Malacaņang expressed confidence today that the Council of State meeting scheduled next Tuesday would be fruitful despite the decision of former Presidents Corazon Aquino and Joseph Estrada and some other opposition leaders not to attend the forum.

Press Secretary and Concurrent Spokesperson Ignacio R. Bunye said based on the confirmed guest list, Malacaņang believes the meeting would turn out fruitful and meaningful.

"I believe there would be a good turnout…and based on the sectors which confirmed their attendance, we believe we would meet the goal of the meeting," Bunye said in a radio interview this morning.

He noted that different sectors have different views on issues about the country and based on the confirmed list of guests, there would be a variety of opinions and not just the administration’s sole perception on issues.

Bunye stressed that the meeting would go on as scheduled since this is sanctioned by law and created during the term of office of former President Aquino.

In an earlier statement, Bunye said "the Council of State meeting is not about personalities, but about the collective effort of national leaders committed to national transformation and renewal."

Malacaņang expressed optimism today that the Reformed Value Added Tax (RVAT) Law would be fully implemented on Feb. 1 so the government would have more funds for enhanced basic services.

Press Secretary and Concurrent Presidential Spokesperson Ignacio R. Bunye, in a radio interview this morning, said he is confident the additional two percent RVAT on certain goods and services would take effect on Feb.1 when the mitigating measures crafted by the Department of Energy and the Department of Trade and Industry are already in place.

By then, the economic team would have reviewed the needed economic data ensuring that the conditions provided for by the RVAT Law are met.

The RVAT Law provides that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo could increase to 12 percent the RVAT provided that the government would have collected 2.8 percent of VAT and that the budget deficit had exceeded 1.5 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Earlier, the President’s economic team composed of the secretaries of Finance, Trade and Industry, Energy and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said the full implementation of the RVAT, or increasing the VAT from the 10 percent already implemented since Nov. 1, 2005, by two percent, would have a "very minimal effect on food and petroleum products."

The economic team said the revenues that would be collected under the RVAT Law would go back to the people in the form of enhanced health services, quality education, adequate food, agri-infrastructure and low-cost housing.

Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye called on Congress today to speed up the passage of the urgent administration measure allocating P13.1 billion for the salary increase of some 1.1 million government employees.

"This special measure must be acted upon to provide the pay increase for government workers even if Congress will not be able to immediately act on the 2006 national budget," Bunye said in a radio interview this morning.

Last Thursday, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo announced that she has submitted to Congress as an urgent administration measure the P13-billion compensation package to increase the salaries of the more than one million government workers.

The President said government workers deserve the increase for continuing to show their patriotism and dedication despite the current hardships brought about by the high oil prices and persistent political noise.

The President has certified the P13.1-billion fund package as urgent to guarantee the pay increase of government workers, in the event there is a delay in the passage by Congress of the 2006 national budget.

KALIBO, Aklan – Mayor Raymar Rebaldo of this rapidly urbanizing provincial capital town said Aklanons are extremely pleased and happy over President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s order for the release of P56 million for the upgrading of the Kalibo Airport.

President Arroyo was here Saturday last week to distribute basic service to Aklanons and join Kalibo’s annual Ati-Atihan Festival, billed as the "mother of all other Sto. Nino-related native festivals."

Mayor Rebaldo said the P56-million upgrading of the Kalibo Airport augurs well for their drive to elevate Kalibo to cityhood.

Rebaldo noted that while some provinces have as many as five to 13 cities each, Aklan does not have even one. Negros Occidental in Region VI (Western Visayas) has the most number of cities at 13.

While here, the President formally inaugurated a P1.697-million, five-classroom school building and distributed textbooks for both elementary and high school students, PhilHealth cards to poor families and land patents to landless farmers.

Education and health are two of the priority concerns funded by the P35-billion economic pump priming package the President announced earlier for the first quarter of this year to help make ordinary Filipinos feel the recent gains by the national economy. The other priority concerns include housing, food and infrastructure.

Kalibo is a rapidly urbanizing population center and now has all the attributes of a city. Rebaldo said their cityhood drive for Kalibo enjoys the support not only of Kalibo leaders and residents but also of Aklan provincial officials despite the prospect of losing a big chunk of revenue from Kalibo.

Aklan Gov. Carlito Marquez has confirmed their support for the move and said the provincial board has in fact endorsed it and their lone district Congressman Florencio Miraflores has already filed the needed bill in Congress.