As the government girds for the implementation of the first phase of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) modernization program, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said today priority will be given to the acquisition of new helicopters to replace an aging fleet that had figured in crashes over the past several months.

In her speech during the celebration of the 60^th anniversary of the PAF at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City this morning, the President said P5 billion would be set aside to buy new helicopters out of the P17.5 billion earmarked by her administration for the upgrading of the PAF over the last two years.

She directed Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Hermogenes Esperon and PAF Chief Lt. Gen. Horacio Tolentino to take immediate steps to acquire brand new helicopters.

Last month, the President received nine refurbished UH-1H helicopters from US Ambassador Kristie Kenney during turnover ceremonies also held at the Villamor Air Base.

While acknowledging the importance of the refurbished UH-1H helicopters to beef up PAF’s capability to respond to emergency situations brought about by typhoons, floods and other calamities, she nevertheless pointed out that it was imperative that the PAF acquired brand new helicopters to improve further its round-the-clock operations.

"This refurbishing, and all the goodwill that have enabled us to mobilize in order to expand our fleet still have left me quite uncomfortable. So I instructed General Esperon and Lt. Gen. Tolentino that before we buy more second hand helicopters or almost first hand helicopters, I want to see a bidding for first hand helicopters," the President said.

"And I hope that our young men and women in the Air Force will be safer and braver when they fly these brand new helicopter," she said.

Anticipating criticisms of her administration for "over-militarization" in connection with the multi-year military modernization program, the President explained that what the government had allocated for the AFP was "much less than what we have allocated for agricultural modernization" over the last two years at P30 billion.

She explained that the agricultural and AFP modernization programs are a clear message of proving the value of a new paradigm for peace through the use of both hard and soft power.

The President stressed that in Mindanao, the government has been able to meld together confidence building measures grounded on strong interfaith dialogue and cultural awareness, investment in economic and basic infrastructure development, and mutual security arrangements to keep the peace in that area.

"This is a model setting a positive example. It is something we wish, all wish, to share with the rest of the world. By continuing with this new paradigm for peace we will be able to achieve permanent peace in Mindanao," she said.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo honored today seven outstanding officials and two civilian employees of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) for their loyalty and competence.

The President presented medals and plaques to the awardees to highlight the 60^th anniversary celebration of the PAF which focuses on the theme "Soaring in Action for Peace, Nation Building and Regional Stability."

Honored were Capt. Jason Rom J. Lacida and 2^nd Lt. Melvin B. Comia who both received Gold Cross Medals; Lt. Col. Manuel S. Gonzales, Bronze Cross Medal; TSgt. Danilo Victor E. Garcia, Bronze Cross Medal with 1^st Bronze Anahaw Leaf; Capt. Donna Belle N. Bruan, and Sgt. Romeo A. Ferrer who both received Military Merit Medals with Bronze Spearhead Device; TSgt. Abel L. Idusma as this year’s PAF Enlisted Personnel of the Year.

Romulo Gonzales was adjudged Model Civilian Supervisor of the Year, and Felisa M. Ponce as Model Civilian Employee of the Year.

Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon and PAF Chief Lt. Gen. Horacio S. Tolentino assisted the President in the presentation of the awards at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City this morning.

Also present in the two-hour anniversary program were National Security Adviser and Defense officer-in-charge Secretary Norberto Gonzales and nine Air Force Chiefs from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The nine ASEAN Air Force Chiefs were Brig. Gen. Dato Paduka Mahmud of the Royal Brunei Air Force; Lt. Gen. Soeung Samnang of the Royal Cambodian Air Force; Air Chief Marshal Herman Prayito, chief of Indonesian Air Force; Col. Khamphone Sivixay, chief of Air Force Department of the Lao People’s Army; Gen. Dato’ Azizan Bin Araffin of the Royal Malaysian Air Force;

Gen. Myat Hein of Myanmar Air Force; Maj. Gen Ng Chee Khern of the Republic of Singapore Air Force; Air Chief Marshal Chalit Pukbhasuk of the Royal Thai Air Force; and Maj. Gen. Le Huu Duc of the Air Defense and Air Force Command of the Vietnam People’s Armed Forces.

Prior to the President’s arrival, the ASEAN Air Force Chiefs witnessed the capability demonstration on counter-terrorism performed by the special task force of the 750^th Special Operations Wing and the search and rescue operation of the soldiers from the 505^th Search and Rescue Group.

The nine ASEAN Air Force Chiefs are in the country for a five-day conference which started July 1 and aimed at fostering professional relations and confidence-building measures.

LEGAZPI CITY -- Press Secretary and concurrent Presidential Spokesperson Ignacio R. Bunye assured today that a wide-ranging revamp of the Cabinet "won’t happen" as President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has already reappointed the members of her official family whose appointments were bypassed by the Commission on Appointments (CA) of the 13th Congress.

Bunye stressed, however, that making changes in the Cabinet is the "sole prerogative" of the President.

"Many have been reappointed…a sweeping revamp won’t happen in the immediate future," he said.

In ruling out a sweeping Cabinet reshuffle, Bunye pointed out the President has already reappointed Defense Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane to his old post as secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

The other Cabinet appointee is former Tarlac Congressman Gilbert Teodoro, who will take over the defense portfolio on Aug. 3.

The President has designated National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales as Department of National Defense (DND) officer-in-charge pending Teodoro’s assumption of the DND top post.

Last month, the President ordered all heads of government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) and government financing institutions (GFIs) to tender their courtesy resignation before June 30, triggering speculations that a revamp of the Cabinet was next in line.

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez, who is also with the President’s party here for today’s National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC)-Cabinet Cluster meeting, refused to comment on speculations that former Senate President Frank Drilon would take over his post.

LEGAZPI CITY -- As a way of kicking off the National Disaster Consciousness Month, the government held its first out-of-town National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC)-Cabinet Cluster meeting here today with no less than President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo presiding.

The two-hour meeting was attended by local executives that included Albay Gov. Joey Salceda, Camarines Sur Gov. and RDC 5 Chair Raymond Villafuerte, Camarines Norte Gov. Jesus Typoco, Catanduanes Gov. Joseph Cua, Masbate Gov. Eliza Kho and Sorsogon Gov. Sally Lee.

The President arrived here at 12:45 p.m. and immediately proceeded to the People’s Hall of the Provincial Capitol.

With her were Vice President Noli de Castro, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye, Public Works and Highways Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane, Education Secretary Jesli Lapus, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr., Environment Secretary Angelo Reyes, Cabinet Secretary Ricardo Saludo, Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman, among others.

The holding of the NDCC-Cabinet Cluster meeting here kicked off the National Disaster Consciousness month which has for its theme "Safe Ka Ba?"

Bunye said the meeting was meant to assess government efforts to rehabilitate the Bicol region after it was directly hit by four typhoons last year--Paeng, Reming, Milenyo and Seniang--that displaced some 3.39 million residents and left 1,158 dead.

The Arroyo administration and its partners in development -- non-government organizations and international donors, specifically the United Nations Development Program --- would want to put back on track the sustainable development program and eradication of poverty in the region.

During the meeting, Ebdane presented to the President an assessment of the rehabilitation efforts that include infrastructure, shelter, education, health and livelihood projects was presented to the President by Secretary Ebdane.

LEGAZPI CITY -- The police, military and public school teachers are exempted from the coverage of the rationalization plan -- the government program designed to make the bureaucracy "lean" but efficient.

Cabinet Secretary Ricardo Saludo, who was among those who attended the National Disaster Coordinating Council-Cabinet Cluster meeting here today, explained that the coverage of the rationalization plan is "quite limited" and will involve only a "small fraction of the 1.5 million employed by the government."

"It covers a very limited number...no more than 20,000-26,000" government workers, he said.

Saludo, stressed, however, that anyone who opts to avail of the program would be "fairly compensated."

"This program is voluntary. If you don’t wish to leave government service then we will find you a suitable position according to your experience and qualifications," he said.

Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman Ignacio R. Bunye affirmed Saludo's statement, saying that the rationalization program is "purely voluntary."

LEGAZPI CITY – Fresh from presiding over a National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC)-Cabinet Cluster meeting here this afternoon, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo inspected a new schoolbuilding prototype touted to withstand future disasters and remain in use without any major repairs for some 50 years.

Wearing blue pants and inner blouse of the same color topped by a cream Barong Tagalog shirt, the President motored to the Bagumbayan Central School where she was met by flag-waving school children in their blue-and-white uniforms, and the faculty in their green skirt uniforms.

The P2.3-million building houses two classrooms that could each accommodate 63 students. Each classroom also has a wide kitchen and two comfort rooms, the bigger of which is for girls and the handicapped, and the smaller one for boys.

As an evacuation center, a classroom could accommodate 12 families. The school is usually used as an evacuation center during typhoons and Mt. Mayon eruptions, according to the faculty.

Accompanied by Vice President Noli de Castro and Education Secretary Jesli Lapus, the President first entered the classroom assigned to the Grade I star section composed of 37 pupils – 19 boys and 18 girls.

There, she sat down beside one of the pupils and read a giant "Thank You" card that was crafted by the pupils who stamped their hands and signed their names on the green card.

Aside from Grade I-1, 35 other Grade I pupils assigned to the Opportunity Class or OPC occupy the other classroom of the all-concrete structure. The pupils of the two sections were each given a kilo of rice and a pack and glass of milk. 

The four other Grade I sections occupy classrooms in the old school buildings.

Bagumbayan Central School has six sections in Grade I and five sections each for Grade II to Grade VI, according to Grade I-1 adviser Alma Deleoz.

The all-weather Learning and Public Use School (LAPUS) school building is "principal led," which means that it is the school principal who prepares the program of work, plans and specifications; and supervises the bidding for the construction of the building.

Bagumbayan school principal Nicholas Revale said the building has a floor area of 230 square meters, divided into two classroom units. A unit covers 115 square meters, including the 63-square meter classroom plus the kitchen, CRs and lavatory.

LEGAZPI CITY -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has ordered the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) to fast-track the paper work on the planned new airport "on the plateau" here, according to Albay Gov. Joey Salceda.

Salceda briefed the President about the ongoing rehabilitation work on the Legazpi Airport in this city just before the latter flew back to Manila this afternoon. The President was here to preside over the meeting of the Disaster Cluster of the Cabinet, and to check on the all-weather all-concrete school building of the Department of Education for disaster-prone areas.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will convene a Mindanao Peace and Security Summit next week to strengthen anti-terrorism measures and discuss the problems stakeholders would face in implementing them.

Deputy National Security Adviser Pedro Cabuay said in a taped interview during "The Cabinet Speaks" TV program this afternoon the summit will be convened by the President as head of the National Security Council (NSC) from July 8 to 10, 2007 in Cagayan de Oro City.

He said the summit is also expected to draft an agreement or covenant among attendees regarding their commitment to battle terrorism in all fronts.

"Ang objectives ng summit na ito ay unang-una, para alamin ang mga problemang hinaharap ng ating mga kasamahan, kasundaluhan at lahat ng stakeholders sa ating laban kontra-terrorismo; pangalawa, upang magkaroon ng formulation ng mga programa at mga gagawin natin upang mapagaling pa ang ating laban sa terrorismo; at pangatlo, para magkaroon ng sort of agreement or covenant between stakeholders in Mindanao upang mapadali at mapaganda ang laban natin sa terrorismo," Cabuay said.

He said the NSC will be inviting all those who believe that permanent peace should reign in the country. These would include "multisectoral groups sa Mindanao kasama na dito ang local government officials (governors and mayors), Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of Philippines, mga Ulamas, priests and even representatives of the Moro National Liberation Front and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, members of the academe and Cabinet members who hold positions in the security cluster committee."

LEGAZPI CITY—The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) reported today that at least 80 percent of the rehabilitation projects for the Bicol provinces of Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Albay, Catanduanes, Sorsogon and Masbate have been completed.

Outgoing NDCC Chair Hermogenes Ebdane made the report during the NDCC-Cabinet Cluster meeting presided over by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo this afternoon at the Provincial Capitol Building in Legazpi City.

Ebdane said there are still 900 ongoing projects set to be completed between July and September.

The projects were damaged by four consecutive typhoons last year—Milenyo, Paeng, Reming,and Seniang.

According to him, the President is "pleased" with the pace the works on these rehabilitation projects are going.

Some P3.41 billion is available to fund the remaining projects while the Countryside Assistance for Rural Employment and Services (CARES)- funded projects would have an additional P8 billion once the 14^th Congress approves the 2008 proposed budget.

"The repair of physical structures will be completed by end July," Ebdane assured.

The projects that are yet to be done include the completion of housing units for the victims as well as livelihood projects for the displaced families.

Also discussed in the meeting was the strengthening of the government’s disaster mitigation and preparedness program in a move to save more lives and limbs in the event of any disaster that would hit the country.