Aquino in Aklan, Capiz; cites gains of his administration

KALIBO, Aklan, Philippines—In what sounded like a preview of his State of the Nation Address, President Benigno Aquino on Tuesday cited gains of his year-old administration, particularly in employment, rice production and poverty alleviation, saying the country is “no longer enveloped by darkness.”

Aquino spoke at the ABL Complex in this capital town where he led the distribution of cash grants and subsidies for a feeding program for presschoolers, elderly and indigents.

He said the unemployment rate improved from eight percent in April last year to 7.2 percent for the same month this year with 1.4 million new jobs created in a year.

Aquino explained that the comparative employment figures for January last year and this year were inaccurate because there were many temporary jobs that were created during the election period. The unemployment rate stood at 7.3 percent in January 2010 and 7.4 percent for the same month this year.

He said the Department of Labor and Employment has closely coordinated with the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) to ensure that graduates would have job opportunities. The President noted that the 50,000 to 60,000 jobs available monthly could not be filled up because the applicants lack qualification.

Rice production also improved which cut down the country’s rice import requirement from 1.3 million tons yearly to 650,000 tons. This was due to the heightened support for upland rice farming, improvement in irrigation systems and farm-to-market roads, Aquino said.

He said the government was also on track with its poverty-alleviation programs with half of the targeted 4.6 million families living below the poverty line now enrolled in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program. These include 23,000 families in Aklan.

Aquino maintained that he was fulfilling his campaign promises by providing better economic opportunities.

He also cited the tourism potential of Aklan, especially Boracay Island, with the renovation of the Caticlan airport which he inaugurated on June 25.

The tourist arrivals on the popular island-resort are expected to increase from 700,000 to three million after the completion of the airport. This is around 86 percent of the country’s 3.5 million tourist arrivals.

But a group of protesters led by the militant group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan debunked the President’s claims.

The 20 protesters who held a picket around a kilometer from the venue of the program said the Aquino administration had failed to implement decisive reform policies including significant wage increases, control of oil prices through the repeal of the Oil Deregulation Law and a stop to tuition and other school fee increases.

George Calaor, Bayan-Aklan chair, said the government also failed to stem and resolve extra judicial killings citing the case of Aklan town councilor and activist Fernando Baldomero, who was murdered on July 5, 2010.

The President acknowledged that much remains to be done.

“Pakiusap ko lang po. Isang taon pa lang po tayo. Nag-uumpisa pa lang ang boksing. Marami pa tayong kailangan gawin,” he said in his speech.

He thanked the people for supporting him when he ran for senator and president.

“Kung may liwanag na bumabalot sa buong Pilipinas ngayon, kayo pong nagtiwala ay hindi ko bibiguin …,” he said.

The President along with Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman and other officials distributed checks worth P2.4 million including P2.1 million for the supplementary feeding program for 5,978 pre-schoolers, P280,500 for 187 beneficiaries indigent senior citizens and P24,000 for 14 PPPP beneficiaries.

From Aklan, the President proceeded to Roxas City  in Capiz where he distributed checks for the supplemental feeding program to five municipalities of Capiz worth P1.7 million, cash grants to social pension on indigent citizens to eight senior citizens of Roxas City, cash grant for the 4Ps to three beneficiaries from Pilar town and another cash grant for Self-Employment Assistance-Kaunlaraan (SEA-K) to a group of food processing, fish and marine.

He also led in the ceremonial distribution of Philhealth cards to the representatives from the 16 towns of Capiz and Roxas City, Certificates of Land Ownership Award to farmers beneficiaries in eight towns and Certificate of Award for various projects of the Department Agriculture which was received by the governor. With a report from Felipe Celino