ROME (via PLDT) – A massive Italy-wide blackout Sunday forced the cancellation of a scheduled meeting between President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the Filipino community at the Sala Esperanza of the Ergife Palace Hotel here.

The blackout, reportedly caused by the tripping of a power grid from France, started at 4:00 A.M. (10:00 A.M. Manila time) and was yet to be restored by noon, forcing the President to call off her meeting with the Overseas Filipino workers slated at 3:00 P.M.

Only the night before, Rome had stayed awake till the wee hours of the morning in an unprecedented celebration called Nota Blanco (White Night), the equivalent of the Philippines’ midnight madness sales.

Museums and commercial establishments remained opened while Romans roamed the streets in wild abandon, causing traffic gridlock in the major thoroughfares, particularly in the famous tourist spots of the city.

The surprise outage threw Rome into darkness with only the headlights of passing vehicles illuminating the city.

The President was able to attend a 9:00 A.M. mass with a delegation of bishops from the Philippines, headed by Archbishop Orlando Quevedo, at the Pontificio Collegio Filippino in Via Aurelia.

Dressed in aqua marine suit, the President was with the First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, Philippine Ambassador to the Vatican Francisco Alba, Philippine Ambassador to Rome Philippe Lhuillier and other members of the Philippine delegation.

They were welcomed at the Pontificio by His Eminence Jose T. Cardinal Sanchez, Collegio Filipino rector Msgr. Ruperto Santos and Fr. Alberto Guevarra, chaplain of Sentro Pilipino.

Ambassador Alba introduced Cardinal Sanchez, Archbishop Quevedo and Fr. Guevarra to the President while the other Collegio Filippino officials were introduced by Msgr. Santos.

The other prominent personalities of the religious community in Rome introduced themselves one by one to the President.

Also present at the gathering were Filipino bishops on an Ad Limina visit to Rome, including incoming Catholic Bishops Confederation of the Philippines president Fernando Capalla of Davao and Carmelo Morelos of Zamboanga.

After the mass the Philippine delegation, including journalists covering the President’s her five-day working visit, had to hurry back to their hotels, pack their bags and catch the chartered presidential plane that was to fly them to Paris, some even without taking shower as water supply was also cut off due to the power outage.

At the Champino airport where the chartered Philippine Airlines flight was waiting, the President and the First Gentleman were escorted by Ambassadors Alba and Lhuillier through the tarmac on the red carpet flanked by honor guards.

Representatives of 60,000 Filipino workers here missed the opportunity of seeing the President due to cancellation of their meeting.

VATICAN CITY (via PLDT) -- For the Macapagal-Arroyo family, the visit to Pope John Paul II was like history repeating itself.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo fondly recalled her visit to Pope Paul VI with parents former President Diosdado Macapagal and Eva Macaraeg- Macapagal and her husband Jose Miguel Arroyo.

"I was pregnant with my son Dato," the President said, recalling her wonderful memories during her pregnancy with her second son Diosdado Ignacio Arroyo.

She said the following year when she visited the Vatican again, the Pope asked her, "How's the bambino?"

This time around, it was her son Dato’s pregnant wife Victoria Celina Manotok-Arroyo who was blessed by Pope John Paul II.

"So it's really like history repeating itself," the President said.

The President said the invitation given by the Pope was for her family to visit the Vatican. Later on, she said the Palace arranged for her to take along some members of her official family.

One of the officials who joined the President during the call on the Pope was Agriculture Secretary Luis Lorenzo, Jr.

VATICAN CITY(via PLDT) -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has assured Pope John Paul II that her administration would take steps to be able to guarantee that only genetically modified fruits and vegetables safe or human consumption are sold and produced in the Philippines.

The President conveyed her assurance during an audience with the Pope Saturday at the Vatican.

President Arroyo said she expressed gratitude to the Pope for supporting the use of genetically-modified organisms (GMO) that do not cause harmful effects on the body when consumed by humans.

She stressed the importance of Vatican's support for the use of GMO,

particularly for a Catholic-dominated country like the Philippines.

"GMO is considered important for our food security," the President said, as she expressed hope that the use of GMOs on fruits and vegetables will help significantly boost agricultural productivity.

With ample supply of fruits and vegetables in the Philippines, the cost of food Is expected to go down significantly, making them more affordable to the masses.

The President said what the Vatican strongly objects to, when it comes to genetic modification, is the human cloning.

PARIS (via PLDT) – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo arrived here from Rome Sunday at about 4:00 pm (10 pm Manila time).

She will deliver this afternoon (11:00 am, Paris time) her keynote address at the 32^nd General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) at its headquarters here.

The President’s arrival here was ahead of schedule after Rome was hit Sunday by an extended blackout. Because of the power failure, the President cancelled some of her appointments in Rome, including the meeting with overseas Filipino workers in Italy.

But the President’s audience with Pope John Paul II pushed through despite earlier fears that it would be scrapped because the Pope had been indisposed a few days earlier and had to cancel some of his appointments.

The President and her official party were met at Orly International Airport by Philippine Ambassador to Paris Hector Villaroel; Ambassador Preciosa Soliven, Philippine envoy to UNESCO and Secretary General of the UNESCO Commission of the Philippines; and Ahmad Saleh Sayyad, UNESCO Assistant Director General for External Relations and Cooperation.

The President’s brief visit to Paris was upon the invitation of UNESCO Director General Koichiro Matsuura.

Also invited, along with the President, are Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi and United States First Lady Laura Bush, who will speak in the afternoon session.

Re Senator Angara’s Warning

There is no such thing going on and Senator Angara is talking out of line. He seems to have joined the ranks of muckrakers who carry no proof, and he is playing into the political season. He should present his proposals on how to raise revenues for the government rather than issue such baseless warnings. He should help us attract investors to win more jobs for the people, not throw curve balls at the administration.

Re Security at Airport

Malacaņang said today that the government’s privatization program has been crafted over many years based on long-term priorities and market conditions and not political expediency.

Deputy Presidential Spokesman and Cabinet Secretary Ricardo L. Saludo, in a press briefing today, said that the government does not like to play politics with the peoples’ need, especially in the power generation sector.

Saludo said that with regards to the disposal of the National Power Corporation’s (NAPOCOR) transmission and generating assets, the sale would be based on the framework and conditions set out in the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA), which was enacted by Congress.

"The prices of these assets are based on first, market condition, and secondly, the regulations imposed by the law as well as the Commission on Audit (CoA) on the disposal of government assets. The proceedings themselves will be fully transparent and subject to review by duly constituted bodies that look into the transactions of the government, " Saludo said.

He said that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who took power on a platform of good government, is determined to promote transparency, integrity and accountability in the implementation of major programs that will be beneficial to the Filipino people.

The government’s effort to fast-track privatization is crucial because of the much-needed investments in the power sector. "The sale of government assets will be based on prevailing market conditions and certain regulations on the sale of government assets," Saludo said, adding that the government intends to be very transparent with its sale transactions.

Saludo said that the government has shown transparency and integrity in its previous privatization deals and projects benefiting the people.

"We have shown these efforts in the implementation of the e-procurement system, computerization of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Bureau of Customs (BoC), as well as in the prosecution of erring government officials in various agencies," Saludo said.

He said that the government would show the same resolve in the privatization of NAPOCOR, which would be the biggest disposal of government assets.

"The government will ensure that sale proceedings will be fully transparent and that it can be viewed by the Executive-Legislative Committee overseeing EPIRA’s implementation," Saludo said.

He said the government listens to the public pulse and it will continue to keep its ears glued to the ground and respond accordingly when the public interest is at stake.

"Statements imputing political motives to bonafide privatization efforts are not helpful in building confidence in the country and economy," Saludo said.

The earnings from the sales of government assets are intended for specific government development projects, particularly major anti-poverty programs. These earnings will also bolster the government’s efforts for much needed investments in the power sector in order to ensure no power shortages in the years ahead.

PARIS (via PLDT) – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today lauded the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for its various programs around the world that promote education, science and culture, saying that these are the tools needed to fight global poverty.

In her keynote address before the UNESCO’s 32^nd General Conference held at the UN agency’s headquarters here, the President also thanked UNESCO for its assistance to the Philippines in four areas.

Firstly, the President cited UNESCO’s valuable assistance in the preservation of the thousand-year-old Ifugao rice terraces in Northern Philippines.

"These terraces testify to our ancestral sophistication in the science of upland irrigation," the President said.

The President also thanked UNESCO for its recognition of the Earth Savers Dream Ensemble as its artist-for-peace awardee. "This demonstrates that in the Philippines physical disability need not prevent cultural excellence," she said.

The ensemble is composed of young Filipino singers and musicians with physical disabilities.

The Chief Executive also cited UNESCO’s inclusion in its record of world events the various documentary radio broadcasts during the bloodless people power revolt at EDSA in l986.

The President was joined by Education Secretary Edilberto de Jesus and Ambassador Preciosa Soliven, secretary general of the UNESCO Commission of the Philippines; Sen. Aquilino Pimentel, Jr. and Philippine Ambassador to France Hector Villaroel.