Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Arroyo pushes ‘super-regions’ to spur growth in countryside
By Nelson C. Bagaforo
PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo announced Monday a new direction for her government towards creating "super-regions" to spur economic development in the countryside even as she vowed to initiate reforms that will serve as cure to social ills.
In her 6th State of the Nation Address (Sona) before Congress Monday afternoon, Arroyo said it was time to end the dominance of imperial Manila and give more opportunities to the provinces and the people.
"Panahon na para ibigay ang kapangyarihan sa taong bayan at mga lalawigan," she said, receiving the loudest applause in the early part of her speech.
Wearing a deep coral, modern Filipiniana gown designed by Ito Curata, Arroyo delivered what was called a "high-tech" Sona, which was presented with government statistics and graphs shown on a wide video screen set up at the Batasan plenary hall.
Outside the Batasan Complex in Quezon City, rain clouds continued to cast their dark nets as she addressed the nation, but anti-Arroyo rallyists continued their protests on Commonwealth Avenue.
Under the mega-grouping, North Luzon will be the agri-business quadrangle, Metro Luzon will be the urban beltway, Central Philippines will focus on tourism, and Mindanao will focus on agri-business and the cyber-corridor.
Under the same grouping, North Luzon would cover Regions 1, 2 and Cordillera Administrative Region including Aurora and Nueva Ecija; Metro Luzon would cover Regions 3 (except Aurora and Nueva Ecija), 4-A, and National Capital Region or Metro Manila; Central Philippines would cover Regions 4-B, 5, 6, 7, and 8; and Mindanao would cover Regions 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
The President said the enlarged grouping of the regions would boost economic and market potentials beyond what each region can generate, with economies of scale, synergies and complementation that will be more attractive to investors.
She vowed that local executives of the four mega-regions will have greater participation in development planning.
Arroyo said the "super-region" concept will be one of the highlights of the Medium-Term Public Investment Program.
Government would invest P100 billion annually in the next five years, to be spread out evenly for the development of the four mega-regions.
Mindanao, under the investment program, will be given priority. "Mindanao has the poorest regions and provinces," she said.
The cyber-corridor runs the length of the super-regions from Baguio to Cebu to Davao, she said.
She cited the establishment of business process outsourcing (BPO) and contact center firms in the country.
"From 2,000 BPO workers in 2001, we now have 200,000," she said, as she introduced a new graduate now working at a call center who will no longer leave the country because of information technology opportunities.
Arroyo promised to set up more nautical highways like the roll-on, roll-off (Ro-Ro) as these lessen travel time and have given more Philippine islands more business opportunities.
"Sa pagbubukas ng nautical higways, kitang kita ang pagbabago sa mga isla ng Jolo, Tawi-tawi at Batanes," she said. "Nagbukas ang Jollibee in Basilan," she said.
Protesters outside the Batasan Complex were joined by party-list representatives who stepped out of the Batasan complex ahead of Arroyo's Sona.
Ten opposition senators also snubbed Arroyo's Sona.
The absentee senators include former Senate president Franklin Drilon, senators Joker Arroyo, Aquilino Pimentel Jr., Panfilo Lacson, Luisa Ejercito Estrada, Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada, Alfredo Lim, Sergio Osmeña III, Ana Consuelo Madrigal, and Edgardo Angara.
Those from the House who did not attend Arroyo's Sona are Minority Floor Leader Francis Escudero; Akbayan Representatives Etta Rosales, Risa Hontiveros, and Mayong Aguja; Bayan Muna Representatives Satur Ocampo, Teodoro Casiño, and Joel Virador; and Anakpawis Representative Rafael Mariano and Gabriela Women's Representative Liza Maza.
Osmeña and Angara were also absent at the changing of the guard at the Senate early Monday morning, when Drilon handed over the presidency of the chamber to Senator Manuel Villar.
The opposition in the Senate had traditionally shied away from Arroyo's congressional speeches, with Madrigal saying that she did "not want to listen to the same pack of lies."
"Mas maganda siguro pakinggan namin ang tao, kasi ang mga tao sasabihin rin nila ang State of the Nation. Nakakatiyak ako kasi na kapag tao ang nagsalita, katotohanan yan," Rosales said.
"As to her legitimacy, she uses the Comelec, ISAFP, AFP (Commission on Elections, Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Armed Forces of the Philippines). She uses so many instruments to protect herself, instead of facing charges against her," she added.
Hontiveros said they would no longer return to the Batasan Complex in time for Arroyo's Sona.
"It is not worth listening to the Sona of Arroyo because she is not telling the truth. She is not telling the truth about the real state of the nation. We decided that it would be much better to leave Congress and join the rallyists," Hontiveros said.
But, Arroyo promised that successful economic reforms will cure social divisions and injustice in the country.
"I am not here to talk about politics, I am here to talk about what people want," she said, adding that the country is "focused on what the people want, the plan to put us on the path of prosperity."
"We now have the funds to address social inequity and economic disparity," Arroyo said. "We now have the funds to stamp out terrorism and lawless violence."
Arroyo opened her address to the nation with an announcement that 500 more Filipino workers in Lebanon will be brought home in the next few days.
Last Sunday, 200 Filipino workers already arrived in Manila. There are over 10,000 Filipinos believed working in Lebanon at the time of the start of conflict with Israel. (With Sunnex and AP)
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (July 25, 2006 issue)
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