GMA does a greet ‘n go at Binalonan town fiesta
New market inaugurated, scholarship vouchers, health cards distributed
BINALONAN – President Macapagal-Arroyo yesterday inaugurated this town’s new public market building in time for the yearly town fiesta.
The President likewise distributed subsidy vouchers to some 50 poor but deserving high school pupils to enable them to enroll in private schools as well as 1,500 Philhealth cards to indigent families of this fifth district town.
Bucking threats of coup d’etats and destabilization efforts by her political enemies, the Chief Executive continues to visit the provinces either to open various projects or give assistance to calamity victims.
Only last week, she formally opened the national games of the private schools at the Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center in Lingayen during which she also distributed vouchers for pupils from some towns in central Pangasinan under the pump-priming education scholarship program.
She earlier graced the town fiesta of San Fabian to distribute irrigation pumps for farmers of the towns in the fourth district and to observe the education department’s feeding program in which underweight pupils are given a kilo of rice daily to encourage them to attend their classes.
Arroyo has been a regular guest of this town for its fiesta celebration being her mother’s hometown.
The new market building was funded with a P50 million loan from Quedan Guarantee Corporation payable in seven years, according to Mayor Ramon Guico, Jr.
Guico said he was confident of the town’s ability to repay the loan as the market project is self-liquidating thru collection of stall rentals and goodwill money.
More new buildings are still needed at the public market as the old buildings there already appear dilapidated and now more of an eyesore, it was observed.
February 24th, 2006 at 9:41 am
I just want to share this to everybody.
This is an essay written by a Korean student we want
to share with you.
My Short Essay about the Philippines[/b]
Jaeyoun Kim
Filipinos always complain about the corruption in the
Philippines . Do you
really think the corruption is the problem of the
Philippines ? I do not
think so. I strongly believe that the problem is the
lack of love for the
Philippines .
Let me first talk about my country, Korea . It might
help you understand my
point. After the Korean War, South Korea was one of
the poorest countries
in the world. Koreans had to start from scratch
because entire country was
destroyed after the Korean War, and we had no natural
resources.
Koreans used to talk about the Philippines, for
Filipinos were very rich in
Asia . We envy Filipinos. Koreans really wanted to
be well off like
Filipinos. Many Koreans died of famine. My father’s
brother also died
because of famine. Korean government was very
corrupt and is still very
corrupt beyond your imagination, but Korea was able
to develop dramatically
because Koreans really did their best for the common
good with their heart
burning with patriotism. Koreans did not work just
for themselves but also
for their neighborhood and country. Education
inspired young men with the
spirit of patriotism.
40 years ago, President Park took over the government
to reform Korea . He
tried to borrow money from other countries, but it
was not possible to get
a loan and attract a foreign investment because the
economy situation of
South Korea was so bad. Korea had only three
factories. So, President
Park sent many mine workers and nurses to Germany so
that they could send
money to Korea to build a factory. They had to go
through a horrible
experience.
In 1964, President Park visited Germany to borrow
money. Hundred of
Koreans in Germany came to the airport to welcome him
and cried there as
they saw the President Park . They asked to him,
“President, when can we be
well off?” That was the only question everyone
asked to him. President
Park cried with them and promised them that Korea
would be well off if
everyone works hard for Korea, and the President of
Germany got the strong
impression on them and lent money to Korea . So,
President Park was able to
build many factories in Korea . He always asked
Koreans to love their
country from their heart. Many Korean scientists and
engineers in the USA
came back to Korea to help developing country because
they wanted their
country to be well off. Though they received very
small salary, they did
their best for Korea . They always hoped that their
children would live in
well off country.
My parents always brought me to the places where poor
and physically
handicapped people live. They wanted me to
understand their life and help
them. I also worked for Catholic Church when I was
in the army. The only
thing I learned from Catholic Church was that we have
to love our
neighborhood. And, I have loved my neighborhood.
Have you cried for the Philippines ? I have cried
for my country several
times. I also cried for the Philippines because of
so many poor people. I
have been to the New Bilibid prison. What made me
sad in the prison were
the prisoners who do not have any love for their
country. They go to mass
and work for Church. They pray everyday. However,
they do not love the
Philippines . I talked to two prisoners at the
maximum-security compound,
and both of them said that they would leave the
Philippines right after
they are released from the prison. They said that
they would start a new
life in other countries and never come back to the
Philippines .
Many Koreans have a great love for Korea so that we
were able to share our
wealth with our neighborhood. The owners of factory
and company were
distributed their profit to their employees fairly so
that employees could
buy what they needed and saved money for the future
and their children.
When I was in Korea , I had a very strong faith and
wanted to be a priest.
However, when I came to the Philippines , I
completely lost my faith.
I was very confused when I saw many unbelievable
situations in the
Philippines . Street kids always make me sad, and I
see them everyday. The
Philippines is the only Catholic country in Asia ,
but there are too many
poor people here. People go to church every Sunday
to pray, but nothing
has been changed.
My parents came to the Philippines last week and saw
this situation. They
told me that Korea was much poorer than the present
Philippines when they
were young. They are so sorry that there are so many
beggars and street
kids. When we went to Pasangjan, I forced my parents
to take a boat
because it would fun. However, they were not happy
after taking a boat.
They said that they would not take the boat again
because they were
sympathized the boatmen, for the boatmen were very
poor and had a small
frame. Most of people just took a boat and enjoyed
it. But, my parents
did not enjoy it because of love for them.
My mother who has been working for Catholic Church
since I was very young
told me that if we just go to mass without changing
ourselves, we are not
Catholic indeed. Faith should come with action. She
added that I have to
love Filipinos and do good things for them because
all of us are same and
have received a great love from God. I want
Filipinos to love their
neighborhood and country as much as they love God so
that the Philippines
will be well off. I am sure that love is the
keyword, which Filipinos
should remember. We cannot change the sinful
structure at once. It should
start from person. Love must start in everybody, in
a small scale and have
to grow. A lot of things happen if we open up to
love. Let’s put away our
prejudices and look at our worries with our new eyes.
I discover that
every person is worthy to be loved. Trust in love,
because it makes
changes possible. Love changes you and me. It
changes people, contexts
and relationships.
It changes the world. Please love your neighborhood
and country. Jesus
Christ said that whatever we do to others we do to
Him. In the
Philippines , there is God for people who are abused
and abandoned. There
is God who is crying for love. If you have a child,
teach them how to love
the Philippines . Teach them why they have to love
their neighborhood and
country. You already know that God also will be very
happy if you love
others.
That’s all I really want to ask you Filipinos