MOST FILIPINOS SATISFIED WITH PNOY’S START

MANILA — Nearly 7 out of 10 Filipinos gave President Benigno Aquino III a good starting score for his first 100 days in office despite a botched hostage crisis and the jueteng controversy, a survey conducted by the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) showed.

The Sept. 28-29 survey found 69 per cent of respondents across all geographical areas and sectors satisfied with the Aquino administration’s initial performance, against the 31 per cent dissatisfied.

President Aquino also scored high net satisfaction ratings (% satisfied less % dissatisfied) in 10 out of 15 issues tested in the survey.

The policy against the use of wang-wang or sirens on the road earned for President Aquino the highest satisfaction rating of +82. He was also rated highly for ensuring transparency (+74) and fighting graft and corruption (+52).

President Aquino gained a good rating of +34 both for reducing the budget deficit and investigating officials linked to anomalies, +28 for controlling dengue, while recording moderate ratings in the areas of jobs and livelihood (+14), education (+10), Cabinet appointments (+9), and public-private partnerships (+6).

About half of Filipinos rated the administration fairly for its efforts to alleviate poverty and control the spiraling prices of basic commodities.

On the other hand, only 17 per cent of respondents were satisfied with the government’s handling of the Manila hostage crisis last August 23 where eight Hong Kong tourists died and which made international news.

President Aquino also acquired poor ratings in curbing jueteng (-10) and in pursuing peace initiatives with secessionist and extremist groups (-14).

The same survey showed that Filipinos perceive President Aquino’s credibility and simple lifestyle, good governance and strong political will, and fight against graft and corruption as his strongest marks as a leader.

Sec. Sonny Coloma of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) credited this to President Aquino’s unwavering commitment to good and honest leadership as embodied in his campaign slogan “Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap.”

He added that President Aquino is focused on the work ahead and remains committed to eradicate corruption and alleviate poverty.

Meanwhile, respondents want the Aquino administration to focus on jobs and livelihood (78%), anti-corruption measures (63%), and quality education (59%) in the days ahead.

The PIA poll was fielded nationwide with 629 respondents coming from various sectors including elected and appointed government officials, business groups, religious leaders, uniformed men, laborers, and members of the media. (PIA V/mal)

SALCEDA SAYS: BETTER TIMES AHEAD FOR FILIPINOS UNDER P-NOY
By Danny O. Calleja

LEGAZPI CITY -- Compared to the three presidents before him, Filipinos see better times ahead under President Benigno S. Aquino III, according to a top Philippine economist from the Bicol region.

Incumbent Albay Governor Joey Salceda, who is an erstwhile economic adviser of former President and now Pampanga Congresswoman Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, made this assessment based on economic considerations that the Aquino administration has been able to build on during its first 100 days.

Salceda said these considerations, used as yardstick in measuring and comparing President Aquino’s performance with the past three administrations, are a strong peso and radiant financial market that the national economy achieved in the past 100 days since June 30, 2010, when the only son of the late former President Corazon C. Aquino assumed the country's highest post.

“It is under Aquino's administration that the peso strengthened the most in the first 100 days at +.5.5 percent, followed by President Ramos at +1.85 percent, while all the other two posted negative -- Arroyo at -3.53 percent and Joseph Estrada at -3.92 percent," Salceda said.

The Albay governor claimed that President Aquino has brought back business confidence, a key indicator in economic growth with a positive +22 percent, followed by Ramos but still negative at -nine percent, PGMA at negative -18 percent and Estrada at -28 percent.

“P-Noy's first 100 days exhibited a strong financial markets backed by 'real peso votes' while stock prices and currency movements are forward looking. These factors have been proven to be good predictor of economic trends,” Salceda said.

They discount the forward impacts of current policies and the overall world view of top management as they play out in the dynamics of international competition and global market trends, he added.

"Surely, contrary opinion would swiftly resort to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) remittances and higher risk appetite for extraordinary and miscellaneous expenses (EMEs) but these trends persisted throughout all four administrations."

Salceda said that based on these objective measurements, President Aquino has performed best among the past four administrations.

“In short, markets uniformly and unequivocally point to better times ahead for Filipinos," he said.

These yardstick measures indicate that at least, robust markets suggest there is fuel for Philippine growth, now it is the turn of the administration to rev up the engines to use such fuel.

He claimed that the first 100 days are affirmatively auspicious -- the next 100 days are more critical in determining how the Aquino administration will convert strong financial markets into programs and projects that prompt positive consequences in the lives of ordinary Filipinos.

President Aquino's policy on good governance has created sufficient impetus for an initial spate of growth as the public trust and business confidence it elicits will lift private investment rate and tax collection efficiency, he noted.

This will sustain public capital outlays very much, and with the public-private partnership paradigm he has skillfully picked to sustain higher output expansion, would create jobs and lower prices, thus reduce poverty.

Salceda, less than a month before the May 10, 2010 elections, bolted the then ruling Lakas-Kampi-CMD party of the Arroyo administration and joined the Liberal Party whose standard-bearer was his classmate and now President Aquino.

At that point, Salceda predicted that the country’s economy would improve under "Noynoy" Aquino’s leadership.

"I have come to the preliminary conclusion that a new mandate under an Aquino presidency would have the highest statistical probability of triggering a significant increase in the investment rate from the current 14 percent of economic output," he said.

Salceda claimed then that an Aquino presidency could increase it instantly by eight percentage points, or almost P642 billion more in private investments in the first 18 months.

"This would create 642,000 more jobs on top of the organic capacity of the economy for job creation," he added. (PNA Bicol/PIA/mal)

ARMY DEPLOYS MORE SOLDIERS TO COMBAT INSURGENCY IN BICOL

CAMP ELIAS ANGELES, Pili, Camsur – A new batch of soldiers will be deployed to help the government’s counterinsurgency campaign in the Bicol Region, a ranking military official said.

Major General Ruperto R Pabustan, commander of the Army forces in the Bicol region said 345 soldiers who have just hurdled the Army’s combat training will be distributed to different battalions to beef up the forces which are tasked to confront the communist insurgency.

Pabustan said that the Army is now heavily engaged in the implementation of the peace and development programs which are designed to address the root causes of the insurgency problem.

“We are maximizing our efforts in helping the national government implement the development projects here in the region. These infrastructure projects can surely alleviate the economic hardships of our people especially those who are in remote areas where public services are limited,” said Pabustan.

Pabustan has also said that the new soldiers will augment the manning of COMELEC checkpoints during the upcoming barangay elections. Soldiers and policemen are tapped to conduct checkpoint operations to control the carrying of firearms during the election period.

In Masbate Province, recent joint-operations by military and police personnel have netted 8 high powered firearms and arrested 6 suspected members of partisan armed groups (PAGs). (HMCabunoc, DPAO 9ID PA/PIA/mal)

FISHPOND OWNERS IN CANTANDUANES GET TILAPIA FINGERLINGS, BREEDERS FROM BFAR

PILI, Camarines Sur — Forty fishpond operators from San Miguel, Virac, Bato, Caramoran, and Gigmoto towns in Catanduanes received some 50,600 tilapia fingerlings and breeders from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Bicol.

BFAR Bicol Regional Director Dennis del Socorro said that the tilapia fingerlings and breeders were distributed to backyard fishpond operators of these towns in support to the Agri-Business development program of the province.

Del Socorro furthered 20,000 fingerlings went to fishpond operators of San Miguel; 12,000 to Virac; 9,500 to Bato; 6,000 to Caramoran; and 2,500 to Gigmoto, while 600 tilapia breeders went to Panganiban town.

The tilapia fingerlings were supplied by the Regional Freshwater Fisheries Center in Fabrica, Bula, Camarines Sur and Tiwi Fry Bank in Tiwi, Albay through the efforts of BFAR Provincial Fisheries Office and the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPAG) of Catanduanes.

According to the BFAR Bicol chief, distribution of fingerlings is one of the production support services given by the BFAR to assist small fisherfolk and help increase fish production in the region. (RACanabe, BFAR/PFO Catanduanes/PIA/mal)

TOTAL GUN BAN DRIVE IN FULL STEAM IN BICOL

LEGAZPI CITY — The total gun ban campaign in connection with the October Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Election went on full swing after police and military authorities in Bicol arrested 13 people and seized from them at least 22 various types of low and high powered firearms and explosives, the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Bicol said Wednesday.

Chief Supt. Cecilio Calleja, PNP Bicol regional director, said the arrest of gun ban violators and the subsequent confiscation of their firearms all came from the PNP checkpoints set in strategic areas across the six provinces of the region.

Calleja said various police commands in the six provinces in Bicol were placed on heightened alert since the last week of September following the total gun ban imposed by the Commission on Election (COMELEC) for the upcoming barangay and SK election on October 25 this year.

He said the PNP has set up stationary and mobile check points and conducted 537 operations that led to the arrest of 13 people and the confiscation of 13 hand guns, nine high powered firearms consisting of M16 rifles, KG9 submachine guns, and shotguns, including chemical substance for explosives and detonating caps.

Calleja said at the start of the gun ban campaign Task Force Masbate (TFM) has arrested at least four suspected members of a Private Armed Groups (PAGs) operating in the towns of Aroroy and San Pascual in Masbate.

San Pascual town was the site of the deadliest poll- related violence incidents this year where five people, including a town councilman were killed in a daylight ambush staged by suspected PAGs in a remote village here.

Calleja said TFM operatives have confiscated at least eight high-powered firearms since its reactivation about two months ago. (PNA Bicol/PIA/mal)