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| 25 MAY 2008 | . | |
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| 25 MAY 2008 | . | |
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| PGMA receives Swaziland Monarch tomorrow |
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President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will receive in Malacanang tomorrow
(Monday) Swazi King Mswati III who arrived in Manila
today (Sunday) for a two-day state visit. The visiting head of state of Swaziland will be accorded arrival honors by a unit of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) upon his arrival in Malacanang at 10 a.m. His Majesty will then be ushered to the palace where he will sign the Palace Guest Book. In the evening, the President will host a state banquet in honor of the Swazi monarch. A Leaders’ Meeting between the President and the King will highlight the morning’s events, during which the two leaders are expected to sign various agreements on economic, scientific, technical and cultural cooperation. This is the first visit to the Philippines of the King of the land-locked Kingdom of Swaziland. He flew into Manila this afternoon from Cebu after a private visit to the Visayan industrial hub. The Malacanang meeting of the two leaders will also pave the way for the establishment of the Bilateral Consultation Mechanism between the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) of the Philippines, and the Swazi Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT). During the two leaders’ meeting, Swazi Queen Inkhosikati Lankhambule, the King’s 13th wife, will be given a tour of the Palace Museum. From Malacanang, the visiting monarch and his entourage will motor to Marikina City where he will receive the key to the city from Marikina Mayor Maria Lourdes Fernando who will also host a luncheon for the royal visitors. A tour of the main campus of the University of the Philippines – which is celebrating its 100th year this year – will fill the afternoon itinerary of the visitors from Swaziland, the last remaining monarchy in Africa. A state banquet to be tendered by the President in honor of the Swazi King will be held in Malacanang by 7 p.m. Accompanying the Royal Couple are the King’s 23rd daughter, Princess Buhlebetive, and the King’s brother Prince Lonkhokhela, and sister, Princess Msindvose. The King’s delegation also includes Chief Maphokela Shabalala of the Swazi Royal Court, and Swaziland Foreign Minister Moses Mathendele Dlamini. The Philippines and Swaziland – a kingdom of 1.2 million Swazis -- have maintained close diplomatic ties through the years and have cooperated in the multilateral arena. The Swazi king and his entourage arrived last Friday in the Philippines, going direct to Cebu City for a private visit. They will depart for Japan on Tuesday. |
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| Independence Day celebration to focus on govt's entrepreneurship program -- PMS |
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The celebration of the country’s 110th Independence Day on June 12 will no
longer be the traditional display of military might at the Luneta. This time, the focus will be on the Arroyo administration’s entrepreneurship program, with the “GoNegosyo” taking center stage at the Rizal Park. This was revealed over the weekend by Presidential Management Staff (PMS) head Cerge Remonde who told the Malacanang Press Corps (MPC) that instead of the “traditional civic and military parade, we will showcase the government programs and projects at various points -- lahat ng mga Cabinet members ay naka-assign sa iba’t-ibang regions na may historical places and they will launch their respective programs in those regions.” “Tayo naman, sasamahan ko si Pangulo (Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo) sa Luneta at ang gagawin natin duon ay magkakaroon tayo ng malaking ‘GoNegosyo’ affair,” Remonde said. Welcoming the signing of the Magna Carta for the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) that the President signed last Friday, Remonde, who is also the Arroyo administration’s champion for MSMEs, said the Independence Day activity at the Luneta will showcase “all the micro, small and medium enterprise products that are offered by the government.” “Natutuwa tayo dahil yung Magna Carta for MSMEs ay mas lalong magbibigay bisa sa ating programang MSMEs. Kaya (good) timing (na) sa Independence Day, meron tayong GoNegosyo program featuring mga celebrity entrepreneurs and others diyan sa Luneta.” The PMS head added that the Independence Day celebration will also include the release of loans earlier applied for by micro entrepreneurs. “And, of course, mga beneficiaries ng ating microfinance program na na- process na, we will distribute already yung mga loans nila. So kakaiba itong celebration natin ng Independence Day. “We are veering away from the traditional military-civic parade. We are going to have roadshows, program showcase, and all Cabinet secretaries are being sent to various places all over the country para ma-showcase itong programa ng ating pamahalaan,” Remonde added. Earlier, Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye revealed that Independence Day activities have been scheduled per location, with specific departments assigned as lead coordinators in line with the President’s directive to her Cabinet to celebrate the country’s Independence Day by augmenting the traditional flag-raising activities with programs that will "honor the sacrifices of our heroes, not by words alone but through deeds that give flesh to their vision." Earlier in his weekly column ‘View from the Palace’ the other weekend (May 18), Bunye also revealed the Independence Day contribution of the Office of the Press Secretary (OPS): “For our part, the OPS will oversee the 'codification' and updating of all existing memoranda of agreement between government agencies, such as PNP (Philippine National Police), AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) and DOJ (Department of Justice), and the different media groups and organizations.” “The idea is to further ensure and guarantee the exercise of freedom of speech and freedom of the press,” he said. As for the other government agencies, Bunye revealed the among the “government's programs and projects that will be showcased as part of the Independence Day celebrations are livelihood assistance projects, housing projects, healthcare programs, feeding programs for school children, food security, distribution of Conditional Cash Transfer Cards, education programs, care for the environment, energy independence thrusts, among other pro-poor services.” He said that by location, the June 12 activities will include: • The Kawit, Cavite celebrations to be led by Vice President Noli de Castro, to highlight the government's housing programs; • A caravan from Malolos, Bulacan to San Isidro in Nueva Ecija led by Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap to highlight the Department of Agriculture’s multi-town FIELDS (fertilizer, irrigation, education and training, loans, dryers and other post-harvest facilities, seeds); • The Pugad Lawin celebration will showcase anti-poverty programs via a caravan and the distribution of conditional Cash Transfer Cards; • The Mabini House in Batangas will focus on education; • Mt. Makiling in Calamba, Laguna will feature an environment caravan calling for Laguna de Bay cleanup and tree planting; • The Bicol Region will spotlight tourism; • Bacolod City will feature energy independence via a caravan featuring the government's biofuel projects; In Iloilo City, training vouchers will be distributed; while Cebu City will top bill health programs; • Northern Samar and Dinagat Island will highlight pro-poor services; • Davao City, social services for Lumads; and • Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), distribution of agrarian reform community projects. |
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| Statement of Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye |
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Myanmar was too slow to accept aid. Now that they have, we will move quickly
to salvage the situation and do our best to come to the aid of the people of
Myanmar. The Philippines has already offered to send medical teams and continues to make those teams available to help the poor suffering people of Myanmar. We will coordinate with our ASEAN neighbors on the level of aid that is needed for each of us to send to Myanmar. |
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| PGMA underscores need to crush insurgency by 2010 for RP to attain First World status |
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President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said that the
insurgency must be crushed by 2010 if the Philippines is to realize its goal
of attaining First World status in 20 years. In her address before the Western Visayas Local Peace and Security Assembly in Bacolod City Thursday, the President said the country must no longer be hobbled by insurgency to enable it to join the elite circle of First World economies. Peace and security, she pointed out, are part and parcel of the strong foundation of a country’s development and economic growth. The President said it is imperative that the Philippines attain First World status in 20 years “because in a First World country poverty is marginalized; and the marginalized are raised to a robust middle class. In a modern country, institutions are strong.” For too long, she said, the insurgency has been a drag on economic growth, especially in the countryside, and it’s time that the disruption caused by ideological upheaval is finally ended. The President expressed optimism that by 2010, the country would be well on the way to achieving its vision of First World status after insurgency is vanquished in 2010. A peaceful and secure environment, she stressed, is conducive to more investments, business activities and economic growth. She said she is banking on the local government units (LGUs) to lead the way in ending the insurgency in their respective jurisdictions as they understand the local conditions better than others. “The LGUs these days are the ones who truly understand the ongoing conflicts in their respective areas. If there is anybody who knows what’s going on in a particular town, province or city, it will be the local government officials,” the President said. |
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| PGMA expected to send off RP's Myanmar-bound humanitarian team |
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President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is expected to send off
early tomorrow morning a medical team and a planeload of medicines as the
Philippines assistance to cyclone-ravaged Myanmar. The President is scheduled to motor to Villamor Air Base in Pasay City, where the plane flying the Philippine Humanitarian Mission to Myanmar will lift off at 7 a.m. In a statement, Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye said today the Philippines is moving “quickly” to send aid to Myanmar, a fellow member of the of the Philippines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), while the stricken, military-ruled country is still receptive to receiving aid. He lamented that Myanmar was too slow is accepting international humanitarian assistance in the aftermath of the cyclone that ravaged the country and killed an estimated 70,000 people and left over 50,000 missing. “Now that they have (accepted foreign aid) we will move quickly to salvage the situation and do our best to come to the aid of the people of Myanmar,” Bunye said. “The Philippines has already offered to send medical teams and continues to make those teams available to help the poor suffering people of Myanmar. We will coordinate with our ASEAN neighbors on the level of aid that is needed for each of us to send to Myanmar,” Bunye added. The Philippines has been mobilizing assistance to Myanmar for the past three weeks as negotiators tried to get Myanmar to open up to incoming aid from countries rushing to its rescue. As early as May 7, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita announced that the Philippines would be sending a 15-man medical mission to Myanmar. He said the President had directed the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Department of Health (DOH) to coordinate the government’s assistance to the reclusive Asian country. Ermita added that shortly after disaster hit Myanmar, the DOH made representations with Rangoon on the type of medicines urgently needed by the victims of the disaster. |
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