I shall continue to devote my full time and energy in leading the way to fight poverty and hunger while we all anticipate the positive impact of our incipient economic boom on the daily lives of our people.

I call on the local government units, civil society, civic and religious groups to join the bandwagon of social equity and reform as the payback for the sacrifices of our people.

We must increase the volume of civic duty above the political noise, and work unceasingly to uplift the people and to right what is wrong with our political system.

Charter change is now in the hands of Congress and we must first allow the institutional process to work before wading into contentious issues which would only further divide the nation.

We welcome reports that the Senate will start deliberations on Charter change soon.

In the meantime, President Arroyo and former President Ramos share a common aspiration that is anchored on the welfare and future of this country.

While the great debate on Charter change is about to start in Congress, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said today that she would devote her full time and energy in leading the way to fight poverty and hunger.

As the nation looks forward to the positive impact of what she termed as the incipient economic boom on the daily lives of the people, the President called on all local government units, civil society, civic and religious groups to join the bandwagon of social equity and reform "as the payback for the sacrifices of our people."

"We must increase the volume of civic duty above the political noise and work unceasingly to uplift the people and to right what is wrong with our political system," she said in a statement.

The Chief Executive said social reform, economic growth and political renewal must be knit tightly in a single-minded national strategy to achieve First World status in 20 years.

The President’s pronouncements came on the heels of reports that the Senate will tackle next week the concurrent resolution of the House of Representatives convening Congress into a Constituent Assembly to introduce amendments to the 1987 Constitution.

The House resolution is scheduled for debate among senators when Congress resumes session on Monday after the holiday break.

Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman Ignacio R. Bunye welcomed reports that Congress will start deliberations on Charter change soon.

"Charter change is now in the hands of Congress and we must first allow the institutional process to work before wading into contentious issues which would only further divide the nation," he said.

He said President Arroyo and former President Fidel V. Ramos share a common aspiration anchored on the welfare and future of the country.

KALIBO, Aklan -- President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo made residents of this Western Visayas provincial capital extremely happy when she joined the street dancing tradition of their annual Ati-Atihan Festival today.

After the President presided over the inauguration of the P1.697-million new five-classroom school building at the Aklan National High School here, where she also distributed school textbooks, PhilHealth cards and land patents, she briefly joined the Ati-Atihan "sadsad" or street dancing rites.

President Arroyo gamely did the gesture on her way from the St. John the Baptist Cathedral, where she witnessed the traditional "paeapak" healing ritual, to the Municipal Library building here where she later had lunch with local officials and informally interacted with the media.

Before sitting down to lunch, the President stood at the second floor balcony of the library building and joined the traditional Ati-Atihan shouts of "Hala Bira, Viva Seņor Sto. Niņo."

Kalibo’s Ati-Atihan is considered the "mother of all Philippine native festivals." Literally, it means "making oneself like an Ati or Aeta" and engaging in frenzied and raucous festivities. Aetas were Panay Island’s original natives.

Ati-Atihan has its historical roots in the 1212 so-called Barter of Panay where 10 refugee Bornean datus led by Datu Puti struck a peaceful accord with Ati or Aeta chieftain Marikudo under which the Borneans will occupy the lowlands while the natives will continue to keep their upland domain.

The accord was consummated by an exchange of gifts, including a golden "salakot," a Malay hat and a precious trinket for Marikudo’s wife Maniwangtiwang, and was followed by a raucous revelry where the Borneans painted themselves with soot to look like Atis.

KALIBO, Aklan – Local officials of Aklan province and this provincial capital, Kalibo, have good reasons to be ecstatically happy.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, during here visit here today, virtually took the lead in promoting Kalibo’s Ati-Atihan festival and the Boracay Island resort as tourism treasures.

"Boracay is a national treasure. We must further develop its tourism attractions and potentials," the President said in an informal interaction with reporters after lunch with them and local officials at the second floor of the Municipal Library building here.

Boracay, with its long stretch of white beaches and clear waters, has now gained worldwide popularity. Aside from Filipinos from various regions who regularly visit the island, it has also become a favorite destination of foreign tourists.

It was learned that at least 250,000 foreign tourists visited Boracay last December alone.

Tourism, the President said, "has grown by leaps and bounds of late" and has helped the country significantly in consolidating its economic gains as evidenced by the strengthening of the peso and the bullish sentiment in the stock market

She said her administration has taken further steps to keep investments pouring into Boracay, even as she urged local authorities to help and make sure "tourists are comfortable in Boracay" to encourage more of them to visit the "island paradise."

The President’s endorsement of Boracay and of Kalibo’s Ati-Atihan festival has made local officials and residents extremely happy.

Publishers Association of the Philippines Inc. (PAPI) president Juan Dayang, a former mayor of Kalibo, said local officials have been unhappy over their inability to match the effective promotion of other Sto. Niņo-related festivals like the "Sinulog" of Cebu and "Dinagyang" of Iloilo.