MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang said on Saturday that new appointments of vacant positions in government may likely be filled up by the end of the year, as it disclosed a new set of appointees on Saturday. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said that from about 5,000 to 6,000 vacant positions when the Aquino administration assumed office, there are now just about 1,300 vacancies that need to be filled up.
“So far, I think more than half na ang napunuan natin at every weekend naman tayo nag-aannounce [So far, I think more than half of the positions have already been filled and we are announcing new appointees every weekend],” Valte said.
“Mukhang sandali nalang at puno na mga positions [I think it would take only take a little while before we can fill up all the vacant positions],” she said. “We’re making good headway.”
Saturday’s new appointees include Josefino Torres as the new deputy administrator of the Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration (OWWA); Carolyn Espiritu, CCP board of trustees member; Potenciano Larazzabal, Jr. and Felipe Medalla as among the new members of the Board of Directors of the Philippine National Oil Corp. (PNOC); Gloria Pagdilao as acting director III of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR); and Mary Jane Ortega, member of the Board of Trustees, Nayong Pilipino for a term of one year.
Also in the list of new appointees include Benjamin de Leon and Jaime Galvez Tan as new members of the Board of Commissioners at the Commission on Population (PopCom); Dr. Manuel Chua Siaco as the acting executive director of the Philippine Heart Center; Teodoro Herbosa, DoH Undersecretary (co-terminus status); Fermin de Leon Jr. as the president of the National Defense College of the Philippines; and Reynaldo Robles and Manuel Medina, new members of the board of directors of the Philippine Reclamation Authority, both terms of which will expire on March 3, 2012.
Madel Sabater, Manila Bullettin
