Maniolas

President Benigno S. Aquino III joins his official family in prayer before presiding over the Cabinet Budget Presentation Meeting at the Aguinaldo State Dining Room of the Malacañan Palace Monday (July 6). (MNS photo) MANILA  (Mabuhay) – Funding for proposed projects under the fiscal year 2017 Bottom-up Budgeting (BuB) Program will total P35 billion, up by P10.3 billion from this year’s BuB budget, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said on Tuesday. Funds amounting to P19.7 billion – or more than 50 percent of the total – will be downloaded to beneficiary local government units (LGUs). “These are cities and municipalities that have complied with the good governance conditions set in the implementing guidelines of the program. These requirements include compliance with the Good Financial Housekeeping component of the Seal of Good Local Governance and implementation of Public Financial Management (PFM) improvement measures,” the department noted in a statement. Under BuB, LGUs and civil society and community organizations jointly identify priority poverty reduction programs and projects to be included in the proposed national budget. “For 2017, funding for BuB programs – specifically those that LGUs can implement –will be released directly to local governments. We are moving from agency-implemented BuB projects to more performance-based direct downloads to LGUs. Of course, the release of these funds will depend on the performance of the LGUs,” said Budget Secretary Florencio B. Abad said. “Altogether, our goals are three-fold: to include citizens in local budgeting, to strengthen LGU capacity and accountability, and to Read More …

Supporters of PDP-Laban presidential candidate and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte from Marikina City are ready for the Duterte-Cayetano tandem motorcade from the Marikina Freedom Park to Our Lady of Perpetual Succor College in Marikina City on Tuesday (April 12, 2016). (PNA photo by Joey O. Razon) MANILA (Mabuhay) – Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte continued to surge ahead in a pre-presidential election survey conducted days before his controversial remarks about an Australian rape victim. Duterte kept the lead with 32 percent in the latest ABS-CBN survey conducted by Pulse Asia, seven percentage points ahead of Sen. Grace Poe, who was stuck at second place with 25 percent. Vice President Jejomar Binay and administration candidate Mar Roxas remained at third place where they were statistical tied with 20 percent and 18 percent, respectively. Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago came in at last place with 1 percent. Pulse Asia took the survey from April 5 to 10, about a week before Duterte was heavily criticized for making light of an Australian missionary’s rape and murder in his city in 1989. The survey covered 4,000 registered voters nationwide, with an error margin of plus minus 1.5 percent, meaning Duterte established a clear lead over the other presidential candidates. During an April 13 campaign sortie in Quezon City, Duterte recalled a bloody hostage incident at a Davao prison, which killed 21 people, including Australian Jaqueline Hamill. Duterte said he was angry that the woman, then 36, had been raped by the inmates. But he Read More …

Presidential candidate and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte addresses thousands of Taguig City voters during the grand rally of the Duterte-Cayetano tandem held at FTI Avenue, FTI Complex in Western Bicutan, Taguig City on Monday night (April 11, 2016). (PNA photo by Christopher Lloyd T. Caliwan) MANILA  (Mabuhay) – Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday apologized to the Filipinos for his remark, which many construed as making light of the rape and murder of an Australian missionary. “I apologize to the Filipino people for my recent remarks in a rally. There was no intention of disrespecting our women and those who have been victims of this horrible crime. Sometimes my mouth can get the better of me,” Duterte said in a statement sent to the media. But Duterte insisted that he won’t apologize for “the things I’ve done to protect our people, especially the weak and defenseless, from crime.” The tough-talking mayor was heavily criticized after his controversial remarks about the 1989 gang rape and murder of Australian missionary Jaqueline Hamill by prisoners inside the Davao City Police Office. “They did it ahead of the mayor. Kill them all,” he said in Filipino during a rally in Quezon City on April 12. The mayor refused to apologize after he was interviewed on Sunday, the same day his video went viral on social media. “Do not make me apologize for something which I did not do. It’s a matter of honor… I said it in the heat of anger,” he Read More …

Workers at the National Printing Office in Quezon City check piles of printed ballots on Tuesday. The Commission on Elections (Comelec) denied allegations that the names of administration candidates Mar Roxas and Leni Robredo were highlighted in the printed ballots.(MNS photo) MANILA  (Mabuhay) – Cigarette smoking will be prohibited in all voting precincts during the May 9 polls, the Comelec said Saturday. Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista had granted the request from Civil Service Commission (CSC) Chairperson Alicia dela Rosa-Bala to make all voting precincts  100% smoke-free environments. In a letter, Bala requested Bautista to enforce CSC Memorandum Circular No. 17, s. 2009 or the Smoking Prohibition Based on 100% Smoke-Free Environment Policy in all voting precincts. “As we continue to protect the interest of the public, the role of the Comelec University of the Philippines (UP) student leaders hold placards ‘Utak at Puso’ urging Filipino voters to use their brain and heart in selecting the right leaders in the May 9 national and local elections, at the Palma Hall at UP Diliman, Quezon City on Tuesday.(MNS photo) is indispensable in securing smoke-free environments for our voters, volunteers and everyone who will participate in the proceedings inside our precincts,” Bala said. In a resolution, the poll body approved CSC’s request for assistance to enforce a smoking ban in all voting precincts during the coming polls. There will be 36,788 voting centers and 92,509 clustered precincts nationwide in the forthcoming polls. (MNS)

Liberal Party vice presidential candidate Leni Robredo delivers her speech message during a meeting of thousands of fishermen, farmers, indigenous peoples (IPs) and other groups from different regions and provinces of the country at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City on Friday (April 15, 2016). (MNS photo) MANILA  (Mabuhay) – Liberal Party (LP) vice presidential candidate Leni Robredo urges the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) to fully accelerate the implementation of the P19-billion Roadmap to Address the Impact of El Niño (RAIN) to effectively combat the effects of dry spell on the agriculture sector. “Hanggang ngayon, marami pa ring lugar ang apektado ng El Niño na hindi pa rin nararamdaman ang buong tulong ng pamahalaan. Kaya marapat lang na ipatupad nang buo ang RAIN para malabanan ang epekto ng tagtuyot,” said Robredo. “Ginawa ang roadmap na ito upang labanan ang pagtuyot kaya dapat nating itodo ang lahat ng tulong, lalo na sa mga magsasaka, na direktang naapektuhan ng El Niño,” she added. Robredo even mentioned the NEDA’s latest report to Malacanang, underscoring the need to increase support for farmers to augment their incomes through programs such as cash-for-work and emergency employment. The RAIN is aimed at mitigating the impact of the El Niño phenomenon on four areas –food security, energy security, health and safety. The action plan focuses on 67 El Niño-affected provinces throughout the country, including Metro Manila. “Dapat nang maisakatuparan ang plano upang mabawasan ang pasaning dala ng ating mga magsasaka at matulungan silang makatawid habang naghihintay na Read More …