Gloria Arroyo - Strong and Powerful Leadership

Scholars Upscale Social Marketing To Promote Hero Farmers

noreply@blogger.com (@JayseeBlabs) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 09:19:00 +0000

Can you imagine life without farmers? A team of scholars from the Young Minds Academy (YMA) Season 5 leadership program can’t. They harnessed the power of marketing strategies mostly through the new media to promote a farmer empowerment project in Consolacion, Cebu. Because of the on-going training that the farmers are undergoing, they will soon yield better and abundant harvests in their respective farms all over Cebu.

The online community has been abuzz with the iluvfarmers farmers
campaign that champions hero farmers in Cebu.

About Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan

Team CPMPC of the YMA program of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. created a campaign for the “Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan.” The project aims to educate farmers in vegetable and fruit production and innovations as part of the poverty alleviation goals of the Municipality of Consolacion.

Around 120 farmers go to the 5,000 square meter demo farm site in Brgy. Danglag to learn from the trainers from Harbest Agribusiness Corporation and the Department of Agriculture Regional Offices.

The program’s aim is to empower our farmers with knowledge to improve farm practice and increase yield, thereby providing better income opportunities.

The project started last September 11 and is set to end on November 18, 2011. This has been done in 18 other project sites all over the country as well, and as of writing, graduated more than two thousand farmers.

About iluvfarmers

The Team CPMPC scholars of YMA drafted and implemented a massive campaign to help these farmers gain social awareness and support from the public with the parameters set by RAFI which is 1,000 likes on the Facebook page and 10,000 peso donation or signature of commitment within a one month period.

But instead of focusing on achieving the goals, they turned to the notion that the quality of interaction and support they get is more important especially within the deadline.

As part of the marketing strategy, they branded their campaign as “iluvfarmers” to imply the need for people to appreciate our farmers who are considered as unsung heroes. Meticulous planning and execution was done from designing the logo, content creation and development, setting of specific goals, art direction of campaign materials such as online posters, advertisements, teasers, blog posts, endorsements from different personalities and regular updates in the social networking sites. They also went to the farm demo site and worked with the farmers themselves under extreme weather conditions and poor classroom setting.

The scholars themselves underwent input sessions with social marketing experts in the region today.

They created a Facebook page with a custom designed landing page which can be accessed at http://fb.me/iluvfarmers where details of the program and how you can support the campaign and the farmers are placed. They also created a Twitter account http://twitter.com/iluvfarmers where conversations and interactions are done not only with netizens but as well as Agriculture and Farming organizations all over the world. To curate the beautiful life stories of the farmers and to regularly update the supporters with the latest developments of the project, Team CPMPC scholars also had created a blog site http://iluvfarmers.blogspot.com for better content and brand establishment.

The iluvfarmers Campaign is being spearheaded by Jaysee John R. Pingkian, Lorbe Catadman, Babykit Marie Nunez, Irish Nunez and John Rhecel Solon members of the Team CPMPC of the YMA Season 5.

Why you should help?

Farming is not as fun as you would experience through games like Farmville. It actually takes a lot of effort and life as we know it and some people have not only considered it as livelihood but life in itself.

The project needs to sustain because they have learned to pursue a reliable source of income with very little capital through the technologies and knowledge imparted to them.

They need not only awareness from people but as well as donations in money or in kind such as farming tools and fertilizers, vegetable and fruit seeds and seedlings because after the training they are expected to apply their knowledge unto their respective farm lands.

Keep in mind that they are also the providers of their families.

They also need social awareness because little attention and support is given to these people whose efforts are barely recognized and compensated for the amount of work they are doing.

How can you help?

4 Steps to Help Them!

LIKE and SHARE this page! COMMENT on photos and posts as well!
DONATE your Facebook or Twitter Status:

They work hard to provide us food. We can help them do better. FOLLOW @iluvfarmers and LIKE http://fb.me/iluvfarmers
Somewhere in the mountains are heroes who work tirelessly to provide us and their families. FOLLOW @iluvfarmers and LIKE http://fb.me/iluvfarmers
Facebook is not just for emo stuff. It could also be used to support our hero farmers! FOLLOW @iluvfarmers and LIKE http://fb.me/iluvfarmers
Or you could CREATE YOUR CREATIVE STATUS and post it on the Facebook page so they could feature you!

FOLLOW us on Twitter http://twitter.com/iluvfarmers
DONATE or ask people to donate money, farm tools, farm supplies, seedlings or seeds.

Contact iluvfarmers Campaign Ambassador Lorbe Catadman: 09299613737

PGMA to expand cash transfer coverage to 1M poor families

noreply@blogger.com (@JayseeBlabs) — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 02:24:00 +0000

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo plans to expand the coverage of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4P) to one million poor families affected by the global financial crisis.
The President has directed Budget and Management Secretary Rolando. Andaya to ensure funding for the 4P, a conditional cash transfer program being implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
"Secretary Andaya is working right now to ensure that will be funded. If the program can be expanded to more than one million beneficiaries, the President will do that because she believes this conditional cash assistance to the poorest of the poor is very important. It is the most effective way to help our countrymen overcome poverty," said Press Secretary Cerge Remonde.
Based on next year's P1.541-trillion national budget submitted by the President, 4P will get P12 billion or more than double this year's P5-billion budget.
Remonde added government is also looking at government-owned and -controlled corporations to help expand 4P.

PGMA's strong faith in God, prayerfulness enable her to lead the country well-Remonde

noreply@blogger.com (@JayseeBlabs) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:26:00 +0000

Her strong faith in God and her being prayerful are President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's strongest weapons which have enabled her to steer the country towards focused development goals despite criticisms from her detractors.
Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said her being prayerful strengthens the President's resolve to work on what should be done rather than exerting efforts to do well in popularity surveys. This, he said, should be emulated by anyone desiring to lead the country.
"As we all know, the president is a very prayerful person. She attends mass, goes to confessions every day. And I think this is where she draws strength from. I think this is what enables her to weather all of these problems. That's why prayerfulness, being prayerful, is indeed important for everyone specially for those who want to lead the land," Remonde said.
The President, according to him, has been in the habit of constantly communing and consulting with God whenever she has to make any decision.
"We will appreciate other political leaders who would adopt this attitude of prayerfulness, specially when having to make major decisions. This is something that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has been doing, not only since day one of her presidency, but I think in all the days of her life," Remonde said.
The President's focus in the next few months, according to Remonde will be on the three Es which she mentioned in her State of the Nation address-- economy, environment, and education.
"She's doing what needs to be done. She is focusing on what she feels is important and what is necessary. Her attitude in governance is to decide on what is best, do her best, and let God take care of the rest," he said.
"I believe the President will continue with that. But I think the responsibility of helping the President be understood by a greater number of people lies with us in the Cabinet. That is why we have been constantly communicating with you as best as we can to help people better understand and appreciate what the President is doing," he said." (PND)

PRESIDENT GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO’S SPEECH DURING A DINNER MEETING WITH THE FILUSA (FILIPINOS INTERNATIONAL OF THE U.S.A.)

noreply@blogger.com (@JayseeBlabs) — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 16:31:00 +0000

Wednesday, 29 July 2009

Willard Ballroom, Willard Hotel Washington, D.C., USA July 29, 2009
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you very much Secretary Pamintuan for your introduction.
I’m happy to be here with you tonight with an official delegation who will be meeting with their counterparts. We have here the Speaker of the House of Representatives Speaker Boy Nograles and several members of Congress who will be attending the various meetings with members of Congress tomorrow. We have here, of course, several Cabinet members who will be meeting with their counterparts headed by Foreign Affairs Secretary Bert Romulo and Executive Secretary Ed Ermita. We have with us also members of the Senate, Miriam is not here with us tonight but we have Lito Lapid here with us tonight. We have a governor, Governor Tet Garcia of Bataan, and we have two city mayors: Mayor of Marikina Marides Fernando and Mayor of Danao City Nitoy Durano.
And of course, I’d like to greet the leaders of the Filipino community here headed by our Ambassador to Washington Willy Gaa. And Henry and Jackie, thank you so much, and all of you who came from everywhere Maryland, San Francisco, Virginia, of course, Washington.
Magandang gabi sa inyong lahat. At king kekatang 60 percent ni attendance ngening bengi, mayap a bengi kekongan. Thank you. Thank you. Of course, we must also greet the other Filipinos from various parts of the country: sa mga kaigsuonan gikan sa Visayas ug Mindanao maayong gabii kaninyong tanan; sa indo gabos Bikolano, marhay nga bangi; sa mga kasimanwa sang akon bana nga ari naman subong, maayong gab-i sa inyo nga tanan; dagiti kakailyan ni mamang ko, naimbag a rabii yo amin.
And, of course, congratulations to the Filipinos International of the United States of America or FILUSA here in Washington and sorrounding areas, and the other American organizations here tonight. Thank you very much for coming despite the very short notice and thank you for waiting. You know when we arrived in Canada a half an hour ahead of schedule, so I was so happy... Oh, we’ll arrive in Washington half an hour ahead of schedule instead combination of paper work and inclement weather along the way made us not leave half an hour ahead of schedule, not in _____ schedule it made as leave an hour and a half later than schedule, but thank you for waiting. I’m so sorry for that.
Last month, I met with the FILUSA chapter in Los Angeles. And I congratulated your organization, as I congratulate now FILUSA-Washington D.C., as Jackie described it your efforts in helping unify the Filipino community here in the U.S. and in projecting the good news about the Philippines. And I’m happy about the launching tonight here in Washington your “Proudly Filipino” campaign. Congratulations!
And as you have said, we are really very pleased to accept the invitation of President Obama to be the first leader from our region to meet with him at the White House.
The Oval Office meeting with President Obama comes at a pivotal time for U.S. relations in Asia. We’re very hopeful that the Obama Administration will put America on the radar screen in Asia. The visit to the region by Secretary Clinton where she met with Secretary Romulo in Thailand and now the early outreach by President Obama sends strong signals that the U.S. is committed to a new, more robust engagement with the region.
The fact that President Obama sought out the Philippines for this first opportunity is a testament to the strong and deep ties between our two nations. Kaya maganda yung placard ninyo, “Mabuhay RP-U.S. Relations!" Ayun, thank you for that. “Long Live our U.S.-Filipino Relations!” Yeah, thank you.
The early invitation also reflects the ongoing relationship we have built up through a series of phone conversations and correspondences reaching back to when Senator Obama was the candidate for President.
Our expectations for this trip are straightforward: to meet the new U.S. President and to advance the interests of the Philippines with our strongest friend and ally. The U.S. is essential to our economic, diplomatic and national security. We plan to ensure that these objectives remain front and center and on track between our two nations.
High on our agenda will be peace and security issues, including ways to continue to strengthen regional cooperation on anti-terrorism.
We will also discuss the global economic crisis that has swept the world and what we can do to mitigate the impact on the poor, especially in Asia and the Philippines.
The other day, I delivered my State of the Nation Address. As we all know, the past twelve months had been a year for the history books. As you know more than I do because you experienced it personally, financial meltdown in the West spread throughout the world. Billions across the globe had been hurt. Tens of millions have lost their jobs.
It has affected the Philippines as well. But, and Jackie said, your proposition tell the good news, the story of the Philippines in 2008 is that the country weathered a succession of global crises in fuel, in food, then in finance, and finally the economy in a global recession, but never losing focus and with economic fundamentals intact.
A few days ago Moody’s upgraded our credit rating, in the middle of a global recession, citing the resilience of our economy. Therefore, I could say, the state of our nation is a strong economy.
I want our Republic to be ready for first world in 20 years. And towards that vision, we, the senators, the congressmen, Speaker made key reforms. Our economic plan centers on putting people first. Higit sa lahat, ang layunin ng ating mga patakaran ay tulungan ang masisipag na karaniwang Pilipino. New tax revenues were put in place to help pay for better healthcare, more roads, and a strong education system.
Housing policies were designed to lift up our poorer citizens so they can live and raise a family with dignity. Ang ating mga puhunan sa agrikultura ay naglalayong kilalanin ang atin mga magsasaka bilang backbone ng ating bansa, at bigyan sila ng mga modernong kagamitan to feed our nation and feed their own family.
In 2008 up to early 2009, we were among only a few economies in Asia-Pacific that did not shrink, contrast that to 2001 when I first became President. Asia was then surging, our country was on the brink of bankruptcy. Now it’s the other way around. The world is in recession. Our country remain strong.
Since 2001, our economy posted uninterrupted growth for 33 quarters, and more than doubled its size -- in 2001 it was 76 billion dollars; in 2008 186 billion dollars, more than double what it was eight years ago. And the average GDP growth during our administration is the highest among all administrations in the last 43 years. From January 2001 to April 2009 we created eight million jobs -- source of that, the National Statistics Office Labor for Survey. That is an average of a million a year more than at any other time in our history.
Our foreign debt ratio we cut in half from 73 percent before I started to 32 percent of GDP. Kaya kung meron man tayong malaking kaaway na tinalo, walang iba kung hindi yung utang, yung foreign debt. Others conjured the demon of foreign debt. We exorcised foreign debt from our country.
Our average inflation rate is the lowest since 1966. Sabi nga ni Governor Salceda sa akin, Joey Salceda who is an economist, “Alam mo, Ma’am, ang nakatalo lang sa record mo sa ekonomiya yung tatay mo, si President Diosdado Macapagal.” And last June, a month ago, inflation dropped to 1.5 percent.
What do all these things mean? They mean that we have a strong economy in a strong fiscal position to withstand global shocks. And we were able to achieve this at the same time that we were building new modern infrastructure and completing unfinished ones. And the economy is more fair to the poor than ever before. Aside from that, we are building a sound base for the next generation. And International experts have taken note that we are safer from natural and man-made disasters.
Sa hirap at ginhawa, ang ating bansa ay pinapatatag ninyo, ang ating Overseas Filipinos, kaya nagpapasalamat ako sa inyo. Kahit hindi gaanong lumalaki ang numero, eight million nung nagsimula ako bilang Presidente, more or less eight million pa rin ngayon. Iyong padala ninyong 16 billion dollars noong isang taon ay record. At itong taon, mas mataas pa kaysa sa record na ginawa noong isang taon. At pinakamalaking bahagi ng remittances ay nanggaling dito sa ating mga kababayan sa North America. Kaya maraming salamat sa inyo.
But even as we honor you for your hard work at malasakit ninyo sa inyong bansa, sa ating bansa, we are doing our best to create good paying jobs at home, so that overseas work will just be a career choice, and not the only option for a hardworking Filipino.
In fact, meron akong mga kaibigan na nasa Los Angeles. A lot of Filipinos in Los Angeles are doing well over the past years in real estate, eh pero ngayon bumagsak ang real estate. Well, they went back home and got into the real estate business and they’re doing better there. So, that was what I would want -- that every Filipino has an option. You can be in America and be okey, and you can be in the Philippines and be okey -- that is our ambition. Salamat.
Meantime, meantime, as Jackie said, you have the usual critics in the opposition and also in the ideological groups of the left and the right. While we’re doing our best to create jobs, they’re also doing their best and their worst in trying to bring me down. And if you look at all their charges, the things I’ve never done any of the things that have scared them so much. They seem to be frightened by their own shadows.
The noisiest critic of constitutional reform tirelessly and shamelessly attempted Cha-Cha when they thought they could take advantage of it. Now that they feel they cannot benefit from it, they oppose it. So, what is that? For bested interest versus national interest.
I never declared Martial Law, but they’re running scared as if I did. Really in truth, what they are really afraid of is their own weakness in the face of this self-imagined threat.
And I never expressed the desire to extend myself beyond my term. But many of those who accuse me of it were the ones who tried to cling like nails to their own posts.
My term does not end until next year. And until then, with your support, I will fight for the ordinary Filipino. There is much to do as head of state up to the very last day. And I trust that the Filipino-American community, the FILUSA, the different organizations here will continue to support and have faith in the Philippines.
So, I am so happy to be able to be with you tonight kahit na naghintay kayo -- I feel so guilty about that -- kahit na nagutom kayo, akala ko kumain na sana kayo bago... habang hinihintay ako, but thank you so much for waiting for me. Thank you what you’re saying -- you support peace and progress in the Philippines.
Maraming salamat sa inyong lahat.

PGMA’s SONA 2009 Transcript

noreply@blogger.com (@JayseeBlabs) — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 04:04:00 +0000

Thank you, Speaker Nograles, Senate President Enrile, Senators, Representatives, Vice President de Castro, President Ramos, Chief Justice Puno, Ambassadors, friends:

The past twelve months have been a year for the history books. Financial meltdown in the West spread throughout the world...

Tens of millions lost their jobs; billions across the globe have been hurt—the poor always harder than the rich. No one was spared....
It has affected us already. But the story of the Philippines in 2008 is that the country weathered a succession of global crises in fuel, in food, then in finance and finally the economy in a global recession, never losing focus and with economic fundamentals intact...

A few days ago, Moody’s has just announced the upgrade of our credit rating, citing the resilience of our economy. The state of our nation is a strong economy. Good news for our people, bad news for our critics...

I did not become President to be popular. To work, to lead, to protect and preserve our country, our people, that is why I became President. When my father left the Presidency, we were second to Japan. I want our Republic to be ready for the first world in 20 years...

Towards that vision, we made key reforms. Our economic plan centers on putting people first. Higit sa lahat ang layunin ng ating mga patakaran ay tulungan ang masipag na karaniwang Pilipino. New tax revenues were put in place to help pay for better healthcare, more roads, a strong education system. Housing policies were designed to lift up our poorest citizens so they can live and raise a family with dignity. Ang ating mga puhunan sa agrikultura ay naglalayong kilalanin ang ating mga magsasaka bilang backbone ng ating bansa, at bigyan sila ng mga modernong kagamitan to feed our nation and feed their own family....

Had we listened to the critics of those policies, had we not braced ourselves for the crisis that came, had we taken the easy road much preferred by politicians eyeing elections, this country would be flat on its back. It would take twice the effort just to get it back again on its feet—to where we are now because we took the responsibility and paid the political price of doing the right thing. For standing with me and doing the right thing, thank you, Congress...

The strong, bitter and unpopular revenue measures of the past few years have spared our country the worst of the global financial shocks. They gave us the resources to stimulate the economy. Nabigyan nila ang pinakamalaking pagtaas ng IRA ng mga LGU na P40 billion itong taon, imparting strength throughout the country and at every level of government...

Compared to the past, we have built more and better infrastructure, including those started by others but left unfinished. The Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway is a prime example of building better roads. It creates wealth as the flagship of the Subic-Clark corridor.

We have built airports of international standard, upgraded domestic airports, built seaports and the RORO system. I ask Congress for a Philippine Transport Security Authority Law....

Some say that after this SONA, it will be all politics. Sorry, but there’s more work....

Sa telecommunications naman, inatasan ko ang Telecommunications Commission na kumilos na tungkol sa mga sumbong na dropped calls at mga nawawalang load sa cellphone. We need to amend the Commonwealth-era Public Service Law. And we need to do it now....

Kung noong nakaraan, lumakas ang electronics, today we are creating wealth by developing the BPO and tourism sectors as additional engines of growth. Electronics and other manufactured exports rise and fall in accordance with the state of the world economy. But BPO remains resilient. With earnings of $6 billion and employment of 600,000, the BPO phenomenon speaks eloquently of our competitiveness and productivity. Let us have a Department of ICT....

In the last four years tourism almost doubled. It is now a $5 billion industry...

Our reforms gave us the resources to protect our people, our financial system and our economy from the worst of shocks that the best in the west failed to anticipate....

They gave us the resources to do reforms para palawakin ang suportang panlipunan and enhance spending power....For helping e raise salaries through joint resolution, thank you Congress.

Cash handouts give the most immediate relief and produce the widest stimulating effect. Nakikinabang ang 700,000 na pinakamahihirap na pamilya sa programang Pantawid Pamilya.

Our preference is to invest in projects with the same stimulus effects but also with long-term contributions to national progress....

Sa pagpapamahagi ng milyun-milyong ektaryang lupa, 700,000 na katutubo at mahigit isang milyong benepisyaryo ng CARP ay taas-noong may-ari na ng sariling lupa. Hinihiling ko sa Kongreso na ipasa agad ang pagpapalawig ng CARP, at dapat ma-condone ang P42 billion na land reform liabilities dahil 18% lamang ang nabayaran mula 1972. Napapanahon dahil it will unfreeze the rural property market. Ang mahal kong ama ang nag-emancipate ng mga magsasaka. Ii-mancipate naman natin ngayon ang titulo....

Nakinabang ang pitong milyong entrepreneurs sa P165 billion na microfinance. Nakinabang ang 1,000 sa economic resiliency plan. Kasama natin ngayon ang isa sa kanila, si Gigi Gabiola. Dating household service worker sa Dubai, ngayon siya ay nagtatrabaho sa DOLE. Good luck, Gigi...
Nakinabang ang isang milyong pamilya sa programang pabahay at palupa, mula sa PAG-IBIG, NHA, community mortgage program, certificates of lot awards, at saka yung inyong Loan Condonation and Restructuring Act....

Our average inflation is the lowest since 1966. Last June, it dropped to 1.5%. Paano nakamit ito? Proper policies lowered interest rates, which lowered costs to business and consumers.

Dahil sa ating mga reporma, nakaya nating ibenta ang bigas NFA sa P18.25 per kilo kahit tumaas ang presyo sa labas mula P17.50 hanggang P30 dahil sa kakulangan ng supply sa mundo. Habang, sa unang pagkakataon, naitaas ang pamimili ng palay sa mga magsasaka, P17 mula sa P11...

Dahil sa ating mga reporma, nakaya nating mamuhunan sa pagkain—anticipating an unexpected global food crisis. Nakagawa tayo ng libu-libong kilometro ng farm-to-market roads at kasama ng pribadong sector, natubigan ang dalawang milyong ektarya. Mga Badjao gaya ni Tarnati Dannawi ay tinuruan ng modernong mariculture. Umabot na sa P180,000 ang kinita niya mula noong nakaraang taon. Congratulations, Tarnati. We will help more fisherfolk shift to fish farming with a budget of P1 billion...

Dahi dumarami na naman daw ang pamilyang nagugutom, mamumuhunan tayo ng bago sa Hunger Mitgation program na nakitang mabisa. Tulungan nito ako dito Kongreso...

Mula noong 2001, Nanawagan tayo ng mas murang gamot. Nagbebenta na tayo ng mga gamot na kalahating presyo sa libu-libong Botika ng Bayan at Botika ng Barangay sa maraming dako ng bansa. Our efforts prodded the pharmaceutical companies to come up with low-cost generics and brands like RiteMed. I supported the tough version of the House of the Cheaper Medicine Law. I supported it over the weak version of my critics. The result: the drug companies volunteered to bring down drug prices, slashing by half the prices of 16 drugs. Thank you, Congressman Cua, Alvarez, Biron and Locsin....

Pursuant to law, I am placing other drugs under a maximum retail price. To those who want to be President, this advice: If you want something done, do it hard, do it well. Don’t pussyfoot. Just do it. Don't say bad words in public.

Sa health insurance, sakop na ang 86% ng ating populasyon...

Sa Rent Control Law ng 2005 hanggang 2008, hanggang sampung porsyento lang maaaring itaas taon-taon ang upa. Iyong kakapirma nating batas naglagay ng isang taong moratorium, tapos pitong porsyento lang ang maaaring itaas. Salamat, Kongreso....

Noong isang taon, nabiyayaan ng tig-P500 ang mahigit pitong milyong tahanan bilang Katas ng Pantawid Koryente para sa mga small electricity users....
Iyong power rates, ang EPIRA natin ang pangmatagalang sagot. EPIRA dismantled monopoly. But minana natin iyong power purchase agreements under preceding administrations, so hindi pa natin makuha iyong buong intended effect. Pero happy na rin tayo, dahil isang taon na lamang iyan. The next generation will benefit from low prices from our EPIRA. Thank you...

Samantala, umabot na sa halos lahat ng barangay ang elektrisidad. We increased indigenous energy from 48% to 58%. Nakatipid tayo sa dollars tapos malaki pa ang na-reduce pa iyong oil consumption. The huge reduction in fossil fuel is the biggest proof of energy independence and environmental responsibility. Further reduction will come with the implementation of the Renewable Energy Act...and the Biofuels Act....again, thank you.

The next generation will also benefit from our lower public debt to GDP ratio. It declined from 78% in 2000 to 55% in 2008. We cut in half the debt of government corporations from 15% to 7. Likewise foreign debt from 73% to 32%. Kung meron man tayong malaking kaaway na tinalo, walang iba kundi ang utang, iyong foreign debt. Past administrations conjured the demon of foreign debt. We exorcised it....

The market grows economies. A free market, not a free-for-all...

To that end, we improved our banking system to complement its inherent conservatism. The Bangko Sentral has been prudent. Thank you, Governor Tetangco, for being so effective. The BSP will be even more effective if Congress will amend its Charter....

We worked on the Special Purpose Vehicle Act, reducing non-performing loans from 18% to 4% and improving loan-deposit ratios....

Our new Securitization Law did not encourage the recklessness that brought down giant banks and insurance companies elsewhere and laid their economies to waste. In fact, it monitors and regulates the new-fangled financial schemes. Thank you, Congress....

We will work to increase tax effort through improved collections and new sin taxes to further our capacity to reduce poverty and pursue growth. Revenue enhancement must come from the Department of Finance plugging leaks and catching tax and customs cheats. I call on tax-paying citizens and tax-paying businesses: help the BIR and Customs spot those cheats…

Taxes should come from alcohol and tobacco and not from books. Tax hazards to lungs and livers, do not tax minds. Ang kita mula sa buwis sa alak at sigarilyo ay dapat pumunta sa kalusugan at edukasyon. Sa kalusugan, pondohan ang Philhealth premiums ng pinakamahihirap. Ponhodhan ang mas maraming classroom at computers.....

Pardon my partiality for the teaching profession. I was a teacher....

Kaya namuhunan tayo ng malaki sa edukasyon at skills training....

Ang magandang edukasyon ay susi sa mas mabuting buhay, the great equalizer that allows every young Filipino a chance to realize their dreams...
Nagtayo tayo ng 95,000 na silid-aralan, nagdagdag ng 60,000 na guro, naglaan ng P1.5 billion para sa teacher training, especially for 100,000 English teachers. Isa sa pinakamahirap na Millennium Development Goals ay iyong Edukasyon para sa Lahat pagdating ng 2015, na nangunguhulugang lahat ng nasa edad ay nasa grade school. Halos walang bansang nakakatupad nito. Ngunit nagsisikap tayo. Binaba natin ang gastos ng pagpasok. Nagtayo tayo ng mga eskwela sa higit isang libong barangay na dati walang eskwelahan, upang makatipid ng gastos ng pasahe ang mga bata. Tinanggal natin ang miscellaneous fees para sa primary school.

Hindi na kailangan ang uniporme sa mga estudyante sa public schools...

We assist financially half of all students in private high schools....

We have provided 600,000 college and post-graduate scholarships. One of them Mylene Amerol-Macumbal, finished Accounting at MSU-IIT, went to law school, and placed second in the last bar exams--the first Muslim woman bar topnotcher. Congratulations...

In technical education and skills training, we have invested three times that of three previous administrations combined. Narito si Jennifer Silbor, isa sa sampung milyong trainee. Natuto siya ng medical transcription. Now, as an independent contractor and lecturer for transcriptions in Davao, kumikita siya ng P18,000 bawat buwan. Good job.

The Presidential Task Force on Education headed by Jesuit educator Father Bienvenido Nebres has come out with the Main Education Highway towards a Knowledge-Based Economy. It envisions seamless education from basic to vocational school or college....

It seeks to mainstream early childhood development in basic education. Our children are our most cherished possession. In their early years we must make sure they get a healthy start in life. They must receive the right food for a healthy body, the right education for a bright and inquiring mind—and the equal opportunity for a meaningful job....

For college admission, the Task Force recommends mandatory Scholastic Aptitude Tests. It also recommends that private higher education institutions and state universities and colleges should be harmonized. It also recommends that CHED will oversee of local universities and colleges. For professions seeking international recognition—engineering, architecture, accountancy, pharmacy and physical therapy—it recommends radical reform: 10 years of basic education, two years of pre-university, three years of university...

Our educational system should make the Filipino fit not just for whatever jobs happen to be on offer today, but also for whatever economic challenge life will throw in their way....

Sa hirap at ginhawa, ang ating overseas Filipinos ay pinapatatag ang ating bansa. Iyong padala nilang $16 billion noong isang taon ay record. Itong taon, mas mataas pa....

I know that this is not a sacrifice joyfully borne. This is work where it can be found—in faraway places, among strangers with different cultures. It is lonely work, it is very hard work....

Kaya nagsisikap tayong lumikha ng mga trabahong maganda ang bayad dito sa atin so that overseas work will just be a career choice, not the only option for a hardworking Filipino in search of a better life...

Meanwhile, we should make their sacrifices worthwhile. Dapat gumawa tayo ng mga mas malakas na paraan upang proteksyonan at palawak ang halaga ng kanilang pinagsikapang sweldo. That means stronger consumer protection for OFWs investing in property and products back home. Para sa kanila, pinapakilos natin ang Investors Protection Task Force....

Hindi ako nag-aatubiling bisitahin ang ating taong bayan at ang kanilang mga hosts sa buong mundo – mula Hapon...hanggang Brazil, mula Europa at Middle East hanggang sa American Midwest, nakikinig sa kanilang mga problema at pangangailangan, inaalam kung paano matulungan sila n gating pamahalaan—-by working out better policies on migrant labor, or by saving lives and restoring liberty....

Pagpunta ko sa Saudi, pinatawad ni Haring Abdullah ang pitong daang OFW na nasa preso. Pinuno nila ang isang buong eroplano at umuwi kasama ko....
Mula sa ating State Visit to Spain, it has become our biggest European donor. At si Haring Juan Carlos ay nakikipag-usap sa ibang mga bansa para sa ating mga namomoblemang OFW. Ganoon di si Sheikh Khalifa, ang Prime Minister ng Bahrain....

Pagpunta ko sa Kuwait, Emir al-Sabah commuted death sentences. For overseas workers, maraming salamat.

Our vigorous international engagement has helped bring in foreign investment. Net foreign direct investments multiplied 15 times during our administration.
Kasama ng ating mga Together with our OFWs, they more than doubled our foreign exchange reserves. Pinalakas ang ating piso at naiwasan ang lubhang pagtaasng presyo. They upgraded our credit because our reserves grew by $3 billion while those of our peers have shrunk.....

Our international engagement has also corrected historical injustice. The day we visited Washington, Senator Daniel Inouye successfully sponsored benefits for our veterans as part of America’s fiscal stimulus package...

I have accepted the invitation of President Obama to be the first Southeast Asian leader to meet him at the White House, this week....
That he sought us the Philippines testifies to our strong and deep ties....

High on our agenda will be peace and security issues. Terrorism: how to meet it, how to end it, how to address its roots in injustice and prejudice—and most and always how to protect lives....

We will also discuss nuclear non-proliferation. The Philippines will chair the review of the nuclear weapons non-proliferation Treaty in New York in May 2010. The success of the talks will be a major diplomatic achievement for us....

There is a range of other issues we will discuss, including the global challenge of climate change, especially the threat to countries with long coastlines. And there is the global recession, its worse impact on poor people, and the options that can spare them from the worst.

In 2008 up to the first quarter of 2009 we stood among only a few economies in Asia-Pacific that did not shrink. Compare this in 2001, when some of my current critics were driven out by people power, Asia was then surging but our country was on the brink of bankruptcy....

Since then, our economy has posted uninterrupted growth for 33 quarters; more than doubled its size from $76 billion to $186 billion. The average GDP growth from 2001 to the first quarter of 2009 is the highest in 43 years.

Bumaba ang bilang ng nagsasabing mahihirap sila, mula 59% sa 47%. Kahit na lumaki ang ating populasyon, nabawasan ng dalawang milyon ang bilang ng mahihirap. GNP per capita rose from a Third World $967 to $2,051. Lumikha tayo ng walong milyong trabaho, an average of a million per year, much, much more than at any other time....

In sum:

1. We have a strong economy in a strong fiscal position to withstand political shocks....

2. We built new modern infrastructure and completed unfinished ones.

3. The economy is more fair to the poor than ever before....

4. We are building a sound base for the next generation....

5. International authorities have taken notice that we are safer from environmental degradation and man-made disasters....

As a country in the path of typhoons and in the Pacific Rim of Fire, we must be as prepared as the latest technology permits to anticipate natural calamities when that is possible; to extend immediate and effective relief when it is not….The mapping of flood- and landslide-prone areas is almost complete. Early warning, forecasting and monitoring systems have been improved, with weather tracking facilities in Subic, Tagaytay, Mactan, Mindanao, Pampanga....

We have worked on flood control infrastructure like those for Pinatubo, Agno, Laoag, and Abucay, which will pump the run off waters from Quezon City and Tondo flooding Sampaloc. This will help relieve hundreds of hectares in this old city of its age-old woe....

Patuloy naman iyong sa Camanava, dagdag sa Pinatubo, Iloilo, Pasig-Marikina, Bicol River Basin, at mga river basin ng Mindanao....

The victims of typhoon Frank in Panay should receive their long-overdue assistance package. I ask Congress to pass the SNITS Law....

Namana natin ang pinakamatagal ng rebelyon ng Komunista sa buong mundo.

Si Leah de la Cruz isa sa labindalawang libong rebel returnee. Sixteen pa lang siya nang sumali sa NPA. Naging kasapi sa regional White Area Committee, napromote sa Leyte Party Committee Secretary. Nahuli noong 2006. She is now involved in an LGU-supported handicraft livelihood training of former rebels. We love you, Leah!

There is now a good prospect for peace talks both with both the Communist Party of the Philippines and the MILF, with whom we are now on ceasefire....

We inherited an age-old conflict in Mindanao, exacerbated by a politically popular but near-sighted policy of massive retaliation. This only provoked the other side to continue the war....

In these two internal conflicts, ang tanong ay hindi, “Sino ang mananalo?” kundi, bakit ba kailangang mag-away ang kapwa Pilipino tungkol sa mga isyu na alam ng dalawang panig over issues na malulutas naman sa paraang demokratiko.

There is nothing more that I would wish for than peace in Mindanao. It will be a blessing for all its people, Muslim, Christian and lumads. It will show other religiously divided communities that there can be common ground on which to live together in peace, harmony and cooperation that respects each other’s religious beliefs....

At sa lahat ng dako ng bansa, kailangan nating protektahan an gating mamamayan kontra sa krimen -- in their homes, in their neighborhoods, in their communities.

How shall crime be fought? Through the five pillars of justice. We call on Congress to fund more policemen on the streets....

Real government is about looking beyond the vested to the national interest, setting up the necessary conditions to enable the next, more enabled and more empowered generation to achieve a country as prosperous, a people as content, as ours deserve to be....

The noisiest critics of constitutional reform tirelessly and shamelessly attempted Cha-Cha when they thought they could take advantage of a shift in the form of government. Now that they feel they cannot benefit from it, they oppose it.

As the process of fundamental political reform begins, let us address the highest exercise of democracy...voting!
In 2001, I said we would finance fully automated elections. We got it, thanks to Congress....

At the end of this speech I shall step down from this stage...but not from the Presidency. My term does not end until next year. Until then, I will fight for the ordinary Filipino. The nation comes first. There is much to do as head of state—to the very last day....

A year is a long time. Patuloy ang pamumuhunan sa tinatawag na three E’s ng ekonomiya, environment at edukasyon. There are many perils that we must still guard against....

A man-made calamity is already upon us, global in scale. As I said earlier, so far we have been spared its worst effects but we cannot be complacent. We only know that we have generated more resources on which to draw, and thereby created options we could take. Thank God we did not let our critics stop us....

As the campaign unfolds and the candidates take to the airwaves, I ask them to talk more about how they will build up the nation rather than tear down their opponents. Our candidates must understand the complexities of our government and what it takes to move the country forward. Give the electorate real choices and not just sweet talk....

Meanwhile, I will keep a steady hand on the tiller, keeping the ship of state away from the shallows some prefer, and steering it straight on the course I set in 2001....
Ang ating taong bayan ay masipag at maka-Diyos. These qualities are epitomized in someone like Manny Pacquiao....Manny trained tirelessly, by the book, with iron discipline, with the certain knowledge that he had to fight himself, his weaknesses first, before he could beat his opponent. That was the way to clinch his victories and his ultimate title: ang pinakadakilang boksingero sa kasaysayan..........Mabuhay ka, Manny!

However much a President wishes it, a national problem cannot be knocked out with a single punch. A President must work with the problem as much as against it, and turn it into a solution if I can…

There isn’t a day I do not work at my job or a waking moment when I do not think through a work-related problem. Even my critics cannot begrudge the long hours I put in. Our people deserve-a-government that works just as hard as they do...
A President must be on the job 24/7, ready for any contingency, any crisis, anywhere, anytime....

Everything right can be undone by even a single wrong. Every step forward must be taken in the teeth of political pressures and economic constraints that could push you two steps back-if-you flinch and falter.. I have not flinched, I have not faltered. Hindi ako umaatras sa hamon....

And I have never done any of the things that have scared my worst critics so much. They are frightened by their own shadows....

In the face of attempted coups, I issued emergency proclamations just in case. But I was able to resolve these military crises with the ordinary powers of my office. My critics call it dictatorship. I call it determination.... We know it as strong government....

But I never declared martial law, though they are running scared as if I did. In truth, what they are really afraid of is their weakness in the face of this self-imagined threat....

I say to them: do not tell us what we all know, that democracy can be threatened. Tell us what you will do when it is attacked....

I know what to do:

I know what to do, as I have shown, I will defend democracy with arms when it is threatened by violence; with firmness when it is weakened by division; with law and order where it is subverted by anarchy; and always, I will try to sustain it by wise policies of economic progress, so that a democracy means not just an empty liberty but a full life for all....

I never expressed the desire to extend myself beyond my term. Many of those who accuse me of it tried to cling like nails to their posts....

I am accused of misgovernance. Many of those who accuse me of it left me the problem of their misgovernance to solve. And we did it....

I am falsely accused, without proof, of using my office for personal profit. Many of those who accuse me of it have lifestyles and spending habits that make them walking proofs of that crime....

We can read their frustrations. They had the chance to serve this good country and they blew it by serving themselves....

Those who live in glass houses should cast no stones. Those who should be in jail should not threaten it, especially if they have been there....

Our administration, with the highest average rate of growth, recording multiple increases in investments, with the largest job creation in history, and which gets a credit upgrade at the height of a world recession, must be doing something right, even if some of those cocooned in corporate privilege refuse to recognize it....

Governance, however, is not about looking back and getting even. It is about looking forward and giving more—to the people who gave us the greatest, hardest gift of all: the care of a country.

From Bonifacio at Balintawak to Cory Aquino at EDSA and up to today, we have struggled to bring power to the people, and this country to the eminence it deserves....

Today the Philippines is weathering well the storm that is raging around the world. It is growing stronger with the challenge. When the weather clears, as it will, there is no telling how much farther forward it can go. Believe in it. I believe...

We can and we must-march-forward-with-hope, optimism and determination.

We must come together, work together and walk together toward the future.

Bagamat malaking hamon ang nasa ating harapan, nasa kamay natin ang malaking kakayahan. Halina’t pagtulungan nating tiyakin ang karapat-dapat na kinabukasan ng ating Inang Bayan....

And to the people of our good country, for allowing me to serve as your President, maraming salamat. Mabuhay ang Pilipinas.

PGMA to grace power plant launch tomorrow

noreply@blogger.com (@JayseeBlabs) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 05:04:00 +0000

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will grace tomorrow the ceremonial launching of the 458-megawatt Makban geothermal power plant to highlight the Philippines’ position as the second largest producer of geothermal energy next only to the United States.
The President will lead the Aboitiz Power Launch on Wednesday night at the NBC Tent, Fort Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City.
The MakBan geothermal plant was acquired by the Aboitiz Power Corp. (APC) last year from the implementation of reforms in the energy industry.
Among those who will welcome the President are Aboitiz Chairperson Endika Aboitiz, Aboitiz Vice Chairman Jon Ramon Aboitiz, and APC president & CEO Erramon Aboitiz.
Assisting her are Finance Secretary Margarito Teves, Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes and Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) Chairman Zenaida Ducut.
The APC is expected to present to the President their CleanEnergy symbol of commitment for sustainable energy development.
Last year, the government-run Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM) turned over the 289-megawatt (MW) Tiwi and 458.53-MW Makiling-Banahaw (MakBan) geothermal power plants to APC after winning the bidding to operate the plant.
At the Tiwi-Makban geothermal power plant, 10-15 new geothermal wells are being eyed for drilling by Aboitiz Power Renewables Inc. (APRI) and Chevron Geothermal Philippines Holdings Inc. (CGPHI) within the next 3 years.
Each well is expected to produce about 7 to 8 MW of power. Exploration is expected to start by the 2nd quarter of 2010.
APC is planning to invest $150 million over the next four to five years to rehabilitate the Tiwi-Makban facilities and increase power generating capacity from 462 MW to 517 MW.
The Aboitiz group said that they are positioning themselves to be the premiere clean energy producer in the country by tapping renewable energy sources to fuel their power plants.
Aboitiz Power and its partners represent the largest private renewable energy producer in the country, with several hydro and geothermal assets in its generation portfolio. Aboitiz Power also owns the 2nd and 3rd largest distribution utilities known for their operational efficiency.
Currently, Aboitiz is operating several hydro-electric power plants in the country aside from holding electricity distribution rights in Mindanao and in the Visayas. (PND)

PGMA cites importance of international engagement

noreply@blogger.com (@JayseeBlabs) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:05:00 +0000

IMPASUGONG, Malaybalay, Bukidnon (PND) -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo cited today the importance of international engagement in the country’s development.

“This is one of the fruits of international engagement,” the President said when she led the ground breaking of the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAid) -funded road project here that stands to benefit some four million Filipinos.
“This road project will benefit not only the people of Impasugong or Bukidnon but also the neighboring areas,” she explained.
The President, assisted by Bukidnon Governor Ma. Jose Zubiri, Sr., Senator Migs Zubiri , Rep. Candido Pancrudo lowered the time capsule containing the project’s plan.
Gov. Zubiri informed the President that the AusAid project will cover some 160 kilometers of all-weather roads.
“This is something new for Bukidnon and this was made possible through the efforts of the President and our good relations with the Australian government,” he said.
Australian Charge d’ Affaires Steve Scott said the Philippines is an “important partner of Australia”, he said adding that the funds were made available to the Philippines because of “good governance and good execution of AusAid projects.”
The road project is under the Southern Philippines Provincial Road Maintenance Program (SPPRMP) that covers 10 provinces in the Visayas and Mindanao and is funded with some Aus$100 million or around P3.5 billion by the Australian government through the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID).
The program has a Provincial Road Maintenance Facility (PRMF) that provides P50 million each year to every beneficiary province for construction and repair of provincial roads over a five-year period.
It has been noted that provincial roads are the key links of rural communities to the national highway and eventually to the centers of trade and commerce, political administration, and health and educational services, among others.
By improving transport, the welfare of rural folks will significantly improve.
Apart from improving the road network, the program also seeks to strengthen each province’s institutional capacity and governance system related to the provision and maintenance of provincial roads.
Depending on the performance of each beneficiary province in carrying out the program, these could be eligible for another round of assistance.
The beneficiary provinces of the SPPRMP are Agusan del Sur, Bukidnon, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental and Surigao del Norte, in Mindanao; and Bohol and Guimaras in the Visayas.
Three more beneficiary provinces are still to be identified.
Within five years, the SPPRMP is principally expected to have rehabilitated at least 1,000 kilometers of provincial roads in the 10 provinces; improved access for over four million people to schools and health centers; and reduced transport costs.
The PRMF is said to be Australia’s single largest grant project in the Philippines to date; the bilateral agreement covering this was signed last March.
Australia is the country’s second largest bilateral grant aid donor after Japan. Its aid program has grown significantly in the last three years. For the fiscal year 2008-2009, its assistance portfolio is estimated at Aus$109 million.

RP won’t fall into recession, says Global Source

noreply@blogger.com (@JayseeBlabs) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:02:00 +0000

MALAYBALAY, Bukidnon (PND) —New York- based think tank Global Source said that the Philippines will likely avoid a recession this year but will have a snail’s pace growth through next year.
Socio-Economic and Planning Deputy Director-General Rolando Tungpalan reported this during the weekly Global Recession Impact News (GRIN) and Position for the Rebound report at the first-ever full cabinet meeting held in Bukidnon.
Global Source predicted that the domestic economy would grow by 0.5 to one percent this year, revising its previous forecast of a 2.5 percent growth. This new forecast is slightly more bearish than the government's latest official gross domestic product (GDP) forecast expansion of 0.8-1.8 percent.
The market's consensus forecast on Philippine GDP growth for this year has gone down to 1.2 percent from the 2.3-percent consensus before the meager first-quarter growth of 0.4 percent was announced.
In ruling out the possibility of an economic contraction, Global Source pointed out that remittances so far managed to hold steady, which meant that any decline in 2009 would be minimal, while export and import numbers slowly evened out, improving the trade balance.
It added that the effects of higher fiscal spending may soon start to become perceptible especially as elections near, while expectations of a global recovery should help revitalize consumers somewhat later in the year.
But looking ahead, Global Source said an upturn in the world economy, especially a weak one, might not mean much for the Philippines.
Coupled with likely weak recovery in advanced economies, Global Source sees only a three to 3.5 percent GDP growth in 2010.
Global Source also noted that the spread of the swine flu may be another dampener to economic activity, particularly for tourism-related sectors and businesses dependent on people coming out and converging such as in malls, hotels and restaurants," it added.
But Global Source said exports might have bottomed for the year, suggesting that external trade could even out further while the decline in manufacturing could slowdown.
"Services exports, especially of the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector, will remain strong according to industry insiders we have talked to, likely growing at double-digit rates. Government spending, which had been delayed by the late signing of the national budget and allegedly held back for reasons of political strategy may begin to reflect in the national accounts beginning the second quarter of 2009," Global Source said.
Tungpalan said while there is progress in the economic recovery plan, having passed the midpoint of the year, government cannot be complacent—must end up strongly by working double –time in infrastructure so as to be ready for the coming rebound in the global economy.
NEDA also recommended that there is a need for the Philippines to engage China for more trade, investment, and tourism as China continues to post strong growth.
It also recommended that the government must determine what can be learned or replicated for India’s plan to be slum-free in five years as well as rigorously promote the country’s leadership in green building standards and architecture and promote the development of price competitive sources of alternative energy.

PGMA to open livelihood, diagnostic services projects in Bohol

noreply@blogger.com (@JayseeBlabs) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:01:00 +0000

TAGBILARAN CITY (PND) – Two important projects that would promote livelihood opportunities and enhance socialized medical/diagnostic services to the indigent families of this island province are slated to be opened here tomorrow by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to complement her two-day visit in Bohol.
The President is to arrive here from Malaybalay City in Bukidnon where she presided over a Cabinet Meeting and ground break the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) funded provincial road management facility.
At around 11 a.m. tomorrow, the President will open the annual Sandugo Regional One Town, One Product at the Island City Mall and inaugurate the P20 million Bohol Medical Center Institute building.
Upon arrival at the Island City Mall, the President will lead the ribbon-cutting ceremony to signal the formal opening of the Sandugo trade fair, the country's longest running annual provincial trade fair.
She will then view the 3-minute audio visual presentation on Sub-contracting Partners for Innovation Network (SPIN).
SPIN is a program initiated by DTI-7 which provides countryside residents livelihood opportunities in the form of skills training and actual production of goods to become sub-contractors of exporters. Initially, this program started for residents in “cleared conflict areas” in Central Visayas but is now implemented in eight other regions in the country. SPIN was awarded the Presidential Citation for Best Practice because of its focus on market driven schemes.
The Chief executive will then motor to Barangay Dao to open the modern diagnostic medical facilities to be installed in the P20 million Bohol Medical Center Institute (BCMI) building. The BMCI will house diagnostic equipment and specialist clinics designed to provide indigents and middle class patients socialized services.
The BMCI is a joint project of the provincial government, First Consolidated Bank (FCB) Foundation, Bohol Chronicle-DYRD-Inyong Alagad Foundation and the New York-based Home Reach Foundation aimed at giving indigent and middle class families socialized medical/diagnostic services.
Bohol Governor Erico Aumentado said the opening of the BMCI will address the lack of appropriate diagnostic facilities in Bohol and the prohibitive cost of medical care services since Boholanos still have to go to the cities of Cebu, Manila, Cagayan de Oro or Davao for diagnosis or treatment.
Once fully operational, the BMCI will offer radiology, laboratory/pathology, endoscopy, treatment of eye, ear, nose, throat (EENT) diseases, therapy/pain management, internal medicine and cardiology, and ambulatory services.

Palace supports full automation of 2010 polls

noreply@blogger.com (@JayseeBlabs) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 13:59:00 +0000

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo strongly supports the full automation of next year’s elections.
Press Secretary Cerge M. Remonde said in a press briefing in Bukidnon that Malacanang is consistent with its desire to attain poll automation and that President Arroyo has earlier reiterated that there will be elections next year.
Malacanang, he added, trusts the Supreme Court in handling controversial cases. He was referring to the recent action of the Concerned Citizens Movement asking the Supreme Court to stop the Commission on Elections from releasing payments for the automation project.
“We believe that Supreme Court knows what is best, and they know how to handle the particular issues,” he noted.
Remonde pointed out that the direction of President Arroyo’s administration is clear and that it supports the full automation of the 2010 polls.
The CCM has asked the High Court to nullify the Comelec deal with Smartmatic and Total Information Management (TIM).
It had earlier questioned the legality of the contract and requested the court to issue a temporary restraining order on the signing of the deal on July 10. Although the court did not stop the signing, it set a hearing on July 29. (PND)

Palace official cites gains of PGMA's foreign trips

noreply@blogger.com (@JayseeBlabs) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 05:13:00 +0000

Deputy Presidential Spokesman for Economic Affairs Gary Olivar justified on Friday the foreign travel expenses of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her delegation, saying such expenditure is minimal compared to the worth of investments, trade and other benefits derived from the economic agreements usually concluded during presidential visits overseas.
Olivar made this reaction following accusation of United Opposition (UNO) spokesperson Ernesto Maceda that "Malacanang and its allies" continue to use the people's money "to fund their junkets, thinly veiled as official travel."
Olivar pointed out that the foreign trips of the President are important and rewarding as these usually generate investments and trade agreements that would give long-term benefits for the country, in general, and the Filipino people, in particular, through jobs generation.
He particularly cited the Chief Executive's official trip to the Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation from May 31 to June 6, 2009, wherein the President has secured some US$ 2.2-billion worth of investment commitments and agreements for the country.
The investments in agricultural, energy, tourism and infrastructure projects form the bulk of commitments from South Korean businessmen. On the other hand, the long-awaited opening up of direct flights between the Philippines and Russia was agreed upon by the leaders of the two countries during President Arroyo's Moscow visit.
Of the US$ 2.2 billion worth of invstments, $ 12.97 million would be spent for the construction of a rice processing complex in Luzon, to be funded by the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), and $ 150 million from the Export-Import Bank of Korea (KEXIM) to fund wind and alternative power projects in the Philippines.
Other investment commitments include those of: Korean firms Eco Solution Co. Ltd. and EnviroPlasma Ltd. which have pledged to invest US$ 475 million in alternative fuel projects in the country; Eco Solution and its affiliate, Eco Global Bio-Oils Inc., will invest US$ 175 million on a jatropha plantation project in South Cotabato over the next three years; EnviroPlasma and its local partner, Central Luzon Bioenergy Corp., will invest US$ 300 million on a sugar bioethanol plant in Clark, Pampanga, capable of producing 500,000 liters of bioethanol daily; US$ 1.521 million "tourism package" from Korea's M Castle Corporation for the construction of a resort in Subic; US$ 500 million for various agricultural projects, including US$ 14.9 million or P700 million from KOICA for the expansion of the Molinao Dam in Bohol; US$ 515 million for the construction of a hotel and golf course in Clark, Pampanga; US$ 6.52 million investment for new agricultural projects; US$ 49 million coconut project and US$ 290 million in annual production from Hanjin Philippines Inc.'s ship component production facility in Subic.
Olivar said that during the President's recent visit to Syria and Egypt, she gained the support of the two countries for the Philippines' bid for observer status in the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), boosting the government's chances of attaining lasting peace in Mindanao.

PGMA remains focused on stabilizing economy amid 'partisan political noise'

noreply@blogger.com (@JayseeBlabs) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 05:08:00 +0000

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is more focused on stabilizing the country’s economy and in resolving issues affecting the Filipino people, particularly to the marginalized sectors of the society, rather than discussing political issues.
Press Secretary Cerge Remonde made this reaction following statement of former President Fidel V. Ramos asking President Arroyo not to delude the people with titillations on the constituent assembly (con-ass) and that she should make her plans for the 2010 elections clear.
Remonde said that amid all these partisan political noise in the country, the President has been trying to keep focus on resolving the vital concerns of the country like on how to keep the economy more stable in an effort to create more jobs for the Filipino people.
Remonde said that while they highly respect the advice of the former President Ramos, being the chairman emeritus of the newly-merged Lakas-Kampi party, he asked to give President Arroyo time on when she would discuss her political plans.
“I think tama naman ang ginagawa ng ating pangulo ngayon, hindi muna siya namumulitika at naka-focus muna siya mas mahalagang pangangailangan ng ating bansa- ekonomiya at paglikha ng trabaho (I think what the President is doing at present is right. She is not politicking but rather giving focus to the vital needs of the country—economy and create more employment),” Remonde told in a radio interview.
Secretary Silvestre Bello shared the same view, saying any political plans is far from the mind of the Chief Executive.
“She (President Arroyo) is more focused on solving our problems, the problems of our people, especially the marginalized sectors of the society,” Bello said.
He asked government critics to respect the President’s position of not discussing her political plans.
“What the President is dong right now is looking at all problems affecting our country and our countrymen and at the same time, together with members of the Cabinet are trying to get solutions to these problems,” he said.

RP's unemployment rate down to 7.5% as of April

noreply@blogger.com (@JayseeBlabs) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 05:09:00 +0000

The number of unemployed Filipinos in April dropped to 7.5 percent from 8 percent last year, the National Statistics Office said Tuesday.
In January, the NSO said unemployment was 7.7 percent.
The employment rate, on the other hand, for April was 92.5 percent.
"This estimate is not significantly different from last year's figure of 92 percent," the NSO said.
Of the total 35 million employed persons in April, more than one-half or 50.3 percent worked in the services sector, with those employed in wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles, motorcycles and personal and household goods sub-sector comprising the largest sub-sector or 19.1 of the total employed).
Workers in the agriculture sector accounted for 35.2 percent of the total employed, with those engaged in the agriculture, hunting and forestry sub-sector making up the largest sub-sector or 31 percent of the total employed).
The NSO said only 14.5 percent of the total employed were in the industry sector, with the manufacturing sub-sector making up the largest percentage or 8.1 percent of the total employed.
Among the various occupation groups, laborers and unskilled workers comprised the largest proportion with 32.5 percent of the total employed population in April 2009 and 32.7 percent in April 2008.
Farmers, forestry workers and fishermen were the second largest group, accounting for 17.0 percent of the total employed.
Employed persons fall into any of these categories: wage and salary workers, own account workers and unpaid family workers. Wage and salary workers are those who work for private households, private establishments, government or government corporations and those who work with pay in own-family operated farm or business.
More than half or 51.9 percent of the employed persons were wage and salary workers, more than one-third or 34.9 percent were own-account workers, and 13.1 percent were unpaid family workers.
Among the wage and salary workers, those working for private establishments comprised the largest proportion or 38.5 percent of the total employed.
Government workers or those working for government corporations comprised only 8.2 percent of the total employed, while 4.9 percent were workers in private households.
Meanwhile, among the own-account workers, the self-employed comprised the majority or 31.1 percent of total employed).
Employed persons are classified as either full-time workers or part-time workers.
Full-time workers are those who work for 40 hours or more while part-time workers work for less than 40 hours. In April 2009, 56.6 percent of the total employed persons were full-time workers with those working for 40 to 48 hours having the highest proportion or 36.1 percent of the total employed.
Around 20.5 percent of the total employed worked for more than 48 hours. Part-time workers comprised 41.0 percent of the total employed. (PNA)

Political noise won't distract PGMA, Palace - Remonde

noreply@blogger.com (@JayseeBlabs) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 05:16:00 +0000

The political noise created by the opposition will not distract President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Malacañang from moving on governance and serving the Filipinos, Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said today.
”The palace under the leadership of President Arroyo will not be distracted by all this political noise and these intrigues. The President will continue to focus on governance. The most important is, of course, building and protecting the economy,” Remonde said over the state-ran DZRB (National Radio).
”Creating jobs under the Comprehensive Livelihood and Employment Program (CLEEP) is our main focus. In fact, the jobs fair last Independence Day created many opportunities for the unemployed and displaced workers,” Remonde said.
”Front loading of investment on physical and human infrastructure is what the government is focusing now. We leave it to the politicians who are pushing for Charter Change. We will rather focus on delivering basic services to our people,” Remonde said.
Remonde was reacting to Chief Justice Reynato Puno’s Independence Day speech on Friday, which warned that the country’s “social volcano” was on the verge of eruption, and called for Filipinos to heal the wounds that divide the nation.
Puno made no mention of what those wounds were.
He said that the country should do something to stop the “social volcano” from erupting by fighting corruption and smear campaigns and stop throwing uncouth words at each other.
He also reiterated that the current structure of the society was not made for a successful democracy because the few elites were in control of the country, the middle class was weak and there was a “sea of poor people.”
He said the perfect structure should be “a society where the elite is not that active, a society wherein you have a strong middle class and society where the majority of the people will not belong to the poor classes.”
Opponents of the constituent assembly resolution passed by the House of Representatives last week are expected to question before the Supreme Court any attempt to call for a plebiscite that will ratify the Constitutional amendments passed by the assembly.
Remonde was also reacting to National Security Adviser Roberto Gonzales’ call for a transition government backed by military to address what Chief Jutice Puno said about the social volcano awaiting to explode.
”Definitely, that is his own opinion as a politician and perhaps as president of of the Partido Demokratiko-Sosyalista ng Pilipinas (PDSP) or Social Democratic Party of the Philippines. Malacañang has nothing to do with that,” Remonde said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Presidential Spokesman for Economic Affairs Prof. Gary Olivar assured that President Arroyo will step down on 2010 and will be “Citizen Gloria.”
This developed after speculations of President Arroyo’s reported political plans after 2010 were floated by some administration officials and allies such as outgoing Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez.
Quezon City Rep. Matias Defensor and Nueva Ecija Rep. Rodolfo Antonino, on the other hand, wanted the President to step down.
”There is no reason to expect otherwise that she has plans to run in the 2010 national elections. This is something she repeatedly said directly and through the people who speak for her,” Olivar told Malacanang reporters last Friday.
Olivar said Congressman Defensor was considered a friend and ally of the President.
”Of course his advise is well taken and duly considered. I should remind everyone that once the President steps down she will no longer be President Gloria with all of the powers attached to her office, she would be simply be plain and simple citizen Gloria,” Olivar said.
”Having said that, you know previous presidents have maintained some degree of active participation in political life. Ex-President Corazon C. Aquino keeps going to the streets if there are issues closes to her heart,” Olivar said.
Olivar said that former President Fidel V. Ramos remained the titular head of Lakas Party while former President Joseph Estrada was even threatening to run for office again.
”In any way, President Arroyo will continue to be visible in public life once she is a private citizen. We can only respect her wishes at that point but advise from Congressman Defensor will surely be well taken, “ Olivar said.
In a report reaching Malacañang, Defensor and Antonino suggested President Arroyo to forego any plan to seek another elected post after her term expires in June 2010.
“Definitely, she can't run for President. But if it's for another office, she can run. She can run as congresswoman or member of Senate,” said Defensor, a member of the ruling Lakas-CMD-Kampi.
On the other hand, if President Arroyo decided to pursue a life of active statesmanship, whether here or abroad, Olivar said:
“I think this is something she is certainly be entitled to and something that the rest of the world, if it comes to that, would welcome from her. She has certainly earned her right to a bigger voice in the global stage, even in a private life.”
President Arroyo could be advocating economic policy discussions, environmental preservation or volunteerism, he said.
Olivar said President Arroyo set aside volunteerism every Friday morning.
“That and I wouldn’t be surprised if she continue to remain active there. Volunteerism is a third thing that is close to her heart. The need for people to practice their civics, by going out and actually helping the neighbors and the community,” he said. (PNA)

Arroyo warns opposition leaders using Erap supporters

noreply@blogger.com (@JayseeBlabs) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 02:21:00 +0000

President Gloria Arroyo warned Saturday over national broadcast that the armed forces were prepared to face "any challenge" amid street protests by supporters of jailed ex-president Joseph Estrada.

In her first public statement on the protests, she said: "The Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police are squarely behind this administration and are prepared to meet any challenge to the constitution."

Tens of thousands of Estrada supporters have been on the streets since he was take away from his home under heavy guard and jailed Wednesday pending his trial on charges of plundering the country of 80 million dollars.

They have called for his release and reinstatement as president. He was overthrown in a military-led popular uprising that installed vice-president Arroyo as the successor on January 20.

A stern-looking Arroyo said over television that she had urged the police to exercise maximum tolerance in dealing with the pro-Estrada demonstrations at a historic Roman Catholic shrine on Manila's main thoroughfare.

But she gave a warning to "those who may be thinking of taking advantage of the situation to further their selfish political agenda."

Arroyo urged the people "not to let yourselves be used by those who have ambitions to use you for their political agenda.

"Let us not fall victim to the sinister plot of a few misguided elements who dream of taking advantage of this situation to further their ambitions at the expense of the rule of law and our peoples welfare," she said.

Arroyo said it was her duty to ensure the law was enforced equally without favor.

Most pro-Estrada protesters are the urban poor. The ex-president's aides say Arroyo seized power largely with the support of the middle-class and the church. (AFP)

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/specials/1st_100_days/pages/newstfeat.html

Power and Gloria | Time Magazine

noreply@blogger.com (@JayseeBlabs) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 02:17:00 +0000

By PHIL ZABRISKIE

For a few moments, she appears to be sleeping, ignoring the helicopter's incessant buzz and shutting her eyes to the beauty of the Cordillera Mountains below.

She has taken off her reading glasses and put away the newspapers. Coup rumors, strife in the southern island of Mindanao, the landing of hundreds of American soldiers that her critics are calling an invasion these are subjects she now deals with every day.

She knows that beneath the daily cacophony assailing her the sneers, the ingratiation, the pleading and cajoling, and the doubts, always the doubts are the same questions that have haunted her presidency since she assumed office a year ago: Can Gloria Macapagal Arroyo run this nation? Does she deserve to? Will she have the chance to prove it?

For now, in the late afternoon of a glorious January day, the steady beat of rotors thrumming through her, a pause. It's not the best place for a nap, but it will have to do.

The 54-year-old was up late last night, after all, resplendent in a gold gown and sparkling diamond earrings, hosting a state dinner for Japan's Prime Minister, Junichiro Koizumi his visit testimony to an international profile that has been radically elevated since Sept. 11 and is now cresting with the arrival of American troops in the south.

This morning, she was up before she could get her customary seven hours of sleep and out the Malacanang Palace door for this trip, a tour of isolated and poor villages in the northern province of Abra.

By distributing food and medicine, land titles and millions of pesos' worth of funds intended for agricultural modernization programs, she has brought government into the mountains, she says, along with the spirit of EDSA II, the second People Power revolution that swept her into office 12 long months ago.

At each stop, she is greeted by entire village populations cheering and waving with a passion normally reserved for holy days. Her mother grew up not far away.

Arroyo knows the local dialect one of six languages she speaks and remembers the steps of the traditional dances she's invited to join. She's happiest on these trips, she says repeatedly. And she does seem looser than she is around the palace or in press conferences and at official functions. Her frequent reminders that she's the first President to visit these towns shrugging off two previous helicopter crashes and "risking my life" to be here are self-congratulatory but also true.

Her numerous opponents, many of whom supported the ouster of her predecessor, Joseph Estrada, cite her frequent sojourns out of Manila as evidence that she's already campaigning for the next election in 2004, which would be her first presidential race.

Arroyo revels in the details of the job, describing herself as "a plodder, not a highflyer."

Her staff have come to expect her customary late-night phone calls demanding updates on even the most picayune government projects: bridge repairs, toilet construction, the delivery of a bulldozer. After one year in office, she says, "by and large, I'm on track."

Yet Arroyo, like the Philippines at the moment, is fluttering in an uncertain sky, trying to set a course but too often buffeted by forces that appear far more powerful than she. Poverty reigns, and government programs are hampered by the huge bites foreign debt and corruption take from the budget. Faith in law and order is nonexistent.

Reports of kidnappings in Manila most are not reported because families would rather pay ransom than deal with the police and firefights in the south have laid waste to the tourism industry.

And now the international war on terrorism has come to her shores, but the possibility of a victory in the long-running skirmish against Abu Sayyaf has been complicated by assertions that by inviting foreign troops on Philippine soil, she has violated the constitution. It is the latest, and perhaps the largest, issue through which she could define her presidency or find herself overwhelmed.

Her eyes open. It's been only a few minutes, but it's time to get back to work. [Read the rest of article]

Arroyo becomes top RP president on Economy

noreply@blogger.com (@JayseeBlabs) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 02:07:00 +0000

Arroyo tops RP Presidents on economy—UA&P

By Vincent Cabreza
Inquirer Northern Luzon
First Posted 05/16/2009

MANILA, Philippines—Which of the Philippines’ most recent Presidents succeeded in strengthening the economy and has the chance of having his or her economic legacy appreciated by future generations?

Will it be the “the lawyer, the housewife, the general, the actor or the cute economist?”

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the cute economist, is the winner, according to economists from the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) at a briefing hosted by the Bank of Commerce in Baguio City last Thursday.

Each President’s performance was assessed in the context of the historical environment in which they ruled, said UA&P professor Emilio Antonio Jr., who is also president of the Center for Research and Communication Foundation.

Ms Arroyo, who has often said that she would want to be remembered for her contributions to the economy, may well be right, gauging by the relatively good health of businesses in northern Luzon, according to economist Ramon Quesada, former director of the UA&P School of Economics.

Economy moves

Antonio said it was during Ms Arroyo’s watch that the Philippine economy “definitely moved on” after the crisis of the martial law years.

According to Antonio, Ms Arroyo should be credited for the Philippines’ improved income and spending balance and manageable inflation rate.

This was a turnaround for the country after it was “brought to great heights and then great depths” by the “lawyer,” the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, in the 1970s, Antonio said.

The “housewife,” President Corazon Aquino, tried to restore the economy but did not succeed, Antonio said.

‘Lost to us’

The “general,” former President Fidel Ramos, a hero of the first EDSA People Power Revolution, pursued industrialization but the 1980s and the 1990s—when he and Aquino took power— should “already be considered lost to us” because these decades saw a dramatic financial decline for the country, said Antonio.

The “actor,” ousted President Joseph Estrada who was convicted for plunder, won election a year after the 1997 Asian financial crisis which brought havoc to world trade, he said.

Antonio said the reforms, attributable to the Arroyo administration, “are probably the roots of the economy’s strong points.”

He said the “blows from the global recession” did not knock out the country because of the reforms introduced in the aftermath of the Asian financial crisis.

Tight watch on spending

Antonio cited the fact that the country’s price environment has stabilized since after the time of Marcos.

The inflation rate shot up to an average 14.3 percent during the martial law years, pulling up interest rates to 14.4 percent, according to a comparative chart drawn up by Antonio.

The inflation rate tapered down to 9.8 percent during Aquino’s term, gradually declined to 8.2 percent under Ramos and 6.6 percent under Estrada, until it reached 5.5 percent today, equipping the economy with a moderate 7.7 percent interest rate, said Antonio.

Consequently, the buying power of the average Filipino grew from 3.2 percent during the Marcos regime, to 4.1 percent under Aquino; stumbled to 3.9 percent under Ramos; restored to 4.1 percent under Estrada; and finally to 5.6 percent under Arroyo, he said.

Doomsday

The figures from the Marcos-to-Estrada years were the lessons that compelled Ms Arroyo to apply a tight watch on spending that allowed the country to earn three months’ worth of cash reserves this year, Antonio said.

As for what is in store for the economy, Antonio said he foresees an “onslaught of doomsday pronouncements” because financial turmoil in the United States is not about to end.

“Politicians who are positioning themselves for 2010 will insist that we are on the brink of a big economic disaster,” he said.

According to Antonio, many economists subscribe to the conventional wisdom which states that when the US, a major trade partner, “sneezes, we catch pneumonia.”

But he said an internal review of businesses in the country would reveal that the problem is an erosion of competitiveness, weak employment generation and the private sector’s unwillingness “to bet on ourselves.”

“We should not blame the world,” he said.

Remittances to shoot up

Quesada said naysayers ignore the fact that the sustained remittances from overseas Filipino workers and Filipino migrants are expected to shoot up to P771 billion this year because of the improved peso-dollar exchange rate.

Antonio noted that the Philippines never caught the “recession virus” because the country’s troubles are shaped by “perceptions and fears.”

He said “asset markets remain jumpy due to bad sentiments [and] the effects of sentiments on spending and investment activities cannot be discounted.”

“Keep your cool,” he said. “Don’t lose your focus on business possibilities.”

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20090516-205323/Arroyo-tops-RP-Presidents-on-economyUAP

Arroyo’s birthday wish: unity

noreply@blogger.com (@JayseeBlabs) — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 14:00:00 +0000

By Tonette Orejas

LUBAO, Pampanga -- Unity is President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's wish for her 62nd birthday.

"We are needed by our country and our province now as we need to march toward one direction," Arroyo said in Filipino at the end of the Mass led by San Fernando Archbishop Paciano Aniceto and 18 priests at the St. Augustine parish in her hometown here on Sunday.

Unity, according to the President, is a "noble mission that everyone must pursue."

She spoke to an audience of Cabinet secretaries, local officials and town mates.

The members of the Pampanga Mayors League, the provincial board and Vice Governor Joseller Guiao attended the 10 a.m. Mass.

Pampanga Eddie Panlilio, who has been at odds with the President’s allies at the provincial capitol and who has criticized her for not being firm against the illegal numbers game jueteng, was absent.

For the first time in Arroyo's nine years of presidency, her entire family joined her on Sunday. Sitting with her on the first row were husband Jose Miguel Arroyo and their children and their spouses, and the First Couple’s grandchildren.

Arroyo came in a summer get-up of denim pants and a thin violet blouse.

Speaking in Kapampangan, she said her birthday this time was more meaningful because it coincided with Palm Sunday, an event in the Roman Catholic Church that signals the start of the commemoration of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

"This is time to unite for our family and community," she said.

The President also reiterated her call for volunteerism, saying this must be undertaken by the government, churches and civic groups.

"We should focus our initiatives on caring for the environment, building parks, planting trees, giving food to the poor and doing literacy programs for unschooled brethren," she said.

Asked what his wish was for his wife, First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo told the Philippine Daily Inquirer (parent company of INQUIRER.net): "Magkaisa na ang bansa [The country should unite]."

In his homily, Aniceto wished "excellent health of body and soul" to Arroyo whom he called the "most masipag [industrious] President."

Arroyo was smiling as the archbishop praised her.

Earlier in his homily, Aniceto reminded government officials to perform what he called "servantship." This, according to him, is the "secret of power of each one and our leaders."

"We pray for our President so that she will follow the example of the Lord," Aniceto said.

Immediately after the Mass, the President led the oath-taking of 120 members of the Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Units Active Auxiliary recruited by the military from Lubao, Guagua and Sasmuan towns.

She then had lunch with local officials and Pampanga priests at the church's hall.

Later, she toured the One-Town, One Product bazaar mounted by the Department of Trade and Industry at the church yard and spent time interacting with residents who availed of her charity caravan comprised of medical and dental missions.

She also distributed grocery packs to 1,000 poor families in Lubao.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's Speech during the 23rd Anniversary Celebration of EDSA One Revolution

noreply@blogger.com (@JayseeBlabs) — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 04:39:00 +0000

It is an honor to launch this year’s celebration of the four days of the EDSA 1 anniversary in the company of that small band of patriots in uniform who chose to draw their line in the sand 23 years ago today, led by then Secretary of National Defense, now Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile.

If the patriots had not acted when they did—planning boldly, improvising on the way, but always moving forward decisively—then this historical watershed might not even have taken place. And had the Filipino masses not taken their side so quickly, the patriots holed up in Camps Aguinaldo and Crame might have been crushed and the whole episode reduced to a footnote in history.

But our people took to the streets in their support, sa kahabaan ng EDSA, mula sa harap ng Camp Crame at Aguinaldo, na walang sandata kundi ang pusong nagliliyab sa pagmamahal sa bayan at mataimtim na paniniwala sa Diyos. Together, as one people, we reclaimed democracy.

The world embraced EDSA 1 in 1986. The world tolerated EDSA 2 in 2001. The world will not forgive an EDSA 3 but would instead condemn the Philippines as a country whose political system is hopelessly unstable.
Our political stability today is one of the reasons why we have escaped thus far the worst effects of the global recession. We must prevent the world crisis from becoming a Philippine crisis, and protect those most hurt by the global downturn.

Let us honor the boldness of the leaders of EDSA, the boldness of our ordinary countrymen, the boldness of our faith in God. Let us look back to those four days of EDSA 1, not to relive them, for history must move on, but to recall their lessons and refresh our spirit as a people against the new challenges of today.

Arroyo is #41 Most Powerful Women | Forbes.com

noreply@blogger.com (@JayseeBlabs) — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 02:27:00 +0000

by Tatiana Serafin

The scandal-tainted president's popularity fell to a record low in June over escalating food and energy prices; Arroyo soon announced a deal with oil companies to trim diesel prices. A recent imbroglio: Arroyo's husband is among those accused of accepting bribes in a $330 million deal with a Chinese telecom firm. Despite rumors of another ouster campaign in the works, Arroyo has survived three impeachment attempts and three coup plots since taking office in 2001 and is sure to fight back.

http://www.forbes.com/lists/2008/11/biz_powerwomen08_Gloria-Arroyo_1YDI.html

GMA defends top choices, warns detractors

noreply@blogger.com (@JayseeBlabs) — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 02:00:00 +0000

President Gloria Macapagal, in her 8th State of the Nation address July 28 defended the tough choices she had to make in view of rising world oil and rice prices, and warned that she won’t let anyone stand in her way.

“I will let no one and no one’s political plans threaten our nations’ survival,” Arroyo told a joint session of Congress.
Although past presidents have been invited, only former President Fidel V. Ramos was present. Noticeably absent were former presidents Cory Aquino and Joseph Estrada and former Speaker Jose de Venecia.

“We have made tough choices,” she said. “My responsibility is to solve our problems now, and provide solutions on how the country should advance in the future,” she said.

She spent a substantial portion of her 57-minute speech justifying her refusal to scrap the value-added tax (VAT), which had been largely blamed for diminishing the buying power of many Filipinos.

On the contrary, President Arroyo argued, removing the VAT will only “strip away the means for our people to ride out the world food and energy crises.”

Arroyo praised the efforts of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who send money back home to ease the economic woes not only of their families in particular but also of the country in general.

“I care for our OFWs,” she said. “Nagpupunyagi ako ngayon sa kanilang
mga pangkaraniwang Filipino (I laud them, ordinary Filipinos).”

The President also mentioned the recent agreement between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the government over the problem of ancestral domain during the meeting in Kuala Lumpur July 27.

The president, dressed in fuchsia-colored Maria Clara dress, arrived at the Batasan Complex on board a helicopter and was escorted to the plenary hall by legislators led by top ally Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago.

Just before President Arroyo delivered her speech at 4 p.m., militants led by Bayan and Gabriela held their own program along Commonwealth Avenue leading to the Batasan Pambansa Complex, during which they burned
the President’s effigy five times her size.

As in the past, police prevented thousands of rallyists from proceeding to the Batasan as a security measure.
A few days before the Sona, former top officials of the present and previous administrations lambasted Arroyo for what they called her “Seven Sins.” These included rampant corruption in the government, abuse of executive power, growing poverty and hunger and other ills.

Labor groups have vowed to clamor for more wage increases.

In key cities across the archipelago, militants staged protest rallies to denounce the mounting incidence of poverty aggravated by the increasing prices of commodities. Most of the rallies were peaceful, but the Suara Bangsamoro group of Muslim human rights activists blamed the city government of Zamboanga City of dispersing their small demonstration.

Arroyo, who opened her speech defending the VAT, said it was because of her government’s decision to raise the VAT that the peso appreciated from P56.50 to the dollar to P40.20. She said the peso later fell to P44 because world oil and food prices shot up.

“If we remove the VAT, business confidence will decline, interest rates will go up, the more the value of the peso will fall, and the more commodity prices will rise,” she said.

“We have persevered, no flip-flops, with much criticized but necessary policies, including oil and power VAT, rule of law, and oil deregulation,” she said.

She also said “leadership is not about doing the first easy thing that comes to mind; it is about doing what is necessary, however hard.”

In response to criticisms about the country’s increasing dependence on rice imports, President Arroyo said Filipinos were being hard on themselves. She noted that even during the Spanish regime, the people have been buying foreign rice.

The reason, she said is that Philippine topography “doesn’t always cooperate.”Nature did not gift us with a mighty Mekong like Thailand and Vietnam, with their vast and naturally fertile plains. Nature instead put our
islands ahead of our neighbors in the path of typhoons from the Pacific.

So, we import 10% of the rice we consume,” she said.

“To meet the challenge of today, we will feed our people now, not later, and help them get through these hard times. To meet the challenges of tomorrow, we must become more self-reliant, self-sufficient and independent, relying on ourselves more than on the world,” she added.

She said that because of government subsidy, the National Food Authority (NFA) continues to provide one of the region?s cheapest rice to the low-income bracket.

Nonetheless, she said her government is committed to improve the productivity of farmers.

http://www.manilamaildc.net/2008/07/31/gma-defends-top-choices-warns-detractors/

SONA praised, slammed

noreply@blogger.com (@JayseeBlabs) — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 02:00:00 +0000

By Correspondent Jhunnex Napallacan with Reporter Dale G. Israel and Correspondent Carinne M. Asutilla

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Allies praised President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's State of the Nation Address (SONA) while militants criticized it.

Businessman Robert Go, former regional governor of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) in Central Visayas, lauded the president's SONA which he described as well-researched and truthful.

“The SONA was well-delivered and well-research, and many facts, figures stated which shows truthful statement,” Go said.

Go also favored on Arroyo's stand on the Expanded Value Added Tax (EVAT).

He complimented the president for her superb delivery.

He said that with the president's SONA, “We are on the right direction.”

Representative Nerissa Soon Ruiz of Cebu’s 6th district complimented the president on having some people in the gallery stand while she was enumerating the fruits of her programs.

"I think it is fairly reflective of the nation's actual state and the government's short and long term plans and programs that focuses on food and energy, self sufficiency and self-reliance,” Soon-Ruiz said.

“The presentation of the speech was done with some artistic innovations to highlight some important points that dwell on the theme ‘Ramdam ng ordinaryong pinoy ang pag-asenso’,” she added.

She, however, refused to comment on the stand of the president on the natural family planning method.

Soon-Ruiz is one of the supporters of the controversial reproductive health bills.

Mandaue City Vice Mayor Carlo Fortuna, who attended the SONA at the Batasan Pambansa, said the president highlighted the new policy on “self sustenance” which focuses on agriculture development.

“She did have a viable and workable program to respond to the economic crisis,” Fortuna said.

“The EVAT is being used to provide funds for projects that helped, not necessarily cushioning the effects but the projects to help us cope,” he added.

Fortuna was with eight other city councilors at the Batasan Pambansa in Quezon City on Monday.

Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes, however, did not attend and was at his office when the SONA was delivered.

So was Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña.

Osmeña said he was not expecting anything from the SONA.

The mayor said in a previous interview that there were issues at the national level that would not affect the localities. He added he also wanted Cebu City to remain self reliant.

Osmeña, however, criticized those who blamed the president for the high fuel prices because other countries were also having the same problems.

He said it is not the fault of the president that the price of fuel is over a hundred dollars.

Osmeña said the only thing he wanted from the president is to stand by her own proclamation on the military camp which the Cebu Provincial Government wants to take back.

But Joe Tomongha, the Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL) chairman, criticized the president for not discussing the issues affecting the labor sector.

Tomongha asked where the one million jobs she promised in her previous SONA.

Tomongha disputed the President's claim that suspending the EVAT would benefit the middle and upper classes leaving the poor to suffer because the government won't have money to use in pro-poor programs.

Tomongha said the EVAT had affected the poor because it caused the price of fuel to rise more.

Lito Vasquez, secretary general of the Freedom from Debt Coalition, said also criticized the President for her policies and the debts under her administration.

State of the Nation Address of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during the 2nd Regular Session of the 14th Congress of the Republic of the Philippines 28 July 2008

noreply@blogger.com (@JayseeBlabs) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 04:38:00 +0000

Thank you, Speaker Nograles. Senate President Villar. Senators and Representatives. Vice President de Castro, President Ramos, Chief Justice Puno, members of the diplomatic corps, ladies and gentlemen:

I address you today at a crucial moment in world history.

Just a few months ago, we ended 2007 with the strongest economic growth in a generation. Inflation was low, the peso strong and a million new jobs were created. We were all looking to a better, brighter future.

Because tough choices were made, kumikilos na ang bayan sa wakas. Malapit na sana tayo sa pagbalanse ng budget. We were retiring debts in great amounts, reducing the drag on our country’s development, habang namumuhunan sa taong bayan.

Biglang-bigla, nabaligtad ang ekonomiya ng mundo. Ang pagtalon ng presyo ng langis at pagkain ay nagbunsod ng pandaigdigan krisis, the worst since the Great Depression and the end of World War II. Some blame speculators moving billions of dollars from subprime mortgages to commodities like fuel and food. Others point of the very real surge in demand as millions of Chinese and Indians move up to the middle class.

Whatever the reasons, we are on a roller coaster ride of oil price hikes, high food prices and looming economic recession in the US and other markets. Uncertainty has moved like a terrible tsunami around the globe, wiping away gains, erasing progress.

This is a complex time that defies simple and easy solutions. For starters, it is hard to identify villains, unlike in the 1997 financial crisis. Everyone seems to be a victim, rich countries and poor, though certainly some can take more punishment than others.

To address these global challenges, we must go on building and buttressing bridges to allies around the world: to bring in the rice to feed our people, investments to create jobs; and to keep the peace and maintain stability in our country and the rest of the world. Yet even as we reach out to those who need, and who may need us, we strive for greater self-reliance.

Because tough choices were made, the global crisis did not catch us helpless and unprepared. Through foresight, grit and political will, we built a shield around our country that has slowed down and somewhat softened the worst effects of the global crisis. We have the money to care for our people and pay for food when there are shortages; for fuel despite price spikes.

Neither we nor anyone else in the world expected this day to come so soon but we prepared for it. For the guts not to flinch in the face of tough choices, I thank God. For the wisdom to recognize how needed you are, I thank, you Congress. For footing the bill, I thank the taxpayers.

The result has been, on the one hand, ito ang nakasalba sa bayan; and, on the other, more unpopularity for myself in the opinion polls. Yet, even unfriendly polls show self-rated poverty down to its 20-year low in 2007.

My responsibility as President is to take care to solve the problems we are facing now and to provide a vision and direction for how our nation should advance in the future.

Many in this great hall live privileged lives and exert great influence in public affairs. I am accessible to you, but I spend time every day with the underprivileged and under represented who cannot get a grip on their lives in the daily, all-consuming struggle to make ends meet.

Nag-aalala ako para sa naka-aawang maybahay na pasan ang pananagutan para sa buong pamilya. Nag-aalala ako para sa magsasakang nasa unang hanay ng pambansang produksyon ng pagkain ngunit nagsisikap pakanin ang pamilya. I care for hardworking students soon to graduate and wanting to see hope of good job and a career prospect here at home.

Nag-aalala ako para sa 41-year old na padre de pamilya na di araw-araw ang trabaho, at nag-aabala sa asawa at tatlong anak, at dapat bigyan ng higit pang pagkakakitaan at dangal. I care for our teachers who gave the greatest gift we ever received – a good education – still trying to pass on the same gift to succeeding generations. I care for our OFWs, famed for their skill, integrity and untiring labor, who send home their pay as the only way to touch loved ones so far away. Nagpupugay ako ngayon sa kanilang mga karaniwang Pilipino.

My critics say this is fiction, along with other facts and figures I cite today. I call it heroism though they don’t need our praise. Each is already a hero to those who matter most, their families.

I said this is a global crisis where everyone is a victim. But only few can afford to avoid, or pay to delay, the worst effects.

Many more have nothing to protect them from the immediate blunt force trauma of the global crisis. Tulad ninyo, nag-aalala ako para sa kanila. Ito ang mga taong bayan na dapat samahan natin. Not only because of their sacrifices for our country but because they are our countrymen.

How do we solve these many complex challenges?

Sa kanilang kalagayan, the answer must be special care and attention in this great hour of need.

First, we must have a targeted strategy with set of precise prescriptions to ease the price challenges we are facing.

Second, food self-sufficiency; less energy dependence; greater self-reliance in our attitude as a people and in our posture as a nation.

Third, short-term relief cannot be at the expense of long term reforms. These reforms will benefit not just the next generation of Filipinos, but the next President as well.

Napakahalaga ang Value Added Tax sa pagharap sa mga hamong ito.

Itong programa ang sagot sa mga problemang namana natin.

Una, mabawasan ang ating mga utang and shore up our fiscal independence.

Pangalawa, higit na pamumuhunan para mamamayan at imprastraktura.

Pangatlo, sapat na pondo para sa mga programang pangmasa.

Thus, the infrastructure links programmed for the our poorest provinces like Northern Samar: Lao-ang-Lapinig-Arteche, right now ay maputik, San Isidro-Lope de Vega; the rehabilitation of Maharlika in Samar.

Take VAT away and you and I abdicate our responsibility as leaders and pull the rug from under our present and future progress, which may be compromised by the global crisis.

Lalong lumakas ang tiwala ng mga investor dahil sa VAT. Mula P56.50 kada dolyar, lumakas ang piso hanggang P40.20 bago bumalik sa P44 dahil sa mga pabigat ng pangdaigdigang ekonomiya. Kung alisin ang VAT, hihina ang kumpiyansa ng negosyo, lalong tataas ang interes, lalong bababa ang piso, lalong mamahal ang bilihin.

Kapag ibinasura ang VAT sa langis at kuryente, ang mas makikinabang ay ang mga may kaya na kumukonsumo ng 84% ng langis at 90% ng kuryente habang mas masasaktan ang mahihirap na mawawalan ng P80 billion para sa mga programang pinopondohan ngayon ng VAT. Take away VAT and we strip our people of the means to ride out the world food and energy crisis.

We have come too far and made too many sacrifices to turn back now on fiscal reforms. Leadership is not about doing the first easy thing that comes to mind; it is about doing what is necessary, however hard.

The government has persevered, without flip-flops, in its much-criticized but irreplaceable policies, including oil and power VAT and oil deregulation.

Patuloy na gagamitin ng pamahalaan ang lumalago nating yaman upang tulungan ang mga pamilyang naghihirap sa taas ng bilihin at hampas ng bagyo, habang nagpupundar upang sanggahan ang bayan sa mga krisis sa hinaharap.

Para sa mga namamasada at namamasahe sa dyip, sinusugpo natin ang kotong at colorum upang mapataas ang kita ng mga tsuper. Si Federico Alvarez kumikita ng P200 a day sa kaniyang rutang Cubao-Rosario. Tinaas ito ng anti-kotong, anti-colorum ngayon P500 na ang kita niya. Iyan ang paraan kung paano napananatili ang dagdag-pasahe sa piso lamang. Halaga lang ng isang text.

Texting is a way of life. I asked the telecoms to cut the cost of messages between networks. They responded. It is now down to 50 centavos.

Noong Hunyo, nagpalabas tayo ng apat na bilyong piso mula sa VAT sa langis—dalawang bilyong pambayad ng koryente ng apat na milyong mahihirap, isang bilyon para college scholarship o pautang sa 70,000 na estudyanteng maralita; kalahating bilyong pautang upang palitan ng mas matipid na LPG, CNG o biofuel ang motor ng libu-libong jeepney; at kalahating bilyong pampalit sa fluorescent sa mga pampublikong lugar.

Kung mapapalitan ng fluorescent ang lahat ng bumbilya, makatitipid tayo ng lampas P2 billion.

Sa sunod na katas ng VAT, may P1 billion na pambayad ng kuryente ng mahihirap; kalahating bilyon para sa matatandang di sakop ng SSS o GSIS; kalahating bilyong kapital para sa pamilya ng mga namamasada; kalahating bilyon upang mapataas ang kakayahan at equipment ng mga munting ospital sa mga lalawigan. At para sa mga kalamidad, angkop na halaga.

We released P1 billion for the victims of typhoon Frank. We support a supplemental Western Visayas calamity budget from VAT proceeds, as a tribute to the likes of Rodney Berdin, age 13, of Barangay Rombang, Belison, Antique, who saved his mother, brother and sister from the raging waters of Sibalom River.

Mula sa buwang ito, wala nang income tax ang sumusweldo ng P200,000 o mas mababa sa isang taon – P12 billion na bawas-buwis para sa maralita at middle class. Maraming salamat, Congress.

Ngayong may P32 na commercial rice, natugunan na natin ang problema sa pagkain sa kasalukuyan. Nagtagumpay tayo dahil sa pagtutulungan ng buong bayan sa pagsasaka, bantay-presyo at paghihigpit sa price manipulation, sa masipag na pamumuno ni Artie Yap.

Sa mga LGU at religious groups na tumutulong dalhin ang NFA rice sa mahihirap, maraming salamat sa inyo.

Dahil sa subsidy, NFA rice is among the region’s cheapest. While we can take some comfort that our situation is better than many other nations, there is no substitute for solving the problem of rice and fuel here at home. In doing so, let us be honest and clear eyed – there has been a fundamental shift in global economics. The price of food and fuel will likely remain high. Nothing will be easy; the government cannot solve these problems over night. But, we can work to ease the near-term pain while investing in long-term solutions.

Since 2001, new irrigation systems for 146,000 hectares, including Malmar in Maguindanao and North Cotabato, Lower Agusan, Casecnan and Aulo in Nueva Ecija, Abulog-Apayao in Cagayan and Apayao, Addalam in Quirino and Isabela, among others, and the restoration of old systems on another 980,000 hectares have increased our nation’s irrigated land to a historic 1.5 million hectares.

Edwin Bandila, 48 years old, of Ugalingan, Carmen, North Cotabato, cultivated one hectare and harvested 35 cavans. Thirteen years na ginawa iyong Malmar. In my first State of the Nation Address, sabi ko kung hindi matapos iyon sa Setyembre ay kakanselahin ko ang kontrata, papapasukin ko ang engineering brigade, natapos nila. With Malamar, now he cultivates five hectares and produces 97 cavans per hectare. Mabuhay, Edwin! VAT will complete the San Roque-Agno River project.

The Land Bank has quadrupled loans for farmers and fisherfolk. That is fact not fiction. Check it. For more effective credit utilization, I instructed DA to revitalize farmers cooperatives.

We are providing seeds at subsidized prices to help our farmers.

Incremental Malampaya national revenues of P4 billion will go to our rice self-sufficiency program.

Rice production since 2000 increased an average of 4.07% a year, twice the population growth rate. By promoting natural planning and female education, we have curbed population growth to 2.04% during our administration, down from the 2.36 in the 1990’s, when artificial birth control was pushed. Our campaign spreads awareness of responsible parenthood regarding birth spacing. Long years of pushing contraceptives made it synonymous to family planning. Therefore informed choice should mean letting more couples, who are mostly Catholics, know about natural family planning.

From 1978 to 1981, nag-export tayo ng bigas. Hindi tumagal. But let’s not be too hard on ourselves. Panahon pa ng Kastila bumibili na tayo ng bigas sa labas. While we may know how to grow rice well, topography doesn’t always cooperate.

Nature did not gift us with a mighty Mekong like Thailand and Vietnam, with their vast and naturally fertile plains. Nature instead put our islands ahead of our neighbours in the path of typhoons from the Pacific. So, we import 10% of the rice we consume.

To meet the challenge of today, we will feed our people now, not later, and help them get through these hard times. To meet the challenges of tomorrow, we must become more self-reliant, self-sufficient and independent, relying on ourselves more than on the world.

Now we come to the future of agrarian reform.

There are those who say it is a failure, that our rice importations prove it. There are those who say it is a success—if only because anything is better than nothing. Indeed, people are happier owning the land they work, no matter what the difficulties.

Sa SONA noong 2001, sinabi ko, bawat taon, mamamahagi tayo ng dalawang daang libong ektarya sa reporma sa lupa: 100,000 hectares of private farmland and 100,000 of public farmland, including ancestral domains. Di hamak mahigit sa target ang naipamahagi natin sa nakaraang pitong taon: 854,000 hectares of private farmland, 797,000 of public farmland, and Certificates of Ancestral Domain for 525,000 hectares. Including, over a 100,000 hectares for Bugkalots in Quirino, Aurora, and Nueva Vizcaya. After the release of their CADT, Rosario Camma, Bugkalot chieftain, and now mayor of Nagtipunan, helped his 15,000-member tribe develop irrigation, plant vegetables and corn and achieve food sufficiency. Mabuhay, Chief!

Agrarian reform should not merely subdivide misery, it must raise living standards. Ownership raises the farmer from his but productivity will keep him on his feet.

Sinimula ng aking ama ang land reform noong 1963. Upang mabuo ito, the extension of CARP with reforms is top priority. I will continue to do all I can for the rural as well as urban poor. Ayaw natin na paglaya ng tenant sa landlord, mapapasa-ilalim naman sa usurero. Former tenants must be empowered to become agribusinessmen by allowing their land to be used as collateral.

Dapat mapalaya ng reporma sa lupa ang magsasaka sa pagiging alipin sa iba. Dapat bigyan ang magsasaka ng dangal bilang taong malaya at di hawak ninuman. We must curb the recklessness that gives land without the means to make it productive and bites off more than beneficiaries can chew.

At the same time, I want the rackets out of agrarian reform: the threats to take and therefore undervalue land, the conspiracies to overvalue it.

Be with me on this. There must be a path where justice and progress converge. Let us find it before Christmas. Dapat nating linisin ang landas para sa mga ibig magpursige sa pagsasaka, taglay ang pananalig na ang lupa ay sasagip sa atin sa huli kung gamitin natin ito nang maayos.

Along with massive rice production, we are cutting costs through more efficient transport. For our farm-to-market roads, we released P6 billion in 2007.

On our nautical highways. RORO boats carried 33 million metric tons of cargo and 31 million passengers in 2007. We have built 39 RORO ports during our administration, 12 more are slated to start within the next two years. In 2003, we inaugurated the Western Nautical Highway from Batangas through Mindoro, Panay and Negros to Mindanao. This year we launched the Central Nautical Highway from Bicol mainland, through Masbate, Cebu, Bohol and Camiguin to Mindanao mainland. These developments strengthen our competitiveness.

Leading multinational company Nestle cut transport costs and offset higher milk prices abroad. Salamat, RORO. Transport costs have become so reasonable for bakeries like Gardenia, a loaf of its bread in Iloilo is priced the same as in Laguna and Manila. Salamat muli sa RORO.

To the many LGUs who have stopped collecting fees from cargo vehicles, maraming, maraming salamat.

We are repaving airports that are useful for agriculture, like Zamboanga City Airport.

Producing rice and moving it cheaper addresses the supply side of our rice needs. On the demand side, we are boosting the people’s buying power.

Ginagawa nating labor-intensive ang paggawa at pag-ayos ng kalsada at patubig. Noong SONA ng 2001, naglunsad tayo sa NCR ng patrabaho para sa 20,000 na out of school youth, na tinawag OYSTER. Ngayon, mahigit 20,000 ang ineempleyo ng OYSTER sa buong bansa. In disaster-stricken areas, we have a cash-for-work program.

In training, 7.74 million took technical and vocational courses over the last seven years, double the number in the previous 14 years. In 2007 alone, 1.7 million graduated. Among them are Jessica Barlomento now in Hanjin as supply officer, Shenve Catana, Marie Grace Comendador, and Marlyn Tusi, lady welders, congratulations.

In microfinance, loans have reached P102 billion or 30 times more than the P3 billion we started with in 2001, with a 98% repayment record, congratulations! Major lenders include the Land Bank with P69 billion, the Peoples’ Credit and Finance Corporation P8 billion, the National Livelihood Support Fund P3 billion, DBP P1 billion and the DSWD’s SEA-K P800 million. For partnering with us to unleash the entrepreneurial spirit, thank you, Go Negosyo and Joey Concepcion.

Upland development benefits farmers through agro-forestry initiatives. Rubber is especially strong in Zamboanga Sibugay and North Cotabato. Victoria Mindoro, 56 years old, used to earn P5,000 a month as farmer and factory worker. Now she owns 10 hectares in the Goodyear Agrarian Reform Community in Kabasalan, Zamboanga Sibugay, she earns P10,000 a week. With one hectare, Pedro and Concordia Faviolas of Makilala, North Cotabato, they sent their six children to college, bought two more hectares, and earn P15,000 a month. Congratulations!

Jatropha estates are starting in 900 hectares in and around Tamlang Valley in Negros Oriental; 200 in CamSur; 300 in GenSan, 500 in Fort Magsaysay near the Cordero Dam and 700 in Samar, among others.

In our 2006 SONA, our food baskets were identified as North Luzon and Mindanao.

The sad irony of Mindanao as food basket is that it has some of the highest hunger in our nation. It has large fields of high productivity, yet also six of our ten poorest provinces.

The prime reason is the endless Mindanao conflict. A comprehensive peace has eluded us for half a century. But last night, differences on the tough issue of ancestral domain were resolved. Yes, there are political dynamics among the people of Mindanao. Let us sort them out with the utmost sobriety, patience and restraint. I ask Congress to act on the legislative and political reforms that will lead to a just and lasting peace during our term of office.

The demands of decency and compassion urge dialogue. Better talk than fight, if nothing of sovereign value is anyway lost. Dialogue has achieved more than confrontation in many parts of the world. This was the message of the recent World Conference in Madrid organized by the King of Saudi Arabia, and the universal message of the Pope in Sydney.

Pope Benedict’s encyclical Deus Caritas Est reminds us: “There will always be situations of material need where help in the form of concrete love for neighbour is indispensable.”

Pinagsasama-sama natin ang mga programa ng DSWD, DOH, GSIS, SSS at iba pang lumalaban sa kahirapan sa isang National Social Welfare Program para proteksyonan ang pinaka-mahihirap mula sa pandaigdigang krisis, and to help those whose earnings are limited by illness, disability, loss of job, age and so on—through livelihood projects, microfinance, skills and technology transfer, emergency and temporary employment, pension funds, food aid and cash subsidies, child nutrition and adult health care, medical missions, salary loans, insurance, housing programs, educational and other savings schemes, and now cheaper medicine—Thanks to Congress.

The World Bank says that in Brazil, the income of the poorest 10% has grown 9% per year versus the 3% for the higher income levels due in large part to their family stipend program linking welfare checks to school attendance. We have introduced a similar program, Pantawid Pamilya.

Employers have funded the two increases in SSS benefits since 2005. Thank you, employers for paying the premiums.

GSIS pensions have been indexed to inflation and have increased every year since 2001. Its salary loan availments have increased from two months equivalent to 10 months, the highest of any system public or private—while repayments have been stretched out.

Pag-Ibig housing loans increased from P3.82 billion in 2001 to P22.6 billion in 2007. This year it experienced an 84% increase in the first four months alone. Super heating na. Dapat dagdagan ng GSIS at buksan muli ng SSS ang pautang sa pabahay. I ask Congress to pass a bill allowing SSS to do housing loans beyond the present 10% limitation.

Bago ako naging Pangulo, isa’t kalahating milyong maralita lamang ang may health insurance. Noong 2001, sabi natin, dadagdagan pa ng kalahating milyon. Sa taong iyon, mahigit isang milyon ang nabigyan natin. Ngayon, 65 milyong Pilipino na ang may health insurance, mahigit doble ng 2000, kasama ang labinlimang milyong maralita. Philhealth has paid P100 billion for hospitalization. The indigent beneficiaries largely come from West and Central Visayas, Central Luzon, and Ilocos. Patuloy nating palalawakin itong napaka-importanted programa, lalo na sa Tawi-Tawi, Zambo Norte, Maguindanao, Apayao, Dinagat, Lanao Sur, Northern Samar, Masbate, Abra and Misamis Occidental. Lalo na sa kanilang mga magsasaka at mangingisda.

In these provinces and in Agusan Sur, Kalinga, Surigao Sur and calamity-stricken areas, we will launch a massive school feeding program at P10 per child every school day.

Bukod sa libreng edukasyon sa elementarya at high school, nadoble ang pondo para sa mga college scholarships, while private high school scholarship funds from the government have quadrupled.

I have started reforming and clustering the programs of the DepEd, CHED and TESDA.

As with fiscal and food challenges, the global energy crunch demands better and more focused resource mobilization, conservation and management.

Government agencies are reducing their energy and fuel bills by 10%, emulating Texas Instruments and Philippine Stock Exchange who did it last year. Congratulations, Justice Vitug and Francis Lim.

To reduce power system losses, we count on government regulators and also on EPIRA amendments.

We are successful in increasing energy self-sufficiency—56%, the highest in our history. We promote natural gas and biofuel; geothermal fields, among the world’s largest; windmills like those in Ilocos and Batanes; and the solar cells lighting many communities in Mindanao. The new Galoc oil field can produce 17,000-22,000 barrels per day, 1/12 of our crude consumption.

The Renewable Energy Bill has passed the House. Thank you, Congressmen.

Our costly commodity imports like oil and rice should be offset by hard commodities exports like primary products, and soft ones like tourism and cyberservices, at which only India beats us.

Our P 350 million training partnership with the private sector should qualify 60,000 for call centers, medical transcription, animation and software development, which have a projected demand of one million workers generating $13 billion by 2010.

International finance agrees with our progress. Credit rating agencies have kept their positive or stable outlook on the country. Our world competitiveness ranking rose five notches. Congratulations to us.

We are sticking to, and widening, the fiscal reforms that have earned us their respect.

To our investors, thank you for your valuable role in our development. I invite you to invest not only in factories and services, but in profitable infrastructure, following the formula for the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway.

I ask business and civil society to continue to work for a socially equitable, economically viable balance of interests. Mining companies should ensure that host communities benefit substantively from their investments, and with no environmental damage from operations.

Our administration enacted the Solid Waste Management Act, Wildlife Act, Protection of Plant Varieties, Clean Water Act, Biofuels Act and various laws declaring protected areas.

For reforestation, for next year we have budgeted P2 billion. Not only do forests enhance the beauty of the land, they mitigate climate change, a key factor in increasing the frequency and intensity of typhoons and costing the country 0.5% of the GDP.

We have set up over 100 marine and fish sanctuaries since 2001. In the whaleshark sanctuary of Donsol, Sorsogon, Alan Amanse, 40-year-old college undergraduate and father of two, was earning P100 a day from fishing and driving a tricycle. Now as whaleshark-watching officer, he is earns P1,000 a day, ten times his former income.

For clean water, so important to health, there is P500 million this year and P1.5 billion for next year.

From just one sanitary landfill in 2001, we now have 21, with another 18 in the works.

We launched the Zero Basura Olympics to clear our communities of trash. Rather than more money, all that is needed is for each citizen to keep home and workplace clean, and for garbage officials to stop squabbling.

Our investments also include essential ways to strengthen our institutions of governance in order to fight the decades-old scourge of corruption. I will continue to fight this battle every single day. While others are happy with headlines through accusation without evidence and privilege speeches without accountability, we have allocated more than P3 billion – the largest anti-graft fund in our history – for real evidence gathering and vigorous prosecution.

From its dismal past record, the Ombudsman’s conviction rate has increased 500%. Lifestyle checks, never seriously implemented before our time, have led to the dismissal and/or criminal prosecution of dozens of corrupt officials.

I recently met with the Millennium Challenge Corporation, a US agency that provides grants to countries based on governance. They have commended our gains, contributed P1 billion to our fight against graft, and declared us eligible for more grants. Thank you!

Last September, we created the Procurement Transparency Group in the DBM and linked it with business, academe, and the Church, to deter or catch anomalies in government contracts.

On my instruction, the BIR and Customs established similar government-civil society tie-ups for information gathering and tax evasion and smuggling monitoring.

More advanced corruption practices require a commensurate advances in legislative responses. Colleagues in Congress, we need a more stringent Anti-Graft Act. Sa pagmahal ng bilihin, hirap na ang mamimili – tapos, dadayain pa. Dapat itong mahinto. Hinihiling ko sa Kongreso na magpasa ng Consumer Bill of Rights laban sa price gouging, false advertising at iba pang gawain kontra sa mamimili.

I call on all our government workers at the national and local levels to be more responsive and accountable to the people. Panahon ito ng pagsubok. Kung saan kayang tumulong at dapat tumulong ang pamahalaan, we must be there with a helping hand. Where government can contribute nothing useful, stay away. Let’s be more helpful, more courteous, more quick.

Kaakibat ng ating mga adhikain ang tuloy na pagkalinga sa kapakanan ng bawat Pilipino. Iisa ang ating pangarap – maunlad at mapayapang lipunan, kung saan ang magandang kinabukasan ay hindi pangarap lamang, bagkus natutupad.

Sama-sama tayo sa tungkuling ito. May papel na gagampanan ang bawat mamamayan, negosyante, pinunong bayan at simbahan, sampu ng mga nasa lalawigan.

We are three branches but one government. We have our disagreements; we each have hopes, and ambitions that drive and divide us, be they personal, ethnic, religious and cultural. But we are one nation with one fate.

As your President, I care too much about this nation to let anyone stand in the way of our people’s wellbeing. Hindi ko papayagang humadlang ang sinuman sa pag-unlad at pagsagana ng taong bayan. I will let no one – and no one’s political plans – threaten our nation’s survival.

Our country and our people have never failed to be there for us. We must be there for them now.

Maraming salamat. Magandang hapon sa inyong lahat.

Palace official says pastoral letter aimed at GMA detractors

noreply@blogger.com (@JayseeBlabs) — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 02:00:00 +0000

By Michael Lim Ubac

The pastoral letter that will be read during Mass in Catholic churches in Metro Manila and surrounding countryside on Sunday is not directed against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo but her detractors who continue to sow political instability and divisiveness in the country, Malacañang said Saturday.

Short of saying that the President's critics should be made to undergo the traditional acts of penitence, Presidential Spokesperson Anthony Golez said by phone that NBN-ZTE whistle-blower Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr. and his handlers in the opposition should “find this season of Lent as a chance for these detractors and political opportunists to have a soulful recollection of their doings.”

Golez noted that while 16 Catholic bishops led by Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales denounce corruption in government in a new pastoral letter, the prelates also warn against using “the convenient streets as the easier route to an imagined freedom.”

“May they find in their prayers that whatever destabilization moves they have done or are still planning redirects our country's common agenda of helping our poorest sector cope with the stringent demands of our present day economic worries,” said Golez, a medical doctor by profession.

Amid mounting calls for change in an administration wrought with corruption allegations, the bishops of the Ecclesiastical Province of Manila, led by Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales, has called on Filipinos to find true social change “beyond the streets of EDSA.”

The bishops, who all belong to the Ecclesiastical Province of Manila led by Rosales, said the country’s "social and political mess" went beyond the question of truth but to the need for probity which is "about the integrity of all, the accuser and the accused."

The pastoral letter denounced corruption and stealing in government, business, and private life and called for "communal renewal". It said that renewal and justice demand restitution, which it defined as returning stolen goods to the rightful owners and, if that is no longer possible, turning them over to the poor.

"Believers and lovers of God, like true Christians, do not have to hate, destroy each other even if they want to correct the mistakes of the past or the present or of each other," the bishops said. "Many are critical of the present governance particularly in the areas of truth and justice. But we can restore truth and justice without resorting to violence and hatred."

Apart from Rosales, the other signatories of the letter included the bishops of other dioceses in Metro Manila as well as the bishops of Imus, Cavite; Taytay, Rizal; Malolos, Bulacan; San Pablo City, Laguna; and Puerto Princesa, Palawan.

Asked if Arroyo had her own penance to make after former senior government officials accused the President of being “at the center of corruption and cover up of the NBN deal,” Golez said his boss, a devout Catholic, would seek spiritual insights which everyone seeks during the Lent.

“President Arroyo will have a silent and prayerful Holy Week, reflecting on the life, sufferings, and the triumphant resurrection of our Lord in order to make humanity as one. This holy season is timely because of the so many issues and politickings that are dividing our nation and our people.”

He said the President was focused on her efforts to unite the country by making sure that each Filipino family would “have a brighter future” and protected from the effects of global increase in oil and food prices.

The President and members of the First Family will spend Lent in Baguio City, the summer presidential residence, from March 18 to 24.

With respect to Lozada, Golez said that the electronics communication engineer “himself has admitted before the Senate the misdeeds he has committed against the Filipino people.”

If proven guilty through judicial process, “then he has the obligation to undergo the healing process by returning what he was admitted to have taken unduly,” said Golez.

Golez lamented that a number of politicians and detractors of Malacañang remained “preoccupied with domestic politics and dirty politickings,” while and everybody else around the world was focused on more important issues.

Her detractors are bitter failures

noreply@blogger.com (@JayseeBlabs) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:16:00 +0000

By Paolo Romero

President Arroyo hit back yesterday at her detractors, who she said were either bitter over their failures or could not wait until her term ends in 2010.

Mrs. Arroyo was reacting to attacks against her at the end of the Mass held at the Heroes’ Hall in Malacañang, officiated by Fr. Bong Cabrera and Bishop Raul Martirez.

Among those who attended the Mass were allies including Speaker Prospero Nograles, and the President’s children, Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel Arroyo and Camarines Sur Rep. Diosdado Arroyo, and her grandchildren.

“It is sad that some enemies stoop so low in their desperate attempt to destroy (the administration). It is sad to hear some of the statements and allegations of those who have failed and who are bitter,” Mrs. Arroyo said.

She was apparently referring to Pangasinan Rep. Jose de Venecia Jr., who was ousted as Speaker of the House of Representatives earlier this month and his son, Jose de Venecia III, who lost in his bid to bag the controversial $329-million national broadband network (NBN) project last year.

She also responded to allegations earlier made by Gina de Venecia, the former speaker’s wife, that a midnight Cabinet exists and is run by First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, who was accused of brokering the NBN deal with ZTE Corp. of China.

“Yes. I start work early and sometimes lasting until late at night. Maybe those not used to working hard are surprised that my meetings with members of the Cabinet last until past midnight,” Mrs. Arroyo said.

She said: “My family does not conduct business with the government.”

At one point, she nearly introduced Nograles as De Venecia and laughed along with others at the Mass over the mistake.

Nograles later told reporters the slip was due to force of habit.

Mrs. Arroyo said she would not dignify baseless comparisons that her administration was more corrupt than previous regimes.

She pointed out that no one was above the law but there are many allegations that could not be proven and gossips that do not have evidence.

“A corrupt nation does not post the fastest economic growth in a generation or increase its government coffers or run after tax cheats or prosecute more officials if they are not transparent,” Mrs. Arroyo said.

“The people want us to focus on working for the people and avoid the endless saga of political vendetta and mindless investigations. The people want peace, order and stability, we must give them what they deserve. We remain bullish on our economy. We remain optimistic about our future. We are deeply committed to being a force for good,” she said.