President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will keynote the opening rites of the Palarong Pambansa (National Games) 2002 at the Metro Naga Sports Complex (MNSC) in Barangay Pacol, Naga City on Monday (June 3) morning.

The President’s attendance at the Palaro speaks well of her administration’s commitment to help develop the youth physically and, at the same time, mentally and spiritually.

The President is expected to extol the gains the country’s youth expect to get from the annual sports event and from succeeding sports tournaments the government has lined up nationwide.

"The games should go on," the President earlier declared when she approved the holding of the Palaro last month.

The Palaro underwent some funding problems but these were immediately resolved.

After gracing the opening ceremonies, the President will attend the joint meeting of the Bicol Regional Development Council and Regional Peace and Order Council.

Meanwhile, Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Eric Buhain and host Naga City Mayor Jesse Robredo said everything was in place for the National Games to be played at the refurbished MNSC.

Some 8,000 athletes and officials, to be billeted in 18 city schools including the Camarines Sur National High School and the Naga Central School, are expected to participate in the Palaro.

Of the number, some 6,000 are athletes who will participate in 17 events, namely archery, athletics, badminton, baseball, basketball, little league baseball, boxing, chess, football, gymnastics, sepak takraw, sipa, softball, swimming, table tennis, taekwando and volleyball.

"The medicine I have to buy regularly for my sick husband is readily available at the government-run hospital. It’s less expensive. I can buy seven (capsules) for the price of one sold at the drug store."

"Thanks to the Philhealth Plan of President GMA, my family not only saved money. We saved the life of my baby boy."

"Thanks to the Tindahan ni Gloria Labandera Rolling Stores, my family now eats better quality rice – and at a cheaper price, too."

These are only a few of the testimonials made by ordinary people who have benefited from the programs pursued by the administration as part of the commitments made by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during her State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July last year.

Milagros Caramansion, 53, of 1083 Pilar Corregidor St., Tondo, Manila, now goes regularly to the nearby Department of Health-run hospital to buy Adalat (nifedipine), an antianginal drug, for her husband.

Mrs. Caramansion said she hopes more medicines, particularly those needed by the poor like her, will be included soon in the list of low-priced drugs under the Presyong Tama, Gamot Pampamilya (Right Price, Family’s Medicine) of the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Health.

Hereculani P. Lepasana, pharmacist at the Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center, said: "Nasisiyahan ang mga pasyente dahil sa laki ng baba ng presyo dito kumpara sa mga botika sa labas ng ospital (The patients are happy about the low cost of medicines here compared to the prices in the drug stores outside the hospital)."

Maryjane O. Boac, 23, of Purok K4, Barangay Menzi, Santiago City, Isabela, has more to be thankful for.

"Ang laki ng tuwa at pasasalamat ko sa Philhealth Plan dahil wala akong binayaran noong nagkasakit ang anak kong si Wilmer (I’m so happy and thankful for the Philhealth Plan because I didn’t have to spend a single centavo when my son Wilmer got sick)," she said.

"Hindi ko akalain na dahil sa ID na ito," she said, showing her Philhealth insurance plan identification card, "nailigtas ang aking anak na wala ni isang kusing na ginastos. Salamat sa gobyerno at sa Medicare (I never realized this ID would help save the life of my son without me having to spend a centavo. Thanks to the government and Medicare)," she added.

Nick Martinez of Zone 79, Barangay 3 in Muņoz, Vito Cruz, Manila, for his part, brought up another matter that was "mas malapit sa sikmura."

"Dahil sa Tindahan ni Gloria Labandera Rolling Stores, nabibiyayaan ang pamilya ko ng bigas na hindi lamang mura ang halaga. Maganda pa ang kalidad at madaling mapuntahan. (Because of the TGL Rolling Stores, my family can now afford to buy rice that is not only less expensive but of good quality and is available anytime)," Martinez said.

The "Presyong Tama, Gamit Pampamilya," Philhealth medical insurance and rolling stores are part of the SONA pledges made by the President to win the war against poverty within the decade, improve the quality of life of the people, particularly the poor, and stimulate the economy.

According to the President, almost all of the targets she set out to accomplish are on schedule or even ahead of schedule.

In her weekly radio program last Monday, the President informed the nation that there will be no letup in pursuit and accomplishment of these targets.

More hospitals are now dispensing medicines at cheaper prices and more brands and types of medicines are now available in these hospitals, according to the monitoring report of the Presidential Management Staff, which is headed in a concurrent capacity by Acting Press Secretary Silvestre Afable, Jr.

According to the President, more than three million people, most of them poor residents in the urban areas and countryside, have been enrolled in the National Health Insurance Program.