The Office of the President (OP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) were the "big gainers" among the 37 government agencies that received passing marks in the latest survey conducted by the influential Makati Business Club (MBC).

In the 2007 MBC Executive Outlook Survey, the business sector expressed their satisfaction on the performance of the Commander-in-Chief President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon with a decent 43.6 and 50.1 percent, respectively.

This directly refuted the outcome of a similar survey conducted by the more commercialized Pulse Asia Inc., in which they gave President Arroyo and Gen. Esperon a similar 41 percent distrust ratings.

According to members of the business sector, President Arroyo and Gen. Esperon along with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and Bureau of Customs (BOC) are among the agencies they believe are dead serious in providing quality services to the Filipino people.

"Respondents expressed greater satisfaction in the 2006 performance of the BIR, Customs and the AFP than in the previous year, giving them the biggest increase in net satisfaction ratings," the survey indicated.

The AFP got a 50.1 percent trust rating and ranks number 15, nine notch higher than its 2006 ranking among the 37 government-agencies that show best-performance as far as the MBC members are concerned.

Aside from the OP and AFP, among the other biggest gainers in the MBC-conducted trust survey were BIR with 55.2 percent net satisfaction rating, BOC with 50.2 percent and Supreme Court (SC), 48.7 percent.

My family is in solidarity with the Filipino people who all know what it feels to have a loved one saved by the Lord from mortal danger.

I am deeply grateful for the prayers of the people as we bow to the mighty compassion of God. We shall continue to work hand in hand, families linked together, for the good of all, sharing and caring in times of need, gathering around a common spirit of ensuring the safety of our loved ones.

I am in solidarity with those who have gone through the same anticipation of sudden loss, only to be given a reprieve through the Almighty’s grace.

To all those who poured their sympathies, thank you for being with us in our moments of trial and difficulty.

It would take some time to lift the quality of life among all the people across the board, but hopes are rising for the future on the back of a growing economy whose dividends are being spread far and wide.

This government never promised instant results from the economic surge, but the reality is that we have more jobs today, lower inflation and lesser debt.

Our detractors may insist in seeing a cup half empty, but we would rather see it half full and filling up as we move forward in our programs to breach hunger and poverty.

We acknowledge that there is still much to be done, and that is why we are rolling up our sleeves which more and more Filipinos are doing.

Balancing her roles as a devoted wife to First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo and as head of the Republic, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo left St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City at 11:45 o’clock this morning to attend a mass in Manila and visit the victims of a destructive fire in Mandaluyong City recently.

The President first attended a noontime mass at St. Jude Cathedral near Malacaņang for the speedy recovery of Atty. Arroyo from an open heart surgery for aneurysm and a triple bypass operation Monday night.

The Chief Executive looked much better today than yesterday, when she left her husband for the first time in three days to attend a private meeting in Malacaņang.

The President, together with her Cabinet members and Palace staff, attended the mass offered at St. Jude Cathedral for the First Gentleman’s fast recovery.

After the mass, she proceeded to Mandaluyong City to visit some 3,000 homeless fire victims currently sheltered at the Fabella Elementary School.

She returned to St. Luke’s at around 2 p.m.

Today was the second straight day that the President left the First Gentleman briefly to attend to some of her duties as Chief Executive despite the emotional stress she was going through since her husband underwent a 10-hour emergency heart operation.

Malacanang said today that while it would take some time to lift the quality of life of Filipinos, constant effort by the government to increase social dividends on the back of a growing economy would eventually boost optimism and hope among the common folk.

Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman Ignacio R. Bunye said economic positives such as the boom in portfolio investments and the repayment of debts amounting to $175 million can be sustained and move forward programs to breach hunger and poverty.

"It would take some time to lift the quality of life among all the people across the board, but hopes are rising for the future on the back of a growing economy whose dividends are being spread far and wide," he said in a statement.

Bunye was reacting to a recent Pulse Asia survey showing that more Filipinos across the country and across socioeconomic classes feel their life is worse off now than three years ago.

The Press Secretary said that while the government never promised instant results from the economic surge, the reality, according to him, "is that we have more jobs today, lower inflation, and lesser debt."

"Our detractors may insist in seeing a cup half empty, but we would rather see it half full and filling up as we move forward in our programs to breach hunger and poverty," he pointed out.

Bunye, however, acknowledged that there is still much to be done.

Notwithstanding the personal ordeal she is going through, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo visited today the victims of the Black Saturday fire that hit Mandaluyong City recently and turned over P10 million in relief assistance to City Mayor Neptali Gonzales Jr.

The President, who for the past three days has been at the bedside of the First Gentleman following his recent heart operation, turned over the check from the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) during her visit at the Jose Fabella Memorial Elementary School gym which has been converted into a temporary evacuation center for the 3,000 families affected by the fire.

Gonzales informed the President that he had coordinated with the Manila Water company and the Manila Electric Company for the speedy reconstruction of electrical posts and water pipes in the Welfareville compound in Barangay Addition Hills.

The President proceeded to the Welfareville compound where she instructed Gonzales and Mandaluyong Congressman Benhur Abalos to speed up the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the site.

She also ordered the two Mandaluyong officials to speed up the road construction for the victims’ welfare and safety.

The President expressed elation over the appreciation of the fire victims and residents to her visit despite her personal problem.

"I am very happy that they feel that way na na-appreciate nila ang pagpunta ko dito", she said.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo attended today the healing mass offered by the Saint Jude Parish Church for the "speedy recovery" of First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo who went under the knife early this week to repair his about-to-rupture aorta.

The high-noon mass, according to Parish priest Fr. Joseph Xin Lu was dedicated to Atty. Arroyo for being one of the parish benefactors.

"The First gentleman has been such a generous person, so charitable," he said.

In his homily, Fr. Joseph stressed that "God is always there to raise us up… and Jesus really cares for each one of us…"

Several organizations, according to him, have received donations from the First Gentleman, "and I was told that it is coming form his own money."

Among the beneficiaries of Atty. Arroyo, he said, were farmers and the parish itself, which is "so grateful."

"And I would like to thank you, Madame President, for your continued support of the parish," he added.

Fr. Xin Lu then prayed for the First Gentleman’s "speedy recovery," saying that "God wants to use him (the FG) for good… (as) he is precious in God’s eyes."

The President -- cool in light blue pants and white long-sleeved shirt with light blue vertical stripes – entered the church via the main aisle to her front seat where she was joined some half an hour later by Vice President Noli de Castro who was similarly garbed in light blue long-sleeved shirt.

The mass was also attended by Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, AFP Chief of Staff General Hermogenes Esperon, and palace dignitaries led by Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye who offered the "mompo," and Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita who brought the chalice to the altar during the "offering."

The 40-minute mass on "Friday of the Octave of Easter," dwelt on the Nazarean who was "rejected by the builders but who later became the cornerstone" of Christianity.

Of the seven Prayers of the Faithful, three were specifically for the First Gentleman. The last two prayers were for the President.

After the mass, Fr. Joseph went around the church with a "healing brother" and distributed white rose petals to the mass attendees, with the first set of petals going to the President who later found images of the Blessed Virgin Mary in three of her about a dozen rose petals.

This after-mass ritual dubbed the "Healing of Mind and Body" made the President "happy" as she is a devotee of the Blessed Virgin Mary, according to Cerge Remonde, director-general of the Presidential Management Staff (PMS).

Remonde told reporters after the President had left that "she felt very blessed" and that she believes "her prayers have been answered" with the appearance of the images of the Virgin of Guadalupe, the Virgin of Lourdes, and the Madonna with Child in three of the petals given her.