MANILA, Feb. 8, 2010— Evangelist and presidential aspirant Bro. Eddie Villanueva will the Bangon Pilipinas Party in unfurling what they tout as the country’s “biggest flag” in Luneta on Feb. 9.
Villanueva, head of the Jesus is Lord Movement, will be joined by his party mates in what they call a symbolic gesture of a new Philippines.
“We are starting here in the country’s ‘Kilometer Zero’ as a sign of hope for a New Philippines. This year is the year of God’s favor for the Philippines,” said Atty. Lyndon Caña, Bangon Pilipinas’ national campaign manager.
Kilometer zero starts in Luneta, located at the heart of the country’s capital city of Manila. All distances in the country starts its reference to the kilometer marker in Luneta, the big flagpole west of the Rizal Monument where National Hero Jose Rizal was meted the death sentence.
“We believe Filipinos are already awakened. We are all tired with old traditional politics. We see how traditional politics has brought our nation deeper into economic quagmire. We have not seen corruption and bad governance at their worse than in the recent years,” Caña lamented.
The political party cited a United Nations Development Program report which states that expatriate businessmen perceive the Philippines as the most corrupt country in Asia.
The World Bank said roughly 40-50% of the government’s annual budget or about P700-billion annually goes to the pockets of corrupt government officials, Bangon Pilipinas also said.
Caña said the upcoming elections can be the opportunity for Filipinos to decide the nation’s fate in the next six years.
“A New Philippines will never happen with the same traditional politicians and the current set-up of patronage politics,” he said.
“With the symbolic unfurling of the flag, we are declaring God’s blessings upon our nation. God said in the Good Book – Call to me and I will answer. I will deliver you from trouble and honor you,” said Caña.
He added that regardless of religious affiliation, whether Christian or Muslim, “Filipinos should not be ashamed to call on the Almighty God whose aid our very Constitution implores.”
The Philippine's biggest flag – measuring 180 meters x 92 meters – was first unfurled in Aritao, Nueva Vizcaya on September 16, 2006.
Weighing 3.8 tons and costing almost P10 million, it was created by businesswoman Grace Galindez Gupana, a supporter of Bangon Pilipinas Party.
Gupana is a Guinness World Record-holder of several titles, including the World’s Biggest Flag – the Israeli Flag – which was unfurled in Gaza strip in Israel about the same time as the Philippine flag was unfurled again in Baguio City on June 12, 2008, the 110th anniversary of Philippine independence. (CBCPNews)
