PGMA strengthen ties with India

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo visited India early this month to pursue trade talks and strengthen the partnership between the two countries.

Reactions to PGMA's State of the Nation Address 2007

There are a variety of reactions to the President's State of the Nation Address (SONA) at the 1st regular session of the 14th Congress last July 23.

For Senator Pia Cayetano, it appeared that PGMA's speech was like a Friendster list. “T speech sounded like a Who's Who list of the President's closest friends and allies and the infrastructure projects they had asked from her administration as reward for their political loyalty."

Bulatlat reported of various migrant groups protesting recent SONA such as the Kapatiran sa Gitnang Silangan, BAYAN USA, United Filipinos in Hong Kong, and Centre for Philippine Concerns.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo cited SWS's data on hunger and opinion on the cost of medicines in her (SONA) .

The President's statement, "And I am happy to see that the latest survey in June shows the hunger rate has sharply gone down nationwide," pertains to the SWS report, “Hunger declines significantly to 14.7%: Moderate is 12.5%; Severe is 2.2%,” first printed in the BusinessWorld and released by SWS on the morning of July 23.

The President's statement, "Kaya sa isang survey, halos kalahati ang nagsabing abot-kaya ang gamot, kumpara sa 11% noong 1999," corresponds to the Third Quarter 2006 Social Weather Report for the Department of Health (DOH).

The Third Quarter 2006 Social Weather Survey, fielded over September 24 to October 2, 2006, included a DOH-commissioned item which specifically asked the respondents, “Ano po ang masasabi ninyo tungkol sa presyo ng gamot na inyong nabili? Ito po ba ay napakamura, medyo mura, medyo mahal, napakamahal?”

The survey found that 45% of those who bought medicines in the past six months said the medicines were very or somewhat cheap, no change from 43% in September 2003, but higher compared to 11% in December 1999 and 7% in September 2001.

However, President Arroyo’s statements, “Firms who were asked for bribes in taxes, permits and licenses dropped from one-third to one-half. Contract bribes are also down,” conflict with the findings of the SWS Surveys of Enterprises on Corruption.

The 2007 SWS Survey of Enterprises on Corruption found that three out of five (61%) Filipino managers were asked for a bribe for at least one of the seven transactions tested in the survey – up from 58% in 2006, but was already 61% in 2005.

For every transaction, more said they were asked for a bribe in the 2007 survey than in both 2005 and 2006 surveys.

Sasha of Bayanihan Blog Network believes that PGMA will "suffer more criticism from people more interested in quick gains than in gradual, but sustainable, development."

Blog coverage:

• Bong was inside Congress when the speech was delivered and have interesting photos. (What are you doing there Bong?)
• Photos at the Picket Line from Dennis Rito (how was it like Dennis?)
• PGMA cites MisOr plant for power supply stability; Asks congress to amend EPIRA
• Baguio youth reject GMA’s SONA
• Cheaper Medicines Bill: Isang Hakbang Tungo sa Makatarungang Presyo ng Gamot
• Icing on the Cake
  

Improving Philippines broadband hounded with supplier politics

One of the highlights in President Arroyo's 2007 State of the Nation Address was the improvement of broadband infrastructure and services in the country.

The Philippine Senate is expected to initiate an investigation into the $330-million contract awarded by the Philippines’ Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) to ZTE Corp. This is especially true now that records show that even U.S. Ambassador Kristie Kenney aired concern on the transparency of the broadband project.

Two suppliers, Arescom Inc. and Amsterdam Holdings, cried foul on how the project proposals were reviewed. ZTE claims that there was no irregularity on how the deal was sealed. Although various reports are now coming on ZTE's various business irregularities in other countries. This is indeed a public relations nightmare on ZTE and the Philippine government.

While the government is busy defending the decision it made on this controversial project, Senator Loren Legarda has filed a bill proposing to establish a Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), to be spun off from the DOTC, which has come under fire for its supposed lack of transparency in forging a $330-million national broadband network contract with ZTE Corp.

Under Senate Bill 920, all existing DOTC offices dealing with communications would either be built into or attached to the DICT. These include the National Telecommunications Commission and the Philippine Postal Corp. The National Computer Center would also be ceded to the DICT.

State of the Nation Address 2007

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will be delivering her State of the Nation Address today. For Filipinos based abroad or those who don't have television in their office premises, Bitstop will do a live webcast.

Your thoughts on the President's 2007 SONA are more than welcome.

Thanks to Wilson Chua for the heads-up.

3 Reasons Why it Feels Great to be a Pinoy

Aileen Apolo tagged me for this meme, "What are the 3 signs you see happening now that make you say, “it feels great to be Pinoy”. Afterwards, I will tag ten (10) blogger friends to do the same.

Ok, why put it in this blog. First, I haven't been updating it for awhile as there's not much unique news that I can put in it that can't be found elsewhere. I don't just want to put negative stuff either. Second, despite all the President's shortcomings, she works very hard to promote the Philippines so I guess it deserves to be in this blog.

Here are my 3 reasons why it feels great to be a Pinoy:

1. Our economy is on the recovery. It is amazing to see how the pesos is strengthening and I hope that time will come where ordinary Filipinos will get to really feel it. This situation has also posed the challenge for us to start selling stuff from a pesos perspective again rather than think in terms of dollars due to these currency changes. Many thanks to the overseas Filipino workers and diaspora who has greatly contributed to this.
2. The Filipino is wisening up in politics. More and more Filipinos are no longer just voting for the mere sake of popularity, we are now beginning to look for substance, qualification, and capability to lead our country.
3. Filipinos are survivors. Despite the tough times we go through, economically and politically, we manage to enjoy our lives and not throw our country into chaos. We learned to manage our pain by going through proper process rather than rely on spur of the moment reactions and trade one bad deal to another one (oftentimes worst).

With this, I'm tagging: Joan, Abby, Peachy, Leah, Gwen, Dennis, Manuel, Wilson, Jay, and Reggie.

GMA orders probe on military links to political killings

President Arroyo ordered yesterday an investigation into allegations that the military was behind the deaths of political and human rights activists. After receiving the report of a fact-finding body tasked to look into the killings, Mrs. Arroyo said in a statement: "I deplore the killings, be they from left or right, against journalists or activists. We have a sorry history in our nation of political violence." (Philstar)

Crisis PR for PGMA

GMA wants friendlier press relations in 2007. After a year of testy relations with the media, including members of the Malacañang press corps, President Arroyo hinted on Friday of a charm offensive for the New Year. (Manila Times)

PGMA directs agencies to sustain gains in IPR

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo lauded the government agencies involved in protecting and promoting intellectual property rights (IPR) as a critical component in the country’s socio-economic development by raising the level of competitiveness of Philippine business.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) removed the Philippines from the priority watch list in February during its out-of-cycle review. “The Philippines bolstered implementation of its special legislation that was passed to stop illegal production of pirated optical discs. The Philippine government also measurably improved coordination of government agencies responsible for IPR enforcement,” the review stated.

In addition, the European Commission’s IPR enforcement survey listed the Philippines as a low priority country. The survey assessed the state of IPR infringements and how the violations are addressed as a guide for European businesses. Respondents from the Philippines noted that “improved coordination of the groups responsible for IPR enforcement, and an increased number of raids of production facilities and retail establishments” as one of the achievements in IP in recent years.

The memorandum from the Office of the President was addressed to the heads of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Finance (DOF), Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Education (DepEd); the Press Secretary and; the Director General of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IP Philippines).

The President added, however, that there is still a pressing need to sustain the gains from the past year and a half (2005 to 2006). Some of the directives include:

• Continue to provide the Executive and the Legislative with policy and legislative proposals in order to update the country’s intellectual property laws, ensuring that these are in compliance with the country’s existing international obligations embodied in treaties and other agreements;

• The DTI, through the IPO, shall continue to coordinate inter-agency efforts against piracy and counterfeiting, maintain a database and enforcement monitoring system, consolidate information and reports from other agencies, and submit quarterly progress reports to the President, and provide copies to the Executive Secretary and the Cabinet Secretary;

• Intensify regular and effective (a) raids and “spot” inspections on factories that produce illegal optical discs, trademarked and copyrighted goods, (b) seizure and destruction of pirated and counterfeited goods and equipment used to produce them, and (c) arrests and prosecutions leading to deterrent level sentences served;

• Maintain appropriate coordination with the Judiciary in ensuring that courts are adequately skilled in intellectual property cases, and in consultation with the Judiciary and Congress, explore the designation or creation of Special Intellectual Property and International Trade Courts.

Are we growing or getting poorer?

The President had a reason to be happy this week with the country's economic outlook recognized by getting a stable rating from the Moody's Investors Service. Although some groups claim that the widespread hunger in the country belies these claims of growth.

I feel that the country is growing indeed when you see more and more businesses opening up. Although very few of those who failed or gave up hardly gets documented. For the poor who were unable to get proper education or opportunities ahead, the rising cost of living makes one adjust with the little that they have. This is definitely not easy for those who are unable to get additional income to make up in these adjustments.

Life moves on for PGMA

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is on a five-day visit to China. During this trip, she encourages Chinese businessmen to invest in the country and honored National Hero Jose Rizal. Several local government unit officials joined this trip for various reasons such as looking for ethanol production investors, among others.

I wonder if the joint exploration of Spratlys Island will materialize and bear the fruit she desires. I'm hopeful though with the 7-11 stores for the masses.

The President faces a lot of pressure on various issues this week from reported missing persons in her term, women's protest, legitimacy, militants, among others. The Philippine National Police is on full alert during this China trip.

Nevertheless, the President's relationship with the business community is stronger than ever with the expressed support for the RP-Japan trade pact. This is in addition to the public support she is gradually regaining.

She is also pushing for the anti-terror meeting to be finalized soon and encourages allies to prepare for the May 2007 elections.

plug: ituloy angsulong!

PGMA rating gets better

The Third Quarter 2006 Social Weather Survey finds 37% Satisfied and 48% Dissatisfied with the performance of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, for an unfavorable Net Satisfaction Rating of –11. [The number –11 should be read as “minus-eleven,” not as “negative-eleven”.]

This is slightly up from the Second Quarter, which had 34% Satisfied and likewise 48% Dissatisfied, or Net –13, correctly rounded.

President Macapagal-Arroyo’s national net rating has been unfavorable for nine consecutive survey rounds, ever since the Third Quarter of 2004.

Positive only in the Visayas

PGMA’s Net Satisfaction score is favorable only in the Visayas, where it grew to +6 in September from +2 last June. [The number +6 should be read as “plus-six,” not as “positive-six”.]

It became slightly less negative in Metro Manila, at -41 now compared to –47 last June, and in the Balance of Luzon, at -10 now compared to –13 in June.

In Mindanao it dipped insignificantly to –8 now, from –7 in June.

Rural people now feel neutral

The President made a significant gain in rural areas, where those Satisfied grew from 34% in June to 42% in September, while those Dissatisfied fell from 46% to 43%, bringing her rural net score to –1 now compared to –12 previously, or a change to a neutral score from a previously unfavorable one. The balance from 100% are fence-sitters, neither satisfied nor dissatisfied.

In urban areas, on the other hand, those Satisfied were unchanged at 35%, while those Dissatisfied barely moved, from 50% to 51%, making her urban net score a clearly unfavorable –17 (correctly rounded), compared to –15 in June.

Thus the unfavorable national sentiment about the President is presently accounted for by strongly negative feelings in urban areas outbalancing neutral feelings in rural areas.

Women no longer more dissatisfied than men

Among women, satisfaction with PGMA rose to 38% in September from 31% in June, and dissatisfaction was steady at 49%, causing women’s net satisfaction to rise to –11 from –17 (correctly rounded) formerly.

Among men, on the other hand, both satisfaction (to 37% from 38%) and dissatisfaction (to 48% from 47%) barely moved, causing men’s net satisfaction to be steady at –11 now, from –10 (correctly rounded) formerly.

In short, women and men are now equally dissatisfied with PGMA, whereas last June women were more dissatisfied with her than men.

Slight increases in all classes

President Arroyo’s Net Satisfaction Rating is more or less equally low among the middle-to-upper ABC classes (-20) and in the very poor E class (-18), but not as bad among the masa or D class (-6).

It rose slightly in all classes compared to June 2006, when it was –27 among the ABCs, –22 among the Es, and -10 among the Ds.

Welcome to PGMA blog!

I've been monitoring news about President Arroyo regularly and hope to share them here in this blog. Enjoy!