Binay 2010

The city government of Makati has paid a total of P2,406,724.50 to four cinema owners in the city for 69,534 movie tickets issued to senior citizens who availed themselves of the privilege of watching movies for free in all theaters in the city from January to March this year.

In a report to Mayor Jejomar C. Binay, the Finance Department identified the payees as Ayala Land, Inc., which operates Glorietta 1 and 4 and Greenbelt 1 and 3 theaters, Rockwell Land , owner of Power Plant Cinema, Universal Management Corporation for ABC Tri-Cinema, and Waltermart for Cinema 2000.

The city government has paid its 25 percent subsidized share in the cost of movie tickets with Ayala Land, which received P1,099,269.75 for 31,526 tickets; Rockwell Land, P749,023.50 for 19,051 tickets; Universal Management Corp., P242,533.75 for 9,622 tickets; and Waltermart, P315,897.50 for 9,335 tickets.

Under the program initiated by Binay, Makati ’s almost 50,000 senior citizens need only to present their senior citizens card and movie tickets booklet, both issued by the city government, at the ticket booths whenever they go to the said cinemas.

The city government has required qualified senior citizens to present the said items each time they go to the movies to prevent attempts to use fake senior ID cards to gain free entrance to movie houses in Makati .

In 2008, cinema partners received around P9.3 million from the city government for the program, and around P7.5 million and P6.1 million in 2007 and 2006, respectively. This year, the city government has allocated a total of P11 million for its free movies program.

“The increasing trend in the payments we have made to theater owners for this program is a clear indication that our intended beneficiaries, the senior citizens of Makati , truly appreciate and enjoy these benefits that we offer them,” Binay said.

Aside from free movies, the city government also delivers birthday cakes to its elderly. Couples celebrating their golden wedding anniversaries also get free cakes from the mayor.

The BLU card program for the elderly on the other hand, gives beneficiaries of a BLU cardholder financial assistance upon the death of the cardholder. Makati ’s senior citizens also receive a cash gift of P1,000 twice a year, which helps augment their budget for food and medicine. The cash gift is given every June and December.

Tags: BLU Card of Makati, City Government of Makati, elderly of makati, Makati senior citizens, senior citizens
Posted in Makati News | No Comments »

Makati Mayor and United Opposition (UNO) president Jejomar C. Binay said the huge success of the internet-based campaign against the Constituent Assembly (Con-Ass) resolution in the House should serve as a wake up call to the Arroyo administration.

“Mrs. Arroyo and her allies in Congress are ignoring the cyber-protests against Con-Ass at their own risk,” Binay said.

The opposition leader said the Facebook group “No to Con-Ass” has already reached 63,000 members in a span of two weeks and the number keeps rising.

Created by Noli Benavent, a former Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW), the “No to Con Ass” now ranks 65 in a worldwide list of over 28,000 public advocacies on Facebook, a social networking site.

“The internet campaign against Con-Ass should serve as a wake-up call to the Arroyo administration,” he said.

“If there is anything positive about Con-Ass, it has succeeded in bringing together Filipinos of all ages, from all parts of the country and the world under one banner, and that is their opposition to Con-Ass,” he said. This is the new face of political activism,” he added.

Binay said the numbers drawn by the Facebook group, together with the tens of thousands who took to the streets last week in anti-Con Ass rallies held in key cities outside Metro Manila, “represent a very broad coalition” against Con-Ass, which he described as part of several Palace plots to extend Mrs. Arroyo’s stay in power.

These numbers also represent a “ready constituency” that can foil attempts by the administration to impose emergency rule and even martial law, he said.

“If the administration thinks that the people will simply allow them to get away with stealing the elections and stealing democracy, they are gravely mistaken,” he said.

“The House’s Con-Ass resolution has provided a rallying point for the opposition, people’s organizations, civil society groups, and ordinary citizens. They have expressed and will continue to express their protests in the streets and on the internet,” he said.

House allies have said they intend to push for Con-Ass when Congress resumes session in July, despite public outcry over their resolution.

Binay said the opposition and other groups are preparing for another major protest to coincide with Mrs. Arroyo’s State of the Nation Address (SONA).

“We will send the message that this should be, and will be, her last SONA. This is the last time that she will lie to the people about the true state of the nation,” he said.

Tags: binay as presidnetiable, Binay Facebook account, binay ng makati, binay2010, Con-Ass campaign in Facebook, constituent assembly, Facebook, makati mayor, No to Con-Ass, Noli Benavent, OFW, social networking site, SONA, United Opposition, UNO, UNO president
Posted in National News | No Comments »