President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will inaugurate tomorrow (May 28) a housing project for close to 500 employees of the Department of Science and Technology and a public school building project in Molino, Cavite.

Dubbed as “Scientia Villas,” the housing units sit on a 13.1 hectare site in Barangay Molino 3, Bacoor, parceled into 570 homelots and allocated to 170 current and retired employees of the Industrial Technology Development Institute (ITDI), 200 employees of DOST and its agencies and 50 employees each from four other government agencies.

The science villas are directly funded by PagIbig, the government’s socialized housing agency. The site was developed by Moldex Realty Inc. and will be fully completed in October 2010.

The Chief Executive will be received at the Scientia Villas by Cavite Governor-elect Juanito Victor Remulla Jr., Rep. Wendel “Jun” Abaya Jr., Bacoor Mayor Edwin “Strike” Revilla, Vice President Noli de Castro who also chairs the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council, Science and Technology Secretary Estrella Alabastro, Industrial Technology Development Institute (ITDI) Director Nuna Almanzor and Molino 3 Barangay Captain Apolonio Advincula Jr.

Mayor Revilla will deliver the welcome remarks while the message and overview of the project will be given by Secretary Alabastro, to be followed by the turnover of keys and certificate of entitlement and lot allotment (CELA) to five family beneficiaries.

The President will then proceed to Queens Row Elementary School in Barangay Queens Row Central also in Molino for the inauguration of the newly completed two-classroom, two-story schoolbuildings for the incoming grade 6 pupils. Currently, the grade 6 classes have 60 to 70 pupils per classroom on three class shifts per day.

Upon her arrival at the Queens Row Elementary School, the President will be received by Queens Row Elementary School Principal Lope P. Feraer, Education Secretary Mona Valisno and Queens Row Central Barangay Captain Reynaldo Palabrica. She will then cut the ribbon and unveil the project marker.

The science villas started when the Molino lands were acquired by the National Institute of Science and Technology (now ITDI) under the Friar Lands Act 1120 for agricultural research and experimental sites. In 1975, one parcel (of four hectares) was set aside for scientific and housing purposes.

In 1992, the ITDI Director used part of the Molino property to demonstrate the application of interlocking bricks through a memorandum of agreement with the National Housing Authority.

Three years later, the ITDI sought the assistance of HUDCC to revive the housing project using a portion of the Molino property. In June 2001, President Arroyo issued an Executive Order declaring the ITDI Molino property a housing site.

In September 2002, an exemption clearance was obtained from DAR based on RA 6657 (or the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law) and Department of Justice Opinion of 1990.

In June 2003, a direct financing scheme by PagIbig was worked out to facilitate the development of the property. (PND)

MANILA, May 27 (PNA) — Malacanang on Thursday said the country’s economic growth in the first quarter reflects the sound economic policies that the Arroyo administration initiated in the past nine years.

“We see the strong growth as benefiting from the sound economic management we had in place for years,” Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Ricardo Saludo said in a regular press briefing.

Latest data from the National Economic and Development Authority show that the Philippines’ gross domestic product (GDP) grew 7.3 percent in the first quarter, from 0.5 percent in the first three months of 2009. This is the highest in 30 years.

“We see this as a sign that confidence remains strong. This really underlines the sound management that allows you to maintain a strong growth overall,” he said.

The NEDA said the uptick was attributed to the improvement in the global economy, brighter economic outlook, increased business and consumer confidence, and election-related spending. (PNA)

“For the last two years, we have been focusing on major programs and projects of the government and did away with the usual civic military parade. This time, we are returning the parade to showcase the achievements of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo especially before she bows out on June 30,” said Ludovico Badoy, executive director of the National Historical Institute (NHI), which was designated the lead agency for this year’s Independence Day celebration.

This year’s parade will feature 10 floats highlighting the 10-point agenda during the nine-year term of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. An eleventh float will honor the country’s modern-day heroes, particularly those who have made names for themselves here and abroad in their respective fields of endeavor.

Badoy will flesh out the details for the Independence Day celebration and the coming Flag Awareness Day on May 28 during this afternoon’s meeting of the Technical Working Group, which he chairs.

The Independence Day festivities will be launched on May 28, with Education Secretary Mona Valisno as the guest of honor and speaker in an event in Cavite City to commemorate the Battle of Alapan where the Philippine flag was first hoisted at Teatro Caviteno by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo in 1898.

Flag will be simultaneous raised nationwide at 8 a.m. To give homage to the flag, NHI will ensure that the Philippine flags are prominently placed in all major thoroughfares.

Badoy also urged both the public and the private sectors to proudly display the flag not just outside their offices but also outside their homes.

On Independence Day, “we expect the President to be there at 6:45 a.m. and lead the flag raising simultaneously with other local government officials all over the country,” Badoy added.

There will be the usual simultaneous flag-raising and wreath-laying ceremonies at 7 a.m. at the Rizal monument.

The parade will take place in the afternoon. There will be a fireworks display immediately after the parade.

To help Metro Manila residents celebrate Independence Day , the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) may give free train rides (for rapid transit systems like MRT-2, MRT-3 and Light Rail Transit). (PND)

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DUPAX DEL NORTE, Nueva Vizcaya, May 26 (PNA) -– President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has exceeded the combined accomplishments of three past presidents in the country in terms of infrastructure projects.
Public Works and Highways Secretary Victor Domingo said during Monday’s formal inauguration of the P330 million Bitnung-Belance road project in Barangay Belance here, President Arroyo has built more bridges and roads than the combined infrastructure projects of former presidents Joseph Estrada, Fidel Ramos and Cory Aquino.

“They only achieved 34,000–kilometer roads and bridges but President Arroyo has accomplished 47,595 kilometers already,” Domingo said.

President Arroyo visited the province Monday during the celebration proper of the province’s 171st founding anniversary.

After a private lunch with provincial officials, the President was accompanied by Representative Carlos Padilla, Governor Luisa Cuaresma, Mayor Antonio Palugod, Bishop Ramon Villena and Secretary Domingo in barangay Belance for the inauguration.

According to Domingo, the 13.194–kilometer Bitnung-Belance road project which is intended primarily for poor farmers to make their transportation easier and faster will also trigger economic interactions in three urban municipalities of the province such as Bambang, Bayombong and Solano.

He also said that the road project is expected to be extended to link Aurora province to Nueva Vizcaya, where upland farmers can bring their agricultural products in the Aurora Export Processing Zone (AEPZ).

“The agricultural products of Nueva Vizcaya will also go to the provinces of Aurora and Quirino,” Domingo said.

The road project was started in November 6, 2008 after it was committed in that same year by President Arroyo in her visit to the 68th birthday of Bishop Villena in Barangay Belance.

Used by upland indigenous farmers in transporting their products, the project was funded under the General Appropriations Act-Regular Infrastructure Program (GAA-RIP).

It went into three construction phases with concreting of 5.22 kilometers in 2008 with P130 million, asphalting of 3.242 kilometer road with P100 million and the asphalting of 4.732 kilometer road with P100 million. (PNA)

ANGELES CITY, Pampanga (PND) –- President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo this morning led ceremonies commemorating the 100th birth anniversary of her father, President Diosdado Macapagal, during her visit to this province.

The President formally opened the photo exhibit of the former president entitled “The Life and Times of President Diosdado P. Macapagal: A Photo Exhibit” held at the Angeles University Foundation here.

The exhibit showcases a collection of 100 photographs that essays the life of President Macapagal, who is lovingly called “Apung Dadong” by his Cabalens, as a student, a lawyer, a family man and as a public servant.

The exhibit, which coincides with the 48th founding anniversary of the AUF, also features books and other personal mementos written by Apung Dadong, who celebrates his centenary on September 28.

Through the exhibit, the AUF aims to perpetuate the legacy of Apung Dadong as a stateman imbued with untainted integrity, extraordinary honesty and unquestionable commitment to duty.

In her speech keynoting the event, the President expressed her thanks to the university for their efforts to keep the memory of her father alive.

“Our family is grateful that you remembered Diosdado Macapagal not only as President of the country but very fondly as Chairman of the Board of Directors until his death in 1997,” the President said.

“Thank you for honoring his legacy not only as Chairman of the Board but also as President. His legacy is now going to be remembered because you are helping enable Filipinos for generations to come to his life and times, and his contributions to the Filipino nation, and to be able to remember both memories from an objective and historical point of view, and also through those who knew him during his lifetime,” she added.

The President expressed hope that historians, scholars and the academe will continue perpetuating the life and times of her father by studying further “the personal papers that he and my mother left, particularly here at Angeles University and Clark, and with their alma matter, the University of Santo Tomas, and also the books he authored after his term as president.”

She cited Commission on Higher Education chairman and AUF board member Emmanuel Angles as “one of these scholars” who continue to keep the memory of her father alive.

“I hope that the Diosdado Macapagal Foundation which has been recently reconstituted and where Manny (Angeles) is a member will be able to marshal the proper scholars to document his lasting contributions to our nation,” the President said.

Dupax, Nueva Vizcaya (24 May) — President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will inaugurate today (Monday, May 24) the newly-paved Bitnong-Belance-Nueva Vizcaya junction national road, a 13.193-kilometer road, as part of her legacy projects to the country.

Upon her arrival there, the chief Executive will be met by Dupax del Norte Mayor Antonio Palugod, Belance Parish Priest Fr. Florentino Daynos and the Belance barangay chairmen.

The President will then board an open type jeep for the drive thru.

During the program, Nueva Vizcaya Governor Maria Luisa Cuaresma will deliver the welcome remarks to be followed by a message from Bishop Ramon Villena and a project briefing by Public Works and Highways Secretary Victor Domingo.

The newly-paved road costs P330 million and was started on November 8, 2008 and completed on April 30, 2010 or two months ahead of its target date of June 22, 2010.

Belance is an agriculture-rich community with a cool climate all year-round that is conducive to farming and planting of fruits, vegetables and root crops like citrus, cabbage, lettuce, yacon, ginger, sweet potato and others.

The road will not just help farmers deliver their produce to the market but will also trigger economic activities particularly vegetable and fruit trading in the municipalities of Bambang, Aritao, Bayombong and Solano.

The province’s improved access road will also reduce travel time and will pave the way for opening new opportunities for Barangay Belance like transport, retail and commerce and generate jobs due to the inflow of new investments.

Around 1,000 barangay residents and government officials are expected to attend the inauguration. (PIA)

Malacañang thanked the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) today for being appreciative of the efforts exerted by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to uplift the lives of Filipinos through enhancements introduced by her government in the fields of livelihood, infrastructure and economic stability.

In his regular press briefing aired over state-run dzRB this afternoon, Deputy Spokesperson Gary Olivar said aside from the above-mentioned achievements the President is also known for her anti-poverty and quality education advocacy which had been an integral part of her administration’s programs and projects since she assumed power.

“We are grateful for the positive comments about the President which were reported today from the members of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines about her achievements in livelihood protection, infrastructure and macro-economic stability.” Olivar said.

“While many bishops criticized her about poverty, Bishop Jaucian commended her anti-poverty program to which we might add that self-rated poverty under the President has come down to its lowest point since the end of the Marcos era or 43 percent last quarter,” he added.

The 13-member CBCP cited yesterday the accomplishments of President Arroyo’s administration since she became President in 2001.

The CBCP is composed of Pampanga Auxiliary Bishop Virgilio David, Auxiliary Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo, Jaro, Iloilo Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, Tagbilaran Bishop Leonardo Medroso, Iligan Bishop Elenito Galido, Cubao Bishop Honesto Ongtioco, Dumaguete Bishop John Du, Batanes Bishop Camilo Gregorio, Bangued Bishop Leopoldo Jaucian, Basilan Bishop Martin Jumoad, Palawan Bishop Pedro Arigo, Malolos Bishop Jose Oliveros, and Cagayan de Oro Archbishop Antonio Ledesma.

Olivar said that while several bishops criticized her on several occasions including her failure to address environmental issues and illiteracy, there were those who stood up and took notice of her education and scholarship program.

“Other bishops criticized her about illiteracy but Bishop Domoan praised her scholarship program in his province,” Olivar said.

He pointed out that the President “has done more than any of her predecessors in the basic areas of more classrooms, more textbooks, more teacher-training and more scholarships.”

He also said that while the President is cognizant about the growing number of Filipinos and how the educational system must be upgraded to be in tune with this reality, “a whole new educational strategy is required which is now being introduced by the Task Force on Philippine Education which she created and it will be the centerpiece of her legislative agenda in the 15th Congress.”

On the environment, Olivar noted that the President had already been devoting half a day every Friday to discuss with stakeholders ways and means on how to clean up the environment and through her efforts, the Philippines now “leads the region in the global advocacy against climate change.”

According to Olivar another bishop accused the President of destroying the democratic system,” but this is arrant nonsense.”

“All the coup attempts against her were put down with ordinary powers, the violence of local politicians that is the real threat to grassroots press freedom and democracy was met with limited martial law in Maguindanao and a first time ever commission on private armies, elections were automated, judges are not muzzled, and the press is free enough and ungracious enough to talk even about subjects like her breast implants,” Olivar stressed.

“The President may have some personal qualities that some people dislike, including some of the bishops but her record in office speaks loudest for her and will be vindicated by history,” Olivar concluded.  (PND)

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo yesterday (May 19) said the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) should be continued by the next administration.

In an interview with NHK-Japan Broadcasting Corp. at Kalayaan Hall in Malacañang, the President described the economic deal with Japan as a “win-win agreement”, describing Japan as a “strong ally and partner for the Philippines and for the region.”

“JPEPA certainly strengthens that partnership, especially during this time of global economic crisis,” the President said.

JPEPA was signed by President Arroyo and then Japan Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi in Helsinki, Finland, in September 2006. It was ratified by the Philippine Senate two years later.

On the trade aspect, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) projects JPEPA would increase Philippine exports to Japan annually by 20 percent and would open an estimated P300 billion worth of pipeline investments ranging from automotive parts to garments, allowing the country to diversify its trading reliance on the United States.

On the labor side, President Arroyo said “JPEPA brings the benefits of our strong cooperation to the people themselves in the form of opportunities for more job creation, business opportunities, and economic growth.”

The President, however, said Japan should expand its language training program to help Filipino medical workers and caregivers find work in Japan.

“I just hope that Japan will be able to maximize the cooperation on language training so that out caregivers and medical workers can take better advantage of opportunities, which will also be good for the older Japanese people,” the President said. (PND)

LUCENA CITY (PND) — President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo today condoled with the family of Quezon Province Governor Rafael Nantes, who died with five others in a helicopter crash in the outskirts of this city shortly after take off Monday afternoon.

The President dropped by Nantes’ wake at the Quezon Convention Center here. She was welcomed by Nantes’s wife Betty and some relatives

Nantes, his two aides and the pilot died on the spot.

Nantes, 53, was the treasurer of the national campaign of the Liberal Party in the May 10 elections.

Nantes ran for re-election but lost to David Suarez of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD.

Dressed in a casual black pantsuit, the President stayed for 30 minutes before proceeding to Funeraria Constantino to also visit the wake of Rowena Navales, a 14-year old girl who was one of the two civilian casualties in the helicopter crash inside the Jael Subdivision here.

The President gave cash assistance to the Navales family.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo cited this afternoon the significant role the academic community, particularly the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has played in strengthening the Philippine economy.

In her speech keynoting the commission’s 16th anniversary held at its headquarters in Diliman, Quezon City this afternoon, the President said the partnership between the government and CHED has resulted in numerous benefits which redound to the people in the form of better delivery of services and quality education for all.

“During my administration, CHED helped me change the Philippine economy significantly and for the better. With the support of CHED and the academic community, the Philippine economy today is far stronger than it was nine years ago,” the President said.

“We are now on a path of sustainable growth after 37 unprecedented consecutive quarters of growth. We have created millions of jobs that help keep some of our brightest workers here at home and we have resources to invest in better healthcare and education,” she added.

The President pointed out that these were made possible through “tough and unpopular” implementation of new taxes “which we reinvested in our people through expanded and improved education, social services, infrastructure and salary increases.”

“Education must be at the center of any government development platform. In that regard, we have invested in an education budget that is more than P200 billion this year compared to less than P100 billion when we started nine years ago. So we have more than doubled our budget in the last nine years,” the President said.

Because of the budget increase, CHED has been able to provide college and post-graduate education for over 600,000 scholars including those in the fields of science, technology and engineering.

The President further pointed out that CHED has grown in scope, holding jurisdiction over almost 2,000 higher education institutions (HEIs), 89 percent (over 1,500) of which are private schools, plus 109 state universities and colleges (SUCs), 81 local HEIs and 16 other specialized schools.

“Your policies influence the fields of study and the lives of almost three million students, 600,000 of which over the years have been scholars,” the President said.

However, the President acknowledged that despite having “succeeded on our part to pave the way and build a stronger foundation for sustainable growth, we still have a long way to go.”

The President pointed out the importance of working towards achieving a main education highway towards a knowledge-based economy that will result in a seamless education from pre-school to the tertiary level.

The President also talked about recommendations to improve consultations among the academe and industry and business leaders to determine new skills needs for present and future manpower.

“The main objective of these consultations is to make the skills of our college graduates more relevant to the jobs with high demand, therefore closing the jobs-skills gap and improving the employability of the graduates,” the President said.

“We want a seamless educational highway towards a knowledge-based economy because we are in the knowledge century and I desire to see a brighter future for the hardworking men and women of this nation. I have an abiding interest in seeing your clients and mine, in other words the students of higher education, will come into their own, seize the value of modernity and education and use these tools to advance themselves and the nation,” she added. (PND)