The year 2003 saw the Macapagal-Arroyo administration achieving significant milestones in its mass housing program.

Under the stewardship of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, during the10-month period covering January to October this year, the government released a total of P529.4 million in housing loans secured by12,247 urban poor families under the Community Mortgage Program (CMP) .

Secretary Michael Defensor, chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), said the figure (P529.4 million) was the "highest loan level" registered during the 15-year implementation of the urban home financing program.

The January to October CMP loan take-outs reported by the National Home Mortgage Finance Corp., an agency operating under the HUDCC, also boosted the share of squatter families (also called informal settlers) to a total of P1.34 billion.

During this period, a total of 33,660 urban poor families were granted housing loans, bringing the total number of beneficiaries to 138,871 since the program was launched in 1989. President Macapagal-Arroyo also ordered the release of P900 million for CMP housing loans.

To give added momentum to the housing program, the House of Representatives has earmarked P500 million for CMP loans for 2004.

From January 2001 when President Macapagal-Arroyo took over the reins of government up to Aug. 2003, the government has allocated a total of P42.56 billion for housing, providing decent homes to 667,551 families.

The Home Guarantee Corp. also appropriated P30.66 billion in guarantee funds, benefiting 68,393 households from January 2001 to June 2003.

To speed up approval of the housing permits, the government drastically cut down the number of signatories from 188 to only 45, thereby reducing the processing time from 90 days to a minimum of 30 days.

Processing time for Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF) loans was also cut down from 30 days to 15 days, and for the Government Service Insurance System to only five days.

Defensor said the Macapagal-Arroyo administration was also able to bring down interest rates for housing loans to as low as six percent.

"We have done away with the notion that acquiring a house will only put one further in debt," Defensor said

President Macapagal-Arroyo has proclaimed more government lands as housing sites, approved the highest amount of housing loans to informal settlers, allocated the biggest funding for housing, implemented the lowest interest rates and reduced processing time for housing loans and permits to the barest minimum period.

Defensor said for the first six months of 2003, the President has already signed 46 issuances proclaiming a total of 22,600 hectares of disposable public lands as potential sites for socialized housing.

These proclamations, Defensor pointed out, provided decent homes for 202,702 families nationwide.

Personnel of the military and police services also benefited immensely from the government’s housing programs with the release of P1.222 billion in housing packages since Mrs. Macapagal-Arroyo came to power.

Defensor said the P1.222 billion is "significantly more than the combined value of P224.149 million that our AFP and the Philippine National Police personnel were able to access under the previous administration."

Housing for the formal sector also got a big boost with P30 billion committed by the PAG-IBIG Fund for its institutional and end-user financing programs. PAG-IBIG bankrolled the construction or purchase of 131.894 housing units, overshooting its 127,165 target by 3.7 percent.

Senator Noli de Castro is making a big sacrifice in accepting the Vice Presidential draft and I would like to thank him and his family for their support.

I also express my gratitude to Senator Robert Barbers for withdrawing his bid as VP for the sake of unity.

Unity is our banner and the three of us—Noli, Bobby and I—carry it fervently for the nation.

Noli’s entry into the team enriches it tremendously in terms of professional competence and political weight.

He draws his broad constituency from the millions of Filipinos who track his sharp investigative journalism and commentary.

He is a media educator and communicator without par, in search of truth and justice for the poor and downtrodden.

He has touched much more lives than anyone of us, myself included, by advocating social and criminal justice through the broadcast media.

My administration has the proven clout and experience to run the economy.

Noli will give it an indispensable boost in terms of broadening popular appreciation and understanding.

President Arroyo’s support for Mr. Estrada’s bid to receive treatment abroad arises from sincere humanitarian considerations and her sincere desire for genuine reconciliation and national unity.

There are no strings attached to, or politics involved in, President Arroyo’s position.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today led the nationwide flag-raising and wreath-laying ceremonies commemorating the 107^th year of Dr. Jose Rizal’s martyrdom at the Rizal Park, Manila.

The President, who was garbed in a dark blue "kimona," was accorded full military honors upon her arrival. She trooped the line escorted by Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Narciso Abaya.

The President then led the 7:00 a.m. nationwide simultaneous raising of the flag that was later lowered at half-mast.

She was escorted by two wreath-bearers when she led the wreath-laying ceremony at the Rizal Monument. Assisting her were Abaya, National Historical Institute (NHI) executive director Ludovico Badoy and Manila Mayor Lito Atienza.

A few seconds later, three successive volleys of seven rifle shots boomed as an Air Force helicopter dropped flower petals at the monument site.

An honor guard commander then saluted and informed the President that the wreath-laying ceremony was over.

Rizal, the country’s national hero, was executed on Dec. 30, 1896 in Luneta, further fueling the Philippine revolution against the Spanish colonizers.

This year’s commemoration has the theme, "Diwang Rizal: Gabay sa Matatag na Bansa."

Among those present were Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon, Defense Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Public Works Secretary Florante Soriquez, Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Gen. Hermogenes Ebdane, the AFP flag officers, and members of the diplomatic corps.

Thereafter, the President walked some 200 meters to the Kanlungan ng Sining center where she led the ribbon cutting of Rizal-inspired paintings and other art exhibits.

Assisting the President were AAP president Fidel Sarmiento, NHI chairman Ambeth Ocampo, National Parks Development Committee Director Jaime Recio and Tourism Undersecretary Evelyn Pantig.

The President then toured the exhibits that included the winning entries to the 56^th National Art Competition sponsored by the Art Association of the Philippines (AAP).

The continued improvement of the country’s economy under President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has encouraged Petron Corporation, one of the three big players in the oil industry, to earmark P5.11 billion, or $94.4 million, to upgrade its refinery in Limay, Bataan.

Petron Corporation has actually started the construction of its isomerization and hydrotreater plants in Bataan that will enable the firm to produce Clean Air Act compliant fuel.

Petron President Motassim A. Al Ma’ashouq said that Petron has embarked on this upgrading project to show its continued confidence in the country’s economy.

The isomerization unit would be used to reduce the aromatics and benzene content of gasoline while the hydrotreater is essential for lowering the sulfur content of diesel.

Al Ma’shoug said that the upgrade will be completed within 2004.

Petron has maintained increasing earnings despite the sluggish oil demand, especially from the manufacturing sector, in the second half of the year.

In 2002 and mid 2003, Petron concentrated in high-growth segments in the fuel market and in the profitable non-fuel business.

The company’s January to September 2003 sales volume increased by three percent, to 36.4 million barrels from 35.4 million barrels in the same period last year.

This was mainly driven by market improvement in industrial and lube trade sales, which posted increases in volume by 12 percent and 13.6 percent, respectively.

Export sales also grew by 28 percent, to 5.4 million barrels from 4.2 million barrels.

"Umasa kayong ipaglalaban ko ang dapat para sa pamilyang Pilipino at sa mga kabataang tulad ng naririto na patuloy na umaasang makamtan ang tunay na bayang asenso! Manigong Bagong Taon sa inyong lahat!"

The message in English:

"Every new year is a symbol of hope.

"It is a time to nurture new dreams.

"As president of the country, rest assured that I will continue to strive for good governance, food for each table, jobs, and peace and security in every community.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today announced the rescue of two-and-a-half-year-old Gian Jethro Chua from his kidnappers at 8:45 this morning in Pamana Homes Subdivision, Bgy. Bukal, Calamba, Laguna.

The President presented the rescued kidnapped boy to the media in Malacanang this afternoon, saying the elements of the National Anti-Kidnapping Task Force (NAKTAF) headed by Secretary Angelo Reyes rescued Chua, who was kidnapped last Dec. 2, 2003 along the Susana Heights exit in Muntinlupa City.

One kidnapper was arrested, while operations are being undertaken to pursue the other kidnappers, the President said while congratulating the members of the NAKTF.

"Because of their very good work, I congratulate not only Secretary Reyes, but also the operatives from PACER, PNP, ACTAF, AFP, MIG 24 and MIG 21 of ISAFP, the NCRPO who provided the checkpoints, the PNP Regional Office 4 for providing the support elements, the LTO who provided the 24-hour use of their database that gave the critical verification information and the NTC engineers who provided technical information," the President said.

The process that was done in the rescue operation of Gian Jethro Chua was an example of the change of system in rescuing kidnapped victims that the President said she wants to institutionalize.

"This is the change in the process on how to fight crime and how we can be safer and secure," the President said.

After presenting the kidnapped boy to the media, the President directed the Philippine National Police of the National Capital Region (NCR), Region 4 and Region 3 to give a progress report on their anti-kidnapping operations.

The President likewise congratulated them for helping realize the people’s wish of a "kidnap-free Christmas."

Secretary Reyes, who explained the details of the rescue operations, said that initial negotiations had Chua’s family agreeing to pay a ransom in the amount of P1.38 million.

"Unfortunately, the kidnappers did not honor their commitment. They did not release the child and demanded additional ransom of P5 million," he said.

"It was during the negotiations for the additional ransom that we captured the kidnappers, Reyes disclosed.

The kidnappers, he said, first demanded a ransom of P50 million.

"So what happened today was a case of pure rescue operation," the President added.

Asked for a statement now that Jethro was reunited with his family, Judge Paterno Tiamzon of Binalonan, Rizal, the child’s grandfather, thanked the government for helping them.

National Anti-Kidnapping Task Force (NAKTAF) head Angelo Reyes today announced that he is not running for any position in next year’s polls but would concentrate on his job as crime buster.

Answering a question from the media after rescued kidnap victim Gian Jethro Chua was presented to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in Malacanang this afternoon, Secretary Reyes said: "I would rather spend my time doing work rather than campaigning and try to make a difference."

In response, the President thanked Secretary Reyes for his decision not to run for any position.

"Thank you, Angie, and thank you for helping me make the changes that we need to make our people more secure, moving towards a kidnap-free Philippines," the President said.