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| 24 FEBRUARY 2008 | . | |
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| 24 FEBRUARY 2008 | . | |
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| PGMA leads national prayer for peace, unity |
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President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo led the nation Saturday in a prayer rally
for peace and unity held at the Marikina Riverbank Ampitheater in Marikina
City. Fresh from her visit earlier in the day to Dolores, Eastern Samar where she personally supervised the distribution of relief goods and assistance to the victims of the disastrous floods that hit the province, the President motored to Marikina for the prayer rally that lasted one and a half hours. As special guest of the occasion, the President led the prayers of the Holy Rosary, the Holy Octave of Consecration to God Our Father and the Eight Major Octave: The Coming of the New Jerusalem, Consecration Prayer and the Litany of the Holy Octave of Consecration to God Our Father. After the prayer, Fr. Jerry Jiron of the San Jose Tagapagtanggol Parish Church celebrated the Holy Mass. Aside from the President, also present were Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Bayani Fernando, his wife Marikina City Mayor Maria Lourdes Fernando, barangay officials and thousands of residents from Metro Manila and the nearby provinces of Rizal, Bulacan, Cavite and Laguna. Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP) president and Binalonan, Pangasinan Mayor Ramon Guico, Mandaluyong City Mayor Benhur Abalos, and a number of other local government officials also attended the rally. Before the end of the Holy Mass, Fr. Jiron, assisted by three other priests, prayed over the President and blessed her with holy water as they called for divine providence to keep her strong and focused in her tasks of resolving the problems of the country. The prayer rally for peace and unity was organized by the ULAP, League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP), Governors League of the Philippines, League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP), Philippines Councilors League (PCL), League of Vice Governors of the Philippines (LVGP), Provincial Board Members League of the Philippines (PBMLP) and League of Provinces. Earlier, Mayor Guico and representatives from the LMP, Governors League, LCP, PCL and PBMLP signed a manifesto of support of the Arroyo leadership, particularly her hunger mitigation and poverty alleviation program. |
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| President Arroyo: "Ako ang Pangulo, walang iba" |
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“I’m the President, there’s no other!” Thus, declared President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today as she debunked malicious allegations by her detractors of so-called midnight Cabinet meetings in Malacanang supposedly called by persons other than herself. The President said that sometimes she meets with members of her official family until midnight but stressed that, in the end, it is she and she alone who makes the decisions of the presidency. “Ako ang Pangulo, walang iba – ako ang nagpapasya sa mga usapin ng pamahalaan, at hindi iyong mga wala sa tungkulin,” she said in a statement she read after the 10 o’clock holy mass this morning at Malacanang’s Heroes Hall. She lamented that the “paratang ng mga nabigo” have dipped to desperate levels: “Napakalungkot kapag bumababa sa desperadong paninira ang mga kalaban; napakalungkot ang mga pahayag at paratang ng mga nabigo.” “Oo nga’t maaga akong nagsisimula ng trabaho at, kung minsan, ginagabi. Marahil, magugulat ang mga hindi kasing-sigasig sa trabaho na, kung minsan, umaabot ako nang gabing-gabi, at nakikipag-usap pa sa mga miyembro ng Gabinete lampas hatinggabi,” she said. The President pointed out that contrary to the black propaganda of her detractors, her family is not in business with government. “Ang aking pamilya ay hindi nag-ne-negosyo sa pamahalaan. Hindi katanggap-tanggap kung hindi ganoon, at alam nila iyan.” As for the sporadic calls for her to resign, she said she will abide by the Constitution which mandates that her term of office ends in 2010. “Susunod ako sa Saligang Batas at sa sarili kong nais na bumaba sa pwesto pagwakas ng aking termino.” “Masasabi ko sa inyo nang walang pasubali na bababa ako sa pwesto pagtapos ng aking panunungkulan sa 2010. Hanggang sa araw na iyon, magsisikap tayo sa pagsusulong ng reporma, upang maiwan nating matipuno ang bansa sa susunod na pinuno,” she added. The President admitted that there may no longer be enough time before she bows out of office to correct the various flaws in the country’s present political system by amending the Constitution. But she said she hoped that her successor would have the courage and determination to push for the much-needed Charter changes. “Malamang, wala nang panahon sa aking termino ang pagbabago ng Saligang Batas. Ngunit buo ang aking paniniwala na mayroon tayong dalawang Pilipinas – ang Pilipinas na may ekonomiyang gumagana at umuunlad muli, at ang Pilipinas na sira ang sistema nang pulitika,” she said. “Harinawa, may tapang (ng) loob ang susunod na pinuno upang ayusin ang ating sirang sistema ng pulitika.” The Chief Executive also challenged the country’s political leaders “who are seeking the presidency in 2010 to develop a positive agenda for change and reform.” “The people want us to focus on working for the people and avoid the endless saga of political vendettas and mindless investigations. The people want peace, order and stability. We must give them what they deserve,” she said. Stressing that she loves the Filipino people, and that she will “forever be humble at having had the privilege of serving this nation,” the President said she remains bullish on the Philippine economy. She added: “We remain optimistic about our future. We are deeply committed to being a force for good.” The con-celebrated mass was were officiated by Bishop Raul Martires of the Green Meadows Parish, Fr. Moises Cabrera of Sta. Perpetua Parish (Cubao), Fr. Renated Gella of St. Joseph the Worker Parish (Balintawak), and Fr. Jimmy Geron of San Jose Tagapagtanggol Parish, all in Quezon City. Among those who attended the mass were members of the House of Representatives headed by Speaker Prosperos Nograles and other government officials. |
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| Two Paranaque barangays back PGMA |
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Calling President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as the “bridge
and guide” who steers the country’s future to loftier economic development,
officials, businessmen and residents of two Parañanque City barangays
presented to the Chief Executive this afternoon a Manifesto of Support
during her visit to the Baclaran Elementary School Central (BESC) along
Pinaglabanan St. in Bgy. Baclaran, Parañaque City. It was signed by Dondon Cailles and Willy dela Cruz, chairmen of Barangays Baclaran and Tambo, respectively, and other officials, businessmen and residents of the two barangays. The manifesto affirmed the full support of the local officials for the President despite the “amount of exposes or any contravening plans” against her administration. They also urged other sectors of society not to be swayed by the political noise generated by anti-government forces, and instead “blend with the common majority to be with you and together, be united for a common purpose for the greater good of country and people.” The President visited BESC to facilitate the distribution of food packs to some 5,000 residents who came out in droves to get a glimpse of and, hopefully, meet the Chief Executive in person. The food packs contained basic food items such as rice, coffee, noodles and canned goods and was distributed to each family who took time to line up for the goods. Before distributing the food packs, the President took a brief tour of the BESC, where members of a medical and dental team were attending to residents of the two barangays. Through the mission, residents in the area have been enabled to gain easy access to medical and dental health services as well as affordable and even free medicines for their ailments. The medical-dental mission is a project of the People’s Government Mobile Action (PGMA) and the local government of Parañaque City. |
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| PGMA won't cling on to power after 2010 |
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Like the rest of humanity, she’s not perfect. But she works “hard every day to achieve positive and lasting changes for the nation.” Thus said President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in a statement she read after the Holy Mass this morning at Malacanang’s Heroes Hall. “We all know I am not perfect,” she said. As a result of her hard work, “We have helped create seven million new jobs and bring in billions in new investment; unemployment is down; the incidence of hunger is down; access to healthcare and a good education are up,” she said. The President also reiterated that she has no intention to cling on to power upon the expiration of her term of office in 2010 as mandated by the Constitution. In her statement, the President said: “Susunod ako sa Saligang Batas at sa sarili kong nais na bumaba sa pwesto pagwakas ng aking termino. Masasabi ko sa inyo nang walang pasubali na bababa ako sa pwesto pagtapos ng aking panunungkulan sa 2010.” “Hanggang sa araw na iyon, magsisikap tayo sa pagsusulong ng reporma, upang maiwan natin nang matipuno ang bansa sa susunod na pinuno,” she added. Saying that a lot of things remain to be done in order that the Filipino people are assured of a better future, the President said she plans on “working hard the next two and a half years to fulfill our Philippine Reform Agenda (PRA) until the day I leave the Presidency in 2010.” “We will fight for the Economy, Education and the Environment (Three E’s); We will work to fix the corruption that still plagues our nation,” the Chief Executive said, adding that “the three “E’s” of Economy, Environment and Education are central to lifting our nation up and getting it ready for the next generation of leaders.” She also vowed to concentrate her efforts like a laser beam on the PRA, the Triple E’s and the anti-corruption programs, and ignore the “walang say-say” brickbats that are thrown her way by her detractors. “Hindi na natin pinapatulan ang walang katotohanang pahayag na higit na tiwali ang ating administrasyon kaysa sa nakaraan. Mismo ang mga tanda ng ating maunlad na ekonomiya ang pinakamagandang sagot sa gayong mga sabi-sabing walang saysay,” she said. She added: “Ang mga bansang tiwali, hindi lumalago nang pinakamabilis sa isang henerasyon, lumalaki ang kaban ng bayan, naghihigpit sa mga smuggler at mandaraya sa buwis; and prosecute more officials if they aren’t transparent.” “We live in a time of great challenges. The issues we champion define our very being,” the President said as she stressed that the “highest imperative of our time” are: the fight for a strong economy so that poverty will be cut in half by 2015 in accordance with the UN Millennium Development Goals; the fight for a clean environment; and the fight for quality education. “Beyond policies and programs, our people want leaders that are God-fearing, pro-poor, unafraid to make tough choices, hard-working and loyal the people of the nation,” she said. “These are the values I live by. These are the values I expect to be judged on when I meet our Maker,” she pointed out. The President reiterated that while the world embraced EDSA 1 in 1986, and tolerated EDSA 2 in 2001, it would not forgive an EDSA 3 in 2008. “It would instead condemn the Philippines as a country whose political system is hopelessly unstable. Under these circumstances, who would invest in the Philippines? How would we weather the difficulties arising from the spikes in the price of crude oil in the world market and the global economic slowdown?” she asked. What the Filipino people crave for is political stability, a bright economic future and social justice,” the President stressed. |
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| PGMA draws strength from late father's words of wisdom |
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Intrigues, political noise, and the perennial threat of
destabilization. Top that off with the complex task of leading a country and any mortal made of lesser stuff would crumble under pressure. Not President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Despite the incessant carping and political noise whipped up by her detractors, President Arroyo remains undaunted, having internalized into a personal doctrine the advice her father, the late President Diosdado Macapagal, gave her. When asked during a radio interview over the weekend how she managed to remain calm under pressure, the President said she had learned her lesson from her father. In the radio interview with dzRH anchorman Joe Taruc last Saturday, the President revealed that discipline, together with the advice of the late President, has greatly helped her in focusing her attention “like a laser beam” on the task of running the day-to-day affairs of State as well as improving the country’s economy. “Ang payo sa akin ng aking tatay – ‘Do what is right, do your best and let God take care of the rest,’” the President said. “At ang isa pang sinabi niya: ‘The Presidency is not a position to be enjoyed, it is a position where we have to work hard for the good of the people and if necessary, you should be willing to suffer,’” she added. |
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| PGMA to seek Congressional support for Anti-Corruption Reform proposal |
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President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said today that she
will seek Congress support for the passage of an Anti-Corruption Reform Act
this year to toughen up existing laws against corruption in government. In a statement she read after the Holy Mass this morning at the Heroes Hall of Malacanang, the President stressed that she intends to “take control of the situation, at makikipagtulungan sa Kongreso upang magpasa ng Anti-Corruption Reform Act sa 2008,” referring to controversy over the cancelled ZTE deal. She explained that the country needs an Anti-Corruption Act “upang hadlangan ang mga palusot, at dagdagan ang mga parusa sa korupsyon.” “We will hold officials accountable if they are found to be corrupt -- tamaan ang tatamaan -- as investigations are concluded, and friend and foe alike are brought into account for their actions,” the President warned. While pointing out that “walang nangingibabaw sa batas,” the Chief Executive lamented that “maraming alegasyong hindi napapatunayan, at tsismis, ngunit walang ebidensya.” In proposing an Anti-Corruption Reform Act, the President said “matimbang ang tingin ko sa usaping NBN (national broadband network), gaya ng taong bayan…” “Tinitiyak ko sa sambayanan na kung may napatunayang nagkasala, pananagutin natin siya. Buo ang loob natin sa paglaban sa katiwalian. Galit ang tao sa kurakot, at gayon din ako. “Kapwa tayong nababahala, kaya naman agad akong kumilos upang kanselahin ang kontrata (government-to-government contract with China) sa sandaling mabalitaan ko na may katiting na himala ng anomalya…” stressed the President who explained that “hinintay lamang ang maayos na pag-abiso sa pamahalaan ng Tsina,” she added. The President pointed out that while she was then in the process of canceling the contract, “pinaalam rin sa Executive Secretary (Eduardo Ermita) at DILG (Department of Interior and Local Governments) Secretary (Ronaldo Puno) ang sumbong tungkol sa tangkang suhol, kasabay ng atas na imbestigahan ang bagay ng karapat-dapat na opisyal na may kapangyarihang mag-imbestiga.” In addition, “dagli nating dinagdagan ang pondong Ombudsman upang lalong mapalakas ang kaniyang bantay kontra kurakot. Direkto tayong kumilos upang tiyakin na masusing subaybayan ang lahat ng gayong proyekto ng mga mamamayang tumatanod, upang masiguro na walang katiwaliang mangyayari.” She also stressed that her family does not conduct business with government: “Ang aking pamilya ay hindi nag-ne-negosyo sa pamahalaan. Hindi-katanggap-tanggap kung hindi ganoon, at alam nila iyan.” |
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| PGMA: On what keeps her going |
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President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo revealed today that the “central pillar”
of the country’s strong and growing economy that she had labored to create
is what keeps her going these days. Greeting everyone a Happy EDSA I Anniversary after the 10 o’clock Holy Mass this morning (Sunday, Feb. 24) at Malacanang’s Heroes Hall where she read the Eight Octave and the Litany of the “Holy Octave of the Consecration to God Our Father,” the President revealed that “a strong and growing economy is the central pillar that we have labored to create… This is our motivation for getting up everyday to work hard and focus like a laser beam to fix our economy.” She said that, in turn, the strong economy’s central pillar guarantees peace, order and stability for the country. “We have made tough and unpopular decisions to raise revenues and crack down on smugglers and tax cheats so that we could invest in our physical infrastructure and in our people,” the President said. She pointed out that “when we bring about investments and create jobs, our people have a more stable and predictable life. “With more investments come more revenues that can be invested in schools, road and bridges, as well as healthcare, education and the environment. Over time, everyone will benefit,” she said. But she pointed out that the benefits of the growing economy should reach the masses: “We are aware that no matter how much improvement there is at the top of the economic ladder, many of our people still struggle mightily. “We are deeply aware that many hard working men and women work every day just to put food on their table and provide adequate shelter for their families. The high price of gasoline and electricity hits our poor the hardest,” she said. The President, however, pointed that her administration continues to take action to “reduce the pain on our people” brought about by the high prices of oil, a global issue that is outside the control of government. “We have cut tariffs. We have begun to provide targeted cash payments to the poorest of our poor to help them cope. “Nagpasok tayo sa Kongreso ng amyenda sa Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) upang protektahan ang ating mga mamamayan sa mga hindi karapat-dapat na mataas ng presyo ng koryente,” she said. The President also pointed out that her administration has been investing “so much time and effort in rejuvenating our education system.” “We have been meeting with teachers and other educators to get a first-hand look at the improvements that we need to make. We have listened to what these fine public servants have to say,” she said. “We are proud that we are building tens of thousands of new classrooms, providing internet access to high schools wherever possible, and providing vocational and college education scholarships for worthy students,” she added. The Chief Executive she said “malalim ang ating pananalig at pagsamba sa Diyos.” “Naniniwala ako na marapat tayong sumunod sa yapak ni Hesukristo araw-araw. Gayon din dapat ang ating gobyerno sa pagsusulong ng hustisya sosyal, at pagtugon sa pangangailangan ng sambayanang pinaglilingkuran natin. Kasalanan ang magkulang sa tungkuling ito.” |
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