President Gloria Mapacagal-Arroyo’s trek to the crater of Mt. Pinatubo will spur tourism activities and bring livelihood opportunities to the people of Barangay Sta. Juliana in Capas, Tarlac and other areas that were greatly affected by the eruption of the volcano more than a decade ago.

This was the assessment made by Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon of the Department of Tourism (DOT) even as he assured that the trek to Mt. Pinatubo is safe, adding that the DOT will promote mountain trekking as part of its eco-tourism campaign.

Gordon thanked the residents of Barangay Sta. Juliana for their efforts in bringing out the possibility of making Mt. Pinatubo as one of the major points of interest for eco-tourism.

He added that the Mt. Pinatubo trekking has already won a gold award for eco-tourism from the prestigious Pacific Air Travel Association (PATA) during a ceremony held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia last year.

"We should give credit to the poor folks from Sta. Juliana who have suffered from Pinatubo because they themselves created the opportunity for themselves. And now the government is recognizing their efforts apart from the international tourism organizations," Gordon told reporters.

Barangay Sta. Juliana, in the western side of Tarlac, is some 20 kilometers from the main highway of Capas.

The village figured prominently during the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in June 1991 when the precarious O’ Donnel River channel endangered the lives of the local populace.

It was in April 2000 when the barangay council of Sta. Juliana observed a growing influx of foreign and local tourists to the village who were using the area as a jump-off point for the three-hour trek to the crater of Mt. Pinatubo.

Realizing the potential influx of tourists, the village council transformed itself into a tourism council, which they now called the Sta. Juliana Tourism Council, Inc.

It was formed to handle the management and operation of the eco-tourism project.

Last Wednesday, no less than the President led some 150 trekkers in conquering the crater of the world-famous volcano.

She was accompanied by First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, son Dato, Secretary Gordon, and other officials from the government and private sector.

From Barangay St. Juliana, the President took a 4x4 vehicle off-road travel a rough and rocky path for more than an hour.

The President and her party successfully completed the two and a half conquest of Mt. Pinatubo after finishing a 10-kilometer walk along and fast streams of the O’Donnel riverbed to the crater under the sweltering heat of the sun and sporadic downpour.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today said she would stay focused on creating jobs and keeping the prices of basic goods stable.

Speaking before a crowd at the launch of GMA-CARES Para sa Kababaihan (for Women) in Barangay Holy Spirit, Quezon City, the President shrugged off negative media reports and said giving work to millions of Filipinos and making food, basic goods and medicine accessible at low prices remained priorities in her mind.

GMA-CARES means Ginintuang Makamasang Ani (Poor’s Golden Harvest) -- Countrywide Assistance for Rural Employment and Services.

"Kung maiitindihan ng taong bayan na iyon talaga ang aking parating iniisip, mas magkakaintindihan tayo (Things would be easier to comprehend if people would know and understand that they have a caring President who always thinks of their needs)," she said.

Despite unfavorable developments the media have been reporting lately, she hinted she remained committed to uplifting the lives of the people, particularly the poor, the women and the youth.

During the launching of GMA Cares (for Women), she awarded some P20 million as working capital for the operation and expansion of agri-fishery projects for women in the National Capital Region (NCR).

She said the livelihood loan would provide productive employment to some 50,000 women in the NCR, adding that the success of their projects would redound to more jobs and in deterring upticks in the prices of vital food commodities.

An initial 2,000 women-beneficiaries received their checks, each worth P10,000.

Quedancor, the government’s credit and guarantee firm, and the AHON Movement conceived the GMA-CARES (for Women).

The program aims to generate more employment opportunities for Filipino women, enhance the entrepreneurial skills of women and provide funds for start-up and expansion of agri-fishery related businesses for women.

Eligible borrower-clients are women farmers, fisherfolk, rural workers, housewives, processors, traders and their cooperatives, associations and small businesses engaged or will engage in agri-fishery related projects or any project eligible under the program.

Meanwhile, the President also inspected four rolling stores and jobs fair booths at the National Government Center, West Side in Sto. Domingo St., Doa Juana Homes, Holy Spirit, Quezon City.

Presidential Adviser on Job Creation Luis Lorenzo, National Food Administrator Anthony Abad, Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte and Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman Benjamin Abalos joined the President in the inspection tour.

The President said she visited the rolling stores to check on the prices of commodities and to monitor the progress of the government-sponsored job fairs.

Jobs and stable prices remained the two lifelines most needed by the people, especially in Metro Manila, where the unemployment rate is the highest in the whole country, she stressed.

The President said more than a thousand rolling stores were deployed nationwide to sell cheaper rice, other basic goods, medicine and school supplies.

She also later inspected the National Food Authority (NFA)-run rolling stores and jobs fairs in Litex Road, Barangay Commonwealth, Quezon City and in Barangay Manggahan, Pasig City.

A report from Secretary Angelito Sarmiento, Presidential Adviser on Agricultural Modernization, submitted to Malacaņang showed that the number of Filipinos availing of goods sold in Tindahan ni Gloria Labandera (TGL) rolling stores is increasing.

In a series of weekly reports covering the period April 16 to May 15, Sarmiento said TGL customers have grown to some 874,000 from May 8 to 15, an increase of about 121,000 customers from 753,000 customers per week in the preceding three weeks reported.

This showed that more consumers have come to realize the benefits of getting more and better value for their hard-earned money from TGL-rolling stores, a program the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has carried out for the country’s poor.

Bent on working out an immediate solution to Metro Manila’s garbage problem, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today inspected the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Materials, Recovery and Composting facility in Manggahan, Pasig City.

The President motored to the facility after gracing the jobs fair and inspecting the government’s rolling stores deployed in the area.

The MMDA project, spearheaded and conceptualized by MMDA Chairman Benjamin Abalos, was put up in line with the President’s call to implement the newly approved National Solid Waste Management Act or Republic Act 9003.

The facility is designed to handle 200 tons of solid waste daily in Pasig City, and eventually its environs. The facility has also provided jobs.

Abalos said the process "utilizes local low-cost and low-level but effective Filipino technology that will segregate and reclassify recyclable materials and do rapid composting of bio-degradable waste under a static pile method using open top recycled 40-foot container vans."

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today called on the residents of Quezon City and Pasig City, particularly the poor, to take advantage of the low prices being offered by the administration’s Rolling Stores for their basic needs.

She also asked them to finds jobs that would match them from among the vacant positions being offered by participating private companies and offices at the jobs fair also being conducted in the area.

The President made this call during visits this afternoon to Litex Road in Barangay Commonwealth in Quezon City and Manggahan in Pasig City where Tindahan ni Gloria Labandera Rolling Stores were deployed and jobs fairs were being held.

"Alam niyo ba kung bakit ako naririto? Dahil ang dalawang inaasikaso natin pareho ay trabaho at saka presyo (Do you know why I am here with you today? It’s because we are attending to the tasks of providing jobs to the people and keeping prices down)," the President said in brief remarks upon arrival at Litex Road in Barangay Commonwealth, Quezon City.

Shortly after her arrival at 12:20 p.m., the President, accompanied by Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. and Presidential Adviser on Job Creation Luis Lorenzo, inspected the Tindahan ni Gloria Labandera Rolling Stores deployed by the National Food Authority (NFA) in the area.

According to NFA Director Edgar Bintulan, there are three rolling stores that operate in Barangay Commonwealth which serve 11,135 people daily.

He said these rolling stores sell rice, coffee, sugar, noodles, milk, cooking oil and canned sardines at very low prices compared to those in the groceries and other retail outlets.

Bintulan stressed that a kilo of rice is sold at P14 while sugar is retailed at P26 per kilogram.

The President also announced to the Quezon City residents that more than 400 vacant positions were being offered at the jobs fair in their locality.

"Kung kayo’y walang hanapbuhay, pumunta na kayo doon at tingnan ninyo (If you are looking for a job, go to the jobs fair and find out where you can apply)," she said.

For those who want to start a small business, the President said the Technology and Livelihood Resource Center (TLRC) is "ready to train" them on how to start their own small business.

During her visit to Manggahan in Pasig City, the President was presented the five successful students who qualified for the scholarship program of TESDA. They are Jan Michael Rivera, Rea Locsin, Ryan Taller, Grace Diolata and Ma. Wilsannie Bacang.

While there, the President inspected the activities of the Rolling Stores deployed in the area as well as the jobs fair which was participated in by seven private companies, including Triple V, SM Supermart, Tiger Inc and Burger Machine.

The President told the people of Pasig about the 685 vacant positions waiting to be filled up by qualified applicants in the jobs fair this morning.