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| 26 OCTOBER 2002 |
| GMA assures signing of absentee voting bill within 24 hours after passage by Congress |
LOS ANGELES, California—President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today assured Filipino-Americans in the United States that she will sign into law the absentee voting bill "within 24 hours" after its final passage by both houses of Congress. In her speech before a large gathering of members of the Filipino community at the Westin Hotel here, the President said that for the first time after so many attempts by so many administrations, the House of Representatives and the Senate had passed the absentee voting bill on third and final reading. But the President said there are some conflicting provisions in the versions of the House and the Senate. "Let us pray that the House and the Senate can iron out their conflicting provisions, because as soon as they do so, I will sign that bill into law within 24 hours," the President said to the applause of the audience. The absentee voting bill would allow Filipinos who are already living abroad or those working overseas to exercise their right of suffrage. The President recalled that even when she was still a senator, she already filed an overseas voting bill but like many other similar bills filed before and after her Senate term, her bill did not even go beyond the committee level. That is why when she became president early last year, she certified as urgent the passage of the absentee voting bill and the dual citizenship bill, the President said. The Senate has also passed on third and final reading the dual citizenship bill, the President said. The President said that her two-hour visit to this city is supposed to be a mere "technical stopover" on her way to Mexico but she insisted on addressing the Filipino community in Los Angeles, the largest Filipino community in the United States. After the brief stopover, the President and her official delegation, flew to Los Cabos, Mexico to attend the 10th Leaders’ Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). |
| GMA says her persistence and advocacy for Filipino war veterans now paying off |
LOS ANGELES, California—President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today said that her persistence and advocacy on behalf of the Filipino World War II veterans are now paying off. In her address before a large gathering of Filipino-Americans at the Westin Hotel here, the President said since last year, she had been working for the passage by the US Congress of a bill that would give additional benefits to Filipino veterans. The President made a two-hour technical stopover here on her way to attend the 10th Leaders’ Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in Los Cabos, Mexico. She said that during her official visit to Washington, D.C. last year, she took this matter up with US President George W. Bush "strongly and emphatically." President Bush promised that a review of the services and benefits for Filipino veterans would be undertaken and the review is now yielding results, the President said. According to the President, an appropriations bill that would expand benefit eligibility for health care compensation and burial benefits for Filipino World War II veterans to the tune of $65 million has already been passed by the US House of Representatives. She then asked the Filipino community to pray that the bill would pass the US Senate. The President also informed her audience that the Bush administration is giving assistance to Filipino World War II veterans who are in the Philippines in the amount of half a million US dollars a year. "Again for the first time after so many attempts by so many administrations, the first half a million dollars will be handed over to the Philippine government this month of October," the President said. |
| GMA elated that some Fil-Ams eager to join gov't loan program for small business ventures |
LOS ANGELES, California—President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today said she was elated to hear that some members of the Filipino community here are interested in participating in the "one town, one product, one million peso loan" program that her administration is implementing in the Philippines. In her speech before a large gathering of Filipino-Americans at the Westin Hotel here, the President said that she was informed about the desire of Filipinos here to take part in the loan program by Consul General to Los Angeles Marcelino Paynor. The President told her audience that the program is aimed at pump priming the economy by strengthening the small and medium enterprises (SMEs), especially those in the countryside. She said that even as her administration is resolved to fight terrorism, she is also focused on her work program for the next six months to rev up the economy that would be anchored on a strong domestic market. The President also cited the measures undertaken by her administration in ridding the government of grafters and wrongdoers. "Let me assure you that I’m working diligently to ensure that the Filipino people are getting the professional and clean government you deserve, for you are still part of the Filipino people even if you are here in America," the President said. She said that the new e-procurement program adopted in the purchase of supplies and equipment is saving billions of pesos and minimizing anomalies in government. The Presidential Anti-Graft Commission is also investigating a number of government officials, including directors of state-owned corporations, some of them have been asked to go on leave pending the results of their investigations. She assured her audience that her government would pursue without letup the fight against graft and corruption in public offices. |
| GMA off to Los Cabos for APEC summit |
LOS ANGELES, California—President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo left today for Los Cabos, Mexico after a two-hour stopover here where she addressed a large gathering of Filipino-Americans at the Westin Hotel. In an interview with Manila newsmen, Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye, who is a member of the presidential party, said that in Los Cabos the President is scheduled to meet with some of the world leaders attending the 10th Leaders’ Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). Bunye said that the President has a scheduled one-on-one with US President George W. Bush. However, Bunye said, it is unlikely that the scheduled meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin would push through since the Russian leader has announced that he would not attend the APEC summit because of the hostage crisis in Moscow. Before she left Manila, the President said she would like to discuss with Putin the possibility of importing crude oil from Russia if an energy problem would arise in the event of a new Gulf war. Earlier in Honolulu, where the President made an overnight stopover, she said that she would meet with Bush in Los Cabos to take up not only security matters but also development initiatives that would "strike at the very roots of poverty" in places in the Philippines that are breeding areas for terrorism. "Let me say that a very important part of my talks with President Bush would be security cooperation in addition to economic cooperation," the President said. The 10th APEC leaders’ meeting, being hosted by Mexico, would be held from October 26-27. Aside from the President, the heads of state of 20 other member economies of the Pacific Rim would be attending the meeting. A joint statement issued by the 14th APEC Ministerial Meeting, that preceded the summit, cited global terrorism as a threat to the economic stability of the APEC member economies. "Terrorism, in all its forms, is a threat to economic stability in APEC, as well as a threat to regional peace and security, and a direct challenge to APEC’s vision of free, open and prosperous economies," the statement said. The statement said that the recent attack in Bali, Indonesia "is a tragic reminder of the importance of maintaining a united, committed and sustained effort to ensure that terrorism does not prevent APEC from achieving its goals." The statement said that APEC member economies have already made substantial progress in implementing earlier commitments to suppress the financing of terrorism, enhance air and maritime security, strengthen energy security and enhance security-related cooper4ation on customs and border security. |
| GMA arrives in Los Cabos, Mexico for the two-day APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting |
LOS CABOS, Mexico (via PLDT)-- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo arrived here at about 10:40 p.m. (Mexico time) after a two-hour stopover in Los Angeles, California where she met with a large number of Filipino-Americans. The President and her party, which included First Gentleman Atty. Jose Miguel Arroyo, were met at the Los Cabos International Airport by Philippine Ambassador to Mexico Justo Orros. Also on hand to welcome the President were Mexican Ambassador Gonzalo Aguirre, head of protocol and liaison with APEC economies, and officials from the APEC organizing committee. After a simple arrival ceremony at the airport, the President and her official party, which included Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye, Presidential Management Staff Chief Silvestre Afable, Jr. and Ambassador Marciano Paynor, motored to the Esperanza Hotel here where they are billeted. The President is here for the two-day 10th Economic Leaders’ Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). Tomorrow, the President will start the day with a speech at the plenary breakfast, dubbed "A Conversation with Leaders," organized by APEC business leaders. The breakfast forum will be held at the Salon Cabo Real Hotel here. The free wheeling discussion after the speech of President Macapagal-Arroyo will focus on such issues as security and the war on terrorism, poverty and globalization, the future of energy management, and the outlook for exchange rates and financial markets. She will also meet with the US-ASEAN Business Council. After a bilateral meeting with Australian Prime Minister John Howard, the President will have lunch with officials of the US Chamber of Commerce. Earlier In an interview with Manila newsmen from Los Angeles, California, Bunye said that the President is scheduled to meet with some of the world leaders attending the APEC summit. Bunye said that the President has a scheduled one-on-one with US President George W. Bush. During her stopover in Honolulu, the President said that she would meet with Bush here to take up not only security matters but also development initiatives that would "strike at the very roots of poverty" in places in the Philippines that are breeding grounds for terrorism. "Let me say that a very important part of my talks with President Bush would be security cooperation in addition to economic cooperation," the President said. A joint statement issued by the 14th APEC Ministerial Meeting, that preceded the summit, cited global terrorism as a threat to the economic stability of the APEC member economies. "Terrorism, in all its forms, is a threat to economic stability in APEC, as well as a threat to regional peace and security, and a direct challenge to APEC’s vision of free, open and prosperous economies," the statement said. The statement said that the recent attack in Bali, Indonesia "is a tragic reminder of the importance of maintaining a united, committed and sustained effort to ensure that terrorism does not prevent APEC from achieving its goals." The statement said that APEC member economies have already made substantial progress in implementing earlier commitments to suppress the financing of terrorism, enhance air and maritime security, energy security and security-related cooperation on customs and border security. |
