President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today disclosed that the future Balikatan exercises will have a heavy dose of night flying and other capabilities that will enhance the expertise of the military, particularly the Philippine Air Force (PAF).

In her speech during the 55^th anniversary of the PAF at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City, the President also stressed that while the coming Balikatan will have a Sulu component, the joint Philippine-United States military exercises should come back to Luzon, to Clark Air Base in Pampanga, to Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, and to Camp Capinpin in Tanay.

"The Balikatan exercises of 2001 and 2002 breathe new life into our training programs. Future Balikatan and other programs under our various bilateral and multilateral agreements will have a heavy dose of night flying and other capabilities that will enhance the expertise of the Philippine Air Force," she said.

A large part of this year’s Balikatan exercises, according to the President, will be concentrated on maintenance training and other measures that will ensure the safety of Filipino pilots.

The President recalled that several aircraft accidents have claimed the lives of pilots such as Capt. Daniel Policarpio, Lt. Mary Grace Tenorio and Lt. Rizza Simon.

Also in her speech, the President saw the need for reliable air surveillance equipment as highlighted during the conduct of the Balikatan exercises.

"Balikatan showed us how indispensable these are. Our pilots need electronic eyesight when navigating in bad weather or at night," she said.

In view of the $10-million pledge of military assistance from US President George W. Bush, the President instructed Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Gen. Roy Cimatu to make sure that the drawdown will include electronic eyesight equipment that will enable PAF pilots to fly at night and in bad weather.

The President recalled that in her speech during the PAF anniversary celebration last year, she committed the selling of the Presidential plane to augment the PAF modernization funds.

"We have put that plane on the block, but so far there have been no takers," she said.

During the occasion, the President took the opportunity to thank Sen. Loren Legarda, Rep. Gilbert Teodoro as well as the other senators and congressmen for paving way for the passage of a law that would increase the salary of soldiers to the level of the teachers.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today congratulated the gallant members of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) for their significant role in the rescue of American missionary Gracia Burnham from the hands of the Abu Sayyaf Group.

"Because of you, Gracia Burnham is alive today," the President said in her speech during the 55^th anniversary celebration of the PAF at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City.

In her speech, the President recalled a story told to her by Gracia Burnham when she was rescued by the military during the encounter with the group of Abu Sabaya in Sirawai, Zamboanga del Norte.

The President said Gracia recounted to her how she was extricated by Air Force helicopter within one hour from the start of the firefight in the heavily forested area in Sirawai.

According to the President, Gracia told her how the Air Force men attended to her and comforted her during the helicopter flight to the Southern Command headquarters in Zamboanga City.

"She said she was so touched when one of them kept tapping her cheek lightly to revive her and pleading, ‘Don’t die, don’t die,’ and she didn’t die," the President said.

"Gracia Burnham told me after telling the story of the men in the helicopter ministering to her, ‘Madam President, you must be very proud of your men,’ " the President said.

For that very momentous occasion, two of the Air Force helicopter pilots who participated in the rescue of Gracia Burnham were awarded in yesterday’s ceremony with Gold Cross Medals. The pilots were Lt. Gaudencio Lauron and Lt. Jun Samilin.

"Both braved hostile fire, treacherous terrain and hazardous weather to bring Gracia Burnham to safety," the President said.

At the same time, the President paid tribute to the other awardees in this year’s PAF anniversary celebration led by the late Maj. Gen. Santiago Madrid who died in a helicopter crash in Palawan shortly after last year’s elections.

She also cited Lt. Maria Rita Fabian, one of the first to see action in Buldon, Maguindanao, for personifying the power and capability of female combat pilots and all other female combatants of the AFP.

"Our female pilots are outstanding. They make it easier for our male soldiers to deal with a female Commander in Chief," the President said.

Furthermore, she commended the vigilance of the Tactical Operations Command under Maj. Gen. Marciano Ilagan for pre-empting a rebel attack last November in Cabatangan Complex in Zamboanga City.

The President also cited the innovative spirit of the Air Force research and development under Col. Jose Saplan, the heroic rescue efforts of Lt. Col. Edgar Fallorina in the Sirawai operations, as well as the effective non-combatant support provided by T/Sgt. Virgilio Dris to air strikes against the enemy in Mindanao.

She also acknowledged the exemplary service provided by the 250^th Presidential Airlift Wing for taking care of her safety while conducting sorties in the different provinces and regions throughout the country.

After her speech, PAF commanding general Lt. Gen. Benjamin Defensor presented to the President a memento in recognition of her inspiring effort in taking the lead in building a faster and stronger and better Air Force.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today instructed the Philippine Air Force (PAF) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to jointly embark on a high mission to fight kidnapping and other similar heinous crimes.

Speaking at the 55^th PAF’s anniversary celebration at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City, the President also directed the 730^th Civil Security Group (CSG) and the Anti-Kidnapping Task Force (AKTAF) to attend the anti-kidnapping summit to be held tomorrow at the Manila Hotel.

The said summit, which is being spearheaded by the Philippine National Police (PNP), will be mainly focused on kidnappings, illegal drugs and command responsibility.

In order to have more investments and provide more jobs, the President urged both the AFP and the PAF to pursue not just the terrorists but also members of kidnap-for-ransom gangs.

During her speech, the President suggested that the PAF’s civil security group should now be attached to AKTAF, the anti-kidnapping task force of the AFP, which was formed last year shortly after the rescue of American kidnap victim Jeffrey Schilling.

The President said AKTAF was originally created to help the police fight urban kidnapping.

The 730^th CSG is the group that helped quell the May 1, 2001 riot in Malacanang. It was later attached to "Task Force Libra" to beef up the security of the seat of power.

"But since the threat of destabilization has died down and Task Force Libra is mainly to protect the seat of government against destabilization, I think that the group should now be attached to AKTAF," the President said.

The President noted that when the Dos Palmas kidnapping occurred, the AKTAF devoted much of its effort in the year-long siege against the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG).

"With the ASG now largely degraded, the AKTAF should now go back to fighting urban kidnapping," the President said.

According to the President, a relentless pursuit of terrorist has won the country praise from the international community.

However, she stressed that what the country needs is not just praise from the international community as well as from the national community but "investments to create more jobs for our people and earn not only their praise but also their investments."

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today instructed the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to undertake a crash program in six bays to address the depletion of fisheries resources and persistent poverty among the fisherfolk in these areas.

In a press briefing in Malacanang this afternoon, Acting Press Secretary Silvestre Afable Jr. said the instructions were issued by the President during an Executive Committee Meeting which she presided over this afternoon at Malacanang.

Afable identified the six bays as Calauag Bay, Tayabas Bay, San Miguel Bay, Ragay Gulf, Lagonoy Gulf and Sorsogon Bay, all in the Southern Tagalog and the Bicol Regions.

Afable said the President also ordered the Agriculture Department to release P16 million for the training of fishermen in these areas in aquaculture and seaweed farming and to get them alternative sources of livelihood.

Afable noted that the crash program for the fisherfolk will start within the next few days.

The President did this, he said, because during her trips to the regions she saw that "there was really very extensive poverty among the fisherfolk in the marine degraded areas."

According to Afable, the DA presented the National Fisheries Program during the last Cabinet Meeting in the Palace.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today directed the Department of Agriculture, Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Foreign Affairs to work together to collate all the technical papers to bolster the position of the Philippine government and to come up with a stand within 30 days to ensure the entry of the country’s pineapple exports to Australia.

Briefing reporters at Malacanang, Acting Press Secretary Silvestre Afable, Jr. said the President issued the directive during an Executive Committee Meeting, which she presided over at the Palace this afternoon.

"As we know, there have been sanitary standards that are being imposed by Australia on Philippine pineapple," Afable said.

Afable stressed that this technical position "will, in effect, seek reconsideration of the standards or constraints imposed by Australia on Philippine pineapple."

Asked whether the Philippines will also export bananas to Australia, Afable said the Australian position on bananas is still on the draft stage.