RoRo beneficiaries help PGMA explain Ubay port premiums

SO many things to do, so little time.

Forty-eight hours away from walking out of the palace, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo still had her hands full.

In a brief visit to Bohol after leap-frogging from Manila to Ilo-ilo and then to Ubay, Bohol, the working president still needs to let people know that the government is not just coasting to a stop until the next administration picks up the speed.

With time running short and still instilling the government’s dream for Bohol, PGMA used two persons’ help.

Instead of speaking the benefits of the rehabilitated Ubay Roll-On Roll Off (RORO) Port in Bohol’s northeastern side, a construction worker and a businessman did it for her.

William Tadle, a heavy equipment operator of the construction company rehabilitating the P364M port said he had fed his family and found the work he needed to get through life decently.

Ubay port construction phase 1 was done when the country suffered from fiscal scrimp brought about by collapsing world economies in early 2009.

The project, contributed immensely to the government’s comprehensive livelihood and emergency employment program by allowing local employment, said Ubay town information Officer Virginia Dupa.

Tadle and many other workers constructed the port back up area, reinforced concrete pier, roll on roll off ramp, dredging and disposal, port mooring and fendering systems installation and port lighting facilities installation.

In fact, even after phase I, Tadle was still hired to lend heavy equipment support for the construction of additional back up area and thus make a 1.7 hectares more of port working area, according to Marra Builders, the winning bidder for the mega infrastructure project.

On the other hand, Ruben Hamili, a Cebu based agri food supplier said the port helped in getting their hog-lines and poultry feeds supply in time to their outlets in Bohol.

Then, the shipment of stocks from Cebu to their outlets in Bohol takes about four to five days, now its two days or even overnight, assuring their customers of the freshest products, he said in Cebuano in front of the President and some crowd of 3,000.

With the construction of a wider back-up cargo storage areas, businessmen like Ruben Hamili now have the option to transport goods right at their customers doorsteps or have them stocked at the port storage areas to cut on transport costs, says a project media briefer.

The Philippine Ports Authority funds Ubay Port, a component of the country’s Strong Republic Nautical Highways and makes travel by goods and people across the islands fast and affordable while allowing the growth of local tourism.

Ubay Port serves RoRo vessels plying the Ubay-Hilongos, Ubay-Maasin and Ubay-Bato routes, while it opens the possibility of Ubay-Dinagat, Ubay-Nasipit and Ubay-Baybay.

The President, who was not expected to speak in Ubay engagement, gamely took the microphone and asked the two guys to tell the people their stories.

Going out of the palace on Wednesday bearing a stain of criticism for corruption, records would show that the Arroyo Administration has built more that two pervious administrations combined, states Ganito Tayo Noon material printed in major national dailies late last year. (PIA-Bohol)

PGMA leads RP day at Shanghai World Expo

President Arroyo’s attendance today, June 9, 2010, at the World Expo 2010 will sum up her success in diplomatic and trade missions undertaken during her nine-year presidency, Malacañang said Tuesday.

In her last foreign trip before she hands over the leadership to the next President on June 30, Mrs. Arroyo will grace the opening of the Philippine Pavilion in the Shanghai Expo in China, considered the largest international trade and technology festival in the world.

The opening of the country’s pavilion coincides with the celebration this month of the 35th Philippines-China Diplomatic Ties and 9th Philippines- China Friendship Day.

The Philippine Pavilion was designed to emphasize the theme “Performing Cities,” and showcases the artistic skills and traditions, as well as the economic indicators of urban life in the world, said Philippine Consul-General in Shanghai Maria Rowena Mendoza Sanchez.

With a theme “Better City, Better Life,” the Shanghai Expo emphasizes the opportunity to explore city life as a crucible for social improvement.

The Expo, participated in by 194 countries, runs from May 1 to October 31, 2010. (PIA-Bohol)

ASEM leaders praised PGMA’s management style & economic programs

Leaders who attended the 7th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in Beijing praised President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s management style and visionary economic programs.

Especially in insulating the Philippine economy from the roller-coaster global forces, said Press Secretary Jesus G. Dureza .

According to Dureza, the President’s economic programs are now being replicated in other countries shaken by the US economic meltdown.

They particularly took notice on the president’s program on EVAT, which have greatly benefited the poor.

Dureza accompanied the President in her five-day visit to China for the 7th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in Beijing of 45 leaders of Asian and European countries. (PIA/Bohol)

Pangagpas nga ipalawig ang termino ni PGMA sa cha-cha, walay basehan- Dureza

Walay basehan ang pangagpas sa mga taga oposisyon nga ipalawig ang termino ni Presidente Gloria Macapagal Arroyo kon madayon ang cha-cha. Mao kini ang gipatin-aw ni Jesus Dureza, Kalihim sa Prensa.

Matud pa ni Dureza, huna-huna ra kana sa mga taga-oposisyon nga kon madayon ang pag-usab gikan sa pederal nga sistema sa kagamhanan gikan sa “presidential” pina-agi sa pag-usab sa batakang balaud, dili moluwat sa pangatungdanan si Presidente Arroyo inig-abot sa tuig 2010.

Ang pagduda nabunga tungod sa pagsuporta sa Presidente sa resolusyon number 10 sa Senado nga gipangamahan ni Senador Aguilino Pimentel, ug uban pang 16 ka senador, lakip na si Senador Manuel Villar.

Gipasabot ni Dureza nga misuporta ang Malakanyang sa maong resolusyon tungod kay haum kini sa tinunga sa kagamahanan ug mga pilipino aron makab-ot ang autonomiya ug kalinaw, labina sa Mindanao.

Ang resolusyon mipatawag og usa ka “constituent assembly” sa kongreso sa pag-usob sa batakang balaud; ug tin-aw usab nga wala niini misay-say nga palawigon ang termino ni Presidente Arroyo, dugang ni Dureza.

Ang problema nga nakita kay sobra ra ka-ayo ang kritisismo ug ka-negatibo sa panghuna-huna sa uban nga usahay makaingon sa pagkalangan sa mga lakang ug reporma sa kagamhanan, alang unta sa kaayuhan sa katawhan, dugang ni Dureza.

Gipahinumdum usab sa Kalihim nga daghang mga okasyon nga milabay nga gipalanug sa presidente nga moluwat siya sa pangatungdanan sa pagtapos sa iyang termino sa tuig 2010. (PIA/Bohol)

PGMA hails successful conduct of ARMM elections, poll automation

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo expressed elation over the peaceful and orderly conduct of this year’s elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) which also marked the successful pilot-testing of poll automation.

The President was particularly pleased with information from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) that the political exercise registered a high 80-percent voter turn-out, and was relatively free of violence and complaints.

This is in total contrast to previous elections in the area that were marred with violence, complaints, controversies, and alleged disenfranchisement of voters.

Congratulating the Comelec, the President also congratulated the police and military authorities for their support which made violence almost non-existent; and most importantly the residents of ARMM who, by their active participation, showed that democracy reigns supreme.

The Parish Pastoral for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), and other NGOs concerned, were present and monitored the process can attest to the positive results of the exercise.

The “automation of election” is third in the President’s 10-point legacy agenda on socio-economic and political reforms, also known as the Beat-the-Odds program.

We have now seen the future of the Philippine electoral process, and it works, the president said. (PIA/Bohol)