We view positively the Commission on Elections (Comelec’s) creation of a probe group to investigate allegations and assess evidence of anomalies.

We thank Brother Mike (Velarde) for his good intentions but we don't quite agree with his characterizations. The national count is far from over but at the congressional and local levels, there seems to be a resounding vote for political stability, auguring well for a strong economy.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said today that after the "vigorous elections" a week ago, it’s time that all political parties and leaders come together in a common pursuit of the people’s welfare and national well-being.

In a brief statement after she rang the bell to signal the start of the day’s trading at the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) in Makati City this morning, the President said: "Philippine democracy has been renewed after a vigorous elections. Even as the results of the national elections have yet to be canvassed, the outcome of the local elections pushes our collective resolve to push forward a modern, booming society through pro-growth, pro-poor and pro-modern policies."

"Now it’s time to come together to pursue a common path forward among all political parties and leaders," the President added, as she noted the easing of the election fever.

She pointed out that the collective resolve of her administration to achieve a First World status in the next two decades through pro-growth, pro-poor and pro-modern policies could propel further the impressive advances achieved by the Philippine stock market in recent months.

With the impressive performance of the stock market in the run-up to and after the May 14 elections, the PSE can expect "more run of the bulls to more unheard, new highs," the President said.

She said that she visited the PSE "not to launch any IPO (initial public offering)" but to "congratulate the PSE for the all-time high index."

The Chief Executive also paid tribute to the Filipino people for their "sacrifices in reducing the budget deficit" and thereby setting the stage for a conducive and attractive stock market.

"Mga kababayan, ipagdiwang natin ang pag-akyat ng stock market (My countrymen, let us celebrate the bullish stock market)," she said.

The President also thanked the investment community "for acknowledging the nation’s hard-won advances in fiscal consolidation, economic growth and political stability."

The business sentiment has been uniformly bullish as the economy continues to reach new peaks and the peso continues to strengthen against the US dollar.

The market hit all-time highs in recent sessions. On Monday, the 30-company composite index closed 17.16 points or 0.5 percent, closing higher at 3466.34, topping Friday’s all-time closing high of 3,449.18.

The key index has gained 3.7 percent in the past six sessions and market analysts are optimistic that it will reach new highs in the coming weeks given the bullish outlook of the economy.

Philippine democracy has been renewed after a vigorous by-election. Now it is time to come together to forge a common path forward together among all parties and all political leaders here at home. Even as the national election is still being canvassed, the outcome of the local elections strengthens our nation's collective resolve to create a modern, booming society through pro-growth, pro-poor, and pro-modernization policies.

Our foreign relations play a vital role in a strong Philippines. An essential component of a modern vision for the Philippines is our continued open engagement with the region and the world. We need to be competitive at home. We need to compete for investments abroad if we are to succeed.

Our trip to Japan is another step in our quest to further cement our ties and bring more investments, economic growth and peace and stability to our nation.

Just a few weeks ago, we announced that after a lot of hard work on the part of our government, Texas Instruments will make a billion-dollar investment in the Philippines. Tokyo Electric and Marubeni are also making a four-billion dollar investment, the largest Japanese investment in Philippine history. Their investment in the Philippines is no mistake: the world is sitting up and taking notice that the Philippines is back and open for business. Our economy and gains against poverty are proof the plan is working.

On this trip to Japan, we will be meeting with business and financial leaders from around the region to again tell the Philippine story and encourage them that the Philippine turnaround is here to stay, that our politics has stabilities and that we are the best value in Asia.

Japan plays a pivotal role in bringing peace, stability and economic opportunity to the conflict in Mindanao. Prime Minister Abe is playing an instrumental role in nurturing the peace process. One aim of my trip is to advance peace in Mindanao by engaging with our regional partners in the peace process.

No trip abroad to meet with foreign leaders is complete without continuing vigilance in the pursuit of regional security, stability and peace. The ongoing concerns about North Korea's nuclear capability and the existing danger of global terrorism remain front and center. Plans for improved coordination and cooperation will be discussed along with our shared economic agenda.

TOKYO, Japan – The Philippines, along with Vietnam, is a new favorite investment site in Asia, according to the prestigious Nikkei Weekly, the flagship publication of Nikkei Inc. and the primary source of business information for top executives and decision-makers here.

Philippine Ambassador to Japan Domingo Siazon Jr. revealed this in a press briefing Tuesday morning, just hours before the arrival here of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who has been invited as guest of honor for this year’s 13^th Nikkei Conference on the Future of Asia.

The President, according to Siazon, was invited for her effective leadership and policy that put the Philippine economy back on its feet.

In its May 21, 2007 special issue, Nikkei Weekly cited the Philippines and Vietnam as the new investment sites favored by both local and foreign investors.

Siazon said Nikkei Weekly based its report on the performance and achievements of the Philippine economy over the last six years under the leadership of President Arroyo.

He noted that from 2001 to 2006, the Philippine economy stabilized and grew by about 4.37 percent annually, the country’s best six-year average in the previous 18 years.

In the case of the Philippines, the report pointed out that the signs of regional consumption turning robust came when the SM Group, the largest retailer in the country, opened the Mall of Asia, the biggest shopping center in the country with a total floor space of 400,000 square meters.

The sprawling mall houses some 750 retailers offering a wide array of consumer products from around the region.

Siazon said Vietnam is similarly readying itself to whet the growing appetite for consumption, with Lotte Group, South Korea’s retail giant, planning to open a shopping center in Ho Chi Minh City next year.

This trend, Siazon said, is yet another sign of the region’s increasingly affluent middle class showing a growing preference for made-in-Asia products.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board have approved the Investment Priorities Plan (IPP) listing business areas to be given incentives, and the revised list of priority infrastructure projects under the Medium Term Public Investment Plan (MTPIP).

"The major legacies of our administration shall be a balanced budget and infrastructure," the President told the NEDA Board. "In this way we shall set the nation on course to achieve First-World status by 2020."

Drafted by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in consultation with concerned agencies and the general public, the IPP includes the following priority investment areas:

Also to enjoy incentives under the plan are export industries and their key suppliers, as well as sectors promoted under certain laws, including tree plantations, mining, quarrying and minerals processing, oil refining, storage and distribution, and industries involved in proper solid waste management, air quality, and assistance to disabled persons.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo left this afternoon for a four-day official visit to Japan in "another step in our quest to further cement our ties and bring more investments, economic growth and peace and stability to our nation."

The President and her lean delegation were sent off at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Centennial Terminal 2 by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita and Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez.

The Philippine Airlines Flight 432 bearing the presidential entourage took off from the NAIA at 2:45 p.m. and was scheduled to arrive at the Narita Airport in Tokyo at 7:55 p.m. (Japan time).

In a departure statement, the President stressed the need for her to make the trip, saying the country’s foreign relations "play a vital role in a strong Philippines. An essential component of a modern vision for the Philippines is our continued open engagement with the region and the world."

"We need to compete for investments abroad if we are to succeed," she said.

Saying that Philippine democracy has been renewed by the May 14 elections, she added that it was now time for all parties and political leaders to "come together to forge a common path forward."

The President’s Japan trip came a few weeks after "a lot of hard work on the part of our government" succeeded in securing a $1 billion investment by the US-based Texas Instruments in the Philippines.

Aside from TI, Tokyo Electric and Marubeni are also investing $4 billion in the country, the biggest Japanese investment ever in the Philippines, she added.

These new investments, the President said, show that the "world is sitting up and taking notice that the Philippines is back and open for business. Our economy and gains against poverty are proof that the plan is working."

The President said that during her meetings with business and financial leaders from around the region, she would assure them anew that the "Philippine turnaround is here to stay, that our politics has stabilities and that we are the best value in Asia."

"Japan plays a pivotal role in bringing peace, stability and economic opportunity to the conflict in Mindanao. Prime Minister Abe is playing an instrumental role in nurturing the peace process. One aim of my trip is to advance peace in Mindanao by engaging with our regional partners in the peace process," she said.

Among those accompanying the President were Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, Finance Secretary Margarito Teves, Trade Secretary Peter Favila, Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye, Customs Commissioner Napoleon Morales, TechnicalEducation and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Director General Augusto Syjuco, NAIA General Manager Alfonso Cusi, and Representatives Edcel Lagman (Albay) and Hermilando Mandanas (Batangas).