Statement of the President
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Sa pagsapit nitong ika-anim na araw magmula nuong humagupit sa atin ang typhoon Ondoy, patuloy ang
madalian at malawakang paghatid ng mga ahensiyang pamahalaan ng tulong at saklolo sa mga nasalanta't
nangangailangan.
Una, isasailalim sa price control ng DTI ang mga construction materials.
Ikalawa, mamamahagi ang Bureau of Fire Protection, MWSS at LWUA ng libreng tubig pang-inom sa mga lugar
na binaha.
Ikatlo, tutulong ang Philippine Air Force sa pagsundo at paghatid ng mga pagkain at donasyon mula sa
kabisayaan at Mindanao.
Ika-apat, magbigay ang DSWD ng tulong sa paglibing ng mga binawian ng buhay dahil sa bagyo.
Ika-lima, inaatasan natin ang PAGASA na sila ang magbibigay-alam sa ating mamamayan kapag muling
mangyari ang pangangailangang magpakawala ng tubig mula sa ating mga reservoir. Sa ganitong paraan ay
maiintindihan ng publiko ang gagawin at hindi nila ito ika-pangangamba.
Ika-anim, mag-aangkat ng isang milyong cup noodles upang sagutin ang kakulangan.
Labis nating ikinatutuwa ang pagdagsa ng kawanggawa at kabutihang loob mula sa ating mga kababayan para
sa mga nasalanta ng Bagyong Ondoy. Nandiyan ang malalaking kumpanyang dumukot ng malalim sa kani-
kanilang bulsa at namuno rin sa pangangalap ng donasyon mula sa libu-libong mga bukas palad.
Nandiyan din ang mga karaniwang mamamayan, lalo na sa kabataan, na tahimik na nag-volunteer sa
pangongolekta, pag-empake, at pamamahagi ng trak-trak na relief goods para sa mga binaha sa Marikina,
Cainta, Pasig at kay dami pang ibang dako ng kamaynilaan at karatig-lugar. Nandiyan din ang mga kagawad ng
pamahalaan at civil society na nagbuhos ng kanilang panahon upang palawigin ang kanilang serbisyong bayan
at abutin ang gaano mang kaliit o kalayong nangangailangan ng tulong.
Totoo nga na buhay pa at maalab sa dibdib ng bawat Pilipino ang dakilang diwa ng bayanihan.
At sa boluntarismo, hindi ito matatawaran o mababakuran. Sa mga darating na linggo, maari pa tayong dalawin
ng mga bagong bagyo.
Kaya’t nawa’y mamamalagi sa ating lahat ang diwa ng pagtutulungan at boluntarismo, upang muli maitatawid
ang anumang bagong hamon na dala ng kalikasan, taas-noo, kapit-bisig, magkakabalikat bilang magkakalahi
at tunay na magkakapatid.
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PGMA fast tracks NCR’s clearing operations
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President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo fast tracked clearing operations, especially in Metro Manila, as well as the
identification of possible relocation sites for displaced victims to restore normalcy in areas devastated by
typhoon “Ondoy.”
At the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) meeting this morning, the President stressed the need to
relocate riverbank settlers to safer grounds to avoid further loss of lives and properties in future disasters.
“Riverbanks settlers should not go back, (to their former homes)” she stressed as she asked Vice President
Noli de Castro to look for possible relocation sites.
De Castro said 100,000 units could be built on a former Manila Bank property in San Miguel, Bulacan and some
281 hectares could be set aside for agri-livelihood projects for relocated typhoon victims.
De Castro, who is concurrent chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council
(HUDCC), said the site is 65 kilometers from Manila and could be developed as a permanent relocation site.
Other recommended sites are the Southville in Binan, Laguna where 750 units are already available; Towerville
in San Jose del Monte in Bulacan with 650 units; service lots in San Jose del Monte;1,800 lots and 20,312
hectares in the Lungsod Silangan property.
The government also plans to offer a “Balik Probinsiya” program for victims of typhoon “Ondoy” who wish to go
back to their home provinces.
The program offers each family the equivalent of 60 days of minimum wage or P22,920 per family to start life
anew in the provinces.
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Gov’t to implement forced evacuation in provinces to be hit by ‘Pepeng’
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President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered today local government units (LGUs) in the provinces that will be
directly affected by typhoon ‘Pepeng’ to implement forced evacuation in vulnerable areas to prevent further loss
of lives and identify temporary shelters for evacuees.
The President issued the order to local government executives of Camarines Norte, Aurora, Northern Quezon,
Pollilio Island, Isabela and Cagayan.
At the same time, the President ensured that disaster relief response teams fielded in vulnerable areas are
equipped with rubber boats, portable generators, M35 trucks, and life-saving kits.
In between the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) meeting in Cainta this morning, the President
stressed to governors of provinces in the path of typhoon Pepeng the importance of preemptive and, if needed,
forced evacuation.
The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said typhoon
‘Pepeng’ is expected to make landfall in Aurora and Isabela by Saturday morning.
As of 11 am today, Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, Northern Quezon, Aurora, Pollilio Island and Isabela are
now under public storm warning signal #2.
The weather bureau said “Pepeng” could develop into a supertyphoon within the next 24 hours.
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PGMA orders immediate assistance to Tahanang Walang Hagdanan
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President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today ordered the Rizal provincial government to provide assistance to
theTahanang Walang Hagdanan Inc. (TWHI) whose production and housing facilities were not spared by the
fury of tropical storm Ondoy.
The President issued the directive after visiting the center behind the Cainta capitol which had been plunged by
Ondoy in over knee-deep murky water, the first time since its establishment in 1973 as a facility for people with
disability (PWD).
She has just presided over the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) meeting at the Cainta capitol
when she decided to spare some time to inspect the damage at the center’s production facility which employs
about 350 handicapped and wheelchair-bound people.
The equipment at the facility manned by people who can’t otherwise get any gainful employment have been
rendered useless by the massive flooding brought by Ondoy last Saturday.
The center also houses 150 handicapped people while the rest of the workers live outside with their families.
They were brought to safer grounds only by kindhearted neighbors and relatives.
“We appealed to the President for the immediate rehabilitation of our production facilities otherwise our workers
will have no work to earn income from,” said Claire Llenares, Human Resource Development Manager of TWHI’
s cooperative.
The President took time to shake hands with the people on wheelchair as she spoke with the facility’s chief
operating officer, Joy Garcia, who stressed that what the center immediately needs is the sending of additional
technicians to repair the machineries.
“We are not asking for new machineries, which will take time to order and fabricate. What we need is an
augmentation of technicians as we have some who have been trained at the Technical Skills Development
Authority (TESDA) to do some of the repair work right here,” Garcia told the President Arroyo.
The President took with her Cainta Mayor Mon Ilagan and Rizal Governor Casimiro Ynares Jr. and Social
Welfare Secretary Esperanza Cabral in the inspection of the production plant.
She gave a sympathetic ear as the people in wheelchair individually spoke about their horrible experience
during the torrential floods of Ondoy.
After repairing the production plant, “that is when we would look around for the raw materials that we need to
keep our constituents gainfully employed,” Garcia told the President.
Under Executive Order Number 417 which provides the economic independence of physically-impaired people,
their cooperatives are granted a stable production quota by the Department of Education to manufacture school
chairs and educational toys and wheelchairs which they sell to hospitals, rehabilitation facilities and
foundations,. Llenares explained.
“Without our facilities, how can we now continue manufacturing these things so that our workers will be earning
despite their impairments,” said Thess Lloren, executive assistant of TWH.
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Palace assures enough relief funds
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The national government has enough funds to sustain ongoing relief and reconstruction efforts for victims of
tropical storms “Ondoy” and “Pepeng”.
Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) can use a P500-
million standby fund on top of the P2 billion that has already been disbursed this week for relief and
rehabilitation operations.
“They (DBM) are setting aside an additional P6 billion. I think we will have enough funds to sustain these
efforts,” Remonde said, adding that Congress is expected to approve an additional P10 billion to augment the
present funds.
Remonde also thanked volunteers from the private sector such as corporations, socio-civic groups, and sorority
and fraternity organizations who are helping Malacañang’s “Oplan Sagip Bayan” in soliciting donations and in
repacking and distributing relief goods.
“These entities are so numerous that I will not attempt to name each one of them. But I wish to thank them, on
behalf of our suffering countrymen, for their kindness and generosity,” Remonde said.
Remonde said the Philippine government also wants to thank all foreign donors for their generous support in
cash and kind to help the country provide temporary relief to all victims of “Ondoy”.
He noted donations from neighboring countries are the result of the foreign relations policy that has been
pursued by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
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PGMA declares state of national calamity
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President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today approved the proposal of the National Disaster Coordinating Council
(NDCC) to place the entire country under a state of national calamity.
A state of national calamity gives local government units (LGUs) access to their calamity funds, protects
consumers from price manipulators, speeds up the rehabilitation of areas devastated by typhoon “Ondoy”, and
provides immediate assistance to those still to be hit by super storm “Pepeng”.
Presiding at the NDCC meeting at the Cainta Capitol, the President received updates from her Cabinet on relief,
clearing and rehabilitation efforts undertaken in Metro Manila and redirected efforts to Cainta and other parts of
Rizal province which are still under flood water.
Trade and Industry Secretary Peter Favila proposed expanding price control coverage to include petroleum
products, oils and lubricants, auto repair, and even funeral services, which have reportedly doubled their rates
since “Ondoy” hit the country last Saturday. He said placing price ceilings on petroleum products is now being
reviewed by the Department of Justice.
Favila said price monitoring should not just cover retailers but also wholesalers, suppliers and viajeros.
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will coordinate closely with the Philippine National Police and local
government units to enforce price controls at the local levels.
“When we declare an establishment closed for overpricing and revoke their business name, the LGUs do not
revoke the business permits, so they continue operating legally. This makes a mockery of our effort,” Favila
explained adding that he is also working closely with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the
revocation of corporate records of shops that are found overpricing essential items like food commodities,
construction materials and medicines,” Favila said.
Meanwhile, the President asked the Metropolitan Waterworks Sewerage System (MWSS), the Local Water
Utilities Administration (LWUA), and the two private concessionaires in Metro Manila—Manila Water Co. and
Maynilad Water Services, Inc.—to help the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in supplying potable water to the
hapless victims of “Ondoy”.
Based on the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), over 3 million people have been affected
by “Ondoy”.
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AMBASSADOR GAA DISCUSSES STRENGTHENING OF RP-US TRADE RELATIONS WITH
UNITED STATES CONGRESSMAN BOUSTANY
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Philippine Ambassador to the United States Willy C. Gaa met with United States Congressman Charles W.
Boustany (R-LA) to discuss ways to further strengthen RP-US trade relations during a meeting held at the
Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Congressman Boustany took the opportunity to convey his concern over the
recent tragedy in the Philippines and expressed the hope that everything will get back to normal soon. As a
member of the House Ways and Means Committee, Boustany oversees expansion of markets for U.S.
produced goods, promotes economic development and ensures that government programs such as Medicare
and Social Security have financial stability. END
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AMBASSADOR GAA MEETS WITH UNITED STATES CONGRESSWOMAN BERKLEY
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – On 16 September 2009 at the Cannon Building of Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.,
Philippine Ambassador to the United States Willy C. Gaa met with United States Congresswoman Shelley
Berkley (D-NV) to discuss issues related to boosting trade relationship between their two countries.
Congresswoman Berkley was a member of the Committee on Veterans Affairs and supported the Filipino
Veterans Equity Bill. She is now member of the Committees on Foreign Affairs and Ways and Means. END
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Manila Hosts the 2nd ASEAN Handicrafts Promotion and Development Association
(AHPADA) International Arts and Crafts Expo
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Washington DC – In celebration of the United Nation’s Declaration of 2009 as the International Year of Natural
Fibers, the Philippines will hosting the 2nd ASEAN Handicraft Promotion and Development Associations
(AHPADA) International Arts & Crafts Expo to be held on October 26 - 28, 2009 at the Philippine Trade Training
Center, Manila, Philippines.
This three-day event will hopefully be able to bring country participants and private exhibitors the opportunity to:
· Promote and bring greater awareness of the importance of arts and crafts in a country’s cultural roots and
economic development;
· Market skills and talents of their respective artists, craftspeople and producers;
· Nurture a spirit of cooperation and sharing between artists, craftspeople and producers and counterparts in
other parts of the world.
The AHPADA was formally established and inaugurated in Jakarta in March 1981 as a forum for both the
government and private sectors concerned to meet and to complement each other in the promotion and
development of arts and crafts activities. The Founding Members of AHPADA are Thailand, Malaysia, the
Philippines and Indonesia. Singapore, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam joined
AHPADA in September 1999. For more information on AHPADA and the forthcoming exhibition in Manila, please
go to the event’s website at: http://www.ahpadaexpo.com/home.php. END
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