Friday, June 12, 2009
Philippines only partly
free, says Church bishop
The Philippines is not completely free because of political turmoil and economic dependency, a high-ranking Roman Catholic official said Thursday in his Independence Day message.
The country ended almost 400 years of Spanish rule on June 12, 1898.
Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez of Caloocan City also cited the incapacity of Filipinos to decide and act on their own.
“Hindi tayo malaya sa pulitika. Patuloy pa din tayong pinahihirapan ng ibang tao. Sa ekonomiya, yung mga gusto natin, hindi natin magawa dahil wala tayong kakayanan. Yung paghawak sa atin ng ibang bansa . . . maraming mga bagay-bagay na siguro dapat talaga tayo magising [We are not politically free. Other people still oppress us. What we want economically, we cannot do anything about it because we do not have the capability. Other countries also control us . . . there are a lot of things that we have to wake from],” he said.
According to him, freedom is a broad concept and Filipinos should define what it means for them.
Iñiguez said he hoped that the country’s celebration of its 111 years of the proclamation of independence would be “really meaningful.”
He added that he also hoped that Filipinos would open their eyes to the political unrest, which should lead to actions that will pave the way for genuine independence.
Jobs in teaching
To highlight the Independence Day celebration, Education Secretary Jesli Lapus also on Thursday announced the availability of some 9,400 new teaching positions and 4,500 emergency employment contracts for 2009.
“Employment generation especially among the ranks of educators is one way of giving honor to the country which has nurtured us,” Lapus said in a statement.
The emergency employment contracts for non-teaching personnel, he added, will be good for July to December 2009.
Lapus, a co-chairman of the National Organizing Committee for the celebration, will officially make the announcement on the teaching vacancies and employment contracts with President Gloria Arroyo in flag-raising and wreath-laying rites at the Rizal Park in Manila.
Program for President
From Rizal Park, President Arroyo is expected to fly to Koronadal City in South Cotabato in Mindanao to lead Independence Day rites there.
After arrival honors for the President in the city, she will lead a flag-raising ceremony assisted by Labor Secretary Marianito Roque, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, local officials and representatives of 10 tribal communities.
Gov. Daisy Avance Fuentes of South Cotabato and Mayor Fernando Miguel of Koronadal City will brief Mrs. Arroyo on their comprehensive livelihood and emergency employment program and later award employment certificates or contracts, livelihood grants or checks and scholarships or training vouchers.
From Koronadal, the President will proceed to Sultan Kudarat for project briefing and inspection of the Palembang-Kalamansag road project.
Mrs. Arroyo will fly back to Malacañang at 6 p.m. for the traditional Philippine Independence Day reception and rigodon de honor to be capped by speech and toast by the dean of the diplomatic corps.
Activities in Manila
In Manila’s Rizal Park, there will be entertainment at the Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz with Kalayaan concert featuring Charisse Pempengco and tribute to the late Filipino master rapper Francis Magalona. There will also be job matching and placement, pre-employment documentation services, livelihood assistance services, free calls and legal assistance for overseas Filipino workers.
The National Organizing Committee is composed of the Education, Interior, Labor and Tourism departments; the Office of the President; and the National Historical Institute.
Under this year’s theme—“Kagitingan, Kagalingan at Kasipagan: Tungo sa Tunay na Kalayaan”—job and livelihood fairs will be set up in various locations.
To drum it up, sports activities, film screenings and cultural performances in Metro Manila (National Capital Region) will be open to the public for free.
Honoring veterans
Also in Manila, officials of the city government will mark Independence Day by honoring World War II who fought for the country’s freedom.
Mayor Alfredo Lim and Defense Undersecretary Ernesto Carolina will lead the flag-raising and wreath-laying ceremonies at the Mauseleo de los Veteranos dela Revolucion at the Manila North Cemetery, where many revolutionary heroes rest.
On Wednesday, Lim launched a scholarship program to highlight the celebration of the 8th Filipino-Chinese Friendship Day.
The “Pagharap sa Pangarap” College Scholarship Program involve schools such as Chiang Kai Shek College, Philippine Cultural College, University of the Philippines-Manila, UP-Diliman, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Philippine Normal University and city-run schools Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) and City College of Manila.
The mayor said the scholarship program “will further deepen the friendship and harmonious relationship between the People’s Republic of China and the Philippines.”
He also thanked the Chinese in the Philippines for spurring economic progress in the country through their businesses.
--BERNICE CAMILLE V. BAUZON, JAMES KONSTANTIN GALVEZ AND ROMMEL C. LONTAYAO
Philippines only partly
free, says Church bishop
The Philippines is not completely free because of political turmoil and economic dependency, a high-ranking Roman Catholic official said Thursday in his Independence Day message.
The country ended almost 400 years of Spanish rule on June 12, 1898.
Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez of Caloocan City also cited the incapacity of Filipinos to decide and act on their own.
“Hindi tayo malaya sa pulitika. Patuloy pa din tayong pinahihirapan ng ibang tao. Sa ekonomiya, yung mga gusto natin, hindi natin magawa dahil wala tayong kakayanan. Yung paghawak sa atin ng ibang bansa . . . maraming mga bagay-bagay na siguro dapat talaga tayo magising [We are not politically free. Other people still oppress us. What we want economically, we cannot do anything about it because we do not have the capability. Other countries also control us . . . there are a lot of things that we have to wake from],” he said.
According to him, freedom is a broad concept and Filipinos should define what it means for them.
Iñiguez said he hoped that the country’s celebration of its 111 years of the proclamation of independence would be “really meaningful.”
He added that he also hoped that Filipinos would open their eyes to the political unrest, which should lead to actions that will pave the way for genuine independence.
Jobs in teaching
To highlight the Independence Day celebration, Education Secretary Jesli Lapus also on Thursday announced the availability of some 9,400 new teaching positions and 4,500 emergency employment contracts for 2009.
“Employment generation especially among the ranks of educators is one way of giving honor to the country which has nurtured us,” Lapus said in a statement.
The emergency employment contracts for non-teaching personnel, he added, will be good for July to December 2009.
Lapus, a co-chairman of the National Organizing Committee for the celebration, will officially make the announcement on the teaching vacancies and employment contracts with President Gloria Arroyo in flag-raising and wreath-laying rites at the Rizal Park in Manila.
Program for President
From Rizal Park, President Arroyo is expected to fly to Koronadal City in South Cotabato in Mindanao to lead Independence Day rites there.
After arrival honors for the President in the city, she will lead a flag-raising ceremony assisted by Labor Secretary Marianito Roque, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, local officials and representatives of 10 tribal communities.
Gov. Daisy Avance Fuentes of South Cotabato and Mayor Fernando Miguel of Koronadal City will brief Mrs. Arroyo on their comprehensive livelihood and emergency employment program and later award employment certificates or contracts, livelihood grants or checks and scholarships or training vouchers.
From Koronadal, the President will proceed to Sultan Kudarat for project briefing and inspection of the Palembang-Kalamansag road project.
Mrs. Arroyo will fly back to Malacañang at 6 p.m. for the traditional Philippine Independence Day reception and rigodon de honor to be capped by speech and toast by the dean of the diplomatic corps.
Activities in Manila
In Manila’s Rizal Park, there will be entertainment at the Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz with Kalayaan concert featuring Charisse Pempengco and tribute to the late Filipino master rapper Francis Magalona. There will also be job matching and placement, pre-employment documentation services, livelihood assistance services, free calls and legal assistance for overseas Filipino workers.
The National Organizing Committee is composed of the Education, Interior, Labor and Tourism departments; the Office of the President; and the National Historical Institute.
Under this year’s theme—“Kagitingan, Kagalingan at Kasipagan: Tungo sa Tunay na Kalayaan”—job and livelihood fairs will be set up in various locations.
To drum it up, sports activities, film screenings and cultural performances in Metro Manila (National Capital Region) will be open to the public for free.
Honoring veterans
Also in Manila, officials of the city government will mark Independence Day by honoring World War II who fought for the country’s freedom.
Mayor Alfredo Lim and Defense Undersecretary Ernesto Carolina will lead the flag-raising and wreath-laying ceremonies at the Mauseleo de los Veteranos dela Revolucion at the Manila North Cemetery, where many revolutionary heroes rest.
On Wednesday, Lim launched a scholarship program to highlight the celebration of the 8th Filipino-Chinese Friendship Day.
The “Pagharap sa Pangarap” College Scholarship Program involve schools such as Chiang Kai Shek College, Philippine Cultural College, University of the Philippines-Manila, UP-Diliman, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Philippine Normal University and city-run schools Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) and City College of Manila.
The mayor said the scholarship program “will further deepen the friendship and harmonious relationship between the People’s Republic of China and the Philippines.”
He also thanked the Chinese in the Philippines for spurring economic progress in the country through their businesses.
--BERNICE CAMILLE V. BAUZON, JAMES KONSTANTIN GALVEZ AND ROMMEL C. LONTAYAO
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