President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has called on government workers to be role models to the people they serve as she stressed that an efficient and effective bureaucracy is an essential element in building a strong Republic.

In her speech during the conferment of the Lingkod Bayan and Dangal ng Bayan Awards in Malacaņang Wednesday, the President said that a strong and dedicated civil service could contribute to good governance, which is an essential institution in a strong Republic.

The conferment of the awards to 22 public servants was the culmination of the 102^nd anniversary celebration of the Philippine civil service.

The President said that the strong Republic that she envisioned in her second State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July has two basic characteristics.

The first, the President said, is that is should represent the people’s interest and not just the interest of the dominant class or the powerful minority.

And second, the republic must have a capacity, represented through strong institutions and a strong bureaucracy, to implement its policies and deliver basic services to the people.

It is important, the President said, for government workers to safeguard the integrity and the good image of the agencies where they work.

"Tayo ay kinakailangan na maging mabuting halimbawa sa ating mga pinaglilingkuran (We should set a good example to the people we are serving)," the President said.

The President said that as shown by the achievements of the awardees, there is an abundance of good men and women in the public service as she commended them for rendering their duties with the highest integrity, morality and decency.

"May you continue to serve as models and trailblazers for the rest of the bureaucracy, the rest of the government, including us, public officials," the President said.

The President also said that the anniversary of the Philippine civil service should serve as an opportunity for government workers to rededicate themselves and reaffirm their oaths of office.

"Let us strengthen our commitment to uphold our responsibility of rendering efficient, effective and quality service to our people," the President said.

Awardees for the Lingkod Bayan Awards were Cesar Acebedo, a grade school teacher of West District, Aparri, Cagayan; Evelyn Caja, a special education teacher of Ramon Magsaysay High school in Espana, Manila; Maria Cristina Cornejo, presiding judge of the Regional Trial Court Branch 147, Makati City; Danilo Falgui, assistant professor, Kalinga-Apayao State College, Tabuk, Kalinga; Clifton Ganay, executive judge, Regional Trial Court, Branch 31, Agoo, La Union;

Joaquin Morga, barangay tanod of Barangay Telbang, Alaminos, Pangasinan; Romeo Pontipedra, postman, Cagayan de Oro City; Aurelio Quilo, barangay chairman of Barangay Guinicolalay, Dinas, Zamboanga del Sur; Alfredo Ramirez, chancellor, University of the Philippines, Ermita, Manila; Edgar Ricamonte, president of Quirino State College, Diffun, Quirino; Carmen Salazar, master teacher, Bacolod City; and Elene Tampican, nurse of Luis Hora Memorial Regional Hospital in Abatan, Bauko, Mountain Province.

Awardees for the Dangal ng Bayan Awards were Jose Benedicto Bautista, postmaster of San Jose City, Nueva Ecija; Nida Baybay, steonographer of the Department of Labor and Employment of Caraga Region; Ninie del Rosario, master teacher, Sta. Ana Central Elementary School, Davao City; Emy Fler Esponilla, district supervisor, Caloocan City; Antonio Fabre, laborer of the Philippine Coconut Authority, Dampas District, Tagbilaran City;

The Department of Finance said it will push efforts in collecting its share on the income of government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCC) to shore up government finances and reduce the budget deficit.

The DOF said that under Republic Act 7656, all GOCCs are required to share a substantial amount of their net earnings to the national government in the form of dividends.

As of August 2002, the GOCCs have remitted a total dividend of P3.4 billion to the national government, as against the revised target of P4.3 billion for the whole year.

The DOF said that guarantee fees, which were collected by the DOF from the GOCCs for their borrowings, reached P5.4 billion as against the revised target of P5.8 billion for 2002.

Meanwhile, Finance Secretary Jose Isidro Camacho has said that the budget deficit has narrowed to an average of P10 billion in the last three months.

Camacho said that the budget deficit from June to August have improved, compared to the first five months of the year.

The budget deficit swelled to P107.7 billion in January to May, increasing further to P144 billion by August. The budget deficit in March was P25.3 billion, the highest during the five-month period.

Camacho said that in August 2002, the budget deficit was only P10.9 billion, the lowest so far.

He also said that the government hopes to report revenue surpluses by December as the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) beefs up tax collection.

The Philippine government is closely coordinating with Italian authorities in helping undocumented overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) avail themselves of Italy’s latest regularization program or amnesty and to ensure the best possible treatment for them.

In a report to Malacaņang, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said they have been conducting a massive information campaign to enjoin "irregular" Filipino workers to take advantage of Italy's offer to regularize their stay.

DOLE Secretary Patricia A. Sto. Tomas has been apprised by DFA Assistant Secretary Jaime J. Yambao about developments and actions taken to assist Filipinos in Italy as disclosed by the Philippine Ambassador to Rome Philippe J. Lhuillier.

The Philippine Embassy in Italy and the Philippine Overseas Labor Offices (POLOs) in Rome and Milan have conducted regularization information campaigns for OFWs that included announcements in radio programs, publications, flyers, and letters distributed to Filipino community groups.

In addition, the embassy's consular section has extended its office hours, remaining open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays, the "usual days-off" of Filipino workers in Italy.

Sto. Tomas said undocumented Filipino workers in Italy are expected to respond more positively to the current Italian regularization program compared to the amnesty offered in previous years.

Figures from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) showed that Italy has remained the top destination of OFWs in the European mainland after it absorbed 12,000 documented OFWs in the first six months of 2002.

Earlier, Ambassador Lhuillier expressed full confidence in Italy's capacity "to humanely treat migrant workers attracted to its economy" as he affirmed that Filipino workers in Rome enjoy "a very good reputation and a high level of respect."

"Perhaps they are the most appreciated among the foreign communities in Italy for being hardworking, trustworthy, reliable and honest," Lhuillier said.

He said, however, that the 130,000 estimate of undocumented Filipino workers in Italy is an inaccurate and unrealistic figure. This figure even exceeded the real number of Filipinos, either documented or undocumented, in the entire Italian peninsula.

He cited official records of the Italian Ministry of Interior that there are 64,215 Filipinos in Italy with legal documents, while those without "proper papers" may total 30,000 to 40,000.

Lhuillier said employers of undocumented workers were given from September 10 to November 10, 2002 within which to apply for their workers' regularization, with reports indicating that this has been extended by 15 days, or up to November 25.

"Under the regularization measure, foreigners working as domestic helpers or caregivers who have been working for at least three months (beginning June 2002) may avail themselves of this opportunity to regularize their stay," Lhuiller said.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are undertaking measures that would prevent the occurrence of attacks by members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (NPA) on police outposts in the country.

In a press briefing after a joint command conference in Malacaņang this afternoon, Interior and Local Government Jose Lina, Jr. said the measures would include closer coordination between the PNP and the AFP and other agencies.

"Measures are now being undertaken to further improve the preparedness of the police station in repelling possible future attacks," Lina said.

Lina, however, begged off from disclosing the specific measures discussed during the command conference, saying this will be counterproductive.

"But I would like to emphasize that the objective of the government is to prevent the occurrence of similar incidence in the future," Lina said.

Lina was referring to the attack on the police station of Lopez, Quezon where the police chief and another policeman were killed and the attack on the municipal hall and police station of Maco, Compostela Valley.

According to Lina, he presented measures during the command conference that would be undertaken by the PNP to protect municipal or police stations all over the country, particularly in those areas considered vulnerable to CPP-NPA attacks.

As secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Lina has direct supervision over the PNP.

Lina also revealed that the DILG has filed robbery-in-band case against the mayor of Maco, Compostela Valley for his alleged involvement in the raid by the NPA of the police station in the town.

The DILG chief also described the recent attacks made by the NPA as "desperate moves" on the part of the CPP-NPA to project that they are still in the fight.

He said that figures earlier released by National Security Adviser Roilo Golez showed that last year and this year, there had been consistent efforts on the part of the government, particularly the AFP, to defeat the CPP-NPA.

Lina also cited the four-pronged holistic approach adopted by the Macapagal-Arroyo administration in fighting the insurgency that includes first, the security component undertaken by the AFP and the PNP, and second, the socio-economic component undertaken by the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan or KALAHI.

Malacaņang today condemned the bomb attack Wednesday outside Camp Enrile, Malagutay, Zamboanga that killed a United States serviceman, a Filipino soldier and a civilian and wounded 23 others.

In a press briefing in Malacanang, National Security Adviser J. Roilo Golez said an investigation is now being undertaken by the police force, assisted on all fronts by civilian authorities led by Zamboanga City Mayor Ma. Clara Lobregat and the Southern Command forces.

Golez noted the treachery adopted by the perpetrators against the US serviceman, who was only here only for civic projects.

"We condemn this senseless act of violence and extend our heartfelt condolences to the family of the US serviceman," Golez said.

Golez noted that it is tragedy to die but it is an even greater misfortune to die in a strange place -- thousands of miles away from home.

"This is indeed very tragic, a very treacherous act on the part of the perpetrator because…you have to remember that this US serviceman is here to conduct activities that are connected with civic work," Golez said.

The National Security Adviser said Philippine authorities immediately informed the US authorities about the bombing.

"Right now, the only thing that we can say is that an investigation is being conducted. The police force, the mayor of Zamboanga and the forces of Southcom are working together in order to find a quick solution to this problem and go after the perpetrator or perpetrators," he said.

Another American soldier wounded in the attack is reportedly in serious but stable condition.

The American soldiers were part of a 260-man Special Operations support team doing humanitarian work after joint anti-terror operations ended in July against the Abu Sayyaf kidnap-for-ransom group, officials said.