Ranking officials of 11 central banks and monetary authorities in the East Asia and Asia-Pacific region have noted the resiliency of regional economies in view of the substantial progress reached in economic, corporate and financial restructuring.

But the governors agreed that the regional economies needed to sustain ongoing efforts to strengthen their respective financial sectors in the face of uncertainties and risks that continue to test the durability of the international financial system.

These uncertainties and risks included the Brazilian debt problem and the corporate accounting scandals in the US.

The governors met in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia last July 27 for the Executives’ Meeting of the East Asia and Pacific Central Banks (EMEAP), the seventh since its inaugural meeting in Tokyo in July 1996.

The EMEAP meetings were intended to strengthen cooperation among EMEAP members on central banking operations and policy issues.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is committed to improve the status and welfare of women by creating policies and programs directed to promote the latter’s active participation in national development.

At the same time, the President seeks to provide more jobs and productivity improvement opportunities for women, said Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Dante Canlas during the 1st National Conference on Building Partnerships for Sustainable Gender and Development conducted recently by the Ugnayan ng Kababaihan sa Pulitika (UKP).

Canlas said the government has been exerting effort to integrate women’s concerns in its plans and programs over the years.

He said a manual on formulating gender-responsive development plans had been developed to identify the strategic intervention points and necessary procedures to put together gender concerns in growth planning in the regional levels.

"This manual offers useful guides to government agencies integrating gender concerns in their respective planning activities," he added.

Canlas said gender concerns have been properly addressed in the Medium Term Philippine Development Plan 2001-2004.

The plan served as the blueprint under which all government programs, projects and activities of the Macapagal-Arroyo administration would be based.

He said that in the area of public investment programming, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), which he also heads has prioritized programs and projects promoting the participation of women in national development.

Canlas assured the UKP that the government would allocate at least five percent of the General Appropriations Act to gender and development concerns.

"There are on-going efforts directed at assessing the current policy with the aim of creating meaningful impact on women’s status and welfare," Canlas said.

To promote gender and development in the bureaucracy, he said the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women continued to implement the Institutional Strengthening Project to empower the capabilities of oversight, implementing, statistical, and sub-national agencies.

He said there were also a number of programs to address violence against women’s lack of economic empowerment such as the National Family Violence Prevention Program and the Productivity Skills and Capability Building Program.

Canlas highlighted the government’s success in eliminating constitutional, legal, administrative, cultural, behavioral, social and economic obstacles to women’s full participation in sustainable development and public life.

According to Canlas, the impact of women’s involvement in multi-stakeholder partnerships was quite evident at the community level in areas such as health, education and natural resources management and protection.

Just recently, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Human Development (HD) Report 2002 showed that the Philippines topped East Asia and the Pacific and ranked 35th in the world on initiating gender empowerment measures.

This confirmed the Macapagal-Arroyo administration’s resolve to improve women’s status and welfare, Canlas said.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today echoed her resolve to build a healthier nation free from poverty that threatened to breed diseases and spawn social menaces such as criminality and terrorism within the decade.

In a radio message aired nationwide, the President stressed the importance of a physically fit community of people.

"Tulad ng pagkain, tahanan at edukasyon, ang kalusugan ay pangunahin nating pangangailangan. Ito ang puhunan ng ating buhay, kaya’t kailangan itong pangalagaan (Like food, a home and education, we regard health as a basic need. We draw our livelihood from being healthy; thus, we have to care for our health)," she said.

This was the reason why the government had embarked on a priority health program that aimed to benefit the country’s poor communities.

As early as last year, the President vowed to have at least 500,000 members of the urban poor registered with the National Health Insurance Program (NHIP), as stated in her first State of the Nation Address (SONA) last year.

In her second SONA last July 22, she reported that the target had been met, even exceeded, as more than four million people have been registered with the NHIP.

She said beneficiaries of the PhilHealth GMA ID card being given under the NHIP could avail themselves of free or subsidized government health services.

She added that the people could also buy half-priced selected but branded medicines in at least 70 government-run hospitals and in National Food Authority rolling stores, where rice continued to sell at P14 a kilo, deployed nationwide.

In her radio message, the President also reiterated her concern over homeless Filipinos, as she reported that some 180,000 families have been provided ownership of the lots where their homes stand.

The number, she said, was over and above the targeted 150,000 beneficiary-households of the government’s housing program.

Similarly, SONA targets were also achieved in the fields of education, job generation, agricultural modernization and micro-finance, among others.

"Sana ay madama ng ating mga mamamayan ang katapatan ng pamahalaan na tugunan ang kanilang mga pangangailangan (I hope the people feel the government’s sincerity in meeting their needs)," she said.

But more importantly, the President said: "Nangingibabaw pa rin ang aking hangaring masugpo ang kahirapan sa loob ng dekadang ito at mawakasan ang krimen at terorismo upang ang ating mga pamilya ay mamuhay nang tahimik at mapayapa (To eliminate poverty within the decade and end the threat of criminality and terrorism so that our families may live in peace remain top among my intentions)."

She said the full force of government would defend democracy and safeguard national peace and security.

"Hindi rin natin titigilan ang paglaban sa katiwalian at iba pang hamon sa katatagan ng ating Republikang Pilipinas (We will not stop fighting corruption and other threats to our strong Philippine Republic)," she added.

She asked the people to remain firm and not to be swayed by the black propaganda and deception of those who malign the government’s good intentions, particularly relating to giving justice to those who became victims of criminals and terrorists.

She recalled that the country weathered through a number of internal and global problems last year. "Pero marami pa tayong dapat gawin (But we still have a lot to do)," she said.

The two small group and expanded meetings today between Philippine and American officials led by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and visiting United States Secretary of State Colin Powell were very productive, reinvigorating RP-US relationship in a common desire to bring peace and progress to the world.

This was the assessment made by Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas F. Ople in his opening statement during a press conference that followed the two meetings in Malacaņang this morning.

"The challenge now is to bring the momentum generated by our strengthened security and defense cooperation to bear on other aspects of our relationships," Ople said in briefing media representatives on the talks between the President and Powell, who is in Manila on the last leg of a swing through Asia.

Ople said the talks – first in the main living room of Malacaņang between a small group of six led by the President and Powell and then in the main office of the President between a larger group of Philippine and American officials – took more than an hour and covered a "wide range of issues of direct interest and importance to both our countries."

"The talks were in the nature of free and open discussions among old friends on ways to further improve our relationship and how best to face current and future challenges as strategic partners," Ople said.

There were no discussions on the Mutual Logistics Support Agreement, Ople added.

Ople said the President raised several issues with Secretary Powell, including trade, financing, development cooperation and tourism issues.

The President also expressed appreciation to the US for its efforts and contribution towards the success of the strategic partnership between the Philippines and the US, Ople said.

"The global war against terrorism, the partnership between our two countries in this war, and regional and global efforts versus terrorism were also discussed," Ople added.

The Foreign Secretary said the President cited in particular the central role played by Secretary Powell in the successful adoption last August 1 in Brunei of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations-US joint declaration on cooperation to combat international terrorism.

The President also pointed to the successful conclusion of Balikatan 02-1, Ople said, adding that "there were many valuable lessons learned by both our militaries that can add much value to future training exercises between our two countries."

The Philippines "can count on America’s enduring partnership and support."

United States Secretary of State Colin Powell stressed this today in a press conference with the media at the Heroes Hall of Malacaņang, as he capped his overnight visit to the Philippines, the eighth and last leg of his Asian tour.

"It is very fitting that Manila is the capstone of my visit to Southeast Asia, because the alliance between the United States and the Philippines has been a bulwark of freedom and stability in the Asian-Pacific Region," Powell said.

He recalled that 60 years ago, Filipino and American soldiers fought side by side in the Battle of Bataan. "Today, we stand shoulder to shoulder again in the fight against terrorism," he said.

He noted that U.S. President George W. Bush, in November last year, had expressed his heartfelt appreciation to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for the latter’s "principled and courageous stand against terror."

"We applaud the Philippines’ role in forging the May 2002 trilateral cooperation agreement with Indonesia and Malaysia," he added. Powell also visited Kuala Lumpur last July 29 and Jakarta on August 2.

Under what was dubbed as an agreement on information exchange and establishment of communication procedures, the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia would cooperate in preventing the use by anyone of their land-air-sea territories for committing or furthering terrorism, money laundering, smuggling, piracy or robbery at sea, hijacking, illegal entry, drug trafficking, marine pollution and illicit arms trafficking.

The agreement was signed by Interior and Local Government Secretary Jose Lina, Jr., for the Philippines, Foreign Minister N. Hassan Wirajuda of Indonesia and Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar of Malaysia last May 7, during President Macapagal-Arroyo’s visit to Kuala Lumpur.

"As Filipinos know only too well, terrorism threatens every country and every continent. The United States is impressed by the Philippine army successes against the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group," said Powell.

He said the gains made in the fight against terrorism in the Philippines have "significantly reduced the Abu Sayyaf’s operationability, even as we mourn Abu Sayyaf’s victims."

He also lauded the Filipino soldiers who have died in the fight against the Abu Sayyaf and in the effort to secure the safe release of hostages. "We honor their bravery and their sacrifice."

The US State Secretary said his country "is proud that our armed forces are helping to train and equip their Philippine Army counterparts to combat terrorism in the Philippines."

But while the RP-US joint Balikatan military exercises successfully ended last July 31, he said that "our excellent cooperation with the Philippines will continue on the civilian as well as military side."

A case in point is the US’ ongoing development assistance program in the country. "We are devoting over $100 million this year on such areas as law enforcement, judiciary, the role of law and education. All of these support President Arroyo’s war on poverty," he said.

"We also remain strongly committed to our development programs to foster lasting peace in Mindanao," he added, stressing support for American investments in the Philippines and President Macapagal-Arroyo’s efforts to build a strong republic.

This, he said, would "set the stage for economic activity that can really make a difference in Mindanao and elsewhere in the country."

Earlier, Powell said he was very pleased to be back in the Philippines. As a young captain during the Vietnam War, Powell been in Subic and Clark, where American naval and air bases used to operate.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today received United States Secretary of State Colin Powell in Malacaņang, and both officials conferred on a wide range of issues of direct interest and importance to the two countries.

Powell, on the eighth and last leg of his Asian tour, called on the President at the Palace’s Main Living Room along with US Ambassador Francis Ricciardone around 9:00 a.m. Foreign Secretary Blas Ople and Philippine Ambassador to Washington Albert del Rosario were also present.

During the meeting, Powell told the President that the Philippines remained the "highlight" of his Asian tour as he noted the country’s active participation in the global coalition against terrorism.

The President, meanwhile, cited Powell’s recent signing in Brunei of an agreement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations that would make the region more responsive to future terrorist threats.

Powell said President George W. Bush personally conveyed his gratefulness for President Macapagal-Arroyo’s support on the war against terror.

Meanwhile, the President raised the issue of Philippine tuna exports to the US, saying she hoped that moves in the US favoring "pouched tuna" would not affect the preferential treatment for canned tuna from the Philippines.

She said thousands of workers in the tuna industry in Mindanao have been batting for the access of Philippine canned tuna in the US market.

The President also pitched for the more humane treatment of Filipino deportees from the US, saying, "There’s a lot of sensitivity here."

She said that in the future, she hoped that US authorities would not use handcuffs on deportees, to which Powell said: "We are very mindful of your concern."

Powell again thanked the President for the support of the Philippines and her leadership in the fight against terrorism.

The President, meanwhile, noted that the people of Basilan were very grateful to the US forces for the security that they brought into the area and the infrastructure that they built.

After the meeting at the Main Living Room, the President, Powell and the other officials moved on to the Music Room where the President was briefly introduced to members of the U.S. delegation.

The two proceeded to her office to preside over an expanded meeting, accompanied by eight officials on each side.

During the meeting, the President raised the possible lifting of a negative travel advisory on the Philippines, noting her efforts to curb criminality. "We’ve been bearing fruits on a daily basis," the President said.

She noted that because of the successes, China has lifted its own negative travel advisory on the country.

The President noted that next year is "Visit Philippines Year," of which one of the government programs is to invite Americans to the country to commemorate the Leyte Landing.

Powell said that once he gets back to the US, he would immediately undertake a review of all travel advisories.

"My bias is to lift travel advisories… I want people to travel. I want Americans to travel to the Philippines," Powell said.

Among other concerns the President discussed with Powell were the toxic waste in the former US military facilities, possible delisting of the Philippines from the Financial Action Task Force on the anti-money laundering list, the issues of the Amerasians in the country and the possible recruitment of Filipinos in the US Navy, issues on air services and independent power producers (IPP) and the World War II veteran benefits

Powell then briefed the President on the US Millennium Challenge Account, a mechanism that provided development assistance to countries committed to democracy and on how the Philippines could take advantage of its benefits.

Aside from this, the US government is giving the Philippines a total of $155 million worth of military and development assistance this year.

Afterwards, the President reiterated her invitation for President Bush to visit the Philippines, to which Powell replied that he "will certainly encourage that" and that he "would look at his schedule next year."

Powell said he felt quite at home in the Philippines, relating that he was cheered by the people upon embarking from the car at the Manila Peninsula, where he stayed for the night.

United States Secretary of State Colin Powell today rated the war against global terrorism as "doing well."

Powell also cited President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for "taking bold, strong staunches for democracy," as he noted the positive contributions of the Philippines in the fight against terror, saying the country has been in the forefront of leadership in Southeast Asia with respect to that war.

In a press conference with the media at the Malacaņang Heroes Hall, Powell said the Taliban, which had been harboring the Al-Qaeda terrorist group of Osama Bin Laden, had been destroyed and the Al-Qaeda "is on the run."

"(The Al-Qaeda terrorists) are hiding. (But) there is still a danger to the world and we are going to continue to rout them out," Powell stressed.

He said US President George W. Bush made it clear from the very beginning that "this is a campaign that will not be concluded for a few months or even a year. It is going to take a long time."

In an interview with the Far Eastern Economic Review last July 29, Powell said the US has "demonstrated to all the nations in Southeast Asia that terror is a threat to all of us."

"It may come in the form of Al Qaeda, and learning more and more about Al Qaeda and how they are in so many of these countries or how they are trying to get themselves imbedded in these countries having been displaced in Afghanistan," he said in the interview.

"And there are many other terrorist groups. It is not something that is unique to America. What is common in all these terrorist organizations is the need for the entire international community to respond," he added.

The United States government is providing a total of $155 million worth of military and development assistance to the Philippines this year, United States Secretary of State Colin Powell today announced.

In a joint press conference with Foreign Secretary Blas Ople at the Heroes’ Hall in Malacanang, Powell said the $100 million worth of assistance is aimed at supporting improvement efforts on areas such as law enforcement, judiciary, the rule of law and education.

The $55 million intended for the campaign against terrorism, meanwhile, is still being worked out. "We are now working out the arrangements as to how that money will be spent and what accounts will be provided," he said.

Powell said the significant thing is that the amount of support the US is providing the Philippines--both in terms of military support and in terms of development assistance--is being significantly increased. "We hope that will remain the case for several years to come," Powell said.

Powell also reported that the Philippines is a leading candidate to the Millennium Challenge Account, a mechanism that provides development assistance to countries committed to democracy.

"I am quite sure that the Philippines will be a front candidate for support under the Millennium Challenge Account and that would be a couple of years in the future," Powell said.

Meanwhile, Powell emphasized that the Mutual Logistics Service Agreement is essentially an administrative arrangement between the two parties.

United States Secretary of State Colin Powell today recognized as a "sensitive issue for the Filipino people" the undignified treatment American authorities made on Filipinos who were recently deported from the US.

Powell, in a press briefing following a meeting with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and some Cabinet members in Malacaņang, said he would return to the US with "a message for my colleagues" and the department concerned with deportation to do their jobs in a way that is dignified.

Earlier, President Macapagal-Arroyo told the visiting American official that deported Filipinos should not be "handcuffed," as what happened to deportees from the US on board a chartered flight.

"I will let them know that even though we must follow our own laws with respect to deportation, and deportation must occur, we have to do it in a way that is dignified and is sensitive to the feelings of the people being deported," Powell said.

United States Secretary of State Colin Powell today clarified that the Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA) is "essentially" an administrative servicing arrangement between the Philippines and the United States and that there was nothing "mysterious about it."

In a press briefing and during talks with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in Malacanang, Secretary Powell said the MLSA was "usually negotiated by middle level management within our Department of Defense and does not usually come to this level of attention and interest."

But he said he was aware that the MLSA was "a matter of great interest in the Philippines."

He hoped that once the contents and benefits of the MLSA have been explained thoroughly by the US defense department and the Philippines’ armed forces, "the Filipinos people will understand that there is nothing mysterious about it."

"It is not an effort to ensure ourselves in any way into the Philippines that would be troubling anyone. It doesn’t deal with that at all," he said.

"It is strictly a set of arrangements between the two sides for logistical support and accountability," he added.

In a later media briefing, Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said there were several provisions in the MLSA, which if incorporated, would address the objections of even its harshest critics.

Bunye said the agreement contained a provision that would address the basing rights, prohibition of construction and establishment of US military base facilities or permanent structures.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today lauded Philippine National Police (PNP) officials for the arrest of three uniformed scalawags, including a police superintendent, and two civilians for highway robbery, extortion and carnapping.

"I believe this is the highest ranking police officer that we arrested and it shows the strong resolve of our PNP leadership headed by Gen. (Hermogenes) Ebdane to clean up the ranks," the President said in a statement.

Ebdane presented to the President and to media suspects Police Superintendent Virgilio Jose, chief of the General Service Office of the PNP-Maritime Group; Senior Police Officer 1 Gonzalo Gultiano; Police Officer 1 Sergio Bendoy and civilian assets Gaudencio Espibon and Marlu Amora.

The President said the war against crime "does not distinguish between citizens and police," adding that the uniform was not a protective shield against justice and the law.

She cited citizen cooperation and trust in the police that led to the rescue of six victims of a highway-robbery the suspects staged in Barangay Talaba, Cavite last August 2.

Lenny Prior, a relative of one of the victims, reported the incident to the Police Anti-Crime Emergency Response (PACER) unit that responded and arrested the suspects.

"When citizens report crime, the police do solve them with speed and efficiency," she said.

She said this was a solid example of how responsible citizenship could help win the streets and keep every family safe.

With police and people in close cooperation, there are better chances for criminals to get the justice they deserve, she added.

Ebdane, in a report, said the victims -- Ernesto Aringay, Rosalinda Garcia, Virginia Calipco, Rosque Prior, Arlene dela Cruz and Rodolfo Saspa -- were on their way to San Andres Bukid, Manila to attend a birthday party.

On the road, the victim’s vehicle was blocked by a red Toyota Corolla car. Three armed men introduced themselves as police officers, took the six victims at gunpoint, commandeered their vehicle and divested them of their personal belongings including jewelry worth P30,000, five cellular phones and P5,000 in cash.

A demand of P100,000 was also made in exchange for the victims’ freedom.

While negotiations were ongoing, Ebdane said the victims were held in separate groups, one in Mandaluyong City and the other in Quezon City.

PACER operatives rescued Aringay and Garcia while in the custody of P/Supt. Jose.

The four other victims were rescued near Hotel Rembrandt, Quezon City.

United States Secretary of State Colin Powell today said he would undertake a review of travel advisories around the world following a request of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, in their meeting today, to lift the negative advisory on the Philippines.

Powell made the commitment during an expanded meeting with the President at her office in Malacanang. Powell earlier had a separate meeting at the Main Living Room with the President along with U.S. Ambassador to Manila Francis Ricciardone and Foreign Secretary Blas Ople.

"I will review the status of travel advisories and see what we can judge," Powell told the President.

He said he had a bias for lifting travel advisories. "My bias is to lift travel advisories… I want people to travel. I want Americans to travel to the Philippines," he said.

During the meeting, the President raised the possibility of lifting the negative travel advisory on the Philippines.

She cited government efforts to curb criminality. "We’ve been bearing fruits on a daily basis," she added.

The President said that in recognition of her administration’s campaign against criminality, China has lifted its own negative travel advisory on the Philippines.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today cited the significant role of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI) or the Aglipayan Church in the country’s struggle against foreign invaders and for its contribution in building a strong Republic.

In the President’s speech during the IFI’s Centennial Celebration at the Quirino Grandstand in Luneta, Manila, she noted that 100 years ago, the Aglipayan Church was in the forefront of defending the country’s independence from foreign hands and was also responsible in initiating the nation’s first labor movement.

"Your establishment of the labor movement has expressed not only our independence from foreign rulers but also against the oppression of powerful Filipinos," she said.

Aside from its vast contribution to the country’s history, the President said the IFI, through its founder, the late Bishop Gregorio Aglipay, left behind many of its members and relatives who continued to contribute a lot to nation building as well as in maintaining peace and order.

She cited in particular Philippine National Police (PNP) Deputy Director Edgardo Aglipay, a descendant of the IFI founder, who formerly served as PNP director in Region III and later as chief of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO).

The President thanked Gen. Aglipay for his contribution to her administration and in the maintenance of peace and order in the country.

In order to build strong institutions for a strong Philippine Republic that will represent the people rather than a few vested interests, the Chief executive said "the Filipino people must wage a moral revolution from the top through leadership by example."

"Only moral strength can be the invincible foundation of good governance and only good governance can serve as the pathway to peace, justice and the conquest of poverty," she said.

When she assumed the presidency in January last year, the President said she was committed to the achievement of good governance based on three pillars that included a moral foundation to guide leadership at all levels, the assurance of transparency in all government actions and the principle of good governance as an ethic of effective implementation throughout the bureaucracy.

President Macapagal-Arroyo expressed her belief that good governance is the right path to achieve peace, justice, and alleviate poverty in the country.

According to her, one way to defeat graft and corruption is to reduce red tape in various government agencies and institutions.

In the span of one year, she said red tape had been reduced in 12 departments and 19 agencies of the government, noting that in securing housing permits, the signatures needed had been reduced from 188 to 45.

At the latter part of her speech, the President thanked the officers and members of the Aglipayan Church for being good citizens of the Republic.