President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, in her capacity as chairman of the National Economic and Development (NEDA) Board, has approved five projects worth P8.23 billion, including the P2.91 billion Countrywide Bridge Project, that is expected to spur economic growth in the countryside.

The Countrywide Bridge Project involves the construction and replacement of 200 priority local bridges nationwide with a total length of 5,306 lineal meters (lm), using modular steel bridging technology.

Of the 200 bridges, 120 will be double lane bridges with a total length of 3,538 lm while 80 will be single lane bridges with a total length of 1,768 lm.

The bridge project will be implemented in all regions except the National Capital Region (NCR), Region 13 and Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), which have similar existing projects.

The bridge project is expected to improve local economies from merely subsistence base to thriving market economies because it will improve farm to market access and provide more services and opportunities to local communities.

The NEDA board also approved the procurement of pumps, drilling rigs and related equipment project worth P1.03 billion; rehabilitation of Cagayan Integrated Agricultural Development Project – Irrigation Component, P472 million; 20-MW Palinpinon III Geothermal Power Plant Project, P1.74 billion; and the 2003 US Public Law 480 Title Loan Program, P2.08 billion.

With the procurement of additional irrigation equipment, some 18,000 hectares of developed lands that are currently not irrigated due to inadequate water supply or lack of pumping facilities would be irrigated. The project is expected to trigger economic activities in the countryside.

The Rehabilitation of Cagayan Integrated Agricultural Development Project, on the other hand, aims to increase crop production from the current average yield of 2.65 metric tons (MT) per hectare to 3.98 metric tons per hectare. With this, NEDA said, the average annual farm income of farmers may rise from P22,725 to P26,775.

The 20-MW Palinpinon III Geothermal Power Plant Project would address the projected shortfall in power generation in the Visayas by 2005 by making use of the excess available steam in the existing Palinpinon II Geothermal steamfield.

It will involve the construction, installation and commissioning of a geothermal power plant and the construction of a switching station in Nasuji, Southern Negros.

The 2003 US Public Law 480 Title Loan Program involves the importation of 180,000 metric tons of rice.

The Philippines would be 97 percent self-sufficient in rice next year.

This was the fearless conservative forecast of Agriculture Secretary Luis Lorenzo, Jr. who attributed the projected feat to the increasing use of hybrid rice and certified seeds by Filipino farmers, barring bad weather.

"And with God’s blessing, we may be 100 percent self-sufficient by that time," Lorenzo told the media in a briefing in Malacanang Friday.

Lorenzo said that presently, the Philippines is 94 percent self-sufficient in rice, higher than the 88 percent self-sufficiency figure in 2000 when the country could produce only 12.39 million metric tons (MT).

As of June 1, the country’s total rice stock stood at 2.11 million MT, which is equivalent to an 80-day supply.

Lorenzo also reported rising self-sufficiency levels in corn, due to the grain’s importance to the poultry and livestock sectors.

"We are 67 percent self-sufficient (in corn) today, compared to 60 percent sufficiency three years ago," he said.

The DA expects to produce 80 percent of the country’s corn requirements by 2004, leaving only 20 percent for imports, Lorenzo added.

The total corn inventory as of June 1 stood at 184,000 MT.

Lorenzo said that for sugar, the country produces 97 percent of its needs as output this year is expected to hit 2.13 million MT, the highest in 30 years.

Hinihiling ko sa ating mamamayan, na sa gitna ng ating pagsisikap na maitaguyod ang pambansang kasarinlan at mapairal ang batas saan mang dako ng kapuluan, na lagi nating isapuso ang pagbibigay ng pagkakataon sa kapayapaan. Lubos ang aking tiwala at paniniwala sa ating matapat na pagharap sa mga tunay na kadakilaan ng rebelyon at sesesyon ay mahihiwalay natin ang mga grupo ng terorista dito sa Mindanao at mga kalapit bansa sa rehiyon.

Ako ay naniniwala na malapit na nating makamit ang tunay na kapayapaan. At pag ito ay ating makamit, gagawin natin ang lahat ng ating makakaya para ito ay matamasa ng mga susunod pang henerasyon.

MARIVELES, Bataan—President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today assured the junior officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) that her administration would support their legitimate demands but at the same time called on them to course these demands through the AFP chain of command.

In her speech at the 1^st Commencement Exercises of the Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific (MAAP) at the school’s campus here, the President said she has ordered AFP Chief, Gen. Narciso Abaya, to institutionalize a mechanism that would address the legitimate grievances of the young AFP officers.

"Dapat palakasin natin ang kultura ng disiplinadong transparency sa armed forces at sa navy (We should strengthen the culture of transparent discipline within the armed forces and the navy)," the President said.

"This is the best way to isolate the uniformed officers and men from politics," the President said.

The President also exhorted all AFP officers and men to observe professionalism and do away with factionalism.

To the graduating students, the President said that they should maintain their sense of discipline even when they are already on board merchant ships, especially those who would like to join the Philippine Navy later on.

The President also lauded the officers of the school, that included Captain Gregorio Oca, who founded the MAAP, and Vice Admiral Eduardo Santos, MAAP president, for their foresight in establishing the maritime institution.

She said that the MAAP, which has just received its ISO-9001 certification, is now one of the five top maritime academies in the whole world.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today ordered the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) to set aside a regular day of the week for the public burning of drugs, raw materials and precursors so that these cannot be recycled and sold illegally by unscrupulous law enforcers.

In her brief remarks at an inter-faith prayer rally held this afternoon at the Malacanang Grounds, the President said she wants a strict accounting of all confiscated drugs and drugs destroyed "to the last gram."

The President said that for the accounting to be transparent, the burning should be witnessed by observers from the private group and from the National Ecumenical Committee (NECCOM), which sponsored the "Drug-Free Philippines" rally.

NECCOM is an inter-faith body composed, among others, of Roman Catholics, Protestants, Muslims and other religious movements like Jesus is Lord.

The President said that the prayer rally was a "timely response" to the challenges that the country is facing.

"This prayer rally reinforces our collective commitment to our faith. It enhances our spiritual values, strengthens our institution and moral rearmament through prayer and worship," the President said.

She also instructed the PDEA to have the photos of those suspected to be involved in a drug case, along with the details of their involvement, published and aired over the media.

The President said that through the media, the public could help in catching these criminals and putting them behind bars.

"Let us put a face and identity to these people. Let us get the Filipino people, the public, involved in hunting them down," the President said.

CALUMPIT, Bulacan--President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today assured agrarian reform farmers, the former landowners and human rights victims that they would all get their share of the P36 billion, or $682 million, in ill-gotten wealth of the Marcoses that the Supreme Court has forfeited in favor of the government.

After the mass oath-taking here of officials of barangays in agrarian reform communities, the President instructed Agrarian Reform Secretary Roberto Pagdanganan to ensure the proper distribution of the money as soon as it becomes available.

The President said that part of the money could be used to pay landowners whose lands have been apportioned to tenants under the comprehensive agrarian reform program (CARP) of the government.

She also said that since there are already available funds, the entire country can now be declared a land reform area.

The President also said that with the money, all projects in the agrarian reform communities (ARCs) can now be implemented to improve the lives of the farmer beneficiaries.

She instructed Secretary Pagdanganan to coordinate with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the Department of Education (DepED), and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) so that projects for ARCs, like schools and farm-to-market roads, can now be built.

The President said that a portion of the money would be also allocated to address the claims of human rights victims but added that this will have to wait for a specific law that would authorize such allocation.