Today, Aug. 16, 2010, the Office of the President of the Philippines unveiled the new website of President Noynoy Aquino. I believe it is a new domain name under gov.ph. It seems when you type the old OP website address now (@ op.gov.ph), it now redirects to president.gov.ph. Still, I think the use of “president” makes it all clear and specific and this is a good move by the newly-created Presidential Communications Operations Office.
Unlike the old presidential website which contained only boring official press releases, the magic word for the new website is INTERACTIVE. Here are the many ways by which ordinary citizens like us can communicate with P-Noy:
Contact the President or his staff via the Contact Us form
Write your own vow for a Better Philippines (Panata sa Pagbabago)
Note: Full English translation follows the transcript of President Noynoy Aquino’s speech, mostly in Pilipino, delivered at the Quirino Grandstand today, June 30, 2010
His Excellency Jose Ramos Horta, Former President Fidel V. Ramos, Former President Joseph Estrada, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and members of the Senate, House Speaker Prospero Nograles and members of the House, justices of the Supreme Court, members of the foreign delegations,Your Excellencies of the diplomatic corps, fellow colleagues in government, aking mga kababayan.
Ang pagtayo ko dito ngayon ay patunay na kayo ang aking tunay na lakas. Hindi ko inakala na darating tayo sa puntong ito, na ako’y manunumpa sa harap ninyo bilang inyong Pangulo. Hindi ko pinangarap maging tagapagtaguyod ng pag-asa at tagapagmana ng mga suliranin ng ating bayan.
Ang layunin ko sa buhay ay simple lang: maging tapat sa aking mga magulang at sa bayan bilang isang marangal na anak, mabait na kuya, at mabuting mamamayan.
Nilabanan ng aking ama ang diktaturya at ibinuwis niya ang kanyang buhay para tubusin ang ating demokrasya. Inalay ng aking ina ang kanyang buhay upang pangalagaan ang demokrasyang ito. Ilalaan ko ang aking buhay para siguraduhin na ang ating demokrasya ay kapaki-pakinabang sa bawat isa. Namuhunan na kami ng dugo at handang gawin itong muli kung kinakailangan.
Tanyag man ang aking mga magulang at ang kanilang mga nagawa, alam ko rin ang problema ng ordinaryong mamamayan. Alam nating lahat ang pakiramdam na magkaroon ng pamahalaang bulag at bingi. Alam natin ang pakiramdam na mapagkaitan ng hustisya, na mabalewala ng mga taong pinagkatiwalaan at inatasan nating maging ating tagapagtanggol.
Kayo ba ay minsan ring nalimutan ng pamahalaang inyong iniluklok sa puwesto? Ako rin. Kayo ba ay nagtiis na sa trapiko para lamang masingitan ng isang naghahari-hariang de-wangwang sa kalsada? Ako rin. Kayo ba ay sawang-sawa na sa pamahalaang sa halip na magsilbi sa taumbayan ay kailangan pa nila itong pagpasensiyahan at tiisin? Ako rin.
Katulad ninyo ako. Marami na sa atin ang bumoto gamit ang kanilang paa – nilisan na nila ang ating bansa sa kanilang paghahanap ng pagbabago at katahimikan. Tiniis nila ang hirap, sinugod ang panganib sa ibang bansa dahil doon may pag-asa kahit kaunti na dito sa atin ay hindi nila nakikita. Sa iilang sandali na sarili ko lang ang aking inaalala, pati ako ay napag-isip din – talaga bang hindi na mababago ang pamamahala natin dito? Hindi kaya nasa ibang bansa ang katahimikang hinahanap ko? Saan ba nakasulat na kailangang puro pagtitiis ang tadhana ng Pilipino?
Ngayon, sa araw na ito – dito magwawakas ang pamumunong manhid sa mga daing ng taumbayan. Hindi si Noynoy ang gumawa ng paraan, kayo ang dahilan kung bakit ngayon, magtatapos na ang pagtitiis ng sambayanan. Ito naman ang umpisa ng kalbaryo ko, ngunit kung marami tayong magpapasan ng krus ay kakayanin natin ito, gaano man kabigat. (more…)
While President to-be Noynoy Aquino has expressed his preference to stay in a condo or at the family residence in Times St. West Triangle, Quezon City, his celebrity sister Kris Aquino says she would like to stay at the Arlegui Mansion near Malacanang again. It’s where Noynoy, Kris and the late President Cory lived post-EDSA.
” We have very happy memories in Arlegui. And feeling ko mas maganda ang feng shui ng Arlegui. Kasi ang mom ko and si FVR, nakatapos ng term nila na walang mga impeachment issues, etc.,” notes Kris in an interview with the Manila Bulletin’s Students & Campuses section dubbed First Sister.
With Kris’ approval, who knows? the resurgent Aquinos might just settle in Arlegui St. again.
Kris said that she will not hesitate to live in the Presidential residence, along with her married sisters, if Noynoy – who might feel lonely as a single man – requests for it.
The pre-war Arlegui Mansion, located on Arlegui St. in Manila’s San Miguel district is just a few walks from Malacanang. It has 12 bedrooms, a swimming pool and a few function rooms.
Noynoy Aquino’s campaign seems to have scored another PR coup with Noynoy being put on the cover of TIME Magazine’s April 26, 2010 issue headlined “The New Aquino.”
The feature is significant for several reasons: 1) it plays up his image before the international community; 2) it is a recognition from the international media, especially a renowned magazine like TIME which is a lot less likely to be biased and partial than the local media; 3) it follows past TIME covers/articles about the Aquino family figurehead, the late President Cory Aquino and 4) the article succeeds in letting us believe that Aquino III is the undisputed frontrunner in the May 10 2010 elections, barring grim scenarios like blackouts and computer breakdowns (more…)
The Youth & Campus page, one of the Manila Bulletin’s best sections edited by my kumare (and former boss, Ivy Lisa Mendoza) ran a very engaging article over the weekend about Shalani Soledad, the Valenzuela City Councilor who is also known as presidentiable Noynoy Aquino’s girlfriend.
It’s a good read since the pretty (but shy) Shalani is usually not written about in the mainstream lifestyle & society sections. Second, it gives a first-hand insight into a man who’s leading the surveys for the May 2010 elections.
Some of the women which have been linked in the past to Aquino include the sexy actresses Barbara Milano and Diana Zubiri. Then came the newscasters Korina Sanchez (now Mrs. Mar Roxas) and Bernadette Sembrano. (more…)
Hot off the press: the Noynoy Aquino video first shown on ABS-CBN tonight. Have you watched it yet?
Honestly, I got goosebumps when I saw this. My American husband says the one thing with Noynoy is that he’s catching the imagination of the apathetic Filipino people and that’s a good thing.
Most notable is the fact that Noynoy is spending the least among the presidentiables. The star-studded Hindi Ka Nag-iisa video itself is described as a “love offering from entertainment and advertising industry professionals.”
Regine Velasquez is shown singing the Noynoy anthem, which makes you think why Sharon Cuneta and Ogie Alcasid aren’t lending their voice when they’re also in it. Also seen in the video: Kris Aquino (of course), Dingdong Dantes, Marian Rivera, Anne Curtis, Mariel Rodriguez, Ai-ai de las Alas, Boy Abunda and some others. (more…)
Philippine politics is getting exciting by the minute. An rip-roaring rigodon is going on, barely a year before the next presidential elections. For a change, i feel a glimmer of hope with these new breed of younger politicos, like Mar Roxas giving up his presidential bid yesterday and a few others hinting that they are following suit. It gives us hope that the clamor for reform is stronger than the lure of term extension (read: cha-cha) and traditional politics.
Truth to tell, I still don’t have a candidate to vote for, although a lot of my well-meaning friends are ready to chant “Noynoy!” any minute. I think his greatest appeal is that he was unprepared for this and is not hungry for the power. By delaying his announcement to run to pray for further discernment, Noynoy is following the example of his mother Cory who did the same in 1986.
Unlike his mother who became President, Noynoy is no political newbie, but he didn’t start out with guns a-blazing either. I really don’t remember him sponsoring legislative initiatives that will merit the front page and beyond. The page about him in the Senate website only lists his proposed law “to make the procurement of the petroleum, oil and lubricants requirements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines transparent by requiring public bidding.” I am sure Senators Mar, Kiko and Chiz fare better than him when it comes to legislative mileage.
But what he has for certain is the family name and the legacy that goes with it. Nonoy will definitely run for the land’s highest office carrying the banner of “democracy.” I know it’s kinda off now, given that we are no longer under a dictator. But there is something about the Aquino name which bespeaks of a greater sense of integrity. Save for his fondness for dating broadcasters, actresses and pretty ladies, this Noynoy also hasn’t been tainted of a scandal of any kind. If ever he gets elected in office, we really don’t expect to see a throng of relatives currying for favors. Certainly not Kris who’s richer than him by a mile (more…)
