President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today commended the Philippine National Police (PNP) under the leadership of Director General Hermogenes Ebdane for its recent successes in the fight against kidnap-for-ransom gangs and other criminal elements in the country.

In her weekly radio program aired nationwide, the President said that the PNP has already neutralized five of the identified 21 kidnap-for-ransom groups operating mostly in Metro Manila.

The President cited the recent successful operation by the PNP in Cavite that resulted in the death of some members of the Radam and Patino gang and the recovery of ransom money.

"Ito rin ay nagsisilbing babala sa mga natitira pang grupo ng mga kidnaper—bilang na ang inyong araw (This will also serve as a reminder to the remaining groups of kidnappers—your days are numbered)," the President said.

The President said her administration is determined to wipe out all forms of criminality as she has pledged in her second State of the Nation Address (SONA) delivered in July this year.

"Makakaasa kayo sa patuloy na determinasyon ng inyong pamahalaan na linisin ang ating lipunan laban sa lahat ng uri ng krimen (Rest assured that this government is determined to cleanse our society of all forms of criminality)," the President said.

In her SONA, the President vowed to win "decisive victories" in the war against terrorists, kidnappers and drug lords.

The government, the President said, will also continue to go after public officials who have committed crimes or graft and corruption, including those in the military and the police, who she described as "rascals in uniforms."

According to the President, the administration has already filed several cases against government officials involved in tax frauds and money laundering.

The President said that peace and order and an honest bureaucracy are needed to speed up the country’s economic growth.

"Ang paglutas ng ating peace and order problems at sa problema ng katiwalian ay kasing-halaga ng pagbuti ng ating ekonomiya (Solving our peace and order problems as well as our problems in graft and corruption is as important as improving the economy)," the President said.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today said that the Philippines will support any action to be taken by the United Nations in order to resolve the situation in Iraq.

In her weekly radio program aired nationwide, the President also stressed that the Philippines is determined to honor its earlier commitment to support the campaign against global terrorism.

"At kaisa tayo ng United Nations para sa paglutas ng problema ng Iraq (And we are one with the United Nations in its search for solution to the problem of Iraq)," the President said.

The President recalled that some two weeks ago, she ordered the evacuation of all Filipinos in Iraq because of the threat of war in the area.

But since the threat of war has diminished because of the decision of Iraq to allow the reentry of UN arms inspectors to the country, she has suspended the evacuation at the moment, the President said.

Despite this new development, however, the President said she had instructed former AFP Chief of Staff, Gen. Roy Cimatu, her special envoy to the Middle East, to proceed to Iraq and find out the situation of the Filipino workers there and in the neighboring countries.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today stressed her commitment to good governance, saying that without good governance, the war against poverty cannot be won within the decade.

In her weekly radio program aired nationwide, the President also said that good governance is a prerequisite for the building of a strong Republic that she had espoused during her second State of the Nation Address (SONA) delivered in July this year.

The President said this is the reason why she has ordered the arrest of influence peddlers who have been using their alleged connections to the First Family in their illegal activities.

She also said that she has ordered the Public Estates Authority (PEA) and the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) to look into the charges that there was an overpricing in the construction of the Diosdado Macapagal Avenue at the Manila Bay reclamation area.

"Inatasan ko ang PEA at ang GSIS na magpaliwanag hinggil dito (I have ordered the PEA and the GSIS to explain their side on this)," the President said.

Earlier, Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye bewailed the penchant of some groups to immediately link First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo to the alleged overpricing in the road-building project.

"Some people made it a habit to implicate the First Gentleman in every anomaly (in order) to have an impact on the President," Bunye said.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo made a strong pitch Friday night before the delegates of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) for the country’s celebration of "Visit the Philippines Year" in 2003.

"The Filipino people are the best reason for visiting the Philippines," the President said in her speech during the dinner reception in honor of the PATA delegates at the Ceremonial Hall in Malacañang.

The President informed the delegates that the celebration, which will run for the whole year, will feature colorful events such as cultural fairs, food festivals, and exhibits of locally-made handicrafts and other products.

"You can always tell your clients that there are at least 7,000 reasons for them to visit the Philippines," the President told the more than 100 PATA delegates who are currently on a three-day meet in Manila.

Founded in Hawaii in 1951, PATA is the leader of and an authority on travel and tourism in Asia and the Pacific. It combines a traditional role of product development and marketing support for destinations, with strategic initiatives for the long-term vitality of the industry.

PATA’s mission is to enhance the growth, value and quality of Pacific Asia travel and tourism for the benefit of its members.

President Macapagal-Arroyo pointed out that in visiting the Philippines, there will always be something that the country can offer even to the most discriminating visitor.

Most importantly, she said, the Philippines is "home to the world’s most hospitable, cheerful and charming English-speaking people."

Also in her speech, the President explained that the country’s tourism vision by year 2010 is more than the usual sun and beaches, nature, fun, service, and tourist mindset.

She said the government would like international arrivals to grow from two million in the year 2000 to five million in the year 2010.

In terms of jobs being generated from that sector, the President added that she would like jobs to grow from three million in the year 2000 to double in the year 2010.

"We would like the contribution of tourism to grow from US$7 billion in the year 2000 to US$17 billion in the year 2010," she said.

On domestic tourism, the President said she would like it to grow from US$800 million in the year 2000 to US$2.5 billion in 2010.

The Chief Executive said it is for this reason that she has appointed Richard Gordon as secretary of tourism and converted the department into a "super Cabinet" with policy ascendance over other departments.

"Because we need these other departments to serve our national strategy for tourism," she said.

Under the tourism strategy, the President said the government has identified specific tourist segment priorities that include beach tourism, domestic tourism, short-course sightseeing, and shopping tourism.

The approach to these segments, she added, is to promote the relevant destinations through multi-channel marketing, spending 50 to 70 percent of the department’s promotion budget.

The President said this budget will be geared specifically for the Japanese, Korean and Chinese market.

Next to the three-segment priorities are recreation tourism, eco- tourism, "Balikbayan" tourism, or the visits from overseas Filipinos, and the so-called back-packers.

These, she said, are niche segments which call for a tailored marketing approach. The government, she said, will be spending 20-30 percent of the DOT’s promotion budget on "drive for shots" promotions tailored to specific groups, such as Japanese golfers.

According to the President, Japan has been traditionally the country’s largest market for tourism and yet it is still highly under-penetrated.

She said Korea is a rapidly growing market while China’s proximity to the Philippines provides an opportunity for the country to be a frontrunner in a "strategic emerging market" with a huge potential.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today called on provincial officials of Region 8 to step up their efforts in bringing more development to the region.

In a working luncheon with Region 8 officials, the President also discussed ways and means on how to further improve trade within the region.

Noting that the region has outranked Bicol as the largest producer of abaca, the President told the officials to seek new approaches that would further strengthen the region’s stronghold in the abaca market.

The President also inquired on the various ongoing infrastructure projects in the region such as farm-to-market roads, schools, seaports, airports and hospitals.

She also discussed with the officials ways on how to improve the region’s tourism prospects.

The President noted that Region 8 has many scenic spots that could be developed as tourism destinations. The President said one of her most favorite scenic spots in the area is Maqueda Bay.

"I stopped and look at the bay whenever I passed by the area," the President said.

The President instructed Presidential Adviser on Special Concerns Norberto Gonzales, who was also present in the meeting, to follow up on her guidance.

We must not let terrorism defeat tourism.

This was the clear message imparted by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to the delegates of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) during a dinner Friday night at the Ceremonial Hall in Malacañang.

In her remarks, the President said her administration is determined to make the Philippines a pleasant and safe destination for tourists, adding that efforts are now underway to soon put an end the local terrorism, particularly the Abu Sayyaf bandits.

"Even as we speak, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are relentlessly pursuing the Abu Sayyaf who are now gathered in their main lair in one island, for their last but hopeless stand," the President said.

As for foreign terrorists who will attempt to venture into the country, the President assured the PATA delegates that the government is keeping a close watch on the country’s key entry points.

"They won’t get far because with our trilateral agreement with Indonesia and Malaysia, soon to be quadrilateral with Thailand, we can check terrorist incursions in our common seas and common borders," the President said.

According to the President, terrorism should not be allowed to defeat tourism, which is a proven growth engine even in countries that have security problems.

She cited the two separate incidents in Egypt in the year 1996 and 1997 where gunmen opened fire and killed scores of tourists.

Despite the said incidents, Egypt posted four million tourist arrivals in each of those two years.

In Spain, where the ETA or Euskadi ta Askatasuna (Basque Fatherland and Liberty), a leftist group and one of Europe’s feared separatist groups, is sowing terror, the year 2000 still saw 15 million tourist arrivals in that country.

On the other hand, five million tourists still visited Indonesia at the height of the civil unrest and anti-Chinese riots in that country in 1998.

The President stressed that tourism is a powerful growth engine in any country and deserves to be a top national priority in the Philippines.

Citing figures, the President said tourism is a giant global industry wherein 700 million international tourists spent US$475 billion in 2000.

To include domestic tourism, she said, the total expenditure worldwide will amount to US$3.3 trillion.

"It has huge additional potential for growth. Only 3.5 percent of the world population has traveled international," the President said.

Moreover, the President noted that in Asia Pacific, which is the area of operation of PATA, the tourism market is projected to grow from 16 percent to 25 percent by the year 2020.

In the Philippines, she said the average international tourist spends over a thousand dollars per visit to the Philippines.

"It can have a rapid impact. Thailand, which is number one in tourism in Asia, increased their arrival by 25 percent in the first year of Visit Thailand in 1987," the President noted.

The President said that over and above economic reasons, tourism deserves to be a national priority because of its impact on social development.

Being a labor-intensive sector, the President said one international arrival creates one job.

"It promotes job security because it is personal service related. We cannot automate and replace the people who serve the tourists," she said.

On top of job generation, Mrs. Arroyo said tourism also provides excellent training for skills and good personnel development opportunities.

The President also sought the opportunity to call on the officers and members of the PATA to help promote the Philippines as one of the major tourist destinations in the region.