President Arroyo has prepared new ways to perk up her upcoming State-of-the-Nation Address (SoNA) and encourage more Filipinos to listen and understand her annual discourse.
The President will deliver an “interactive and high-tech” SoNA address tomorrow in Congress with the aid of special appearances of people?s champions led by boxer Manny Pacquiao and audio-visual video, according to Presidential chief of staff Michael Defensor.
“It?s not just a simple speech being delivered by the President but it will be high-tech and interactive. It will be supported by champions because the best manifestation of a growing economy is the achievements of our people,” Defensor said in an interview.
Mrs. Arroyo is expected to spell out a positive line on the economy despite political tensions during the SoNA tomorrow afternoon at the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City.
Defensor said the new tactic, that includes Pacquiao and other Filipino champions in various fields, seeks to break the monotony in the SoNA speeches delivered in the past. “So the people can visualize it and not just listen to what she will say,” he added.
Defensor said there was nothing wrong to display world- class athletes and individuals in the President?s SoNA tomorrow. “It speaks of the pride of the Filipino and the SoNA is about the vision and the pride of the Filipinos,” he added.
The interactive SoNA speech, which will also include the launch of the four megaregions to spur development away from “imperial” Manila, was a collective idea of the President and the Cabinet, Defensor said.
He said the President has been working round the clock writing and revising her SoNA speech with inputs from the members of the Cabinet. The President at times lost her temper over Cabinet members who give inaccurate reports needed in her SoNA speech, Defensor revealed.
A heated debate among Cabinet members also rose whether or not the President should list down the positive figures in the economy and poverty index in her speech.
“I think the positive economic figures should be stated because the success or the failure of the government depends on them,” Defensor said.
Eventually, the President decided to include the positive economic numbers in her SoNA so the public could appreciate the accomplishments of the government in the previous year despite the political noise, according to Defensor.
The President is expected to wear a peach Filipiniana gown made by Joaane Zapanta in her sixth annual address before the joint session of Congress.
In her first SoNA speech in 2001, the President invited three children from Payatas dumpsite in Quezon City and committed to them government?s programs to alleviate poverty.
The President later skipped any publicity stunt in her succeeding SoNA speeches after she drew flak for taking advantage of the plight of the Payatas children.
President to cite CPLA farmers during SoNA
By MIKE GUIMBATAN JR.
BAGUIO CITY ? A father, his son and grandson will join a group of former Cordillera People?s Liberation Army (CPLA) combatants turned farmers during the State-of-the-Nation Address (SoNA) of President Arroyo Monday at the Congress.
Ama Romano Balonggay and his son Renzi are former CPLA combatants from Taloctoc, Tanudan, Kalinga who will be mentioned by Mrs. Arroyo during her SoNA as among former rebel returnees awarded land titles for one hectare each by the government through the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).
Romano?s other son Jason died in 1988 as a CPLA combatant while fighting against New People?s Army in Batongbuhay, Kalinga.
Renzi?s son Jacob received the land title of his grandfather last April 25, 2006 from Peace Process Secretary Jesus Dureza and DAR-Cordillera Regional Director Renato Navata.
At least 66.9869 hectares were distributed to 73 CPLA combatants while another 22.5885 hectares will soon be distributed to 23 other former returnees.
Nearly 200 CPLA combatants exchanged their rifles for ploughshares since 1994 and expecting a better life that government promised in 1986 when it entered into a peace agreement with CPLA leader Fr. Conrado Balweg.
But life seems as difficult as they were in the mountains only until this year when the CPLA received their land titles. The settlement area was once an idle and abandoned 165-hectare private land in sitio Ileb-Nambaran identified in 1994 by some CPLA leaders together with this writer who led a planning team in drafting a development plan.
Even if the area development plan was not approved, this writer who happens to be an agrarian reform worker had the area covered under the regular CARP program.
After 12 years of processing and legal battles, DAR finally issued some titles. Beneficiaries said this is their first taste of government?s several promises for better life when it signed a peace agreement with Fr. Balweg?s CPLA at Mt. Data Hotel in Bauko, Mt. Province on Sept. 13, 1986.
The long wait for better life is far from over, said Pablo Weygan, a CPLA battalion commander and resettlement camp commander. He lamented the sorry state of many other CPLA combatants scattered in farm communities surviving as seasonal farmers and hired labor.
“We are a very bad example of government?s peace and development program because we were practically left out to survive on our own after the Mt. Data peace agreement,” the camp commander said in tears.
At least four Presidents have passed and a lot of government agencies, politicians, and private groups visited the resettlement to offer their assistance yet nothing has been done until they realized that there is no other solution to their poverty except through their own initiatives.
Roberto Dangangao, alias Ka Sing, was 17 years old when he was recruited and trained as combatant of the New People?s Army until he joined Fr. Conrado Balweg in establishing the CPLA.
Today, Ka Sing, now 40 and the CPLA Kalinga zone commander, seldom holds a rifle, but instead works a half hectare rain-fed farm in sitio Ileb-Nambaran. During the last cropping, he barely produced 25 cavans of palay from his crude farming skills barely enough to sustain his family of five.
Ka Pablo said over 100 settlers in cogonal shanties still await government?s promise of better life although trust to government is already diminishing. He explained that life is not as easy like any other farmer.
10,000 security personnel to secure Congress tomorrow
By SEL A. BAYSA
At least 10,000 police, military, and other peacekeeping forces, including barangay officials, will be fielded out for a peaceful and orderly delivery of the President?s SoNA at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City, tomorrow.
In a report to Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Sr., Chief Supt. Nicasio Radovan Jr., QC Police director, said a security team called Task Force Group “Central” has been organized to secure the safety of the lady President. The task group has nine sub-units to be deployed in various parts of the IBP Road and Commonwealth Ave.
As early as Saturday, the QC government had reportedly finalized preparations for the President?s SoNA.
The 10,000 peacekeepers include a 2,116 team from the QCPD, National Capital Region Police Office and the Northern Police District led by Director Leopoldo Bataoil.
Radovan said the security group is tasked to secure different parts within the vicinity of the Batasan Complex.
Aside from security measures, Belmonte has instructed engineer Joselito Cabingcal, officer-in-charge of the local engineering office, to coordinate with the Department of Public Works and Highways to ensure that the road widening of the IBP Road near the Batasan Complex is completed.
Meantime, Manuel Sabalza, head, QC Department of Public Order and Safety, said his department and the Metro Manila Development Authority joint assigned task forces are already in place.
Radovan said the QCPD is set to implement the same traffic scheme adopted last year wherein only the southbound lane of Commonwealth Ave. was used for the duration of the activity.
