Independence Day services at Luneta, other parks
By Christine Avendaño
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 22:26:00 06/07/2008
Filed Under: Independence day
MANILA, Philippines -- For the Independence Day celebration on June 12, the Arroyo administration will bring the government "closer to the people" by offering its services, and even freebies, to provide relief for the masses in these difficult times.
At the Rizal Park in Metro Manila and other similar places across the country, people will be able to avail themselves government services like medical and dental care, job placements, micro-financing, housing, and livelihood opportunities.
And to make government's presence even more palpable, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has sent out her Cabinet officials all over the country to offer on Independence Day the services of their respective departments and agencies.
From treating children with a day at the mall and feeding programs to offering people free eye surgery, free haircuts, and free MRT and LRT rides for one day, these Cabinet officials will go to areas “with historical significance'' to deliver the government to them.
"The President has ordered us to go down to the people and reach the masses and help improve the delivery of basic services, especially on our programs to mitigate hunger and poverty,'' said Presidential Management Staff Secretary Cerge Remonde.
The objective in this year's celebration was to "bring the government closer to the people,'' according to Remonde, who said that Arroyo actually wanted to sustain these efforts even after Independence Day.
For the first time since Arroyo came to power in 2001, the government will skip its usual Independence Day Parade to focus on providing services to the people.
With the theme "Republic Service, Tungo sa Ganap na Kalayaan at Kaunlaran,'' (Toward Complete Freedom and Development) these government services will be offered at Sentro K3 (which stands for Kagalingan, Kaisahan at Kalayaan ng Bayan or Good, Unity, and Freedom for the People) to be put up in Luneta Park and "replicated'' in people's parks, provincial, and municipal halls all over the country.
The Sentro K3 will actually have a soft opening on Monday, June 9 and will be operational from June 10 to 12, according to National Historical Institute executive director Vic Badoy, who heads the technical group behind this year's Independence Day celebration.
The Sentro K3 will be a "one stop shop'' of services where people can avail themselves of services offered by participating government agencies in terms of jobs, housing, health, and investments.
Through the Departments of Health and National Defense, people can get medical and dental services and look at job prospects with the job fair to be put up by the Department of Health.
The Department of Trade and Industry, meanwhile, will showcase the best of the country's products in its One Town, One Product program.
"The group Go Negosyo will put up an outlet where people can take advantage of its lending programs,'' Badoy said.
People can also go to the outlet of the Land Transportation Office and have their driver's license renewed,' he said.
Or they can go to the outlet of the Department of Agriculture where they can watch technology transfer programs and obtain free seedlings, he said.
Badoy said private telecommunication firms were also participating with the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co., Smart Communications, and Globe offering free calls to people wanting to phone their loved ones in the provinces and abroad.
The services offered "only show the concern of the government to the people and we are inviting the private sector, including those who have more in life to help in this effort,'' he said.
For those wanting to step back in time and relish the country's historic past, there will be free park tours, Badoy said.
The National Museum will not charge its usual P300 fee on that day so that lovers of history can go there for free, he said.
"The activities at Luneta will be an all-day-long thing and there will be no let-up in entertainment, both cultural and modern presentations,'' Badoy said.
On June 12, the popular television program "Eat Bulaga'' will have a live telecast near the Sentro K3.
Likewise, people going there will enjoy a sky-diving show courtesy of the Armed Forces and a silent drill by the Philippine Military Academy.
A special fireworks will cap the night celebration of Independence Day.
The Independence Day celebration will officially start at 7 a.m. on June 12, with President Macapagal Arroyo and Cabinet officials leading simultaneous flag-raising activities all over the country.
The Chief Executive is also set to unveil a marker where the Philippine flag will be hoisted 24/7 "come rain or shine,'' according to Badoy.
Arroyo is expected to deliver her Independence Day speech at Luneta and later proceed to Sentro K3.
Vice President Noli de Castro will lead the Kawit, Cavite, celebrations at the Emilio Aguinaldo Shrine, the site of the first proclamation of Philippine independence.
De Castro then will lead a housing fair by the HUDCC.
The following are the assignments of Arroyo's Cabinet members:
Along with Senate President Manuel Villar Jr., Trade Secretary Peter Favila will attend the flag raising at the Pinaglabanan Memorial Shrine in San Juan City. Favila will then treat 200 school children for breakfast at Chowking and lunch at Jollibee as well as tour them at the Science Discovery Center at the Mall of Asia in Pasay City;
With Speaker Prospero Nograles, Presidential Legislative and Liaison Office Secretary Jake Lagonera will attend the flag-raising at Malolos, Barasoain, and then lead a medical/dental mission and milk and food-feeding program with Congressional spouses at the Center Food Processing Area. He will also lead the inauguration of a school building there;
With Chief Justice Reynato Puno, Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza will attend Independence Day rites in the Katipunan Monument in Caloocan. Mendoza will then lead groundbreaking ceremony for closing the MRT-LRT loop. He will then invite commuters to free rides (only from 7 am to 9 am and 5 pm to 7pm).
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro will lead the flag-raising ceremony at the Mauseleo de los Veteranos dela Revolucion at the Manila North Cemetery, the resting place of revolutionaries. Teodoro will go to Smokey Mountain and oversee a massive cleaning drive, cleaning and repainting of classrooms and offer free haircut to male residents, courtesy of soldiers. From there, he will go to Luneta to view an exhibit of military hardware;
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita will raise the flag at the Marcella Agoncillo historical landmark in Taal, Batangas and then distribute 300 bicycles for the Bike to School Program; Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesperson Ignacio Bunye will lead the flag raising at the provincial capitol of Mindoro in Calapan and award winners of an essay writing contest organized by his office; PMS Secretary Cerge Remonde will attend commemorative rites at the Luneta and attend to the Go Negosyo event there;
Also attending rites at Luneta will be Metro Manila Development Authority chair Bayani Fernando who will then proceed to Bonifacio in Tondo for wreathlaying at the Bonifacio monument. He will then lead a estero clean up there, inagurate a condo-tel and go to the Philippine General Hospital to witness free surgery at the eye center there;
Education Secretary Jesli Lapus, chair of this year's celebrations, will also attend the Luneta rites and proceed to the Polytechnic University of the Philippines for wreathlaying at the Mabini House. He will then witness the send-off of text book shipments and inspect a computer laboratory. Lapus will also attend to medical and dental checkups for preschoolers and Grade 1 pupils, among others;
Social Welfare Secretary Esperanza Cabral will go to Pugadlawin in Project 8, Quezon City. She will then distribute conditional transfer cards and school supplies for 150 schoolchildren in Payatas;
Public Works and Highways Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane will be in Candon, Ilocos Sur and visit the Isabelo Abaya Monument in commemoration of the Cry of Candon of 1898. He will oversee the hiring of 10 each of the poorest of the poor from 42 barangays (villages) for road maintenance jobs under the Oyster program;
Secretary Silvestro Bello of the Office of the Presidential Adviser for New Government Centers will go to Santiago, Isabela and award scholarships to children of farmers and fishermen, among others and Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap will raise the flag in San Isidro, Nueva Eciha and lead a multi-town caravan under the Fields program.
And as she has done in past Independence Day celebrations, President Arroyo will give a reception for the diplomatic corps in Malacañang and will hold for the first time since 1981 a rigodon de honor.
Twenty couples will participate in the rigodon and will include representatives of the Cabinet, legislature, military, local governments, and the cultural sector.
Among those dancing the rigodon will be Favila who is paired with United States Ambassador Kristie Kenney, former Sen. Vicente Sotto and Mons Romulo-Tantoco, Secretary Yap and Lani Mercado, and former AFP chief of staff Generoso Senga, and Representative Rachel Arenas.
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