CSU prexy reports accomplishments to PGMA
Perez said when PGMA appealed to State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) to try to freeze any tuition fee increase, CSU responded not only by freezing but by decreasing tuition fee by 25 percent, the only university in the entire Philippines that decreased its tuition fee.
He further reported that CSU offers free tuition fee for Agriculture, Fishery and Marine Biology.
As to the standing of the university, Perez proudly informed the President that CSU is the Center of Excellence in Fisheries, Center for Development in Marine Science, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, and Electrical Engineering.
For internationalization program, CSU has 265 foreign students; 10 Pakistanis, 12 Africans, 1 American, 45 Indians, 10 Nepalis, 1 Koreans and 186 Chinese.
“On quality, 100% passing rate in 2009 board exam for medicine and we ranked 27th out of 105 raw schools in the Philippines,” Perez said.
On infrastructure, Perez also reported that they have built 6 academic buildings and 3 administrative buildings worth 130.5 million pesos, which highlights the modest contribution of the university in building a strong republic.
“100 percent of the funds used to build the infrastructure projects in all campuses came from our own income, tuition fees of students,” Perez said.
Perez explained that since majority of their students come from poor families, it has been his advocacy to construct excellent facilities to raise their level of aspiration because he considers that the best way to help the poor is to inspire them to dream a better quality of life.
He further said that their accomplishment is a paradigm shift towards management will to transform the SUC’s as partners of the government in poverty alleviation.
Perez also lauded PGMA’s administration for giving sufficient, more than enough for salaries of teachers and for allowing SUCs to keep what they earned and not to remit them to the national treasury. (Oliver B/PIA 2)
PGMA off to Libya to attend African Union Peace and Security Summit
Manila (1 September) — President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo left for Tripoli, Libya early yesterday morning to attend the African Union’s Special Summit on the Settlement of Conflicts in Africa, which, she said, “is aimed at finding ways to address peace and security issues on this crucial continent.”
The President boarded a chartered Philippine Air Lines flight PR-001 at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 at around 12:10 a.m. for the 14-hour flight that would take her and her lean contingent to the capital city of Libya.
She was sent off by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Victor Ibrado, Philippine National Police Chief Director General Jesus Versoza and Libyan Charge d’Affaires Sadek Osman.
In a pre-departure statement, the President cited the importance of maintaining peace and stability in Africa, saying this has a direct impact “on our energy security, but more importantly, on the safety and welfare of our overseas Filipinos, including our seafarers.”
According to the President, the occurrence of pirate attacks, specifically off the coast of Somalia at the onset of the East African monsoon, has been a source of concern. She expressed confidence that “this is an issue where Africa’s collective efforts to bring stability and order to the affected areas will be crucial.”
The President recalled that since 1976 when “we formally established diplomatic relations with Libya, we have stood with the Libyan people and they have stood by us.”
“We helped bridge differences between Libya and others. While Libya helped us bring peace and hope to the Southern Philippines and build deeper ties with the Organization of the Islamic Conference,” she stressed.
She likewise said that Libya was instrumental to the conclusion of the 1976 Tripoli Agreement and in the 1996 Final Peace Agreement between GRP and the Moro National Liberation Front.
In addition, the President emphasized that Libya “plays host to some 12,000 Filipino workers whose well being and protection my visit shall also advance.”
The President pointed out that the Philippines has taken an active role in joining the people of Libya in pursuing its attainment of peace by sending Filipino soldiers and police to assist the United Nations missions and peace-keeping operations in Africa.
“On our part, we are making important contributions to peace and stability on the African continent. We have 274 Filipino soldiers and police in different United Nations missions and operations in Africa,” the President declared.
“They are helping bring and preserve peace and are a tribute to the professionalism and dedication of our men and women in uniform. They are our nation’s investment in global peace,” she added.
The 53-member African Union is the premier institution and principal organization for the promotion of accelerated socio-economic integration of the African continent. Libya is the chair of the organization.
Aside from attending the summit, the President will join the people of Libya in commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the Great Al Fateh Revolution which will be held on Tuesday (September 1).
The President noted that she joins “a select group of global leaders upon the invitation of Libya’s Col. Muammar Qaddafi to attend the 40th Anniversary of the Great Al Fateh Revolution.”
“In the 40 years since Libya’s Great Al Fateh Revolution, much has happened to transform Libya into the nation that it is today – a nation eager to engage all others, a nation that has set aside its difference with others to bring greater harmony to global relations,” the President said. (OPS)
Palace confident new NBN-ZTE probe would not affect First Couple
In a press briefing, Deputy Spokesperson Anthony Golez reminded the critics of President Arroyo on the Supreme Court ruling that any evidences presented after a year or two would no longer add weight on the case.
Golez added the First Couple have nothing to explain with the broadband contract having been cancelled due to the controversies surrounding the case.
He likened the new investigation to a telenovela where critics of the President would just repeat questions already answered by Transportation and Communication Secretary Leandro Mendoza, Jr. and the technical working group of the Department of Transportation and Communications two years ago at the Senate inquiry.
The Upper Chamber is set to reopen an investigation on the botched telecom deal ostensibly in aid of legislation. The Office of the Ombudsman, however, already cleared the First Couple on graft in connection of the controversial NBN-ZTE deal.
Golez reminded the public that controversy started in 2007 when the losing bidder, Amsterdam Holdings, founded by Joey De Venecia, son of former Speaker Jose De Venecia, Jr., threw allegations against the government.
The deputy spokesperson noted that Amsterdam Holdings lost the bid to NBN-ZTE because it failed to present the company’s financial capability to handle such huge project, among other reasons.
He added that the younger De Venecia should not even participate on the bidding because “his father is the fourth top official of the country and it will violate the Philippine laws.”
In the same media briefing, Golez also denied that Social Security Services President Romulo Neri was being used by the government as a sacrificial lamb, as certain quarters claimed.
In a 144-age decision signed by Overall Deputy Ombudsman Orlando Casimiro, complaints against the First Gentleman, several government officials, and executives of the ZTE were dismissed for lack of probable cause.
The panel has not been presented with convincing and solid evidence directly or indirectly linking respondent Jose Miguel Arroyo in the project, the Ombudsman decision said.
The Ombudsman also noted there is nothing to connect the President to the deal because the complainants failed to show a copy of the NBN-ZTE contract. (OPS)
