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| 23 JANUARY 2007 | ||
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| 23 JANUARY 2007 | ||
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Statement of the President | ||
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Strategic RP-US alliance behind successful campaign vs. terrorists -- PGMA | ||
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PGMA and her economic team cite benefits of low interest rates |
| Statement of the President |
| Our strategic relationship with
the United States has always been a leading point for Philippine and regional security-and
becomes even more important as we push for strong collective security arrangements in
ASEAN and in East Asia involving the US, China and Japan. Our victories against the Abu Sayyaf highlight the success of our training and intelligence fusion programs with the United States, and these are reinforced by broader programs of peace and development, trade and investment that enlarge the space of Philippine security while constricting the space for terror and transnational crime. Our alliance with the US is enveloped in our alliance with all nations in the Asia-Pacific for a more prosperous and safer world than can secure the movement of people, goods and technology across border while effectively checking terrorist persons, funds and materiel. This is a high point for global security based on strong and committed alliances to a comprehensive strategy against terror. |
| Strategic RP-US alliance behind successful campaign vs. terrorists -- PGMA |
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo cited today the strategic alliance between the Philippines and the United States to fight terror as the driving force behind the successful campaign against terrorists in southern Philippines, particularly the extremist Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG). In a statement she read before convening the National Security Council (NSC) meeting at the Ramos Room of Malacaņang this morning, the President said this alliance will prove to be of utmost import as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) push for a more comprehensive peace and security program in the region. "Our strategic relationship with the United States has always been a leading point for Philippine and regional security – and becomes even more important as we push for strong collective security arrangements in ASEAN and in East Asia involving the US, China and Japan," the President said. "Our victories against the Abu Sayyaf highlight the success of our training and intelligence fusion programs with the United States, and these are reinforced by broader programs of peace and development, trade and investment that enlarge the space of Philippine security while constricting the space for terror and transnational crime," she added. "Our alliance with the US is enveloped in our alliance with all nations in the Asia-Pacific for a more prosperous and safer world that can secure the movement of people, goods and technology across borders while effectively checking terrorist persons, funds and materiel. This is a high point for global security based on strong and committed alliances to a comprehensive strategy against terror," the President stressed. In the same statement, the President also congratulated the valiant men and women of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for their successful campaign to capture and eliminate key figures of the ASG and Jemaah Islamiyah terrorists. She said that "our military has hit them (ASG and J.I. terrorists) hard and with success," partly due to "the fact that their lair is becoming smaller because our grasp on peace in Mindanao and southern Philippines has become wider." "The natural outcome of peace is the defeat of extremism and violence perpetrated by these terrorist thugs," the President added. "We salute our troops for their fighting mettle and we generously praise the communities involved," she said. |
| PGMA and her economic team cite benefits of low interest rates |
| President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said today
the decline of interest rates to new record lows as a result of strong economic
fundamentals would continue stimulating business and investments, decrease the country's
debt service payments, and increase the fund for social services and infrastructure
development. . In a roundtable discussion in Malacanang this afternoon, the President said the public would now reap the fruits of their sacrifices because of the government's implementation of financial and economic reforms. "Higit na lalakas ang investments dahil sa patuloy na pagbaba ng interest rates. Dahil din sa pagbaba ng interest rates, nababawasan ang kinakailangan nating isantabi para sa debt service at nadadagdagan ang pondo para sa pangangailangan ng taumbayan gaya ng social services at infrastructures," the President said. Present during the forum were Finance Secretary Margarito Teves, Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya, Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla, and Francis Glen Yu, president of the independent oil players group in the country. The President thanked Teves for the effective tax collections; Lotilla and the oil players for the decrease in oil prices despite deregulation; and Andaya for reducing the budget deficit that could result to a balance budget even before 2010. Teves informed the President that Treasury bill rates are currently on historic low levels because of high investor confidence and a very liquid and bullish market. The President said the low T-bill rates, used by banks and other financial institutions as benchmark for lending rates, would also result to lower interest rates for microfinance. The full implementation of the Expanded Value-Added Tax (EVAT) has also resulted in the upgrade of the country's credit rating outlook to stable from negative. Andaya said the P200-billion deficit in 2002 is now cut by more than half to less than P100 billion, resulting to more funds going to social services than the interest payments for government borrowings. A savings of P37 billion from interest payments would now go to education, health, and other social services programs of government. Lotilla also informed the President of another 50-centavo per liter rollback in oil prices within the week on top of the P1 reduction already implemented for the month of January. He said the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) would also go down in February. "Dahil sa ating pagpupunyagi sa pagsulong ng mga reporma sa pananalapi at ekonomiya, nakikita natin na nagbubunga ito ng magandang buhay para sa ating mga mamamayan," the President said. |