President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has implored the Lord Almighty to grant the Filipino people more faith in God and determination to move on.

On the occasion of the 24^th anniversary of the Jesus Is Lord Fellowship held Sunday night at the Quirino Grandstand, the President also prayed for more strength so that the nation could face the many challenges that confront it.

The President, who was tasked to lead the prayer capping to the anniversary program, also asked for God’s protection so that the Philippines can defend itself from the evils of the land.

"I lift up to you the Jesus Is Lord Church on the occasion of its 24^th founding anniversary. Oh Lord, bless and prosper this mighty body of Christ. Lord, I pray, as the leader of this nation, grant us an increase in faith and determination to move on. Strengthen us, O Lord, to face the many challenges that confront the nation. With the power of the Holy Spirit, lead us, dear Lord, to victory in the war against the evils of the land. All these, I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen," the President prayed.

Religious broadcaster Dr. Pat Robertson, who was the guest speaker of the celebration, led a pray-over for the President.

With hands reached out to the President along with JIL founder Bro. Eddie Villanueva, Mrs. Dede Robertson and First Gentleman Atty. Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo, Robertson called on God to give the President a special blessing of the Holy Spirit.

Robertson asked God to give the President unusual wisdom and discernment. "Surround her with wise advisers that she might administer justice to your people," he said.

Robertson also prayed for unity of the Filipino nation. "Unite the hearts of the Filipino people…that she might be a tower of strength and the mother of this nation," he added.

Aside from the President, key leaders of government and business were also present during the occasion.

Robertson is the founder and chairman of The Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) Inc., and founder of International Family Entertainment Inc., Regent University, Operation Blessing International Relief and Development Corporation, American Center for Law and Justice, The Flying Hospital, Inc. and several other organizations and broadcast entities.

Founded in 1960, CBN was the first Christian television network established in the United States.

Today, CBN is one of the world's largest television ministries. It produces programs seen in 180 nations and heard in 71 languages including Russian, Arabic, Spanish, French and Chinese.

Memorandum Order No. 77, which confers to mayors of the National Capital Region operational supervision and control of the Philippine National Police (PNP) units within their respective jurisdictions, is based on existing laws, Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said today.

Bunye, in his regular press briefing, said the law in this case are the Local Government Code of 1991 and the Interior and Local Government Act of 1990, as amended by the PNP Reform and Reorganization Act of 1998.

"As far as we know, the M.O. 77 is based on the provisions of the Local Government Code and the PNP Reform and Reorganization Act,’ Bunye said.

"If it pursuant to these two existing laws, we don’t see any reason why it should contravene the basic law," Bunye said.

Bunye noted that MO 77 was a result of the clamor of the Metro Manila mayors to have more control of the police in their area so that they would be more effective in fighting crime.

He said the Metro Manila mayors conveyed this desire during the joint Regional Development Council-Regional Peace and Order Council (RDC-RPOC) meeting held last July at the Manila Hotel.

The MO, which was signed by the President last October 1, directed the Napolcom to empower the mayors of the cities and municipalities of the NCR "to effectively carry out their responsibility of maintaining peace and order in their respective territorial jurisdictions."

This directive is based on Section 14 of Republic Act No. 6975, also known as the Interior and Local Government Act of l990, that gives the NAPOLCOM administrative control and operational supervision over the PNP.

The MO is issued in pursuance to Section 16 of the Local Government Code of 1991, also known as Republic Act No. 7160, as amended, that provides that local government units shall ensure and support the maintenance of peace and order within their respective territorial jurisdictions.

In issuing the MO, the President said that the National Capital Region (NCR), which is composed of 13 cities and four municipalities and home to some 10 million people, "is uniquely situated in terms of law enforcement."

"There is a need to institute mechanisms which will ensure and support the performance by the mayors of the cities and municipalities in the NCR of their functions relative to the maintenance of peace and order and to the exercise of operational supervision and control over the units of the PNP within their respective territorial jurisdictions," the President said.

The NCR or Metro Manila is made up of the cities of Manila, Quezon, Pasay, Pasig, Makati, Caloocan, Malabon, Mandaluyong, Marikina, Valenzuela, Las Pinas, Muntinlupa, and Paranaque, and the municipalities of San Juan, Navotas, Pateros and Taguig.

The MO said that pursuant to RA No. 6975, as amended, the mayors of the NCR shall choose the chiefs of police, station commanders or district directors, respectively from the lists of qualified and eligible officers recommended by the district director of the NCR Police Office (NCRPO) director, preferably from the same city or municipality.

"The mayors may recommend to the district director or the NCRPO director, respectively, an eligible, who may be included in the list of eligibles," the MO said.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has signed Executive Order No. 130, establishing in all barangays nationwide the Gabay sa Mamamayan Aksyon Centers to serve as the institutional link between the government and the people.

The centers would ensure the adequacy and accessibility of quality information about national government programs and services to the residents of the community.

Under the EO, the Aksyon Centers shall be an integral part of the Information and Reading Center, a basic unit that a barangay is expected to set up.

The Aksyon Centers would be headed by the Punong Barangays, who may appoint as Information Action Officers, the other members of the Sangguniang Barangay, Barangay Treasurer, Barangay Secretary, chairman of the Sangguniang Kabataan, members of the Lupong Tagapamayapa and representatives of the Parents-Teachers Association, Association of Senior Citizens, people’s organizations, non-government organizations and other community-based civic groups.

The EO also enjoins the city and municipal government to provide administrative, technical and financial assistance to the Aksyon Centers.

The national government, on the other hand, would provide the Aksyon Centers technical assistance through the conduct of training, ensure the supply of agency brochures and other reference materials responsive to the information needs of community residents.

The national government should also promote the Aksyon Centers as convergence mechanism for government services at the barangay level.

Parents-Teachers Associations, Associations of Senior Citizens, people’s organizations, non-government organizations and other community-based civic groups, which are committed to the spirit of volunteerism, are also encouraged to provide technical assistance to the Aksyon Centers.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today thanked and commended the Chinese Filipino Business Club (CFBC) and the Chinese-Filipino youth for their generosity and civic consciousness in donating two truckloads of relief goods to alleviate the plight of thousands of Filipino returnees from Sabah.

"Gusto kong magpasalamat sa mga kabataang Tsinoy community dahil sa napakagandang pagtutulong ninyo sa ating mga kapatid na bumalik mula sa Sabah (I wish to thank the youth from the Chinese-Filipino community for the help you are extending to the returnees from Sabah)," the President said in accepting the donation.

The President said the donation from the Chinese-Filipino community is truly a big contribution to the government’s program to help returning Filipinos from Sabah.

"Kapag iniisip natin mga non-government organizations, mga civil society, iniisip natin iyong nagpapatalsik ng pamahalaan na masama. Pero hindi lamang iyon ang trabaho ng civil society. Ang mas trabaho ng civil society… ay matulungan ang mga kapus-palad ng ating bansa (When we think of non-government organizations, of civil society, what comes to mind is the ouster of corrupt governments. The greater task of civil society, however, is to help the needy and underprivileged) ," the President said.

The handover of the donation was held at Malacaņang’s Ceremonial Hall after the President had a luncheon meeting with senior citizens at the Heroes Hall in celebration of the Month of the Elderly.

CFBC president Aw Peng Lam, along with the teachers and student representatives from 22 Chinese schools, turned over the relief goods.

The donation from CFBC is part of the socio-civic organization’s initiative to support the civic projects of the President.

According to lawyer Daniel Y. Loagan, executive vice president of CFBC, the donation is part of "Operation Brotherhood," a civic project through which the club has sponsored free cataract operations for underprivileged patients, given financial assistance to wounded men in uniform, and distributed relief goods and housing units to fire victims in Albay and Baseco in Manila.

Loagan said Operation Brotherhood "has always been at the forefront when there is a calamity," and has also donated school buildings, computers and books to public schools under the Paaralang Pambarangay program.

During the ceremony, Aleli Jillian Sia, a student of the Chang Kai Shek College, expressed the youth’s concern for the welfare of Filipinos who have suffered since being cast out of Malaysia.

Sia also personally conveyed to the President her happiness at being of service to her marginalized brethren.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said the pledge of more financial assistance by the Japanese government would speed up infrastructure development in Mindanao, including those in the former conflict-affected areas.

In a report, DPWH Secretary Simeon Datumanong said that in his recent meeting with Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Kojiro Takano, the Japanese government expressed its interest in providing loan assistance for infrastructure projects in Level 3 areas in Mindanao.

Level 3 areas are areas in Mindanao with unstable peace and order situation.

Datumanong said the Japanese government had already sent a study mission for a proposed road project in Cotabato.

He said the Japanese loan assistance and other investments for infrastructure projects in Mindanao would spur the development of the resource-rich island and would benefit its residents.

Roads and bridges and other support infrastructure contribute to the success of the Philippines’ long-term national strategy to sustain and promote economic growth, maintain peace and order and contribute to the overall welfare of its people, Datumanong said.

"We cannot win the fight against insurgency that has compounded poverty in Mindanao unless we develop the area," Datumanong said.

Among the Philippines’ foreign partners, the Government of Japan has remained as the largest source of official development assistance (ODA), provided through the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), Datumanong said.

The Philippine government and the World Bank signed today a loan agreement for the US$100 million loan for the KALAHI Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) Project.

The project, approved last month by the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors, was signed by Finance Secretary Jose Isidro Camacho and the World Bank’s Country Director, Robert Vance Pulley.

The project will strengthen local communities’ capacity to design, implement, and manage development activities. Such activities may include basic infrastructure like new or rehabilitated roads and bridges, barangay (village) schools and clinics, and water supply and sanitation facilities.

Communities will prioritize their development needs, design activities, seek technical expertise and make informed choices on how resources are used for sustainable poverty reduction.

More than 5,300 poor barangays in 193 municipalities in 40 of the poorest provinces nationwide are expected to benefit from this project. These will be mostly in rural areas, where most poor Filipinos live.

In addition to the immediate benefits to the communities, the investments are also expected to have a longer term impact as the local communities are given the opportunities to participate in the development process.

Specifically, the project will:

• Empower communities to access better services from local governments.

• Improve local governance by strengthening formal and informal institutions to become more inclusive accountable, and effective.

• Provide resources for community investment programs, which will be designed, implemented and managed by local communities.