MBC Chair gives PGMA an 8.5 rating

Mindanao’s business sector has given President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo a high passing rate if only for her contribution to the development of Mindanao’s infrastructure.

“If we are to rate her for her performance for the past nine years I would give her an 8 or an 8.5,” Mindanao Business Council chairperson Vicente Lao said yesterday even before the President could deliver her State of the Nation Address (SONA).

Lao said the President has been performing quite well in the areas of infrastructure, economy and human capital development.

“We never had a president who has very pronounced policies on human capital development and who has focused so much in solving the infrastructure problems of Mindanao,” he said.

Arroyo, he said, has given specific instructions that all infrastructure projects in Mindanao be completed before her term ends. Economy-wise, he added, Arroyo has also performed well considering that her administration has been unlucky with the global economic crisis.

Lao cited Arroyo’s scholarship programs for human resources development to prepare the Filipinos skills-wise. He said the President’s program ensured that even if the government can’t provide jobs for all its people, then they are properly trained for work abroad.

However, Lao cited the lack of livelihood opportunities for Mindanao. Without livelihood, he added, there will be no development and no peace at all. “People do not even know where to look for jobs,” he said.

This is the reason why it is hard for these people to appreciate what the government is doing for them, he added.

Arroyo stressed the completion of various infrastructure projects specifically in Mindanao during her term. She said the Davao International Airport has been completed during her administration

“There will be elections in 2010”-GMA

“There will be elections in 2010”. This was the statement reiterated twice by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on two different occasions during her visit to Davao City today.

Arroyo returned to the Philippines via Davao City yesterday straight from her attendance in the Non Aligned Movement (NAM) Leaders Summit in Egypt.

“In no uncertain terms, there will be elections in 2010 and those who question this is undermining our nation’s commitment to a vibrant democracy,’ Arroyo said during the Regional Media Interview held at the Insular Hotel.

The President uttered exactly the same statement when she addressed the almost 175 municipal mayors and other officials from Regions 11, 12 and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao attending the Interconnectivity Caravan at the same venue. The caravan aims to encourage the participation of the local government units in the government’s program to combat climate change.

Arroyo did not only emphasize that the election will push through as scheduled in 2010 but she also urged the League of Municipalities of the Philippines to help make the automated polls a success.

The success of the automated poll during next year’s election, she said, “will show the world that our democracy is stable.”

Arroyo acknowledged the need for a strong voice from Mindanao who will voice out the aspirations of the Mindanaoans. And while the administration party follows a certain process when choosing its senatorial and other candidates, Arroyo said she will urge them to give due representation to Mindanao.

PGMA Visits Davao City's After Dark For The 4th Time

For the record, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has visited Davao City's "After Dark Piano Bar", a videoke-restaurant-bar located in Ecoland, four times already.

This was confirmed by no less than Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte himself who said the President sang a Visayan song (Duterte was not sure but said PGMA sang "Usahay") at the videoke bar the last time she was there. This was previous to her visit to the city last Thursday to attend the 61st birthday of Speaker Prospero Nograles which was held at the Apo View Hotel.

Duterte met with the President but refused to reveal the details of their meeting saying it was hush-hush and was not at all about politics but about community matters.

Weddings For Rich People In Government Belies Econ. Crisis In RP

Is the Philippines really suffering from economic crisis? NO, judging from the lavish weddings that are being celebrated for the sons and daughters of people who hold very influential positions in the government. The recent wedding in Davao City of the daughter of Press Secretary Jesus Dureza is a case in fact.

Of course, you can always say that Dureza already had his millions made even before he became the government's press speaker whenever there is an important proclamation or comment that the government has to make like belying the fact that there is an economic crisis in the country. Imagine the 10 helicopters that brought the guests to Dureza's Seagull Mountain Resort last Saturday including President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and former President Fidel V. Ramos.

Just a year or more ago, Speaker of the House Prospero Norgrales' son Karlo got married not only in style but super en grande as the common folks would call it. That wedding was also attended by "people who matter" both in government and in the business sector. And know what? That was also attended by Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Of course, you can always say that Nograles had made it big even before he became Speaker of the House.

In a country where more than half of the 95 million citizens are considered lucky if they have tuyo or salty fish as well as a bowl of rice in their table, this is a big insult. Imagine Dureza's guests all clad in black and gold apparel surrounded by an equally lavish catering service only fitting for the gods and goddesses of Philippine politics and business. On the one hand, imagine what thoughts filled the mind of Jenifer Bedoya before the beheading.. imagine the thoughts that are filling the minds of three Filipino Overseas Filipino Workers (Brothers) Edison and Rolando Gonzales and Eduardo Arcilla who are now in the Jeddah death row...imagine how Mang Pandoy could not even be laid to rest as the family was still waiting for burial money...

Even the authors of the Civil Code deemed the whole thing pukable when it stated in Article 25 that "Thoughtless extravagance in expenses for pleasure or display during a period of acute public want or emergency may be stopped by order of the courts at the instance of any government or private charitable institution..."

Perhaps, they do no even consider the Filipinos to be already living in a period of acute want whereby thoughtless extravagance should be stopped. Those people in Congress should think twice about limiting the expenses for the celebration of public fiestas which are enjoyed by as many Filipinos as possible if such extravagance display of weddings of government officials and their families are tolerated,

Imagine the poor Filipinos working their butts off either in the Philippines or in another country just so they can put three square meals in their family's tables...And then imagine the laughter and the caviar that must have filled the tables of the guests during the Dureza wedding. Please don't puke.

Mang Pandoy Is Dead

Mang Pandoy, the urban poor man who rose to popularity when he was used by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as an example of a Filipino whose economic status would improve once her administration's economig reforms are in place, is DEAD. Still poor, with his family agonizing not only as to his death but as to where to get the money for his burial.

Mang Pandoy died of Tuberculosis, a diseases which the society claims is also curable with continuous medication. But poor as he is even after PGMA's promise catapulted him to the limelight, he could not even prepare for his own casket and burial fees. He could not even purchase his Tuberculosis medications in the first place if ever he knew he had the disease considering he might not have money for medical check up when he was still alive.

Easy for the government to say there are free medications and check up in the barangays but try to go to the barangays and most of those poor souls, underpaid and too lazy to entertain the poor masses, would only give youa run-around and have you accomplish so many forms and requirements it would be easier to just sleep your illness off until you die.

Mang Pandoy's death also signifies the death of thousands if not millions of Filipinos. If not death from lack of hope then death literally from lack of food to satisfy their hungry stomachs. Mang Pandoy's death will temporarily be in the limelight with some government officials if not the Office of the President itself offering financial help for his burial or even for the education of his kids.

But these are temporary, band-aid remedies. And soon enough, his death will be forgotten. In the meantime, poor Filipinos will die everyday from poverty, from illnesses and from lack of economic opportunity.

With

Text Messaging Cost Slides Down To P0.50 Per Text

The only people who were perhaps smiling ear to ear after the State of the Nation Address of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo are habitual texters and that's about millions of Filipinos! PGMA announced that she has requested the telecom firms to lower the texting rate and they have agreed to lower text messaging at P0.50 per text message.

This means a lot of work for the marketing people of telecom firms like Smart and Globe. Smart's best-selling All Text 20 with 90 Smart-to-Smart text and 10 other network text will now be rendered obsolete because at a rate of P.050 per text message, smart texters would rather get the regular load and get longer periods for their load unlike the All Text scheme where it is good only for a day or two at most.