President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has declared July 2 as a special non-working holiday in Pasig City.

In signing Proclamation No. 210 last June 19, the President said the day marks the city’s 429^th foundation anniversary.

The President said the holiday would give the residents of Pasig City the chance to "celebrate this milestone in their city’s history with fitting ceremonies."

Historically, Pasig was one of the oldest towns in the Philippines, having been established in 1572 by early Spanish settlers.

Pasig became a major pueblo with an initial population of 2,000. In 1582, it was established as an encomienda under the administration and supervision of the alcalde mayor of Tondo.

With its strategic location, the town had been the site of revolutionary conflicts such as the Spanish-British war of 1762 and the staging ground for sporadic revolts in the Tagalog region during the Philippine revolution of August 1896.

When the American forces arrived in the country, the town was placed under military rule that paved the way for the establishment of a civil government.

On June 11, 1901, Pasig became part of the newly created Province of Rizal through the Philippine Commission Act No. 137, and became its capital town until 1975. However, in 1904, for seven months, San Felipe Neri town in Mandaluyong became the provincial capital.

But afterward, Pasig continued to be Rizal's premier town until 1975 when the Metro Manila Commission was created, integrating four towns and 13 cities, including the town of Pasig.

On December 8, 1993, former President Fidel V. Ramos signed Republic Act No. 7829 converting Pasig into a highly urbanized city.

The city is composed of 30 barangays, occupying a total land area of 3,100 hectares (31 kilometers) or about 4 percent of the total land area of Metro Manila.

SAN NARCISO, Zambales – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today asked Northern Command chief Maj. Gen. Rodolfo Garcia to enlist and mobilize the reserve officers of the Philippine Merchant Marine Academy (PMMA) for the forthcoming Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections on July 15, 2002.

Speaking at the 179^th Commencement Exercises of the PMMA here, the President said this is in keeping with the requirement to have an honest, orderly and peaceful elections this July. The members of the Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines are deputized for these events.

The President said the PMMA has adhered to highly exacting global standards in training certification and watch keeping.

The President said that according to the International Standards Organization (ISO 9001), the PMMA graduates are among the most sought after in their fields.

"You have a 95 percent average passing in the national board exams and all of the passers are immediately given jobs by international shipping companies," the President said.

The President also said that the PMMA is the source of 10 percent of the 50,000 Filipino deck and engine officers working in various shipping companies.

"It is difficult to equal this record," the President said.

The Philippine government, the President said, has been able to guarantee the continued employment of Filipino sea-based workers.

She said the Philippines’ membership in the 32-member council of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) affirms the resolve to uphold all conventions, protocols and resolutions of this international body.

The power of sea-based Filipino workers lies not only in their competence but also in their vital contribution to the Philippine economy.

Sea-based workers gave the country P2 billion in annual remittances.

"Every year, P6 billion are sent to us by overseas Filipinos. And out of the that, one-third comes from sea-based workers," the President said.

Out of the 235 graduates this year, nine men and a woman, Marycel Callejo, graduated cum laude.

SAN NARCISO, Zambales – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today that the ongoing major revamp at the Philippine National Police (PNP) is a "rehearsal" on the very strict interpretation of the rule of command responsibility in the drive against criminality, including illegal gambling, that she has earlier ordered.

Speaking at the 179^th Commencement Exercises of the Philippine Merchant Marine Academy (PMMA) at the school’s parade grounds here, the President said "this is a rehearsal for a bigger challenge of applying the rule of command responsibility on kidnapping and illegal drugs."

The President was referring to the recent order of Interior and Local Government Secretary Jose Lina, Jr. relieving seven top-ranking PNP officials for their alleged failure to curb illegal gambling, particularly the numbers game jueteng, in their respective jurisdiction.

The President, however, congratulated the PNP for the strong measures they have implemented to neutralize the terrorist cell in Northern Luzon.

She said the country’s image abroad is somewhat diminished by security concerns here and this affects overseas Filipino workers, including the Filipino seafarers.

The President said that resolving the peace and order problem is as important to her as getting the country back on the growth path "because peace and development always come together."

"These are realities and the challenges of the world as you, young men and one woman, are entering the world of the great Filipino workforce," the President told the graduating students.

According to the President, the PMMA graduates are fortunate because they are assured of immediate jobs.

"When you sail out of our shores, keep in mind that you represent a nation renowned for workers of skills, industry, competence and integrity on the job," the President said.

SAN ISIDRO, Zambales – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today urged the people to go on supporting the government’s bid to rid the country of terrorist groups, as the world’s powerful countries like the United States are looking up with pride in the Philippines’ all-out campaign against the Al-Qaeda-backed Abu Sayyaf terrorists.

In a speech before 235 Philippine Merchant Marine Academy (PMMA) graduates here, the President said the peace and order problem remained a vital administration concern because the growth path of the country relied on the peace and development climate.

Keynoting the PMMA’s 179^th commencement exercises, the President said that last June 24, United States President George W. Bush called up and congratulated her for her steadfast desire to root out the Abu Sayyaf.

She said Bush was happy over recent developments and credited the Philippines as very active in the fight against global terrorism while standing up for homeland security.

She also reiterated the help Bush offered to step up the anti-terrorism campaign of the Macapagal-Arroyo administration. She added that Bush considered ongoing military operations against the Abu Sayyaf in their lairs in Mindanao as successful.

The President said Bush further informed American legislators that he called her to reiterate the US government’s support for the fight against the Abu Sayyaf in the Philippines.

But she told Bush that what the Philippines needed was the further training of Filipino soldiers to keep them abreast with modern weaponry and strategies to flush out terrorism.

She said Bush was elated over her role in counter-terrorism. "She has proven she is with us (in the war against terrorists)," the President quoted Bush. "And I want to thank her for her leadership," Bush said of her.

"This is how the most powerful leaders of the world look at us. This is how the world looks at us and I pray that the Filipinos could have the same faith in my administration," the President told the PMMA graduates.

Two days ago, Bush again said the Philippines had the most successes in ending global terrorism. "One of the recent successes is (President) Gloria (Macapagal) Arroyo in the Philippines," Bush was quoted as saying.

"She’s a part of our vast coalition. She said early on we need to get after the Abu Sabaya group and she did it. And to her credit, it looks like the leader (Abu Sayyaf spokesman Aldam Tilao alias Abu Sabaya) has made his demise. The Philippines is better off for that and so is the world," she said, quoting Bush.

Earlier, the President ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines to call off and leave to an able military unit the search and recovery work on the body of Abu Sabaya.

She said the military’s bigger force should scour the jungles of Sulu for the remaining four leaders of Abu Sayyaf.

These leaders included Amir Khadafi Abubakar Janjalani, Jainal Antel Sali, Jr., Isnilon Toton Hapilon and Hamsitaji Marusi Sali.

"Sabi ko, imbes na hinahanap ang patay, hanapin ninyo ang buhay. Hanapin ninyo ang apat na buhay na (Instead of looking for the dead Sabaya, let us look for the remaining living) Abu Sayyaf leaders," the President said, adding that the military had started doing that.

The President said the military would continue to hunt down the Abu Sayyaf leaders and members until they were all accounted for.

The PMMA is the country’s oldest marine school. It was established on April 5, 1890 under its old name Escuela Nautica de Manila.

During the American time, it became the Nautical School and in 1913, it was renamed the Philippine School of Arts and Trades. Later in 1963, it became the Philippine Nautical School.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today unveiled a 10-point comprehensive program aimed at "squeezing blood from stone" and bringing down further the cost of electricity to consumers.

In her remarks at the signing of the wholesale electricity spot market (WESM) at the Heroes Hall in Malacaņang, the President also promised to lower the cost of electricity by P1.30 starting next month.

The President said she has also issued an executive order on tax equalization as required by the Senate in order to enable the Power Sector Reform Law to push through.

Two days ago, she said the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) promulgated its decision regarding petition of the National Power Corporation (Napocor) wherein the latter had asked for a 17-centavo increase in its rates.

She said the ERC has decided that Napocor should instead reduce its rate by six centavos.

In the same occasion, the President ordered the Napocor to follow that, not within 30 days, but within one week in order to get more relief.

In her 10-poiint program, first, the President said the government wants to reflect the true cost of service which has been happening now with what ERC did through the unbundling of Napocor and its cease and desist order to Meralco sometime ago which has resulted in lower electricity rate this month.

In view of her instruction to Napocor last May 8, the President said the people will a see further reduction of electricity rates starting next month.

Under the first point, the President said the government shall ensure that the consumers shall only be charged the true and fair cost of electric services and only power services they have enjoyed and used.

She said the government will seek the elimination of charges from onerous contracts, stressing the need to review the IPP contracts and other contracts that the ERC is studying as well as regulatory loopholes such as the valuation and appraisal of assets.

Second, she said, is to introduce the declining block rate structure by introducing special pricing incentives for large consumers of electricity specially business and industries, to reduce cost of over capacity and encourage expansion in manufacturing and commerce.

"The more they use, the less unit cost they pay, therefore it will be cheaper to produce more products. Also, therefore they will use more electricity and that will reduce the excess capacity which is the source of the PPA," she said.

Third, the President said we will optimize the utilization mix of NPC power plants by finding out the different efficiencies of the different plants.

While it requires a lot of homework, the President said she intends to stay put in Malacaņang to help do the homework.

Further, she said the government will review and upgrade the country’s power development plan to better distribute generation capacity in relation to load centers, upgrade transmission system and minimize the vulnerability of the power grids from blackouts.

This move will include the transfer of power barges and matured build-operate-transfer (BOT) plants to regions where they can be better utilized and the enhancement of Napocor generation companies by providing them with better markets and quality supply contracts.

Fourth, the President saw the need to accelerate the operation of the wholesale electricity spot market (WESM) to provide a trading platform for power price competition and give power users a fair and transparent way to determine realistic power cost.

Fifth, the President said there must be an acceleration in the implementation of open access, which means that big buyers who buy more than 1 megawatt can choose the generating company they want to buy from.

While the law says that it should be done in four years, she said the open access implementation can be accelerated because consumer choice will certainly provide for greater competition and lower prices.

Correspondingly, she said the government will provide consumers with genuine supplier alternative through competition and encouragement of new players in the electric industry power sector.

Sixth, the President called for the promotion of efficient performance of distribution utilities by prescribing measurable standards of consumer service, shift to new rates setting methods that better protect consumers, assure integrity in procedures, and close all loopholes without necessarily denying the utilities’ right to earn the legal and fair return for their investment and services.

The seventh point of the measures is to strengthen and consolidate rural electric cooperatives, seek long-term solutions and strengthen them as distribution utilities in preparation for deregulation as mandated by the Electric Power Industry Reform Act.

"It is hoped that strengthened electric cooperatives will be able to bring down retailed electric rates in the rural areas," she said.

Eighth, the President sought the review of IPP contracts and reduce contract cost, saying that whatever is completed in the review must already be submitted so that the government can begin the renegotiations.

"We will review the contracts of operating agreement by benchmarking for competitiveness, fairness and onerousness in the context of when the contracts were signed," she said, adding that the government will also reduce the stranded cost through renegotiation, restructuring or non-renewal of Napocor’s IPP contracts as may be necessary.

Ninth, the President proposed the further exploration of financial engineering methods which the government has been doing and has resulted in the reduction of Napocor’s purchased power cost adjustment (PPCA) to 40 centavos.

This action, she said, will reflect in the electricity bills starting next month.

Lastly, the President said the government will help enhance the institutional capability of the ERC and encourage it to assert its mandate.