I am in the APEC summit with very specific things in mind. I am here to reprise the message of Cancun in the context of the human security of Filipinos and our battle against poverty. I am here to highlight our specific role in pushing maritime security as the new frontier of closely intertwined trade and terror issues. The Philippines is the new regional base of the International Maritime Organization and we intend to lead the way, availing of assistance from the developed nations, in the drive for safe ports as an indispensable element in trade facilitation. I am also here to try to bring regional trade and investment issues closer to the doorstep of strategic local governance.

BANGKOK (via PLDT) – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has said that Thai-Philippine relations are at "fullest bloom" as she thanked Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra for the assistance that the Thai government has extended to the Philippines.

In her remarks at a gathering of members of the Filipino community held Sunday night at the Regent Hotel here, the President said she and Thaksin share a common vision for security, peace and development in the region.

The President particularly thanked the Thai leader for the donation of 10 airplanes, the first batch of which was delivered during the latter’s recent visit to Manila.

She said that the airplanes are now being used in the security campaign in the Southern Philippines. "We are very grateful to him for his support and concern for our country," the President said.

The President also said that she has learned a lot from Prime Minister Thaksin, especially in the campaign against illegal drugs and in promoting micro-finance and support for small and medium enterprises, which have been very successful in Thailand.

She even coined the term "Thaksonomics," in recognition of the innovative approach that Thaksin has used in reviving the Thai economy, which was the most battered in the financial crunch that hit Asia in l997.

The President said that during the 11^th Economic Leaders’ Meeting that formally opens today, she would lead in the discussions on measures that would protect migrant workers, including Filipinos, in their host countries.

BANGKOK (via PLDT) — President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her counterparts from the 20 other member economies of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), will focus on economic and trade issues at the formal opening today, October 20, of the two-day 11^th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting here.

The 21 APEC leaders met at the Thai Koo Fah Building (Government House) where they will have the first part of their Leaders’ Retreat.

The President arrived here yesterday along with the other APEC leaders, including US President George W. Bush, who flew in from Manila where he had a successful and memorable eight-hour state visit.

In a statement, Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said that the three goals of the Philippines in APEC summit are:

• gain support for developing countries following the Cancun impasse;
• strengthen global cooperation against terrorism through maritime security cooperation and other measures; and
• help streamline the APEC organizational structure and focus the agenda to render it more manageable and more responsive to the directives of the leaders.

In a separate statement, the President said that during the APEC Summit, she will highlight the specific role of the Philippines in pushing for maritime security as the new frontier of closely intertwined trade and terrorism issues.

She said that the Philippines is the new regional base of the International Maritime Organization (IMD) and that it intends to lead the way in the drive for safe ports as an indispensable element in trade facilitation.

During the first day of the Leaders’ Retreat, the President is expected to reiterate the position of the Philippine government at the recent World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting in Cancun, Mexico where it called for the downgrading of subsidies that foreign governments, mostly of the developed countries, give to their farmers.

The Philippines also called for the breaking down of barriers to products of export interest to developing countries, like quotas, health and sanitary regulations, technical obstacles and other unfair practices.

The President would also stress that the Philippines continue its work with the new alliance of 21 developing countries to defend and preserve the welfare and livelihood of the farmers, fisher folk and all the marginalized sectors of society.

She said that APEC has an important stake in the success of the WTO and it should pursue all steps in ensuring that the multilateral trading system remains fair, transparent and just.

"We cannot have peace and political security, both in the national and global sense, if we cannot ensure economic security at the grassroots," she added.

Later today, the President and First Gentleman Atty. Jose Miguel Arroyo, along with the other APEC leaders, would have an audience with Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit at the Chakri Mahaprasat, the king’s palace.

On the second and final day of the Summit, the APEC leaders would tackle counter-terrorism issues, in addition to economic matters.

During this forum, US President George W. Bush is expected to rally the Asia Pacific countries in the fight against global terrorism.

APEC was established in Canberra, Australia in l989 to further enhance economic growth and prosperity in the region and to strengthen the Asia Pacific community.

The first meeting, on the ministerial level, was attended by only 12 countries.

Now APEC’s 21 members—referred to as "member economies"—account for more than 2.5 billion people, a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of 19 trillion US dollars, and 47 percent of the world’s total trade.

APEC also represents the most economically dynamic region in the world having generated nearly 70 percent of global economic growth in its first 10 years.

The Macapagal-Arroyo government welcomes as beneficial to the Philippines US President George W. Bush’s plan to send his energy chief to look into the possibility of joint ventures to explore for oil and natural gas in the country, Deputy Presidential Spokesman Ricardo Saludo said today.

In a radio interview, Saludo said that the U.S. President sees the need for the Philippines to be self-sufficient in oil supplies.

"Gusto nilang makasiguro na tayo rin, bilang isang kaalyado nila, ay hindi labis na umaasa sa langis na galing sa ibang bansa (They want to ensure that the Philippines, being an important ally of the United States, will not rely heavily on other countries for its petroleum requirements)," he said.

Energy Secretary Vincent Perez has said that President Bush, an oilman from midland Texas, showed keen interest in oil and natural gas exploration prospects in the Philippines during his expanded bilateral meeting with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo at Malacanang last Saturday.

Mr. Bush told the President, Perez said, that he will dispatch U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham to Manila in December 2003 to look into joint ventures to explore offshore oil and natural gas reserves in the Sulu and South China seas.

According to Perez, recent surveys by the Department of Energy (DOE) indicated that the country could have much as 8 billion barrels of potential oil and natural gas from reserves in the offshore areas, including those in Malampaya, Palawan.

The United States has aimed over the years to be self-sufficient in oil supplies so as not to depend heavily on Middle East countries.

"Maging ang Amerika mismo, ay gusto niyang makasiguro, unang-una, hindi masyado ang kanilang pag-asa sa langis na galing sa Gitnang Silangan kung saan medyo kung minsan ay may mga ligalig na maaring makahinto o makapagpabagal ng daloy nitong langis (United States itself wants to ensure its own oil supply to prevent dependence on Middle East countries, where trouble sometimes erupts and eventually hampers the flow of oil to the world market)," Saludo said.

During the bilateral meeting, Perez also said he briefed President Bush on the Philippine oil and natural gas framework, which is based on the Public Utilities Commission of Texas

Perez also updated Mr. Bush on the advancement of the Philippine Contracting Round last August, when the government offered 46 blocks in South China Sea and Sulu Sea offshore oil and gas exploration.

Meanwhile, Saludo noted that Saturday’s signing of an agreement between the Philippines and Thailand would boost the development of the energy and agriculture sectors of both countries. The agreement was signed in Bangkok between Perez and his Thai counterpart.

BANGKOK (via PLDT) – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo joined the leaders of the other 20 member economies of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in the first Leaders’ Retreat that opened this afternoon at the Santi Maitri Building of the Government Center here.

The President arrived at exactly 2:00 pm (3:00 P.M. in Manila) at the Thai Koo Fah Building where she was greeted by Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra at the entrance.

Thaksin formally welcomed the 21 APEC leaders at the Thai Koo Fah Building, but the Retreat was held at the adjoining Santi Maitri Building.

The President wore a maroon business suit and like all the other leaders, except US President George W. Bush, was brought to the Government Building by a black BMW sedan.

Mr. Bush rode in his own bullet-proof limousine and alighted from the left side instead of the customary right side as part of security precautions. The specially built limousine is transported to the foreign country that hosts the US President’s visit.

The APEC leaders were brought to the site of the Retreat in alphabetical order. The first to arrive was Australian Prime Minister John Howard.

President Macapagal-Arroyo was preceded by Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo and followed by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The President and Thaksin, who are old acquaintances, exchanged brief greetings, before she was ushered into the building.

Thaksin introduced an innovation to the Leaders’ Meeting by seeing to it that the discussions on matters of interest would be relaxed and free-flowing.

The alphabetical order was no longer followed at the seating arrangement inside the Santi Maitri Building.

President Macapagal-Arroyo was seated between Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare of Papua New Guinea and Singapore Prime Minister Go Chok Tong.

Today’s discussions focus on economic and trade issues. The second Leaders’ Retreat tomorrow will concentrate on counter-terrorism issues.

The Department of Energy (DOE) said today that the government’s rural electrification program is among the most successful of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s July 2003 State of the Nation (SONA) directives.

DOE Undersecretary Cyril C. Del Callar, in a press briefing at Malacaņang, said that the government, at present, needs only to provide electricity to 3,081 barangays to attain the total electrification of rural areas in the Philippines.

"We have experienced an unprecedented rural electrification program under the Macapagal-Arroyo administration. There are now only 3,081 barangays to go to attain total electrification," Del Callar said.

President Macapagal-Arroyo has said that the government’s limited resources have pushed back the rural electrification program over the years. Estimates show that energizing one barangay alone costs about P1 million to P1.3 million.

The increased private sector participation, however, has fueled and accelerated the implementation of electrification programs to 120 barangays per month from an average of 39.5 barangays per month during President Corazon Aquino’s term.

"Today, still four out of 10 households belonging to the lowest 40 percent income group have no access to electricity. This means limited opportunities for socio-economic growth and development particularly in the remote and isolated communities where majority of the poor Filipinos are residing. Electricity will significantly change things for our people and uplift their living condition," President Macapagal-Arroyo said.

The President thanked the Philippine National Oil Company- Energy Development Corporation (PNOC-EDC) for piloting the independent power producers’ (IPPs) participation in the rural electrification in 1998 by energizing 10 barangays in Ormoc, Leyte. PNOC-EDC has since energized 506 barangays in nine provinces and three islands in the country.

She also thanked Mirant Philippines, which has energized 932 barangays. Another power firm, Salcon Power has provided electricity to 23 barangays in Cebu while Korea Ilijan Power Co. has energized 59 barangays in nine towns in Mindoro Oriental.

Toledo Power Company has also brought electricity to nine barangays in Cebu and Luzon Hydro Power has completed energization of seven barangays in Ilocos Sur.

Likewise, donor agency United States Agency for International Development (USAID), through its alliance for Mindanao Off Grid Renewable Energy (AMORE) Program, has also energized 35 barangays in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

A private non-government organization called Foundation of Rural Electrification and Economic Development has also given electricity to four barangays in Antique, Davao del Sur and Quezon province.

President Macapagal- Arroyo said that the unwavering support of the private sector to the electrification program has bolstered the administration’s fight against poverty.

BANGKOK (via PLDT)—President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will spearhead the adoption of measures that would protect the welfare and safety of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) during the 11^th Economic Leaders’ Meeting that formally opened here this afternoon.

The President said that one of the measures that she would propose would promote the mobility of goods and people around the world.

She said that beyond trade and economic issues, APEC must enhance and support labor mobility so that labor will move to competitive sectors.

The President said that APEC should recognize the potentials of the global labor market and the roles the Philippines’ trading partners should play in helping provide employment opportunities to Filipino workers.

A survey conducted last year by an international agency among 48 countries, showed that the Philippines ranked first in terms of availability of skilled workers.

In terms of availability of competent senior managers, the Philippines ranked third, only behind the United States and Chile.

The President said that her government continues to undertake initiatives to further hone the skills of Filipino workers so that the Filipino labor force could fully participate in the knowledge-based economy that is slowly emerging around the world.

She said this could be done by improving the country’s educational standards, specifically in English, mathematics, science, and information and communications technology (ICT).

Malacaņang today reiterated the government will contest the hearing of the arbitration on the controversial Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 case demanded by the German airport operator Fraport AG before the World Bank.

Fraport Chairman Wilhelm Binder, in his letter dated September 17, 2003 to the World Bank’s International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), asked for an arbitration after President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo announced on November 30, 2002, the nullity of the contracts granted to the Philippine International Air Terminals Co., Inc. (PIATCO) due to corruption and violations of the law.

Deputy Presidential Spokesman Ricardo Saludo said, in his press briefing at Malacaņang this afternoon, there is no case with Fraport yet as explained by lawyers from the Office of the Solicitor General.

"The government position for now would be to contest the hearing of that case because there is no legal basis for it," he said.

However, Saludo said recent information received by the government lawyers, is no arbitration case has yet been filed by Fraport AG with the World Bank.

He said that under international banking rules, arbitration cases require consent of the government.

"It requires consent of the Philippines and our position on this as explained by our lawyers is to contest the legal basis for the case," he said.

On its possible negative impact on the investment side, he denied any as he believed that the government has upheld the law and followed the rules.

He added that the government’s main concern now is to open and operate the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 to give public comfort and safety in travel.