PGMA hails role of local legislators in climate change mitigation
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MANDAUE City – President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo hailed Thursday (Mar. 11) the Philippine Councilors
League (PCL) for its contributions to climate change mitigation in the country in line with the government’s
disaster preparedness efforts.
At the opening ceremony of the PCL’s 2010 Year-end National Assembly at the Cebu International Convention
Center, the President said there is much reason for the country to do adaptation even as the government
implements its own measures to help mitigate climate change.
“Congratulations to the PCL for adopting a timely theme this year - ‘Be a Pro Active Partner on Climate
Change… Be a Leader.’ Congratulations for continuing to be relevant until your last days of office. Your theme is
very relevant”, she said.
The PCL has adapted measures ranging from early warning signals to forced evacuation.
As the ninth most vulnerable country to natural disasters, the Philippines, according to the Chief Executive, is a
victim – not one of the culprits – of climate change.
Despite this, the President said, the country leaves a good carbon footprint of only 1.6 tons per capita, compared
to the average world per capita of 6 tons.
“So, we are good neighbors, good citizens of the world. And we should congratulate ourselves for that”, she said.
The President noted that the country is disproportionately vulnerable to the devastation of Mother Nature,
accelerated by the mistreatment of the fragile environment by human beings in other parts of the world.
She attributed this to the fact that the Philippines is an archipelago of over 7,000 islands, overlooking the first
stop of Pacific typhoons, with the majority of the people living in low-lying areas that are prone to climate hazards.
The President noted that the national government has adapted a Green Philippine agenda to help mitigate
climate change. These measures include reforestation, managing solid waste and promoting clean water and
air, clean energy and protecting areas such as parks and sanctuaries.
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PGMA opens P7.8-M water project in Tawi-Tawi
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BONGAO,Tawi-Tawi – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo inaugurated the P7.8-million Bongao Water Supply
Improvement Project during her visit to this province Thursday (March 11).
Now, the people of Bongao, the country’s southernmost town which is a few hours away by boat ride to Sabah,
are assured of clean potable water, courtesy of President Arroyo’s legacy projects.
Joining the President in the ceremonial turning of the gate valve formally opening the water district’s operations
were Bongao Water District General Manager Rosendo Reyes, Tawi-Tawi Gov. Sadikul Sahali, Defense
Secretary Norberto Gonzalez, Agricultural Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman and Public Works Secretary
Victor Domingo.
Funded by the Local Water Utilities Administration as part of the President’s programs for the Autonomous
Region in Muslim Mindanao, the BWSIP was implemented on June 15, 2009 and successfully completed on
February 15, 2010.
According to Reyes, the project will improve the quality of water in Bongao through the process of sedimentation
and filtration installed in the project.
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PGMA in education, health and welfare sorties
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President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo today (Friday, Mar. 12) told some 2,000 students and parents gathered at a
school in Masbate province that among the endeavors she will focus on in her remaining months in office will
be the improvement of education and technology.
“Education and technology are the foundations of a bright future of our country. I will devote the remaining
months of my administration to bring to our people, especially the youth, quality education and technology,” said
the President during a visit here at the Monreal National High School In Monreal town where she viewed a
computer laboratory recently interconnected to the internet under her “Education for All” program.
An important aspect of the program is to link up schools in remote areas to modern IT facilities such as the
wireless internet.
The President said she expects the students to value education and modernity and use these as instruments
for self advancement and for the country.
The Masbate visit was part of her education legacy agenda that seeks to align Philippine education towards a
knowledge-based economy.
Following a busy schedule for the day, the President, after the Masbate visit, flew back to Manila for three more
events.
At noon she was at the Philippine Trade Training Center in Pasay City for the 2010 national One Town One
Product (OTOP) awards, where she viewed the exhibits of regional products on display at the convention site.
The President received from outgoing Trade and Industry Secretary Peter Favila the maiden issue of the
OTOPreneur magazine, patterned after the privately-owned Entrepreneur magazine which is a compilation of the
initiatives and policies adopted by the OTOP program, which she conceived in 2004.
Favila thanked the President for ensuring the success and sustainability of the OTOP program implemented by
DTI.
The President next went to distribute medical implements and other health interventions during the holding of
the Common Tao Day for more than 3,000 indigent city residents at the Bonifacio Elementary School at the
corner of Buendia Avenue and Leveriza St. in the city.
The President, assisted by Pasay City Rep. Jose Antonio Roxas, also gave certificates of guarantee for the
hospitalization expenses of residents Oliver Gatdula, Carlos Sia, and Jeffer Geduriagao worth a total of P162,
000. During the Common Tao Day, the President has directed the PCSO to provide the needy and elderly fast
and efficient access to medical services and other interventions including financial assistance and
hospitalization.
At the nearby Philippine Sports Stadium, the President was treated to a “light boxing match” of mascots
representing branded and generic medicines, with the generic mascot winning.
In a speech, she cited her administrations’ efforts at making medicines more affordable to most people by
pushing generic medicines, establishing more Botika ng Bayan outlets and reducing the prices of medicines
under the Cheaper Medicines Law.
The President also said that since 2001, her administration has gained a lot of milestones in the healthcare
and wellness sectors. She said the 20-year old generics drugs law was vigorously adopted in her
administration as a result of which a lot of companies are now producing generics drugs.
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