Metro Manila Youth Reject Charter Change

Institute for Research on Education and Development
125D Chico Street, Project 2, Quezon City
iread@yahoo. com
July 27, 2009
Reference: Diana Directo, Spokesperson


Metro Manila Youth Reject Charter Change


A survey involving 2000 youth respondents in Metro Manila, revealed that 96.25% of the youth are not in favor of Charter Change that would extend the term of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Those who participated in the survey are students, professionals and out-of-school youth from different schools, communities, and companies.


It would be remembered that during the last session of the members of the House of Representatives, the matter of forming a Constitutional Assembly was approved of hastily.
"This (Constitutional Assembly) has been subject to varied speculations from all sectors of the society, and the data that has been gathered serves as proof of the youth's disapproval, " Diana Directo, Spokesperson of IREAD said.


85.83% of the respondents believe that Charter Change is not beneficial to national development while 14.17% believe otherwise. 22.16% would accept Charter Change if the President steps down. On the other hand, 77.57% would not approve of it given that condition.


The survey was conducted by the Institute for Research on Education and Development (IREAD), a non-stock, non-profit, independent youth institution whose primary objective is to consolidate existing and future macro and micro data on sectoral, national and global developments and concerns affecting the youth.


President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo had her last State of the Nation Address last July 27, 2009, the ninth year of her administration which has been studded with criticism and controversies, and this also marks the start of another phase of Charter Change discussions in the House of Representatives.


In the wake of the recent events, IREAD has conducted this survey to gather the youth's opinion on the Charter Change. The survey also aims to determine the youth's general outlook and future probable courses of action.


Directo indicated the importance of knowing the pulse of the youth. “Cliché as it may seem, history has proven that the youth has always been the catalyst for change.”


“Some respondents even wrote comments on the survey forms. It is a proof that young people are aware of what's happening. They are concerned about national development. Many are still interested in making changes especially on matters that directly affect them,” she pointed out.
A surprising feedback came from a 13-year old high school student. He said, “Charter change will only serve GMA's interests. I do not agree with Charter Change and I also oppose term extension for GMA. Her efforts to improve the situation of the youth sector are not good enough.”


“According to the data that we have gathered, an overwhelming majority of 85.63% believe that Macapagal-Arroyo' s nine-year administration was not helpful to the youth sector. Only 14.13% think otherwise,” Directo said.




#-- Courage is not the absence of fear.

Assessment of Arroyo Administration’ s Economic PerformanceAgainst SONA 2001 Targets***

By IBON Foundation

The last eight years of the Arroyo administration have resulted in record joblessness, deteriorating quality of jobs, falling household incomes, increasing poverty, fiscal crisis, unprecedented debt and debt service, social service cutbacks, and deeper Philippine underdevelopment.
Economic growth has been relatively higher compared to previous administrations. Growth in gross domestic product (GDP) during the Arroyo administration (2001-08) averaged 4.9% annually compared to 4.6% underAquino (1986-91), 3.1% under Ramos 3.1% (1992-98) and 3.9% under Estrada (1999-2000).
Yet the economy has become even more distorted under the Arroyo administration and the gains from this growth and economic policy in general have gone to a few and not been felt by the largest number of the Filipino people.
Below is an assessment of Pres. Arroyo's economic performance based on the targets she announced during her first state of the nation address (SONA) in 2001.
*Targets from Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s State of the Nation Address, July 23, 2001*

*Actual performance*
“Our challenge is clear: sugpuin ang kahirapan.”

o 530,642 increase in the number of poor families between 2000 and 2006 – to 4.7 million poor families in 2006. (NSCB, using low official poverty lines)
o 2.1 million increase in the number of poor Filipinos between 2000 and 2006 – to 27.6 million in 2006. (NSCB, using low official poverty lines)
o Meanwhile the net income of the Top 1000 corporations in the Philippines increased 490% between 2001 and 2007, from P116 billion to P686 billion. (BW)
o In 2006, the net worth of just the 20 richest Filipinos – including close Arroyo allies Lucio Tan, Enrique Razon, Jr., Eduardo Cojuangco, Enrique Aboitiz and others – was P801 billion (US$15.6 billion), which was equivalent to the combined income for the year of the poorest 10.4 million Filipino families. (ForbesAsia, NSCB)
“The way to fight poverty is to create jobs, not destroy them.”

o The period 2001-2008 is the longest period of sustained high unemployment in the country’s history – the true unemployment rate averaged some 11.2 percent. (NSO, IBON estimates)
o 621,000 increase in unemployment between Jan-01 and Apr-09 – to 4.2 million. (NSO, IBON estimates)
o 1.9 million increase in underemployment between Jan-01 and Apr-09 – to 6.6 million. (NSO)
o Combined unemployment and underemployment increased 2.5 million between Jan-01 and Apr-09 – to 10.8 million. (NSO, IBON estimates)
o The quality of jobs has worsened: merely part-time work increased by 5.9 million and now accounts for 14.3 million or two out of five of all jobs. Moreover, those “with jobs but not working” more than doubled and increased by 489,000 to reach 839,000. (NSO)
o The period 2001-2008 has seen the most Filipinos forced abroad to find jobs in the country’s history – deployments averaged 990,000 annually compared to 469,709 (Aquino), 713,505 (Ramos) and 839,324 (Estrada); some 1.24 million were deployed last year or 3,400 Filipinos leaving every day. (POEA) There are over 9 million Filipinos forced to find work abroad. (DFA-CFO)
“Dapat din tugunan ang karaingan ng madla sa mahal na bilihin at kulang na sahod.”

o The gap between the NCR minimum wage and the family living wage more than doubled to P535 in 2008 (NCR minimum wage P382, family living wage P917) from just P257 in 2001 (NCR minimum wage P252, family living wage P509). (DOLE, NWPC)
o Nominal minimum wages are stagnant and barely able to even just keep up with inflation. While nominal wages in NCR seem to have increased from P252 in 2001 to P382 in 2008 – or a P130 increase – the true increase is worth just P12 because of inflation. (DOLE, IBON estimates)
“To reduce excessive friction in labor and management relations, we will go the extra mile to work for industrial peace.”

o Since 2001, 62 workers have been extra-judicially killed and 15 others forcibly disappeared. (Karapatan). There have also been 1,478 cases of trade union human rights violations with 116,356 victims. (CTUHR).
“With regard to the fiscal sector, we will control the budget deficit by collecting taxes vigorously and spending money prudently.”

o The cumulative national government deficit from 2001 to May 2009 is P1.29 trillion – triple the deficits of the Aquino, Ramos and Estrada administrations combined. (BTr)
o The Arroyo administration has paid P4.8 trillion in debt service since 2001 – this is two-and-a-half times the P1.8 billion in debt payments made over 15 years by the Aquino, Ramos and Estrada administrations combined. (BTr)
o Yet government debt has continued to rise to P4.23 trillion in March 2009 which is almost double the P2.17 trillion debt inherited from the Estrada government. The administration has effectively been borrowing an additional P256.8 million annually since coming to power. (BTr)
“A social bias toward the disadvantaged to balance our economic development plan. Pagkalinga sa mga bahagi ng lipunan na naiwanan ng kaunlaran.”

o The Arroyo administration (2001-09) allotted only 15.1% of the national budget to education which is lower than under Estrada (18%, 1999-2000) and Ramos (16.6%, 1992-98). (DBM)
o To health, it allotted only 1.8% of the national budget which is lower than under Estrada (2.4%), Ramos (2.5%) and Aquino (3.1%, 1986-1991). (DBM)
o To housing, it allotted only 0.4% of the national budget which is lower than under Estrada (1.0%), Ramos (0.7%) and Aquino (0.5%). (DBM)
o In 2009, the Arroyo administration is only spending P6 per Filipino per day on education, P1 on health and 12 centavos – while paying the equivalent of P21 on debt service. (IBON computations on DBM data)
“Increase the chances of Filipino children finishing school… [karunungan] para sa masa”

o The number of out-of-school children and youth increased by 2.45 million between school year 2000-01 and 2008-09 – consisting of an additional 1.62 million children aged 7-12 years old and an additional 822,097 children aged 13-16 years old – to reach a total of 4.69 million. (DepED)
o The number of elementary-age out-of-school children increased by 1.62 million between school year 2000-01 and 2008-09 to a total of 2.04 million.
o The number of high school-age out-of-school youth increased by 822,097 between school year 2000-01 and 2008-09 to a total of 2.66 million.
o 1.95 million of these children and youth – consisting of 1.59 million of the elementary-age children and 360,000 of the high-school age children – are directly due to the deterioration of participation rates during the Arroyo administration. (IBON computations on DepED data) Elementary school participation rate dropped from 96.8% in school year 2000-01 to 85.1% in 2008-08; the high school participation rate dropped from 66.1% to 60.7% over the same period. (DepED)
“There can be a million new jobs in agriculture and fisheries [within the year]… I don’t want the one million new jobs to come in the long term.”

o Only an average of 258,200 agricultural jobs have been created annually in the last eight years – from 10.25 million agricultural sector jobs in 2000, the year before Arroyo came to power, to 12.32 million in 2008. (NSO)
o The agriculture sector has fallen to its smallest share in gross domestic product (GDP) in the country’s history – 18.1% (2008). (NSCB)
“Sisikapin nating magkaroon ng rice self-sufficiency.”

o Rice imports increased 280% from 639,000 tons in 2001 to a record 2.4 million tons in 2008. (DA)
”Murang bigas at masaganang magsasaka.”

o The price of rice increased 68% between 2000, the year before Arroyo came to power, and 2008: of regular milled rice to P29.38 per kilo (from P17.59) and of well milled rice to P32.71 per kilo (from P19.45 in 2000). (DA)
“Bawat taon, mamahagi ang gobyerno ng dalawandaang libong ektarya para sareporma sa lupa: 100,000 of private land and 100,000 hectares of public land, including 100 ancestral domain titles for indigenous peoples.”

o The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) of the Arroyo administration distributed an average of 119,301 hectares annually (2001-2008) which is smaller than under Estrada (121,274 ha., 1999-2000), Ramos (296,395 ha., 1993-1998) and Aquino (169,063 ha., 1987-1992). (No equivalent data available for land distributed by the DENR)
“Information and communications technology (ICT) will jumpstart our old stalling economy and make it leapfrog into the new economy.”

o The Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry rapidly grew from 5,600 employees and US$56 million in revenues in 2001 to 372,000 employees and US$6.1 billion in revenues in 2008. (NEDA) But in 2008 the sector still accounted for just 1.1% of total employment and only some 2% of gross domestic product (GDP). (IBON computations on NSCB data)
o The manufacturing sector has meanwhile shrunk to as small as in the 1950s – 23.1% of GDP (2008). (NSCB) The sector lost 51,000 jobs between Jan-01 (2,885,000 jobs) and Apr-09 (2,834,000). (NSO)
“Kumikilos ang gobyerno upang mapigilan ang pagtaas ng presyo ng mga pangunahing pangangailangan ng manggagawa. Binabantayan ang presyo ng langis,”

o The price of diesel rose 220% between 2001 (average P13.96 per liter) and 2008 (P44.31) and of gasoline by 180% (from P16.58 to P45.92). (IBON monitoring)
o The peso price per liter of Dubai crude has increased by an average of P0.16 per month since January 2001 – yet the pump price of diesel has increased by an average of P0.26 per month, which is excessive even if the effect of the RVAT law since November 2005 is factored in. (IBON)
“Damihan ang kategorya ng manggagawang hindi na kailangang magbayad ng buwis.”

o On average, every Filipino 15 years old and over paid the government an extra P5,059 in taxes over the last three years (2006-2008). This is equivalent to the additional P287.0 billion in taxes paid by Filipinos due to the imposition of RVAT in Nov 2005. (DOF) (IBON computations)
“Reduce corruption in the executive branch… investigate and prosecute corruption in high places… reduce corruption among elective officials… no one is above the law.”

o The total amount of kickbacks, ill-gotten wealth and payoffs involved in just 16 major corruption cases reaches as much as P20.9 billion (US$430 million). The amount remains substantial even if the interrupted NBN-ZTE and Cyber-Education deals are excluded. (Pagbabago! Research Working Group)
“We will enhance our relations with the United States, whose economic and military power continues to make it important as a factor in the affairs of the region and the nation.”

o Since 2002 up to 500 US Special Forces personnel have been permanently deployed in Mindanao in a “forward operating base”, supported and participated in combat operations, as well as built fixed facilities. In addition over 40,000 US soldiers have come into the country to Albay, Basilan, Batanes, Capiz, Cavite, Cebu, Nueva Ecija, Laguna, Leyte, Masbate, Palawan, Pampanga, Bataan,Sorsogon, Sulu, Tarlac, Quezon and Zamboanga for just the largest “exercises” such as the annual /Balikatan/. This does not yet include scores of other smaller exercises – there were for instance 163 exercises just in 2008 – nor concealed operations. (IBON monitoring)
*Sources:* Bureau of Treasury (BTr), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Budget and Management(DBM), Department of Education (DepED), Department of Foreign Affairs-Commission on Filipinos Overseas (DFA-CFO), National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB), National Statistics Office (NSO), National Wages and productivity Council (NWPC), Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), BusinessWorld Top 100 Corporations, Forbes Asia, Center for Trade Union Human Rights (CTUHR), Karapatan and /Pagbabago! /Research Working Group.

/IBON Foundation, Inc. is an independent development institution established in 1978 that provides research, education, publications, information work and advocacy support on socioeconomic issues./


-- "serve the people always!"

Olazo Exhibit

Ayala Museum in collaboration with PASEO Gallery cordially invite you to the


ROMULO OLAZOA 40 YEAR RETROSPECTIVE

Opening ReceptionOn Monday, 27 July 20096:00 in the EveningGround FloorAyala Museum Makati Avenue cor De la Rosa StreetMakati City.

The exhibit will be on view until 13 September 2009.

Please go to Paseo gallery at megamall branch if you want to go but dont have an invitation yet.
Artwalk 4th Level Bldg., ASM Megamall, Mandaluyong City
Tel.# 706-5514
Cel.# 09228872736

Brilyante

Cervical Cancer is the 2nd leading cancer in women in the Philippines. 35,000 to 70,000 Filipinas are diagnosed with cervical cancer with 7,000 new cases every year. For every 4 Filipinas who survive breast cancer, only 2-3 will survive cancer of the cervix.Every hour, 30 women die of cervical cancer. That is, every 2 minutes, someone loses a sister, a daughter, a mother, a grandmother, a friend, a wife. The thing is, cervical cancer is preventable through the HPV vaccine and cervical cancer awareness. Help us save lives.Choose to know.



Support Brilyante:
The Empowered Woman.
A benefit gala for the Cervical Cancer
Prevention Network Program
(CECAP).

The Mu Sigma Phi Sorority presents:

BRILYANTE: A gala dinner fashion presentation for the benefit of
CERVICAL CANCER PREVENTION (CECAP) Network Program.
Directed by Robby Carmona.

This is a different kind of fashion show. The show will feature Cancer survivors
and they will be modelling together with PMAP models. The Empowered woman
is a benefit gala that will showcase collections from renowned and upcoming
fashion designers from Manila and Cebu (Delby Bragais, Parrish Carlos,
Tina Daniac, Rhett Eala, Jun Escario, Veejay Floresca, JM Goulbourn, OJ Hofer,
Michelle Lim, Richie Ortega-Torres, Randy Ortiz, and Philip Rodriguez).

The event's main objective is to raise funds for CECAP and to increase the
awareness and heighten the publicity on cervical cancer and its prevention
This event also hopes to empower cancer patients in general to face life
with renewed hope and confidence.

Please support our cause. Thank you.

____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ___
TICKET PRICES:

Regular Ticket Price: P2,500
Inclusive of: -Buffet dinner -Fashion show
-Entertainment (with special guest performers) -Jewelmer Bracelet
-Loot Bag
-Plus other freebies

Student Price: P500 (Limited Slots!)
Inclusive of:
-Buffet dinner -Fashion show
-Entertainment (with special guest performers) -Jewelmer Bracelet
-Loot Bag -Plus other freebies


Visit www.brilyante. info.
Contact Di Malbas for Tickets: 0915-8464630/ 2328049
or email musigmaphisorority@ gmail.com.

SILVERLENS

OPENING RECEPTION: KALEIDOSCOPE by Ina Ayala, Mintio and MM Yu, Silverlens Gallery, July 29, Wednesday, 6-9pm

Gallery hours: M-F 10-7 pm, Sat 1-6 pmContact us:(632) 8160044manage@silverlensphoto.comwww.silverlensphoto.comslab.silverlensphoto.com


Kaleidoscope will be the very first full-color show by Silverlens Gallery. The show is a mix of three artists, Ina Ayala, Mintio and MM Yu, with very different perceptions of space and reality. The show captures the polychromatic urban soul through Ina Ayala's painterly abstractions, Mintio's explosions of light and MM Yu's street documentary style.Ina Ayala, a painter and photographer, delivers a fresh and curious approach, as she captures the textures and discolorations of things time left behind.Mintio is young, vibrant, up and coming photographer from Singapore. She takes snippets from urban scenes as she travels Asia and blows them up into fragments of light and color in an organized space. She reflects each image evenly within the frame, much like a kaleidoscope, blurring the starting and ending points of the frame, producing a new cohesive abstract image.MM Yu, is essentially a photographer and a visual artist. The CCP Thirt een Artists Awardee, makes apparent the whimsical happenstance of urban Manila.Kaleidoscope reveals the patterns and textures that make up the vivid cityscape and divulges each artists' intimate and personal perception of reality.

UPDiliman University Council Statement on Con-Ass

NO TO GMA'S ILLEGAL CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY


A Statement of the University Council of the University of the Philippines Diliman
On the eve of her supposedly final state of the nation address (SONA), the feeble attempt of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her allies to change the Constitution shows that she is planning to stay in power even beyond 2010 so that she can enjoy immunity from suit.


At the height of the Garci scandal, the University Council (UC) on July 13, 2005 called for her immediate resignation. And on February 28, 2008, the University Council, in the face of massive corruption in GMA’s administration and unsolved extrajudicial killings, unanimously approved a resolution telling GMA it was time to go. To this day, GMA continues to ignore calls from various sectors of society for her to step down.


Today, with 345 days left to her term, GMA and her allies are not preparing to leave office. They are instead preparing to change the Constitution in order to, among others, lift term limits.
House Resolution No. 1109 which seeks to convene the House of Representatives (HOR) into a constituent assembly shows that in the next few days, GMA and her allies would try to prolong her rule. The brazen manner in which this is being done is manifested by the House Speaker’s pronouncement that immediately after the SONA, the HOR would convene itself into one, with or without the Senate and with or without public approval.


Any attempt to change the Constitution at this time could result in the amendment or revision of the following contentious issues: term limits of the President and members of Congress; the date of the elections, or whether such elections would be held; change in the form of government from presidential to parliamentary.


The attempt of GMA to remain in power and to escape accountability is an affront to the values that we hold dear in the University: public accountability, transparency, honor, and excellence in service. There now exists political uncertainty as the public is unaware of what will happen between now and May 2010 when elections are supposed to be held. There is no justice in a situation where an extension of her immunity from suit would bar any prosecution when her term as President expires on June 30, 2010.


In the hundred-and- first year of the University, the University Council of UP Diliman reiterates its call for public accountability, and renews its commitment to work for a just and progressive society. We in the University Council oppose all attempts of GMA and her allies to convene an illegal constituent assembly and to prolong her rule. The people should freely choose leaders that would truly represent the people’s interests.
U.P. Diliman University Council, 20 July 2009





UNIVERSITY COUNCIL SECRETARIATUniversity of the Philippines DilimanOffice of the University Registrar (3/Floor)Phone 981-8500 ext. 4558, 4554Fax 927-6084; Mobile 09199464416