THE HOUSE of Representatives approved on third and final reading two bills declaring Catanduanes province and Cagayan de Oro City mining-free zones, late Monday.
Feb 042014
Jul 032013
Some P11.5 million from President Benigno Aquino III’s Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) has been misspent by the city government of Cagayan de Oro. In its 2012 report, the Commission on Audit (COA) said the fund was not used for its intended purpose, which was the “repair, rehabilitation and reconstruction of school buildings, irrigation systems, flood control and roads and bridges in areas affected by calamities.” Instead, the money was spent on the construction of Indahag Water System Phase 2, which the COA said was not included in the specific list of relief and rehabilitation projects approved by the Department of Budget and Management. The COA said while deviation from the list is allowed, a prior approval of the Office of the President is required by the rules. “As noted, construction of (the) water system is not among the projects or activities to be funded from the PDAF. Any proposed changes, modifications or revision of the defined uses or purposes thereof require prior consent and/or approval of the grantor, in this case, the President of the Philippines or his authorized representative,” the COA said. State auditors said the city administrator has explained that the city government viewed the PDAF allocation as a lump-sum subsidy, which was why it did not wait for the President’s approval when it implemented the water system project. Aquino set aside a total of P50 million from his PDAF for Cagayan de Oro City, one of the hardest-hit areas by flooding due to Typhoon Sendong in December 2011. The Read More …
Feb 272013
Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) Logo LAGUINDINGAN, Misamis Oriental: President Benigno S. Aquino III visited Tuesday the ongoing construction of the Laguindingan Airport that is expected to boost tourism in the Northern Mindanao region once it becomes operational. Transportation officials told the President in a briefing that the P7.8 billion airport project will be operational on April 30 this year. The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) is currently in the process of approving the first flight that will land in the new airport by April, they said. The Laguindingan Airport can accommodate large aircrafts such as the Airbus A330-300, transportation officials said adding that the airport’s runway could be expanded to accommodate even bigger airplanes like the Boeing 747. The new facility, with two boarding bridges and five aircraft parking bays, can cater up to 1.6 million passengers each year, officials said. The project started in 1988 during the leadership of the first Aquino administration but hasn’t materialized until the present administration of President Aquino, 25 years after it was conceptualized. In his speech during a meeting with Cagayan de Oro officials, the President said the new airport will serve tourists who want to visit the island of Camiguin, Cagayan de Oro City or Iligan City. With the new airport, Cagayan de Oro will surpass the 460,000 tourist arrivals in 2011 and will reach the 2.5 million foreign and domestic tourist arrivals before the end of 2016, he said. Aside from building the new airport, Read More …