Access to quality education holds the key to poverty's defeat. This administration shall continue to build more classrooms, hire more teachers, and improve our basic curriculum as part of the President's social payback agenda.

Malacanang said today that hopefully, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s two-day visit to Lisbon would blaze the trail for cooperation between Portugal and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), as well as promote Philippine-Portugal bilateral relations.

The President arrived in Lisbon at 10 o’clock last night (Manila time) from Rome, where she attended the canonization of Blessed Marie Eugenie, foundress of the Religious Assumption, and three other new saints.

Another highlight of the President’s trip to Rome, the citadel of world Catholicism, was her private audience with Pope Benedict XVI who conveyed his blessings to the Filipino people and the Philippines, the third largest Catholic country in the world and the biggest in Asia.

In a statement this morning, Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman Ignacio R. Bunye said hopefully, the President’s visit to Portugal will "set the stage for Asean’s cooperation with that nation as the incoming President of the European Union, the promotion of Philippine-Portugal bilateral relations, increased trade opportunities for Philippine products and increased investments from Portuguese companies."

The Philippines chairs Asean this year, while Portugal will assume the presidency of the 25-member European Union this year. Portugal was one of the 12 original members of the European Community (EC).

As Asean chair, the President has spearheaded the move for closer relations between members of the regional grouping and other countries, especially in economic, environmental protection, human rights and security matters.

Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesperson Ignacio R. Bunye underscored today the importance of providing Filipino students with quality but affordable education as a way of alleviating poverty in the country.

"Access to quality education holds the key to poverty’s defeat. This administration shall continue to build more classrooms, hire more teachers, and improve our basic curriculum as part of the President’s social payback," Bunye said in a statement.

He said that the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has given priority to the provision of quality and affordable education as an integral part of the fight against poverty.

"Let this be our nonpartisan agenda to keep more Filipino children in school rather that out in the streets or in factories, illegal establishments and other risky workplaces where they do not belong," he stressed.

Bunye’s statement came on the heels of the Department of Education (DepEd) assessment that the opening of the new school year yesterday was generally "smooth and peaceful."

Malacanang said today that the strong surge of the peso and the stock market will continue as long as the nation moves as one.

Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman Ignacio R. Bunye said that the seven-year high registered by the peso yesterday and the soaring stock market index augur well for the economy.

"Our stock market is a reflection of our current state of affairs: optimistic, forward-looking and constructive," he said in a statement.

Bunye’s remarks came on the heels of the high growth numbers that drove the peso past the 46 level against the dollar yesterday, its strongest in seven years or since Sept. 15, 2000.

Stocks likewise soared on the back of Wall Street’s gains Friday and surging Asian markets even as fund managers moved away from China and continued to pour into the local market.

"We are in a good place, and things will continue to look up as we move as one nation, undivided in our love for country," Bunye noted.

He pointed out that the strong performance of the peso and the stock market was driven by the country’s strong economic fundamentals following the implementation of tough economic reforms by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

LISBON, Portugal (via PLDT)--- Stressing that the series of events that led to her visits to the Vatican City and the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima were Divine Providence’s intercession, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said today the experiences she had the last four days renewed her moral and spiritual faith-based governance.

In an informal conversation over breakfast today at the Four Seasons Hotel Ritz here, the President said her audience with Pope Benedict XVI last Monday, her attendance at Sunday’s canonization of St. Marie Eugenie and now the pilgrimage to the Shrine of Fatima in Portugal were unplanned but constituted a series of events that led to the realization of these trips.

"The events gave me a rare opportunity for prayer, thanksgiving, reflection, and renewal of spiritual and moral strength and political will for faith-based governance," the President enthused.

She said her trip to the Vatican City was upon the invitation of the Alumnae Association of the Assumption College, since the Assumption Sisters played a very crucial role in the eventual canonization of St. Marie Eugenie, the foundress of the Religious of Assumption.

The President is an alumna of the Makati-based Assumption College, having attended her elementary and high school years there.

On the other hand, the President said her audience with the Holy Father was upon the invitation of the Vatican.

"I am very lucky I got to see the Pope (twice) in the two years that he is the Pope," the President said.

She attributed this to the Philippines being a very devout Catholic country and that the Holy Father is "very happy about our public policy that can be a model…that to follow the precepts of the Church yet the economy still does well."

Describing her meeting with the Holy Father as "very fulfilling" and fruitful, she said the Pope once again gave his blessings and support for her.

"He was very supportive…he commented that the economy was doing well. I informed him that our growth rate is very good and our reduction of poverty rate by one percent every year is well on the way to meeting the United Nations Millennium Development Goals by 2015," the President said.

Other issues discussed during her one-on-one meeting with the Pope included the peace process in Mindanao in which she informed the Pontiff of the "soft and hard power" efforts of the government to finally achieve lasting peace in Southern Philippines.

As to the Fatima pilgrimage, the President said a "prayer friend" advised her to visit the Shrine of the Mother of Rosary to thank the Virgin Mary for the "miraculous healing of my husband and this opportunity came about." She enthused that her trip to Portugal would also be a very appropriate time to meet with the incoming president of the powerful economic bloc, the European Union.