Malacanang today said that although Vice President Teofisto Guingona, Jr. has resigned as foreign secretary, he still enjoys the full trust and confidence of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as an ally in the ruling Lakas-NUCD-UMDP party.

In a statement, Acting Press Secretary Silvestre Afable, Jr. said that aside from being an ally in the ruling party, the Vice President has also the full trust of the President in governance and nation building.

The President is chairman of the Lakas-NUCD-UMDP while Guingona is president.

In announcing his resignation from the Cabinet last July 2, the Vice President said that he will continue to hold the President in high esteem and is committed to good governance.

In accepting his resignation "with regrets," the President also assured the Vice President that she would continue the latter’s programs at the Department of Foreign Affairs, including those that would benefit the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

Malacanang also strongly denied that Vice President Guingona has asked for political or personal concessions from the President in connection with his resignation as foreign secretary.

"Allegations and reports on this matter are malicious and unfair to everyone involved," Afable said.

Afable said that the Vice President resigned from the Cabinet in "view of honest differences of opinion with the President."

"There are no concessions or conditions attached to his resignation, or discussed in the course of events leading to it," Afable stressed.

Guingona’s resignation as foreign secretary takes effect on July 15, after which the President will assume the foreign affairs portfolio in a concurrent capacity until such time that she can choose a successor to Guingona.

The provincial officials of Bataan today expressed full support for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, extending wholehearted, unconditional and continuing assistance to the "Leader of the Times."

In a letter they signed and sent to the President, Bataan Gov. Lenardo Roman, Vice Governor Rogelio Roque and Rep. Antonino Roman, municipal mayors and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan said "we are one with you in the challenges besetting our country."

"We derive strength in the union borne out of faith in you. We emulate the virtues in governance that you exemplify. We pursue the programs you have formulated for your people," the Bataan officials said.

The officials said they cannot but admit the daunting tasks ahead, especially for the President.

"We believe that your assumption into office was spurred by the dictates of the times. The Omnipotent Power intervened, the threshold of the nation demanded and the voice of the people cried for a happenstance in you," they said.

The officials said they earnestly hope for the success of the people under her administration.

"We humbly pray for you and for the fulfillment of the dreams of generations of Filipinos under your stewardship. We eagerly await the realization of the Leader of the Times," they said.

The letter was also signed by Bataan Mayors Liberato Santiago, Jr. (Abucay), Nelson David (Limay), Jose Alejandre Payumo III (Dinalupihan), Estrella Santos (Pilar), Efren Pascual, Jr. (Orani), Norberto Ricardo (Bagac), Efren Cruz (Hermosa), Angel Peliglorio, Jr. (Mariveles), Teodorico Albelda (Samal) and Norberto Linao (Morong).

A total of P11,601,075.23 has so far been released for relief and rehabilitation efforts of concerned government agencies, in cooperation with the private sector, for families affected by the monsoon rains and typhoon "Gloria".

An update released this morning by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said that the amount was extended to flood victims through the combined resources of the DSWD, local government units (LGUs), non-government organizations (NGOs), and government organizations (GOs).

The relief and rehabilitation efforts are being coordinated by the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) and its provincial and municipal chapters.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has earlier ordered the Department of Budget and Management to release the initial amount of P300 million for relief and rehabilitation efforts in calamity-stricken areas in Metro Manila and some parts of Luzon.

In its latest report, the DSWD said the government was able to extend assistance to a total of 104,743 families, or 473,377 individuals.

Out of this number, 6,983 families or 31,813 individuals were accommodated in 184 evacuation centers set up in Metro Manila and some provinces of Central and Southern Luzon.

The DSWD said that as the floods have subsided in some areas, only 75 evacuation centers have remained while 109 have been closed.

Since the start of the heavy rains and the subsequent flooding, the number of affected families totaled 355,749 or 1,644,199 individuals.

Most of the victims came from 1,613 barangays in 26 cities and 15 provinces, the DSWD said.

The DSWD said that 566 families were left homeless at the height of the disaster, while 2,363 others had their houses partially damaged.

Though the rains stopped and the floods subsided, relief operations are continuously being conducted through the concerted efforts of the member-agencies of NDCC.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today lauded the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and other government law enforcement agencies following the conviction of Indonesian national Agus Dwikarna for illegal possession of explosives.

In a brief ceremony at the PNP-Intelligence Group (IG) office in Camp Crame, Quezon City this afternoon, the President said the conviction of Dwikarna was a "victory for the country’s criminal justice system as well as to the government’s fight against terrorism."

Dwikarna was presented to the President by top-ranking government officials led by Justice Secretary Hernando Perez, Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes, PNP chief, Deputy Director General Hermogenes Ebdane, Jr., and PNP-IG head Chief Superintendent Robert Delfin.

Earlier today, Pasay Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 117 Judge Henrick Guingoyon meted Dwikarna with 10 years of imprisonment for violation of Presidential Decree No. 1866 or the illegal possession of firearms and explosives law.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today cited the Fourth Human Development Report for raising interesting points on the country’s human development efforts, as she stressed the need to create more jobs to raise the human development index of over 80 million Filipinos.

In a speech at the launching of the Fourth Human Development Report at the Malacanang’s Heroes Hall, the President said the report would serve as a useful guide in her administration’s pursuit of providing "more jobs for our people as a primary means of fighting poverty."

She commended the report’s authors, the Human Development Network and the United Nations Development Program for publishing the document, adding "the report is a fruit of the continuing dialogue between the civil society and government."

One of the report’s interesting points the President cited was that "unemployment and poverty do not amount to the same thing."

"I now see jobs as basically solving unemployment … as our main means of fighting poverty in a free enterprise economy," she said.

The President said Sulu, the poorest province in terms of per capita income as mentioned in the document, also happened to have the second lowest unemployment rate. But she believed that Sulu would double its efforts to attain peace and development.

She said that while Sulu’s unemployment rate was 3.1 percent, Tawi-Tawi, the second poorest in per capita income, had the seventh lowest unemployment rate of 4.2 percent.

On the other hand, Metro Manila, the most prosperous region in the country, had the highest unemployment rate of 17.5 percent.

She added that Cavite and Tarlac, two relatively rich provinces, were among the 10 provinces with the highest unemployment rates.

"On the macro economic level, this helps me to understand why our economy is the best performing in Southeast Asia and the third best performing in Asia, and yet, it has more than 4 million people out of work," she declared.

Another report highlight the President noted was that some provinces had very high levels of underemployment.

She said it was sad to see the underemployment rate in at least 10 provinces going over 40 percent.

Bukidnon and Camarines Sur had unemployment rates of more than 50 percent. In these provinces, "more than half of the workers are looking for additional work and it is most likely because of inadequate pay," she said.

Under the conditions, "we need to have a more competitive investment climate. Part of this investment climate is grounded on objective, quantitative reality which is making our power rates more competitive," she added.

She spelled out the measures her administration has been doing to shore up business confidence in the country, including bringing in investments and creating better paying jobs for the people.

The President said eight of the top 10 provinces in the country’s human development index (HDI) are in Luzon that makes up 60 percent of the population.

She said Mindanao had bright potentials. "It is encouraging that two of its provinces, Davao Oriental and South Cotabato, are among the top 10 gainers in human development."

Misamis Oriental, she said, had the highest HDI, aside from being a top-performing province in the area of education.

She stressed the need to address the low HDI of the bottom five provinces as quickly as possible, explaining that if these provinces also have low unemployment rates, "it is because the unemployed of those provinces quickly migrate to the provinces with the highest development and look for jobs there."

"They just stay there. They don’t go back home again. This explains why the richest regions also have the highest unemployment rates. So, I still believe it is still jobs, jobs, jobs we must create to raise the HDI of our people as a whole," she said.

"In a free enterprise economy, this is a tall order because in the end, jobs will be created not by government economic activity but private sector investment decisions." the President said.

"We need an effective law and the necessary infrastructure. We need an effective state to uplift its poorest and weakest citizens, empower them and dismantle the structures that make them poor and weak," she said.