BAGUIO CITY----President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo celebrated today her 60^th birthday which coincided with her annual Lenten Retreat together with her Cabinet members at the Mansion House in this summer capital city.

The No. 1 senior citizen of the Republic of the Philippines arrived here yesterday from Manila by land trip, dropping by at Bustos, Bulacan to inaugurate the new Technology Building of the Bulacan State University and at the Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga to formally activate the $9.3- million modern radar at the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA).

The President skipped her traditional birthday bash in her hometown of Lubao in Pampanga in favor of the Lenten Retreat, which serves as a venue for her and the members of her Cabinet to assess their performance in the previous year and plan new strategies to further strengthen the administration’s program to improve the lives of the Filipinos.

The Holy Retreat, led by Monsignor Gerry Tapiador, started at 10 o’clock this morning.

Among the Cabinet members in attendance were Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Trade and Industry Secretary Peter Favila, Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye, Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez, Presidential Management Staff Director General Cerge Remonde, Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Angelo Reyes and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III.

This afternoon, the President was scheduled to attend a "Healing Mass" to be officiated by Monsignor Tapiador at the Ceremonial Hall of the Mansion House.

Remonde said the President would also do the traditional "Visita Iglesia" and the Station of the Cross tomorrow, Good Friday.

Last Tuesday, two days before her 60^th birthday and turning into a senior citizen, the President said her thoughts on her birth anniversary were with the youths.

"I feel that we have to invest in the future and the young people. It’s really time to turn over the country to them or to prepare the country for them," the President said.

She stressed that she is working hard to give the children a better future and "make life better for them" by propelling the country into the First World status by the time they become adults.

The First Family traditionally spends Christmas, New Year’s Eve and Holy Week in Baguio City.

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President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has granted executive clemency to 38 convicts, including three women, in the spirit of the Lenten season.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said 28 of the inmates were granted conditional pardon while the rest received commutation of sentence under separate orders signed by the President on March 29 and 30, and April 3.

Ten inmates, two of them women, were granted conditional pardon on March 29. They were: Joselito Apelado, Lucy Bagaman, Epifanio Cajucon, Oliver Capule, Jose Richard Jaca, Renario Manlapaz, Alex Garcia, William Quilang, Antonio Salvallon, and Erlinda Suico.

Another 10 convicts were granted commutation of sentence on March 30 under certain conditions. They were: Melanio Corpuz Jr., Joey de Leon, Rico del Rosario, Dario Quiño, Mariano Ramos, Rumerico Ramos, Jesus Sotelo, Rene Sombilon, Jose Tabalesma, and Romeo Tuson.

Those granted conditional pardon in the President’s order dated April 3 were: Godofredo Agsoy, Alfredo Alegado, Zenaida Alvarez, Antonio Buyok, Epefanio Contredas, Feliciano Daga-ang, Sr., Felix Davalos, Constancio dela Pena, Esteban delos Santos, Roberto Eroy, Jesus Lumdang, Moises Manrique, Moises Moca, Rodolfo Pante, Jose Saravia, Deogracias Te-in, Apolinar Veloso, and Fausto Villamor.

Secretary Ermita said copies of the President’s orders were transmitted to the Department of Justice, the Bureau of Corrections, and the Board of Pardons and Parole.

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Nothing could ever compare to the supreme sacrifice of our Lord, Jesus Christ, who offered His very own earthly life just to redeem us, His brethren, from our worldly sins.

In return, we should also offer our own personal sacrifice for the good of our country and our fellowmen; and always endeavor to be of service to our fellow Filipinos.

Like Jesus Christ, let us carry our own cross to help save our country from hardships and discord.

Let us shed the anger in our hearts to finally end and patch up all our differences as a nation; and enlighten our thoughts once and for all to glean the truth behind empty promises.

Let us keep believing that our own little sacrifices could help unite us as a people; and help deepen our love for our country.

Let us pray for the best interest of every Filipino; praise the greatness of the Lord for His sacrifices, and seek His forgiveness for our weaknesses and sins.

The death of Jesus Christ on the cross brought new life for the entire world. Let us follow our Savior’s footsteps so that we can see the dawning of a new day in a country where the people have strong faith, sense of unity and will power.

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THE MANSION, Baguio City – They broke out into the universal birthday song as soon as they realized who just came down the road to join them.

The tourists were so enthused by the unexpected gate "visit" of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo that they instantly sang her "Happy Birthday."

Celebrating today her 60th birthday with First Gentleman Atty. Jose Miguel Arroyo in the country’s official summer capital, the still very young-looking and girlish President went out of the Presidential Mansion and then walked down the curving road to its front gate. The area was then teeming with tourists who were just making do with having the President’s official summer house as their photo backdrop.

The promenading tourists were in luck – no less than the country’s No. 1 citizen appeared to be right in the foreground of their personal Holy Week 2007 photos in front of the former "Mansion House."

Wearing a collarless, long-sleeved tamarind-orange blouse and dark-blue slacks, and black pump shoes, the President spent close to half an hour with the happy crowd who surged around her and had the time of their lives shaking her hands and having their photos taken with her.

Simply decked in white pearl earrings, and dark beads for necklace, plus a silver medallion with what looked like the image of the Mother Mary – the President was smiling all the while.

Formerly off-limits to visitors, even the sloping lawn of The Mansion was not spared as the crowd multiplied, and also later had their photos taken with the First Gentleman.

Comfy in sports attire, the First Gentleman stayed on, spending at least 10 more minutes with the touring crowd, even after the President had walked back to The Mansion.

It took five more minutes for the guards to return the site to the strict status quo – "keep off the grass."

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THE MANSION, Baguio City – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has called on the Filipino people to offer their own personal sacrifices for God and for the good of the country.

In her short but succinct Holy Week message, the President expressed confidence that the country could easily rise from the existing differences and misunderstandings once the people finally realize the need to sacrifice for the sake of a united nationhood.

The President recalled the supreme sacrifice of Jesus Christ who had willingly given up His life to spare mankind from extreme punishment because of their worldly sins.

"Nothing could ever compare to the supreme sacrifice of our Lord, Jesus Christ, who offered His very own earthly life just to redeem us, His brethren, from our worldly sins," she said in her seven-paragraph Lenten message.

The President called on every Filipino to also take it upon himself to give his own contribution -- this time for the betterment of the Filipino nation.

"In return, we should also offer our own personal sacrifice for the good of our country and our fellowmen; and always endeavor to be of service to our fellow Filipinos," she said.

The President added: "Like Jesus Christ, let us carry our own cross to help save our country from hardships and discord. Let us shed the anger in our hearts to finally end and patch up all our differences as a nation; and enlighten our thoughts once and for all to glean the truth behind empty promises."

According to the President, the people should "keep believing that our own little sacrifices could help unite us as a people; and help deepen our love for our country."

"Let us pray for the best interest of every Filipino; praise the greatness of the Lord for His sacrifices, and seek His forgiveness for our weaknesses and sins," she said.

"The death of Jesus Christ on the cross brought new life for the entire world. Let us follow our Savior’s footsteps so that we can see the dawning of a new day in a country where the people have strong faith, sense of unity and will power," she added.

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