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| 08 JANUARY 2007 | ||
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| 08 JANUARY 2007 | ||
| Statement of the President |
I commend the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for the successful operation against the Abu Sayyaf and the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), which only proves that these terrorist elements have nowhere to hide and are in fact already doomed to annihilation. Our fight against terror goes hand in hand with the global and regional effort; and as we face the ASEAN summit, we would like to assure all our allies in East Asia and beyond that the Filipino soldiery and people are on watch every hour of the day, determined to do their share to defeat terror for a more secure and safer world. Our meetings in Cebu will sustain the momentum in our collective fight against terror and in mopping up all forms of instability that affect the run of trade, cooperation and people to people solidarity in this part of the world. The Philippines will continue to be a strong player in security and trade, in fighting poverty and building prosperity. This is our commitment to the Filipino people and to all the peoples of East Asia. |
| International Media Center reopens for ASEAN Summit |
CEBU CITY--The National Organizing Committee (NOC) of the 12th ASEAN Summit anno unced the reopening Monday, Jan. 8, of the International Media Center (IMC) and the International Broadcasting Center (IBC) at the newly completed Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) in Mandaue City.More than 1,000 local and foreign journalists are expected to cover the ASEAN Summit, which has been rescheduled to Jan. 10-15. Senior officials and economic ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will meet ahead of their leaders from Jan. 9 to 11. NOC Assistant Secretary General for Media and Communications Milton Alingod has assured accredited local and foreign journalists that they will have full access to the media center and its facilities. Alingod said most press briefings and conferences will be held at the IMC's Main Briefing Room, where the media's working area is also located. A smaller Briefing Room has been reserved for the delegates and officials attending the 12th ASEAN Summit who would want to meet with the media. Hazel Abad, manager of the IMC, said a total of 70 computers with Internet connections, fax machines and photocopiers will be made available for use by the media at the main press working area. Twenty-eight booths have also been rented by local and international broadcasting companies at the IBC, which is capable of providing live video feeds from the Summit Complex at Shangri-La's Mactan Island Resort and Spa. Satellite transmission facilities are also available to the broadcasting companies, IBC manager Bobby Arias said. Joseph Verzosa, Business Head of the Corporate Business Group of the Philippine Long Distance Company (PLDT), said that despite technical problems caused by the recent earthquake in Taiwan, Internet connections have been restored at the CICC media center after the company installed a back-up facility providing I-Gate service, a dedicated Internet access, at no cost to the Summit organizers. This will allow faster and easier Internet connections for media people covering the ASEAN Summit, he said. The PLDT has also installed some telephone lines which can be used for free calls within the Metro Cebu area. Booths have also been set up by PLDT where media people could buy phone cards for calls to Manila and overseas, Verzosa added. |
| ASEAN: One Caring and Sharing Community |
CEBU CITY-- When the 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) gave their unequivocal support to the Philippines to postpone for a month the 12th ASEAN Summit scheduled last December, it was actually a demonstration of cohesiveness that is the hallmark of the ASEAN as embodied in this year's theme of "One Caring and Sharing Community." Without much ado, ASEAN leaders from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, confirmed they will attend the summit that was moved to Jan. 10-15. The decision by the Philippines to postpone the summit was painful but there was no recourse because the safety of everyone, particularly the leaders and the members of their delegations, was the primordial consideration. In 2003, ASEAN leaders resolved that an ASEAN community shall be established comprising three pillars, namely ASEAN security community, ASEAN economic community, and ASEAN socio-cultural community. The summit was originally scheduled here on Dec. 10-14, 2006 but typhoon Seniang forced the Philippine government to postpone it. The postponement proved to be a blessing for the Philippines, particularly the province of Cebu, which had been given additional time to fine-tune the facilities, particularly those at the newly completed Cebu International Convention Center (CICC), one of the venues of the Cebu summits. The new dates of the summits will also coincide with the start of celebration of the "Sinulog Festival," considered as the "mother of all festivals" in the country honoring the Infant Jesus. Because of the summit and the "Sinulog," business has perked up in Cebu province, particularly in Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City and Mandaue City. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will chair the 12th ASEAN and the related summits. All the leaders of ASEAN and its dialogue partners from Australia, China, Japan, India, Republic of Korea, and New Zealand will attend the summit. As originally scheduled, the leaders' meetings will be held at the posh Shangri-La's Mactan Island Resort and Spa but most of the other summit-related activities will be held at the CICC. This will be the second time the Philippines will host the ASEAN summit. The first was in Manila in 1987. The Philippines is one of the five founding members of ASEAN established on Aug. 8, 1967 in Bangkok. The four other founding members are Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. Since then, five other Asian countries have joined the regional grouping, namely, Brunei Darussalam on Jan. 8, 1984, Vietnam on July 28, 1995, Lao PDR and Myanmar on July 23, 1997, and Cambodia on April 30, 1999. Over the years, ASEAN has contributed greatly to the regional stability in the region, reducing tension in this part of the world. With close to 570 million people, or nearly a tenth of the world's population, ASEAN has played an important role both in the economic development and security of the region. ASEAN is a lucrative market with a combined gross national product of some US$876 billion, total trade of about US$850 billion and direct investments totaling US$25 billion. |
| ASEAN Summit security assured |
CEBU CITY--Security measures are all in place for the 12th Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) here on Jan. 10-15, Philippine security officials said today. The assurance was made by Assistant Secretary General for Security Leo Alvez and Chief Supt. Silverio Alarcio Jr., Central Visayas police regional chief, who said that they are taking no chances in ensuring the safety and security of the 16 leaders attending the summit. An additional contingent of policemen has arrived from nearby provinces to beef up the security forces already deployed here to secure the summit. Alvez said, however, that although security measures are all in place, they are still appealing to the people in Cebu to report immediately to the police any unusual presence of dubious new faces in their areas. The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) over the weekend said government forces have sealed off all possible points in southern Philippines to stop any attempt by elements of the Indonesian terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) and Abu Sayyaf to leave their mountain hideouts and slip into Cebu province. Lt. Gen. Eugenio Cedo, commander of the AFP Western Mindanao Command (WESMINCOM), said terrorists have been "suppressed" in southern Philippines through a series of counter actions. He added that troops have sealed all possible exit points on the island of Sulu, northern Mindanao, particularly Cagayan de Oro City, the Lanao provinces and Dipolog City. Philippine Navy ships have been patrolling the waters in Mindanao and Visayas to forestall any attempt by JI and Abu Sayyaf terrorists to cross the sea, Cedo said. Civilian ships are also checked by the Navy and Philippine Coast Guard. |
| ASEAN in spotlight before UN, world stage |
CEBU CITY – The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is going places in world affairs. Apart from the fact that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo herself will bring the political and economic momentum garnered by the 12th ASEAN Summit in the World Economic Forum (WEF) slated late this month in Switzerland, there is also a strong possibility that the regional grouping's engagement will be elevated to the United Nations itself. In a recent press conference, Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary and Director General for ASEAN Affairs Luis T. Cruz said ASEAN foreign ministers are now studying the possibility of holding an ASEAN-UN meeting sometime in July together with newly-installed UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. "Hopefully, the meeting, which we are now discussing with colleagues in New York, will push through," Cruz said. Ban, who replaced Kofi Annan early this month, has been invited to the five-day regional enclave, which gets going here Wednesday. But Cruz said that due to Ban's hectic schedule only a week into his new post, it was impossible for the new UN chief to attend the Jan. 10-15 Cebu summit. Instead, the new UN Secretary General is scheduled to deliver a taped video message as part of the summit program, according to Cruz. As one of the key participants in the WEF slated Jan. 25-26 in Davos, Switzerland, President Arroyo will be the lead speaker on the topic, ASEAN Economic World Map. She will be joined by distinguished panelists that include Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi and the prime minister of Vietnam. In another session, the President will be a panelist on the topic, ASEAN Diplomatic Agenda. The WEF is an annual meeting of key global leaders, chairpersons and executives of the world's top corporations and eminent members of international media, the academe and civil society. At the heart of the WEF discussions is how best to move forward in shaping the global agenda, the theme for this year's annual meeting. As the current chair of the ASEAN, the President will be representing a region "that is committed to working closely together to create opportunities for greater wealth, growth and progress, that is dynamic and focus of attention of global business and investors." "The President's participation in this year's WEF is an important and significant opportunity to present to the world the economic prospects that the Philippines and Southeast Asia have to offer to global business and financiers," the Department of Foreign Affairs said. |
| Enhanced ASEAN cooperation seen as leaders meet Jan. 10-15 in Cebu City |
CEBU CITY–Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are expected to forge an agreement on various initiatives that will further bolster regional cooperation, peace, stability, and economic development when they meet here on Jan. 10-15. With the theme "One Caring and Sharing Community," the 12th ASEAN Summit is set to tackle proposals for closer regional cooperation in various fronts and enhanced people-to-people contact in the region of more than one-half billion people. Senior foreign and economic officials of the ASEAN will meet on Jan.10-11 ahead of the leaders' summit and reprise agreements and discussions on forging a single ASEAN Community, akin to the European Community model, by 2015 or five years ahead of the original plan. Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, co-chair of the ASEAN National Organizing Committee, declared "it’s all systems go" for the ASEAN Summit. One positive outcome of the one-month postponement of the summit was that it enabled the Cebu provincial government, the Cebuanos and others concerned to further fine-tune the various aspects of the preparations for the high-level gathering of ASEAN leaders and their dialogue partners, she said. The lady provincial executive added that the resetting of the summit also enabled the local government to carry out the finishing touches to the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC), the venue of the opening ceremonies of the 12th ASEAN Summit and other Summit activities. "The one-month postponement gave us more time to improve, enhance and beautify (CICC) even more. So, we are very ready for the 12th ASEAN Summit," Garcia said. Other meetings of the ASEAN leaders will be held at the Shangri-La's Mactan Island Resort and Spa. Aside from the ASEAN Summit itself, the ASEAN leaders will hold other Summits, including the annual ASEAN sub-regional grouping summits such as the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asia Growth Area, the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle and the Cambodia-Laos-Myanmar-Vietnam Grouping. The ASEAN leaders will also hold four separate summits, ASEAN Plus Three Summit and the 2nd East Asia Summit. |
| Statement of Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye |
The President lauds our soldiers who have fought valiantly to keep the enemies of the Republic at bay despite the hardships and lack of equipment that have saddled the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for many decades. The President aims to elevate the stature of our fighting men and women through speedier modernization, better training and equipage and strong insulation from partisan politics. These will be done through a streamlined procurement process which eliminates leakages and guarantees the quality and integrity of materials purchased. These reforms, hopefully, will better prepare our soldiers towards breaking the back of the communist insurgency, clearing their lairs, and winning back their sympathizers by striking hard at abject poverty. |
| PGMA assures the world of the Filipino soldiers and people's determination to defeat terror |
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo expressed assurance today the Filipino soldiers and people are determined to do their share in defeating terror even as she commended the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for its successful operation against the Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) terrorists in Tawi-Tawi over the weekend. The President said the Philippines’ all-out campaign against terrorists bodes well with Southeast Asia, East Asia and the world’s fight against international terrorism. "I commend the Armed Forces of the Philippines for the successful operation against the Abu Sayyaf and the Jemaah Islamiyah which only proves that these terrorist elements have nowhere to hide and are in fact already doomed to annihilation," the President said. "Our fight against terror goes hand-in-hand with the global and regional effort; and as we face the ASEAN Summit, we would like to assure all our allies in East Asia and beyond that the Filipino soldiery and people are on watch every hour of the day, determined to do their share to defeat terror for a more secure and safer world," she added. The President said the 12th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit set to be held in Cebu this week is one venue where the 10 member states and their dialogue partners could further discuss collective strategies to totally crush terrorists so the momentum of economic growth in the region would not be hampered by these security threats. "Our meetings in Cebu will sustain the momentum in our collective fight against terror and in mopping up all forms of instability that affect the run of trade, cooperation and people-to-people solidarity in this part of the world," the President said. She added that the Philippines would not waver in its role in achieving peace and security as well as trade and prosperity to finally eradicate poverty in the region. "This is our commitment to the Filipino people and to all the peoples of East Asia," the President said. The AFP had earlier reported that an Indonesian member of the JI terrorist group and two Abu Sayyaf commanders were among six Muslim extremists killed during a high-speed shootout at sea in Tawi-Tawi on Saturday. |
| Statement of Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye |
The opposition does not have to belabor the obvious. Indeed, the mid-term polls in May will be a referendum on President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The administration accepts the challenge on the basis of the performance of the President, who is the only leader in recent history who has decisively turned the economy around in record time, has dented poverty, has taken a strong stand against terror alongside our global allies, has paved the way for permanent peace in Mindanao and is on the way to modernizing the armed forces. President Arroyo has put the Philippines in the world map in a way that mirrors good governance despite political noise. We challenge her detractors to match or surpass this record. |
| AFP modernization program: Key to a successful fight vs terrorism - Palace |
Malacanang said today the ongoing modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) would better equip the Filipino soldiers in their fight against terrorism and communist insurgency. Press Secretary and concurrent Presidential Spokesperson Ignacio R. Bunye noted that despite the lack of modern equipment and facilities, the Filipino soldiers were able to fight the enemies of the state. Among the latest feats of the AFP was the killing by the Marines, Army and Navy of at least six members of the extremist groups Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiyah in Tawi-Tawi last Saturday. "The President lauds our soldiers who have fought valiantly to keep enemies of the Republic at bay despite the hardships and lack of equipment that have saddled the Armed Forces of the Philippines for many decades," Bunye said. He added that the President, who is also the acting secretary of the Department of National Defense (DND), "aims to elevate the stature of our fighting men and women through speedier modernization, better training and equipage and strong insulation from partisan politics." Last Friday, the President conducted a Pre-Procurement Conference for the first P10 billion allotments for the modernization program after she vowed in her message at the Joint DND-AFP New Year’s call on her at Camp Aguinaldo, that the (modernization) program would be completed by 2010. The Pre-Procurement Conference was the first step in the streamlined procurement process that "eliminates leakages and guarantees the quality and integrity of materials purchased," Bunye said. "These reforms, hopefully, will better prepare our soldiers towards breaking the back of the communist insurgency, clearing their lairs, and winning back their sympathizers by striking hard at abject poverty," he added. The 15-year modernization program, which will cost P331.62 billion, includes the development and upgrading of the AFP equipment and facilities. |
| Lotilla opens Mindanao's most modern power plant |
VILLANUEVA, Misamis Oriental -- Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla led the inauguration this afternoon of the multimillion-dollar, 210-megawatt coal-fired Mindanao power plant located in Villanueva, Misamis Oriental. Lotilla represented President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who was originally scheduled to be the guest of honor and speaker at the inaugural rites but failed to attend due to inclement weather. "The President really wanted to be here. She wanted to emphasize the importance of this project, but unfortunately inclement weather did not allow her to land. Twice they had attempted (to land) but hindi talaga puwede. So, ipinapaabot na lamang ng Presidente sa inyong lahat that Mindanao remains a priority for her. And that we are here to ensure that Mindanao is reliable and affordable for a power plant," Lotilla said. According to Lotilla, the Presidential helicopter bearing the Chief Executive and her group had first attempted to land at Cagayan de Oro’s Lumbia Airport after coming from Jolo, Sulu but failed because of zero visibility. The aircraft diverted to Cebu where it refueled before returning and trying to land twice at Cagayan de Oro, but the attempts remained futile, Lotilla said. In his remarks, Lotilla said the President acknowledged the trust and confidence of the STEAG State Power Inc. for their investment in Mindanao’s latest and most modern power plant. She also extended her gratitude to the local government officials for their support in the establishment of the power plant in the Mindanao region. Lotilla sounded the gong for the symbolical opening of the power plant which will complement the Ma. Cristina Waterfalls power plant in nearby Iligan City. The 210-MW coal-fired power plant was established by the German-owned STEAG State Power Inc. STEAG is Germany's fifth largest power producer with a combined installed capacity of about 9,000 megawatts including its foreign power plants located in Turkey and Colombia. The Mindanao power plant secures for the island an additional capacity of up to 210 megawatts and is capable of supplying 15 percent of the island's power requirement. Established at a cost of $305 million, the project is considered as one of Germany's big ticket investments in the Philippines and is providing a highly positive business outlook not only for Mindanao but the entire country. |
| PGMA inaugurates Indanan-Parang national road in Sulu |
PARANG, Sulu – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo inaugurated today the P49-million newly upgraded Indanan-Parang national road that would spur economic and rural productivity in Indanan and Parang municipalities of this island province. Despite the bad weather, the President pursued her visit to Sulu, a well-known bailiwick of the extremist Abu Sayyaf Group to open important projects of her administration under the Mindanao Natin Program in Parang, the remotest town of the province. Arriving on board a presidential chopper the from Jolo Airport, the President landed at the Parang National High School and motored to Barangay Saldang to lead the ribbon-cutting and unveiling of the marker of the Indanan-Parang road. Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza, United States Embassy Charge d’Affaires Paul Jones, Sulu Governor Benjamin Loong, Vice Governor Nur Ana Sahidula, and Parang Mayor Sugula Tingkahan assisted the President in the ribbon-cutting and unveiling rites. Also present in the brief program were US Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission Director John Lindborg and Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Deputy Director and Program Manager Carlos Tan. During the program, Tan briefed the President on the latest developments in the USAID, GEM and Mindanao Natin programs conducted in Sulu and other areas of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). In her brief remarks, the President said the rehabilitation of the Indanan-Parang road is one of the good examples of the strong relations between the Philippines and the United States. "It is only one of the examples of our Filipino and American troops and officials working together to bring prosperity and improve the lives of the residents in this beautiful island of Sulu," the President said. The rehabilitation of the 22-kilometer highway from Jolo to Parang via Indanan will directly benefit the 108,419 small farmers and fishersfolk in Indanan and Parang. Under the Regional Impact Program (RIP), GEM implements critically needed projects like ports, roads, and bridge improvements in the conflict-affected areas of Mindanao. Majority of these subprojects, according to Tan, are in the ARMM in partnership with the ARMM government. After her visit in Parang, the President flew back to Jolo and inaugurated the Kuta Heneral Teodulfo Bautista Trauma Hospital (KHTBTH) inside the 104th Brigade Headquarters there. The KHTBTH is a 10-bed capacity unit equipped with medical facilities such as ECG machine, pulse oxymeter, blood bank, and ambulance. Its staff is composed of two doctors, a nurse and three technicians. Located inside the military headquarters, the KHTBTH building is worth P2.7 million. Among the objectives of the KHTBHT are: providing immediate resuscitative care and advance trauma management to the operating units within its forward medical service support jurisdiction; providing initial resuscitative surgery to patients that are non-transferable; stabilizing patients prior to definitive treatment facilities; and addressing life-threatening conditions of combat casualties beyond the capabilities of combat medical units. |
