SAN JOSE, California – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today said she is here in California for the same reason she was in Mexico for the 10^th Leaders’ Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum – to focus on the economy and security of the Philippines.

In a press conference at the Westin Santa Clara Hotel here, the President said that in this interconnected world, "opening a door in Silicon Valley can open an opportunity for job creation in the Philippines."

"Whether it is the fight against global terrorism or improving education at home, at the end of the day, it is always about the economy and improving the lives of my Philippine citizens," the President said.

The President explained that the APEC meeting in Mexico underscored a significant new trend among nations and leaders – the recognition that global terrorism must be fought hand-in-hand with the fight against poverty.

The President pointed out that the best antidote to terrorism and poverty is political freedom and economic opportunity.

"As the leader of a developing nation, I cannot achieve one without the other, that is why my fight against terrorism on my own soil is accompanied by efforts to bring jobs, education and opportunity to my people at the same time," she said.

The President expressed the belief that the link between terrorism and poverty has finally been accepted by developed nations.

"Increasingly, you see a place at the table for focusing on anti-poverty and economic issues to aid developing nations as a serious component to the fight against terrorism," the President said.

She noted that this was very evident at the recent APEC meeting, the Monterrey Consensus in Mexico last spring, and even through the Doha round of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

"In each instance, developed nations have increasingly come to understand that as we help fight terrorism, they must help us fight the handmaiden of terrorism – which is poverty," the President said.

The President said it was no coincidence that she followed up her APEC meeting with a trade and investment trip to Silicon Valley.

The President said she is meeting Andy Grove of Intel and many other high-tech leaders in an effort to encourage greater investments in the Philippines.

Intel has already invested $1 billion and employs over 6,200 Filipinos.

"This is my idea of a good anti-terrorism plan," the President said.

The President arrived here at the San Jose Mineta International Airport at about 9:40 this morning (California time).

SAN JOSE, California—President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today cited the cooperation of the citizenry in the fight against terrorism and other crimes in the Philippines.

In a press conference here, the President said that in the Philippines, the government has been conducting an information campaign on how the community can help in the fight against terrorism, kidnapping, and other forms of criminality.

"We have to remember that fighting terrorism is not the work only of the military or the police. It is also the work of citizens," the President said.

The President mentioned the taxi driver who drove his vehicle to Camp Crame in Quezon City after he noticed that there was a box left inside the taxi that he suspected of being a bomb.

The police had been getting a lot of inquiries from the ordinary citizens on how to report crimes or detect bombs, the President said.

"We are responding to these inquiries. Alertness of a citizen even in the anti-kidnapping campaign has been a very, very big factor in our anti-crime drive," the President said.

Asked whether the government has established a connection between the al-Q aeda terrorist group and the local terrorists, the President said that it is possible that al-Qaeda is making its way to Southeast Asia.

SAN JOSE, California – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s visit to California, particularly at Silicon Valley, is a logical sequel to her participation in the Asia-Pacific Economic Council (APEC) meeting in Mexico and her desire to generate more jobs for Filipinos back home.

In a radio interview, Press Secretary Ignacio "Toting" Bunye said the President’s visit to the Silicon Valley, particularly in the headquarters of Intel, is an extension of her campaign at Los Cabos for economic security for the Philippines and the people.

"Kasi doon sa APEC ay pinag-usapan ang mga solusyon sa mga problema ng terorismo at lumalabas na ang pinaka-importanteng solusyon dito ay ang paglaban sa poverty o kahirapan at ang sagot ng ating Pangulo sa solusyong iyan ay pagbibigay ng mga trabaho sa pamamagitan ng paghahanap ng mga puhunan na manggagaling sa labas na dadalhin sa ating bansa (At APEC, during the discussions on the problem of global terrorism, the most important solution that surfaced was to fight poverty; and the President’s solution against poverty is job generation through more foreign investments pouring into the country)," Bunye said.

Secretary Bunye said that in the President’s meetings with the Filipino communities in the different parts of California, she never forgets to ask them to help their families in the Philippines, to involve them in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) or businesses or just help them build their own houses worth from P15,000 to, say, P2 million.

He said building houses has a big multiplier effect that could greatly help the Philippine economy.

Bunye also noted that the mayor of Milpitas, Henry Manayan, happens to be of Filipino origin. Mayor Manayan was among those who welcomed the President and gave her the symbolic key to the city.

Bunye added that the President also visited the Intel headquarters in Silicon Valley.

SAN JOSE, California – Press Secretary Ignacio "Toting" Bunye today said the government is confident that measures undertaken by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) against any planned transport strike are enough to cushion its impact on commuters.

Secretary Bunye said President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is well updated on the strike and she is concerned about its impact on the commuters.

He said that we all know that the most affected sector of society during transport strikes is the riding public.

"So, she is appealing na kung puwede ay mapag-usapan ang bagay na ito at huwag humantong dito sa mga makakapinsalang mga strike sa ating mga kababayan (The President is appealing that the matter be discussed and settled so it won’t lead to a strike that would affect the people)," Bunye said.

Malacañang today brushed off reports that the administration is out to conduct a loyalty check not only among military and police officials but also among the allies of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

In an impromptu interview, Presidential Spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao said the term loyalty check is a misnomer. "There is no such thing as loyalty check," he said, adding that it is not the President’s style to undertake such a check.

Tiglao said that all officials of the government are perceived to be supportive of the republic and the administration.

Tiglao also said that the spokesman of the Rebolusyonaryong Alyansang Makabansa (RAM) could have been misquoted in the report that says the group has now joined the so-called People’s Consultative Assembly headed by administration critic Linda Montayre.

"You have to remember that the RAM is also very careful and the official stand of RMA comes from its board. I think you have to get an official statement from the RAM chairman himself," Tiglao said.

The news report about the so-called joining of forces of RAM and PCA was pegged on RAM’s sending a representative to a meeting organized by the PCA at the University of the Philippines.

According to Tiglao, there were conflicting reports about the stand of RAM on the PCA’s call for the ouster of the present government and the formation of an interim administration prior to the establishment of a parliamentary-type of government.

Malacañang today defended the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) in buying the 110-year-old Juan Luna oil painting at an auction in Hong Kong, saying the painting is "part of our national history and culture."

In an interview with Malacañang Press Corps this afternoon, Presidential Spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao said the money used by the GSIS for the purchase of Luna’s oil painting, "Parisian Life," was not "an expenditure but an investment."

Tiglao also said that pieces of history, such as the Juan Luna painting, "are very important to us as a people."

He explained that had the government allowed Luna’s painting to be auctioned to other individuals, it could have "ended up in some billionaire’s private quarter and we cannot retrieve it."

"The price for ‘Parisian Life’ might seem to be big but the point is that it’s really priceless," Tiglao said.

According to Tiglao, Luna’s painting "is not only a work of art by a Filipino master but also an achievement of the Filipino people."

"Now, the GSIS on its own has the option to sell it to a Filipino collector who can assure us that the painting would remain in our country," Tiglao said.

The painting depicts a woman in a café. On one side are Luna, Jose Rizal and Dr. Ariston Bautista in a huddle.

SAN JOSE, California -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo arrived here in northern California on a trade and investment mission designed to boost the combined trade between California and the Philippines that already exceeded $12 billion per year.

The President flew here from a meeting of the leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in Los Cabos, Mexico where she joined other APEC leaders in discussing ways to unite against terrorism and increase economic cooperation.

Speaking at a luncheon and program sponsored by the Commonwealth Club of California, the President said she is in California for the same reason she was in Mexico – to focus on the economy and security of the Philippines.

"In this interconnected world, opening a door in Silicon Valley can open an opportunity for job creation in the Philippines," the President said.

She said her mission is to stimulate trade and investment abroad in order to boost job creation and economic opportunity at home.

"It is no coincidence, therefore, that I am following up my APEC meeting with a business trip to Silicon Valley," the President said.

In her speech, the President said that the APEC nations stand against terrorism and with the United States.

In the case of Iraq and North Korea, the objective is to peacefully disarm the two nations and for them to reform and open up to the world. These two nations, the President said, can do tremendous harm to the region with the weapons and arsenal at their disposal.

SAN JOSE, California – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said she would pursue New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark’s offer of capability-building assistance in support of the United States’ initiative of Securing Trade in the APEC Region (STAR).

In a press briefing at the Westin Sta. Clara here, Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye said the Filipino leader thanked the Prime Minister for the good quality of official development assistance (ODA) extended by New Zealand.

The President said this ODA assistance has seen excellent results in project sites she visited in Negros, Bukidnon, Dumaguete, Baguio, Banawe and other regions of the Philippines.

Bunye also said New Zealand is aggressively promoting the development of geothermal energy in the Philippines.

New Zealand, Bunye further said, has made substantial contributions to Mindanao, particularly through the Southern Philippines Council for Peace and Development (SPCPD).

During their meeting, the President told the New Zealand leader that the Philippines is very grateful for this assistance, noting that the funds have been well utilized.

The Prime Minister of New Zealand was also briefed by the Philippine President about the New People’s Army (NPA) in the country.

The President said her administration has been coping well with the insurgency problem, adding that the group has been listed by the United States among terrorist organizations.

The President said that funding for the NPA, which has been coming from abroad, is fast drying up, which is the reason why they are now resorting to extortion.

The President also said that the on-going training program of the Filipino soldiers with the US troops is needed to develop Filipino capability for anti-terrorism. She said the present campaign of her government is to encourage countryside vigilance against terrorists.

Prime Minister Clark likewise expressed interest in entering into air services agreement with the Philippines.

She noted that the bulk of foreign direct investments appear to be going to China.

This is the reason why it is important to pursue negotiations between ASEAN and China in order to improve investments, President Macapagal-Arroyo said.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has been making the headlines in the cities she has been visiting during her current trip to the United States and Mexico, where she took an active part in the 10^th Leaders’ Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation.

Her pictures have also been splashed on the front and inside pages of papers, particularly in the US.

More significantly, her call for the extension of the coalition against terrorism into a coalition for economic security and the fostering of economic growth and poverty reduction has won the support of the other APEC leaders at Los Cabos.

Her declaration – ‘Security impedes prosperity and, conversely, poverty feeds extremists with recruits. The war against terrorism is going to be long, difficult and borderless" – has been widely quoted in the newspapers all over the world, particularly the Asia and Pacific region whose leaders agreed on the need to crush terrorism and exert stronger efforts at reducing poverty.

Her speech at the "Conversation with Leaders" breakfast session – where she took the stand for the developing world along with two other women leaders, Indonesia’s Megawati and New Zealand’s Prime Minister Helen Clark – was widely applauded. One of the chief executive officers in the audience described her speech as "a homerun," powerful both in content and delivery.

Even United States President George W. Bush showed his appreciation and admiration for the Filipino leader, posing with her for a picture at Los Cabos with his hand on her shoulder.

"He appreciates, admires my courage, my stand, my consistent position in the fight against terrorism," the President later told Manila-based reporters who accompanied her to Mexico. "He thinks it’s a good example for other leaders in the world."

Another picture dispatched by Associated Press and Reuter to different newspapers all over the world showed her with Bush and Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov.

Earlier during her visit to Hawaii, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin welcomed Mrs. Macapagal-Arroyo on October 25 with the bold headline "Mabuhay, Presidente" along with a photograph of her getting a warm welcome from the members of the Filipino community on the islands.

The story read: "The event was supposed to be limited to invited guests, but organizers said that despite security concerns they could not turn people away, and many were able to get close to her."

Inside the same Star-Bulletin issue were photos of the President with Gov. Benjamin Cayetano, who is of Filipino origin, and his wife Vicky; the President planting a narra tree, the national tree of the Philippines, at the Filipino Community Center in Waipahu; and the President greeting senior members of the Filipino community in Hawaii.

There are some 200,000 Filipinos and Filipino-Americans on Hawaii, where many of the first Filipinos who migrated to the US went to work as "sacadas."

In California, where most of the 2-million Filipino-Americans in the US are located, the San Diego Union Tribune ran a story on the President’s visit with the local Filipino community in its Metro section.

"Fresh from meeting with President Bush at a summit of Pacific Rim leaders in Baja California, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo yesterday came to San Diego with the message that the threat of economic recession is the key challenge to the stability of the region," read the lead of the Union Tribune’s story on October 28 headlined "Arroyo addresses local Filipino leaders."