Aquino swears in new Neda chief, 2 special envoys to China

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III sworn into office Wednesday several newly appointed officials, including special envoys to China Ambassador Domingo Lee and Ambassador Cesar Zalamea, in a ceremony at the Rizal Hall in Malacanang.

Lee and Zalamea's appointments were seen to improve relations between the Philippines and China that have been locked in a maritime standoff in Scarborough (Panatag) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.

Aquino also administered the oath of newly appointed National Economic Development Authority (Neda) Director-General Arsenio Balisacan in an acting-capacity pending confirmation from the Commission on Appointments.

Balisacan replaced former Neda director-general Cayetano Paderanga, who resigned last May 10 due to health reasons.

Balisacan obtained his doctorate in Economics at the University of Hawaii in 1985 after finishing his master’s degree in Agricultural Economics at the University of the Philippines in Los Baños, Laguna, in 1982.

He graduated magna cum laude from the Mariano Marcos State University in 1979 where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture.

He is an adjunct professor of the Australian National University and the executive director of the Philippine Center for Economic Development, where he served as an adviser and expert in poverty, food security, agricultural and rural development, human development, impact assessment, and governance issues to public chief executives and legislators, non-governmental organizations, multilateral development institutions, like the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, and various United Nations agencies.

Balisacan was also an author and co-editor of seven books and has written over 100 articles and technical journals and book chapters.

Philippine Coast Guard officials Vice Admiral Edmund Tan, Rear Admiral Cecil Chen, Rear Admiral Lino Dabi and Rear Admiral Luis Tuason Jr. also took their oaths before the President, which was witnessed by Transportation and Communications Secretary Manuel Roxas II.

Other officials who were sworn in by Aquino include Representative of the Consumer Organizations to the Optical Media Board, Office of the President, Elmar Ingles; Deputy Director V, Public-Private Partnership Center of Neda, Ferdinand Tolentino and 10 representatives from the various sectors to the National Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council of the Department of Agriculture. (Jill Beltran/Sunnex)