President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has converted Puerto Princesa City in Palawan into a highly-urbanized city in consonance with the national government’s policy to support the initiative of local governments to become self-reliant communities and effective partners in attaining national goals.

In his regular weekly press briefing in Malacaņang yesterday afternoon, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the President effected the conversion of Puerto Princesa into a highly-urbanized city through Proclamation No. 1264 which she signed on March 26.

According to Ermita, Section 453 of the Local Government Code (LGC) of 1991 "provides that it shall be the duty of the President of the Philippines to declare a city as highly-urbanized within thirty (30) days after it shall have met the minimum requirements prescribed in Section 452 of the same Code, upon proper application therefore."

On Jan. 15, 2007, the Sangguniang Panglungsod of Puerto Princesa through its Resolution No. 614-2007 requested the President to declare the city as a highly-urbanized city.

The Office of the President conducted a thorough verification and found out that Puerto Princesa has met the minimum requirements prescribed for a city to be classified as highly-urbanized.

The LGC’s Section 452 states "that cities with a minimum population of two hundred thousand (200,000) inhabitants as certified by the National Statistics Office and with the latest income of at least Fifty Million Pesos (P50,000,000.00) based on 1991 constant prices as certified by the City Treasurer, shall be classified as highly-urbanized cities."

"Whereas, it is a declared policy of the government to support local governments’ initiative to attain their fullest development as self-reliant communities and make them more effective partners in the attainment of national goals," the President said in the proclamation.

The proclamation also provides that Puerto Princesa City will legally be declared as a highly-urbanized city only upon ratification through a plebiscite by the qualified voters of the city.

The rules and regulations implementing the LGC of 1991 state the following procedures:

a. Resolution – The interested city shall submit to the Office of the President of the Philippines a resolution of its Sanggunian adopted by a majority of its members in a meeting duly called for the purpose, and approved and endorsed by the city mayor. Said resolution shall be accompanied by a certification as to income and population.

b. Declaration of Conversion – Within thirty (30) days from receipt of such resolution, the President of the Philippines shall, after verifying that the income and population requirements have been met, declare the city as highly-urbanized.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has directed the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), through the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), to formulate and propose a law that would address the needs and problems of the local maritime industry and ensure the continued deployment of world-class Filipino seafarers abroad.

In issuing Memorandum Order No. 244 last week, the President gave the DOTC three months to submit a proposed law to improve and streamline government rules and procedures on the hiring and deployment of seafarers and other related workers in the maritime industry.

The directive, according to the President, aims to update the country’s maritime laws, eradicate red tape, and ensure that only qualified workers are hired and employed locally or abroad.

The President said the proposed law should likewise encourage direct foreign investments in the maritime industry by coming up with rationalized rules and regulations on foreign investments, including the provision of a schedule of incentives.

To come up with the proposal, the MARINA was tasked to coordinate with various government agencies, private maritime sector, interested maritime and seaman’s group, and the international shipping community.

The Philippines is believed to be the biggest supplier of world-class seafarers who send more than $2.6 billion in remittances every year.

Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesperson Ignacio R. Bunye stressed this today in reaction to United Nations Special Rapporteur Philip Alston’s interim report claiming the police and the military are using the order of battle to harm activists.

"President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is in full control of the Armed Forces and the AFP order of battle does not include militant groups operating within Philippine democratic space," Bunye pointed out in a statement.

Alston has formally presented to the UN his initial findings on the spate of extrajudicial killings in the country, warning of "dire consequences" if the matter remained unsolved.

Bunye said that as a government fighting a live and ongoing insurgency, the military has strict rules of engagements against the New People’s Army (NPA), the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, and their "verified commanders and co-conspirators clearly employing violent means to attain their political ends."

He said the President is not tolerating any wrongdoing from the military because those found violating the rules of engagement are immediately put under investigation before the filing of criminal and administrative cases.