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PGMA's
Statement during the Departure Ceremony for an Official Visit to
the Vatican City, Italy and Spain |
| Kagalang-galang na
Bise Presidente De Castro, mga kasapi ng Gabinete, mga sundalo at pulis, mga kababayan: Buhay, pagkakaisa at kasaganaan ang tema ng aking lakbay. Sa unang pagkakataon, makikipagkita ako sa Santo Papang Benedicto XVI sa Vaticano, upang ihatid sa kanya ang pagtangi at pagtataguyod ng ating sambayanan sa kanyang pagka-papa. At nagpapasalamat ako sa kongreso dahil meron akong madadalang magandang pasalubong sa kanya -- ang ating abolition ng death penalty. Sa Roma, kapulong sina Pangulong Napolitano at Prime Minister Romano Prodi, lalo nating palalakasin ang mga programa sa kalakal, investments, turismo at kultura sa pagitan ng Italya at Pilipinas. Sa Madrid, makikipagkita ako kina Haring Juan Carlos at Pangulong Jose Rodriguez Zapatero at ang mga pinunong komersyal at lokal sa Espaņa. Nagpapasalamat ang sambayanang Pilipino sa Espaņa dahil siya ang pinakamalapit na kaalyado at tagataguyod natin sa Europa. At dahil ang Espaņa ay yumaman sa turismo hahanap din tayo ng mga investors para sa turismo sa Pilipinas. At kapwa sa Italya at Espaņa, gagamitin ko ang aking mga pulong sa matataas na opisyal upang isulong ang kagalingan ng ating mga OFW. Ipinauubaya ko ang gobyerno sa mga mahusay na kamay ni Bise Presidente Noli De Castro. Isusulong niya ang araw-araw nating pagsisikap upang mapanatiling matiwasay ang bansa. As I leave, tropical depression 'Domeng' is now 20 kilometers east of Tacloban. It's raining in the Bicol region, including Bulusan. The Armed Forces units in the area have shifted from counter-communist-terrorist operations to disaster and relief operations. Right now the volcano is quiet. The summit is characterized by the emission of voluminous steam. Under these circumstances it is unlikely that the magma-driven eruption will take place in the next few days of rain. PHIVOLCS should be able to detect the possibility of such a magma-driven eruption in such an unlikely event. And if that should happen -- though it is highly unlikely at this time -- the NDCC is prepared to implement its contingency measures, plus the following which I have instructed this morning: First, a Bulusan express which means: two C-130s, eight helicopters including the presidential helicopter, and a train whose coaches will be filled up with relief goods to be transported from manila to Bicol; Second, the PSG shall send a medical contingent to the area; Third, an NFA rice stockpile; Fourth, donation of the recently seized customs ukay-ukay; Fifth, Secretary Andaya of DBM, who is also Region V CORD, shall make available the appropriate calamity fund; Sixth, GSIS, and PAG-IBIG shall grant emergency loans. Inaasahan ko ang panalangin at suporta ng lahat. Manalangin tayo para itong mga contingency ay hindi na kailangan gawin dahil malamang hindi mag-e-erupt ang Bulusan sa panahon nitong ulan. Ah yung eruption at pinag-uusapan natin ay yung malaking eruption na magma-driven. At magdasal din tayo hindi lamang para sa gawain natin sa bansa, pati na rin sa misyon ko sa ibayong dagat. Maraming salamat sa inyong lahat. |
PGMA's Statement upon her Arrival from her official visits to the Vatican City, Italy and Spain from June 25-30 July 02 2006 |
I ARRIVE HOME IN TIME FOR THE GREAT VICTORY OF MANNY PACQUIAO IN ANOTHER MOMENT OF PRIDE FOR THE FILIPINO, WHO SHINES EVERYWHERE AND IN EVERY FIELD IN THE GLOBAL FIRMAMENT. AS I CONGRATULATE MANNY FOR A FIGHT WELL FOUGHT, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE FILIPINO PEOPLE FOR STANDING BESIDE ME IN MY VISIT TO SPAIN, ITALY AND THE VATICAN IN THE NAME OF LIFE, HUMAN SOLIDARITY, AND PROSPERITY. I BRING HOME THE WARM GREETINGS OF THE LEADERS I ENCOUNTERED, AND THE GOOD TIDINGS OF ALL OUR KABABAYANS IN THAT PART OF THE WORLD. THE LEADERS I MET WELCOMED THE PRO-LIFE, PRO-FAMILY, AND PRO-PEOPLE VISION OF THE FILIPINO. IN BEHALF OF OUR PEOPLE, I RECEIVED ONLY PRAISE AND SUPPORT FROM THE LEADERS OF THE VATICAN, ITALY AND SPAIN FOR OUR LEADING ROLE IN BRINGING TOGETHER VARIOUS FAITHS FOR PEACE. SA AMING PAG-UUSAP NG MAHAL NA SANTO PAPA, IPINAABOT NIYA SA AKIN AT SA BANSANG PILIPINAS ANG KANYANG PAGBABASBAS AT NANGAKONG IPAGDARASAL NIYA ANG SAMBAYANANG PILIPINO AT ANG PATULOY NA PAG-UNLAD NG ATING BAYAN. IN BEHALF OF FILIPINO CATHOLICS, I EXPRESSED OUR DREAM FOR MORE FILIPINO ARCHBISHOPS TO THE COLLEGE OF CARDINALS AS WELL AS THE PRAYER FOR THE BEATIFICATION OF MOTHER IGNACIA DEL ESPIRITU SANTO AND THE CANONIZATION OF BLESSED PEDRO CALUNGSOD. FILIPINOS ARE THE MOST ENDEARING BRIDGES BETWEEN THEIR HOST COUNTRIES AND OUR OWN. ITALIAN PRESIDENT NAPOLITANO AND PRIME MINISTER PRODI BOTH ASSURED ME THAT THEIR GOVERNMENT WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK AFTER OUR KABABAYANS WHO FORM THE SIXTH LARGEST OVERSEAS COMMUNITY IN ITALY. I LOOK FORWARD TO THE REGULARIZATION OF THE STATUS OF OUR OFWS THERE, AND WE STARTED IN A SYMBOLIC WAY BY AGREEING ON THE AUTOMATIC CONVERSION OF DRIVERS LICENSES THAT WILL BE IMPLEMENTED BETWEEN THE PHILIPPINES AND ITALY. AS IN THE VATICAN AND ROME, I THANKED THE GOVERNMENT OF SPAIN FOR MOVING TO REGULARIZE THE SENDING OF FILIPINO HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS TO SPAIN. MY VISIT WAS PERFECTLY TIMED TO COINCIDE WITH THE 4TH ANNIVERSARY OF PHILIPPINE-SPANISH FRIENDSHIP DAY AND THE 2006 PHILIPPINE-SPANISH CULTURAL YEAR. HIS MAJESTY KING JUAN CARLOS I AND QUEEN SOFIA ACCORDED ME THEIR WARMEST AND MOST GRACIOUS WELCOME AND I WAS HONORED TO ACCEPT HIS MAJESTY’S INVITATION FOR A STATE VISIT TO SPAIN NEXT YEAR, THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF OUR DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS. PRIME MINISTER JOSE LUIS RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO AND I WERE ONE IN OUR RESOLVE TO BOLSTER OUR AGREEMENTS IN DEFENSE AND JUDICIAL COOPERATION I MET WITH THE CONFEDERACION ESPANOLA DE ORGANIZACIONES EMPRESARIALES, THE LARGEST ECONOMIC GROUP IN SPAIN. THERE WAS SERIOUS INTEREST IN INVESTMENTS IN THE TOURISM, INFRASTRUCTURE, MINING, ENERGY AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY. FOUR PROJECTS WORTH 300 MILLION EUROS ARE ON STREAM FOR OIL AND GAS, HOTEL AND RESORT DEVELOPMENT, ICT AND INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT. IN THE COURSE OF MY TRIP, SPANISH AND FILIPINO PARLIAMENTARIANS BELONGING TO THE CHRISTIAN DEMOCRAT INTERNATIONAL SIGNED A PROTOCOL FOR THE ORGANIZATION OF AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE FOR THE CONVERSION/INVESTMENT OF FOREIGN DEBT OF POOR COUNTRIES. THE CONFERENCE SEEKS TO CREATE A SOCIAL, POLITICAL AND LEGAL FRAMEWORK THAT WILL SERVE AS A PLATFORM FOR THE CONVERSION OF THE DEBT OF 100 POOR AND MIDDLE-INCOME COUNTRIES INTO MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, WITH THE AIM OF REDUCING BY HALF POVERTY BY 2015. ALL THESE DEVELOPMENTS CONVERGE WITH OUR CONTINUING GAINS IN ECONOMIC GROWTH, POLITICAL TRANSFORMATION AND SOCIAL JUSTICE IN THE PHILIPPINES. I AM DETERMINED TO LEVERAGE ALL DIPLOMATIC CHANNELS TO PUSH THE LIMITS OF OUR VISION TO BE A FIRST WORLD NATION IN TWENTY YEARS ON THE BACK OF FILIPINO ENTERPRISE, VIBRANT TRADE AND PERMANENT PEACE AND STABILITY FOR THE PHILIPPINES. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK VICE PRESIDENT DE CASTRO AND THE CABINET FOR FORGING AHEAD IN THE DAY TO DAY CONCERNS OF GOVERNANCE WHILE I WAS GONE. I WILL JOIN THE EXECUTIVE TEAM TOMORROW TO LEAD OUR CONTINUING FIGHT AGAINST POVERTY, GOOD GOVERNANCE, INVESTMENTS AND JOBS. IN ALL STAGES OF MY TRIP, MY HEART WAS ALWAYS WITH THE FILIPINO POOR. MARAMING SALAMAT PO! |
