DUMAGUETE CITY – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo arrived here at 10 a.m. today to lead the 55^th charter anniversary of Dumaguete City and to grace the city’s fiesta celebration.

Accompanied by several members of her Cabinet, the President was welcomed at the Sibulan Airport by local officials led by Negros Oriental Governor George Arnaiz, Dumaguete City Mayor Agustin Perdices, and Congressmen Jacinto Paras, Herminio Teves, and Emilio Macias.

From the airport, the President motored to the Cathedral of Saint Catherine of Alexandria for the Thanksgiving Mass, which highlighted the city’s 55^th anniversary and fiesta celebration.

While here, the President will meet with local officials of Negros Oriental and Dumaguete City.

She will later inaugurate the Negros Oriental Drug Rehabilitation Center at Barangay Talay, and the President’s Bridge project in Barangay Balugo, Valencia, Negros Oriental.

Later in the day, the President will hold a press conference at the Negros Oriental Provincial Tourism Office.

A recent survey conducted by an independent New York-based consultancy firm showed that if elections were held today, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo would win by a sizeable margin over her closest rival.

In a question on who they would vote for if elections were held today, 20.5 percent would vote for the President while 19.6 percent would vote for former Senator Raul Roco. Senator Noli de Castro got only 9.4 percent, opposition Sen. Panfilo Lacson, 9.8 percent, and movie actor Fernando Poe, Jr. got a measly 5.7 percent.

Among those cited in the survey, only the President, Roco, and Lacson have declared their intention to run in the 2004 elections.

The same survey also showed that the country’s economy would improve, with 31.9 percent of the respondents saying that the economy would improve in the next six months, while 24.1 percent saying that it would worsen. A big percentage, 44.0 percent, said that they don’t have an opinion either way.

The survey was conducted by the Roper ASW-Asia Pacific for the BusinessWorld, the country’s most respected business paper. The respondents were mostly consumers and a cross-section of residents in Metro Manila.

Roper ASW operates in 82 countries and its clients and subscribers include, among others, governments, medical organizations, multinationals, the academe, and risk management firms.

The opinion poll was conducted among 300 consumers from October 21 to 27, a few days after the state visit here of US President George W. Bush on October 18 and had encompassed the filing of the impeachment charge against Supreme Court Chief Justice Hilario Davide, Jr.

The President’s winnability rating of 20.5 percent was a big jump from the 14.9 percent she got in a survey made last September.

On performance of the President, a remarkable 52.2 percent said that she is doing a good job while only 33.0 percent said that she is not doing a good job. A measly 14.7 percent did not want to give their opinion on the performance of the President.

On the sincerity of the President, 48.6 percent believed that she is sincere while 35.0 percent did not believe on her sincerity, while 16.5 percent refused to comment either way.

Malacaņang today assured the nation that the peso would be able to recover and would gain strength as the year ends with the expected huge inflow of remittances from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

Deputy Presidential Spokesman and Cabinet Secretary Ricardo Saludo, in a press briefing in the Palace, noted that the low closing of the peso against the dollar yesterday is just a temporary reaction of the market to last week’s developments.

"Oras na matapos o maisaloob itong mga pangyayaring ito, tatatag muli at aakyat muli ang halaga ng piso (The moment these developments would stabilize, the peso would actually gain strength against the dollar)," Saludo said.

The peso traded Monday at 55.70 to the U.S. greenback and reasons cited in reports included the resignation of Finance Secretary Jose Isidro Camacho.

Saludo also dismissed reported fears of a much bigger budget deficit as a factor in the peso-dollar trade.

He assured that the economy is expecting the usual huge inflow of dollar remittances from OFWs this December.

"Karaniwan na pumapasok ito sa Disyembre, at papasok pa yang pwersa na makakapagtulak pataas ng halaga ng piso (dollar remittances usually come in December and once it does, it would hugely contribute to the strengthening of the peso)," Saludo said.

Finance officials earlier reported that the budget deficit for October was 5.2 percent under target, keeping the government on track to meet its full-year goal.

Camacho has said that the deficit in October of P21.17 billion ($382 million) came in below the target of P22.33 billion for the month due to robust revenue collections and prudent spending.

DUMAGUETE CITY – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today allocated P1 million for the new drug rehabilitation center here to cover the treatment of drug dependents from poor families.

The President made the announcement when she inaugurated the P6.9 million Negros Oriental Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Center in Barangay Talay here.

The President said the new anti-illegal drugs law that brought down the minimum amount of drugs for conviction from the former 200 grams to 10 grams has resulted to the arrest of an unprecedented number of drug pushers as well as users.

She said the biggest bust made recently in Antipolo City wherein a drug laboratory was found to be producing 500 kilos of methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu) per week was also praised by the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (US-DEA).

With the enactment of the new law, she said she allocated P1 billion from the lotto earnings of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) to fund the enforcement and the other aspects of fighting illegal drugs.

"Part of that P1 billion that we allocated for the whole drug effort we will be contributing P1 million for the indigent drug patients," the President said.

She thanked the provincial government and the non-government organizations here for helping the government in the rehabilitation and after-care of drug addicts.

"Prevention is something that all communities must do and a lot of the work of the Dangerous Drug Board is to be done by the local government and I thank the local government of Negros Oriental for doing its part," she said.

The 30-bed rehabilitation center, situated on a 5,000-square meter lot at the Provincial Engineer’s Office here, was already turned over by the provincial government to the Negros Oriental Drug Rehabilitation Foundation, Inc., a non-government organization.

The center adopts the 12-step treatment method, that was popularized and successfully implemented by the New Beginnings Foundation. The foundation was formed by a group of prominent Filipinos who were also recovering from their own addiction in the United States.

The President arrived at the Sibulan Airport here around 10:00 a.m. accompanied by Interior and Local Government Secretary Jose Lina Jr. and Environmental Secretary Elisea Gozun.

The President’s party was welcomed by Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Felix Guanzon, Governor George Arnaiz, City Mayor Agustin Perdices, Sibulan Mayor Antonio Renacia, 1^st District Rep. Jacinto Paras, 2^nd District Rep. Emilio Macias III, 3^rd District Rep. Herminio Teves, Central Command (CentCom) Commanding General Major Gen. Jacinto Ligot and PNP Region VII Director Roberto Delfin.

Upon her arrival, the President attended a thanksgiving mass as part of the observance of the 55^th charter anniversary of this city at the Cathedral of St. Catherine of Alexandria.

She also had a luncheon with local government officials at the residence of Rep. Teves along Dr. Miciano Road here.

After lunch, the President also inaugurated the P3.4 million Balugo Bridge in Valencia town some nine kilometers from here. The 18.3-meter bridge was completed under the President’s Bridge Program with financial assistance from the United Kingdom.

The President was accompanied by Valencia Mayor Rodolfo Gonzales, Lina, Rep. Teves and Housing and Urban Coordinating Council (HUDCC) Chairman Michael Defensor during the ceremonial drive through atop a top-down jeep.

Other bridges completed this year under the President’s Bridge Program assisted by the United Kingdom were the P10.3-million Simborio Bridge in Pamplona town; the P2.4-million Bio Bridge in Amlan. The Austrian-assisted P14.5-million Inobongan Bridge in Sta. Catalina that would be completed by November 30, this year.

The President also announced in Valencia town the allocation of P1.4 billion for the Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC) Geothermal Power Project. Valencia town plays host to the PNOC geothermal project which supplies energy to the entire Negros Island and parts of Western and Central Visayas, including Cebu province.

DUMAGUETE CITY—President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today directed Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Hermogenes Ebdane to re-enforce the "three-strikes policy" among the police stations and districts to prevent kidnappings and bank robberies in Metro Manila.

"I am directing the chief PNP to re-enforce the "three-strikes policy" in station commanders and even district commanders in Metro Manila. They would be relieved from their post if three incidents of heinous crimes, especially kidnappings and bank robbery, happen in their areas of operational responsibility in close succession," the President said during a press conference held at the Provincial Tourism Office at the Capitol Grounds here.

She said command responsibility would be strictly and consistently enforced "and I will not be accepting flimsy excuses." The President said she had talked to Secretary Angelo Reyes this morning who said there is a close link between kidnappers and bank robbers and the government has to do certain measures that would address both problems.

The President said she had also ordered Interior and Local Government Secretary Jose Lina to coordinate with Reyes in the setting up of checkpoints in strategic areas to conduct inspections, particularly on tinted vehicles and all vehicles with uniformed men riding in it.

"Because most of the heinous crimes committed were by men in uniforms, whether they are fake or real," the President said.

The President said she would also like to have outposts in strategic areas wherein the names of the commanders and the policemen who are supposed to be on duty are listed.

"So that if nobody is there, we will know who is absent or remiss in his job," she said.

In a separate interview, Lina said there is still no time frame on when the checkpoints would be fully implemented in strategic areas of Metro Manila but said checkpoints have already been declared "valid and legal" by the courts.

"There are set guidelines already. We just have to reiterate by continuous information to the people what are the guidelines that would be observed by the police in manning the checkpoints," he said.

In response to the concern of the business sector on the moratorium on the death penalty, the President said, right now, "there is no death penalty for kidnapping confirmed in the pipeline."

"So that is an academic question," she said. "There have been executions in the past but these did not stop heinous crimes, the President added.

DUMAGUETE CITY – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today stepped up the government’s war against illegal drugs in the countryside as she launched the Negros Oriental Anti-Illegal Drug Campaign during a multi-sectoral program in this city.

In her speech at a multi-sectoral program held this afternoon at the Lamberto Macias Sports and Cultural Center here, the President underscored the need for people’s cooperation in the fight against illegal drugs.

Mrs. Macapagal-Arroyo commended the city and provincial officials, particularly the proponents of an anti-drug covenant forged during the launching rites. "Daghang salamat, guwapo kaayo kamong tanan (Thank you very much. You are all good) ," she said in Cebuano.

The President also cited the local unit of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) for closely working with all the barangays in its campaign against illegal drugs and for making sure that the 260 local pushers arrested are appropriately punished and rehabilitated.

Earlier in the day, the Chief Executive inaugurated the P6.9-million Negros Oriental Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Center in Barangay Talay here.

She allotted P1 million for the new facility here to cover the treatment of drug dependents from poor families.

In her message, the President also noted the beauty of Dumaguete City and the whole of Negros Oriental province, and stressed the need to maintain such natural charm.

She recalled that Dumaguete City has earned a lot of awards, including the League of Cities’ Best Practices and Gawad ng Pangulo sa Kapaligiran.

The President pointed out that Dumaguete was one of the first local government units that demonstrated ecologically viable laws, which was enacted during the first days of her presidency.

Mrs. Macapagal-Arroyo also said the city sets the pace for land composting, using 30 percent of its waste for recycling, and for exercising effective waste management.

During the program, the President also gave away 264 housing units through the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council, five tons of certified high-yielding corn seeds through the Department of Agriculture and 2,000 high-yielding coconut seedlings through the Philippine Coconut Authority.

The President also distributed 50 certificates of eligibility from the Civil Service Commission.

Among those present at the launching rites were Negros Oriental Governor George Arnaiz and Dumaguete City Mayor Agustin Perdices.

Outgoing Finance Secretary Isidro Camacho today branded as baseless fears reportedly expressed by some investors that the country’s budget deficit could balloon next year, saying that the government’s fiscal program is one that has been internalized throughout the executive branch starting from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

In a press conference he held this afternoon with Budget Secretary Emilia Boncodin at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Camacho said that the reports are unfounded, stressing that the President herself is the first to remind everybody about the need for fiscal discipline and responsibility.

"I think there’s no better way to demonstrate that than the budget we submitted for 2004. That reflects the kind of fiscal discipline and fiscal responsibility that this government is all about led by the President herself," stressed Camacho.

Camacho said his resignation effective at the end of the month would not change that anymore saying the basic foundation has been cast in stone.

"In fact, I am very confident that with Secretary Boncodin, the President and her whole philosophy on our fiscal situation, with people like Commissioner (Antonio) Bernardo, Commissioner (Guillermo) Parayno running our revenue generating agencies, I am very confident that we will meet our budget targets for this year as we will meet them next year," Camacho emphasized.

He said that Boncodin has demonstrated in the past that over the last decade and a half, the experience of actual expenditures against programmed expenditures during, before and after an election year, make no difference.

"There is no perceivable pattern that during an election year or the year before election that actual expenditure will far exceed the programmed expenditure. That is not founded on empirical data. Empirical data would show that there is no correlation," he said.

Camacho brushed aside speculations that his resignation is being used as a political tool, saying he is not one who likes to be used.

"I don’t particularly like the part that even personal decisions, as my resignation, are being painted with political color. It has no basis. I think it’s a sad commentary on the type of politics that we have in this country, when people would go to the extent to create a scenario that doesn’t exist other than in their minds or their fantasies," he said.

That is why, he said, it is very important to look at candidates who will continue the policy of fiscal discipline and fiscal responsibility in next year’s polls.