PGMA makes aerial check of South UPI road in Maguindanao
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SOUTH UPI, Maguindanao -- President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo conducted this morning an aerial inspection of
the 105-kilometer Central Mindanao Road Project (or the Awang-Upi-Lebak-Kalamansig Road Project), one of
her priority projects in her state of the nation address.
From Cotabato City the chopper carrying the President hovered over the hills to check on the status of the road
project, a vital link between Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat and Cotabato City. The President was welcomed by a
crowd of 300 residents and barangay and municipal officials upon her arrival here.
She was received at the Cotabato Airport by Civil Aviation Authority Cotabato Manager Leon Masalta Jr., 6th
Infantry Division Commanding General Maj. Gen. Anthony Alcantara and Philippine National Police Director for
the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Chief Supt. Bienvenido Latag.
The President and party were received at the Timanan Central Elementary School landing zone by Maguindanao
OIC Gov. Abdulgani Biruar, ARMM Acting Gov. Ansaruddin Adiong, South Upi Mayor Abdullah Campong, Rep.
Simeon Datumanong (2nd District), Presidential Adviser for ARMM Jose Barroso, PNP ARMM Assistant
Regional Director Supt. Salic Macapantar, Eastern Mindanao Commander Gen. Raymundo Ferrer, Romongaob
Barangay Chair Marylina Buscato and Department of Education Supervisor Rochito Suenan.
Maguindanao OIC Gov. Abdulgani Biruar gave the welcome remarks.
Public Works and Highways Secretary Victor Domingo briefed the President on the project being implemented
by Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Co. Ltd.
The project involves the reconstruction and rehabilitation of roads and bridges traversing the provinces of
Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat.
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P2.2B Central Mindanao road project a promise fulfilled for PGMA
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SOUTH UPI, Maguindanao--- Having given special attention to Mindanao by way of infrastructures, President
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was beaming as she made an aerial inspection of the P2.178-billion Awang-Upi-
Kalamansig Road or the Central Mindanao Road Project, which makes the Lebac and Cotabato City ports more
accessible to travelers and farmers.
For her, it was a fulfillment of a promise she made not only during her first State of the Nation Address (SONA)
but even during her presidential campaign.
In her speech before members of the Taduray tribe which make up 70 percent of the population here, the
President said her administration has spent billions of pesos on roads in Cotabato, Maguindanao and
neighboring provinces because she considers herself a daughter of Mindanao, having grown up in her
ancestral home in Iligan City.
In fact, she is the only national candidate back in 2004 to campaign from Lebac to Kalamansig in these
provinces. Her sorties, it turned out, have proven fruitful as they gave her their overwhelming support in her bid.
The project comes in three tranches: the two-kilometer Awang to the border of North Upi border, which is 76
percent complete, will be opened next month; the 27.88-km. stretch from North Upi to the border of Sultan
Kudarat will be completed next year; and the 56.92-km Sultan Kudarat to Kalamansig leg, which will be finished
by this November.
Public Works and Highways Secretary Victor Domingo said that while flying over the roads, the President voiced
her wish that people will engage in farming, planting napier and para grass for cattle raising and livestock
farming, and engaging in other productive ventures to take optimum advantage of their better road systems.
“We saw that your lands are now filled with cogon grass,” Domingo told residents.
The President said even at its construction stage, the road project has brought jobs and income to a lot of
people such as carpenter Son Abukalis, a resident here who has been gainfully employed as a construction
worker for the past five years and who now see the gradual progress of his town.
For corn farmers like Alex Racines, the completion of the road project will reduce post harvest losses and
improve income since he will be able to bring his produce directly to the market place and not depend solely on
traders who buy right at the farms at very low prices.
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PGMA leads CHED’s 16th anniversary celebration
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President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo today graced the 16th anniversary of the Commission on Higher Education
(CHED), leading the inauguration and awarding ceremonies at the commission’s headquarters in Diliman,
Quezon City.
The President, was welcomed by CHED Chairman Emmanuel Angeles and Commissioners Nenalyn
Defensor, William Medrano, Nona Ricafort and Luningning Misuarez-Umar at the foyer entrance of the CHED
building.
The President was ushered in the second floor where she led ribbon cutting ceremonies marking the
inauguration of the commission’s newly constructed auditorium.
The auditorium is just one of the many new features introduced during the administration of Angeles to upgrade
the image of the commission.
Aside from housing CHED’s central offices, the Higher Education Development Center, one of the sub-
components of the seven investment strategies under the Higher Education Development Project (HEDP), is
home to a higher education virtual library, higher education management information system, media room,
accreditation rooms, technical panel offices, multi-agency projects management units, training rooms, and
accommodation facilities.
The construction of the HDEC was accomplished in two phases: the partial completion of a P 141-million four-
storey building with an approximate floor area of 6,752 square meters and the complete construction of the
building peripherals including the fourth floor, roof deck and the multi-purpose area from the ground to the third
floor and its roofing.
Phase II covers an approximate floor area of 4,390 sq.m. and its contract price is P115-million.
After the ribbon cutting ceremonies, the President led in the distribution of recognition awards to CHED
employees who have shown exemplary work in their respective fields of endeavor.
Among those awarded by the President were: Eleanor Fernandez, Charlie Calimlim, Caridad Abuan and
Zenaida Gersana as Best Technical Chiefs and Violeta Galo and Juan Purian, Jr. as Best Administrative Chiefs.
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PGMA cites schools’ role in strengthening Philippine economy
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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 unprecedentedly 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.
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