NEW YORK (via PLDT) -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today batted for the entry of the Philippines as a non-permanent member of the United Nations (UN) Security Council before the General Assembly and cited the country's commitment in the fight against terrorism.

"I wish to take this opportunity to thank the United Nations community for its support for the Philippines as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the term 2004-2005, and to ask for your continued support during the elections for the council," said the President when she addressed Friday morning the ongoing 58th session of the UN general assembly here.

If ever, the Philippines would take the place of Syria in the Security Council next year.

As an original founding member of the UN, she said the Philippines have actively participated in the Council's initiatives towards the preservation of global peace and security.

She said the Philippines has actively contributed military and police personnel to UN peacekeeping operations in Africa, Asia, the Americas, Middle East and Europe over the past half-century. She said the country is now preparing to contribute a contingent to join the latest UN deployment to Liberia next month.

She cited the Philippines' guiding principles in its council participation as follows:

• Observance of collective security established under the UN charter;

• Pursuing a multilateral approach towards the performance of its primary role of maintaining international peace and security; and

• Observance of the rule of law in the maintenance of international peace and security.

The President said the Philippines is also actively assisting the work of the UN Security Councils' Counter-Terrorism Committee in fighting the specter of global terrorism, and is in the process of ratifying the important international conventions on terrorism.

"At the same time, I am working with other heads of state to ensure continued cooperation in our battle to rid Southeast Asia of the threat of terrorism," she said.

She said the challenges posed by the global threat of terrorism are being effectively addressed through growing international coordination and cooperation.

Back home, she said the Philippine government and the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) both recognize that peace "is an indispensable condition for economic development just as development is an essential component of peace."

"Nothing will do more to lift the Philippines out of poverty than peace itself," she said.

NEW YORK CITY (via PLDT) -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today urged American businessmen to look beyond political rumors and examine the Philippines' economic fundamentals when gauging its attractiveness as an investment site.

The President raised the call in a speech before the Council on Foreign Relations and the United States- Association of Southeast Asian Nations (US-ASEAN) Business Council at the Asia Society Building in Park Ave. this city.

Mrs. Arroyo reiterated her earlier vow to break the culture of rumor-mongering prevalent in the Philippines, particularly during election season.

"The rumor mill is in full gear in an election season. It is the political equivalent of the typhoon season," the President said, explaining the damages to the economy caused by such rumors.

However, she noted that the economic fundamentals of the Philippines remain sound.

The Arroyo administration has undertaken reforms to promote good governance, boost revenue collections and address the budget deficit, which has been the concern of many investors in the past year.

The President assured that the political and economic situation in the Philippines remain stable, despite recent moves to destabilize the administration.

At a round table discussion with members of the international media based in this city on Friday, the President admitted that everything is not perfect in the Philippines.

She said setbacks in economic development resulted from the July 27 mutiny staged by junior officers at the Philippines' financial capital, Makati City.

United Nations, New York – The United Nations will continue to play an active part in the economic and social development in Mindanao, particularly once a final peace agreement is signed between the Philippines and the MILF. Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas F. Ople made this statement in response to questions from media as to whether the UN will have a role in the peace negotiations with the MILF.

"During our meeting with United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, he told the President that he supports the efforts of the Philippines in its quest for peace in Mindanao and offered any assistance that the Philippine government might deem appropriate," Ople said.

"The President thanked the Secretary General for his kind offer and then briefed him on the latest developments on the peace process, particularly the crucial role that Malaysia has been playing to help bring lasting and meaningful peace in Mindanao," Ople said.

"I would like to emphasize that the UN is already involved in development and social projects in Mindanao. It terms of a specific role in relation to the peace process, as distinguished from the peace negotiations, I believe that a strong-conflict role for the UN will, by and of itself, be a big boost to the peace process," Secretary said.

"The UN has a wealth of experience in post-conflict activities. For example, the UN has managed many post-conflict livelihood projects for ex-combatants in different parts of the world," Ople said.

UNITED NATIONS, New York – After meeting with United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan at the United Nations. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo held a meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister to discuss how best to proceed with bringing peace and progress to Mindanao.

During that meeting, Prime Minister Mahathir reiterated his commitment to continue playing an active role in the peace process between the Philippines and the MILF, according to Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas F. Ople.

"Today’s meeting was held with the warmth and frankness that characterize meetings between old and close friends. This meeting sets the stage for the holding of peace talks in Kuala Lumpur. Quite a number of details were discussed in connection with Malaysia’s role in our peace negotiations with the MILF. During the meeting, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad reiterated Malaysia’s strong commitment to playing a crucial role in the peace negotiations, by hosting and helping facilitate peace talks," the Secretary said.

"Both leaders emphasized that they want the peace talks to succeed. They discussed how best to prepare for the peace talks and how to ensure its success. They discussed, to some level of detail, the procedures and mechanisms for the peace talks," Secretary Ople said.

"President Macapagal-Arroyo told Prime Minister that the Philippine government has already taken measures to ensure that peace talks will be carried out smoothly and that conditions are being established to ensure the full and proper implementation of the final peace agreement, once it is concluded," the Secretary added.

Also discussed was the proposal for Malaysia to lead the International Monitoring Team that will monitor the ceasefire while peace negotiations are being carried out. "Prime Minister Mahathir told the President that Malaysia is willing to head this team and that there is just a need to work out technical details. Both leaders then instructed their officials to get together to work out these details," the Secretary said.

UNITED NATIONS, New York – During the meeting between President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, the Malaysian leader strongly supported the moves of the Philippines to strengthen its relations with the members countries of the Organization of the Islamic Conference.

"The Prime Minister told President Macapagal-Arroyo that Malaysia strongly supported the efforts of the Philippines to build strong ties with Islamic countries. He said that this is an important move and one that would help ensure the peace and stability of the Southern Philippines," Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas Ople said.

"This is the reason, according to the Prime Minister, that he had invited the President to attend the Tenth OIC Summit which will be held in Kuala Lumpur this 16-17 October," the Secretary added.

"The Prime Minister also expressed support for our efforts to become an Observer in the OIC. I believe that Malaysia’s support, as well as the support of the other members of the OIC could bring as one step closer to our goal of becoming an Observer in the OIC," Secretary Ople said.

As to whether the Philippines would get its Observer status during the OIC Summit in Kuala Lumpur, the Secretary reiterated that the invitation for the President to attend the Summit, as well as the invitation for him to attend the Ministerial meeting just before the Summit, brings the Philippines one important step towards attaining this goal.

The Secretary clarified, however, that there is a process that must be observed before a country can be admitted as an Observer in the OIC and that such process might not be completed before the Summit in Kuala Lumpur.

"We filed our formal application in the middle of this year during the OIC Ministerial Conference in Tehran," the Secretary said, referring to his attendance in the OIC Ministerial Meeting, an historic one, as it was the first time a Philippine foreign minister was invited to attend an OIC ministerial meeting.

"This has been a very busy year for the Islamic countries and the OIC. Many issues and challenges are before them and it is understandable that there may be certain priority on their agenda," the Secretary said, explaining that the Observer status of the Philippines might be determined at another future meeting of the OIC.

"One of those priority items on their agenda is, of course, the work of the Committee of the Eight, which is overseeing our 1996 peace agreement with the MNLF," the Secretary said.

Malacañang today refuted opposition claims that the Filipino people’s lives have not improved under President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

In a statement, Deputy Presidential Spokesman and Cabinet Secretary Ricardo Saludo cited the latest data on poverty from the National Statistics Office (NSO) that showed impressive gains in the President’s development programs.

"Among the poorest 40 percent, more breadwinners have jobs, more children are in school and more families live in better homes with electricity, conveniences, even cars," Saludo said.

In her column at the Inquirer, University of the Philippines Professor Soita Monsod said that while there have been both gains and setbacks during the Macapagal-Arroyo administration, "there is little doubt that on the whole, Filipino families have improved the quality of their lives in 2002 compared to 1999."

"Arguably the bottom 40 percent of Filipino families have also fared better on the whole in 2002 compared to three years before," said Monsod, who was also former socioeconomic planning secretary and former director general of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

Following are positive indicators from the NSO’s 2002 Annual Poverty Indicators Survey (APIS) for the bottom 40 percent of families:

• 84.9 percent of these households had heads that were gainfully employed, compared to 57.6 percent in 1999.

• Less families, 18.7 percent, with children 5-17 years old, found it necessary to use them as child labor compared to 20 percent in 1999.

• More families with children 6-12 years old had them in elementary school (91.1 to 90 percent in l999). More families with children 13-16 years old had them studying in high school (87.1 to 57.6 percent in l999)

• 54.8 percent of families had houses with roofs made of strong materials against 51.6 percent in l999.

• Families with access to electricity increased from 47.4 in l999 to 55.9 percent.

NEW JERSEY -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today asked Filipino-Americans here to translate their economic prosperity in their adopted country to help advance the interest of their countrymen back home.

"I encourage the Filipino American community to translate their economic prosperity into political clouts in your adopted country so you can help advance the interest of your fellow Filipinos," she told the Filipino-American community here at the end of her two-day working visit in the United States.

Almost 1,000 Fil-Ams gave the President and her delegation a rousing welcome at the Yanitelli Center of Saint Peter's College here from 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm before they left for Rome.

The President said the influence of the strong Filipino community here led by successful individuals could contribute to the strengthening of bilateral relations between the United States and the Philippines.

"Here I can also see already the Filipinos' political clout. The fact that your governor, and your mayor, and your assemblywoman are all here," she said.

New Jersey Governor James McGreevy and Jersey City Mayor Glenn Cunningham were among those who welcomed the President.

Other officials invited were State Representative Jeff Coleman of Pennsylvania, Hudson County Executive Thomas DeGise, and Mayor Robert Rivas of the Borough of Bergenfield.

The strong support of Filipino Americans in Bergenfield made Rivas the first Asian-American mayor in the tri-state of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Other Filipino-Americans have also been appointed to local and federal positions in New Jersey.

She also congratulated Serafin Atengco for his recent appointment as director of Jersey City's Department of Finance, and Eduardo Mendoza as city assessor of Jersey City.

"A tribute not only to the competence of the Filipinos but the fact that they are in the revenue generating agencies is attributed to the integrity of the Filipinos here in Jersey City. Most of you have chosen to become American citizens but I'm grateful that nonetheless you have met your connections to the Philippines," she said.

"And we in the Philippines continue to be proud of what you have all attained," she said.

Based on the US Census of 2000, there are 85,000 Filipino-Americans in New Jersey, the third largest among the Asians after the Asian Indian and the Chinese.

She said although Filipinos comprise only 1 percent of the population of New Jersey, their per capita income is $81,000, the highest among the other ethnic groups.

Most of them are educated and skilled professionals such as doctors, lawyers, engineers, teachers, accountants, performing artists, computer programmers, office managers, nurses, therapists, and other medical related workers.

"As you made the Philippines proud of you, the Philippine government also recognizes your continued support for our welfare back home," she said.

In recognition, the President said, she had signed the Overseas Voting Law, one of he urgent administration measures she stated in her first State-of-the-Nation Address in 2001.

She hoped that in the years to come more Filipino-Americans would register to vote for candidates in the Philippines.

At the same time, she said it is also good for the welfare of the Philippines that Filipinos made their voices heard here in the US.

"In recognition to your contribution to the Philippine economy," she said, "I also signed into law the Dual Citizenship Act, that is part of the country's response to globalization." That remarks drew the loudest applause.

The President said the law also serves "as the strong homing instinct of every Filipino" after a long stay in a foreign country.

She said many Filipino-Americans maintain their contact back home and usually retire in the Philippines.

NEW JERSEY - President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today said that her two-day working trip to the United States was "budgeted and time well spent" and motivated by her keen desire to advance peace in all fronts.

"My time in northeastern United States is budgeted and well spent," she told the members of the Filipino community here early Friday night before departing for Rome.

The President said she had fruitful meetings with United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, and with officials of the US Institute of Peace, the Asia Society and the Council on Foreign Relations.

"My main focus has been to break the cycle of politics focused on economic reforms and work for peace and the fight against terrorism," the President said.

Today, the President said, it is clearer than ever that peace is an indispensable condition for economic development just as development is an essential component for peace.

On Thursday, the President met with Prime Minister Mahathir in New York to help advance the cause of peace in Mindanao.

As a leader in the Muslim world and the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), she said Mahathir is indispensable. "I hope one of his many legacies will be to bring peace to Mindanao," the President said, referring to the upcoming retirement of the Malaysian leader.

She also acknowledged that US President George W. Bush is doing much to help attain peace in Mindanao.

The President said that their joint communiqué last May contained a commitment that the US will give financial and diplomatic support for the crucial peace efforts with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

She said the US government has also put in their congressional budget an initial $30 million as a "carrot" for the peace process. The moment the MILF signs a peace agreement with the government, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) will spend $30 million to rehabilitate the former conflict areas in Mindanao, the President said.

At the same, she said, she is working with other Asian heads of states for a contingent cooperation in the fight to rid Southeast Asia of the threat of terrorism.

While at the UN, the President said, she also made a pitch before the General Assembly for the election of the Philippines as the Asian representative to the UN Security Council.

"It is a great honor, because a seat in the UN Security Council is not done by rotation but by election, and the Asians voted for us," the President said.

She said Filipinos are held in the highest respect and trust not only here in New Jersey but also in the West Coast.

In New York Friday, she had a conversation with young Filipina scientist named Erlinda Maria Gordon, who is from the University of Southern California (USC) in Glendale, California and has discovered a therapy cure for cancer approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.

"With the use of biotechnology rather than chemotherapy to cure cancer, we should be proud of her as they in the West Coast are proud of you Filipinos here," the President said.

She also took note of another young Filipino here, Pierre Barredo, who is running for the New Jersey state senator.

The President also called for support for the Veteran's Equity Bill, which was already passed by the US Congress but is still pending at the US Senate.

The chances of its passing has increased because when she went to Washington in May this year, she met with officials of a newly formed US-Philippine caucus in the US Congress. The caucus is made up of congressmen and congresswomen dedicated to pushing the cause of the Philippines in the US Congress.

Other prominent Filipino-Americans in California are now working actively for the passage of the Veterans' Equity Bill, she said.

Dean Devlin, the producer of the movies, "The Patriot" and "Independence Day," is producing a video infomercial to present to the US Senate as an advocacy for the Veterans' Equity Bill. The video presentation features Lou Diamond-Philips, Tia Carrera, and Rob Schneider, who are all proud of their Filipino ancestry.

She said the typical role of the overseas Filipinos in nation building could not be overemphasized as statistics show the Filipino-Americans constitute one-third of all overseas Filipinos and contribute two-thirds of foreign exchange remittances to the Philippines.

VATICAN CITY—President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo arrived here today for a historic 20-hour visit highlighted by an audience with His Holiness Pope John Paul II at the Apostolic Palace here.

The chartered plane carrying the President, First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, and a lean official delegation, touched down at the Ciampino Airport here at exactly 9:27 am (3:27 pm in Manila).

The presidential plane flew directly to this city from New York where the President had a very hectic but fruitful two-day visit capped by her address at the 58^th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Travel time from New York to Rome was roughly eight hours.

The President and her party were met at the airport by Ambassador to Rome Philip Lhuiller, Ambassador to the Holy See Francisco Alba, Deputy Chief of Protocol of Italy Umberto Lucesi Valle and Archbishop Luigi Travaglino, apostolic nuncio of the Holy See.

After the audience with the Pope, the President is also scheduled to meet with His Eminence Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Cardinal Secretary of State, where they are expected to discuss the close bilateral ties between Manila and the Holy See.

Later in the day, the President will be interviewed by Centro Televisivo Vaticano at her suite at the St. Regis Grand Hotel.

While in New York, the President said that she would seek the blessing of Pope John Paul II for the entire country and the Filipino people and not just for herself or for her family.

The President was also emphatic in saying that she does not intend to talk about politics during her audience with the Pope.

She said that her audience with the Pope has been scheduled early this year but with the threat of war in the Middle East then, she had to postpone it.

For a Roman Catholic country like the Philippines, the President said, it is only natural for its leader, to visit the Pope.

She said that during her audience with the Holy Father, she would reassure him that the Philippine government is fully supportive of the views of the Roman Catholic Church on such issues as divorce, abortion and the death penalty.

Before departing for Paris Sunday for the last leg of her five-day trip, the President would hear mass with a delegation of bishops from the Philippines to be held at the Pontifico Colleglo Filipino.

After that, she will be meeting with the members of the Filipino community at the Sala Esperanza of Ergife Palace Hotel.