First ‘Apo’ to join GMA’s US state visit

The First Granddaughter, Mikaela Gloria "Mika" Arroyo, begins her travels with the First Family as she joins her grandparents on President Arroyo’s state visit to the US this month.

Six-month-old Mika and her parents, Pampanga Vice Gov. Juan Miguel Arroyo and Angela Montenegro, are part of Mrs. Arroyo’s contingent for the state visit.

The President’s youngest son, Dato, is not joining the First Family for this state visit to the US, as he weds his long-time fiancee Kakay Manotoc tomorrow, the eve of the First Family’s departure for the US. Dato and Kakay will be honeymooning as the President and her contingent meet US President George W. Bush.

Protocol chief Cecille Rebong disclosed yesterday that the President and her official delegation would leave the country on the night of May 17 via a commercial flight for Los Angeles, California and make a stopover there before proceeding to Washington DC.

The First Family will also take the opportunity to spend a short vacation in Monterey, California before the President returns to the country on May 24.

Rebong said only the President and First Gentleman will be given the honors of the state visit when she arrives on May 18.

The full military honors will be given to the First Couple, plus eight of her official delegation at the Washington Monument grounds, where she will be transported by helicopter.

The presidential party will then be chauffeured to the Blair House, where she and the First Family will be billeted for the duration of her three-day stay in the US capital.

Rebong said Bush and his First Lady Laura Bush will formally welcome Mrs. Arroyo and Attorney Arroyo at the South Lawn of the White House on May 19.

Meanwhile, Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye was admitted at the Makati Medical Center last night after he suffered a slipped disc.

"I will not be able to join the (US) trip," Bunye said in a text message sent to Palace reporters yesterday.

Bunye was supposed to join Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas Ople and Trade Secretary Manuel Roxas II as part of the President’s advance party for the state visit.

Mrs. Arroyo will conduct her bilateral meeting with Bush at the White House Oval Office on a "six plus one" basis — the President and six members of her Cabinet will meet Bush and their counterparts in his Cabinet.

The Oval Office activity is "the meeting" where the two leaders will discuss mutual defense, security and economic matters related to, among other things, the Philippines’ participation in the postwar reconstruction of Iraq and Balikatan 03-1 in Sulu.

Included in this scheduled 45-minute meeting between Mrs. Arroyo and Bush are Executive Secretary Alberto Romulo, Ople, Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes, National Security Adviser Roilo Golez, Philippine Ambassador to Washington Albert del Rosario and presidential adviser and chairman of the Philippine private sector humanitarian task force to Iraq, Roberto Romulo.

Rebong said the "ten plus one expanded bilateral meeting" between Mrs. Arroyo and Bush follows in the White House Cabinet Room.

She repeatedly said the number of officials joining the President at the scheduled official activities in the White House was "limited" by the US side.

"All these events are by invitation," Rebong said. "All of the events have limited participation and we merely filled up the numbers that the White House and the (US) State Department gave to us."