These three words best capture the theme of her two-day official visit to Spain which got underway yesterday, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said.

In a speech at the Congreso de los Diputados Thursday noon (Madrid time), the President said: "Life, because last June 24^,, the feast day of His Majesty Juan Carlos l, I signed the legislation abolishing the death penalty. I know that this law is of prime importance to Spain, one that will save the life of a Spanish citizen in the Philippines."

"Solidarity, because tomorrow (June 30) we celebrate the Philippine-Spain Friendship Day. For the Philippines, its relations with Spain are now better than ever. Spain is our partner in our quest for peace and in the fight against terrorism. Spain, our most valued friend and partner in Europe, is a country that always understands and defends the principles over which we want to build our strong Republic," she added.

"And finally, prosperity because Spain is our partner in trade and development. The government of Spain assists us in agrarian reform, in the electrification of remote areas, as well as in health projects, among many others. My meeting this afternoon with the Spanish businessmen will convey the message that the Philippines is an attractive destination for Spanish investments, specially in the tourism sector," the President said.

At the Ayuntamiento de Madrid (Madrid City Hall), the President reiterated her expression of gratitude for the support Spain has extended to the Philippines.

"The Philippines values greatly the support that it has received from Spain," she said.

The President said she was "most impressed by the progress" of Madrid, which she called one of the most beautiful and pleasant cities in the world.

In a press statement, Bunye said the tough decisions made by the national leadership and the people were beginning to pay dividends as shown by the continuing improvement of the economy.

He said President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who received the news in Madrid, was elated over the upgrade by the Japanese credit rating firm.

"The President expressed gladness in receiving the news of the ratings upgrade of R&I which affirms the growing confidence in our economy as a result of the tough decisions made by the national leadership and the people," Bunye said.

Bunye said the President is "determined to advance our economic gains thru diplomatic means and her trip to Europe is reaping more confidence, more investments to create more jobs in the Philippines and better working conditions for OFWs who are already deployed."

He admitted that there are residual concerns about the country’s political stability but "these are waning."

In a speech before the Confederation of Employers and Industries of Spain (CEOE), Spain’s biggest businessmen’s organization, the President said the Philippines offers "many advantages for Spanish investors, among others, a workforce that is English-speaking, highly literate, hardworking, most adaptable and most congenial."

She drew attention to the country’s tourism, saying the competitive edge enjoyed by the sector also stems from the quality of the Filipino workforce, the beauty of the Philippines, the Hispano-Asia culture and the hospitality of the Filipino.

"Tourism is one of the sectors with the highest growth in the Philippine economy, posting an annual growth rate of more than 13 percent since my assumption of the presidency," the President said.

She also called special attention to the rich potential of Philippine medical tourism with its huge pool of doctors, nurses and caregivers known worldwide for their professionalism and efficiency.

The President said the Philippines will require 20,000 tourism-quality hotel rooms by 2010.

"To sustain and maintain the growth of tourism, we will also need investments in the building of roads, the modernization of airports and seaports, and the development of our transport system that will link our islands and give access to our remote areas," she said.

The President said investments by Spanish companies in the tourism sector in the Philippines would also be an opportunity for Filipinos to learn from Spain’s success in promoting its tourism.

Aside from tourism, the Philippines welcomes investments in energy, technology, in the communications sector, and infrastructures, she added.

The President said the theme of her official visit here is summed up in three words: life, solidarity, prosperity.

"Life, because last June 24, the Feast Day of His Majesty King Juan Carlos, I signed into law the abolition of the death penalty.

"Solidarity, because Spain played a key role in our history, and because the Philippines continues to be the strongest bastion of Spanish influence in the Asia-Pacific region.

Spain is a preferred destination of overseas jobseekers because workers here are protected by the country’s labor and social laws regardless of nationality. Discrimination in the workplace is practically unheard of.

Working conditions in Spain are good --far better than in other countries with heavy concentrations of migrant workers.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said Filipino workers in Spain are getting a monthly salary of E600 (roughly P40,000), or higher than the minimum wage of E500, which other unskilled migrant workers from other countries receive.

OFWs also receive two mandated bonuses, one in July and the other in December, each equivalent to their monthly basic pay.

They also get a 14^th month bonus, 30 days paid vacation leave, which is convertible to cash, one and one-half days off, free housing/accommodation and meals for stay-ins, social security coverage to include medical and hospital benefits, and overtime pay and additional compensation for night work.

Foreign workers are covered by collective bargaining agreements industry-wide, including provisions for incremental wage increase annually.

"Given these conditions, migrant Filipino workers are able to maximize earning and employment potential and, at the same time, are able to receive other benefits such as travel with their employers within or outside Spain, acquisition of skills and expertise on the job, and from the more generous employers -- additional income for extra work," DOLE said.

Filipinos have an edge over other foreign workers in Spain’s labor market scheme of things because of their reputation of honesty, industriousness and loyalty.

These are traits that will have to be carefully and consciously nurtured, according to outgoing Labor Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas, if the Filipinos are to sustain their preferred status in Spain and elsewhere.

Sto. Tomas, who signed the RP-Spain MOU on Labor for the government, said the first batch of 40 out of 100 OFWs to enter Spain this year under the new MOU have been thoroughly immersed in the do’s and don’ts as foreign workers. So will future batches of Spain-bound OFWs, she added.