PIA Dispatch - Thursday, August 6, 2009

Heavy rains can’t stop PGMA from working as she visits Pampanga towns

Heavy rains greeted President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as she arrived in Barangay San Antonio on Thursday but it didn’t stop her from working. She distributed here housing lot certificates to homeless residents who were pre-qualified by the Pag-Ibig Fund.

The President, still visibly tired from her long working visit in the United States, shielded herself from the rains with a big golf umbrella but got drenched just the same as she went up the stage for the distribution.

The lot distribution benefitted 40 recipients—all government employees or relatives of government employees—from barrages San Pedro, San Antonio, Sto. Tomas, Sta. Monica, San Nicolas I and II, Sta. Lucia, Sebitanan, Malusac, the remote barangays of Batang 1 and II and Mabuanbuan.

Recipients Virginia Magpayo, 51, a health center worker and Ester Daloy, 66 whose daughter is a grade 1 public school teacher, profusely thanked the President for giving them a lot where they will build their homes to be financed by Pag-Ibig.

They said they will take advantage of Pag-Ibig’s attractive interest rates which are affordable for small borrowers like them.

After the rites, the President had to make a quick change at a concreted building, which had a table setting that was apparently set up for her visit.

Senior citizens, carrying a long cloth streamer thanked President Arroyo for the senior citizen center, the P750 allowance to the elderly and for the cheaper rice they enjoy from the National Food Authority.

The President, riding a coaster, alighted amid loud cheers and chanting of Gloria, Gloria from school children and adults alike. She was accompanied by her son, Congressman Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo and Education Secretary Jesli Lapuz.

The site development and facilities installation for the housing project is funded by the President’s Social Fund and is being implemented by the Office of the President.


PGMA to sign Carper Bill in Plaridel, Bulacan Friday

PLARIDEL BULCAN - President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is scheduled to sign here on Friday the consolidated version of the bill extending the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) by another five years.

The CARP Extension with Reforms (CARPER) Bill is the government’s reply to the pleas of farmers and workers in the agricultural sector for more time to fully implement the CARP, which expired June last year.

The signing, which will be held 10 a.m. at the Don Ceasario San Diego Gym, will see proponents from both the Senate and the House of Representatives joining the President and Department of Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman, enact the bill into law.

CARP, the land redistribution scheme mandated by Republic Act No. 6657, otherwise known as the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of 1988, expired in December 2008 at which time, Congress adopted a joint resolution extending the CARP for six more months, or until June 2009, to allow the Department of Agrarian Reform to continue its mandated tasks pending the enactment of a new law to extend the operation of the program.

Under the CARPER Bill, P100-billion has been allocated as outlay for land acquisition and distribution, support services, agrarian justice delivery, and other funding requirements during the extension period.

The bill likewise covers all public and private agricultural lands as provided in Proclamation 131 and Executive Order No. 229, including other lands of the public domain suitable for agriculture.

The measure stipulates that prioritization of coverage “is not necessary” and that after June 30, 2009, the modes of acquisition will be limited to voluntary offer to sell and compulsory acquisition.

The bill further provides for the creation of a joint congressional oversight committee to be composed of three members each from the Senate and the House.


Lawmaker commends 4 honor guards of Cory cortege

Senator Pia Cayetano said on Thursday she would file a Senate resolution commending the four honor guards who stood by President Corazon Aquino’s casket throughout the nine-hour funeral procession Wednesday that brought the former leader to her final resting place at the Manila Memorial Park in Paranaque City.

”I will file a resolution commending them because it is symbolic of what people in public service should do. Whatever your job is, do it well,” Cayetano said during the weekly media forum Kapihan sa Senado.

Cayetano lauded Army Pfc. Antonio Cadiente, Airman Second Class Gener Laguindan, Navy Petty Officer 3 Edgardo Rodriguez and Police Officer 1 Danilo Maalab for their "display of exceptional discipline" despite rain and hunger.

”For the soldiers who did their simple job but did it well, through rain and storm and all kinds, without food, without rest, I think that was effort on their part which they did without need of attention,” the lady lawmaker said.

”It’s harder than walking, it’s harder than running, stand in one position for eight hours is a very tough job. They quietly did their job,” she added.

Cayetano said the four honor guards in uniform should serve as a role model to every Filipino for standing in finest position on top of the flowers-draped truck during the marathon procession that started from the Manila Cathedral in Intramuros, Manila.

”I think they are role models...They did their job well," Cayetano stressed.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is reportedly giving the four honor guards a special commendation for their job that added solemnity and honor to the funeral ceremony.

The AFP and the Philippine National Police rendered full honors, including 21-gun salute, to the former president before she was laid to rest.


Economy to grow 4% this year, 6% next year --Villegas

MANILA, Aug. 6 – An economist of the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) on Thursday said he sees the economy growing at four percent this year, higher than government’s 0.8-1.8 percent target.

Dr. Bernardo Villegas, who is also a UA&P professor, also said the economy, as measured by gross domestic product (GDP), might even grow by six percent in 2010.

He said remittances of Filipino migrant workers and infrastructure and consumer spending continued to remain robust amid the global downturn.

“These three alone are enough reason for a four percent GDP growth,” he said during a CEO forum jointly hosted by Insular Life and Mapfre Insular Insurance Corp. at Hotel Intercontinental in Makati City.

Villegas sees inflation rate to average at 3.3 percent this year and four percent in 2010.

Inflation went down to 0.2 percent last month due to base effects of year-ago’s record-high prices of oil products, bringing the year-to-date figure at 4.3 percent.

The government projects inflation to range between 2.5 and this year and 3.5 to 5.5 percent for 2010.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) foresees a continued drop of inflation rate in the country with the latest average forecast for this year at 3.2 percent while next year’s figure was pegged at 3.4 percent.

Villegas projects the peso to average at 49.50 to a dollar this year and 51.50 for 2010.

The peso is now trading around 47 to a dollar, and is improving on account of the prospects of global economic recovery.

It closed Friday at 47.75 from Wednesday’s 47.84.

Villegas sees the country’s foreign reserves to hover to around 6.8-month worth of imports. He declined to give any amount.

The country's gross international reserves reached US$ 39.3 billion last May, or about 6.3-month worth of imports of goods and payments of services and income.

Monetary officials project a US$ 38-billion foreign reserves for the country this year.


“Kiko" reintensifies, signal No. 1 up in Batanes

Tropical storm Kiko has re-intensified into a typhoon Thursday morning, prompting authorities to raise signal No. 1 over extreme northern Luzon.

Signal No. 1 is now raised over Batanes, Nathaniel Cruz, deputy director of Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), said.

The eye of typhoon Kiko was spotted 620 kms northeast of Basco, Batanes as of 10 a.m. Thursday, he said.

Kiko is packing winds of 130 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 160 kph and heads west northwest at 19 kph.

Kiko enhanced the southwest monsoon which dumped rains in Luzon and the Visayas. Some parts of Metro Manila were submerged to knee-deep waters due to non-stop rains, prompting authorities to suspend classes in elementary level in public schools at noon time.

Kiko is aiming for Taiwan and may be out of the country by Friday morning or afternoon, Cruz said.

Kiko, nonetheless, will enhance southwest monsoon which will bring wet weekend in southern Luzon, including Metro Manila, and western Visayas, he said.