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| 03 NOVEMBER 2007 | ||
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| 03 NOVEMBER 2007 | ||
| More farmers hail hike in buying price of rice |
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More farmers from the countryside have expressed
their gratitude to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for increasing the
government’s buying price for palay from P10 to P11 per kilo effective last
Oct. 15. For the rice farmers nationwide, the increase means an additional income of P50 per 50-kilo bag of palay. The latest group of farmers who expressed their appreciation for the President’s action were from Midsayap, North Cotabato and Nueva Ecija. In their resolutions, the leaders of the two farmers’ groups pointed out that the increase in the buying price of palay would go a long way in increasing their income and improving their livelihood. Thousands of Filipino farming families depend on rice production as the principal source of income. The Libris BB Dam Mapia Irrigators Association of Bagumba, Midsayap passed a resolution last Oct. 22 expressing their “thanks and gratitude for the said move of our President of the Philippines to finally help the small farmers in the countryside.” Likewise, the Provincial Farmers Action Council (PFAC) of Nueva Ecija, represented by the leaders of the different farmers’ groups in the province, also passed a resolution last Oct. 26 expressing its thanks to the President for her decision to increase the National Food Authority’s (NFA) buying price for palay. “Dahil dito kaming mga lider magsasaka ay lubos na nagpapasalamat sa Pamahalaang Arroyo sa kanilang patuloy na pagkalinga sa aming mga magsasaka at pagbibigay sa amin ng mga tulong upang maitaas ang antas ng aming pamumuhay,” the PFAC resolution read. The President acted on the requests of farmers all over the country for government intervention to increase the NFA’s buying price of palay to enable them to cope with increased farming costs and uplift their lives. Earlier, farmers from the provinces of Pangasinan and Cagayan expressed their gratitude to the President for the government’s intervention in the palay purchase price, as well as for other programs of the Department of Agriculture (DA) intended to uplift the plight of the farming families. |
| Message of Justice Hakim S. Abdulwahid of the Court of Appeals Re: Commissioner Macarambon (As relayed to Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye) |
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We would like to express our deep appreciation
to her Excellency President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for appointing another
qualified Muslim to the Commission on Elections (Comelec). This is a clear manifestation of her Excellency’s policy of giving the opportunity to qualified Muslims to serve in the national government. Commissioner Moslemen Macarambon’s impressive academic background and extensive experience as trial judge for many years amply qualify him for promotion to the desired post. Indeed, Commissioner Macarambon’s appointment is a welcome development to us Muslim Filipinos. |
| Court of Appeals Justice hails appointment of another qualified Muslim to the Comelec |
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President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s appointment
on Thursday of “another qualified Muslim” to the Commission on Elections (Comelec)
was lauded today by Court of Appeals (CA) Justice Hakim Abdulwahid. In a statement, Justice Abdulwahid hailed the appointment by the President of former Iligan City Judge Moslemen Macarambon as Comelec commissioner to replace Mehol Sadain who has retired from the poll body as member. “We would like to express our deep appreciation to her Excellency President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for appointing another qualified Muslim (Macarambon) to the Comelec,” Abdulwahid, himself a Muslim, said in a statement which he relayed this morning to Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman Ignacio R. Bunye. Abdulwahid stressed that President Arroyo’s appointment of Macarambon is “a clear manifestation of her Excellency’s policy of giving the opportunity to qualified Muslims to serve in the national government.” Coming to the defense of his fellow Muslim whose appointment has been questioned by certain quarters in the opposition, the CA justice pointed out that Commissioner Macarambon’s “impressive academic background and extensive experience as trial judge for many years amply qualify him for promotion to the desired post.” “Indeed, Commissioner Macarambon’s appointment is a welcome development to us Muslim Filipinos,” concluded Abdulwahid. Meanwhile, from the infant province of Shariff Kabunsuan in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), gubernatorial candidate Datu Tucao O. Mastura, who is still to be proclaimed, thanked President Arroyo for appointing another Muslim to the poll body. “In behalf of my constituents in the newly created province of Shariff Kabunsuan, I thank her Excellency President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for the appointment of Judge Moslemen Macarambon to the Commission on Elections (Comelec),” Mastura said in a message sent this afternoon to Secretary Bunye. “We thank her for giving the slot for Muslim representation in the Commission. More power to her. Rest assured of our unwavering support,” Mastura added. Secretary Bunye, in a statement yesterday, appealed to critics to “refrain in the interest of fair play… from shooting first and asking questions later in the matter of the appointment of Commissioner Moslemen Macarambon.” “His record as a former law practitioner, law professor and trial judge speaks for itself,” said Bunye as he revealed that retired Chief Justice Hilario Davide had submitted a list of candidates to President Arroyo, and that the list included the names of three Muslims, among them Macarambon’s. Bunye added that the President’s choice of Macarambon is “also in line with the President's commitment to honor the GRP-MNLF (Government of the Republic of the Philippines–Moro National Liberation Front) agreement to appoint qualified Muslims to positions of responsibility in government.” “Parenthetically, it is my understanding that even GO (Genuine Opposition) spokesman Adel Tamano has kind words for the man (Macarambon) who once served as Senate aide and one-time law partner of his father, the late Senator Mamintal Tamano,” Bunye said. The Presidential Spokesman also rattled off a list of Muslim organizations and personalities who have come forward with their favorable endorsements for Macarambon, including early-bird supporters Maranao Chamber of Commerce of Quiapo, the Greenhills Muslim Traders Association, Inc., and Iligan City Mayor Lawrence Cruz. ”As an Iliganon, I rejoice and thank President Arroyo on Judge Macarambon’s appointment because an honest and hardworking son of Iligan and Lanao can now contribute to the metamorphosis of Comelec,” said Mayor Cruz. The mayor lauded President Arroyo for her “excellent and wise decision” in appointing Judge Moslemen Macarambon, saying that the move was a “fitting recognition” of the Muslim judge’s “able qualifications and exemplary performance as Regional Trial Court (RTC) judge in Iligan City for many years.” Meanwhile, Secretary Bunye concluded that “given a fair chance, we are confident that Commissioner Macarambon will be able to prove his worth in his new task.” |
| Message of support for PGMA's appointment of Comelec Commissioner Macarambon (As relayed to Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye) |
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From gubernatorial candidate Datu Tucao O.
Mastura of Sharrif Kabunsuan Province: In behalf of my constituents in the newly created province of Shariff Kabunsuan, I thank her Excellency President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for the appointment of Judge Moslemen Macarambon to the Commission on Elections (Comelec). We thank her for giving the slot for Muslim representation in the Commission. More power to her. Rest assured of our unwavering support. |
