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30 OCTOBER 2003 |
| GMA to address 12th Mindanao Business Conference |
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is keynote speaker of the 12th Mindanao Business Conference (MBC) to be held at the Phividec Industrial Estate in Cagayan De Oro City tomorrow, October 31, 2003, where she is expected to focus on the future of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Mindanao. The President is scheduled to arrive in Cagayan de Oro City Friday morning from Davao City where she inspected government projects. Former President Fidel V. Ramos and Trade Secretary Manuel Roxas II are to join the President in the event. The President is expected to tackle Mindanao’s SMEs in the global scene, management of Mindanao’s enterprises, marketing Mindanao products and services, and Region 10’s strategic infrastructure projects. The presence of the President, according to Almarco Brito, chairman of the 12th MBC, will boost Mindanao businessmen’s confidence and their optimism that the island, particularly Cagayan De Oro City, will open its doors to more foreign investors. Brito said the conference is the right venue for forward-looking entrepreneurs who would like to get a first-hand glimpse of the future of Mindanao’s business. The MBC will showcase the unity of local government executives from Mindanao local economic development and employment generation. Mindanao is an active member of the BIMP-EAGA (Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines-East ASEAN Growth Area). Representatives of the group, especially the Chief Minister of Sabah, have been invited to the conference to talk on business opportunities in Malaysia and in the Mindanao region. Some 1,000 delegates, including leaders of Mindanao businesses and industries, small business associations and producer organizations as well as diplomats from the United States, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea will attend the conference. |
| Statement of the President : Re Impeachment Move |
I appeal to our leaders not to sit and wait out the situation. I know that there are issues of high principle involved on both sides but there is no higher principle in a democracy than the welfare of the people. This calls for a valiant, patriotic effort to set aside strong countervailing beliefs and hurt pride, and willfully come together for the nation. Every day of intransigency sets back the opportunities for national advancement—for economic stability and its attendant harvest of more trade, investments and jobs. Let us act now and as one nation. This is a time for statesmanship and sacrifice. |
| Statement of the President : Re Anti-Kidnap Operations |
I have given Secretary Reyes marching orders to go after kidnap syndicates with the full force of his new office. I am confident he will quickly consolidate the confidence of the community, which is vital to the success of his job. He is assured of the cooperation of the law enforcement agencies and I trust that he will forge the needed operational and intelligence teamwork needed to identify, track and neutralize kidnap syndicates. I also want him to check any cabals involving kidnappers and politicians involved in this criminal activity. |
| Statement of the President : Re Debt Burden |
We have the will and the means to pay our debts and the burden will decrease if we sustain growth and broaden our revenue base. Policies and programs are in place to achieve these objectives but we need to stand on a stable political base. That is why we need to shake off the syndrome of perennial political instability and perceptions of lawlessness and corruption. Our leaders and institutions must get together to deal with these issues in the spirit of democratic consensus. We have shown a consistent capacity for bouncing back and moving forward and we must continue to work on it. |
| Statement of the President : Re Water Poisoning |
I have ordered the DOH to ensure speedy and effective treatment of those who were affected by the reported water poisoning and to link up with the water company, the local government and other concerned agencies to ensure that this disturbing incident will not be repeated. The DOH will also conduct a thorough investigation to determine the root cause of this incident and draw out plans for ensuring the safety of the water supply in Metro Manila. |
| GMA stresses need for reforms and reconciliation to push RP forward |
DAVAO CITY -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said Wednesday that the Philippines needs reforms and reconciliation to further push the country towards progress. "Reforms and reconciliation will heal the wounds of our divisiveness," the President said in Cebuano during a multi-sectoral rally held Wednesday afternoon at the Freedom Park here. After inaugurating the Davao City Central 911 along Ponciano Reyes Ave., the President and her party walked some 50 meters, escorted by indigenously-garbed local dance troupe, to the Freedom Park where she was welcomed by some 10,000 residents lining up the streets. Among those accompanying the President were Presidential Adviser on Mindanao Jesus Dureza, Social Welfare and Development Secretary Dinky Soliman, Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, Vice Mayor Luis Bonguyan, 1st District Rep. Prospero Nograles, and other local officials. Welcoming the President at the Freedom Park were Official Development Assistance Absorption Secretary Marita Jimenez, Agrarian Reform Secretary Roberto Pagdanganan, Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) Chairman Michael Defensor, and Davao del Norte Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario, president of the League of Governors of the Philippines. Culled from her experience in government, she said that the country needs two things -- reform of the current political and economic system and reconciliation among all conflicting parties. The President said that we need to unite in order to make real political and economic reforms in the country. Our country will progress if we don’t have divisiveness, she said, as she endorsed federalism to change the current system. She added that experience is necessary to lift the nation as proven by the country’s growth rates in the past two years even while some of our neighbors are still undergoing recovery from the 1996 financial crisis. She said she also found out in her recent attendance at the Asia-Pacific Economic Conference (APEC) that the Philippines ranks sixth in growth rate among the 21-member APEC economies. The President added that she was happy to note the enthusiasm and optimism of the local business community in helping the government spur development in the countryside. |
| GMA: Mindanao getting P7-B worth of projects in seven months |
DAVAO CITY – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said Wednesday that some P7 billion worth of projects have been lined up to spur development in Mindanao in the next seven months. "Mindanao actually has the bulk of our Official Development Assistance (ODA). And here alone in Region 11, there will be P7-billion more worth of projects coming in the next seven months," the President told a late afternoon press briefing at the Marco Polo Hotel here. The President said that the P5-billion Davao International Airport would be inaugurated hopefully at the end of this year. She said that the over P700-million rehabilitation in Davao del Sur of the Philippine-Japan Friendship Highway, Mindanao section, would also be completed in May 2004. The P10-million Compostela Valley Capacitor Project would be completed also in May 2004. Not included in the P7 billion outlay, the President said, is the Bukidnon-Davao Highway Artery (BUDHA) project and other recently inaugurated projects in the region. "And that is for this side of Mindanao," she said. For the other parts of Mindanao, she said that there are many projects getting the lion’s share of the ODA. "Because we believe that if we are going to have peace in Mindanao, we have to have development, she said. She added that the Mal-Mar Dam project which has been waiting for 15 years will be opened next week. "And this benefits exactly the conflict area of Pagalungan and we hope that with more production, the farmers will also be less poor and less prone to be recruited by those who want to destroy the country," she said. Presidential Adviser for Mindanao Jesus Dureza also updated the President on the Kapit Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan (KALAHI) projects, particularly in conflict-affected areas Dureza said that there are four KALAHI projects in four barangays in Region 11 in coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). He said they are also implementing KALAHI in four areas of Regions 10 and 13. "We came up with these problem areas after the President’s directive that we work very closely with the Armed Forces and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to identify these areas," he said. The President added that the World Bank has seen what a good program the KALAHI is. "That’s why they have given us $100 million funding for KALAHI for a five-year period starting in 2002," she said. |
| Southcom to lay dragnet with Malaysia for capture of kidnappers in Tawi-Tawi |
DAVAO CITY – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Wednesday ordered Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) chief Lt. Gen. Roy Kyamko to put up a blocking force in coordination with the Malaysian authorities to capture those responsible for the Oct. 5 kidnapping of six persons from a Malaysian beach resort. The President made the directive during a late afternoon media briefing at the Marco Polo Hotel after media reports indicated the captors had murdered five of their captives, including two Filipinos, when the resort owner failed to comply with the ransom demand. "If the reports are accurate I condemn the outrageous and senseless killing as I condole with the families of the victims. The PNP (Philippine National Police) and the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) shall forge on with the manhunt of the perpetrators. Block any possible exits out of the country and coordinate with Malaysian authorities to set up a tight dragnet. "This is another test of our regional covenant against terrorism," the President said. Kyamko said that based on initial media reports the alleged survivor came out from Barangay Buat Paglima in Suldanan, Tawi-Tawi and reported to Languyan police station. However, Kyamko said the bodies of the alleged vistims have not been found yet. "If the report is correct, then I think the "if" has been answered because we are starting to conduct further verifications but until now, the bodies of the alleged victims have not been found yet," he told reporters here. He said that this is despite the fact that they have sent helicopters and local people have guided them to the areas. "We will continue the search and we will continue verifying further the information. Up to now, there is an air of doubt," he said. But the President told Kyamko that she wants to make sure the kidnappers are brought to justice as soon as possible. "In any case, I would like Kyamko to work out a joint blockade together with the Malaysians of our common seas," the President said. |
| DOH responds to address cholera in Tondo |
Media Release by the Cabinet Secretary The Department of Health (DOH) has responded to the President’s instruction "to ensure speedy and effective treatment of those affected by the reported water poisoning in Tondo and link up with the water company, LGUs and other concerned agencies to ensure that this incident will not be repeated." The following measures have been speedily undertaken to immediately address cholera in the area:
DOH reports that cholera is acquired by eating food and drinking water contaminated by human waste. Contamination occurs when the level of chlorine needed to neutralize volatile germs falls below the percentage required. Symptoms of the illness include fever, profuse diarrhea, vomiting, sudden onset of frequent painless water/stools and rapid dehydration (e.g. sunken eyeball, wrinkled and dry skin). The Tondo incident started in Velasquez and Capulong streets because of illegal connections and leaking pipes near canals and on-going road works, DOH reports. A total of four (4) deaths were reported, and 29 of the 115 patients confined at the San Lazaro Hospital were tested positive for vinrio cholerae, the bacteria that causes cholera. The DOH advises the public to take the following measures to prevent the further spread of the disease:
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| GMA inaugurates P79.13-M vehicular underpass in Davao City |
DAVAO CITY -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo inaugurated here today the P79.13 million Buhangin Vehicular Underpass, the first of its kind in Mindanao that will serve as a vital component of the Davao City Diversion Road leading to the Davao City International Airport Terminal. At the inauguration, the President was assisted by Public Works and Highways Undersecretary Bashir Rasuman, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, Congressman Vincent Garcia, Vice Mayor Luis Bongoyan, Buhangin Barangay Captain Claudia Salvador and other public works and local officials. In leading the inauguration, the President reaffirmed her administration’s commitment to infrastructure development as it sustains efforts to bring basic services to the people. She said the government will continue to pursue its planned infrastructure development and maintenance program as part of her vision of making Mindanao a quality island and to ensure its full development. The underpass, located in one of the fastest growing commercial districts in the city, was constructed through the initiative of former Congressman Manuel Garcia, incumbent Congressman Garcia of the second district, officials of the city headed by Duterte, Presidential Consultant for Regional Development Paul Dominguez, Presidential Assistant for Mindanao Jesus Dureza and the Traffic Management Board led by Col. Celedonio Tibaya. Components of the project include the two-lane vehicular underpass structure using reinforced concrete deck wall and retaining wall with a total length of 310.1 meters on both sides; two-lane service road alongside the underpass; sidewalk on both sides of the service road; drainage structures which include the box reservoir and reinforced concrete pipes; street lighting facilities; and pump and generator set. Although the pump and generating set are not installed yet, the project was fully opened to the public last August 21. |
| GMA assures indigenous people gov't will protect their rights and provide them with basic services |
DAVAO CITY—President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today assured the indigenous people, known as lumads, that the government would continue to protect their rights and provide them with livelihood opportunities and other basic services. In her speech at the Indigenous Peoples Summit held this afternoon at the Waterfront Insular Hotel here, the President ordered the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) to immediately release the second tranche of P10 million to finance the delineation of ancestral domain throughout the country. The President said that the government, through the Commission on Indigenous People, has already issued Certificates of Ancestral Domain (CADs) covering some 360,000 hectares, way above its target of 100,000 hectares. She said that during the ongoing summit, another 100,000 hectares would be covered by CADs. The President, however, noted that for the indigenous peoples to improve their lives, the country should have peace and stability, and not divisiveness. She cited the deep division not only among the indigenous people and the lowlanders but also among the soldiers, the members of the New Peoples’ Army, the Christians and the Filipino Muslims, and even between Congress and the Supreme Court that has brought about the impeachment case against Chief Justice Hilario Davide, Jr. "Kung may kapayapaan maasikaso nating mabuti ang ating mga bukirin, karagatan, kagubatan, kabundukan (If there is peace, we can fully develop our farms, our seas, our forests, our hinterlands)," the President said. She said that on behalf of the indigenous people who long for peace and stability, she appealed to the country’s leaders "not to sit and wait out the situation." "I know that there are issues of high principles involved on both sides but there is no higher principle in a democracy than the welfare of the people," the President said, referring to the impasse between the House of Representatives and the Supreme Court on the Davide issue. She said that this calls for "a valiant patriotic effort" to set aside strong countervailing beliefs and hurt pride, and that they should willfully come together for the nation. The President said that in order to protect the ancestral domain of indigenous people from overlapping claims, she has ordered Agrarian Reform Secretary Roberto Pagdanganan to suspend the implementation of the comprehensive agrarian reform program (CARP) in ancestral domain areas. She said that there will be a stepped-up implementation of projects under the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan (KALAHI), the flagship poverty alleviation program of the government, in the indigenous people’s ancestral domain. The President said that in order to ensure that the produce of indigenous peoples could be brought to the markets on time, the government would build more farm-to-market roads. The indigenous people or lumads would also be provided with health insurance like those now being enjoyed by 54 percent of the country’s total population. According to the President, the Department of Agriculture has earmarked some P90 million for various projects aimed at improving the lives of the indigenous people not only in Mindanao but throughout the country. |
| GMA confident RP can pay debt |
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo assured the people today that the government has the "will and the means" to pay its domestic and foreign borrowings. In a press statement issued in Davao City,the President said that the debt burden "will decrease if we sustain growth and broaden our revenue base." "Policies and programs are in place to achieve these objectives, but we need to stand on a stable political base," she said. "That is why we need to shake off the syndrome of perennial political instability and perceptions of lawlessness and corruption." Meanwhile, Socio-economic Planning Secretary Romulo Neri, who is concurrently director general of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), underscored the country’s favorable economic fundamentals. Neri said that the Philippine economic performance in the first semester of 2003 was better than some of its neighbors, like Taiwan, Singapore and South Korea. He said that in the first six months of the year, the country’s gross domestic product (DGP) posted a growth rate of 3.9 percent, while gross national product (GNP) grew by 4.8 percent. This favorably compared with Taiwan’s and Singapore’s negative growth rate and South Korea’s 1.9 percent. He also noted that inflation rate averaged 3 percent from January to September 2003, which was within the government target of 4.5 to 5.5 percent for this year. Both agricultural and industrial sectors recorded positive growth, he added. In her regular radio address to the nation on October 25, President Macapagal-Arroyo also reported a remarkable increase in foreign investments in the country during the first seven months of this year. She said that approved investments in the country reached P22 billion from January to July 2003, based on figures from the Department of Trade and Industry. These investments, she added, are expected to generate about 40,000 jobs. The President also noted employment increases achieved by the industry sector, 260,000 jobs; and services sector, 250,000 jobs, which are gauges of a country’s economic progress. |
| Kidnappers sentenced to death |
The Macapagal-Arroyo administration’s campaign against kidnapping for ransom has paid off with the conviction and sentencing to death of two of five persons accused of abducting and killing a Quezon City student last May 2001. Presiding Judge Monina A. Zenarosa of Regional Trial Court of Quezon City, Branch 76, recently sentenced Rodrigo Catungal and Jerro Garcia with the death penalty after they were found guilty of kidnapping-for-ransom with homicide. In compliance with the President’s directive for an intensified anti-crime campaign, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) in coordination with the Department of Justice and NGOS, is closely monitoring the progress of 50 high-profile cases under Project Bantay Sakdal. One of them is the kidnap-murder of Mark Harris Bacalla which made headlines during the surge in kidnappings in mid-2001. "Project Bantay Sakdal shall ensure that when criminals are taken off the streets, they stay off," DILG Secretary Jose Lina, Jr. said. In her decision, Judge Zenarosa also found guilty another accused, Zaldy Carino, as accessory to the crime and was meted the penalty of six years imprisonment, while another accused, Sammy Pade, was acquitted for insufficient evidence. On the other hand, the fifth accused, Felina Pader, turned state witness. Records of the case showed that on May 2, 2001 at about nine in the evening, Mark Harris Bacalla, a 23-year-old student of Fairview, Quezon City, told his mother Mrs. Ofelia Bacalla that he will be attending his schoolmate’s birthday party but he did not return that night. Mrs. Bacalla’s family later received text messages and a call demanding P4 million ransom money. But Bacalla told the caller that she could only raise P442,000 which she handed to a man in Paltok, Sta. Mesa. Without releasing Mark, the kidnappers again demanded money. Bacalla raised another P490,000. In the second payoff, SPO4 Elizabeth Racsa and SPO4 Arlene Glanan of CIDG accompanied Bacalla to SM Center Point, Sta. Mesa. After she handed over the money to the same man who received the first payoff, SPO4 Racsa immediately arrested the suspect, who was later identified as Zaldy Carino. Carino led the police to Barangay Rizal, Cuyapo, Nueva Ecija, where Mark was found buried in a shallow grave. The arrest of the other suspects followed, and one of them later admitted abducting Mark for ransom but he fought back and was later killed in his car. |
| 'Lumad' communities express support for GMA |
DAVAO CITY — The Mindanao-wide Indigenous Peoples Congress for Peace and Development today expressed full support for the policies and programs of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo that provide solutions to the long-standing problems of indigenous people in Mindanao, particularly the lumads. Datu Lito Omos, member of the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) Indigenous People’s Sectoral Council, said the members of the lumad communities in Mindanao have long yearned for the government to help realize their hopes and dreams. "Our hopes and visions were realized under the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo," Omos said in their statement of support written in Cebuano during the congress held at the Insular Waterfront Hotel here. Omos said among the President’s achievements are the following:
"Therefore, because of this, we members of the NAPC-IP strongly believe and hope for your continued implementation of peace and development programs in Mindanao from now until the end of your term in 2010," the manifesto said. "We strongly express our whole, continued, and united support to your dynamic and sustained programs for the Filipino people most especially to the lumads," Omos said. Signing the manifesto, aside from Omos, were Southern and Eastern Mindanao Datus Carlito Anglao, Nestor Apas, and Ebanta Morada; Northern and Western Mindanao Datus Sahampong Malanao, Fernando Mudai, and Kaubayan Areola; Datu Timuay Deonato Mokudef of Central Mindanao and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanano (ARMM); and Sectoral Representative Rizalino Segundo. |
