stronger ties with South Korea
President Ferdinand Marcos on Monday said his administration has put in place the necessary policies in its initial year in office that will help the transformation of the Philippine economy. The Chief Executive said this as South Korean Ambassador-designate Lee Sang-Hwa presented his credentials to Marcos in Malacanang. During the ceremony, Marcos expressed hope in the post-pandemic world, with strong partnerships and alliances with countries like South Korea, "I think we can always look forward to a better future and stronger alliance." He also mentioned regional developments such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations taking a more dominant role in security and defense. "It is the first time that we will have joint exercises with the ASEAN member nations. And slowly I think that this is starting to stabilize the security and defense situation in our region," he noted. Lee, for his part, noted that "there is a comprehensive regional strategy (as) ASEAN takes a centerstage and the Philippines strategic importance has heightened significantly." "So we look forward to elevating our relationship formally to (a) strategic partnership at an appropriate time including many, many areas security and defense cooperation, trade and investment, and people-to-people exchanges," the South Korean ambassador added. Total PH-South Korean trade reached $15.44 billion in 2022, ranking South Korea as the Philippines' 4th largest trading partner. In the same period, exports were valued at $3.13 billion (seventh largest export destination), and imports were valued at $12.31 billion (fourth largest import source). Regarding defense, the Philippines' key procurement projects from South Korea include two 2,600-ton multi-million frigates, 12 units of FA-50 aircraft for the Philippine Air Force and a Pohang-class corvette for the Philippine Navy. In addition, the defense department signed last year a P30-billion contract with Hyundai Heavy Industries for the purchase of six offshore patrol vessels for the Philippine Navy, with the first delivery in 2025 Meanwhile, Lee told Marcos that South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol looks forward to visiting the Philippines this year or early next year as the two countries mark the 75th anniversary of their relationship. The President said he looks forward to meeting the South Korean leader during the November Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit. "Of course, there are many other conferences and I hope that maybe in November when we go to the United States for the APEC because I'm sure your President will attend, maybe we'll have a chance to at least meet and have a bilateral meeting," the President said. "But after that, I think both sides now will be able to plan better. It's been a busy year because we just finished our first year of this administration. So slowly, slowly, we are beginning to find ways to adjust our schedules to all these very important events that we are going through," he added. The post Marcos eyes stronger ties with South Korea appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Singapore says ‘premature’ for ASEAN talks with Myanmar
Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said Friday that conditions were not yet right for ASEAN to open high-level talks with Myanmar on the country's political situation. "We believe it would be premature to re-engage with the junta at a summit level or even at a foreign minister level," Balakrishnan said when asked about a news report that Thailand had proposed talks. Speaking in a joint press conference in Washington with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Balakrishnan said the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations had recently reaffirmed their stance. "We condemned the coup, and the ongoing violence against civilians, the instability in the country, the setback to national reconciliation, and the enormous impact on the economy," he said of the 2021 military takeover in Myanmar. "Unfortunately, it's now more than two years. We haven't seen any signs of improvement." Balakrishnan did not reject all engagement with the Myanmar junta. "The key point is this. You do need everyone ultimately to sit down and negotiate," he said. "I don't know how long it will take. The last time it took 25 years for some form of democratic transition to occur in Myanmar. I hope it won't take that long." Blinken said the United States backs ASEAN's efforts to resolve the crisis. "It's very important that we continue, all of us, to sustain the appropriate pressure on the junta and look for ways of course to engage the opposition" in Myanmar, he said. Thailand has proposed to host an informal ministerial meeting of some ASEAN members with Myanmar on Sunday and Monday. "It is time for ASEAN to fully re-engage Myanmar at the leaders' level," according to a Thai government letter, seen by AFP. "In consideration of several pressing factors, the time for dialogues is sooner rather than later." A Myanmar junta spokesman did not respond to a request for comment on the proposal. A Southeast Asian official familiar with the matter told AFP on condition of anonymity that Malaysia would not attend the proposed meeting. But the Cambodian government said its foreign minister will attend the two-day informal discussions in Bangkok. The meeting will focus on advancing ASEAN's five-point peace plan agreed with Myanmar two years ago, Cambodia's foreign ministry said. ASEAN's last summit, held in May, ended without any significant progress on that peace plan, with Indonesian President Joko Widodo warning that the bloc risks becoming irrelevant. More than 6,000 civilians have been killed in Myanmar since the February 2021 coup, the Peace Research Institute of Oslo said in a report published Tuesday. The post Singapore says ‘premature’ for ASEAN talks with Myanmar appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Speaker, 11 others attend ASEAN-Korea Leaders’ Forum
Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez led a 12-member delegation of the House of Representatives for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations-Korea Leaders’ Forum in in Jeju Island, South Korea......»»
Go, go, go for the gold!
We have nothing but admiration and best wishes for our national athletes who are currently competing at the 32nd Southeast Asian Games. Together with my colleagues, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and Senator Francis Tolentino, Philippine Sports Commission Chair Dickie Bachmann and Commissioner Matthew Gaston, among other officials, we took the time last weekend to personally cheer on our representatives in the regional biennial sports meet in Cambodia. There, we witnessed once again the never-say-die attitude and spirit of all our Filipino athletes. As Chair of the Senate Committee on Sports and a firm advocate of long-term and grassroots sports development in the country, I was particularly filled with pride after seeing the dedication, discipline and undeniable talent of our athletes. That is why I remain committed to helping strengthen the development of sports in our communities. Sports keep our young people away from vices and criminality. As I always say, “Get into sports, stay away from drugs!” Last year, I sponsored and defended additional funding for the PSC during its 2023 budget deliberation, particularly for grassroots sports development and in support of athletes joining international competitions. What was supposedly just more or less P200 million proposed annual budget for PSC was increased by P1 billion through our efforts and with the support of my colleagues in the Senate. Particularly, the increase in the PSC’s 2023 budget is intended to support the Filipino athletes in international competitions, such as the Asian Games, SEA Games, Summer Olympics in Paris, ASEAN Para Games, Asian Indoor Martial Arts Games, World Combat Games, World Beach Games, and Asian Beach Games, among others. Portions of the funds were also allotted for the country’s hosting of the FIBA World Cup in 2023 as well as for grassroots sports programs, such as Batang Pinoy, the Philippine National Games, and those under the Sports Development Council. Moreover, funding was allocated for the development of sports infrastructure across the country, as well as for advanced research and development in sports sciences and sports technology. The provision of other financial assistance to Filipino athletes was also funded. I have also authored and co-sponsored Republic Act No. 11470, establishing the National Academy of Sports in 2020 to help ensure that our promising young athletes can further hone their talents while getting quality education. More recently, I filed Senate Bill 423, or the proposed Philippine National Games Act of 2022, with the aim of institutionalizing and providing a structure for a more comprehensive national sports program, linking grassroots sports promotion to national sports development. Meanwhile, together with my team, I was in Batangas province on 8 May where I personally led a series of relief operations for 1,109 indigents in Batangas City and 1,000 more in San Pascual town. As an adopted son of CALABARZON and a fellow Batangueño, I am thankful for being able to serve them to the best of my capacity as a public servant. I likewise visited the newly renovated San Pascual Super Health Center and met with some health workers to listen to their concerns and discuss ways to improve the delivery of healthcare services in their communities. The Super Health Center is an improved version of a polyclinic, which seeks to provide our fellow Filipinos, especially those in remote areas, easier access to basic health services. Through the collective efforts of fellow lawmakers and the Department of Health, 307 SHCs were funded in 2022 and 322 more in 2023. Last Tuesday, we conducted a public hearing by the Senate Committee on Health on mental health. As the committee’s chair, I reiterated that the state of our National Center for Mental Health is in need of utmost attention and improvement to preserve the basic right of all Filipinos to healthcare. Meanwhile, on 10 May, I led a relief effort for 672 fire victims from Pritil Public Market in Tondo, Manila. This was followed by a visit to Nueva Ecija last 11 May, where I personally inspected the Talavera bridge — a project I had earlier supported as Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance. I then conducted a monitoring visit to the Malasakit Center at the Talavera General Hospital to personally assess its operations and ensure that indigent patients are given the assistance they need. In line with this, we extended relief to 79 patients and 406 front liners in the hospital while the Department of Social Welfare and Development extended financial aid to the qualified patients. On the same day, my team and I visited the town of Llanera to inspect its Super Health Center and attend the inauguration of the public wet market there, both of which I had advocated and supported. We then assisted 1,000 indigents in the town. As an adopted son of Nueva Ecija, I continue to support the province and help its people as much as I can. Separately, my outreach teams mounted several relief operations last week that benefitted 100 indigents in Veruela, 100 in Sta. Josefa, 40 in Esperanza, and 40 in San Francisco, Agusan del Sur; 227 in Botolan and 163 in Iba, Zambales; 520 Kibawe, Dangcagan, Cabanglasan and Malitbog, Bukidnon; 141 in General Natividad, Nueva Ecija; 2,199 in Gingoog City, 50 in Naawan, and 50 in Jasaan, Misamis Oriental; 332 in Minalin, Pampanga; 129 in Hamtic, Antique; 233 in Casiguran, and 166 in Dilasag, Aurora; and 44 in Sta. Maria and 45 in Malolos City, Bulacan. Fire victims, including 205 in Taytay, Rizal; 58 in Caloocan City; and 12 families in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan were likewise supported through our efforts. In the same way that our athletes remain unyielding in the face of tough competition, I hope that we can all remain resilient in the face of challenges. Through our support for one another and our unbeatable pusong Pilipino, let us all go for the gold and continue bringing honor to our country and our people. The post Go, go, go for the gold! appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Sara heads caretaker panel as Marcos attends ASEAN Summit
President Marcos has designated a committee that will serve as caretaker of the government while he is in Indonesia to attend the 42nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit......»»
Marcos back, will attend ASEAN meet in Indonesia
After quietly returning without arrival honors, President Marcos conveyed well wishes to King Charles III for a “long and happy” reign, saying it was an honor for him to represent the Filipinos at the historic coronation at Westminster Abbey in the United Kingdom on Saturday......»»
Marcos flies to Indonesia today for ASEAN summit
After his trips to the United States and United Kingdom last week, President Marcos will leave today for Labuan Bajo, Indonesia to attend the 42nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit......»»