For providing better life to Filipinos and triggering economic development in the countryside, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today commended 72 rural electric cooperatives for their substantial compliance with the government’s rural electrification program.

The President expressed satisfaction and acknowledged the 72 electric cooperatives who complied with her demands for better services, bold reforms and a permanent commitment to integrity and transparency spelled out in Executive Order No. 119 in return for the condonation of their electrification loans amounting to some P18 billion.

She also presented trophies to the most outstanding of these electric cooperatives and their officials in ceremonies held this morning at Malacaņang’s Ceremonial Hall

The President rewarded the 72 electric cooperatives with greater autonomy and empowerment which means there will be less government regulations, conduiting and full support for access to private sector funds and assistance.

She also congratulated 23 other electric cooperatives that have partially complied with the list of her required reforms. She said a second assessment will be conducted to determine whether or not additional assistance is necessary in order to improve their efficiency and reliability.

However, the President expressed dismay for the continued dismal performance of some 21 electric cooperatives. It will be the height of injustice for them to continue subjecting their member’s to difficulty or distress, she said.

"Now is the time to allow other players imbued with responsiveness and capability to step in and implement the needed reforms – bold and unprecedented - no matter how unpleasant some of them maybe," she stressed.

The President also told the awardees that she had directed the National Electrification Administration (NEA) Board of Administrators to take the most viable of the options or alternatives in accordance with the regulatory framework and within the bounds of laws, rules and regulations.

"They must pursue viable solutions such as, but not limited to, merger or consolidation, joint ventures, investment management contracts or management takeovers," the President said.

She also instructed the NEA to organize and promote "watchdog committees" composed of influential sectors in the local communities and to institutionalize its program.

During the awarding rites, the President also witnessed the signing of the merger agreement among the Cebu I, II, III Electric Cooperatives which is the first such options that would strengthen the capital base of the surviving cooperative and broaden the membership base and encourage greater participation in the affairs of the cooperative.

For the past 15 years, the NEA Board of Administrators has annually recognized excellent performance of electric cooperatives.

The Most Outstanding Electric Cooperatives in the Philippines awardees are Iloilo I, Peninsula, Tarlac II, Zamboanga Sur I, Cotabato, La Union and Agusan Norte Electric Cooperatives.

The Turn-Around Electric Cooperatives are Aklan, Camarines Norte , Camarines Sur IV, Central Pangasinan, Masbate, Bohol II and Misamis Occidental II.

The Most Outstanding General Managers awardees are Wilfred Billena (Iloilo I), Carlos Itable (Bohol I & II), Edecio Satina (Cebu I & II), Ramon Posadas (La Union), Horacio Santos (Agusan Norte) , Edgardo Savellano, (Daneco) and Loreto Marcelino (Peninsula).

Malacaņang today said that the fears expressed by Vice President Teofisto Guingona, Jr. on the country’s stability are not shared by many Filipinos, although he is entitled to his private opinion.

"This is an expression of a private opinion of the Vice President, which at least to us, appears not to be shared by many," Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said in his press briefing this afternoon.

Bunye was reacting to the statement attributed to the Vice President that the situation in the country is "fluid" and could lead to a scenario that would be worse than the July 27 Oakwood incident.

Earlier, Bunye said that the fact that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is going to fulfill her commitments abroad later this month is an indication that the situation in the country is stable.

He said that the President "is confident on the state of the nation, in the direction of the economy and the prospects for peace."

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today said more logistics would be poured into the frontlines to further strengthen the armed forces’ campaign against insurgency and terrorism.

The President made the remarks during a luncheon with 137 field commanders of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) at the Social Hall in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

Accompanying the President were AFP Chief Gen. Narciso Abaya, AFP Operations (J3) Chief Maj. Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, and Defense Undersecretary Feliciano Gacis.

The President, who is concurrently the Secretary of National Defense, said more logistics would be put into the frontlines "for better fighting capability" of the soldiers.

During the luncheon, the President also thanked the field commanders – ranked between 2^nd Lieutenant to Captain – for their continued loyalty to the government.

"Thank you for your loyalty to the Republic and may you continue to be the good protectors of the Filipino people," Mrs. Arroyo said.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today assured the relocation of more than 2,000 slum dwellers in the government’s permanent housing site at the Smokey Mountain Development and Reclamation Area in Tondo, Manila.

During the President’s visit at the Smokey Mountain, Secretary Michael Defensor, chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), said 840 families would move into the seven five-story buildings in the permanent housing site as early as December 16 this year.

He said an additional 1,560 squatter families would fully occupy the housing site by March next year.

Much to the delight of the residents, the President tasked Defensor to lower the P350 monthly amortization for each of the 4 x 10 meters housing units in the area.

The President also ordered the removal of the some 100,000 cubic meters of thrash mound beside the housing site.

The residents have been waiting since eight years ago to move into the government’s housing facility.

Other amenities awaiting the lucky residents were the establishment of park, roads, sewer treatment plant, a computer school and livelihood projects.

Jaime de Guzman, one of the 119 families affected by a fire in Tondo in September 2001 who were among the first to relocate into one of the buildings, said their only problem now is the excessive P40 per cubic meter of water being charge by the Smokey Mountain Community Association, Inc. (SMCAI).

The President later visited the BASECO Compound also in Tondo where she witnessed the turnover of 10,000 bags of cement by the Cement Manufacturers’ Association of the Philippines (CMAP) for the more than 2,000 families in the area affected by a fire in March 30, 2002 and March 6, this year.

Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon categorically denied today that he has resigned from the Cabinet, saying he has no reason to and is happy serving President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo because of her work ethics and integrity.

In a press briefing in Malacaņang, Gordon branded those responsible for the malicious talks as mischievous politicians "who can’t wait until 2004 to destabilize the country and take over."

"I warn them that this is going nowhere," Gordon said. "They have no support from the people."

He expressed disappointment that these people he described as "purveyors of pernicious poison" would resort to such acts, saying that what they are doing is a great disservice to the nation and to all Filipinos.

"There is no intention on my part to resign," he stressed. "There is no reason on my part. I am happy serving this President. She has the work ethic, she has the integrity."

Despite his disappointment, Gordon said his faith in the Filipino remains.

"If only we could concentrate on our jobs, on what we are supposed to do, if we cooperate with each other, rally around the flag, we will be making good examples of ourselves and letting the whole world realize that the Philippines can be and will always be the Comeback Kid in this part of the world," he said.

The Tourism Secretary said that despite all the controversies, the Cabinet remains strong and cooperating with each other.