The government will implement a P2.1 billion health project over the next three years under the sub-specialty capabilities for heart-lung-kidney program.

The project is expected to improve productivity of the labor force and raise the quality of life of the Filipino people, according to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

The NEDA said that the project is expected to widen access to specialized services needed by the poor and lower working middle class patients, who are suffering from heart, lung and kidney diseases in Luzon and Visayas.

Diseases of the heart, lungs and kidney rank high in the country’s list of leading causes of mortality, according to the Department of Health (DOH).

The project will improve the delivery of hospital care by developing a better functioning hospital referral system, where primary diagnostics can be done at the secondary hospitals and specialized care in selected regional tertiary hospitals.

It also intends to upgrade the skills of human resources by providing training to hospital personnel.

The project will benefit patients of the Bicol Regional Training and Teaching Hospital, the Western Visayas Medical Center, and the Philippine Heart Center.

Jonathan Uy, head of the NEDA Public Investment Staff, said that the project will be implemented over a three-year period, which covers the signing of the contract, pre-installation, civil works, manufacturing, shipping of equipment, import processing of the equipment, handling, installation and testing of equipment, and training of the medical staff.

Netherlands will fund the project through the ORET/MILIEV program.

Thirty five percent of the project cost will be offered as a grant, while the remaining amount will be offered as a loan payable at an interest of six percent for 15 years and with a grace period of three years.

SUBIC, Zambales—President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has inaugurated a two-storey high school building here and promised help to the provincial government in constructing other similar projects.

The President lauded Zambales Governor Vicente Magsaysay for the construction of the 30-classroom school building of the Jesus F. Magsaysay High School or Subic High.

At Friday’s inauguration ceremony, President Macapagal-Arroyo was cheered by some 5,000 residents in a show of support for her and the Koalisyon ng Karanasan at Katapatan para sa Kinabukasan (K4) candidates.

In acknowledging the work of Governor Magsaysay, she noted that the school building was constructed with high quality but at lower cost compared to other public works projects of the same kind.

The Chief Executive said the national government would reimburse the local government’s expense for the school building so it could undertake more projects in the province under her administration’s education program.

Mrs. Macapagal-Arroyo also said, "Subic is the biggest of town of Zambales. This is also the center of commerce and tourism industry in the province. So, in the coming national elections, I believe that the biggest number of votes that I and the k-4 candidates will receive come from the town of Subic and most especially from Olongapo City."

She also declared Feb. 20, 2004 as a special non-working holiday for Olongapo City in commemoration of the 97^th death anniversary of Mayor James "Leonard" Gordon, who is known as the Father of Olongapo.

Let us await the ruling of the court with calm and sobriety. Our peace and unity are paramount in these times.

In this light, I would like to announce that peace has gained another milestone, as the Government and the MILF have agreed to resume formal peace talks in April after an impasse of more than a year.

I would like to thank Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi of Malaysia for hosting the final round of exploratory talks that led to this breakthrough.

This is an example of the international goodwill enjoyed by this administration that continues to bring peace and development to every family and community.

All obstacles to final peace negotiations have been overcome. Both panels have agreed to pave the way for the immediate deployment of an international ceasefire monitoring team, and to support the World Bank and the international donor community in the joint needs assessment phase of the multi-donor trust fund that will pour in massive rehabilitation and development projects in the conflict affected areas once a peace accord is signed.

The Philippine government (GRP) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MNLF) ended their two-day exploratory talks in Kuala Lumpur Friday with both sides agreeing to go into the formal peace talks towards the end of April this year after an impasse of more than a year.

In a Joint Statement, the negotiating panels said all outstanding issues in the way of the formal peace talks have been resolved and expressed confidence that the prospects for lasting peace were firm.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who was out in Pangasinan campaigning for a full six-year term in the May 10 elections, welcomed the accord on resuming the formal peace talks with the MILF as "another milestone for peace".

The President expressed her gratitude to Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi "for hosting the final round of exploratory talks that led to this breakthrough."

"This is an example of the international goodwill enjoyed by this administration that continues to bring peace and development to every family and community," the President added.

At the end of the two-day, fifth round of exploratory talks, the two panels agreed in their Joint Statement to consolidate their respective proposed terms of reference (TOR) for the International Monitoring Team (IMT). They also called on the Malaysian government to finalize the TOR in consultation with them.

The panels likewise requested the Malaysian government not only to send the IMT advance survey team to Philippines as soon as possible, but also to undertake the task of setting up the IMT in Southern Philippines.

Both panels agreed to the mechanism to extend the capacity-building programs for the people in conflict-affected areas (Mindanao and its outlying islands) through the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA), the development arm of the PILF.

To assist in the rehabilitation and development of conflict-affected areas, the Joint Statement said, the Malaysian government has committed a similar program for the BDA under the Malaysian Technical Cooperation Program.

The panels, the Joint Statement said, will work closely with the World Bank and the multi-donor community in implementing the joint needs assessment phase of the Multi-Donor Trust Fund intended for the rehabilitation and development of the conflict-affected areas.

President Macapagal-Arroyo said that massive rehabilitation and development projects will be undertaken in Mindanao once a peace accord is signed.

"The level of violence has been reduced to almost nil and international confidence is high," she added. "We shall have peace in Mindanao to bring in more investments, jobs and skills to the average Filipino."

Secretary Silvestre C. Afable, Jr., chief of the Presidential Management Staff, chaired the government delegation to the Kuala Lumpur exploratory talks. Its members included Lt. Gen. Rodolfo Garcia, Ms. Diosita T. Andot and Ryan Mark B. Sullivan.

BINALONAN, Pangasinan – The P50-million bangus (milkfish) processing plant for Dagupan will soon be a reality.

"The processing plant is now being fabricated in China," the President said here today as she went through some towns of the province noted for its tasty bangus, focusing on the achievements of her administration and the K-4 platform.

It is but one of her administration’s flagship projects for the province, she said. Others are the Agno River Flood Control Project, the P600-million Dumalandan Bridge, and the P300-million Hector Mendoza Bridge between the towns of Villasis and Bayambang that was inaugurated this month.

The President also mentioned the P8-billion pledge she got from Japan for the San Roque Irrigation Project during a visit there in December.

Pangasinan also benefited immensely from the P20-billion a year her administration has been spending for the modernization of agriculture and fisheries, she said.

Earlier in this hometown of her mother Evangeline Macaraeg-Macapagal, the President reiterated her capability to generate more jobs for Filipinos.

The President, expressed hope Binalonan residents will help her in her bid for her own six-year term and explain to the people of the province a daughter of Pangasinan has the experience and the clout to solve the problems the nation faces during the town fiesta of this town.

We have proven we can generate one million jobs a year because of experience and connections in different parts of the world who are confident of the Filipinos’ abilities, the President said as she stressed her resolve to bring about six million more jobs given the chance.

She said she has generated three million jobs since assuming the presidency, alleviating the plight of the four million jobless she inherited from the past administration.

The President was accompanied by her running mate Sen. Noli de Castro, Speaker Jose de Venecia, Governor Victor Agbayani and other local executives of Pangasinan.

She started her day in Pangasinan by attending a eucharistic celebration at the shrine of Our Lady of Manaoag where Fr. Sonny Ramirez paid her tribute by likening her to Jesus Christ.

"She is like Jesus Christ because she bears the pain, hardly complains even as her enemies are already putting a crown of thorns on her head," Fr. Ramirez said.

The President made the announcement today during the Pulong Bayan with some 6,000 teachers, students, farmers, senior citizens and women groups at the Rosales National High School in Don Antonio Village here.