President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo appointed today four highly qualified individuals to various government posts and granted executive clemency to one inmate convicted of a simple crime.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita made the announcement during his regular weekly press briefing in Malacanang this afternoon.

Appointed were Theresa Mundita-Lim as Director IV at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Ricardo L. Tan as Director II (Regional Director) of the Land Transportation Office-National Capital Region (LTO-NCR) under the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC);

Ramon Jesus P. Paje as Presidential Assistant on Mining under the Office of the President (OP) from the DENR, and Jorge L. Banal, Sr. as Acting Member of the Board of Directors at the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA).

Meanwhile, the President granted absolute and unconditional pardon to Noel Villanueva y Lopez and ordered restoration of his full civil and political rights.

Villanueva was convicted of the crime of slight oral defamation and simple slander by deed and was imposed a total fine of P400 with subsidiary imprisonment in case of insolvency.

Also today, the President issued Memorandum Order 244 directing the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) to formulate and propose laws to address the needs and problems of the local maritime industry.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita called on the New People’s Army (NPA) on the eve of its 38^th anniversary to lay down its arms and participate in the democratic process for the sake of the country.

In his weekly media briefing in Malacaņang this afternoon, Ermita said that since the NPA’s founding in 1969, too many lives and much properties and government money have been wasted -- resources which, he stressed, could have been poured instead to needed social services.

"I call on them to lay down their arms and participate in the parliamentary struggle. Under our democratic system. they are given free space to participate," he appealed to the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines.

With the repeal of Republic Act 1700, otherwise known as the Anti-Subversion Law which outlawed the communists, Ermita said that leftists are now given the chance to participate in the parliamentary struggle under the party-list concept.

Ermita said he is hoping the NPA would issue a resolution during their 38^th anniversary tomorrow that they would finally lay down their arms for the sake and progress of the Filipinos.

Years ago, Ermita recalled that members of the rebel group took advantage of the amnesty offer of the government that has lessened their numbers even though they knew too well the penalty for turning one’s back on the communist cause.

However, Ermita lamented that those who availed of the government amnesty program, including top NPA leaders such as Romulo Kintanar and Felimon "Popoy" Lagman were eventually liquidated by their former comrades.

With their armed fighters dwindling to 7,400, Ermita said the NPA can never attain their futile objective of toppling the government.

Ermita said the present lean crop of party-list representatives have been given the democratic space and pushing well their principles and ideology in Congress.

Malacanang expressed appreciation today over the Asian Development Bank’s projection of a "positive growth track" for the Philippines, even as it stressed that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s "8 by 08" social payback agenda would further grow the country’s economy.

The Manila-based multi-lateral lender stated in its Asian Development Outlook 2007 that a key challenge for the Philippines is to move for a higher growth trajectory and create more stable, high-paying jobs.

"We take note of the ADB observation on the specter of unemployment and underemployment, and we are putting our 8 by 08 social payback drive to pull in more investments and create well-paying, stable jobs," Press Secretary and concurrent Presidential Spokesperson Ignacio R. Bunye said.

The President’s "8 by 08" agenda include projects and programs designed to attract more investors through the development of the country’s five super regions by investing in needed infrastructure, education and health facilities.

With the development of adequate infrastructure and related facilities, it is expected that these regions will be more attractive to investors and thus spur development in the entire country.

Bunye said that although the government’s economic growth projections of 6.1 to 6.7 percent for this year are "higher" than ADB’s 5.4 percent, both share a "common confidence in the Philippines’ ability to grow on the back of a strong and steady economic reform agenda."

He stressed that President Arroyo remains focused on further growing the economy, sustaining political stability and increasing the social dividends of growth as the world "continues to be upbeat on the Philippines."

Bunye added that the upcoming May 14 elections would boost the international financial community’s confidence on the Philippines to "new heights" and that "growth will follow the trend."

The ADB has projected that the Philippine economy is likely to grow this year at the same pace as in 2006. Last year’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew 5.4 percent.