Arroyo in Pampanga for 47th time this year

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was back in Pampanga Thursday morning, less than 24 hours after she visited her home province for the 46th time last Wednesday to check on a river dredging project. A Malacañang statement said President Arroyo was to attend the Second National Information and Communication Technology Confederation of the Philippines Summit 2009 at the Clark Special Economic Zone. Only last Wednesday, the President was in Lubao town to inspect a river dredging project in her hometown. It was Mrs. Arroyo's 46th visit to Pampanga, a GMA News report said. "The President is expected to acknowledge the importance of information and communication technology (ICT) in the country’s economic development. ICT provides millions of jobs to Filipinos from constructing cell sites, manufacturing microchips, manning computer dependent industries, and working at business process outsourcing companies to small entrepreneurs operating cyber cafes and selling mobile phones and internet cards," a Malacañang statement said. But after the summit, Mrs. Arroyo will motor to Porac and Floridablanca towns in the province's second legislative district. Mrs. Arroyo is reportedly planning to run for congresswoman in the province's second district in the 2010 elections. Her critics have been claiming she intends to run for a congressional seat so that if she wins her allies could push for a shift to a parliamentary form of government, under which she can run for prime minister.

Last month, the Palace claimed there was a "clamor" for Mrs. Arroyo to run for congresswoman. Thursday's visit to Porac aims to inspect the requested covered court at Calzadang Bayu Elementary School the line canal at the Mitla proper, and the Camias road improvement project in the Camias Resettlement Center. Mrs. Arroyo will then motor to Floridablanca - also in the province's second district - to inspect a number of proposed government projects in various barangays. She will also mediate a land titling problem between Barangays Nicolas and Mabical before inspecting a proposed barangay covered court worth P3.5-million. Mrs. Arroyo, who has visited Pampanga more than 30 times since January this year, has kept mum on her political plans. On the third week of October alone, she was in the province thrice. - GMANews.TV