The Philippines and Japan are scheduled to open in Manila another round of negotiations on an enhanced free trade agreement in April 2004.

Trade and Industry Undersecretary Thomas Aquino said that he expects the negotiations to be smooth and that an agreement could be forged within this year..

"The Philippines is one of the closest countries to Japan…one of the countries with which Japan has been trying to enhance foreign direct investments," Aquino said.

Japan is the Philippines’ second largest trading partner after the United States, as well as one of its biggest sources of investments and tourism revenues.

Aquino headed the Philippine delegation that had met with its Japanese counterpart in a two-day meeting in Manila earlier this month.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi agreed in their December 2003 meeting in Tokyo to formally negotiate a the pact that would improve bilateral trade and investments.

Japan has been seeking similar trade agreement with other Southeast Asian countries, such as Thailand and Malaysia. Last year, it started a free trade pact with Singapore.

Shuhei Ogawa, second secretary at the Japanese Embassy in Manila, said that the Philippines and Japan agreed on several points during the two-day Manila meeting. A framework for subsequent negotiations was also formalized.

"They agreed to achieve the comprehensive and substantial liberalization of bilateral trade and investment," Ogawa said.

We respect decision of the Supreme Court remanding the case of the two death convicts to the lower court.

We have always recognized the authority of the Supreme Court as final arbiter when it comes to matters of law.

We condemn the continued violence in Iraq.

I am thankful that no member of our Humanitarian Contingent was killed or seriously injured in the car bomb attack near Camp Charlie, where our contingent is staying.

I commend the leaders and members of our contingent for the safety and security measures that they have taken that helped keep them safe.

I have instructed the Department of Foreign Affairs to closely monitor the situation and take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of our brave men and women in Iraq.

We mourn the loss of a pillar of the broadcast industry.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said today that government funds are used solely for governance under her watch.

"Ginagamit ko po ang pondo para sa pamamahala, hindi po para sa pangangampanya (I use government funds solely for governance and not for the campaign," the President said in a radio interview with RMN Dagupan.

She pointed out that governance does not stop just because she is a candidate in the May 10, 2004 elections.

President Macapagal-Arroyo said that she spends more time working in Malacanang than campaigning for a full six-year term in the provinces.

She also stressed that more could be accomplished for the people, if there would be a chance in the form of government through constitutional change.

The President favors a shifting from the present presidential to parliamentary form of government as well as for a federalist system.

Under the parliamentary form, the President said the passage of laws is more prompt, because there is no separation of powers between the Prime Minister and Parliament.

The President said that a federal form of government would ensure faster delivery of government services and programs to Mindanao and other areas far from the seat of central government in Manila.

She said that basic needs of farmers in Pangasinan, like an irrigation project, become readily known to the central government because of proximity to Manila.

The Macapagal-Arroyo administration is exploring ways to broaden the scope of its People’s Development Trust Fund (PDTF) to cover remote barangays and bring micro-financing closer to the reach of the marginalized sectors in the countryside.

The National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) which operates under the umbrella of the Office of the President, reported that it is reassessing the government’s micro-finance policies with a view to strengthening further its implementation.

In its report, the NAPC said more than one million women-borrowers have been benefited by the micro-finance assistance program over the past two and a half years of the Macapagal-Arroyo administration.

"PDTF has been institutionalized to serve as micro-finance capacity-building fund," the NAPC said, adding that negotiations are ongoing to finalize the program.

The NAPC has also institutionalized the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan (KALAHI) as a key component of its overall anti- poverty program.

Since January 2001 when President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo took over the reins of governance from ousted President Joseph Estrada, the government through the NAPC has established regional KALAHI convergence groups in 16 regions nationwide.

This resulted in the setting up of pilot livelihood projects in at least 610 "convergence areas" benefiting some 70,000 families.

In addition, the regional KALAHI groups have assisted over 150 municipalities in undertaking anti-poverty programs at the local level.

KALAHI projects were also introduced in so-called "conflict areas" as the NAPC’s contribution to the government’s peace and development initiatives in strife-torn communities.

The NAPC meets regularly to discuss its anti-poverty thrusts in various fronts. These include identification of socialized housing sites for the urban poor, fast-tracking resolution of ancestral land conflicts, vigorous implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program, social protection for coconut farmers, identification of alternative market sites for sidewalk vendors in Metro Manila, building of schools in school-less barangays and enhancement of micro-finance policies.

The NAPC, in pursuing its mandate, is guided by the visions enunciated by President Macapagal-Arroyo.

According to the President, a strong republic must "recognize that at the very start of a competitive field, many of the players, for instance the farmers with no land of their own and the youth without sufficient education—do not have the tools for competing."

"It is one of the Republican government’s main tasks to provide those tools to create a truly level playing field," the Chief Executive stressed.

Residents of Barangay Holy Spirit in Quezon City are lucky.

Aside from being the latest beneficiaries of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s Patubig program, they also got a P1-million check to assist them in the speedy release and processing of their papers for the land that they want to buy.

They also got a pat on the back for being a good model for the successful implementation of the redemption center zero waste management policy.

"Congratulations Barangay Holy Spirit dahil sa pagiging huwaran ng inyong redemption center zero waste management policy," the President said in her brief remarks during her visit and inspection of her "Patubig" project at the Republic Area this morning.

The President motored here before going to Bulacan where she was scheduled to conduct a market inspection tour in Pulilan with whistlestops at various towns of the province.

In her speech, the President announced that during her meeting with officials of Maynilad, a water concessionaire, they assured her that next month (March) they would release funds to start again the installed water connection project for the residents of Barangay Holy Spirit.

The President told the residents that the Office of the President will release support fund for that project, which will be supervised by the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS).

She announced the release of a P1-million check for Barangay Batasan Hills and another P1 million check for Barangay Holy Spirit to assist them in the speedy release and processing of their papers for the land that they want to buy.

The President explained that the money will be utilized for the hiring of additional staff and rentals for the office that would serve as processing center for their application papers.

She said an additional P5 million would be released on April 1 for the installation of a permanent water connection to Barangay Holy Spirit and nearby barangays.

PULILAN, Bulacan--President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo vowed here today to deliver a package of economic benefits to the people of Bulacan, but said she can only do it if given a fresh mandate by the people.

The President, who is seeking a full six-year term in the May 10 elections under her Koalisyon ng Katapatan at Karanasan para sa Kaunlaran (K-4) party, a major thrust of her administration over the past three years was agriculture modernization.

Presiding at a press conference during a break in her Bulacan sortie, Mrs. Macapagal-Arroyo said her administration spent P20 billion for agriculture modernization. This included construction of new irrigation projects and rehabilitation of existing ones.

Bulacan, being largely an agricultural province, was among the beneficiaries of the agriculture modernization program, the President said.

Mrs. Macapagal-Arroyo said she wants to sustain her thrusts towards creation of about one million job opportunities a year, and empowering the agriculture sector through the construction of more irrigation projects.

She recalled that over the past three years, the government under her watch irrigated about 500,000 hectares.

The President added that the remaining 500,000 hectares could easily be irrigated during the next six years under her leadership.

The President and her K-4 team, among them vice presidential bet Sen. Noli de Castro, senatorial candidates Sen. John Osmena, former Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado, Gov. Parouk Hussin of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, former Trade and Industry Secretary Mar Roxas II and lawyer Pia Cayetano received a rousing welcome in all the Bulacan towns covered by their sortie. Actress Lani Mercado represented her husband, actor Ramon "Bong" Revilla, Jr.

Accompanying the K-4 ticket were Bulacan officials led by Gov. Josie de la Cruz and Representatives Willie Villarama and Lorna Silverio.