Agriculture Secretary Luis P. Lorenzo Jr. said the Department of Agriculture (DA) has put in place crucial safety nets in the agricultural sector to help local farmers cope with the effects of globalization and entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Lorenzo said the DA’s move supports President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s declaration that the P35 billion fund provided by Congress for the setting up of "safety nets" for 10 million farmers affected by globalization has been properly disbursed for the benefit of farmers and the fisher folk.

He said that the DA has established priority projects under the Gintong Masaganang Ani Program in the Strategic Agricultural and Fisheries Development Zones, to increase production and improve the quality and competitiveness of local agricultural products both locally and in the world market.

"The DA has also fully implemented the Agricultural and Fisheries Modernization Act (AFMA) of 1997, which is due to expire this year, and the Fisheries Code of 1998, which is due to expire in 2005, all of which provided funding support for projects and activities benefiting farmers and fisherfolk," Lorenzo said.

Lorenzo also said that the DA has requested Congress to extend the effectivity of these laws to fully benefit both farmers and fisherfolk.

He explained that while the funds for the implementation of AFMA had been inadequate, the full allocation of P17 billion for AFMA safety net projects was released in 2002.

The Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ACEF) also allocated P2 billion for safety nets, out of its collection of P4.4 billion as of July 15, 2003.

Lorenzo said that out of the P2 billion ACEF funds, 65 percent went to regular ACEF projects, and 35 percent, to the funding of the sugar projects.

ACEF was created by Congress from tariff collections on agricultural products to finance projects intended to enhance their competitiveness in domestic and foreign export markets.

ACEF has been supporting 31 projects nationwide, 10 in Luzon, 10 in Visayas and six in Mindanao.

Lorenzo explained that safety nets projects under AFMA and the Fisheries Code are intended to increase productivity and improve farmers’ incomes.

He said these projects include expanding irrigated areas and improving existing farms, setting up post harvest facilities to cut down post harvest losses, establishing farm-to-market roads, providing credit to farmers and fisherfolk, giving greater market access to farmers and fishermen and intensifying research and development to further improve the yield and quality of farm activities.

The Philippine National Police shall maintain law and order as the Supreme Court hears the oral argument on the FPJ citizenship case.

We call on the organizers and the leaders of those who are planning to stage a rally to police their own ranks.

The police will exercise maximum tolerance.

We are for justice and fairness and justice for every Filipino, and for the protection of the cherished freedoms of our people.

Despite adversities in the global economy and some internal concerns, the Philippines under the Macapagal-Arroyo administration achieved one of the highest economic growth rates among the 21 economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Council (APEC) region, ending the country’s perennial boom and bust cycle of its economy.

Under President Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo, the Philippines has fortified its macro-economic fundamentals amid the continued downturn of the global economy.

The economy grew largest during the Macapagal-Arroyo Administration with the Gross National Product (GNP) growth rate averaging 5.5 percent in 2003. It was also 60 percent higher than the growth rate experienced by the country under the Estrada Administration.

During President Macapagal-Arroyo’s term the country had the largest growth rate of 5.5 percent GNP after the Asian financial crisis.

Likewise, the Macapagal-Arroyo Administration had the largest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) with 4.5 percent in 2003 and an average of 3.96 percent. President Macapagal- Arroyo far exceeded the achievement of the Estrada administration in GDP by a whopping 77.6 percent.

GDP is the value of goods and services produced inside the country while GNP is the total value of goods and services produced by the country including earnings from abroad.

The country’s inflation rate under the current administration averaged at 4.1 percent, lower than the previous administration’s. The Macapagal-Arroyo administration recorded the lowest inflation rate at 3.1 percent in 2003 since 1988.

The continued strong showing of the country’s macro-economic fundamentals has smoothened economic wrinkles brought about by politically motivated attempts to destabilize the country.

Agriculture and agrarian reform

Aside from prudent economic and fiscal management, the modernization of the country’s agricultural sector by the Macapagal-Arroyo administration has helped greatly in boosting the country’s overall economic performance.

The Macapagal-Arroyo administration has spent P20 billion annually for agricultural modernization, the highest allotted for the sector in the history of the Philippines.

With the government thrust in modernizing the sector, farmers who are beneficiaries of the government’s land reform program, were able to transform their assets into credit and become economically independent from their former landlords.

In terms of average number of hectares of public and private lands distributed annually, the Macapagal-Arroyo administration, in merely three years, more than doubled the accomplishments of the Estrada Administration.

Rice productivity has also reached new heights under the Macapagal- Arroyo administration. The yields of farmers were more than doubled with the propagation of hybrid rice.

More than 100,000 hectares are now planted with hybrid rice, which translated to a 20 percent growth in rice production.

Annual average rice production during the Macapagal-Arroyo administration exceeds the Estrada administration by 21.36 percent.

In terms of annual average corn production, the Macapagal-Arroyo administration’s performance is also 4.18 percent higher than that of the Estrada administration

Total length of national roads constructed and improved during the Macapagal-Arroyo administration exceeds by 17.3 percent the record of accomplishments during the Estrada Administration.

Likewise, the total number of linear meters of national bridges constructed and improved during the Macapagal-Arroyo administration. It exceeds by 11.96 percent the accomplishments during the Estrada Administration.

Barangay electrification under the Macapagal-Arroyo administration also exceeded by 14.52 percent the Estrada administration’s performance.

Total number of energized barangays during the Macapagal-Arroyo administration is 37.43 percent more than the Estrada administration.

Employment, housing and basic services

Total employment generated during the Macapagal-Arroyo administration has registered a cumulative total of 5.799 million, which is 660 percent higher than the total employment generated during the Estrada administration.

Under the three-year administration of President Macapagal-Arroyo, the number of indigent families enrolled in Philhealth reached 3.2 million or about 66 percent more than the number enrolled during Estrada’s term. An average of 1.22 million indigent families or 6 million individuals were enrolled per year in Philhealth from 2001 to 2003.

The Macapagal-Arroyo administration also constructed the most number of schoolbuildings in its first year. It completed 25 percent more schoolbuildings than the Estrada administration.

Under the present administration, the government constructed the most number of classrooms in its first year. The Macapagal-Arroyo Administration’s construction of classrooms is 38 percent more than the Estrada administration.

The Macapagal-Arroyo administration is ensuring that honest, orderly and peaceful elections are conducted with the presence of international observers.

Executive Secretary Alberto Romulo has broached the idea to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) which has expressed agreement.

"Consonant with the President’s thrust on good governance, may we put forward the idea for the Commission to invite a group of international observers to monitor the conduct of the 2004 elections," Romulo told Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos in a letter.

"We believe that the presence of the international observers will help ensure the integrity, transparency, impartiality and credibility of the electoral process, a bedrock of Philippine democracy," Romulo added.

Abalos readily welcomed the idea.

"Indeed, the presence of international observers will send such a message to the world that democracy in the Philippines, while relatively young, puts absolutely no one above the sacred process of election, and that leaders are chosen only by the genuine will of the people," Abalos replied.

"I look forward to discussing the details of this undertaking," Abalos added.

The National Democratic Institute (NDI) has expressed enthusiasm to lead an international monitoring team, according to Romulo.

It also cited its participation in the US Observer Delegation to the 1986 Philippine presidential elections, led by Sen. Richard Lugar, which launched the institute’s international program on election monitoring, Romulo added.

The NDI also offered to consult with the International Republican Institute (IRI) and Carter Center and other international experts on their possible participation to insure the multi-national and bi-partisan delegation to the Philippines, Romulo said.

Malacanang assured the public transport sector today that steps are now being undertaken to cushion the impact of the recent round of oil price hikes, saying that in due time oil prices would go down and there would be no more need to increase fares.

Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said in an interview this morning that the increased demand that raised the world oil price was due to the ongoing winter season in most countries.

"Kapag siyempre malamig, they need more fuel para magbigay ng init sa maraming tahanan (They need fuel to keep them warm). Kaya yan ay isa sa mga dahilan kung bakit tumaas ang presyo ng langis sa world market (That is one of the reasons while crude oil prices went up in the world market)," Bunye said.

The Presidential Spokesman said the government expects the prices to go down with the change of seasons as demand goes down.

Bunye bared that the government is now conducting programs such as the setting up of outlets where the public transport sector can buy diesel at discounted prices.

There are efforts to add more to the present 119 outlets, according to Bunye.

Aside from these, Bunye said the government, in a recent cabinet meeting, has decided to lower the tariff rates for spare parts which the public transport sector uses.

"So itong tatlong factors na ito, sa aking pananaw, ay makakatulong sa pagpapababa ng gastusin ng public transport sector at hindi na kinakailangan na ituloy nila iyong kanilang request para sa increase ng pamasahe (These three factors would help alleviate the plight of the public transport sector without necessarily increasing the transport fares)," he said.

The administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo takes pride in the fact that no transport fare hike has occurred in her two and a half years of administration, opting to take effective measures to cushion the impact of price increases.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today called for public sobriety in the light of Supreme Court deliberations of petitions seeking the disqualification of actor and presidential aspirant Fernando Poe Jr. over a question on his citizenship.

The President issued the call amid threats by Poe supporters to stage rallies in an apparent bid to pressure the High Tribunal to rule in his favor.

"We call on the organizers and the leaders of those who are planning to stage a rally to police their own ranks," the Chief Executive said in a statement.

Mrs. Macapagal-Arroyo said the Philippine National Police will observe maximum tolerance in maintaining peace and order during the rallies.

"We are for justice and fairness for every Filipino, and for the protection of the cherished freedoms of our people," the President stressed.

She indicated that free expression and the conduct of clean, orderly and honest elections are part of the democratic way of life in the country.

Don’t look now, but even farmers from the religious sect Iglesia ni Cristo are interested in the highly-successful Gloria Rice Program.

This morning, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Bro. Eduardo Manalo met at the INC Central Office in Quezon City to discuss the possible adoption of the very high-yielding Glora Rice variety by its member farmers.

The INC has tracts of land in Bulacan and Nueva Ecija where it intends to propagate the hybrid rice to boost the income of its member farmers.

"The proposal was very well received by the INC officials. The discussions centered around the possible adoption of the Gloria Rice in Bulacan and Nueva Ecija as starting areas that will be utilized by the INC farmers," explained Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye in a press briefing.

Bunye pointed out that the assistance to be given to the INC farmers would be the same assistance that would be made available to other rice farmers in the country.

"One of the benefits discussed in the cabinet meeting yesterday was that the price of seeds would be made available on a subsidized basis. And then when the actual harvest comes, the rice would be bought by the National Food Authority at an agreed farm gate price of P10, which is higher than usual," he said.

Aside from the INC, Bunye said the President wants to seek the support of as many sectors as possible to effectively put in place her pet projects and realize her thrust on anti-poverty which is to have food on the table for every Filipino family.

The Philippines and Thailand have agreed to push for the creation of a regional petroleum hub that will serve as strategic location for stockpiling and distribution points in Asia in a bid to counter continual increase in world oil prices.

In a joint statement, Philippine Energy Secretary Vince Perez and Thai Energy Minister Prommin Lertsuridej said the bilateral talks they held today was one of the concrete steps being undertaken in maximizing the use of existing infrastructures to bolster the energy security of the ASEAN along with China, Japan and Korea.

"The Philippines has offered the use of its premier petroleum storage facility in Subic as a potential strategic and commercial site for stockpiling in this regard, while Thailand has recently opened its first petroleum trading center in Sriracha, Chon Buri," the statement said.

Perez and Prommin also expressed concerns about the continuing increase in oil prices in the world market, and urged oil producing countries to consider not implementing more cuts in their production.

Both countries also agreed to give importance to improving fuel quality in response to calls for supply security in the region.

A memorandum of understanding (MOU) forged between the Philippine National Oil Co. (PNOC) and the PTT Public Co. of Thailand called for the conduct of a study and exploration of areas of bilateral cooperation in the utilization of existing oil storage facilities as a concrete step towards the realization of their objective.

The MOU stipulated that the two countries have expressed their intention to create a Southeast Asia Petroleum Hub using Subic Bay in the Philippines and Sriracha terminals in Thailand.