The State Visit
US President George W. Bush visits our country today. Yesterday afternoon, on my way home to Laguna, they were already protesters flooding the street on our way out of the University. Silverh and I stood at the faculty center waiting shed, anticipating a homeward bound journey, me to Pacita and him to Marikina. We were greeted not by a Pantranco jeep, but this awfully dense crowd walking (quite slowly) on the Academic Oval, as if a walking a hearse, wearing predominantly red and black garments. The first few rows were chanting “Bush, Bush go away, isama mo si GMA.” A few more rows later, the chants grew incoherent, as they were obviously too many to chant in unison. What struck me about this mass of people was the volume of curly-haired dark-skinned aborigine-like men towards the end of the massive queue. Are these the Filipino indigents? They seemed to walk aimlessly, carrying white translucent bags of what looked like bread and rice. Made me think whether they knew what they were doing, or were they just paid to carry the food rations for everyone?
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What exactly are they protesting about?
They were calling Bush the number one world terrorist. They’re calling Bush a liar, owing to the fact that he declared war upon Iraq, saying that it was hiding weapons of mass destruction. They’re calling him the new Hitler, using military power and the aggression of war against any country he wishes, just to solve the worsening crises in the United States. They’re calling Arroyo a puppy gone crazy, welcoming Bush as his right hand in Asia. They’re also calling her a liar, owing to broken promises to her country, most likely the particular promise that she would not run on May 2004.
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So, today is the day. I woke up a bit after 11 a.m., hearing my mom fussing about the news on TV. She was saying that my brother, who works in NAIA, said that Bush would arrive 1220H. He was right.
I was up and, having nothing more important to do today, decided to follow the events. I took some TV captures. I dunno if they turned out too good, but anyhow, they were fun to do. So here’s my report. For TV captures, please go here. (still a broken link, sorry, have not uploaded)
Purple’s Report on the State Visit of US President George Walter Bush to the Republic of the Philippines
Arrival
12:12 The first BOEING 747 carrying the advanced party of the US President lands in Villamor Air Base, Pasay
City.
Susan Enriquez from GMA falsely announced that this was already AIR FORCE ONE. It was obviously not.
She retracted the report a few minutes later.
12:19 AIR FORCE ONE lands in Villamor Air Base. Marine helicopters whizzed around the Air Field around this time until Bush left the place.
12:32 US President Bush emerges from Air Force Once with First Lady Laura. RP Vice President Teofisto Guingona, RP Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas Ople and US Ambassador to the RP __ welcome them.
My mom and I were half-hoping to see Harrison Ford alight from the plane.
12:36 President Bush’s entourage leaves Villamor Air Base.
Offering of Wreath to the National Hero
1:08 President Bush’s entourage arrives in Rizal Monument, Rizal Park, City of Manila.
At this moment, my dad notices how thick and heavy the car doors of Bush’s stretch limousine looked.
1:13 Bush alights from car with Laura, Mayor Lito Atienza receives them.
Lito Atienza reminded me a lot here of Rudy Guliani of New York.
1:15 Bush lays wreath of flowers as offering for Philippine National Hero Gat Jose Rizal.
He doesn’t lay a hand on the wreath. It looked heavy, around 2-3 feet in diameter. He looked a lot roasted under the afternoon sun, my mom was crying out, “Oii, nasusunog na si Bush!”
Philippine Navy Band plays Ang Bayan Ko’y Tanging Ikaw.
The band played another traditional song that I didn’t recognize.
1:18 Bush leaves Rizal Park.
My mom says, “Mukhang mabait yung asawa niya.”
State Arrival Ceremony
1:26 Bush arrives in Malaca�an
g Palace grounds, City of Manila. RP President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and First Gentleman Mike receives them.
It was sort of disgusting to see Mike Arroyo in the background. For a moment there my mom noticed how Laura seemed to stride faster than him, as if avoiding being escorted by him. Gloria looked so dwarfy even with a not-so-tall American President and First Lady flanking her.
1:27 Band plays Star-Spangled Banner (Francis Scott Key).
W. and Laura hold their palms against their chests.
1:29 Band plays Lupang Hinirang (Felipe Agoncillo).
Arroyo and Mike hold their palms against their chests.
1:30 Band plays Leron Leron Sinta.
1:38 Bush and First Lady Laura enter Malaca�ang Palace.
Along the way, the path the guests passed was lined with kids aged around 6-8 years old, waving tiny US and RP flags. Bush and Laura enjoyed looking and fussing over them, and even came closer. W even took a baby and held her for a while.
Story-telling with the First Lady
1:54 First Lady Laura sits with 200 selected students of NCR schools. She reads aloud a children’s book entitled Panda bear, Panda bear, What do you see?
The children looked adorable, though it was so obvious how they were over-rehearsed. Even the teacher who first spoke for the group stumbled over her lines… “Okay, now let’s song… err… give… err… sing a song for the First Lady.”
2:00 Six selected children deliver a story-play about the Bamboo.
Very nice delivery. Laura looked genuinely pleased.
2:06 Children present gifts made of bamboo to the First Lady.
Even I didn’t know about these gufts, I hardly understood while each child recited the name of the bamboo product he/she gave the First Lady.
2:07 The First Lady watches a Filipiniana dance presentation.
Nice. Though could have been better.
2:15 The children sing We Say Mabuhay.
Too artificial. Made my skin hair rise on end.
2:17 The First Lady thanks the children, poses for pictures, and leaves the room.
Laura looks pretty. You can tell she loved being around children too.
Speech at RP Congress
5:15 Bush makes his way to Batasang Pambansa, with almost everyone anticipating his delivery of a speech in front of Congress. Bush is only the second US President to do so, the first being Dwight Eisenhower’s Joint Congress speech during the height of the cold war in the 70s.
Supposedly scheduled at 3:15, it was rumored that the US President had second thoughts about pushing through with his visit to RP Congress. Satur Ocampo and company (I am not familiar with their names, a lady congressman and a couple others) have declared their intention early on of their symbolic protest this day, wearing full black or otherwise patriotic colors, and announced that they would walk out during the US President�s speech. Opposition senators and congressmen likewise announced that they would boycott the event. They however, were present.
State Dinner
(Time undetermined) I got tired keeping track of the time and instead went to play some videogames, only getting the bits of news later this night about what happened further. Anyhow, I heard that the main course for this state dinner at Malaca�ang is Lapu-lapu in tomato sauce. Dessert was chocolate mousse. There were other details but I failed to pay much attention. But I did see Former President Corazon Aquino sitting in the banquet table with the two First couples.
And that was it. My brother arrived home around 9 p.m., obviously a bit cranky. He was on duty all day today at NAIA.
Regular TV programming resumes.