The Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) is now ready to distribute to some 1.02 million coconut farmers throughout the country their upgraded COCOLIFE insurance certificates.

According to PCA Administrator Danilo Coronacion, the upgrading of the coconut farmers life insurance policies from P5,000 to P10,000 is being undertaken under the Upgraded Insurance Project of the Coconut Industry Investment Fund (CIIF).

Coronacion said that Region VII tops in the list of coconut farmers with upgraded life insurance policies, with 161,106 beneficiaries; followed by Region VIII, with 135,558 beneficiaries; Region VI-A, with 125,730 beneficiaries; Region V, with 99,476 beneficiaries; and Region IX, with 84,154 beneficiaries.

The increase in the insurance coverage of coconut farmers has been ordered by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as part of the package of benefits for the coconut growers after the Supreme Court has decided that the coconut levy fund is "public in nature."

The President has earlier announced that the United Coconut Planters Bank (Cocobank) is now ready to make available some P700 million in coconut levy earnings for the benefit of the country’s coconut farmers and the coconut producing provinces.

The Chief Executive made this announcement in her speech before thousands of residents who attended the 35^th Foundation Anniversary of Davao del Norte held in Tagum City early this month.

The President recalled that during the Independence Day celebration this year, she had announced that the CIIF board has approved the release of P86 million as first-year premium payment for the expanded life insurance program for coconut farmers.

"The upgraded life insurance policies for more than one million farmers are ready for distribution to the region," the President said.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has directed anew her economic team to address bottlenecks that have stalled the country’s major infrastructure and investment projects.

"We must provide reinforcement to the understandably timid business community these days," the President said in her speech at the launching Friday of the Fourth Philippine Human Development Report at Malacanang’s Heroes Hall.

She said administration projects in the pipeline should be fast-tracked.

The projects included the construction of the North Rail and the linking of the Light and Mass rail transits, the opening of the new Nayong Pilipino Tourism Estate, housing, the reopening of the National Steel Corporation, the construction of the Batangas Port, and the rehabilitation of the Philippine National Bank.

She said more focus should be given in implementing the projects, as well as programs in improving peace and order and reducing utility rates.

The President said: "We will not stop until we are satisfied that we have squeezed every drop of blood from stones. But at the same time, we must be responsible and respect the sanctity of contracts, despite the histrionics of some, because this is needed if we are to preserve the gains that we have made in our credit risk ratings."

To make investors and citizens feel safer, the President said her administration -- together with Philippine National Police chief Deputy Director General Hermogenes, Jr. and Davao City Rodrigo Duterte – has been concentrating on breathing new life and efficacy into the country’s anti-kidnapping efforts.

She said she is dealing with the threat of kidnapping the way she dealt with the threat of the notorious terrorist group Abu Sayyaf.

"I nag the police everyday today the way I used to nag the military everyday since May first," she added.

"After I was convinced that we had seen the last of the destabilization threat because May First was very peaceful, I began to work on breathing down the necks of the military. And thanks God, the Abu Sayyaf has been defeated," she said.

The President also cited the Order of Battle Workshop which pinned down 21 kidnapping syndicates. The workshop was held Thursday at the Police Headquarters in Camp Crame in Quezon City.

She said Ebdane would give her his report on what "needs to accelerate the manhunt for the syndicates at the top of the Order of Battle."

"I will not micro-manage them as I did not micro-manage the war against the Abu Sayyaf. But I will personally track progress," she stressed.

The President expressed the hope that the government "will win this battle with hands on persistence combined with good intelligence, and as in Edsa I and Edsa II, and many other struggles."

She noted that spirituality was important especially when "it’s a matter of being discouraged or encouraged, no matter what the numbers look. It is the Spirit that will help lift us up from the feeling of hopelessness to the feeling of faith."

Calling on the need to revitalize democracy in the lowest political levels of the Philippine government, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today enjoined voters to go out and vote in the barangay elections on Monday, July 15.

In her regular Saturday radio address, the President noted that the barangay council is the basic form of government which renders public service in the nation’s communities.

The Sangguniang Kabataan, on the other hand, serves as the stepping stone of the youth in becoming responsible leaders of the country, she said.

The President said the people must not only go out and vote but also ensure that the polls would be honest, orderly and peaceful.

"Mahalaga ang bawat boto ninyo. Sagrado sa ating demokrasya ang inyong karapatang pumili ng ating mga pinuno (Your votes are important. Your right to elect our leaders is sacred)," the President added.

Earlier, the President declared July 15 as a special non-working holiday to enable qualified voters to exercise their right to vote.

The President said the people should take part in the affairs of their respective communities.

In summoning the people to go out and vote in the barangay elections on Monday, July 15, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today said the nation needs a strong government, not for a few, but for all Filipinos."

"We need a republic so strong that it could help and defend the poorest, the weakest of Filipinos," the President stressed.

She pointed out that having survived the elements of destabilization after EDSA II, "it is our mission now, the duty of this generation, to finally build a strong republic in the 21^st century."

Mrs. Macapagal-Arroyo recalled that when she became President last year, she emphasized that a dedicated government has as pillars the following;

First, a moral foundation that will guide the leadership in all levels of government. Second, a philosophy of transparency in the conduct of government . And third, an effective implementation of policies and program in the entire bureaucracy.

"These three pillars are the first and foremost cornerstone of a strong republic -- an effective government, from national to local, with a devoted professional civil service, that delivers services to the majority, keeps the peace and order, helps the poor and the weak, and administers the law and justice to all," she said.

The President said "it is our duty to protect our freedom and democracy by taking part in elections."

"We need to strengthen our republic based on the new politics of programs and institutionalized consultations that we want to aim to achieve in these times," she added.

"We have proven that we can conduct peaceful elections like the recent elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) despite the conflict in certain parts of Mindanao. I hope we can achieve this on July 15," she said.

A comprehensive report of the House of Representatives Committee on Oversight has classified as "positive" the government’s performance in accomplishing the commitments made by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in her July 2001 State of the Nation Address (SONA).

Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight, stressed this to clarify media accounts that the report gave or suggested a negative overall rating for the administration.

Salceda said committee findings showed that "the Arroyo administration’s SONA accomplishment record, has been, on the whole, positive, contrary to some media accounts."

Salceda said the committee "noted ‘technical or substantial compliance’ with 22 targets, while only 13 were underperforming, based on preliminary data" on the 35 SONA targets.

But more recent information from the Presidential Management Staff (PMS) noted that "several targets that seemed to be behind will now be achieved," he added.

The targets included the distribution of 100,000 hectares of public land, construction of classrooms in villages not served by nearby schools, distribution of textbooks in key subjects for Grades 1 to 4 and Years 1 to 2, emergency hiring of out-of-school youth, and the release of the P500-million Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) fund.

Salceda said the committee "will continue to monitor the government’s compliance with the SONA targets."