• President Aquino receives P40.2 billion from earnings of government-owned corporations
• Government-owned corporations remitted P164 billion under Aquino administration
• President Aquino approves creation of Department of Information and Communications Technology
• President Aquino meets with His Royal Highness Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia

President Aquino received the checks from the chairpersons and chief executive officers of GOCCs during the ceremonial turnover of dividends, billed as “GOCC Day”, held at the Rizal Hall of Malacañang Palace.

This year’s GOCCs dividends increased from P36.36 billion last year.

In his speech, the President thanked the officials and employees of the 54 GOCCs for their contribution.

“Kaya naman sa ngalan ng sambayanang Pilipino, taos-puso akong nagpapasalamat sa mga bumubuo ng mga korporasyong nagpakitang-gilas, at nagpamalas ng kanilang makabuluhang kontribusyon sa bansa. Maraming salamat sa mga empleyado’t kawani ng bawat opisina, hanggang sa kanilang mga direktor at pinunong namamahala sa ating mga korporasyon. Kung tutuusin, pwede ninyong piliing magtrabaho na lang sa pribadong sektor kung saan pwedeng naging mas tahimik at mas maaliwalas ang inyong buhay. Alam kong sa paglilingkod sa gobyerno, pinili ninyo ang mas maliit na sweldo, at pagpasan ng mas mabigat na hamon para tuparin ang inyong tungkulin,” he said.

“Sa tulong ng ating GOCCs, pinatunayan din natin…na Good governance is good economics. Sa mabuting pamamahala, lumalago ang ekonomiya. Nito nga pong 1st quarter ng 2016, nagtala tayo ng 6.9 percent GDP (gross domestic product) growth—ang pinakamataas na paglago ng ekonomiya sa buong Asya. At ito nga pong paglagong ito ang nagbigay sa atin ng higit na kakayahang paglingkuran, hindi lang ang iilan, kundi ang nakakarami,” he further said.

The Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) led this year’s Billionaires’ Club, an elite class of contributors that declared P1 billion or more in total remittances.

Land Bank posted the highest dividends that amounted to P6.6 billion and remitted a total of P6.85 billion, while PAGCOR had the highest total remittances at P8.869 billion.

Also making it to the Billionaires’ Club were the Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) with P5.062 billion; Bases and Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) with P3.930 billion; Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) with P2.87 billion; Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) with P2.358 billion; Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation (PDIC) with P2.27 billion; Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) with P2.187 billion; and Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) with P1 billion.

Senate President Franklin Drilon, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, Trade and Industry Secretary Adrian Cristobal, Jr., Energy Secretary Zenaida Monsada, Governance Commission for GOCC Commissioner Angela Ignacio, and Deputy National Treasurer Sharon Almanza were also present during the GOCC Day, which started in 2011 under the Department of Finance to recognize the significant contributions of GOCCs to national development.

Republic Act No. 7656 requires GOCCs to declare and remit at least 50 percent of their income as dividends to the national government. PND (jm)

“Sa halos 6 na taon ng ating pamamahala, P164.33 billion na ang nai-remit na dibidendo ng ating GOCCs. Halos dobleng pag-angat kung ikukumpara natin sa naabot ng nakaraang administrasyon na P84.18 billion mula 2001 hanggang 2010. Ididiin ko lang po: Siyam at kalahating taong nasa poder ang ating sinundan,” President Aquino said in his speech during the ceremonial turnover of dividends by GOCCs, at the Rizal Hall of Malacañang Palace on Monday.

The President noted that GOCCs have greatly improved their services under his term.

Citing an example, he said the APO Production Unit, through computerization and by enhancing the skills of its employees, has been able to raise its sales from P329.14 million in 2010 to P1.21 billion in 2015.

This year, he said, the company was able to remit P5 million to the national treasury.

The President also cited the transformation of the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA), whose remittances increased fivefold from less than P1 billion over 33 years from 1977 to 2010, to P5.77 billion from July 2010 until this month.

He also lauded the efforts of the Government Service Insurance System, PAG-IBIG Fund, Social Security System, and PhilHealth.

“Kasabay ng pag-angat ng inyong mga kita, pinalawak din ninyo ang mga ayuda at benepisyo para sa Pilipino. Sa tulong nga po ng kontribusyon ng ating mga GOCC, mas napopondohan na natin ngayon ang mga programa at proyekto nating nasa ilalim ng unprogrammed funds, gaya ng bahagi ng AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) modernization, socio-economic programs, partikular sa edukasyon at kalusugan, irigasyon sa agrikultura, pati na ang mga lokal at pambansang imprastraktura gaya ng mga tulay at daungan,” President Aquino said.

To further improve the services of GOCCs, the Chief Executive said the government has begun reorganizing these corporations.

“Nito pong Abril, umabot na sa 26 na GOCC ang ating in-abolish dahil sa kanilang pagkalugi o nag-uulit na mandato, 3 naman ang inaprubahan na natin para sa privatization, habang isa ang ime-merge na sa isa pang korporasyon. Bukod dito, ipinatupad na rin ng GCG (Governance Commission for GOCCs) ang Performance Evaluation System para maiwasan ang sobra-sobrang pagtanggap ng mga benepisyo ng mga empleyado at gawin talagang makatwiran. Ang layunin natin: Makatanggap ng makatwirang insentibo sang-ayon sa matibay na pamantayan,” he said.

Winding up his speech, President Aquino posed a challenge to the GOCCs.

“Ngayong inaani na natin ang positibong bunga ng mga pinunla nating reporma, simple lang ang hamon at panawagan sa atin: Huwag tayong tumigil at makuntento lang sa nagawa na; tiwala akong hindi kayo magsasawa sa masigasig na pagtupad ng inyong mga mandato. Malayo na ang ating narating; siguruhin nating maging permanente ang ating mga nasimulan tungo sa pag-abot ng mas matatayog nating pangarap,” he said. PND (jd)

In a statement issued on Monday, Communication Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said the DICT shall be headed by a Secretary, who will be assisted by three Undersecretaries and four Assistant Secretaries.

“The new law also provides that two of the three Undersecretaries and two of the four Assistant Secretaries shall be career officers. One of the four Assistant Secretaries shall also be a licensed professional electronics engineer,” he said.

Secretary Coloma said the law also requires that the Secretary, as well as the Undersecretaries and Assistant Secretaries, have “at least seven years of competence and expertise in any of the following: information and communications technology; information technology service management; information security management; cybersecurity, data privacy, e-Commerce, or human capital development in the ICT sector”.

“According to the new law, the following agencies are hereby abolished and will be transferred to the newly created DICT: Information and Communications Technology Office (ICTO); National Computer Center (NCC); National Computer Institute (NCI); Telecommunications Office (TELOF); National Telecommunications Training Institute (NTTI); and, all operating units of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) with functions and responsibilities dealing with communications,” he further said in the statement.

With the creation of the DITC, the DOTC shall be renamed as the Department of Transportation.

Coloma said the law provides for a six-month transition period from effectivity for the full implementation of the transfer of functions, assets and personnel.

In the meantime, “the existing personnel shall continue to assume their posts in holdover capacities until new appointments are issued”, he added. PND (jm)

Prince Alwaleed was accompanied by Abdullah Bin Nasser Al Bussairy, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the Philippines; Hassna Alturki, Executive Manager for International Relations Private Office of His Royal Highness; Fahad Al Otaibi, Senior Executive Assistant to His Royal Highness; and Hani Agha, Head of Travel and External Affairs.

Also present during the courtesy call were Trade Secretary Adrian Cristobal, Jr., Foreign Affairs Secretary Jose Rene Almendras, and Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Hjayceelyn Quintana of the Office of Middle East and African Affairs.

Prince Alwaleed is the grandson of King Abdulaziz Alsaud, founder and first ruler of Saudi Arabia, and Riad El Solh, the first Prime Minister of modern day Lebanon and leader of Lebanese independence.

He is the chairman and controlling shareholder of the Kingdom Holding Company, an investment holding company based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Prince Alwaleed is also the owner of Rotana, the largest entertainment company in the Arab World.

He is known for his philanthropic work as the founder and patron of the Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundations. PND (kt)