I call on all Filipinos abroad who are vulnerable to terrorist attack to be on the alert and take precautionary measures under the guidelines of, and in cooperation with, their host governments.

We condemn the latest bombing attacks in Iraq and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and express our sympathy to the families of the victims.

These attacks only strengthen our commitment and resolve to the global fight against terrorism.

I acknowledge the concerns of our people with regard to the safety of our nationals in Iraq.

We shall do our best to ensure their safety and well-being while at the same time, stand fast in our international commitments.

The deferment of the GRP-NDF peace talks is because of the election period.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Wednesday called on Filipinos abroad, particularly those in the Middle East where terrorists sow death and destruction, to exercise utmost care in the wake of deadly, coordinated terrorist attacks in Iraq and Saudi Arabia that killed and wounded scores of people.

"I call on all Filipinos abroad who are vulnerable to terrorist attacks to be on the alert and take precautionary measures under the guidelines of, and in cooperation with, their host governments," the President said in a statement.

The President acknowledged "the concerns of our people with regard to the safety of our nationals in Iraq" and vowed to "do our best to ensure their safety and well-being while at the same time, stand fast in our international commitments."

The attacks only strengthen our commitment and resolve to the global fight against terrorism, the President said as she condemned the latest bombings in Baghdad and Riyadh.

On April 15, the President ordered the Department of Foreign Affairs and Ambassador Roy Cimatu of the Middle East Preparedness Team to set up an Iraq Team to ensure the safety and possible relocation or evacuation of Filipinos working there.

The Iraq Team is tasked to identify and locate all Filipino nationals and establish working relationships with appropriate peace and order authorities in the country.

The President gave the assurance that there is sufficient transportation and communication equipment and other logistics already on the ground with additional resources to be provided as may be necessary.

The Catholic Church today urged the electorate to vote for candidates who meet three basic criteria, the first of which is competence in terms of leadership experience, professional qualifications and a track record of governance.

A pastoral letter, issued by the influential Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), also enjoined the voters to choose candidates "of conscience, i.e., with personal integrity, transparency, accountability and respect for human rights."

The pastoral letter, signed by CBCP president Davao Archbishop Fernando Capalla, said the people should entrust their ballots to the candidate who is a person with "commitment to a vision and program of action on key issues such as family and life, environment, illegal drugs and gambling, justice, peace and order, poverty alleviation, education, etc."

The CBCP said it is the right and duty of the voters to discern and select the candidates based on these three criteria.

"Beyond elections, there is the greater challenge for all citizens to continue monitoring winning candidates in order to ensure transparency, accountability and people empowerment for good governance," the CBCP stressed.

"We have been praying for clean elections; we continue to pray and work for reconciliation and the solidarity that is essential to nation-building," it added.

The CBCP underscored that elections are crucial in the continuing task of nation-building. "They are a timely opportunity to transform society by electing wise, capable and upright leaders."

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today urged business and labor leaders to lead the Filipino people in making the right and the responsible choice in the May 10 elections to consolidate the gains that her administration has achieved during the past three years.

"The crucial choice we face today is a choice between moving forward to stability and prosperity, or making a U-turn to the crony capitalism and the midnight kitchenomics of the past," the President told the 25^th National Conference of Employers at the Westin Philippine Plaza in Pasay City this morning.

The President was referring to opposition candidate Fernando Poe, Jr., a close friend of former President Joseph Estrada, who was known to indulge in midnight drinking bouts in Malacanang together with his cronies.

She said the question now is whether to simply throw the gains that the government has achieved "by gambling on an inexperienced and untested leadership in the May elections."

"I trust that you will lead our people in making the right and responsible choice, and I thank you all for your support," the President said.

President Macapagal-Arroyo also said that minimum wages increased by 11.2 percent above inflation, while foreign investments surged by 26 percent in the "strong start" of her short presidency.

She traced to the improvement of the economy to employers’ "commitment to a social partnership," which, in turn, helped foster a prolonged industrial peace.

Mrs. Macapagal-Arroyo said that the average mining and non-agricultural wages went up by 29.2 percent to P271 per day under her watch compared with only P210 daily under the administration of former President Joseph Estrada. The average daily agricultural wages went up by 19.6 percent to P238 from P199.

"If we talk about average wages, it would be even more because the new jobs created by the new investments under my administration have been the higher paying jobs," she added.

As a result of the social partnership between government and the private sector, the President said, "we have made a strong start in a short time."

"Working together we stabilized the mess we inherited. Together in our social partnership, we have low inflation and high growth. We have huge new foreign investments. Foreign investments have surged by 26 percent," she said.

She said that the number of strikes under her administration has been cut by half, or the lowest in two decades.

With an unprecedented expenditure of P20 billion a year on agricultural modernization, the Chief Executive said her administration expanded the farms covered by irrigation, introduced hybrid crops and improved transport system.

"Our agriculture has grown by leaps and bounds," she said, adding that farm incomes have improved dramatically. "Copra was P2.50 per kilo when I inherited the presidency, now it is P22.50 per kilo," she said.

"As a result, too, we will be self-sufficient again in rice within two years," the President said.

She then pledged that, if elected in the May 10 polls, she would carry out a six-point pro-poor agenda that, hopefully, would end poverty and unite the nation.

Her pro-poor program consists of six pledges to be fulfilled during her new term of office. First is to create a million new jobs each year.

To protect jobs, she said that tariffs of some 1,000 items would be adjusted upwards to give local manufacturers a fighting chance against imports.

Last September, she recalled that the Philippines was among the 21 developing countries that said "No" to a new World Trade Organization agreement until the developed countries reform their system of subsidies for agriculture.

Second is to bring clean water to all 45,00 barangays. Third is to energize 1,500 barangays a year.

"I am prepared to consider industry-government cooperation in addressing some concerns about the power sector and the water issue. There will never be a power crisis nor a water crisis under the Gloria administration," she said.

Her fourth pledge is to reduce by half the price of commonly used medicines. Fifth is to construct 3,000 new classrooms each year, provide a college or vocational/tech scholarship to every poor family, and give a computer unit to every school nationwide.

Malacanang is unfazed by the planned May 1 rally of the opposition and brushed it aside as a desperate move and an admission of the inevitable victory for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the May 10 elections.

In a press briefing this afternoon at the Palace, Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye described the projected anti-government rally by the different political parties as an "act of desperation."

"The way it looks to us, this is a desperate move by the opposition groups and we take this as a virtual admission that the President is already a sure winner in May 10," Bunye said.

He added that the government has no plans of stopping the mass action because the President believes and respects freedom of speech.

But Bunye reminded the protesters to exercise self-discipline and police their own ranks.

The President added that her directive was also meant to enhance the country's tourism industry.

CANDON CITY, Ilocos Sur—President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today invaded the so-called Marcos country in Northern Luzon where an estimated 10,000 supporters attended a political rally of the ruling Koalisyon ng Karanasan at Katapatan sa Kinabukasan (K-4) at the Civic Center here.

Earlier in the day, the President had a private luncheon meeting with Bishop Edmundo Abaya in Vigan.

In the rally, the President revealed that her government has spent a total of P4.4 billion for various infrastructure projects in the province, that included roads, bridges and irrigation systems.

Mrs. Macapagal-Arroyo and her official entourage, that included vice presidential bet, Sen. Noli "Kabayan" de Castro, were on their way to Laoag City for another huge political rally of the K-4.

LAOAG CITY -- The so-called Solid North is not so solid after all.

This, Ilocos Norte Congressman Roquito Ablan assured President Gloria Macapgal-Arroyo during her visit here this afternoon to lay the cornerstone of the proposed terminal building of the Laoag International Airport and inaugurate the finished stalls for the concessionaires at the Centennial Arena.

Ablan said 18 out of 22 municipalities, including this city, are supporting the President in her bid for a full six-year term in next month’s polls.

"Unlike what is generally known, most Marcos loyalists here support her. It’s very likely that she’ll win here," said Ablan who is celebrating his birthday today. "My birthday wish is for her to win the elections."

Ablan said experience, more than popularity is what made him and other supporters go for the President who arrived at the Laoag International Airport at around 4:45 p.m.

Aside from Ablan, Ilocos Norte Governor Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr. and Laoag Mayor Roger Farinas also welcomed the President at the airport.

After laying the cornerstone for the proposed extension of the terminal building and inaugurating the market stalls, the President went to the Centennial Arena in this city for the political rally.

The President told the people at the rally that she is the only President who fully paid the tobacco excise tax fund for tobacco growing provinces like Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union and Pangasinan.

The President then enumerated her various infrastructure projects for the region, which she said, are already funded by the national government. She then asked the help of the people in giving her a fresh mandate to continue what she had started.