Our timetable for the revenue measures is firm and we are confident that Congress will deliver.

We are treading the right path in fiscal stability and in the overall economic plan.

Investments continue to pour in as we step up the infrastructure program to increase productivity and speed up commerce.

This is an isolated case. The perpetrators are being pursued and law and order are being restored.

We have the joint ceasefire committees and the international monitoring team working closely with both sides on the ground.

The renegades will be held to account for the treacherous attack.

We are expecting the MILF leadership to impose sanctions on those who instigated the attack.

Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman Ignacio R. Bunye today said the government is taking concrete steps to ensure the accelerated and efficient implementation of development projects, especially those funded by foreign loans.

Bunye made the assurance after the Philippines and Japan agreed to cancel more than P16 billion worth of loans from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) for six infrastructure projects due to lack of local counterpart funding.

Malacanang disclosed the cancellation of the loans during the meeting Monday between President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Japanese Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki in Malacaņang.

In a radio interview this morning, Bunye explained that the cancellation of the loan was mutually agreed by both governments to enhance measures for a faster and more efficient utilization of the foreign loans.

"The government will now concentrate on the implementation of very doable projects," Bunye said.

He admitted, however, the need for government to raise funds to implement development projects urgently needed to improve the lives of the people.

Malacaņang today said the latest clash between the military and Muslim separatist rebels was an isolated case and would not affect ongoing peace negotiations between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Thirteen rebels and eight soldiers were reportedly killed when fierce fighting erupted Sunday after an estimated 100 separatist guerillas launched simultaneous attacks on two military detachments in Maguindanao.

Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman Ignacio R. Bunye said the international monitoring committee is closely coordinating with the government and the MILF to avoid further skirmishes.

He said, however, that the "renegades would be held to account for the treacherous attack," adding that the government expects the MILF leadership to impose sanctions on those who initiated the offensive.

The attacks broke an internationally supervised ceasefire now on its second year. Preparations are under way for the formal resumption of negotiations on ending the decades-old Mindanao conflict early this year.

"The perpetrators are being pursued and law and order are being restored," Bunye said.

All ports and road connections along the three routes of the Strong Republic Nautical Highway (SNRH) System are in place as the government moved to ensure regular services and expand port facilities under the blueprint of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s 10-point agenda.

A report on the SNRH System released over the yearend highlighted this updated status of the government’s program to link the entire country through a network of transport and digital infrastructure.

The SRNH System, an inter-modal transport system connecting the islands of the entire archipelago using roll-on/roll-off vessels, will be expanded in the next five years to spur inter-island farm trade, improve the distribution of food and agricultural products in the countryside and promote local tourism.

The government will also embark on the development of new airports to serve as gateways to the country’s tourist destinations.

The progressive development of a digital infrastructure to interconnect the entire country will be accelerated and rationalized with the private sector playing a major role in the effort.

Under this program, the government will focus attention on reducing cost of interconnectivity (including voice-over-internet protocol) regulatory and legal framework and human resource development.

Three routes are being pursued to complete the SRNH system: Western Nautical Highway, Central Nautical Highway, and Eastern Nautical Highway.

The Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (formerly Clark Airport) will be upgraded to further improve its operation as an international airport. The project implementation is scheduled to start in 2006 and is expected to be completed in 2007.

The concept design for the upgrading of the Laoag International Airport has been completed, according to the report.

For the development of Busuanga (Coron) airport, the site inspection and assessment has been completed, while the engineering plans and biffing process are ongoing.

The new Bacolod (Silay) Airport development project, which involves the construction of a new site complete with all the necessary facilities conforming to international standards, is ongoing. Land acquisition is substantially complete while the procurement of crash fire and rescue, security and maintenance equipment has been completed.

Malacanang and Congress leaders have expressed confidence that the target of raising P80 billion this year through new revenue measures will be met.

In his regular press briefing in Malacanang, Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman Ignacio R. Bunye said the target is on the P80 billion rather than on the number of tax bills passed by Congress.

The briefing was made after the "mini" Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) meeting attended by, among others, Senate President Franklin Drilon, and the chairmen of the committee on ways and means of the Senate and House of Representatives, Senator Ralph Recto and Congressman Jesli Lapuz respectively.

"What was threshed out was more on the calendar," Bunye said, emphasizing that the general idea was not to concentrate on specific legislative measures but rather on the targets.

"Whatever measures will be needed to meet the P80 billion will be the priority of both Houses of Congress," Bunye said

He also said that the theoretical deadline for both the executive and the legislative to be able to achieve the P80 billion target will be around April this year.

Bunye said that the so-called "sin taxes," or the excise tax on alcohol and tobacco products, will bring about P17 billion in new revenues, while the Lateral Attrition measure, if finally approved, will bring about P10 billion.

The LEDAC meeting today, presided over by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, was composed of a smaller group; that was why it was called "the mini-Ledac."

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today visited two housing sites of the less fortunate in Tondo, Manila and promised its more than 5,000 residents that the government will build more houses this year.

The President initially visited the Gawad Kalinga (GK) and Habitat for Humanity housing projects in Barangay Baseco, Port Area, Manila where she was briefed by GK Executive Director Tony Meloto on the status of the housing project in the area.

She then visited one GK beneficiary Leticia Jimenez, the caretaker of First Gentleman Atty. Jose Miguel Arroyo’s family mausoleum at the North Cemetery who was given a house in fulfillment of the promise of the President to her on Nov. 1, 2004.

The Gawad Kalinga has built 700 houses and will build additional 2,000 units for this year.

GK has received a total donation of P7.5 million to finance the building of additional 150 units. The sum of P5 million will come from Smart Telecommunications and the balance of P2.5 million from GK’s counterpart in Malta.

From the Baseco compound, the President proceeded to the Smokey Mountain permanent housing project, now named Paradise Heights Condominium, also in Tondo, Manila.

The Paradise Heights Condominium consists of 21 completed high-rise buildings.

The families residing in these buildings have been allowed residency even without proper documentation since the President made a promise that all remaining legitimate beneficiaries would be allowed to own units in those buildings.

While on board the presidential car, the President inspected the Sewerage Treatment Plan (STP) worth P65 million.

She also inspected the new Paradise Heights Market built at a cost of P7.5 million, P6 million of it from a grant from New Zealand government.

Accompanying the President during the visits were Vice President Noli de Castro, chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC); Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman, Cabinet Officer for Provincial Events (COPE) Secretary Conrado Limcaoco, Metropolitan Waterworks Sewerage System Administrator Orlando Hondrade and Habitat for Humanity Philippines Chairman Francis Ferrer.

Malacanang today condemned the burning of the outside broadcast (OB) van of television network ABS-CBN, which was allegedly perpetrated by some supporters of the late opposition standard bearer Fernando Poe, Jr.

In his regular press briefing in Malacanang, Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said that this is clearly an affront on freedom of the press, which is guaranteed by the Constitution.

"We condemn this as an attack against press freedom," Bunye stressed, adding that the incident is now being investigated by police authorities.

On the election protest issue, Bunye called on the people to avoid making speculations and leave the case to the lawyers of both sides.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today distributed four checks worth P27 million under the government’s Community Mortgage Program (CMP) that would benefit 349 families in four homeowners’ association in Barangay Payatas, Quezon City.

The President arrived 3:00 p.m. in Group 3, Barangay Payatas and was warmly welcomed by the residents, and city and barangay officials led by Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte and Barangay Payatas Chairperson Rose Dadulo.

Among those who accompanied the President were Vice President Noli de Castro, Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman, Cabinet Officer for Provincial Events (COPE) Secretary Conrado Limcaoco, Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) Administrator Orlando Hondrade, and Celso de los Angeles, president of the National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation (NHMFC).

The President handed the four checks and certificates of payment to the representatives of the Don Carlos Heights Homeowners Association, Family Ten Homeowners Association, Kalasag Homeowners Association, and Group 2 Homeowners Association.

The President said the checks for the 1.4-hectare housing project under the NHMFC has brought to more than 900 families the total number of beneficiaries that have acquired ownership of the land they have been long occupying in Barangay Payatas.

NHMFC Manager Ronald Espino said the P27 million worth of checks represent the total loan approved by the NHMFC under the CMP. Espino said each beneficiary would pay an average amortization of P560 per month for 25 years for their 40-square meter lot that was acquired by the NHMFC from its private owners.

The President, assisted by Vice President De Castro and Mayor Belmonte, also led the ribbon cutting of the water refilling station under the President’s water project in Group 3. The water refilling station would sell clean water at P20 to P25 per container, or half the price of the commercial charge of P40 per container.

During the "pulong bayan" at Group 3’s livelihood training center building, the President also announced that by March, the MWSS would release an initial P10 million of the P22 million needed for the provision of clean water for the entire Barangay Payatas.