Our national debt has ballooned overtime but it is manageable provided our institutions can get together in working out a strategy of debt reduction that maintains our international credibility and at the same time enables us to effectively implement our pro-poor programs.

First Gentleman Jose Miguel T. Arroyo has exhorted Filipino athletes participating in the 2005 Southeast Asian Games in Manila to strive for more gold medals with the outpouring of supports to them.

The First Gentleman hurled the challenge during the San Miguel Corporation-sponsored SEAG pep rally Tuesday at the SMC executive office in Ortigas, Pasig City. The affair was attended by SMC officials led by its president Ramon Ang, sports officials and athletes of the 15 sports disciplines being sponsored by the company.

As major sponsor, SMC has set aside P100 million to help finance the training of Filipino athletes from 15 sports disciplines including athletics, archery, basketball (men and women), baseball, boxing, dancesport, judo, karatedo, wushu, lawn bowl, dragon boat, petanque, wrestling and muay thai.

"You guys (athletes) are very lucky that San Miguel is your godfather. Dahil sa tulong ng SMC at ng presidente nito, si G. Ramon Ang, ang performance ng Pilipinas (SEA Games) ay dapat maganda" (Because of the support of SMC and its president, Mr. Ramon Ang, the Philippines’ performance come SEA Games must be good), the First Gentleman said with optimism.

Mr. Arroyo challenged the athletes to bring in the golds in their respective events,

"Isa lang ang sasabihin ko sa inyo. Kakayahin nating mapanalunan ang mga gold medals na yan para magkalakas naman ako ng loob na humingi ng tulong ulit sa San Miguel. Kaya kailangang pagbutihan ninyo." (I have only one message: We must win those gold medals so I will have the courage to ask SMC for its support again. It is imperative that you try your best), he stressed.

As added perks for athletes winning gold medals in the SEAG late this year, the First Gentleman announced they would be treated to a trip to Hong Kong with extra allowances.

As the number one supporter, godfather and cheerleader for the Filipino athletes, the First Gentleman has always believed in the Filipino sportsmen’s ability.

Mr. Arroyo raised P160 million for the training of the athletes for the SEAG. From his personal funds, the First Gentleman also assisted the Filipino athletes to acquire international exposures.

Representing the Filipino athletes who will compete in the 2005 SEAG, archery gold medalist Amaya Paz accepted the First Gentleman’s challenge to strive and live up to SMC’s slogan, "San Miguel Sports idols…Itaas mo Bandila ng ‘Pinas" as well as win honors for the Filipino people.

The affair was highlighted with the ceremonial distribution of RP-marked jackets to sports officials and athletes that signaled the official start of the rigid training of athletes in various sports disciplines.

The affair was also attended by former basketball heroes like Alvin Patrimonio, Chito Loysaga, Peter Martin and Allan Caidic who were named project directors.

The decision of the Court of Appeals favoring Fortune Tobacco is a setback in the government’s initiative with regard to requiring proper tax compliance from taxpayers.

Malacaņang today described the Senate’s fast approval of the House of Representatives’ version of the 2005 national budget of P907.6 billion as "very positive and unprecedented."

In a radio interview this morning, Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye said this is the first time that the Senate has passed the House version of the General Appropriation Act (GAA) without amendments.

Bunye, who is also the Presidential Spokesman, pointed out that the Senate has shown statesmanship in recognizing the urgency of passing the new budget.

Stressing the impractibility of reenacting the national budget for two or three successive years, Bunye said the approved budget for 2005 will fund many priority development and socio-economic projects which cannot be implemented with another reenacted budget.

"We are grateful for this turn of events," Bunye said, adding "it is unprecedented."

He expressed the hope that this will be the trend from now on. "If the House passes a bill that is proper and appropriate, maybe the Senate will approve it with very minor amendments," Bunye said.

The Presidential Spokesman also emphasized the importance of unity between the Executive and Legislative branches of government on various proposals and suggestions to the legislators that are for the benefit of all.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo visits on Thursday a new call center of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT in Iloilo City that will generate some 2,500 new jobs for as many workers who will earn P500 million in wages in the next five years.

The call center will be operated by ePLDT Ventus, Inc., a new subsidiary of the telecommunications giant, which was organized to engage in the business of providing customer contact services and all forms of business process services for clients in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and other English-speaking countries.

The company informed Malacanang of its investment plan in Iloilo City, which is expected to generate revenues of over P1.55 billion or over $25 million, in five years.

Pleased with the company’s expected contribution to her administration’s program of creating 10 million jobs in six years, and the bright prospects for economic growth in Western Visayas, the President decided to fly to Iloilo City to visit the project.

The ePLDT Ventus project is the latest call center the Chief Executive has focused her attention on to promote her drive to get more investors to put their capital resources in information and communications technology (ICT) ventures, particularly call centers.

Earlier, the President visited the C-Cubed call center in Eastwood, Libis, Quezon City and the PeopleSupport call center at the Philamlife Tower along Paseo de Roxas in Makati City to press her promotional drive for investments in ICT ventures.

In its first year of operation, ePLDT Ventus has projected its revenues to reach over P193 billion, with 390.768 billable hours and 300 call center seats.

The company expects to expand its business by 59 percent in its second year, with its billable hours increasing to 621,725 and its revenues increasing to P316.39 million.

By the third year, the company expects revenues to go up to P338 million, and further grow to P348 million in its fourth year, and P356.844 million in its fifth year, to bring its total revenues in five years to P1.552 billion.

Among the services the company is set to provide its clients are inbound customer care, inbound project inquiries, inbound sales, inbound technical support, e-mail handling, web chat, web co-browsing, outbound sales, outbound collections, data entry and business process outsourcing services.

At the start of its operations, the company will initially serve Teleflora, the world’s largest floral wire service, which is based in Los Angeles, California.

ROXAS CITY – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will launch the Consumer Welfare Desk, Price Watch Board, and "Kilohan ng Bayan" as well as monitor the prices of basic commodities during her visit tomorrow at the premier trading center in this city dubbed as the "Seafoods Capital" of the country.

The President, who is scheduled to arrive at 10:00 a.m. Thursday at the Roxas City Airport, will launch the Consumer Welfare Desk at the Teodoro Arcenas Trade Center in the city public market where buyers can air their complaints.

The President will also launch the "Kilohan ng Bayan" where consumers can validate the accuracy of the retailers’ weighing scales, and the Price Watch Board that provides information on the prices of prime commodities to allow consumers the right to choose quality products at the cheapest price.

The President will also award checks worth P275,000 to increase the income of local associations here under the Self Employment Assistance-Kaunlaran Integrated Program (SEA-K) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

The President will also have a media interaction at the public market before having a lunch with local officials in Barangay Baybay here.

Acting Secretary Mario L. Relampagos of the Department of Budget and Management today expressed confidence the government can finally push throughout with the implementation of urgent basic services program and much needed reforms to ease the country’s fiscal situation.

"I commend the Senate for the historic passage of the 2005 budget submitted to Congress by the President. This is indeed a landmark accomplishment. Despite differences in ideals and causes, the members of the Senate are one this time in negating another budget reenactment. With the congressional imprimatur, we can all look forward to the implementation of the administration’s priority programs," he said.

The acting DBM Secretary noted that the budget approval, the first in so many years without any disagreement on any of the measure’s provisions between the two chambers of Congress, suggests that the entire government is committed and on its way to put the country’s fiscal house in order.

CORREGIDOR ISLAND, Cavite - President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo led today the Corregidor flag-raising ceremony to honor the bravery of the Filipino and American soldiers who fought and sacrificed their lives for the sake of freedom during the occupation of the Philippines by Japanese Imperial forces.

The flag raising rites highlighted the 60th anniversary celebration of the liberation of the island fortress of Corregidor on March 2, 1945.

The President, immediately upon her arrival here at around 9:30 this morning, received full military honors at the 503rd Parachute Regimental Combat Team (PRCT) parade ground. She then led the flag raising rites, followed by the wreath-laying at the Pacific War Memorial Shrine and the tolling of bells.

After the ceremonies, the President awarded the commemorative badges to Ms. Beth Day Romulo, president of the Corregidor Foundation; Major General Nick Perkin of the US Army as representative of the American veterans; and Filipino veteran Elias Manlapas, who served as commander of the defenders of Bataan and Corregidor during WW2.

The allied nations' representatives present in the ceremonies were British Ambassador Peter Beckingham, US Ambassador Francis Ricciardone and representatives for Australian Charge D' Affaires Miles Armitage and New Zealand Ambassador Rob Moore-Jones.

Also present were Senator Richard Gordon, Tourism Secretary Ace Durano, Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Efren Abu, and Cavite Gov. Erineo Maliksi.

Today's occasion also commemorated the same ritual performed by General Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Allied Commander in the Pacific in World War II, who returned to the island 60 years ago and raised the colors on the Topside Barracks flagstaff.

A heavily fortified and strategic island fortress, Corregidor straddles the narrow mouth of the Manila Bay opening to the South China Sea.

The liberation of Corregidor Island from Japanese occupation forces is considered as one of the most brilliant military tactical operations in the last Pacific war.

The island now forms part of Cavite province.

The battle for the liberation of Corregidor lasted from Feb. 16 to March 1, 1945. It involved one of the most complex and most successful airborne operations in World War II.

Paratroopers of the 503rd Parachute Regimental Combat Team led the assault.Of the estimated 6,550 Japanese troops in Corregidor, many of them Imperial Marines, only 50 survived.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is expected to sign the 2005 General Appropriations Act (GAA) into law before the Lenten recess of Congress on March 17 following the Senate’s "extraordinary and unprecedented" unanimous approval of the House version of the P907.6 billion national government budget.

In a press briefing this afternoon at Malacanang’s Premier Guest House, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said that in his conversation with Political Adviser Secretary Gabriel Claudio, it was discussed that the President could sign the 2005 GAA before both houses of Congress begin their Holy Week vacation.

"It’s very important that we have the budget now. We hope that Congress would be able to enroll the budget next week, according to Secretary Claudio, so that it can be presented to the President for signature, probably before Congress goes on recess for the Holy Week, which is March 17," Ermita said.

He explained that the five departments which will get the biggest shares in the national budget this year are the Department of Education (DepEd) with P112 billion; Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), P48.5 billion; Department of National Defense (DND), P46.2 billion; Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), P43.9 billion; and the Department of Land Reform, P14.7 billion.

"At least we now know how we can source the implementation of the 10-point agenda that the President has launched from Day One of her election, and we hope we will be able to hasten and fast-track the implementation of such projects," Ermita said.

Among these pro-poor legacy programs are the bringing of water and electricity to every barangay, implementation of vital road infrastructure projects, balancing the budget before the end of the term of the President in 2010, the improvement of educational facilities in all barangays where every school building will be provided with computer, the Clark and Subic development as a major hub in Southeast Asia, and other projects included in the Medium Term Philippine Development Plan (MTPDP).

Meanwhile, Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Undersecretary and now officer-in-charge Mario Relampagos reported major innovations made in the P907.6-billion House version of the national budget.

Relampagos said that under the 2005 GAA, the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) of Local Government Units (LGUs) would be treated as automatic appropriations.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is not inclined to reverse her moratorium on the implementation of the death penalty, despite the call raised by some members of the Filipino-Chinese community for its lifting and proceed with the execution of condemned criminals on death row.

In a press briefing today, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the President, at this time, does not see the need to lift the moratorium, although she recognizes that such a change in policy may be implemented, should the crime situation worsen.

"Siguro pagka medyo masama na ang situasyon, kailangan nang magpakita ng sampol" (Should the peace and order situation in the country worsen, it may become necessary to set an example by executing perpetrators of heinous crimes, to curb criminality), Ermita said.

As a devout Catholic from a country dominated by Christians, Ermita said the President values human life, and would have to see extraordinary situations to warrant a shift in her policy.

The Movement for the Restoration of Peace and Order warned today of a possible significant surge in kidnap-for-ransom activities, unless the death penalty is implemented.

Ermita, however, said the President still does not see the need "for her to exercise the authority of giving the go-signal for execution" at this time.

Citizens Action Against Crime (CAA) chairman Teresita Ang-See said even the Philippine National Police (PNP) has moved for the early resolution of the cases of convicts in kidnap-for-ransom cases.

Ermita recalled that since 2001, the President has exercised the authority granted her by the Constitution, which includes the power to grant executive clemency or pardon, issue reprieves and commute the sentences of convicted criminals.

Last week, the President granted executive clemency to 31 prisoners and gave reprieve to 14 others in death row.

LA CARLOTA CITY -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today said she will immediately sign the General Appropriations Act of 2005 which the Senate approved last night .

The approved 2003 national budget carries a total outlay of P907.56 billion..

"I am signing the budget immediately to signal another milestone in our pro-poor agenda," the President said during the media interaction after her visit to the Hacienda Remedios Gawad Kalinga Village here.

The Chief Executive lauded Congress for "this unprecedented achievement" and for their "statesmanship" even as she expressed hope that Congress will continue to support her administration by passing vital revenue measures, including the expanded Value Added Tax bill that remains pending in the Senate.

She said the proposed revenue measures and the approved 2005 national budget will "enable us to deploy resources where they are most needed by the poor, grow investments where jobs are in demand, and manage our debt."

It is important, she stressed, that these revenue bills are passed as these "will build on our fiscal stability and bring the attention of the world to our increasing readiness for business."

These factors, bolstered by the country’s large talent pool, peace and order, unity in all fronts and statesmanship will lead the nation to a strong economic condition, and help realize her ten-point agenda, part of which is the creation of more jobs, she pointed out.

The Senate last night adopted the House of Representatives version of the 2005 budget without substantial revisions. The near wholesale adoption will forego the usual bicameral committee debates.