ALBAYANOS LAUD PGMA’s DETERMINATION TO UPLIFT FILIPINOS’ LIVES

LEGAZPI CITY — The 9th State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Gloria-Arroyo today (July 27) drew mixed reactions from Albayanos but most of them praised her speech which showed her determination to achieve even more before she ends her term next year.

“Despite the short period of time left in her term, it seems that President Arroyo is determined to achieve her goals on education, environment and peace and order situation,” Elsie Atienza, a migrant worker from the province of Albay, said.

After watching the SONA, Atienza hailed President Arroyo for her commitment and determination to overcome all hindrances being met by her administration.

She said the message of President Arroyo to her critics is very clear which is everyone should work for the common good.

“I also agree that one punch is not enough to knock down all the problems in the country,” she said.

Punong barangay Jonathan Lorbes of Barangay 7, this city, said the President has satisfactorily delivered on her promises, but more efforts should be exerted in the areas of education and poverty reduction. He said there is a need for the Executive branch and Congress to work hard in order to intensify hunger mitigation in the country.

Angie Toledo, 45, married and a news paper vendor in this city, said that strict enforcement of law is necessary to stop atrocities in Mindanao areas. “It must be stopped once and for all if the President is determined to make a difference before she steps down in 2010.”

“Dakol man siyang naginibuhan, arog kan mga tabang niya sa Albay pagkatapos kan bagyong Reming, napadali an recovery program ta digdi (She contributed a lot to the province of Albay specially after the devastation brought by typhoon Reming),” Toledo also said.

“We hope that she can make it even in a short period of time,” she added.
On the other hand, Danilo Cabidog, an employee of a non-government organization working for people living with HIV, credited the President for arresting the increase in prices of basic commodities and for keeping the economy afloat even amidst the global financial turmoil. (MDRama, PNA/PIA)


BICOL ECONOMY GROWS BY 4.3 PER CENT IN 2008

LEGAZPI CITY — Bicol region’s economy posted a moderate 4.3 per cent growth in 2008, with the industry sector as the strongest performer with a 7.5 per cent expansion.

Engr. Gil Arce, National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) Bicol regional head, averred the region was one among five regions of the country recording growths higher than the national average.

In a press conference held recently, the Arce bared that the service sector, which held the biggest share in the region’s output at 43.1 per cent, grew at a decelerated rate of 4.2 per cent from 6.1 pr cent in 2007.

“Except for government services showing improvement to 5.7 per cent from 3.5 per cent in 2007, growth in all sub-sectors slowed down,” he said.

He said that growth in the transportation, communication and storage slipped to 4.3 per cent from 5.7 in 2007 due to the slowdown in the communication sector.

He added that the trade sector decelerated from a 5.5 per cent growth in the previous year to 2.7 per cent in 2008. On the other hand, the healthy performance of financial services in the previous years was not sustained in 2008 with the 9.8 percentage point reduction in growth rate from 15.5 per cent in 2007 to 5.7 per cent in 2008.

He also stated performance of the ownership of dwelling and real estate sub-sector slightly slowed down from 3.7 per cent to 3.0 per cent. Private services, on the other hand grew at a much slower rate of 5.9 per cent from 9.8 per cent in 2007.

“The contraction in private education services and the sluggish performance of personal services pulled down overall sub-sector performance,” he noted.

Arce, meanwhile, has attributed the healthy performance of the industry sector to the hefty 16.7 per cent growth in electricity and water, a complete turn around from the 10.4 per cent slump in 2007, noting that the completion of rehabilitation works on the region’s power generating plants restored the region’s power generating capacity.

NSCB data show the performance of mining and quarrying sector, following three years of continued growth, faltered posting a negative 1.5 growth on account of decreased gold output.

They also illustrate that construction sector managed to grow by 6.9 per cent, down from a fast 65.5 per cent expansion in 2007.

The NSCB regional chief explained that the growth was largely attributed to the spill over of typhoon rehabilitation works and increased private construction activities.

He observed further that the manufacturing sector, on the other hand, has remained steady growing by 4.6 per cent, slightly faster than the 4.4 per cent growth recorded the previous year.

“The deceleration in food manufacturers was compensated by the increased output in the beverage industries resulting in the faster growth,” he said.

The improved performance of Industry in 2008 further increased the sector’s share to the total regional economy from 25.2 per cent in 2007 to 25.9 per cent in 2008.

Agriculture, fishery and forestry’s performance slightly slowed down from 2.3 per cent in 2007 to 2.0 per cent growth in 2008.

“The continued slump in the livestock and poultry industry pulled down over all industry growth, adding that sluggish growth in the output of cereal grains added to decelerated growth of the sector. AFF comprised 31 per cent of the regional economy,” he noted.

Arce stressed that the per capita GRDP improved by 2.3 per cent from P7,058 in 2007 to P7,222 in 2008, however, is still the third lowest among that regions in the country. (MALoterte, PIA V)


38 VILLAGES TO BENEFIT FROM PRNA

NAGA CITY — At least 38 barangays across the Bicol region will soon benefit from the recent tools for planning and development as proven effective and efficient by majority of well-developed and rich cities and municipalities in the country.

Asec Tomasito Monzon, Office of the Presidential Assistant for Bicol chief, said his office and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) have already set a series of Participatory Rapid Needs Assessment (PRNA) in seven (7) municipalities in the region to determine its needed priority projects.

Among the municipalities included in the targeted PRNA activities starting today (July 27) until tomorrow are Calabanga, Bato, Bula, Iriga, Del Gallego, Lupi and Sipocot, all in Camarines Sur province.

From these municipalities, 38 barangays are included among the prospective beneficiaries of Kalayaan Barangay Project (KBP) of the Arroyo administration to the PRNA.

Covered barangays include Harobay in Calabanga; Sta. Rita, Tablon, San Pablo in Del Gallego; Polantuna, Alanao, Belwag, sitio Bansuray, Buenasuerte, Lourdes, Napolidan, San Rafael, Casay, Del Carmen, Mangcawayan, San Rafael Norte, San Ramon, Tible in Lupi; Salvacion, Gabi, Lubigan Sur, sitio Tigman, Tible, Binahian, Bagong Sirang, Anib, Cotmo in Sipocot; Mangga, Lobong, Maniit, Sooc, Cotmon, Lubigan Sur, Cristo Rey, Del Rosario in Bato; Paslong in Bula; and Niño Jesus in Iriga City.

Monzon said that PRNA is aimed to determine the essential infrastructure and livelihood development in the said barangays in effort to improve way of living of the residents in the area.

He explained that in the assessment process, public participation in development planning is encourage, thus the whims of one or two persons or groups were avoided.

“Dito lahat ay nakukunsulta at nakakapagbigay ng panig nila sa kung anong proyekto ang kailangan ng barangay,” he said.

KBP, on the other hand, is a poverty reduction project of the Arroyo administration that focused on the less developed communities in the country.

“In Bicol alone, KBP were able to carry out a total of 117 projects including construction of school buildings and health facilities, construction or improvement of water systems, farm to market roads, electricity, and livelihood projects,” he said..

Monzon, who also chairs the Regional KALAHI Convergence Group, said that community driven development strategies are the most appropriate procedures that should be adopted, not only by local governments but also by regional line agencies, because through the process it empowers the communities and fosters not only ownership of the projects but also sharing of responsibilities in the maintenance and sustainability of the projects.

Earlier, OPAB piloted PRNA activities in 33 barangays in Libmanan town last May 5-15, 2009. (MBQuiñones, OPAB/PIA)


RE-ACTIVATION OF LPRATs IN CAMARINES NORTE AND ALBAY SOUGHT

NAGA CITY — In an effort to completely re-activate the Local Poverty Action Teams (LPRAT) in the Bicol region, the Office of the Presidential Assistant for Bicol (OPAB) has spearheaded a series of consultation-dialogues, this time with the Camarines Norte and Albay provincial teams.

OPAB has just finished the first interfacing last July 24 in Camarines Norte, and set the other one on July 31 in Albay.

Participants in the said consultation-dialogues are the provincial chief executives and team leaders of LPRAT of each municipality and cluster heads of the Regional KALAHI Convergence Group (RKCG).

Monzon said that a consultation-dialogue is essential in formally and effectively resolving issues and concerns that negatively affect the organization and full operation of the LPRATs.

LPRAT is a team of executives from the provincial and national government agencies and/or instrumentalities in a locality that plans and executes convergent and synchronized local anti-poverty strategies.

“Such were the objectives of the consultation-dialogue that OPAB, along with the RKCG, held for the past few months. We want to re-activate and strengthen the provincial LPRATs across Bicol for them to conceptualize and implement consolidated poverty reduction plans with developmental catalytic effects to their provinces,” he said.

To date, two consultation-dialogues had been conducted in Masbate and Sorsogon provinces last April 14 and June 11, respectively. (MBQuiñones, OPAB/PIA)


INFRA PROJECTS PROMISED IN PGMA’s PREVIOUS SONA COMPLETED IN CAMARINES NORTE

CAMARINES NORTE Province — Three farm to market roads and eight other infrastructure projects were completed in this province, as promised in the previous State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Gloria Maapagal Arroyo.

Engr. Williard Atutubo, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) district office chief here, said that the farm to market road projects were implemented under the Department of Agriculture (DA) agricultural development and food security thrusts.

Atutubo said that these projects include the farm to market roads in barangays Catandunganon, Mercedez town and San Nicolas, Talisay town, which cost P5 million each project.

He added that the government allotted a total of P1 million for the gravelling and installation of reinforced concrete pipe culvert or RCPC in barangay Maot, Labo town.

He said that the farm to market road projects will help the farmers in bringing their products to the market in less travel time

It can be recalled that eight other infrastructure projects were completed during the last quarter of 2008 until January this year, including the Bayabas bridge in Labo; repair and rehabilitation of Daang Maharlika in Itomang section of Talisay town, Tabugon section of Sta. Elena, and Labo town, scoured embankment in barangay Paraiso, Sta. Elena, and asphalt overlay in Tuaca section of Basud, slope protection in Talagpucao section of Capalonga; and concreting of Gahonon road in Daet. (RBManlangit, PIA CamNorte)


CSC GRAD 10Th PLACE IN NLE; PRC RANKS CSC AMONG BESTS NATIONWIDE

CATANDUANES Province — Kristine Arcilla Ramos, a 2009 BS in Nursing graduate of the Catanduanes State Colleges (CSC), has placed 10th in the June 2009 Nurse Licensure Examination (NLE) given by the Professionals Regulation Commission (PRC) with a rating of 84.60%.

Ramos who earned her BSN degree as cum laude in March 2009, is the 5th graduate of the CSC who made it into the circle of board topnotchers in the licensure examination for nurses.

Her achievement, including that of her schoolmates who passed the NLE, according to a CSC College of Health Sciences official, is a timely vindication to the external attempts to ruin the reputation of the college.

The 20-year old topnotcher is the daughter of Ramon A. Ramos Sr. and Beata Ramos of San Jose, Oco, Viga town, this province. She finished her elementary education at San Jose Elementary School and her secondary education at San Jose National High School, also in Viga.

It is also a double victory for the CSC College of Health Sciences (formerly College of Nursing) who was proclaimed by the Professionals Regulation Commission as one of the best performing nursing schools nationwide in the recent NLE.

Overall, CSC is ranked 11 in the list of Best Performing Schools in the Philippines.
There were around 178 nursing schools in the country evaluated by PRC.

It can be recalled the the CSC ranked first in Bicol in the highest number of passers, first take category in the November 2008 NLE.

Ramos is the 5th CSC nursing graduate who made it in the roster of NLE topnotchers. She now joins the league of Rebecca A. Sarmiento, 7th Place, 1979 NLE; Oscar Chancoco, 1990 NLE; Therese Pia Noceda, 19th Place, 1994 NLE and Richard Evangelista, 7th Place, 1997 NLE.

The CSC nursing programs is likewise consistently producing above national passing percentage. Through the years, it has sustained its groundwork as one of the best nursing schools in the country, with its graduates occupying strategic positions and dispensing significant roles in the medical field in the country and around the world. A big number of its alumni are now the moving forces in the global health care industry. (GSRubio, CSC/PIA)


“State of our Nation is a Strong Economy”--- PGMA

MANILA — President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo reported to the nation that the country’s economy is strong despite the global economic slump.

In her 42-minute Ninth State-of- the- Nation Address (SONA) delivered this afternoon before the joint 3rd Regular Session of the 14th Congress, the President said that the strong economic fundamentals were the result of the bold fiscal and economic reforms she introduced when she took over in 2001.

“The state of our nation is a strong economy. Good news for our people, bad news for our critics,” the President said, adding that: “We have a strong economy in a strong fiscal position to withstand global shocks….”

The result of these reforms were an increase in national output and productivity as real gross domestic product (GDP) grew from a low of 1.8 percent in 2001 to a 31-year high of 7.1 percent in 2007, and a still positive GDPO growth at 3.8 percent in 2008.

The President noted that the Philippines was not insulated from the global economic meltdown but “the story of the Philippines in 2008 is that the country weathered a succession of global crises in fuel, food, then in finance and finally the economy in a global recession, never losing focus and with economic fundamentals intact.”

International rating agencies like Moody’s, she noted, upgraded the country’s credit rating due to the resilience of the economy brought about by the tough fiscal and economic reforms her administration put in place before the financial crisis, thus sparing the Philippines from the worst of the global financial shocks.

The President said the bitter and unpopular reforms raised revenue collection that stimulated the economy and enabled the delivery of enhanced basic socio-economic services to the people.

Among the fruits of these reforms she said, include better healthcare, surge in infrastructure, a strong education system, housing for the poor, food security
and increased income for farmers and fisherfolk; increased Internal Revenue Allotment for local government units, increased resources for social welfare and increase in the salary of state workers, among many others.

“Our reforms gave us the resources to protect our people, our financial system and our economy from the worst of shock that the best in the west failed to anticipate,” the President stressed. (PIA V Release)


PGMA fights back, fells critics with one big punch

MANILA — With one single blow, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo got back at her critics in her State of the Nation Address this afternoon, and like the winner that she has always been, must have knocked them out cold.

Breaking her silence on a number of issues raised against her by her detractors, President Arroyo said she has never expressed the desire to extend herself beyond her term.

“Many of those who accuse me of it tried to cling like nails to their posts,” she pointed out.

The President noted that those who accuse her of mis-governance actually left her with the problem of mis-governance to solve. “And we did it,” she emphasized, referring to how she turned around the ailing economy.

Saying she has been falsely accused without proof of using her position for personal profit, the President said it is actually her accusers who have lifestyles and spending habits “that make them walking proofs of that crime…”

“We can read their frustrations. They had the chance to serve this good country and they blew it by serving themselves,” she stressed without naming names.

While talking about the issue of cheaper medicines and placing drugs under a maximum retail price, the President issued a sound advice to those who want to become president – again without naming names.

“If you really want something done, just do it. Do it hard, do it well. Don’t pussyfoot. Don’t pander. And don’t say bad words in public,” she said obviously referring to critics who have accused her of conspiring with drug firms to circumvent the cheaper medicines law.

As a parting shot, the President also advised those who live in glass houses not to cast stones. “Those who live in jail should not threaten it, especially if they have been there.”

Long urged to answer her critics, the President has ignored the political innuendoes and remained focus on governance, saying there is plenty of work to be done.

In the early part of her speech, the President said that her administration couldn’t have done what it has set out to do if she had allowed herself to be bothered by her critics.

“Had we listened to critics of those policies, had we not braced ourselves for the crisis that came, had we taken the easy road much preferred by politicians eyeing elections, this country would be flat on its back. It would take twice the effort to get it back again on its feet – to where we are now because we took the responsibility and paid the political price of doing the right thing,” she said. (PIA V Release)

PGMA SONA elicits varied reactions

MANILA — Fiery but done in good taste.

That was how Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago and Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman Bayani Fernando described the State of the Nation Address of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today at the joint session of Congress at the Batasang Pambansa.

“Matapang, but she said it in a nice way,” Fernando said, referring to President Arroyo’s response to critics on various issues.

“I would like to congratulate her for the very good language. They were done in a very good taste,” Santiago agreed.

Cavite 2nd District Representative Elpidio “Pidi” Barzaga, on the other hand said that as far as managing the economy is concerned, President Arroyo is tops on his list.

“On a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate her more than nine. I’m sure even her critics would agree that she is the best president in so far as managing the economy is concerned,” he said.

Barzaga pointed out that although the country has been affected by the global meltdown, the President has been able to stir the economy clear of trouble.

He said the President was able to put the country’s inflation in check despite the global financial downturn. “And that, I believe, is her major accomplishment considering that there is a global recession, there is economic crisis.”

Manila 5th District Representative Amado Bagatsing agreed, saying her fiscal reforms kept the country afloat.

“She has shown us that she has the foresight. She made us take the bitter pill to withstand the tough times,” he said. (PIA V Release)


Next RP President is very lucky, PCCI official says

MANILA — The next President of the Republic is “very lucky” as he would inherit from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo a better economic climate, improved education for all and infrastructure projects that are vital to development.

Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) President Sergio Luis Ortiz said this is how he rates the President on her performance over the last eight years that she steered the country to progress.

“The next President is lucky to inherit a Republic with a better economic climate that has survived the global economic slump much better than its neighbors,” Ortiz said.

“There is no industry sector with a problem, even education that has been left out for decades was given top priority by the Arroyo administration and, there was a surge in infrastructure,” Ortiz said as he cited some of the major achievements of the Arroyo administration.

Since she assumed power in 2001, Ortiz emphasized that President Arroyo worked hard and fast to practically reverse an economy fast on a decline when she inherited it by implementing fiscal and economic reforms.

The result, he said was an economy that has been continuously growing, achieving record-highs. Even with the global economic crisis that started last year, the country remained generally resilient due to the macroeconomic reforms instituted by the President, he added. (PIA V Release)


PGMA administration cites importance of education in reducing poverty

MANILA — President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo underscored today the importance of education in reducing poverty and attaining the country’s development goals even as she cited her administration’s top investment in education, skills development and training.

“Education is the great equalizer that allows every young Filipino a chance to realize their dreams,” President Arroyo said in her last State-of-the-Nation-Address during the Third Joint Regular Session of the 14th Congress at the Batasang Pambansa.

The Chief Executive stressed that her administration has built 95,000 classrooms throughout the country and created 60,000 teacher items from 2001 to 2008.

“We allocated Php1.5 billion for teacher training, especially for 107,000 English teachers,” she added.

The President affirmed that one of the most difficult Millennium Development Goals (MDG) target is the “Education for All,” or universal primary education by 2015.

Although most countries will not be able to achieve it, the President said, her administration is trying its best to improve its own education system.

She said her administration have cut the cost of going to school by building more classrooms in 1,000 barangays, stopping the collection of miscellaneous fees for primary school, and declaring school uniforms optional.

She added that 47 percent of students in private high schools have likewise been provided government assistance including the funding for technical education and skills training which is three times larger than the budget allocated to such training by previous administrations.

At the same time, the President noted that her government has also provided 600,000 college and post-graduate scholarships.

In this connection, she recognized and introduced one of the beneficiaries of the program, Mylene Amerol-Macumbal, the first Muslim woman bar top notcher who finished accounting in MSU-IIT, went to law school and placed second in the last bar exams.

The President mentioned the accomplishments of the Presidential Task Force on Education headed by Jesuit educator Father Bienvenido Nebres that came out with the Philippine Main Education Highway Towards Knowledge-based Economy.

“Our educational system should make the Filipino fit not just for whatever jobs that happen to be on offer today, but also for whatever economic challenge life will throw them,” she said. (PIA V Release)


There is still more work to be done, PGMA says

MANILA — In spite of the accomplishments of her administration the past eight years, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said today there is still more work to be done to further improve the lives of the people.

“Some say that after this SONA, it will all be politics. Sorry, but there is more work,” the Chief Executive said in her State-of-the-Nation-Address.

Because of this, the President asked Congress to legislate nine essential measures, among which are:

-A Philippine Transport Security Authority Law ;

-Amendment to the Commonwealth-era Public Service to improve the telecommunications industry and be more consumer –friendly;

-The creation of a Department of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to steer further to progress the business outsource processing (BPO);

-The extension of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program plus the condonation of P42 billion in agrarian liabilities;

-Additional budget for the government’s Hunger Mitigation Program to further lessen the number of those hungry;

-Amendment to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Charter for the institution to further improve the banking system;

- Passage of new revenue –generating measures such as new sin taxes for social welfare programs;

- The SNITS Law or the Simplified Net Income Taxation Scheme (SNITS) to generate a PhP5.24 billion rise in revenues collected from self-employed taxpayers nationwide; and,

- More funds for the hiring of more policemen on the streets. (PIA V Release)


PGMA cites benefits derived from her trips abroad

MANILA — President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said today that her trips abroad were aimed at looking after the welfare of overseas Filipino workers in their host countries, bring in foreign investments, jobs, historical injustice aside from strengthening bilateral and trade ties.

“I always look into the plight of Filipino workers overseas and work out better policies on migrant labor or by saving lives and restoring liberty,” the President said in her last State-of-the-Nation Address at the Batasang Pambansa.

She stressed that when she visited the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 700 jailed OFWs were pardoned by King Abdullah.

After her state visit to Spain in 2007, Spain became the country’s biggest European donor .

Spain’s King Carlos, Bahrain’s Prime Minister Sheik Khalifa also helped her in talking to other countries where Filipino workers had problems.

In Kuwait, Emir Al-Sabah commuted sentences of some Filipinos.

“Our vigorous international engagements has helped bring in foreign investments. Net foreign direct investments multiplied 15 times during our administration,” the President said.

Foreign investments and remittances more than doubled the foreign exchange reserves and strengthened the peso, which helped upgrade the country’s credit ratings as foreign reserves grew by $3 billion.

“Our international engagement has also corrected historical injustice,” she said referring to her working visit to Washington last year, resulting in the successful sponsoring of the US Senate of the benefits for the WWII veterans as part of the US Stimulus package. (PIA V Release)