Investments in the Philippines are relatively higher today but the World Bank is right in saying that there is much more room for investments to grow to have a strong impact on alleviating poverty.

President Arroyo is on the same track every single day, working with her team to cut the red tape, build the digital and physical infrastructure as well as a strong energy grid nationwide, and rationalize the incentives to pull in massive investments to create jobs and beat poverty.

Our solid economic indicators give us a fighting chance to achieve at least 7 percent growth moving forward to 2010, and we aim to buttress confidence even more by a unifying leadership building enterprise and political stability at all levels.

CEBU CITY – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is one with the World Bank in saying that there is much more room for investments in the Philippines to grow and vowed to sustain the reforms she initiated to have a strong impact on alleviating poverty.

In her address at the conclusion of the two-day 2007 Philippines Development Forum (PDF) here this morning, the President assured the country's development partners that the national government will continue to sustain the reforms "that will strengthen the nation’s defenses and lessen vulnerabilities to external and internal shocks."

"The government is on the same track to cut the red tape, build the digital and physical infrastructure as well as a strong energy grid nationwide, and rationalize the incentives to pull in massive investments to create jobs and beat poverty," she said.

The President’s pronouncements came on the heels of the observation by World Bank country representative to the Philippines Joachim von Amsberg in the same forum that the government must focus on raising investments and ensuring that the benefits of fiscal reform programs would lead to poverty reduction.

Von Amsberg noted that despite some fiscal improvements and reasonable growth rates, the investment rate in the country remains low at under 15 percent.

The President assured that the government is working tirelessly to build a modern nation that will one day take its rightful place among First World countries.

"Our solid economic indicators give a fighting chance to achieve at least 7 percent growth moving forward to 2010," she said. "I repeat, we are focusing on the national agenda that include more jobs, stable prices and peace and order. "

The President noted that with the continued support from its development partners, the government can balance its budget and the Philippines would no longer go into debt.

"Once again, thank you to our development partners for your faith and confidence," she said

In Malacaņang, Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesperson Ignacio R. Bunye said the government aims "to buttress confidence even more by a unifying leadership building enterprise and political stability at all levels."

Stakeholders involved in the election summit have called for the strict implementation of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) gun ban, neutralization of partisan armed groups (PAGs), and the conduct of Oplan "Bakal" and "Sita" to check on unauthorized used of guns and bodyguards to ensure the conduct of an honest, orderly, and peaceful elections this May.

These are among several resolutions made by organizations involved in the summit to strengthen public confidence and achieve greater stability and credibility in the midterm polls.

The summit was initiated by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo last January in response to the call of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) to address key issues related to the conduct of a credible and democratic elections.

The resolutions are the product of the pre-summit cluster meetings held last February, the general meeting last March 1, and the summit proper last March 7, to formulate action plans that can be undertaken during the entire election period from February until June.

Included in the resolutions are the deployment of authorities to secure polling places and canvassing areas up to the proclamation of winners at least for the local positions.

The stakeholders also urged the Comelec to clean the voters’ list and the early release of the final voters’ list to the public at least two weeks before the scheduled elections.

The media, including government networks were urged to coordinate with the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas (KBP) in the voters’ education and awareness advocacy programs.