NEWSFLASH

GMA ON THE ROAD AGAIN, BATS FOR STRONG REPUBLIC IN NEGROS

Manila, July 26, 2002 (STAR) By Marichu Villanueva - The gospel of the strong Republic just keeps getting stronger.

President Arroyo hit the road again yesterday on provincial sorties to spread the good news of a republic on the rebound.

Three days after delivering her State of the Nation Address (SONA), Mrs. Arroyo flew to Negros Oriental after earlier making a promise to temporarily suspend her provincial trips and stay more at Malacañang to do her "homework" in finding ways to bring down the cost of electricity.

From Dumaguete City, she flies today to General Santos City and to Sarangani on tomorrow where she will join the 35th founding anniversary of Malungon. She returns to Malacañang tomorrow night.

In Dumaguete City, the President, accompanied by some Cabinet members including Transportation and Communications Secretary Leandro Mendoza, led yesterday the ceremonial inauguration of the P45-million Guihulingan seaport and terminal.

Mrs. Arroyo then took the chopper to Tanjay City to join residents in the celebration of their fiesta marking the first anniversary of its cityhood and later led the ceremonial drive-through of the newly completed Dumaguete-Tanjay North Road.

In her extemporaneous remarks delivered in Cebuano, Mrs. Arroyo explained the principles of the strong republic which she spoke about in her much applauded SONA last Monday during the opening of the 12th Congress’ second regular session.

Mrs. Arroyo eariler said she precisely used the terms "strong republic" to reassure Filipinos that she would dispense the full force of the law within the country’s democratic framework.

"That’s why I chose my words very carefully. I did not say ‘strong State’. I said strong republic because a republic must comply with the Constitution," she said.

Land for Negros farmers By Katherine Adrenada

After years of waiting, 224 farmers in Negros Oriental finally own the land they have been tilling following Mrs. Arroyo’s distribution of lands under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program during a visit to the province yesterday.

The President personally handed over the certificates of land ownership award (CLOAs) to the farmers, who are now the owners of 229 hectares of land from four different Negros Oriental localities.

Those who received CLOAs were farmers from Barangay Sta. Agueda in Pamplona town; Barangays Cambaguio and Sab-ahan in Bago City; Barangays Bagtic, Bate, Balwang and Panlabonan in Mabinay town; and Barangays Novallas, Sta. Cruz and Bal-ew in Tanjay City.

Agrarian Reform Secretary Hernani Braganza said the lands distributed by the President were part of 1,698 hectares that were acquired under CARP and given to 700 farmers in Negros Oriental during the first semester of the year alone.

Braganza noted that the land distribution in Tanjay City brought to 66,394 hectares the total number of private agricultural land awarded to farmer-beneficiaries in the province since the agrarian reform program was implemented in 1972.

"Last year, Negros Oriental ranked sixth among the provinces with the highest accomplishment in distribution. I hope they can make it on top of the list this year," the DAR chief said.

Amid the accomplishment of land distribution in the province, Braganza has instructed DAR field personnel in Negros Oriental to work double time in order to fully distribute the remaining 52,540 hectares of undistributed land in the area.

Braganza also commended the DAR field personnel in Negros Oriental and other parts of the Visayas for their successful installation of some 1,800 agrarian reform beneficiaries in the island last year.

"These beneficiaries are long-time holders of emancipation patents and CLOAs but could not take actual possession of the land due to legal maneuvers of resisting landowners," Braganza explained.

"We have to ensure that under our watch, we will distribute not only CLOAs and EPs but actual lands to farmer-beneficiaries," he added.

GenSan, Sarangani people await GMA on Friday

GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is set to join the townspeople of Malungon in Sarangani Province celebrate their 33rd foundation anniversary tomorrow.

The President, expected to arrive here at 9 a.m., will first lead officials in burning some 30,000 fully-grown marijuana plants and seedlings worth about P60 million at the Philippine National Police Camp Fermin Lira in the city proper.

Following the burning, the President will proceed to Malungon, some 50 kilometers northeast from this city. It was in a part of Malungon, bordering Kiblawan town in Davao del Sur, where the bulk of the marijuana plants were uprooted and seized in a raid last Tuesday.

The people of Malungon, officials said, expect the President to extol the significance of the uprooting and seizure of the illegal plants in the government's no-nonsense campaign to rid the country of the social menace brought about by drug abuse and addiction.

In her State of the Nation Address last Monday, the President called on the people to support the all-out war against syndicated criminals, particularly those involved in drugs, smuggling and kidnappings.

Malungon Mayor Teody Padernilla cited the people's cooperation in dealing with the marijuana plantation owner and his cohorts, who have been identified by the National Bureau of Investigation raiding team.

The President is also expected to award and distribute a number of socio-economic programs and projects for the people of Malungon and the other six towns of Sarangani, as well as for those in the Central Mindanao region.

From Malungon, the President will return here to confer with local government officials and private sector leaders

Local officials and the people eagerly await the coming of the President who earlier visited the city on February 27, when she graced the 63rd foundation anniversary of settlements in the Cotabato area.

The landing of the first batch of 62 settlers on the shores of Sarangani Bay occurred in 1939.

The President is expected to spend the evening in nearby Alabel town, the provincial capital of Sarangani province.

The next morning, on Saturday, she will proceed to Marawi City to attend a traditional Islamic wedding of the children of two of the city's respected clans.

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Reported by: Sol Jose Vanzi