Arroyo’s gardener, manicurist land gov’t posts

Arroyo’s gardener, manicurist land gov’t posts
abs-cbnNEWS.com
as of 04/21/2010 4:51 PM
MANILA, Philippines - A Malacañang spokesman confirmed Wednesday that President Arroyo's personal manicurist and gardener have been given jobs in the Pag-IBIG Housing Fund and Luneta Park administration.
Responding to a report by Philippine Star columnist Jarius Bondoc, Deputy Presidential Spokesman Gary Olivar said it is the President's prerogative to appoint whomever she chooses for appointive government posts.
"Both people mentioned in Jarius [Bondoc]’s column are regular members of Malacañang’s staff. They do have regular government appointments and items. I’ve been advised that what prompted the President to give or to consider giving them this kind of appointment is her interest in having ordinary people represented in government offices and agencies whose activities impinge on the lives of ordinary people," Olivar told ANC's "Dateline Philippines.
He added: "Mabuti na may kumakatawan sa mga ordinaryong mamamayan sa mga ahensiya katulad ng Pag-IBIG na ang ginagawa po nila ay nakabalot sa araw-araw na pamumuhay ng mga kababayan natin."
He also rejected the report that the two are unqualified for their new posts. "Hindi sapat na ma-disqualify sila dahil mababa ang katungkulan nila," he said.
According to Bondoc's column, Arroyo's manicurist, Anita Capron, will receive P130,000 a month in per diem, plus perks, for a fixed two-year term as Pag-IBIG trustee.
On the other hand, gardener Armando Macapagal was appointed deputy of the Luneta Park Administration.
Bondoc cited an insider among Malacañang's housekeeping staff who expressed doubts about the two appointees' credentials.
"Macapagal supposedly landscapes Malacañang lawns but does not manage people. Carpon is not known for financial expertise to oversee multibillion-peso housing mutual fund of all employees. Nicknamed Nitz, she is often scolded by Arroyo for mismatching presidential handbags and shoes," the column read.
Olivar, meanwhile, denied that the Malacañang gardener was appointed to an administrative post because he could be related to the President. He said Mrs. Arroyo's own daughter, Luli, disqualified herself from entering foreign service despite topping government exams.
"The President is the last person we can accuse of nepotism," he said.
He said the same argument could be made for the Maguindanao massacre case involving the Ampatuan family, who are known allies of President Arroyo. He said that after the November 23 massacre, Mrs. Arroyo declared a state of martial law in Maguindanao to effect the arrest of prime suspects involved in the massacre.
Arroyo urged to reconsider manicurist's appointment to Pag-IBIG
By Larize Lee, abs-cbnNEWS.com Intern
as of 04/23/2010 12:31 PM
MANILA, Philippines - A state workers' group is set to ask President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to reconsider the appointment of her personal manicurist as member of the Pag-Ibig Fund's board of trustees.
Ferdinand Gaite, leader of state workers' group, Courage, told abs-cbnNEWS.com they have already drafted a position paper requesting President Arroyo to withdraw the appointment of Anita "Nitz" Carpon as member of the Pag-Ibig Fund's board.
Gaite said the position paper will be circulated to all government agencies before they submit it to the Office of the President.
He said that hopefully, the position paper would get enough signatures before Carpon officially assumes her post. He added that they will include in the paper the appointment of Mrs. Arroyo's gardner, Armando Macapagal, as deputy of the Luneta Park Administration.
Jaime Fabiaña, Pag-IBIG Fund president, told ABS-CBN's Umagang Kay Ganda, that Carpon has yet to submit a signed oath of office.
"In government, the assumption of office technically starts once you have submitted a signed oath of office. She (Carpon) has not yet [taken her oath of office]," Fabiaña said.
He added that Carpon was appointed by President Arroyo to represent government employees in the housing fund's board of trustees last March 6, which is 4 days earlier than the March 10 election ban on midnight appointments.
Fabiaña said they are hoping that Carpon would be able to assume office this month for her to be able to attend the monthly board meeting in mid-May.
Pag-IBIG defends appointment
The Pag-IBIG Fund president, meanwhile, said they have confirmed that Carpon is a government employee. He said that since the board is not covered by civil service rules, the President's manicurist can sit as member of the board of trustees.
He admitted that Carpon may not have direct experience or knowledge in housing, but assured that she would be carefully briefed before she actually attends a board meeting.
Fabiaña, meanwhile, denied that a board trustee receives a total of P130,000 a month. He said the actual take-home money of a board trustee is P10,000 a month.
"After each board meeting, they receive P1,000 each. There are also committee meetings and everytime they meet, they receive P5,000, but there is a limitation of only 2 meetings a month. That is why at most, [a board member] receives P10,000 a month," he said.
He added that the Pag-IBIG Fund has drafted a request to raise the per diem allowance of its board members because the rate has remained unchanged since the 1980s. -- with Michelle Cristobal, abs-cbnNEWS.com Intern

Philippine president names manicurist to key post

Philippine president names manicurist to key post
Thu Apr 22, 2:07 am ET
AFP.com

MANILA (AFP) – Philippine President Gloria Arroyo has named her manicurist to the board of a major government agency, her spokesman said Thursday.
The appointment of Anita Carpon to the board of a body responsible for lending tens of millions of dollars for the housing needs of government employees has drawn sharp criticism.
Arroyo's spokesman Gary Olivar defended Carpon's new posting and confirmed her other job as the president's stylist.
"Having a relationship of trust with the president should not count against someone," Olivar told AFP.
Carpon is a government employee and was named to the agency's board to represent low-paid workers the fund is serving, he added.
"The president wants the poorer government employees represented in the board because they are the ones with the housing needs," Olivar said.
Local media reports say Carpon will receive a monthly salary of about 130,000 pesos (about 2,900 dollars), double that of the president herself. Olivar would not confirm the figure.
The appointment was slammed by the camp of presidential candidate Benigno Aquino, who is leading in polls ahead of the May 10 election.
Butch Abad, Aquino's campaign manager, accused Arroyo of acting without regard for the public good.
"She further deepened the culture of political patronage in this country by putting people who are loyal to her in positions which are delicate without any regard to the qualifications of these people," Abad said.
He said this followed a recent rash of controversial Arroyo appointments in the judiciary and the top military ranks less than three months before the end of her term.
"These appointments are meant to put people in positions of influence in the hopes that if she is out of power, she will still be able to exercise some degree of influence," Abad said.

Exemption for OFW money transfers

OFW money transfers now exempt from stamp tax
OFWs get P1.3 billion remittance savings -- Ople INQUIRER.net First Posted 12:19:00 04/18/2010
MANILA, Philippines—
As the amended Migrant Workers Act come into force, overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) can now count on some P1.3 billion in extra savings with the abolition of the documentary stamp tax (DST) on all their remittances under the new law.
This was revealed by former Labor Undersecretary and now Nacionalista Party senatorial candidate Susan "Toots" Ople in a news release over the weekend.
"The scrapping of the DST on remittances is timely, and should help the beneficiaries here of migrant Filipino workers recover some of the buying power lost due to the peso's recent surge against the dollar," Ople said.
The local currency closed Thursday at $1:P44.36, eight percent or P3.85 higher compared to $1:P48.21 a year ago.
The removal of the DST on all funds wired home by OFWs would help drive down money transfer charges, and put more cash in the pockets of those receiving remittances, Ople said.
She urged the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) and the Department of Finance (DoF) to promptly issue the new law's implementing rules and regulations so that OFWs would immediately benefit from reduced remittance charges.
Local banks and non-bank money transfer agents such as The Western Union Co. and Moneygram International Inc. collect the DST before the funds sent home by OFWs are actually paid out to their beneficiaries here.
Based on the projected $19 billion worth of remittances from OFWs this year, the DoF said government would be giving up around P1.3 billion in revenues annually with the removal of the DST.
The new Migrant Workers Act, or Republic Act 10022, recently lapsed into law without President Macapagal-Arroyo's signature.
Section 22 of the new law provides that all funds sent home by OFWs shall be exempt from the DST. The OFWs’ beneficiary simply has to present a proof of entitlement from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration.
Prior to the passage of RA 10022, all money transfers from abroad and payable in the Philippines, including those wired home by OFWs, were subject to the DST at a rate of P0.30 for every P200.
This means OFWs pay a DST of P33.27 for every $500 or P22,180 (at $1:P44.36) they send home. This is on top of foreign and local bank fees, plus the P0.50 to a dollar margin domestic banks are allowed when paying out remittances in pesos.
According to a previous study by the World Bank, OFWs spend up to $22 to send home $500, or as much as $14 to remit $200.

OFWs Dollars

Peso seen staying within 44:$1 territory this year
By Michelle RemoPhilippine Daily InquirerFirst Posted 21:04:00 04/13/2010
BARCLAYS IS BULLISH ON THE Philippine peso, saying the currency is likely to stay within the 44:$1 territory over the next 12 months on the back of rising remittances and export revenues.
“[Foreign currency] inflows will continue to support the balance of payments and create a supportive backdrop for the peso,” Barclays said in its latest commentary on the Philippine economy.
The National Statistics Office on Tuesday reported that Philippine exports surged 42.3 percent to $3.57 billion in February.
Remittances, on the other hand, reached $1.4 billion in January, up 8.5 percent year-on-year.
Analysts said the surge in inflows of foreign currencies was causing the appreciation of the peso. Earlier this month, the local currency moved past the 44-to-a-dollar territory and hit a 20-month high. Traders said the peso was moving consistently with other Asian currencies with the improved appetite among investors on Asia, which is predicted to drive this year’s global growth.
The appreciation of the peso is one of the reasons why the inflation outlook for the Philippines has remained positive. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas expects consumer prices to grow 4.7 percent this year, well within the target of 3.5 to 5.5 percent.
Barclays, however, said that while a strong peso had positive effects, some sectors—exporters in particular—were expected to complain about the currency’s appreciation.
“Some segments of relatively labor-intensive manufacturing exports, including toy makers, are demanding currency market intervention and State aid as they are facing stiff competition in the international markets, and the strength of the peso is not helping,” the investment bank said.
Exporters have complained about the peso’s appreciation because it made their goods more expensive in dollar terms and, therefore, less competitive.
But the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has reiterated its stand against having a bias in favor of a weak currency and showing such by intervening in the foreign exchange market.
According to central bank officials, the BSP maintains a policy of allowing a market-determined exchange rate but intervenes from time to time only to avoid sharp fluctuations in the exchange rate.

Barclays said: “We believe the central bank will continue to finely balance the need for a stronger currency to keep a lid on imported inflation and dampening impact of a stronger currency on remittances in local currency terms [and by extension, on consumption spending].”
Some economists said the appreciation of the peso had a dampening effect on consumption because it reduces the peso value of the same dollar amount of remittances.

OFWs Infusion of Hard-Earned Dollars to the Philippines

Para sa lahat ng OFWs sa lahat ng panig ng mundo:
Ang sumusunod na analysis ay ginawa ng Cost Comptroller ng Dantata & Sawoe.
As OFWs we all know how hard it is to earn money for the family we loved whose welfare is the reason why we are working far away from home. If ever we spend or save our money here is our own individual concern.
But the remittances we send home need to be scrutinized because of the way our government is handling our hard-earned money.

Once more, this letter was sent to CMA Director Ellene Sana and Atty. Karen Dumpit -people who are guaranteed to look into the welfare of every OFW

Dear Ellene,

BSP is trumpeting that our U.S. dollars reserved rose to USD47 billion. This probably explained the strength of the peso, kung kaya yung dating palitan na P48 six months ago, ngayon tumuntong na sa P44.

Based on BSP figures, the OFWs infusion of dollars to our country reached US$16 billion last year, and the remittance growing steadily as many Pinoys opted to leave the country to have a better chance of meeting the economic challenges of life at the expense of the social fabric of our family and the Filipino society as a whole.

The strength of our Peso against the major currencies of the world is quite amazing and unbelievable. Filipino exporters of goods and produce probably have the right to put the blame to the OFWs. The truth of the matter is that both the sectors are actually on the losing side. Notice on the table (attached file) I prepared. If we pegged the Peso rate at P50/$ and compare it to the present rate at P44, that at the end of the current year the value of our hard-earned dollars diminishes to a staggering 14%, or the equivalent of P100 billion loss on exchange rate, or USD2.3 billion worth.

Is CMA, by any chance, or are there other NGOs, studying & analyzing this type of issue? If the peso would continue to gather momentum and further play havocs to the value of our earnings, then OFWs will probably start holding some of our remittance to our country. We could hold some, or divert them / save them in other countries like Singapore or Hongkong, but I believe this is a cruel thing to do. On the other side of the coin, if our government is manipulating the peso rate against the dollar, then the government is rather pushing the big nail deeper in our hearts. Push them further to the brink of extinction the OFW sector is capable of playing hard balls “kung may pagkakaisa”.

In unity the OFWs can be very politically powerful. Walang sinabi ang grupo ni Mke Velarde at ni Villanueva, at ngayon kasama na rin pala si Borloloy, ay Quiboloy yata. May mga Party List pa sila, pero saan nila ginamit ang pork barrel nila at P70 million per representative., Ang Buhay ni MV ay 3 pa yata ang representatives sa congress. Oh well, this is another issue.


Kind regards,
Lito

P.S.
Tomorrow entitled na kaming bumoto, ang tanong sino kaya sa kanila ang pipiliin.

The Yellow submarine na nangangakong hindi magnanakaw, or
Yung daw naligo sa dagat ng basura pero sa Sikwat at Taga kaya yumaman lalo, or
Yung bumabalik na si Asiong Salongga na mas mabuti pa sa lungga na lang, or
Yung may galing at talino, pero saan naman kaya gagamitin kung sakaling manalo, or
Yung 3 kulelat sa survey na naghahangad ng milagro.
Ay naku, pinoy, isand delubyo pa patay kang bata ka.
Select the best answer – multiple choice at talo ang mangilan-ngilan na pinoy na nag-iisip sa pagboto
Kumpara sa boto ng mga sangkatutak na pinoy na nakikiboto lang at walang ng isip-isip pa.

OFWs INFUSION OF HARD-EARNED DOLLARS TO THE PHILIPPINES

Total Yearly Earnings of 3 million OFWs

= 16,678,800,000

Pegged at :
USD1 = 50 = 833,940,000,000
USD1 = 48 = 800,582,400,000

USD1= 46 = 767,224,800,000

USD1= 44 = 733,867,200,000

LOSS ON EXCHANGE RATE every 3 months:
= 33,357,600,000

HAPPY EASTER

PEACE!
MAY THE RISEN LORD FILL OUR HEARTS WITH JOY AS WE JOURNEY WITH HOPE TOWARDS OUR FUTURE RESURRECTION!

A FRUITFUL AND BLESSED EASTER TO ONE AND ALL!


HEARTFELT GREETINGS


FROM

EXCO PUSONG PINOY