LUBAO, Pampanga – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today led the nationwide clean-up drive intended to control, prevent and manage the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

President Arroyo began the clean-up drive campaign right here in her hometown after she vowed to start the battle against the spread of the infectious disease in the country during the national-local government SARS conference held at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City three days ago.

Provincial and local officials led by Pampanga Gov. Lito Lapid and Vice Governor Juan Miguel "Mikey" Arroyo were on hand to supervise the clean-up drive that includes clearing of drainage system in the town.

In San Fernando City, her first stop before proceeding here, the President said the nationwide clean-up drive is necessary so that SARS can be prevented from entering the country.

The President recalled that out of the 1,500 SARS victims in Hong Kong some 300, who were tenants of an apartment building, got infected through roaches.

The President said that local chief executives and the barangay officials should take the good example in leading their constituents by showing their concerns on the dangers of spreading the infectious disease in their respective barangays.

In her earlier pronouncement, the President said that in SARS prevention it is important to implement maintenance and health guidelines in their respective communities.

"Let us remain calm and alert, and continue to follow the guidelines issued by health authorities, including the maintenance of cleanliness in our barangays," the President said.

The President has issued Proclamation No. 366 declaring May 5 to 9 as National Anti-SARS Consciousness and Clean-Up Week aimed to raise public awareness and education on prevention, control and management on the spread of the killer pneumonia.

ARAYAT, Pampanga - President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today inspected the P4.4-billion irrigation dam project at Barangay Lacquios here that is expected to benefit thousands of farmers in Pampanga.

The dam is named Cong Dadong Dam, after the President’s father, the late former President Diosdado "Dadong" Macapagal, a native son of Pampanga.

Considered as the largest irrigation and diversion type of dam in Southeast Asia, the Cong Dadong Dam is expected to service some 11,920 hectares covering seven towns in Pampanga, namely Arayat, Sta. Ana, Mexico, San Luis, San Simon, Candaba and Apalit.

The President was briefed about the dam project by Agriculture Secretary Luis "Cito" Lorenzo and Administrator Jess Paras of the National Irrigation Administration.

After the briefing and viewing of the scale model, the President inspected and toured the dam facilities.

Among those who welcomed the President and her party were Pampanga Gov. Lito Lapid, Congressman Oscar Rodriguez of the 3^rd District of Pampanga, Congresswoman Zenaida Ducut of the 2^nd District of Pampanga, Arayat Mayor Benigno Espino, Presidential Adviser for Poverty Alleviation Victor Domingo, and Project Manager Reynaldo Mencias.

The construction of the P4.4-billion dam is being funded by the Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund, now the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), with some P3.1 billion and the Philippine counterpart of P1.3 billion.

Taking its source from the Pampanga River, the Cong Dadong Dam is expected to provide year-round irrigation to some 7,900 farmers in the seven towns of Pampanga.

LUBAO, Pampanga – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today expressed her sympathies to the relatives of a province mate who died of the severe acute respiratory syndrome or SARS in Hong Kong.

"My condolences to the family of CY who happens to be my kababayan because she came from Mabalacat, Pampanga," the President said during an interview here.

The President led the launching of the nationwide clean-up drive here aimed at preventing the spread of SARS in the Philippines.

CY, the 57-year-old SARS victim, was a native of Mabalacat and was confined at the United Christian Hospital in Hong Kong for more than a month before she died Friday. She was cremated last Sunday.

In a radio interview, Philippine Consul General to Hong Kong Victoria Bataclan said that CY was married to a Hong Kong resident. She was a former domestic before her marriage.

CY has a family in the Philippines in a previous marriage but her ashes will no longer be brought to the country, Bataclan said.

The President said that it is important and timely to start the observance of the National Anti-SARS Consciousness and Clean-Up Week from May 5 to 9 since there were already Filipino SARS victims abroad.

The first Filipina victim, Adela Dalingay, was a domestic help in Hong Kong. The second was JP, a male nurse who worked in Singapore.

The President noted that based on the recent reports some SARS victims in infected countries like Hong Kong showed that they contracted the disease through untidy environments.

CY was reported to have lived near the Amoy Gardens, a huge apartment complex in Hong Kong that was quarantined after more than 300 residents were suspected of SARS.

Malacaņang today said that the Philippines does not need a formal invitation to send a humanitarian mission to Iraq either from the United States or the United Nations.

In his regular press briefing this afternoon, Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said there are at least 20 countries that have already offered humanitarian assistance to Iraq even without an invitation.

Bunye said that some of the countries that offered humanitarian aid to Iraq even opposed the US-led war against the regime of Saddam Hussein.

The Philippines was a member of the "coalition of the willing" that supported the US-led war in Iraq although it did not dispatch any combat troops.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has earlier said that the sending of a humanitarian and peacekeeping mission to Iraq is an international commitment aimed at helping restore freedom and stability to the war-torn Middle East country.

During the press briefing, Bunye also confirmed that there has been a downscaling of the humanitarian mission as a result of a bipartisan agreement arrived at after a meeting participated by members of the political opposition.

Bunye said that under the agreement, the emphasis is now on the medical component of the humanitarian mission.

Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye today reiterated the assurance given by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo "that the 2004 elections would be held as scheduled."

But more than this, the President has geared government initiatives "towards implementing electoral reforms" that included the computerization of the polling process.

In his regular press briefing, Bunye said amending the Constitution is not one of the President’s priorities and that she has left the two houses of Congress to resolve the issue of Constitutional amendments.

"The President remains neutral" on proposals to amend the Charter and is bent on giving her focus on "other more pressing issues," he said.

Moves in the House of Representatives and the Senate are internal matters and best left to their discretion, Bunye added.

He admitted that when the President was still a senator, she has helped and proposed some amendments to the Constitution.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today urged state workers to avail themselves of the housing loans being offered by various housing agencies both from the government and private sector.

At the Second Annual Housing Forum participated in by the Philippine Government Employees Association (PGEA) and various shelter agencies held at the Heroes Hall in Malacaņang, the President told the officers of the different government employees associations that the private sector alone has promised to put up 500,000 housing units during her term.

The President said various agencies have already put up housing units, priced from P40,000 up to P2 million, that can be availed of even by the low-income government employees such as messengers, utility workers, clerks and drivers.

"Maraming housing at kung mahirap na mahirap kayo, the lowest rank, nandun pa nga yung housing ng Couples for Christ na maraming private sector ang nag-contribute kaya murang-mura (There are many available housing units that can be availed of by even the lowest rank government employees including those being offered by the Couples of Christ which is very affordable due to the help of the private sector)," the President said.

On her part, PGEA president Esperanza Ocampo said that as a result of the first housing forum on April 30, 2002 also held in Malacanang, the Government Service Insurance system (GSIS) and the Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG) have lowered their respective interest rates to as low as six percent during the year.

"We were likewise elated as a result of the instruction of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during the first housing forum, when GSIS complied and offered flexible terms on their rent-to-own scheme and open a new housing renovation/improvement loan window. Pag-IBIG, on the other hand, made the list of unutilized housing units available and accessible to government employees," Ocampo said.

The PGEA also asked the President for the issuance of an executive order instructing all government agencies and instrumentalities to establish their respective housing board or committees, conduct housing surveys, and work for the institutionalization of housing programs in their employees’ benefits and welfare plan.

Included in their proposal, Ocampo said, is the standardization, institutionalization and resumption of the payment of government counterpart fund in the Provident Fund in a per agency level to augment the much needed fund of the state workers in their respective housing loans.

"We firmly believe that with your intercession, life can be easier for us," Ocampo told the President.

The government would take punitive action against separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) terrorists who attacked Siocon and Maigo towns in Zamboanga del Norte and Lanao del Norte provinces, respectively, in Mindanao.

At the same time, the Cabinet Oversight Committee on Internal Security (COCIS) approved the provision of "bounty" of P5 million each for the arrest of MILF leaders, said Presidential Adviser on Mindanao Jesus Dureza.

Among the MILF leaders included in the wanted list are MILF chief Hashim Salamat, MILF chief of staff Al Haj Murad, MILF political officer Gadzhali Jaafar, MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu and Ali Mimbantas.

The "bounty," totaling P50 million, would come from the national government, Dureza said.

The government would work at seeing to it that any terrorist action would not be left unacted upon, he said.

"The government feels that it is bound by duty to protect the civilians and also to prevent further similar incidents to take place," he added.

It would also take all the appropriate steps in order for the perpetrators to pay for the atrocities they have committed, he said.

Dureza was ordered by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to go to Siocon Tuesday (May 6) to attend to civilians affected by the MILF terrorist attack on the town Sunday that saw scores killed and wounded.

"We will take punitive action (against the MILF) wherever they are and whatever it would take us," added Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye today in a late afternoon press briefing.

President Macapagal-Arroyo presided over the COCIS meeting at Malacanang this afternoon.