President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has cited the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) for its "culture of excellence" as she challenged this year’s graduates of the university to continue to be among the topnotchers in the licensure examinations in their preferred courses.

In her speech at the PLM’s commencement exercises held Friday at the plenary hall of the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), the President said that because of its "culture of excellence," it is not easy for a student to go through college at the PLM.

"Hindi madaling makaraos sa kultura ng kagalingan kagaya ng kultura ng Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (It is not easy to hurdle the culture of excellence that is the culture of the PLM)," the President said.

The President said that only those who have excelled in high school are accepted at the Pamantasan, a university funded by the Manila city government.

She said that the PLM is a university for poor but bright students.

The President described as "impressive" the accomplishments of the PLM in licensure examinations for accountancy, engineering, medicine, nursing, physical therapy, law, social work and education.

She mentioned Police Chief Superintendent Pedro Bulaong, chief of the Western Police District, and a PLM graduate, as an example of a "worthy product" of PLM.

Quoting Manila Mayor Lito Atienza, the President said the PLM is among the "top five universities" in the Philippines.

Ang mga nagdaang ilang buwan ay lubhang naging masalimuot para sa ating lahat. Bago nagkagiyera sa Iraq, tumaas ang presyo ng langis. Bumagsak ang piso. Nabahala at nangamba ang ating mga kababayan sa Kuwait at sa Gitnang Silangan, gayundin ang kani-kanilang pamilya dito sa Pilipinas.

Nadagdagan pa ang mga pangambang ito nang magsimulang kumalat ang SARS sa Asya. May mga nagaganap na anti-war demonstrations halos araw-araw. At sa Mindanao ay nagkaroon ng mga pagbobomba na ikinasawi at ikinasugat ng marami nating mga kababayan.

Noong mga panahong iyon, ang mga surveys ay hindi pabor sa Panguluhan. Yaon ang mga sandali na minabuti kong manalangin tuwina sa Diyos na pawiin na ang ating mga takot at pahirap, habang ginagawa ko ang lahat sa abot ng aking makakaya upang maibsan ang bawat nangyayaring kagipitan.

Hindi naman Niya binigo ang ating mga panalangin. Ang digmaan sa Iraq ay humantong na sa pagsasa-ayos at pagtatayong-muli ng mga napinsala. Nakahanda na rin tayong magpadala ng peacekeeping forces at humanitarian workers para tulungan ang mga Iraqi na makabangon at pagyamanin ang kanilang bagong kamit na demokrasya.

Ang kasiyahan ng mga Iraqi sa natamo nilang kalayaan ay nagpagunita sa ating sariling kagalakan noong EDSA One at EDSA Two. Ang paglaya, saanmang mangyari sa mundo, ay walang kasing-tamis, kaya naman ipina-aabot natin sa mga Iraqi ang ating pagbati sa kanilang tagumpay at hinahangad nating maging maaliwalas ang kanilang bukas. Tutulungan natin silang panatilihin ang kapayapaan at umangat sa dinaranas nilang paghihirap.

Dito naman sa atin, malaki na ang ibinaba ng presyo ng langis dahil ang merkado ay nagsimula nang maging matatag. Nagbalik na ang halaga ng piso katulad noong bago sumiklab ang giyera sa Iraq. Nananatiling ligtas ang ating mga kababayan na nasa Gitnang Silangan na labis na ikinatutuwa ng kanilang mga mahal sa buhay. Nahuli na rin ang mga nagbomba sa labas ng Davao Airport at Sasa Wharf.

Ang mga pangamba ng ating mga kababayan ay lubhang naibsan na. Kung hindi lamang sa SARS na may isang nakapasok sa bansa na pawang may SARS ngunit pati siya ay gumaling na, masasabi nating normal na ang takbo ng ating pamumuhay. Tahimik na rin ang ating mga kalsada dahil ang mga kilos-protesta ay tumigil na.

Ang mga pangyayaring ito ay panibago na namang mga patunay kung gaano tayo katibay at katatag sa pagharap sa mga hamong dumarating sa ating buhay. Madali tayong mag-alala, pero nakakabangon naman tayo kaagad. Tulad ng maraming krisis na ating pinagdaanan, muli tayong nagtagumpay, muli tayong namayani!

Ang lahat ng ito ay nagbuhat sa ating di-basta sumusukong kalooban at matinding pananalig sa ating Poong Maykapal na hindi Niya tayo pababayaan. Once again, events have shown that all things work for the good of those who have a covenant with the Lord.

Kaya naman, sa darating na Semana Santa, muli nating gunitain ang mga kabutihang ipinagkaloob at patuloy na ipinagkakaloob ng Mahal na Panginoon sa atin at sa ating bayan, at lubos Siyang pasalamatan sa mga biyayang ito.

Ipanalangin din natin na sana ang ating mga kapatid na naliligaw ng landas at gumagawa ng karahasan dahil nabubulagan ng maling ideolohiya ay maliwanagan na para sa katiwasayan ng buong sambayanan.

Ipagdasal din natin na sana ay makamit na ng ating mga kapatid na Iraqi ang lubos na kapayapaan at kaginhawaan at tuluyan na nilang malasap ang tunay na diwa ng demokrasya na nararapat sa kanila.

The Senate Electoral Tribunal last night awarded a plaque of recognition to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for her most outstanding achievement as the first woman member of the Tribunal to assume the highest office of the land.

The plaque of appreciation was presented to the President at the Committee Rooms of the Senate of the Philippines on the occasion of the Senate Electoral Tribunal’s 48^th anniversary celebration.

According to Senior Associate Justice and Chairman of the Tribunal Josue Bellosillo, President Macapagal-Arroyo’s membership in the Tribunal from August 3, 1995 to June 30, 1998 was characterized by utmost devotion to public service.

"This strengthened the people’s faith in the capacity of the Tribunal to preserve democracy through the integrity of the electoral process, to observe unwavering fealty to the republican system of government, and to uphold the true will of the people expressed through the electorate," the citation in the Plaque of Recognition said.

During the program, the President, assisted by Supreme Court Justices Bellosillo, Jose Vitug and Artemio Panganiban, awarded a Plaque of Loyalty to Senator Juan Flavier, for being the longest serving member of the Tribunal.

The President also led in the awarding of Plaque of Appreciation to the following former Tribunal Chairmen: Chief Justice Pedro Yap, Chief Justice Andres Naravasa, Justices Hugo Gutierrez, Jr., Isagani Cruz, Teodoro Padilla (Posthumous), Florentino Feliciano, Florenz Regalado, and Flerida Ruth P. Romero.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today lauded the Filipinos’ strong resolve and faith in the Almighty in overcoming the tremendous odds that the country has gone through in the past several months.

Saying the tension brought about by the war in Iraq and the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Disease) scare brought out the best in the Filipino, the President asked the people to take time out this Holy Week to go and thank the Lord.

"Once again, events have shown that all things work for the good of those who have a covenant with the Lord," she said.

In a radio message early this morning, the President said slowly but surely, everything is going back to normal with the Iraq war all but over and SARS still hardly a factor here because of "our continued vigilance."

"Ang mga pangyayaring ito ay panibago na naming patunay kung gaano tayo katibay at katatag sa pagharap sa mga hamong dumarating sa ating buhay (These events are proof anew of how resilient and strong Filipinos are in facing challenges that come their way)," the President said.

"Madali tayong mag-alala, pero nakakabangon naman tayo kaagad. Tulad ng maraming krisis na ating pinagdaanan, muli tayong nagtagumpay, muli tayong namayani (We easily become apprehensive but we can always recover at once. Like the many crises that we have encountered, again we emerged victorious, we emerged triumphant)."

She urged the people to thank the Lord this Holy Week for the many blessings that He showered the Filipinos.

She also called for prayers for those who have chosen to take the path of terrorism.

"Ipanalangin din natin na sana ang ating mga kapatid na naliligaw ng landas at gumagawa ng karahasan dahil sa nabubulagan ng maling idelohiya ay maliwanagan na para sa katiwasayan ng buong sambayanan (Let us pray that the eyes of those who have gone astray and resort to terrorism because of their blind faith will be opened so that there will be peace in the land)," the President said.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today reiterated a special appeal "for your forbearance" to Filipinos intending to come home during the Holy Week, particularly those coming from places with cases of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

"I will never, never prevent a Filipino from coming home. But please be guided by a genuine concern for others, especially your own loved ones," the President said during her regular daily teleconference.

"If you feel you might be sick or a carrier of SARS, please stay where you are and wait out the course of recovery," she said.

"This is one sacrifice I am asking for the sake of our country, and I shall be very grateful for your forbearance," she added.

The President stressed that the Philippines is still officially SARS free.

Reporting to the President on the telephone, Health Secretary Manuel Dayrit said nobody has yet caught the disease from the Philippines.

"Wala pang nagkaroon ng SARS (We have no SARS case)," Dayrit said.

He said the Department of Health has continued with its anti-SARS measures, to include the strict monitoring and quarantine of persons with probable symptoms.

Commenting on the foreigner said to have SARS but have been fully cured, Dayrit said the foreigner could have developed symptoms of SARS after undergoing a CT scan in a hospital in Hong Kong before he traveled to the Philippines.

Ambassador Roy Cimatu, head of the Presidential Middle East Preparedness Team, today reported to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo that his mission to ensure the security of overseas Filipinos in the foreign region during the conflict in Iraq has been accomplished.

Cimatu, during the President’s teleconference in Malacanang with Filipino officials in Kuwait, also reported to the President the enormous employment prospects for OFWs in Iraq and other Middle East countries as a result of the rehabilitation of post-war Iraq.

In reporting the security of OFWs in the Middle East, Cimatu noted that no single OFW was hurt on account of the war.

He said the Filipino communities all over the Middle East have been made aware of the normalization of the situation and have returned to their normal, regular routine.

"Due to our meticulous preparations, our OFWs weathered the effects of the war," Cimatu said.

The President, meanwhile, applauded Cimatu, saying he’s been "very good."

At the height of the crisis, Cimatu said, the OFWs remained calm and composed, acting as they did according to the preparedness plan.

"They showed resilience in the face of the missile attacks launched against Kuwait by Iraq by maintaining their communication links with our community leaders and sharing available information with fellow OFWs regarding the crisis situation," Cimatu said.

He also noted that the conduct of Filipino communities during the war was highlighted by the tireless and selfless dedication of community coordinators and volunteers, not only in Kuwait but in other Middle Eastern countries as well.

While the situation in Kuwait has returned to normal, Cimatu said he advised the OFWs to maintain vigilance for possible terrorist attacks and other terrorism-related threats.

"Even before the war is finally concluded, I am optimistic that the conduct and behavior of the Philippines, including the stand that we made on the side of the coalition, will meet the supreme litmus test of history and the vagaries of politics," Cimatu said.

Meanwhile, Cimatu said Kuwaiti officials and large and established employers have expressed preference for Filipino workers over other nationalities.

For one, Andrew Natsios, chief of the United States Agency for International Development, has said that up to 50 percent of the rehabilitation projects for Iraq may be sub-contracted to U.S. and foreign firms with security clearances.

He said there is an immediate need for Filipino workers in the services sector (hotel, fast food restaurants and department stores) in Kuwait, brought about by the departure before the war of workers of other nationalities such as Egyptians, Indians and Syrians.

As Kuwait is expected to accelerate its modernization, it would also need workers for new infrastructure projects to be launched towards the end of the year, Cimatu said.

He noted that the Philippine stand with the U.S.-led coalition during the war had imbued the Kuwaitis a feeling of security. "Having stayed during the war, Kuwaiti employers saw and were impressed by the discipline, resiliency and loyalty of our OFWs during the height of the crisis. This factor would weigh heavily in decisions of employers in hiring new workers," he said.

Cimatu also said that the Kuwait private sector would be investing in the reconstruction of Iraq as evidenced by standby letters of credit already issued by Kuwaiti banks that would be used to pump-prime these projects.

"We expect to compete in the labor market of these projects particularly in the technical and professional skills category," he said, adding that the massive employment opportunities in Kuwait and Iraq would require a fast-tracked labor marketing program.

The foreign patient referred to yesterday was classified as a "probable" SARS case following the WHO definition.

This means that the patient had a history of having come from a SARS-infected area or had close contact with a known SARS case, developed fever, cough, difficulty in breathing, and had X-ray findings of pneumonia. Without the X-ray findings, the patient would just have been a suspect case. If this patient gets a positive (+) Polymerase chain react on test, then he will be a confirmed SARS case.

The Philippines following this official definition counts this as its first SARS case. However, the WHO does not categorize the Philippines as infected because it has no local transmission or secondary transmission. Thus a SARS case was disclosed but the Philippines remains SARS-free or an uninfected area.

The disclosure yesterday was done in the interest of transparency. SARS case – whether probable or confirmed – are required by the WHO to be reported. To withhold critical health information such as SARS case would be irresponsible and endanger public health.