We are reaping the fruits of our labors and sacrifices as well as the political will to implement urgent reforms.

Let us not lose the momentum and the opportunity to cross the threshold so that it will never be said again that the Philippines is the economic basket case of Asia.

One great heave of productivity and enterprise is all we need to become more globally competitive.

We appreciate the growing concern among our leaders for the need to protect our forests and we support all earnest efforts to expose and stop illegal logging.

We assure the public that well-grounded complaints against illegal logging activities including those aired in media, will be acted upon promptly.

After the gift of regained sense of confidence through the provision of free dentures to toothless policemen, First Gentleman Atty. Jose Miguel T. Arroyo is set again to give another gift to lawmen – the gift of sight through his free cataract surgery project.

The free cataract operation project is an on-going civic undertaking of the First Gentleman. Its outreach expansion, to now include policemen, will initially start with law enforcers in the National Capital Region (NCR).

Mr. Arroyo announced the expansion of his cataract medical mission for policemen during the ceremonial installation and fitting of free dentures to police personnel of the Eastern Police District (SPD) at its headquarters in Pasig City today. The free dentures project, "Bagong Ngiti sa Dating Ngebu," initially benefited over 100 SPD personnel and their dependents.

In expanding his cataract medical mission to include policemen, the First Gentleman, however, challenged the police officers present at the EPD led by NCR Police Office (NCRPO) director Avelino Razon and EPD director, Chief Supt. Oscar Valenzuela, to produce no less than 1,000 beneficiaries for the expanded cataract mission.

Launched in September 2001, Mr. Arroyo’s cataract medical mission had originally been held at the PSG Hospital at Malacaņang Park for indigent patients from Metro Manila and nearby provinces, as beneficiaries.

To reach out to more poor cataract patients, who may go blind because they can’t afford the high cost of eye surgery, the First Gentleman expanded the coverage of his charity mission to the provinces. Cataract operation costs from P15,000 to P50,000 per eye in private hospitals.

Mr. Arroyo underwrites the cost of his cataract medical mission from his own personal resources through the First Gentleman’s Foundation.

The gift of sight for the police, Mr. Arroyo assured would also include civilian personnel and their dependents.

Among the initial EPD beneficiaries of the Bagong Ngiti sa Dating Ngebu project who got their new dentures Tuesday morning were SPO4 Jose Carillo, Jr., SPO4 Julian Astillero, PO1 Eric Saguisag, SPO3 Patricio Deoferio, PO1 Rodel Samaniego, PO1 Elmer San Jose, NUP Riza Collo and NUP Noel Santos.

The other beneficiaries came from the various services and units at the EDP headquarters, as well as from its police stations in San Juan, Pasig, Mandaluyong and Markina.

Other EPD personnel and dependents who were unable to avail of the project’s free dentures and related dental services today will be served after one week.

SPO4 Carillo, who represented the project beneficiaries, thanked the First Gentleman for the special attention given them. He said he hopes Mr. Arroyo will continue his charity projects for the poor people who are in dire need of his help.

For his part, Chief Supt. Valenzuela thanked the First Gentleman for bringing his projects to the EDP. He described the First Gentleman as a "philantrophist who reaches out to the masses."

In his brief remarks, Mr. Arroyo said his Bagong Ngiti sa Dating Ngebu, free cataract operation and other charity projects are his own way of demonstrating how the President and First Family appreciate and care for the police and the people.

He said his charity projects are on instructions by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo herself, "because she wants you to feel good and special because you are special to her."

From EDP headquarters in Pasig City, the First Gentleman motored to the PSG Hospital where the 55^th cataract medical mission was underway.

At least 32 indigent cataract patients were operated on by a team of volunteer doctors led by Dr. Benjie Abella from Makati Medical Center, Dr. Eric Malubay of the Malacaņang Clinic, Dr. Augusto de Villa of PSG and Dr. Reynaldo Capuz of the AFP Medical Center.

Apart from the free eye surgery, the beneficiaries were also provided with free intra-ocular lenses, medicines, preand post-operative medical care.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is set to file illegal logging cases against big logging companies and local officials tomorrow at the Department of Justice (DOJ) to make them answerable for the death and destruction that occurred recently in Quezon province.

In a press conference today, Environment Secretary Michael Defensor identified the companies and personalities found to have links with illegal logging operations in General Nakar, Quezon.

Defensor identified those to be charged at the DOJ as lawyer Romeo Roxas and son RJ Roxas, owners of Green Circle Company; Allan Tan, manager of the same firm; Benito Ching, owner of Inter-Pacific Forest Resources Corp. (IFRC); a certain Engineer Dagul, an associate of Ching, and Jessie Pua, owner of the trucks used to transport Ching’s hot logs;

Totoy Ang of Kasibu Sawmill, Wilson Ng, brothers William and Wilson Marquez identified as illegal logging financiers, Melquiades Pratorio, Alfredo Gobes, Silvestre Miras, Carmelito Aranel and Lina Orozco, who are known to work closely with the illegal logging financiers in Quezon.

The DENR Secretary also named the local officials to be charged as Barangay Justice Hernan Avenilla of Barangay Magsaysay, and Kagawads Mario dela Cruz, Epifanio Orozco and Diolito Briones of Barangay Pagsanghan.

Defensor said all the Barangay captains of the 15 barangays surrounding the Umiray River would also be administratively charged for their failure to cooperate in the investigation conducted by the DENR on illegal logging in their area.

"The barangay officials, particularly the barangay captains are all involved one way or another, either by tolerance or direct participation in illegal timber poaching and outright massive illegal logging. The town mayor and his family are involved too," he added.

Defensor said it took his agency some time to establish the cases against the identified firms and individuals because of delay in gathering solid evidences against them due to resistance from potential witnesses who expressed fear of reprisal from the moneyed suspects.

Malacanang is open to any proposal to further refine the proposed Value Added Tax (VAT) measure to cushion its possible adverse impact among the poor.

In a press briefing today, Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman Ignacio R. Bunye said the government is amenable to any proposal from various sectors to help minimize any adverse effect, if any, the tax bill may have on low-income groups.

"We are very open to all proposals, especially if they will cushion the impact (of the proposed measure) on low income groups," said Bunye in reaction to a suggestion aired by Senator Ralph Recto.

Bunye admitted there is an emerging consensus that the House approved VAT measure needs to be further refined to reflect the true intention of the Arroyo government to really cushion the impact of the tax measure.

"We trust the judgment and wisdom of members of the Senate. We know that they consider this as very urgent. As to the exact time frame, we’ll leave it to their sound discretion," he explained.