At a proclamation rally of the Koalisyon ng Katapatan at Karanasan para sa Kinabukasan (K-4) attended by some 12,000 Surigaonons at the provincial gymnasium Saturday night, the President talked on government plans to make Surigao del Norte a top tourist destination.

The President said she had already discussed with Secretary Leandro Mendoza of the Department of Transportation and communications (DOTC) the airport expansion project.

"To accommodate the influx of foreign tourist to Siargao Island, we need an expansion of the present airport. The project will cost around P140 million. I’d already talked with Secretary Mendoza to allocate P50 million, and Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA) General Manager Robert Dean Barbers will provide P50 million for this project," she said.

The President also said that Barbers has earmarked an additional P50 million for the P140-million airport expansion project.

Aside from the airport expansion, the President also announced a P50- million modernization of the Siargao provincial gymnasium to revive sport activities in the province.

For expansion of the sport facility, K-4 re-electionist Senator Robert Barbers pledged P5 million; Congressman Robert Ace Barbers, P5 million Governor Robert Lyndon Barbers, P10 million; and PTA GM Barbers, P10 million. The government will subsidize the remaining P20 million.

President Macapagal-Arroyo thanked the Surigaonons for their massive support for her in the elections of 1995, 1998 and 2001, and expressed confidence that they will again vote for her and the K-4 ticket in the May 10 polls.

The Chief Executive’s call on the Suriagaonon to vote for her, her vice presidential running mate Sen. Noli de Castro and the entire K-4 senatorial bets received thunderous applause from the crowd that jam-packed the gymnasium.

Other political leaders who attended the political rally were Surigao del Norte 1^st district Rep. Glenda Ecleo and Surigao City Mayor Alfonso Cassura, Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero Pichay, Agusan del Sur Gov. Eddie Bong Plaza and Iligan City Mayor Franklin Quijano.

K-4 senatoriables present in the proclamation rally were re-electionist Senators Barbers, Rodolfo Biazon, Robert Jaworski, John Osmena, former Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado, ARMM Governor Parouk Hussin, former Videogram Regulatory Board chair Ramon Revilla, Jr. and former Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon.

URDANETA, Pangasinan--Under the Macapagal-Arroyo administration, there’s always something to look forward to for government employees.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo pledged today file an urgent administrative granting a salary increase for public school teachers and other state workers.

Speaking at the opening of the Ilocos Region Athletic Association (IRAA) in Urdaneta City, Pangasinan, the President also told the teachers that those who will render poll duties in May would receive their allowances in advance.

At the same time, Mrs. Macapagal-Arroyo ordered the release of P5 million for the reconstruction of the Urdaneta public market that was razed by a fire last year. The Chief Executive has previously allocated P5 million for the same project.

The President took time out of her campaign sortie in Pangasinan to grace the opening rites for the IRAA at the Urdaneta City National High School Complex. She was introduced by Speaker Jose de Venecia. On hand to welcome the President and her party were Pangasinan Gov. Victor Agbayani, Urdaneta Mayor Amadeo Perez and Education officials led by regional Director Vilma Labrador and division superintendent Dr. Peria Coronel.

Mrs. Macapagal-Arroyo and her K-4 team will proceed later to Sta. Barbara town for a dialogue with a farmers’ group.

STA. BARBARA, Pangasinan—President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo predicted here today that the country would attain self-sufficiency in rice this year through the propagation of high-yielding strain.

The President made her fearless forecast during a dialogue with a farmers’ group here, saying that by next year, the country is expected to start exporting rice.

After her interaction with the farmers at the Sta. Barbara Provincial Nursery here, President Macapagal-Arroyo met with a women’s group in another room where she elaborated on her government’s thrust to promote the protection and welfare of the women sector.

The consultation meeting with the women’s group was held in conjunction with tomorrow’s observance of International Women’s Day.

The Chief Executive recalled that when she took over the presidency in January 2001, the Philippines was importing rice to the tune of one million metric tons (MT) a year.

With the introduction of the Gloria Rice hybrid from China, the volume of importation was drastically reduced to 516,000 MT.

This year, the country will experience a bumper harvest making it unnecessary to buy grains abroad, Mrs. Macapagal-Arroyo said.

She told the farmers that the self-sufficiency status would be attained because more and more Filipino farmers were shifting to Gloria Rice which doubles or triples their harvest, as well as the continuing agriculture modernization being pursued by the government.

The President also said that over the past three years of her administration, some 500,000 hectares of farmlands have been irrigated, leaving about 500,000 hectares due up for irrigation if given a fresh mandate in the May 10 elections.

Mrs. Macapagal-Arroyo stressed that the government continues to empower the women sector with the enactment of pertinent legislative measures such as the law on anti-trafficking of women and domestic violence, greater participation in governance and financial and livelihood assistance to improve their quality of life.

The President added that some one million women have already availed themselves of the government’s micro-financing program patterned after the highly successful lending scheme of the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh.

The program provides small loans without collateral to the marginalized sectors of society such as housewives who want to put up small businesses.

She pointed out that at present, she has 10 women in her official family.