Noynoy Aquino

Expect the newly-refurbished Quirino Granstand to turn yellow as all systems go for the inauguration of President-elect Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Cojuangco Aquino III as the country’s 15th President on Wednesday.

People, mostly clad in yellow, have started to fill up the Quirino grandstand as early as 5 a.m. despite intermittent rains brought by intertropical convergence zone affecting central and southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

According to television reports, both President-elect Aquino and Vice-President-elect Jejomar "Jojo" Binay have started preparing as early as 6 a.m. for their inauguration.

Aquino, son of former President Corazon Aquino, is set to leave his home at Times St. in Quezon City going to Malacanang at 9:45 a.m.

From Malacanang, the incoming President and outgoing President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will proceed at the Quirino grandstand on board the presidential car.

Outgoing President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will be given honors at 10:55 a.m. before leaving the Quirino grandstand, symbolizing her official departure as Chief Executive. Arroyo was elected representative of the 2nd district of Pampanga.

Binay is set to arrive at 10:30 p.m. on board an E-jeep, one of his projects as mayor of Makati City.

Supreme Court justice Conchita Carpio-Morales will administer the Oath of Office to President-elect Aquino who garnered more 15 million votes in the last May 10 elections.

After his inaugural address, Aquino will take a pledge of allegiance entitled "Panata sa Pagbabago" with singers/composers Noel Cabangon and Olgie Alcasid to sing the inaugural song "Bagong Pilipinas."

Accompanied by his Cabinet members, Aquino will return to Malacanang to officialy start his six-year term as the country’s new President.

The President-elect will have lunch with his special guests, including foreign dignitaries, local officials, their families and Cabinet secretaries at the Kalayaan Hall.

Aquino will preside the first Cabinet meeting at 3:30 p.m. He named members of his Cabinet last Tuesday.

Thousands of supporters, some even coming from provinces have filled up grounds of Quirino Grandstand in Manila Wednesday morning to witness the historic inauguration of Benigno Simeon Noynoy Aquino III, son of people power icon Corazon Aquino and national hero-martyr Benigno 'Ninoy' Aquino Jr.

A handful of buses line up Roxas Boulevard and adjacent roads carrying supporters to attend Aquino's thanksgiving mass which started 6 a.m. Traffic, was however manageable as of press time.

Aquino trampled his rivals, even popular former president Joseph Estrada by millions of votes. He received over 15 million votes; his winning margin was over 5 million votes.

Aquino will be the tenth president to be inaugurated in Manila: the nine previously who were inaugurated in Manila: Quezon in 1935, Laurel in 1943, Roxas in 1946, Quirino in 1949, Magsaysay in 1953, Garcia in 1957, Macapagal in 1961, Marcos in 1965 etc., Ramos in 1992.

At age 50, is going to be the 15th President of the Philippines. He becomes president at the same age at which his father, Benigno S. Aquino Jr., died.

Outgoing President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her successor, Benigno Simeon Noynoy Aquino III arrived at the Quirino Grandstand in Rizal Park, Manila at exactly 10:42 a.m. Wednesday.

Upon their arrival, President Arroyo was given military honors for the last time, together with the incoming President.

They left Malacanang grounds on board a black limousine and arrived at the inauguration venue after five minutes.

President Benigno Aquino III on Wednesday assumed the nation's highest post with a vow to push for governance that's pro-people, anchored on democracy and free from corruption.

"Here today, we'll end leadership that's insensitive to the cry of people," he said in his inaugural speech at Rizal Park.

Former presidents Joseph Estrada and Fidel V. Ramos were among local and foreign dignitaries who witnessed his inauguration at the park's historic Quirino Grandstand.

To realize his goal, President Aquino said government will adapt a mechanism that'll enable it to learn about people's concerns regarding his administration and their daily lives.

"We'll implement an inter-active feedback mechanism," he said.

Mr. Aquino also expressed preparedness on devoting his life to promoting democracy nationwide.

"I'm willing to do this so democracy can be beneficial to all," he said.

He likewise committed to exemplify the ideal civil servant by treading the straight and narrow path towards good governance, believing doing so will give government officials and the public a figure to emulate.

"I won't waste the trust you gave me," he assured.

Earlier, Mr. Aquino's camp announced plans for investigating irregularities linked to several previous government officials.

"I believe not all who served in government are corrupt so they now have the chance to show their worth," the Chief Executive noted.

The new administration will focus on developing and implementing initiatives for boosting livelihood and public services like health and education.

President Aquino realizes this is a tall order.

He called on his constituents to help him and the new administration get such initiatives going so the country can progress further.

"If many of us carry the burden, we'll succeed," he noted.

President Aquino is the Philippines' 15th head of State.

He assumed the Philippines' top post 24 years after his mother ex-president Corazon Aquino did so in 1986 following ouster of her political rival former Chief Executive Ferdinand Marcos during the People Power revolution.

High Expectations and hopes for a better future soared high as senator Benigno Simeon Noynoy Aquino III was officially swore in as the 15th President of the country on Wednesday at the Quirino Grandstand.

From the reactions of the people in attendance to the songs rendered by big names in music industry, the message of hope filled the sprawling grandstand to the delight of an estimated 700,000 crowd that watched the historic inauguration of the son of former President Corazon Aquino.

”Our hope is very high now that we have new President. We can see a new dawn of bright future with his promise to end corruption that brought so much poverty,” said Mario Bartulay, who traveled from Masbate just to personally watch Aquino’s inauguration.

For Leandro Yangot, who led a group of 200 supporters of Aquino from Baguio City, the battle against corruption en route to a better future is not for President Aquino alone.

”He cannot do it alone. He needs the support of every Filipino in this battle. We from Cordillera region will give him an all out support for a better future,” Yangot, chairman of the Liberal Party in Baguio City, said.

Former President Fidel V. Ramos has the same observation, saying that “only through cooperation and unity, can we bring progress to the country.”

Though the new President failed to mention about sports in his inaugural speech, the sports leaders have foreseen a brighter future under the new administration.

”We see a very bright future ahead of the Philippine sports because first and foremost, the president elect is a sportsman by heart. We know very well that he practices shooting regularly and he has a big heart and concerns for our athletes,” Manny Lopez of Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP) vice president said.

Former Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chair and Bacolod City congressman Monico Puentevella also believes that Aquino needs the support of everybody in his bid to bring into reality his slogan ‘kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap’ (if there’s no corruption, there's no poverty).

”It’s now time to heal the wounds and support the new administration because it’s the only way we can achieve what we want to achieve for this country,” Puentevella said.

The message of songs rendered by Apo Hiking Society, Ogie Alcasid, Regine Velasquez, Mae Paner and Noel Cabangon called for unity and encouragements to reach the progress that the Filipino people have been longing for so many years now.

”Now is the time for the right change. Let’s go and work for the road to change right now,” stated in the song “Tungo sa Pagbabago” rendered by Cabangon.

President Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” C. Aquino III was sworn at noontime Wednesday as the country's 15th Chief Executive by Supreme Court Associate Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales at the Quirino Grandstand in Rizal Park, Manila.

A few minutes earlier, Vice President Jejomar C. Binay was also sworn into office by Justice Carpio-Morales at the same venue.

Jesuit priest Fr. Catalino Arevalo held the Bible during Aquino's oath-taking. The vice president's wife, former Makati City Mayor Elenita Binay, did the same during her husband's turn.

Aquino, at age 50, is one of the youngest presidents ever elected into office. His campaign color –- yellow –- is associated with his mother, the late President Corazon C. Aquino.

Aquino won in last May's automated polls by a landslide margin. He garnered more than 15 million votes, or about 5.7 million more than the votes of his closest political rival in the May 10 polls, former President Joseph Estrada.

Before Aquino and Binay were sworn in, a group of local artists serenaded the spectators with classic Filipino patriotic songs like "Bayan Ko," "Minamahal Kong Pilipinas," and the inauguration song titled "Bagong Pilipino."

The national anthem was sung by international Filipino singer Charice Pempengco who was wearing a black and yellow gown.

The inaugural song, meanwhile, was sung by Ogie Alcasid, Regine Velasquez, Gary Valenciano, Nina, the Apo Hiking Society, and Christian Bautista.

An ecumenical prayer was led by Archbishop Romulo Valles, Shiekh Hassan, and Bishop Jonel Millan.

Those present during the ceremony included former Presidents Fidel V. Ramos and Joseph Estrada, outgoing Vice President Noli de Castro, members of the Supreme Court, President Aquino's sisters Pinky, Viel, Ballsy, and Kris and other close relatives, Binay's family, members of the diplomatic corps, other government officials, and supporters.

Among the many supporters who witnessed the momentous event were Rodolfo Aquino and his wife who came all the way from Barangay Commonwealth in Quezon City. Rodolfo works at the maintenance department of the United States Embassy.

”I come here to be part of a historical event of our time... I am not expecting too much from him but I hope that he cleans the bureaucracy,” he said.