PRESIDENT ARROYO'S VISION AND AGENDA

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PRESIDENT GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO

SPELLS OUT VISION AND AGENDA FOR NEXT SIX YEARS

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has outlined a ten-point program for fighting poverty and bringing national reconciliation during her next six-year term.

in her inaugural speech, the President declared she would create six million new jobs; provide quality education; balance the national budget; improve transportation networks; provide electricity and water supply to barangays nationwide; decongest Metro Manila; develop Clark and Subic as the best international service and logistic centers in the region; automate the electoral process; achieve peace in Mindanao; and heal the divisiveness caused by the EDSA 1,2, and 3 movements.

She said the government hoped to meet these targets by fixing fiscal woes through reform and cracking down on corruption.  The President pledged a government that "will live within its means and put every peso to real work."  She added that she would crack down on "wasteful and abusive officials, and influence peddlers."

National reconciliation was also a major focus of the President's speech.  "Unity is not measured by how many political parties are able to achieve the accommodation of narrow self-interest, rather it is achieve by the harmony of sincerity, of convictions based on our agreement on the basic requirements for achieving the national good", the President said. "Our nation must embrace a vision of economic opportunity, social cohesion and always an ever democratic faith", she added.

President Arroyo was sworn into office by Supreme Court Chief Justice Hilario Davide in Cebu on 30 June 2004, making her the country's 14th president.

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PRESIDENT GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO

REAFFIRMS FOREIGN POLICY DIRECTIONS

At the 106th foundation day of the Department of Foreign Affairs on 23 July 2004, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo stressed that her foreign policy would seek to protect the interests of the Philippines by responding to the eight realities in the global and regional environment.  These are:

1. China, Japan and the United States have a determining influence in the security situation and economic evolution of East Asia;

2. More and more Philippine foreign policy decisions have to be made in the context of ASEAN;

3. The international Islamic community will become more and more important to the Philippines;

4. The coming years will see the redefinition of the role of multilateral and interregional organizations in promoting common interests;

5. The defense of the nation's sovereignty, the protection of its environment and natural resources can be carried out only to the extent that we get others to respects our rights over our maritime territory;

6. The country's economic growth will continue to require direct foreign investment;

7. The Philippines can benefit most quickly from international tourism; and,

8. Filipinos overseas will continue to play a critical role in the country's economic and social stability.

The President declared that her focus has been to protect the vital interest of the nation, including the eight million overseas Filipinos.  "Our government deeply cares for our Filipinos overseas and their families and will do all it can to keep them from harm", she said.

She elaborated that her government recognized two "global realities", namely the reality of the military and economic influence of the US, and the reality of the overseas Filipinos.  She said that she has committed the nation to join the fight against global terrorism in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions, and this included the sending of a small humanitarian and peacekeeping contingent to Iraq to help in its post-war reconstruction.  However, the President said that she took into consideration the fact that the 4,000 overseas Filipino workers in Iraq were more valuable to the reconstruction efforts than the small Philippine contingent.  she said that compared to coalition troops, these OFWs, especially the truck drivers and constructions workers, were fare more vulnerable to terrorist attacks.