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PGMA receives international honors for pro-poor and welfare programs
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President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was conferred today the Shining World Leadership Award, an international
award institutionalized by the famed spiritual, charity and humanitarian leader Ching Hai, in recognition of her
tireless dedication to public service specifically her efforts in mitigating hunger and poverty in the Philippines.
The President received the honor from Lin Shan-Kuo, chairman of the Supreme Master Ching Hai International
Association, during a testimonial cultural show “Puso sa Puso” at the St. Paul University auditorium in Quezon
City
by beneficiaries of her pro-poor projects and programs for the underprivileged sectors.
The Chief Executive watched the show which also depicted her efforts and achievements in infrastructure, food
for education and environmental protection programs as well as the promotion on the welfare of the urban
poor, indigenous peoples (IPs), senior citizens, out-of-school-youths, overseas workers, and persons with
disabilities (PWDs).
Also mentioned in the testimonial event were the President’s role in the enactment of landmark bills in support
of Indigeneous People’s rights that led to the acknowledgement of Muslim holidays and distribution of
Certificates of Ancestral Domain Titles (CADTs) and the Senior Citizens Act of 2010 which gave expanded
benefits for the elderly.
After the show, the President was requested up the stage to receive the leadership award from from Lin Shan-
Kuo who represented Supreme Master Ching Hai.
Accounts said the Vietnam-born social leader Ching Hai founded the Shining World Leadership Award in
March 2006. She also established other prestigious awards, such as Shining World Compassion Award,
Shining World Hero and Heroine Awards, Shining World Honesty Award, Shining World Protection Award,
Shining World Intelligence Award, and Shining World Invention Award.
The honors are bestowed on individuals, nations, and organizations – such as the 2nd President of the
Republic of Slovenia, Dr. Janez Drnovšek, Dr. Jane Goodall, and Save the Children – whose exemplary works
have significantly contributed to the harmony, beauty, and sustainability of our Earth.
The Award underscored President Arroyo’s “tireless dedication to public service and loving commitment to the
well-being of the Filipino people.”
On the other hand, the cultural tribute at the St. Paul University further recognized the President’s
unprecedented programs in the relocation and provision of housing for urban poor dwellers including her 15
visits to attend to the welfare of occupants in the Smokey Mountain; her personal appeal to other heads of state
that led to the repatriation and commutation of even the death sentences of thousands of OFWs; and her
concern for disaster victims including the opening of Malacanang as temporary shelter for the victims of
Typhoon Ondoy.
Among those present during the event were Education Secretary Mona Valisno and Presidential Assistant on
Culture Cecille Guidote-Alvarez.
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112th Independence Day to be more meaningful - Palace
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Observance of the 112th Philippine Independence Day on Saturday (June 12) will be more meaningful and
symbolic of the gains made by the people in key fronts like the economy, environment, education, and national
security.
The center stage for the national celebration will still be Luneta at the sprawling Rizal Park in Manila.
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will lead the nationwide flag-raising rites at 7a.m. in front of the Rizal
Monument, then come back at 4 p.m. at the Luneta to deliver her Independence Day message and view from
the Quirino Grandstand, along with the thousands of Independence Day revelers, the traditional civic-military
parade.
The whole-day affair, which has the theme, “KALAYAAN: Tagumpay ng Bayan,” will showcase the country’s
major accomplishments over the past nine years under the leadership of President Arroyo.
“Without losing sight of our rich history and cultural heritage, we are celebrating individual and collective
achievement,” said Dr. Ambeth R. Ocampo, National Historical Commission (NHC) chair.
Ocampo, who also chairs the National Organizing Committee for the Independence Day celebration, said the
first 10 floats put together for the parade will dramatize these achievements, also referred to as legacy of the
Arroyo administration under the President’s Ten-Point Agenda, while the last will be a virtual montage of
modern-day Filipino heroes.
Dubbed as “Beat the Odds,” the ten-point program covers the following themes: education for all, automated
elections, transportation and infrastructure, terminating hostilities in all fronts, healing the wounds of EDSA,
electricity and water for all, opportunities for livelihood, decongestion of Metro Manila, and developing Subic
and Clark.
The National Historical Institute (NHI) which was designated as lead agency to handle preparations for the
Independence Day rites, said the floats would have particular themes, “so named after the people’s triumphs
over pressing concerns such as poverty alleviation, education, environment protection and preservation, peace
and order, and infrastructure development.”
“This is not to say we are completely setting aside history, to be highlighted by a poetry-dance-drama
presentation encompassing the pre-Spanish colonization era, up to the time we attained full independence in
1898,” Ocampo added.
An original song composition by Ato Del Rosario, to be rendered by Bituin Escalante, is one of the Program
highlights.
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