The Philippine government is sharing key information with members of the European Union (EU) Needs Assessment Mission regarding its actions to address killings of media and political activists.

"The Mission is here to assess the needs of the Philippine government, to see how the EU might be able to extend technical assistance," Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said. "It is in the government’s best interest to show them the realities of our programs of action and of our situation, especially the security situation."

The Mission schedule of work includes meetings and visits with the Philippine National Police (PNP), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Department of Justice, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and other agencies involved in the government efforts to address the issue of media and political activist killings.

A key aspect of the Mission are visits to field offices of some government agencies outside of Metro Manila. "There they will see the real working conditions of our investigators, prosecutors, and courts," Ermita said.

At the same time, Ermita clarified erroneous press reports that the Mission would go to Leyte.

"They will go to Central Luzon and Bicol but not to Leyte," he said. Some reporters had written that the Mission would go to Leyte to investigate the discovery of mass graves there.

"This would not be in line with their Mission," Ermita said, adding that the reports also had other factual errors such as describing the Mission as sent by the EU to "probe."

The Mission arrived in Manila on Monday, when Presidential Human Rights Committee Executive Director Cecilia R.V. Quisumbing, gave a briefing on the government’s overall strategic work plan to address the killings.

The Judiciary, the Commission on Human Rights and the Ombudsman, though not part of the Administration, are key bodies in this work plan and have opened their doors to the Mission as well.

The Executive Secretary hosted a cocktail reception to welcome the visitors and to thank the representatives of the European Union member states for their interest in providing technical assistance.

On Tuesday, the PNP, NBI and CHR discussed their methods, challenges and needs in investigating the killings.

On Wednesday, the Department of Justice, the Office of the Ombudsman and the CHR talked about how prosecutions against suspected perpetrators could be strengthened and expedited. The Department of Justice, with the Secretary of Justice, also hosted a visit to the Witness Protection Program offices.

On Thursday, Chief Justice Reynato Puno welcomed the Mission to the Supreme Court where members were briefed on the special courts designated to try political and media killings.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo leaves Saturday for Singapore to attend the two-day World Economic Forum (WEF) on East Asia and pay a one-day state visit each to the Republic of Singapore and the Republic of Equatorial Guinea.

While in Singapore, the President will meet a select group of international political and business leaders attending the WEF on East Asia, a regional version of the Swiss-based WEF, to shape the region’s industry, economic and political agenda.

From Singapore, the President will proceed to the Republic of Equatorial Guinea on Tuesday, June 26 for a one-day state visit.

Malacaņang listed key objectives of the President’s state visit to Singapore as follows:

• To reciprocate the state visit of President S.R. Nathan to the Philippines on Feb. 13-16, 2007.

• To give further impetus to accelerating economic relations between the two countries, especially with a view to expanding Singapore’s investments in the Philippines by highlighting the good news about the economy.

• To allow coordination and consultation between the outgoing and incoming chairs of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). The President chairs the 10-member regional grouping this year.

• To touch base with Singapore’s Filipino community.

The industry agenda of the June 24-25 forum will focus on a new generation of East Asian multinationals and the impact of cross-border in investments. The economic agenda will examine the durability of East Asia’s growth in the face of emerging global risks.

On the occasion of Asean’s 40^th anniversary, the political agenda will center on the design of its evolving regional architecture and its relationship with strategic partners such as India, Russia and the United States.

It will be recalled that President Arroyo attended the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Jan. 25-28 this year, where she cited the emergence of the Asean community as a formidable bloc as it celebrates 40 years of existence.

The presidential entourage is scheduled to depart from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport via Philippine Airlines (PAL) commercial flight PR 501 Saturday afternoon.

From Singapore’s Changi International Airport, the President will proceed to Fullerton Hotel where she will address major movers and shakers in the business world.

After her speech, she will leave Fullerton Hotel for Shangri-La Hotel where SICPA Holdings executive co-chairman Maurice Amon will call on her. This will be followed by cocktails at the state room foyer of the hotel.

The highlight of the evening is a dinner at the State Room with co-chairs of WEF on East Asia.

A call on the President by Renault Nissan chief executive officer Carlos Ghosn has also been set at Valley Wing of Shangri-La.

The next day (Sunday, June 24), the President will deliver her WEF opening speech.

Later in the afternoon, she will attend a Eucharistic celebration and meet with members of Singapore’s Filipino community at the Suntec Convention Hall. This will be followed by a reception hosted by Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at Istana.

After her private dinner at the Fullerton Hotel, a Durian Party will be hosted in her honor at the same hotel by the Singaporean government.

The President’s state visit starts Monday (June 25) with welcome ceremonies and signing of visitor’s book at the Istana, followed by her meeting with Singapore President S. R. Nathan.

The day will also be highlighted by her meeting with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the Presidential Suite of Fullerton Hotel and lunch with Loong at Straits Room 4/F of the same hotel.

Later in the afternoon, after the call of Maersk officials, the President will deliver a speech at the coffee party of the Philippines-Singapore Business Council.

A state dinner hosted by Singapore President S.R. Nathan at the Banquet Hall of the Istana concludes the President’s state visit to Singapore.

SUBIC, Zambales – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo inaugurated today the P653-million Subic-Cawag-Balaybay road here which she said will further boost business and employment opportunities for residents and prospective investors in and around the province, the country and even the whole world.

The 16.15-kilometer access road now serves as a direct link between the proposed Zambales Industrial Park and provincial port and Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction Co. Ltd. (HHIC), one of the world's largest ship builders and top hirer of world-class Filipino welders to work on their ship building activities.

The access road is the fulfillment of the Memorandum of Understanding entered into by and between the Department of Public Works and Highways, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority and HHIC signed last Feb. 28, 2006.

In her speech keynoting the formal opening of the access road, the President said the project was funded solely through government and local government resources sourced from collections stemming from the Expanded Value Added Tax (EVAT).

"P653 million of (expanded) value added taxes went to this road," the President said, adding that 95 percent was sourced from the government through the DPWH while the remaining five percent came from the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA).

"The difficult and politically unpopular steps we took to raise taxes are bearing fruit. We are now able to make significant investments in people and infrastructure," the President said.

She added that "this project will also create jobs in the surrounding communities of Subic, Zambales and Olongapo City."

The President also directed the Bureau of Customs (BoC) and the Anti-Smuggling Task Force (ASTF) to go after those involved in smuggling to the detriment of the Philippine port system.

""We have undertaken a strong and steady effort to curb graft and corruption through reliance on criminal justice, administrative controls and procedural reforms. We do not tolerate smuggling in Subic or anywhere else," the President said.

"So I am instructing the Customs and Anti-smuggling Task Force to crack down on individuals involved in illegal activities," she added.

She called on everyone to "make our economy more business-friendly to legitimate businessmen and unfriendly to crooked businessmen."

She said her administration is taking measures to ensure efficient private sector access to project financing, lower the cost of doing business in the country by cutting down red tape and minimizing corruption.

The government has undertaken "strong and steady efforts to curb graft and corruption through reliance on criminal justice, administrative controls and procedural reforms," the President said.

In just one year, from the time Hanjin officials met with her in Malacanang to review the structural map of the Korean shipbuilding company’s structural map, construction of Hanjin’s first 12 containers are underway, the President said.

"We are taking steps to make investment decisions easy. The difficult and politically unpopular steps we took to raise taxes are bearing fruits," she said.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo welcomed today in Malacaņang the top official of one of the world’s largest privately held software companies whose business interests in the Philippines include projects in support of the government’s "8 by 08" program.

Dr. James Goodnight, chief executive officer of SAS Institute based in North Carolina, USA, introduced to the President the business operations of its subsidiary, SAS Philippines, during a courtesy call on her this morning at the Study Conference Room of the Palace.

Among those present during the meeting were Finance Secretary Margarito Teves, SAS Asia-Pacific vice president Philip Beniac, and SAS Philippines country manager Sonny Halili.

The SAS Institute has 10,000 employees in more than 400 offices worldwide catering to 96 of the Top 100 companies listed in the 2006 Fortune Global 500.

For the last 30 years, the company continues to have a double-digit growth with $1.9 billion in revenue recorded last year.

During their meeting, Goodnight presented to the President the SAS-proposed pilot project, National Program Performance Management, in support of the President’s "8 by 08" strategy.