West Visayas boasts two outstanding peace and order councils
Roxas City -- Two peace and order councils in Western Visayas are among the national awardees for the Best Peace and Order Councils (POC) in time with the 13th National Crime Prevention Week celebration.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo paid tribute to the POCs of Guimaras and Escalante City in Negros Occidental for the 4th-6th-class province and component city categories, respectively, during an awarding ceremony in Malacañang recently.
Other POC awardees include Region 11, Most Outstanding Region; Southern Leyte (Region 8), the Most Outstanding 1st – 3rd – class province; Makati City (NCR), Most Outstanding highly-urbanized city; La Trinidad in Benguet (CAR), Most Outstanding 1st – 3rd-class municipality; and Malitbog in Bukidnon (Region 10), Most Outstanding 4th – 6th class municipality.
The President expressed gratitude to the vital role of the "community of crime preventors," including the POCs, for the resurgence of the economy.
"The foundation of our economic comeback is wide, deep and solid. Across the board, the nation's economy is pointed in the right direction, and for all the right reasons. The elements of this broad-based success are built on many things and with the help of many people-institutions-and-economic contributors. Notable among these is the community of crime preventors," she said.
The President said the world is taking notice of the country's economic gains from the "lofty heights of the prestigious Wall Street Journal, to the billion dollar investments of Texas Instruments and leading Asian firms like Hanjin, Marubeni, Tokyo Electric, and others. The Philippines is on the move."
She pointed out that in six years, six million jobs have been created, wages have increased, the poverty level has dipped and investments in education, health, public works and other vital services have been increased dramatically.
The Chief Executive pointed out that her administration remains tightly focused on what the Filipinos "yearn most: a good job, steady prices, and a healthy family."
The people are "tired of political drama and social instability. We are entering a new era where the vast majority can have a predictable future, a steady job and a calm political climate," she said, stressing the need for closure to all political noise to sustain the momentum of the country's economic comeback. (PIA)