The San Roque Multi-Purpose Project (SRMP) won the best power project for 2003 award from a field of 37 entries from all over the world, Presidential Assistant for North Luzon Renato V. Diaz informed President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo recently.

Diaz said the award was given by the Power Engineering Magazine in the recent Power Generation Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, which was attended by 18,000 participants worldwide.

The irrigation component of SRMP, which will irrigate about 87,000 hectares of agricultural land in 24 municipalities in Pangasinan, Tarlac and Nueva Ecija, would boost the government’s thrust to fully modernize agriculture.

It took the President’s directive to solve all the problems that beset the project for it to be completed in May, 2003. It was initiated during the Ramos administration and became a big problem for the Estrada administration because of social and environmental issues.

Diaz said he is assisting the National Power Corp. and San Roque Power Corp. in resolving the remaining social issues like claims for compensation and the additional funding for the irrigation component of the SRMP being worked out by the Department of Agriculture and the National Irrigation Administration from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC).

The continued growth of the country’s export sector will pave the way for a stronger-than-expected growth of the gross domestic product (GDP) next year.

Economic growth, in terms of the GDP would grow by 5.2 percent in 2004 due to better exports and increased agricultural production.

The gross national product (GNP), boosted by billions of dollars sent home by overseas Filipino workers, is expected to grow by 5.9 percent next year.

The GDP refers to the total value of goods and services produced within the country while the GNP refers to the country’s total earnings abroad plus the GDP.

Economic Planning Secretary Romulo Neri said that the negative factors that have affected the economy this year, such as the El Nino weather phenomenon and the US-Iraq war, have already abated.

For this year, growth has been forecast at 4.2 percent, higher than the 3.9 percent forecast by most analysts. For the fourth quarter, growth is expected at 4.2 to 4.3 percent.

Neri said from 2.0 to 3.0 percent average growth this year, exports are seen to grow by 5.0 to 10.0 percent in 2004.

A rebound in the construction sector is also foreseen to contribute to overall growth.

The expenditure slowdown for public infrastructure because of the deficit problem is a factor in the poor showing of the construction sector.

The services sector, agriculture and consumption spending were the growth propellers for the year.

The Philippine economy—powered largely by electronics exports, domestic demand and overseas remittances—would also get a boost from better agricultural production after the end of El Nino in the middle of this year.

Neri said that investments made in call and service centers in the Philippines, mostly by multinational companies, would augur well for the overall economy.

The GDP rose by 4.3 percent for the first nine months of the year, compared to the same period in 2002, while the GNP grew by 5.7 percent.

Analysts said that the rosy economic projections for 2004 would be bolstered if the government continues to keep the budget deficit in check and revenue targets are met.

The encouraging fiscal performance in 2003 is reflective of the government’s stand in maintaining discipline in its fiscal agencies by enhancing revenue generation and ensuring prudent spending, which translated to the continued below target budget deficit for this year.

For November 2003, the budget deficit was P8.3 billion, way below the P17.8 billion target, as revenue collections continued to be robust and government spending was 9.7 percent lower than target.

I am placing a sincere and earnest proposal for national reconciliation in the public agenda and I welcome equally sincere and earnest reactions to it.

This is still in the incipient stage and let us not overreact to it.

I am determined to pursue the unity of our people without compromising our pursuit for justice.

Let us open our minds and hearts and explore the issues that can unite us rather than belabor the past.

I shall be the unifier of the people and I am willing to take the barbs that come with this role.

We will welcome any information and assistance from the Citizens Action Against Crime (CAAC) in the identification and interdiction of all kidnap gangs.

The National Anti-Kidnapping Task Force (NAKTAF) and other law enforcement agencies can deal with this problem and what we need is the full cooperation from various sectors.

We shall stamp out kidnapping and I seek the people’s continuing trust and confidence.

The President’s statement simply reinforces the principle that "every commander is responsible for the morale and welfare of the men."

As Commander in Chief, the President has consistently paid attention to the morale and welfare of all our soldiers because she recognizes the steep sacrifices they are undergoing everyday to keep our nation secure.

To impute politics in her statements is out of line.

We are talking about reforms instituted in the AFP over an extended period.

The Department of Finance (DoF) said that the budget deficit for November was only P8.3 billion, well below the P17.8 billion deficit target as revenue collections of the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Bureau of Customs continued to surge.

This brings the January to November 2003 fiscal deficit to only P172.2 billion, or P17.5 billion (9.2 percent) lower than the target of P189.7 billion.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, in a statement, said that the country’s economic fundamentals are solid and that the budget deficit will be under control.

"Our economic fundamentals are solid and the deficit is under control. The need for the moment is continuity and discipline," the President said.

She also said that while we have some problems in economic confidence, these do not arise from the terrorist threat or peace and order-related issues.

"We must have reform and reconciliation to forge confidence in our nation’s future. We are winning the war against terrorism and crime and what triggers uncertainty is the heavy atmosphere of politicking and partisan division," the President said.

Finance Secretary Juanita Amatong said, "The encouraging fiscal performance thus far in 2003 is reflective of the national government’s continued stance in maintaining discipline throughout its fiscal agencies by enhancing revenue generation and ensuring prudent government spending."

"The great strides we have taken in instituting administrative reforms and persistent efforts to broaden the tax base are leading the country toward a much-improved fiscal path in the long-term," Amatong said.

Total revenues for November reached P56.9 billion or 6.5 percent higher than the P53.4 billion collected for the same period last year and 4.6 percent more than the P54.4 billion target for the month.

The DoF said that all revenue offices posted higher collections with the BIR and BOC exceeding their November targets by 4.6 percent and 2.1 percent, respectively.

For January to November, revenues grew year-on-year by 12.4 percent to P569.7 billion, and stayed ahead of target by 6.9 percent. Meanwhile, government expenditures grew by only 4.9 percent for the same period to P741.9 billion, just 2.6 percent higher than the target.

Secretary Amatong explained that BIR revenues for November 2003 of P42.3 billion exceeded both the 2002 level and its monthly goal of P42.25 billion by 3.5 percent and 4.6 percent respectively.

The BOC, on the other hand, contributed revenues of P9 billion in November, an increase of 10 percent over last year’s level and 2.1 percent better than its target of P8.8 billion.

Malacaņang has announced the appointment of Cesar A. V. Purisima as the new secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), replacing Manuel Roxas II, who resigned last week to pursue his senatorial bid next year.

Purisima is the chairman and chief executive officer of the auditing firm Sycip, Gorres, Velayo & Co. (SGV & Co.).

Presidential Spokesman Igancio R. Bunye said Friday that President Macapagal-Arroyo has appointed Purisima to head the DTI due to his professional competence and integrity.

"Purisima strongly supports the development agenda of the Arroyo administration," Bunye told Malacaņang reporters Friday.

Purisima has a Master’s degree in business administration from Northwestern University, considered as one of the best business schools in the United States, and has played an active role in the local business circuit.

He will be the third chairman of SGV & Co. to be appointed as trade and industry secretary.

The first was Roberto Ongpin, who was named by the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos as trade and industry minister in the ‘70s. He was followed by Rizalino Navarro who was trade and industry secretary under President Fidel V. Ramos.

Purisima assumed chairmanship of SGV & Co. in July 1999. He joined the SGV & Co. in 1980 as a junior auditor and was admitted to the partnership in 1989.

To date, Purisima sits as chairman of the Philippine-France Business Council and co-chairman of the Philippines-Thailand Business Council.

He is also associated with the Philippines-Japan Economic Cooperation Committee, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Rotary Club of Manila, and the Management Association of the Philippines.

Purisima graduated from De La Salle University where he obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in commerce.

Twenty-two key political leaders of Sulu have issued a resolution declaring their support for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s presidential bid in 2004 and to her programs of government.

Led by Rep. Munir Arbison and Assemblyman Garcia Tingkahan, the political leaders noted that the President "has shown all the qualities of a good leader with her considerable number of accomplishments."

The political leaders included incumbent and former mayors, assemblymen, governors, provincial board members, Sangguniang Kabataan and a congressman.

They said President Arroyo’s victory in the 2004 elections will ensure the continuity of on-going government projects and the realization of future plans.

"A vote for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is a vote for peace, and to continue this administration would ensure that peace would be pursued," the Sulu leaders said.

"There is a need to support candidates who are qualified not only in terms of educational attainment but also in terms of their determination to execute policy reforms and likewise their sincerity and dedication to serve the country," the political leaders added.

The President has said that she has a high regard for Brother Eddie and is grateful for his support to her programs and policies.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered today the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) and its attached and support agencies to speedily launch rescue and relief operations to communities hit by landslides and flash floods in Southern Leyte and other areas of Regions 7, 8, 10 and 11.

The President issued the order following reports that a number of villagers died while thousands others were rendered homeless by landslides and floods triggered by continuous rains in the South.

President Macapagal-Arroyo also empowered local government units in the disaster areas to declare a state of emergency to give them immediate access to calamity funds.

"I want periodic reports from the NDCC on casualties, damage and disaster operations," Mrs. Macapagal-Arroyo said.

She announced that the Armed Forces of the Philippines has also been mobilized for rescue operations, while other agencies moved to provide shelter, food and medical assistance to residents displaced by the floods.

The President said the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Department of Health, in coordination with the local government units, "are giving priority attention to helping communities attend to the dead and prevent the spread of diseases."

The National Power Corp. dispatched its emergency crew to restore power as soon as possible.