GMA conspicuous absence

Usually, palaging kasama si GMA sa mga ganitong activities or photo-ops, but not this time around.

Life in Basilan brightens with US assistance

MALUSO, Basilan - US officials led by Ambassador Francis Ricciardone on Wednesday inspected infrastructure and livelihood projects funded by Washington in this remote coastal town.

Ricciardone and Andrew Natsios, administrator of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), came by military speedboats from Zamboanga City where they inspected work on the reconstruction of a seaport.

Presidential Assistant for Mindanao Jesus Dureza and ARMM Gov. Parouk Hussin accompanied Ricciardone's group that included John Tsagronis, senior policy advisor of USAID in Washington, and Eugene Martin, executive director of the United States Institute of Peace.

Security was tight at the port area where Natsios briefly spoke about US support for efforts to uplift the poor provinces in the strife-ridden southern region.

"I have a message of peace from President George Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell and we want to tell the Filipinos that the United States will continue to help the Philippines in terms of development projects. We are happy to help the Filipinos and through these development projects we will achieve peace," Natsios said.

Students, carrying small American flags, lined up a dirt road where the US officials passed. They chanted the name of Ricciardone and some were shouting "Long live America!"

"We are here to see the projects and we hope to provide more assistance to the Filipino people. We are friends," Ricciardone said.

Basilan Gov. Wahab Akbar, a rebel leader-turned-politician, said the island's 350,000 people would be better off under US rule.

"If I have my way, I want Basilan to be part of the United States and we will call this great land the State of Basilan. Then we can have better lives," he said.

Basilan is one of the country's 20 most poorest provinces, but Akbar boasted that the island, once the stronghold of the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group, is moving up.

"We are a little better now. We are slowly and steadily picking up, thanks to the United States for its continued support to Basilan. I, and my people are thankful," Akbar said.

Ricciardone's group handed over five computer sets to the Basilan National High School in Isabela City under the USAID-Growth with Equity in Mindanao program.

Then, I remembered this:

Highly-placed US officials were reported to have assured these groups that the US government would continue the maintain close and friendly ties with the Philippines but would have increasingly have little to do with to do with the Arroyo administration.

The official who told about Arroyo's unanswered calls said the US would make a clear distinction between the Filipinos and Mrs. Arroyo.

He said US assistance and grants would no longer be channeled through the government, but through non-government organizations. "This is the only way to avoid corruption," the official said.

I think it's better that they directly fund the projects and avoid the middleman (arroyo admin) to minimize corruption.

And btw, thanks America for that assistance. This really helps Basilan.