$.4-M ‘USA Today’ insert trumpets GMA achievements

May 17, 2008  --  Got something to say?
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WASHINGTON D.C. = At a time when Filipinos are being urged by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to eat camote-rice and millions are experiencing hunger and living below the poverty line, the government and businesses spent close to half a million dollars to trumpet the achievements of the Arroyo administration in the United States.
USA Today, a nationally-circulated newspaper, on May 1 carried a 16-page full color insert-supplement citing the economic progress and financial gains the Philippines has made under the Arroyo administration.
Based on the advertising rates of USA TODAY, the total cost of the 16-page supplement-insert would amount to about $400,000 if the supplement was distributed nationwide. The majority of the advertisers are government agencies such as PAGCOR (two full pages), Department of Tourism, and Social Security Administration, real estate companies, banks and malls.
This appears to be the all-out media blitz that is being made in preparation for the visit of the President to the US next month.
The front page, with the big headline of “The Philippines”, contained a message from Arroyo titled “Creating a new Philippines.” It said “she has placed the Philippines on the path of permanent economic growth and stability.” Another story on page one, titled “The economic smile of Asia Pacific,” said “The Philippines is catching the tiger economies on its way to First World Status.” The third article with a subhead ‘presidential profile, progress against the odds” said “President Arroyo has overcome many obstacles to achieve the Philippines’ highest economic growth rate in 31 years.”
On page two, the top article was Arroyo saying the Philippines is “poised to jump to prosperity,” a statement from the governor of the Central Bank about lower inflation rates, the national budget which said Arroyo had allocated huge funds for education, transportation and infrastructure and the Department of Energy about the administration’s big plans to develop alternative energy.
The supplement in the May 1st issue was produced by United World Ltd., a company based in Washington DC. When contacted by Bing C. Branigin of the Manila Mail for comment, the agency refused to answer questions over the phone and instead asked that these be sent by email. Philippine embassy officials also declined to comment about the supplement. Sources said similar supplements are being inserted in other major publications around the US.
USA Today said it was merely distributing the supplement which carried a disclaimer: “Our World Insert is produced by United World. USA Today did not participate in its preparations and is not responsible for its contents.”
The Philippine embassy has also started an all-out campaign, mailing out copies of the embassy publication “Caucus Chronicle” and sending out daily press releases to all the Filipino American organizations in the greater Washington DC area.
Filipino Americans who have seen the supplement at a time when the Philippines is in the midst of a rice crisis, exploding population and continued increase in the poverty rate are bristling. Many however have declined to identify themselves for fear that if they go to the Philippines for a visit they might be placed in the watch list.
An alert reader informed the Manila Mail about the supplement and expressed outrage that the government was spending money at a time when there is a rice crisis in the Philippines. A community leader said this extraordinary attempt to refurbish the image of a country that is buffeted by continuing reports of top-level corruption, human rights violations, electoral anomalies, poverty and hunger shows the misplaced priorities of the Arroyo government.
Some groups are reportedly getting ready to give a rousing welcome if the President visits Washington. “We will give a hot welcome to a President who is well known for the ‘Hello Garci’ scandal which put into question her election as president in 2004, the NBN deal with China that shows the corruption in her government, the disappearances of hundreds of activists and other human rights violations, the shortcutting of the democratic processes to stop Congress from exercising its right of checks and balance, the lack of press freedom and other issues,” an activist leader said.
Local Filipino American leaders have constantly been forwarding to the Manila Mail all critical reports that have been printed in major American publications.


Posted by News Team | Filed Under US News 

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