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04 APRIL 2004 |
| Good News: Road/bridge-building achievements under GMA's watch cited in DPWH report |
Bridges of peace, roads to progress. At the rate the government is building them, this probably is the best way to call the bridges and roads that were constructed under the watch of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. In the short span of two years, the President, has built a total length of 9,960 lineal meters of bridges and 6,911 kms of roads since 2001, the Department of Public Works and Highways has announced. A total of 163 bridges have been built under the "Tulay ng Pangulo sa Barangay" project, 120 bridges under the "Tulay ng Pangulo sa SZOPAD " project, and 49 bridges under the "Tulay ng Pangulo sa SALAM" project. The DPWH has 819 other ongoing and proposed bridges with a total length of 24, 570 lineal meters. These will be completed between now and 2005 under the "Tulay ng Pangulo" program. Of the 6,911 kms of roads that were either improved or constructed, 2,542 were paved, according to the DPWH. In addition, the government has completed 2,860 flood control projects and 11, 513 classrooms under the Department of Education school building program. It has also completed 17, 255 other infrastructures nationwide including those for local roads and local flood control, aside from water supply and national buildings. In line with the President’s vision for a Strong Republic, the DPWH takes a big responsibility in the nation’s fight against poverty, being a lead agency in building the infrastructure or foundation that will breathe life to the national economy. "When the DPWH says it is building bridges to connect towns and communities, it actually means building bridges of peace and understanding," DPWH Secretary Florante Soriquez said. "When we say we are bridging roads to open new territories, we actually mean we are building roads towards progress and prosperity." In her first State of the Nation Address, the President detailed her new policy thrusts and policies, the most urgent of which is winning the war against poverty within a decade. Such thrust id to be achieved by modernization of agriculture, development of tourism, improvement of law and order and decongestion of traffic. Special priority was also given to the improvement of infrastructure in Mindanao, which received only 23.6 percent of the DPWH budget in 2000. |
| Nationwide projects to kick-off on PGMA birthday tomorrow |
A unique present for the President Government agencies and non-governmental organizations will celebrate President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s birthday on Monday April 5, 2004, with a simultaneous kick-off key pilot activities showcasing the President’s achievements in pursuing development and the welfare of the peole. The series of activities will serve as their gift for the Chief Executive. The day-long celebrations start with a holy mass for the President at the San Agustin Church in her birthplace in Lubao, Pampanga. The President will attend the mass together with some 5,000 farmers and local officials of Lubao, to be followed by a breakfast salu-salo at the church patio. Shortly after the breakfast the Friends of PGMA and Cabinet ladies together with Gawad Kalinga (GK) movement, the City government of Angeles and Ms. Luli Arroyo will launch the construction of "Gloria Village"—a housing project for the benefit of indigent families in Angeles City. For its part, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will mount a concerted nationwide tree planting activity to be led by DENR Secretary Elisea Gozum, also in Lubao. DENR will be distributing seedlings in its regional offices. The seedlings most of which are fruit-bearing trees and easy to grow vegetables shrubs, will be planted in designated parks, nurseries, orchards and gardens for the project. Patents will also be distributed per region. The Department of Health (DOH) will also kick-off its national blood- letting program "Dugtong Buhay, Handog sa Kaarawan ni President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo." The program will involve blood donation missions around key hospitals in NCR, Caraga and Regions IV,VI,VII and XI. DOH will also be honoring 2,401 barangay health workers who have been instrumental in the President’s call for assuring the immediate delivery of basic health services via the barangay health centers. Also, the Department of Agriculture will be conducting testimonial plugs on the adoption of "Gloria Rice" under the hybrid commercialization program to be presented at the DA lobby. The department will also hold the GMA rice harvesting festival in Don Simeon and San Antonio, Nueva Ecija. Farmers will also be given discount cards as part of the on-going "Feed Assistance Program" |
| GMA joins El Shaddai in Palm Sunday mass, prays for peaceful, orderly and credible elections |
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has called on members of the influential religious group Yahweh El Shaddai to pray for peaceful, orderly and credible elections on May 10 and for all the candidates to avoid black propaganda and character assassinations in the campaign. The President joined some 1.5 million members of Bro. Mike Velarde’s El Shaddai in celebrating a midnight Palm Sunday mass at the AMVEL Business Park in Barangay San Dionisio, Paranaque City. In her short message, the Chief Executive asked for intercessory prayers of the El Shaddai members during Holy Week so that the candidates would uplift their campaign and focus on issues. "During this season of Lent, I am urging you my brothers and sisters in Yahweh El Shaddai to pray for peaceful, orderly and credible elections and also pray for uplift of the kind of campaigning by others, some of whom are using black propaganda and character assassinations instead of laying their platforms of government," she said. The President said that Saturday night was her 13th attendance in the celebration of Palm Sunday Mass with the El Shaddai, five of them during election years in 1992, 1995, 1998, 2001 and 2004. She stressed that it is important, like a divine plan, to have a time-off from the campaign so that every candidate can have a time of silence for discernment and prayer for the coming polls. "May you have a prayerful Holy Week and a very happy Easter this coming Sunday," the President told fellow El Shaddai members. The Mass was officiated by Paranaque Bishop Jessie Marcado, who was assisted by Manila Auxiliary Bishop Socrates Villegas and Rev. Fr. Randel Sanchez. In his homily, Bishop Villegas stressed to the El Shaddai faithful the importance of PSST (Pray, Silence, Say No, and Think) before choosing the next leaders of the country in the May 10 polls. "Holy week is not only for feelings, Holy Week is the time to discern, to renew our faith. Next month there will be an election, and as we vote for the next leaders of government, always be reminded of PSST," Villegas said. President Arroyo was received warmly by Bro. Mike and wife, Sister Belen Velarde, upon her arrival to attend the two-hour Mass. Koalisyon ng Katapatan at Karanasan sa Kinabukasan (K-4) senatorial bets Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Ramon Revilla, Jr., Manuel Roxas III, Robert Jaworski, John Osmena, Lito Lapid, Robert Barbers, Parouk Hussin and Orlando Mercado also attended the El Shaddai midnight mass. Other government officials present were House Speaker Jose de Venecia, Jr., who was accompanied by his wife, Gina, and Tourism Secretary Roberto Pagdanganan. |
| Palace: GMA is taking measures to avert possible power crisis |
Malacaņang assured the public today President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has been taking measures to avert a possible power shortage in the near future. "The President is doing everything to see to it that the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) is implemented," Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said this morning in a radio interview. EPIRA calls for the privatization of generation and transmission sub-sectors to compete the restructuring of the country’s power industry. The President recognizes the need to focus attention on the energy sector because a gauge in the progress of the country is a vibrant energy sector and if we cannot give it the proper and necessary attention, the progress of our country may be delayed, Bunye said. In a television interview last week, the President said "we have to privatize our generation cost now and we also have to bring in new power plants" as she emphasized the power industry is next in the reform agenda of the government. She has ordered Energy Secretary Vince Perez to privatize our generation cost not sequentially but to prepare the bidding documents for all and to sell the moment anybody is willing to buy. The response from the energy sector has been favorable with different multinational groups and power companies showing keen interest in acquiring generation assets of the National Power Corporation (Napocor), according to Finance Secretary Juanita Amatong who also chairs the Private Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation (PSALM). Amatong said then the Napocor board had already approved the sale of some of its plants – the 22-megawatt Loboc, two-megawatt Barit, 0.4-megawatt Cauayan, 3.5-megawatt Talomo and 1.55-megawatt Agusan hydroelectric plants The President said she has been inaugurating a number of power plants lately, citing off the cuff those in Bantayan Island in Cebu, Meran in Iloilo, and two others in Batangas City. The President also ruled out Saturday any increase in power rates even after the May 10 elections. Perez had been misquoted in a news report that the cap of 40 centavos per kilowatt hour on the purchased power cost adjustment would be lifted 50 days from then. Only Malacaņang has the power to lift the cap, according to the Energy Regulatory Commission. The President imposed the cap two years ago and has no plan to change it. |
| ROCO leaders rejoin GMA camp |
The core group behind the Reform Oriented Citizens Organization (ROCO) has switched back its support to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to prevent what it called "ominous development in FPJ’s candidacy." ROCO, composed mostly of members of the 9th and 10th Congress and former Constitutional Convention (ConCon) delegates, used to provide the engine for the campaign machinery of Alyansa ng Pag-asa presidential candidate Raul Roco. The erstwhile Roco political leaders said that national interest and leadership experience have influenced their decision to shift back their support for President Macapagal-Arroyo’s bid for a full six-year term in the May 10 elections. "We regret abandoning Senator Roco with all his idealism and crusade for good governance, but we certainly could not hang on to a leadership campaign while the prospect for a great disaster over the leadership issue looms in the horizon," they said. On Friday, they called on President Macapagal-Arroyo at Malacanang to pledge their support for her in the coming polls. Their group included former Laguna Congressman Rodolfo Tingzon, former Pangasinan 4th District Congressman Jose Bengzon, former Lakas National Spokesman and Ifugao Governor Gualberto Lumauig, former Congresswomen Luz Bakunawa of Masbate and Venice Agara of Bohol and former ConCon delegate Emil Ong. Earlier, former Congressman Jerry Paras of Negros Occidental, for Governor Rodolfo Valencia of Mindoro Oriental, and Caloocan 1st District Congressman Edgardo Erice had rejoined the President’s camp. Former Rep. Herminio Aquino, now Pag-asa vice presidential bet, was chairman of ROCO. Lumauig replaced Aquino as ROCO chairman. More ROCO leaders, including former congressmen, governors and mayors, are expected to jump to the GMA bandwagon. |
| GMA taps cooperatives to expand gov't's micro-finance program |
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today tapped the expertise and resources of private cooperatives to speed up the delivery of the government’s micro-financing program for the marginalized sectors of society, especially unemployed women. The President specifically called on the Project 4 Development Cooperative in Quezon City to help implement the government’s micro-financing program by scouting around for potential beneficiaries. "I know that the Project 4 Development Cooperative has a track record for lending (small livelihood loans). Look for more women in Quezon City or other places to offer these loans," the Chief Executive said keynote speech at the 31st general assembly of the cooperative. Mrs. Macapagal-Arroyo also said the Project 4 cooperative could be a conduit of the government’s National Livelihood Support Fund (NLSF). She revealed that the government’s soft loan financing for women offers loans ranging from P2,000 to P100,000 for small and medium enterprises. President Macapagal-Arroyo, who is seeking a full six-year tem in the May 10 elections, pointed out that the NLSF has been instrumental in providing micro-financing to one million jobless women who now have their own sources of income. "That is part of my platform, to provide one million jobs a year over the next six years," she added. "That is why this election is not about me. This election is about you. How you could gain more power. It is only proper that you are further empowered to provide employment not only for residents of Quezon City, but other areas as well," the President stressed. Mrs. Macapagal-Arroyo cited the Project 4 cooperative for efficient management of its finances, with assets now reaching P200 million. Joining the President in the Project 4 event were senatorial candidates of the ruling Koalisyon ng Katapatan at Karanasan para sa Kinabukasan (K-4) Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Parouk Hussin, Orlando Mercado and Rodolfo Biazon. |
