In significant and inspiring developments very recently, the food industry made further inroads into the international market with giants Jollibee Foods Corp. (JFC) and San Miguel Corp. (SMC) cementing big deals.

JFC, the country’s biggest fast-food chain operator, has bought 85 percent of Belmont Enterprises Venture Ltd. which operates the giant Yonghe King fast-food chain in China.

Food and beverage conglomerate SMC, on the other hand, has started exporting poultry products to meat packer Yonekyu Corp. in Japan which has suffered because of the bird flu outbreak last year.

Philippine exports of processed foods made a big upswing last year.

JFC has paid an initial $11.5 million from its surplus cash and external sources for the purchase of the Yonghe King chain in its entry into the large Chinese market, the company disclosed. It could up this to $22.5 million within the next three years if the Chinese fastfood chain meets profit targets.

Belmont retains 15 percent ownership of Yonghe King which had a total sales of about $24 million last year.

The acquisition is in line with its expansion and provides the group with an opportunity to become a major regional player in the quick-service restaurant business in Asia, JFC said.

JFC runs the largest fastfood network in the Philippines with a total of 988 stores worldwide at the end of last year. It has 467 Jollibee outlets, 245 Chowking, 213 Greenwich and 30 Delifrance.

Yonghe King serves Chinese fastfood using a Western service system. It has 77 outlets throughout China, 26 in Shanghai where it started in 1995, 26 in Beijing, 11 in Shenzen, eight in Wuhan and six in Hangzhou.

JFC’s entry into the Chinese market comes after it put up early this year a P1.5 billion state-of-the- art commissary plant in a 10-hectare lot in Canlubang, Laguna.

In what it considers a breakthrough for its poultry products considering that Japan is very strict on quality requirements, SMC will export 28 metric tons of deboned, cut-up chicken parts to Japan.

SMC has actually already shipped 27.8 metric tons of chicken which were all cleared by Customs and quality inspectors to Yonekyu and both firms are negotiating for a third shipment.

Yonekyu also has signified interest to pursue a long-term deal with SMC after expressing full satisfaction with the initial shipments from Southeast Asia’s largest food and beverage conglomerate.

SMC has been implementing strict biosecurity measures since the outbreak of the avian flu that has caused other countries like Vietnam and Thailand to seek dressed chicken from Philippine suppliers.

Yonekyu, which specializes in processed meats, earned about P60 billion last year with 11 production sites in Japan, two in China and one in the United States.

Malacaņang expressed belief today that only "a small group" of public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers and operators would join the three-day transport strike planned to start tomorrow (Monday).

In a radio interview this morning, Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said that "moderate (transport) groups" continue to heed President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s call for them to be "reasonable."

He said that the President has assured them that the government is doing its best to solve the problems confronting the transport sector.

As for the transport sector’s petition for a fare rate hike, Bunye said that the Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) is determining "what is the reasonable fare rate" that respond not only to the demand of PUV drivers and operators but also to protect the interest of commuters.

He stressed that any increase in the fare rate could push up the prices of basic services and prime commodities.

There has been a lot of talk about President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo being "mataray" (temperamental) but she says she is not and is not even aware of it.

"I don’t throw cell phones at them. But I do speak with a high decibel and with great speed which is interpreted by others to be ‘taray.’ That gets it done," she said in a live, unrehearsed interview on The Philippine Star publisher Max Soliven’s ANC television show Impact Friday.

"I am not even aware that I’m mataray because I’m not angry at the person, I get angry at the act," the President said.

What peeves her is the act or the inaction or inordinate delays as in decision-making in the implementation of projects. She is bent on fast-tracking projects and changes for the good of the country and to uplift the lives of the ordinary Filipinos.

She cites examples like asking a cabinet secretary: "What happened to these projects, hinihintay na, how come you haven’t approved it yet?"

And she gets an answer like "We have to do it in our next board meeting. We were supposed to do it today but we have no quorum."

And to which she replies: "You cannot say that you have no quorum, get a quorum for tomorrow."

"I have to say that because you cannot run a government through meetings," she explains in her desire to get things done fast.

The truth is, she says, she hates committees and would rather do away with them and go by line functions. She prefers presidential assistants in charge of getting things accomplished or what is called bastonero in the dialect.

What happens with committees is that action only takes place during the committee meetings. If it meets only once a week, there is no action in between, she says.

"You cannot solve a problem by saying you will meet on it. You give me the substance, not the procedure. So iyan ang katarayan na sinasabi nila," the President said.

She also hates going through the names of technical issues and the maze of bureaucratic procedures.

The President also explained she is not vindictive. "So, I can be talking aloud and fast which is perceived by others to be anger. But the next minute I’m back to nothing again," she said.

The government is sure to take over the Maynilad Water Services Inc., subject to approval of the court and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said today.

Bunye told a radio interview this morning that the primary consideration in the government takeover of Maynilad is to ensure uninterrupted water supply to thousands of households in the concession area of the Lopez family-owned water firm.

"Sa ating palagay ay makikita nitong dalawa (SEC and the court) na ito ‘yong pinakaresonable at isang solusyon na makakabuti para sa lahat ng apektadong sektor (I presume that the SEC and the court would see the Maynilad takeover as reasonable and that it is a solution that will be for the good of all affected parties)," he said.

The Presidential Spokesman disputed press report that a Manila Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) lawyer had branded as "illegal" the government "bailout" of Maynilad.

The lawyer’s opinion was just one of several legal opinions submitted to the MWSS management. The majority of the opinions held that the takeover "is defensible," he added.

MAPANDAN, Pangasinan – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has congratulated Mayor Jose Ferdinand Calimlim, Jr. for making Mapandan "the most improved municipality of 2003."

Mapandan, a fifth class municipality, has been upgraded to fourth class and gained the title of "the most improved municipality of 2003" from the Department of Interior and Local Government.

"No wonder, Ferdie is running for reelection unopposed," President Macapagal-Arroyo said Friday night. The President was here for the crowning of Ms. Mapandan 2004.

The Chief Executive also thanked the local government officials and residents of Mapandan for giving her the highest percentage of support in a survey that she had done in Pangasinan.

"According to the survey I did on my electoral chances in Pangasinan," she said, "in the town of Mapandan and every barangay, it looks like 70 percent of the people here will vote for me" in the May 10 elections.

"Let’s all be together, let’s have good governance the way that Mapandan is enjoying good governance," the President said. She urged the people to work some more for the good of Pangasinan, for the good of the Philippines.

In his welcome remarks, Calimlin said the President recently approved the release of some P30 million for the rehabilitation of a bridge in Mapandan. A new Philippine National Police (PNP) patrol car had also been donated to the town prior to the President’s arrival.

The mayor of Mapandan is a son of (ret.) Gen. Jose Calimlim, former commander of the Presidential Security Group under former Presidents Fidel V. Ramos and Joseph Estrada,

Albay Rep. Joey Salceda maintained today that there was no bailout for the cash-strapped Maynilad Water Services, Inc. as alleged by critics of the Macapagal-Aroryo administration.

Salceda, chairman of the House oversight committee, also asserted that the compromised rehabilitation plan for the utility was neither a "sweetheart" nor a "midnight" deal between President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the Lopez family, majority stockholder of Maynilad. Prior to his election to Congress, Salceda had been a stockbroker and financial analyst.

The legislator said that the Maynilad takeover could neither be considered a bailout for the Lopezes in as much as they would have "zero stake" in the new Maynilad.

While the P8 billion loan of Maynilad are retained, he noted that they are not declared sovereign debt and have no government guarantee.

"Credit risks stay with the bank as loans will be paid out of the revenues of the new Maynilad and not from automatic appropriations of the government, he said.

Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye has also justified the rehab plan for Maynilad, saying its primary consideration is to ensure uninterrupted water supply for the facility’s service grid composed of the western portion of Metro Manila. He also gave assurance that the deal was still subject to approval by the Court and the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Salceda indicated there could be no "sweetheart deal" with the Lopezes since their holding company, Benpres, stands to suffer losses amounting to P3.8 billion.

Apart from losing its 60 percent control of Maynilad, he said that the Lopezes would also not be able to taste the impact of P5.00 tariff increase they secured in January 2003.

Salceda stressed that "there are no unwarranted benefits" to accrue to the Lopez family from the Maynilad transaction as alleged by an opposition candidate in his lawsuit against the President.

The lawmaker cited three key reasons why the rehabilitation plan could also not be considered a "midnight deal."

First of all, he said, efforts to resolve the issue have been going on for the past three years, with three attempts already made by the Manila Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) to draw on the $l20 million performance bond that Benpres had put up for the Maynilad concession.

He noted timing of closing a compromise agreement dictated principally by a court deadline of March 22, otherwise only the Maynilad rehabilitation plan submitted by Benpres, which is disadvantageous to MWSS, would be considered.

Another time constraint, he said, is the expiry of the performance bond on June 24. However, it may be argued that the government made a claim on the bond prior to its expiry.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo did not aspire to enter politics.

"I wasn’t interested in politics. My dad raised us not to be interested in politics," she said in an interview Friday with The Philippine Star publisher Max Soliven in his Impact television show aired live from Cebu City.

But fate had the opposite in store for her. The turn of events shepherded her into politics. And even after she had decided to leave it, she had to get back to it.

"If I’m in politics at all now, it’s because I believe that we have to seek what God wants you to do. And in discerning what God wants you to do, the turn of events is what leads you to what God wants you to do," she said.

It was actually her younger brother Boboy, "the most brilliant among us" she says, who was recruited to run for senator with the full consent of her family. But being an introvert, he declined the offer.

"He wasn’t always an introvert. When he was a little boy, he was quite gregarious. But when he reached his teens he became more introverted. Maybe that’s one of the reasons why after thinking about it, he decided he didn’t want to push through with it," the President recalled her brother’s shying away from the opportunity.

Instead, she was drafted by the LDP (Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino) to give it a go in 1992 when she was still with the Department of Trade and Industry. That started everything.

No, her father former President Diosdado Macapagal had no objections to her running under the LDP banner instead of his party, the Liberal Party.

She won as 13^th among the 24 elected senators and went on to become vice-president over Sen. Ed Angara in a non-contest. Then fate in the guise of EDSA II propelled her to the presidency after the impeachment hearing of then President Joseph Estrada in the Senate was aborted.

And even as she decided in December 2002 she would not run for president in the coming May polls for the good of the country and a better chance for reconciliation, she had to change her mind.

She wanted to unify the divided nation she inherited so the economy would move forward but the opposition kept up with black propaganda and character assassination.

"I was really determined not to run but I gave my reasons very clearly. I said, because you know, I inherited a very divided nation and this divisiveness has been an obstacle to do what we need for our economy," she said.

"And so, because I am part to the division that I must move out of that division so I can concentrate on what we have to do for the economy. But it did not happen even if I was not running anymore. There was this continuous assault of black propaganda and even a coup threat. So, the conditions that I wanted to bring about by not running or not being fulfilled, there for I might as well offer my experience," she said.

"Gagawa tayo ng batas gaya ng Thailand, Haiti, El Salvador na nililinya yung mga dokumento na puwedeng kilalanin bilang proof of ownership," she added.

"Biskeg na Pangasinan" has fully endorsed the candidacy of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

What’s "Biskeg na Pangasinan"? It means strength of Pangasinan. "Biskeg" secretary-general and Pangasinan Vice-Governor Oscar Lambino says the union of political bigwigs in the province counts on 12 provincial board members, six congressmen and 38 out of 48 city and municipal mayors. That’s a lot of strength.

It brings together the leaders of Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats, Nationalist People’s Coalition, Kampi and other parties so that you have Gov. Victor Agabayani, Congressmen Mark Cojuangco, Amado Espino, Generosa Tulagan, Arthur Celeste and Speaker Jose de Venecia all together in "Biskeg." That’s a lot of clout. Even opposition representative Conrad Estrella is expected to join the bandwagon soon.

Whatever fears or doubts the President’s campaign captains had about her chances of carrying Pangasinan must have evaporated Wednesday night during a "Biskeg" show of force at the home of Sto. Tomas Mayor Antonio Villar who then celebrated his birthday. Sometime in January, "Biskeg" hosted action star Fernando Poe, Jr. in a special meeting there too.

Over the mayor’s birthday celebration came the sockdolager. "Biskeg" announced its consensus. The President has the "experience, intellectual capability, quality leadership, strong governance and good track record in dealing with the various problems besetting the country today."

"We have enough faith in the members of Biskeg that after our consensus today, we will all concentrate our efforts towards achieving one goal, that is to ensure the victory of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in Pangasinan in the May 10 presidential polls," read part of the endorsement.

The Pangasinan vote, currently about 1.2 million and second only to that of Cebu among all provinces in the country, proved crucial in former President Fidel Ramos’ narrow victory in 1992 and could provide the difference again this time.

Ramos then ran with the slogan "Natan Labat." It means it’s only now and was designed to get the Pangasinenses to rally behind him to elect the first Pangasinense President.

This time, President Macapagal-Arroyo has adopted the slogan "Natan Lalamet" (Ngayon Na Naman or Now Again) for her sorties to Pangasinan. It plays on the pride of the people in a true and favorite daughter. For even if former President Diosdado Macapagal hails from Lubao, Pampanga, the President also traces her roots to Pangasinan since her mother Evangelina is from Binalonan.

"One learns from experience, and experience is an important advantage for governance."

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo issued this statement on Friday during a one-on-one with Maximo Soliven, chairman-publisher-columnist of Philippine Star and host of television talk show Impact 2004.

Reacting to Soliven’s comment that she has the"unfair advantage" of vast experience in governance over her rivals in the May 10 presidential elections, the President said she is offering the electorate her rich experience in government service.

Mrs. Macapagal-Arroyo also noted that the people are becoming "quite discerning and beginning to look at what a candidate has to offer by way of platform."

The President lamented that her opponents in the presidential race are using black propaganda to cover up for their lack of platform.

"They should talk about their platform rather than create all these tactical black propaganda," Mrs. Macapagal-Arroyo stressed, adding that her rivals should even join the debate in order to enunciate on their respective platforms.

Soliven pointed out that not everybody can have a doctorate from Georgetown University in Washington.

"That is why not everybody can become a President," Mrs. Macapagal-Arroyo added.

At the same time, the President clarified that she was not campaigning for a re-election "because I have to govern."

She emphasized that since the campaign period for the local polls has officially started, she was leaving it to the ruling coalition to campaign for her as she focuses on governance.

"Like today here in Cebu. There are no rallies, so it’s really mostly governance: work, starting new projects, completing projects, explaining my programs to the business community," the President told Soliven.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo administered the oath to some new 10,000 volunteer campaigneers of the ruling Koalisyon ng Katapatan at Karanasan sa Kinabukasan (K-4) from Metro Manila at Cavite province in ceremonies held this afternoon at the San Andres Sports Complex in Malate, Manila.

The President was elated at seeing familiar faces during affair, many of them recipients of the government’s mass housing and micro-financing programs.

Mrs. Macapgal-Arroyo and running mate Senator Noli "Kabayan" de Castro were greeted by a thunderous applause from the newly inducted K-4 supporters as the duo entered the sports facility.

The President said that she is delighted to see familiar faces among those who have volunteered to help push her bid for a full six-year term in the May 10 national and local elections.

The government’s Pabahay program under the Macapagal-Arroyo administration has provided homes for over 700,000 families.