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17 JANUARY 2004 |
| The Good News: IMF upgrades RP economic growth forecast for 2004 |
The International Monetary Fund (IMF), noting the country’s continued resiliency, has upgraded its economic growth forecast for the Philippines from 4 percent to 4.5 percent in 2004. "To the extent that the Philippine economy benefits from the current upturn in the global economy, growth will continue to pick up in 2004," said IMF mission head in Manila Masahiko Takeda. In its recent post-program monitoring (PPM) on the Philippines, the IMF concluded that the country could now stand on its own and ruled out the possibility of further funding. Tekada said that based on recommendations of the mission, the Philippines would continue to be under the IMF PPM framework wherein policy discussions and review would be conducted twice a year. "The PPM framework is not a program so it doesn’t have conditionalities other than those contained in the Philippines’ outstanding loans," Tekada said. He explained that one of the purposes of the IMF economic mission to the Philippines is to look at the economic situation and determine whether or not the team will recommend the termination or continuation of the PPM. "I do not think," he said, "that the Philippines would soon need new IMF funding despite dire warnings of fiscal crisis serious enough to push the country’s debt towards unsustainable levels." The IMF said that the Philippine economic resiliency was due largely to timely monetary tightening and anti-money laundering legislation, along with further improvement in budgetary performance under the Macapagal-Arroyo administration. The IMF also lauded the Philippine government’s commitment to further improve fiscal performance and its efforts to build a consistent track record of fiscal prudence based on a viable and credible strategy to balance the budget over the medium term. According to the IMF, there had been a significant strengthening of revenue efforts that was crucial for bringing public finances and indebtedness to a more sustainable path. |
| Statement of the President: Re Evan Tan slay |
| I am ordering the National Anti-Kidnapping Task Force (NAKTF) to conduct an in-depth investigation of this report to determine if this is indeed another case of kidnap-slay, and for the public to be immediately informed of the findings. |
| Statement of the President: Re Recovery of Ill-gotten wealth |
This is a legacy of my administration to good governance and social equity, to justice and human rights. The pursuit of justice also means we will continue to fight for change in the political system and in the culture of corruption. We serve the rights and the welfare of the average Filipino and the average family—whether this means bringing clean water to the neighborhoods or fighting for clean government. |
| Statement of the President: Re Overseas voting |
All eligible overseas Filipinos must be able to vote in the forthcoming polls and I urge the Comelec to map out a feasible plan for this and inform our people about it. The right of overseas Filipinos to choose their leaders has both a symbolic and practical significance. It binds them to the national future as it allows them to participate in the mandate of governance. This is part of our fight for change that must include every Filipino abroad and his family back home. |
| Statement of Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye: Re Telecom executives |
The President’s stand defending the Filipino telecom executives who were harassed in Hawaii has nothing to do with the so- called war between US and Filipino telecom companies, which properly lies with the courts. What the President wants is for the US government to respect the dignity and rights of our citizens like the way the Philippine government respects Americans and other foreign nationals in our country. |
| President's radio address to the nation |
Magandang araw sa inyong lahat at sa lahat ng pamilyang Pilipino, kayo ang pundasyon ng pagbabago at kaunlaran kaya naman ako ay nagsisikap para sa inyong kabutihan, sa pabahay at palupa na pinakamalaking rekord sa kasaysayan. Sa kalusugan, binaba natin ang presyo ng maraming gamot sa kalahati at karamahin ng pamilyang pilipino insured na sa Philhealth na pinapaabot ko pa sa baranggay level. Sa bilihin, pinanatili natin ang matatag na presyo ng bigas at isdang kinakain ng mahihirap. Lumikha din tayo ng hotline para sa mamimili, I-dial ninyo lang ang 890-4932 at 896-5740 para isumbong ang abusadong negosyante. Patuloy ang pagtayo ng imprastaktura, tulay, daan, pasilidad tulad ng roll on roll off ferry o RORO at iba pang transportasyon, nang hindi tayo nagtataas ng pasahe. Tatlong milyong trabaho ang nalikha, kasama ang isang milyon sa agrikultra kung saan triple na ang ani ng mga nagtatanim ng Gloria rice. Para sa katiwasayan patuloy ang pagdakip sa mga salot ng lipunan ---- mga drug dealers, kidnappers, terorista at tiwaling opisyal. Pina-igi natin ang proteksyon sa OFW’s. At dakila man ang ating natamo, hindi natin pinabayaan ang mga pangunahing pangangailangan tulad ng tubig, nagpadagdag ako ng mga koneskyon, tangke, gripo, balon at mga gripong bukas sa publiko. Sa paglibot ko nitong nakaraang taon, nakita kong may tatlong daan(300) komunidad na may isang daan at animnapung libong pamilya (160,000) sa Metro Manila ang walang malinis na tubig. Maraming sirang tubo at talamak ang iligal na koneksyon. Ngayon sila ay may malinis na tubig. At ito ay sinisikap nating gawin sa buong Pilipinas. Lahat ng pagsisikap na ito ay para sa pamilyang Pilipino, patuloy kong ipaglalaban ang pamilyang Pilipino, patuloy kong lalabanan ang kahirapan upang i-angat ang kabuhayan ng pamilyang Pilipino. Maraming salamat. |
| Marcos money 'safe,' earmarked for agrarian reform beneficiaries & martial law victims -- Palace |
Malacaņang assured the people today that the $683 million recovered from the Marcos family would be earmarked for beneficiaries of agrarian reform and victims of human rights violations during the martial law regime. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said in a statement this morning that the recovery of the ill-gotten Marcos wealth forms part of her administration’s legacy to good governance and social equity as well as to justice and human rights. "The pursuit of justice also means we will continue to fight for change in the political system and in the culture of corruption," the President said. "We serve the rights and the welfare of the average Filipino and the average family – whether this means bringing clean water to the neighborhoods or fighting for clean government." In allaying fears the recovered Marcos wealth would be squandered in an election year, Presidential Spokesman Ignacio R. Bunye told a radio interview that "alam naman natin na ang salaping ito’y salapi ng bayan (we know that money belongs to the people)." Bunye said that the Marcos money would be spent in accordance with the decision of the Supreme Court, which had rejected with finality a second appeal of the Marcoses to block transfer of the funds from an escrow account in the Philippine National Bank to the government. "Ang salapi ay gugugulin ayon sa desisyon ng Korte para sa mga benepisyaryo ng land reform… Maglalaan din ng pondo para sa mga naging biktima ng human rights abuses noong rehimeng Marcos. ‘Yan ang gagawain ng ating Pangulo (The money will be spent for beneficiaries of land reform… Funds will also be set aside for victims of human rights abuses during the martial law regime. These are what the President will do)," he said. Bunye said that the President has ordered a minimum amount of P8 billion be placed in escrow for the human rights victims. It is up to Congress, he added, whether the funds for the victims of human rights abuses would be increased. Chairman Haydee Yorac of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) said, meanwhile, "the money is safe." After more than two decade of trying to recover the Marcos loot, she added, "it should be put to rest with the entry of a final and executory judgment." Yorac said that the $683 million ill-gotten wealth will be placed in two separate accounts – for the beneficiaries of agrarian reform and for the victims of martial law. |
| Palace unwraps 1st sem priority health projects |
The Macapagal-Arroyo administration is set to launch next month a nationwide vaccination drive in line with its international commitment to eradicate measles by 2008. Dubbed Philippine Follow-Up Measles Campaign, the move will cover all children born between Feb. 1, 1996 and May 1, 2003. Government health workers, including those from the barangays, will be tapped for the door-to-door vaccination drive, expected to be completed by Feb. 29 this year covering at least 95 percent of the population deemed susceptible to the disease. Malacanang said the anti-measles campaign is one of the government’s priority projects lined up for implementation during the first semester of 2004. Other health-related programs to be set in motion soon are the expansion of the Botika ng Barangay, Philhealth’s Plan 500, and TB Network. Under the expanded Botika ng Barangay, more pharmacies in the far-flung areas will offer over-the-counter medicines at cheap prices. President Macapagal-Arroyo said earlier she wants to cut down prices of all medicines by 50 percent, starting with government-run hospitals in the regional and provincial levels. Philhealth’s Plan 500 seeks to provide "universal health coverage" to the less fortunate Filipinos pursuant to the President’s 2001 State-of-the-Nation Address (SONA). The TB Network involves the formulation of a comprehensive and unified program to combat tuberculosis in the country, mobilizing local and national government health personnel and resources. These programs, set for completion by June 2004, form part of President Macapagal-Arroyo’s goals to strengthen the delivery of health services to the people. |
| Overseas Filipinos can vote in May 10 polls despite SC ruling -- GMA |
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today assured all eligible overseas Filipinos that they will be able to vote in the May 10 elections as provided for under the Absentee Voting Law. In a statement, the President also urged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to map out a "feasible plan" so that the overseas Filipinos in various parts of the world who have already registered can exercise their right of suffrage. "The right of overseas Filipinos to choose their leaders has both a symbolic and practical significance. It binds them to the national future as it allows them to participate in the mandate of governance," the President said. Foreign Affairs Secretary Delia Domingo Albert had earlier said that despite the nullification of the Comelec contract for computerized polls, Philippine foreign service posts will continue to assist in the conduct of the election proper and the counting of votes. "We will do everything in our power to make sure that our overseas Filipinos can cast their votes and that their votes will be counted," Albert said. She said that the DFA will continue to work closely with the Comelec to ensure that overseas Filipinos can exercise their right to choose their leaders. Albert said that with the Supreme Court decision, she foresees bigger challenges for our foreign service posts in terms of being able to complete the counting process in a more expedient manner. "Nevertheless, I assure our overseas Filipinos that the DFA will do its best to ensure the conduct of free and fair elections, including the manual counting of votes," Albert said. Based on the turnout of overseas absentee voting registration last September 2004, a total of 15 voting centers will be affected. These include the Philippine embassies in Abu Dhabi, Athens, Brunei, Doha, Holy See, Kuwait, Riyadh, Rome, and Singapore, the Philippine Consulates General in Hong Kong, Jeddah, Milan, and Saipan, the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Dubai, and the Manila Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei. Total registration in these areas accounts for 86 percent of the total 364,187 overseas registrants. |
| OFW remittances reached $6.9 billion in first eleven months of 2003 |
Remittances from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) for the first eleven months of 2003 reached $6.9 billion or 4.8 percent higher than the $6.6 billion posted in the same period last year. In a report to Malacaņang, Governor Rafael Buenaventura of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said that for November 2003 remittances reached $579 million, a 4.4 percent contraction compared to the $606 million remittances for the same month a year ago. Buenaventura said that the volatility in the foreign exchange market might have encouraged OFWs to delay remittances on expectations of further depreciation that would yield higher peso equivalent. For 2003, it is expected that remittances would expand by 6 percent to reach $7.6 billion, Buenaventura said. Buenaventura said the rise in remittances during the period January-November 2003 can be attributed largely to the deployment of higher-paid professional and service workers such as caretakers or caregivers, clerks, office managers and utility personnel tempering the effect of the decline in the number of deployed workers. Deployed land-based workers contracted by 6.7 percent to 600,620, while sea-based workers rose 2.6 percent to 199,727 from their year-ago levels, Buenaventura said. The United States, Saudi Arabia, Japan, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates continued to be the major sources of OFW remittances during the period. |
| GMA opens another "Patubig" project in a depressed barangay in Cainta, Rizal |
CAINTA, Rizal -- President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo today inaugurated another water project that is expected to serve more than 600 households in a poor community here. "The water you are long wanting for is finally here," the President said when she formally opened the direct water connection in Sitio PFCI (Progressive Filipino Community, Inc) in Barangay San Andres here, under her "Proyektong Patubig ni Pangulong Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo." The President said Barangay San Andres residents have been requesting for the water connection in their area since the 1980s. The President was welcomed here by the barangay residents and local officials led by Governor Rebecca Ynares, 1st District Rep. John Michael Duavit, Cainta Mayor Nicanor Felix, Barangay Chairman Jose Ferrer, and former Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) Chairman Manuel Sanchez. The President was briefed on the "Patubig" project by Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) managing head Ram Agoncillo and Manila Water Company, Inc. (MWCI) production manager Cora Lodrinpas. Earlier, the President tasked the "Patubig" water project task force composed of officials of the PAGCOR, MWCI, Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) and the Maynilad Water Services to provide clean and safe water to the identified 160,000 waterless households in Metro Manila by January 20. To date, the "Patubig" project has served a total of 222,657 households in Metro Manila exceeding its target by 62,657 households. Barangay Chairman Jose Ferrer thanked the President for finally bringing the precious commodity to his more than 100,000 constituents who, he said, were mostly indigents. Ferrer said they have been requesting for water connection every year since after the 1986 EDSA revolution. Ferrer said they would now spend less than 50 centavos per container to the MWCI compared to the P5 per container they pay for every water delivery. |
| GMA declares Chinese Lunar New Year as 'special working holiday' |
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has declared January 22 as a "special working holiday" throughout the country as part of the observance of the Chinese New Year. The President said that in order to promote cultural understanding and integration, the entire Filipino nation should have the opportunity to join all Chinese-Filipinos in observing and celebrating the Chinese Lunar New Year. Proclamation No. 532, which the President signed yesterday, January 16, said that the second new moon after the winter solstice marks the beginning of the New Year according to the Chinese lunar calendar, and has been determined to occur on January 22 this year. The President first announced the proclamation of the Chinese New Year as a "special working holiday" during a luncheon meeting last Wednesday in Malacanang with officers of the Filipino-Chinese Columnists Association. Labor and Employment Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas said that the President’s declaration of the Chinese New Year as "special working holiday" is a recognition of the importance of the occasion not only to the Filipino-Chinese community but also to the entire country. She said this is also a recognition of the proven industry and commendable work ethics of the Filipino-Chinese who have a tradition of continuing to work even during holidays. |
| Business leader lauds GMA, NAKTAF for improving security climate in the country |
Miguel Varela, chairman emeritus of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), last night commended President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the officers and members of the National Anti-Kidnapping Task Force (NAKTAF) for improving the security climate in the country. "We commend the highest leadership of the land, our President, for providing the vision that created the task force and thus far achieved unprecedented success in her effort to cut short cropping peace and order difficulties in the country," Varela said. Varela gave his commendation in his speech during the NAKTAF Thanksgiving Party held Friday night at the Tejeros Hall of the AFP Commissioned Officers Clubhouse in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City. "I am sure that you agree that we all recognize law and order as an equally important, if not the most important, issue in any of the macroeconomic fundamentals – if we are to endeavor to attain genuine economic progress and development," Varela said. Varela is chairman of the National Anti-Kidnapping Task Force (NAKTAF) Advisory Board, which is composed of prominent business and civic leaders in the country. Among those present were NAKTAF Chief Secretary Angelo Reyes, military officials led by Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Narciso Abaya, members of the Police Anti-Crime and Emergency Response (PACER) unit, Citizen’s Action Against Crime (CAAC) Chairperson Teresita Ang-See, industrialist Raul Concepcion, and several other business leaders. Some rescued kidnap victims and their families were also present during the occasion. Varela said the arrests of notorious kidnap-for-ransom (KFR) leaders and the safe recovery of the victims during the last couple of months have stopped the surge of kidnappings, cut the flow of ransom and reduced threats to life. He attributed this to vigilance in the barangays, close coordination with all affected sectors and speedy police responses. "Also the lifting of the moratorium on the death penalty and the successful mopping up of drug syndicates were certainly boosting the government’s drive to promote peace and order in the country," Varela said. Varela said the police forces have, so far, proven to be true enforcers of peace and order and true protectors of the people. "Similarly, the government has clearly shown that the law never sleeps and criminals cannot escape it," Varela said. On behalf of the business community, Varela also committed to do their own share and contribute to government efforts in addressing the country’s economic and social problems. "On the part of the business community, whose entire leadership is almost present here tonight, we fully commit our social responsibility to join efforts with the government and the whole society to look forward and move beyond in confronting peace and order obstacles that impede our nation’s growth and development," Varela said. He said he hoped that the initial successes of the NAKTAF would lead to "continuing victories in the service of the nation." The President, along with Varela and the other members of the NAKTAF Advisory Board, presented a plaque of appreciation to Reyes and the composite members of NAKTAF for their untiring efforts that resulted in a "kidnap-free Christmas" and the neutralization of kidnap-for-ransom groups. Ang-See described the NAKTAF accomplishments, particularly these past two months, as "spectacular." "This is a record," Ang See said, referring to the kidnap-free Christmas recorded from December 2, 2003 to January 12 this year. Later, all the guests present joined the President in a "boodle fight" right inside the Tejeros Hall. |
| GMA graces Pandacan's "Buling-Buling" festival as Astienza cites her achievements as President |
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo took time out from her hectic schedule today to grace this year’s "Buling-Buling" dance festival in Pandacan, Manila on the eve of its annual fiesta in honor of the Sto. Nino de Pandacan. Residents of the district turned out in full force as the President and Manila Mayor Lito Atienza joined the celebration along Librado Avelino Street (formerly Labores Extension) and danced the traditional "Buling-Buling" on the way to Plaza Balagtas where Atienza, the designated Hermano Mayor, feted both the patron saint and the President. Chants of "GMA! GMA!" filled the air as the crowd fought for every available space along the route and into the plaza. "Habang nagsasayaw, nanalangin ako sa ating patron na sana ay bigyan tayo ng isang Pangulo na gagabay sa ating bansa at sa ating mga pamilya (While dancing, I prayed to our patron saint to give us a President who can guide our country, our families to the right path)," intoned Atienza in his speech before a mammoth crowd. "Isa lang ang alam kong may karanasan at kakayahan, maraming nagawa para sa bansa at sa ating pamilya, yan si Pangulong Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (I know of only one who has the experience and the expertise, one who has done a lot for the nation and our families, and she is no other than the President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo," Atienza said. Garbed in his trademark red floral shirt, Atienza said it would take time for him to enumerate the accomplishments of the Chief Executive but emphasized her achievements in the economy and peace and order. "Sa dami po nang nagawa niya sa ekonomiya, binansagan ang Pilipinas na isa sa may pinakamatatag na ekonomiya sa buong Asya (Because of her efforts, the Philippines is now considered by many as having one of the most solid economies in Asia)," Atienza said. "No other President has neutralized criminal syndicates and drug lords than President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo," Atienza added, " More than 20 shabu laboratories have been shut down through her efforts." Dressed in a native beige kimono, the President took part in honoring Pandacan’s patron saint by dancing around the plaza. Joining her were Vice Mayoralty candidate Don Bagatsing, Atienza’s wife Beng, and Congresswoman Sandy Ocampo. Hosting the brief program were Councilor Beth Rivera and Ben Mendoza. |
