For those of our workers in Iraq who strongly feel at risk, they must be assisted to come home immediately.

Meanwhile, I want the DFA and our Iraq Team to speed up the identification of areas of high risk to Filipinos.

We will not hesitate to undertake forced evacuations should our security assessments so dictate.

No one should doubt the sincerity of the President in her call for unity and reconciliation.

Her whole campaign was focused on gathering the people together behind an agenda of national unity and change.

We must leave the hurt and rancor of the contest behind and take the high road of national consolidation.

The President has shown statesmanship, the opposition must respond in kind.

Allegations of massive fraud have no basis in evidence.

The opposition is taking isolated cases and trying to put these together in a futile attempt to show a systematic pattern of cheating.

The people know the truth and they are protecting their votes by being vigilant as these are counted.

We welcome and hail the vigilance of the people.

We call on former President Joseph Estrada and his allies to stop making irresponsible statements that can fuel more tensions.

The President’s policy of unity and reconciliation must never be construed as weakness.

The authorities will not hesitate in their duty to move against any desperate move to undermine the democratic process.

The May 10 election has already settled the divisiveness that haunted the country for the past years.

The realization of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s promise to create one million jobs annually during her first three years in office has spurred her more than ever to generate more jobs for the Filipino people.

Adding to the President’s determination was the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) report that the total labor force rose sharply by 1.74 million to 35.42 million, the highest year-on-year increase ever recorded for the month of January since 1999.

According to the latest update of the Bureau of Labor and Employment Statistics (BLES), the bulk of the increase occurred mainly among the prime working ages 25 to 54 (year-on-year change of +1.67 million) and among male workers (+1.29 million).

During the campaign period, the President vowed to provide one million jobs yearly, a total of six million jobs for the whole new presidential term.

The President was encouraged by the fulfillment of her promise in her first State-of-the Nation Address (SONA) in 2001 to create one million jobs in the agriculture and fisheries sector. To make sure this happened the President allocated P20 billion per year for agriculture modernization and even held office at the Department of Agriculture in Quezon City.

DOLE attributed the rise in employment to the continued expansion in the service sector, which posted a 6.5 percent increase, and the strong recovery in the industry sector, with 10.2 percent.

Results of the survey also indicated improvements in the quality of employment. Wage and salary employment rose by 15.2 percent while persons in full-time work went up by 11.2 percent.

The DOLE also reported that employment level in January 2004 grew by 4.7 percent year-on-year, continuing the uptrend (4.2 percent) recorded in the October 2003 round of the Labor Force Survey.

"In absolute terms, total employed persons increased by 1.4 million to reach 31.52 million in January," it said.

According to the study, the service sector remained as the biggest source of employment in the economy as it grew by 6.5 percent (+940,000) to reach 15.328 million.

The increase was led by wholesale and retail trade (+236,000) followed by private household with employed persons (+228,000), transportation, storage and communication (+185,000) and real estate, renting and business activities (+135,000). "Employment in this sector accounted for nearly one-half (48.6 percent or 15.32 million) of the total employed workforce," it said.

Meanwhile, the industry sector employment at 5.048 million bounced back by 10.2 percent (+466,000), a complete reversal from the slump posted a year ago. Supporting growth was the robust expansion in manufacturing (+326,000) and construction (+123,000). Employment in mining and quarrying was also up (+23,000) while electricity, gas and water was down. Overall, the industry share to total employment rose from 15.2 percent to 16 percent.

Malacaņang today called on former President Joseph Estrada and his allies to stop making irresponsible statements that can only fuel more tension, urging them instead "to patiently and peaceably wait for the result of the canvassing and respect the decision of the Filipino people."

Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye, in a statement, said allegations of massive fraud have no basis in evidence.

"The opposition is taking isolated cases and trying to put these together in a futile attempt to show a systematic pattern of cheating," he said. "The people know the truth and they are protecting their votes by being vigilant as these are counted."

Bunye was reacting to published reports quoting the former President as calling for street protests to denounce alleged massive cheating in the May 10 elections.

"As far as we are concerned, the presidential race is not yet over but the more the opposition raises the bogey of cheating, the more we are convinced that they are already conceding the fight," he said.

Bunye said President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s policy of unity and reconciliation must never be construed as weakness.

"The authorities will not hesitate in their duty to move against any desperate move to undermine the democratic process," he warned.

Bunye said the Palace appreciates the call of presidential candidate Panfilo Lacson for supporters to refrain from joining protest actions and instead focus on monitoring the canvassing of votes cast in last Monday’s elections.

In an earlier radio interview, Bunye said Lacson did the right thing "since at this time what is crucial is to keep watch on the canvassing of votes."

Bunye also agreed with Senate President Franklin Drilon and Senator Aquilino Pimentel, an opposition bet for reelection, who had cautioned on airing of undocumented charges of election fraud and cheating.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today gave the green light for the repatriation of Filipino workers in Iraq wanting to come home in the wake of an escalating risk to their security.

"For those of our workers in Iraq who strongly feel at risk, they must be assisted to come home immediately," the President said in a statement released by Malacaņang.

At the same time, the Chief Executive directed the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Iraq Team headed by Ambassador Roy Cimatu to speed up the identification of high-risk areas in the war-torn country.

"We will not hesitate to undertake forced evacuations should our security assessments so dictate," the President said.

"The US and Iraqi authorities must be apprised of our intentions as our workers face evolving threats and challenges," she added.

Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye has said overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Iraq would be evacuated immediately if the security situation in that country deteriorates further.

Bunye clarified, however, that President Macapagal-Arroyo is still awaiting the formal recommendation of the Iraq Team which is continually assessing the OFW’s situation on the ground.

The Department of Education (DepEd) today announced the launching of the "Brigada Eskuwela" on May 17-21 to help prepare the schools for the opening of classes this June.

At the Cabinet meeting this morning at the State Dining Room in Malacanang, DepEd Secretary Edilberto de Jesus said the Brigada Eskuwela, which is now on its second year, is more needed this time as the schools have to be cleaned up particularly due to the recent national and local elections.

"We are already getting commitments from the private sector in this project," he said.

To save on budget, De Jesus said the objective of this project is to mobilize the private sector, the community, the local government units (LGUs) and non-government organizations (NGOs) to help clean the schools in their respective areas.

He said this includes the removal of campaign posters, stickers and other campaign paraphernalia in schools.

Last year, De Jesus said they spent some P2 million for information dissemination and generated millions from contributions and donations, in cash and in kind, for the clean up of schools in the country.

For the first time, De Jesus added there would be separate dates for the opening of classes for elementary pupils and high school students in the country.

He said the elementary level would open earlier on June 7 while the school opening for high schools would be on June 21

De Jesus said it is important that school session for elementary pupils start early in time for the celebration of Independence Day on June 12.

"This is an opportunity to inculcate values of patriotism and love of country among our elementary school students," he said.

De Jesus said this would also alleviate the traffic situation and would be advantageous for parents who have children both in the elementary and secondary levels.

He said a total of 12.1 million elementary pupils and 5.3 million high school students are expected to troop to schools this June.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s drive for a just and moral governance found form and substance today in Executive Order No. 314 creating the Presidential Commission on Values Formation (PCVF).

Executive Secretary Alberto Romulo announced the issuance of the EO during the Cabinet meeting this morning at the Aguinaldo Room of Malacaņang.

The EO now forms part of the government’s continuing and intensified drive against graft and corruption, patronage politics, apathy, passivity, mendicancy, factionalism and lack of patriotism in the government bureaucracy.

The Commission shall be headed by a chairperson, with the rank of presidential adviser, and six members that would be appointed co-terminus with the President.

The PCVF shall be under the Office of the President (OP) and would serve as the lead agency by which the government may work hand-in-hand with the civil society and the private sector in the establishment of a strong foundation for moral values formation in the government bureaucracy.

The PCVF shall subsequently design and implement programs such as, but not limited to, seminars and congresses aimed at inculcating values such as honesty, modesty, integrity and good work ethics among government workers.

The Commission shall make periodic recommendations to the President with regard to any duly supported and substantiated information on incorrigible and undesirable government personnel.

Upon the written approval of the President, the PCVF may appear as complainant in any case filed pursuant to such recommendations before the appropriate government agency.

While there were some reported election-related violent incidents, these were isolated and locally based and have not affected the generally peaceful and credible character of last Monday’s polls.

This was the report of the Philippine National Police in today’s Cabinet meeting presided by Executive Secretary Alberto Romulo at the Aguinaldo Room of Malacaņang.

In a comprehensive report of the polls presented by PNP Deputy Chief for Operation Police Director Avelino Razon, the PNP said the elections were relatively more peaceful and orderly as compared to those held in 1998 and 2001.

Razon said the recorded election-related violent incidents this year were lower by 35.31 percent (174 vs. 269) compared to the 1998 elections and 34.83 percent (165 vs. 267) lower than that of 2001.

Romulo and the rest of the Cabinet congratulated the PNP under the leadership of Police Director General Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. for a job well done.

Election day incidents, according to the PNP, was 55.22 percent lower than the 1998 elections (30 vs. 67) and 36.17 percent lower than 2001 (30 vs. 47).

An increase of 30 percent in casualties was registered compared to 1998 (315 vs. 229). Against 2001, there was a 26 percent decrease (315 vs 404).

The PNP recorded 25 percent less number of Partisan Armed Groups (PAGs) for this year compared to the previous elections (116 vs 154).

Presidential Campaign Spokesman Michael Defensor today belied charges of "high tech cheating" raised by opposition presidential candidate Fernando Poe Jr., saying it is impossible to manipulate computer data.

In a press briefing this afternoon at Malacaņang, Defensor, who is also chairman of Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council, said Poe, closest rival of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the presidential race, might have been misinformed by his people about the procedures in tabulating the ballots.

Defensor also denied allegations that the AMA University was involved in the quick count being taken by the ruling Koalisyon ng Katapatan at Karanasan para sa Kinabukasan (K-4).

"AMA is not involved. I think Mr. Fernando Poe is just misinformed about the procedure of the actual tabulation of votes," Defensor stressed.

He asserted that Poe’s party, the Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KNP), was provided with copies of the certificate of canvass and election returns, the same copies given to the National Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL), which is doing the unofficial tally.

"So how can they claim that K-4 is doing a high-tech cheating? It’s very unlikely," Defensor added. "You cannot change the raw data indicated in the certificate of canvass and election returns as you input the numbers in the computers."

Current and former officials, employees of the Office of the Press Secretary (OPS), as well as members of the Malacanang Press Corps (MPC), today paid tribute to Press Undersecretary Carmen Suva who retired today after 42 years of government service.

Suva, fondly called "Tita Ching" by those who know her, received praises and tributes from the OPS led by Press Secretary Milton Alingod as well as its past secretaries such as Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye, the Presidential Chief of Staff Rigoberto Tiglao, ABS-CBN vice president for news Ricardo "Dong" Puno and Hector Villanueva in a testimonial lunch at the Kalayaan Hall in Malacanang.

She was awarded a plaque of recognition for her contribution to the OPS. Officials and employees of the OPS and members of MPC also paid tribute to "Tita Ching" through dance and song numbers.

In brief remarks, Secretary Alingod said "Tita Ching" had become so well-liked by all that she "can never be replaced." On behalf of the OPS, he thanked "Tita Ching" and expressed hopes that she would continue to help the office in the future.

Secretary Bunye, on the other hand, noted that "Tita Ching" has been blessed with a loving family and associates who appreciate her work and contribution. Bunye also tried to put on a lighter side by saying that he and Secretary Alingod would nominate "Tita Ching" in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the only government official who served six presidents and 15 press secretaries.

Secretary Tiglao said "Tita Ching" has become a good channel to the members of the media, especially the MPC.

Dong Puno, who served as press secretary under former President Joseph Estrada, said Suva "is a Tita to all of us." He noted Suva’s sterling record as a public official who became an oasis of strength and courage for people who knew her.

Villanueva, who was the press secretary of former President Fidel V. Ramos, said that there were only two people who mattered most especially with his work as OPS chief. The first one was his boss, President Ramos, who was a very good spokesman himself. The other one was "Tita Ching." "I don’t think I would have achieved modest success in the OPS without Tita Ching," he said.

In her response, "Tita Ching" said she was deeply touched by the outpouring of love and sympathy as she bids goodbye to the OPS, which she described as her school and second home for 42 years, "where I rose from a mere secretary to the second highest position in a department."

She said it was in OPS that she served six presidents starting from the late Diosdado Macapagal to his daughter, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and 15 press secretaries, "each with his own management style and work ethics and practices but all of whom basically shared the same principles: that public service is a public trust such that serving the people meant giving to people much more than one should expect to receive."

She said that when she joined OPS, she never harbored the feeling that she would last that long in government bureaucracy, adding that it was in OPS that she saw history as it happened, from the declaration of martial law to the EDSA People Power to the rise and fall of President Estrada and the ascendancy of President Macapagal-Arroyo.