VATICAN CITY – Call it providential, but when President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo visits the Vatican Saturday for an audience with the Pope, it will fall on the day the world observes World Day of Tourism whose theme this year will be: Tourism: an Impetus in the Fight Against Poverty, the Creation of Jobs and Social Harmony."

It would be noted that the President’s vision of governance revolves around the fight against poverty, the creation of jobs and in promoting social harmony.

Her audience with the Pope could very well be a chance to further reflect on this in the light of the Church’s social teaching and the changes, which also affect the tourism sector.

The President’s meeting with the Pope would also strengthen the historically excellent relations between the Holy See and the Philippines, the caller being from the only Catholic country in Asia.

Pope John Paul II said in his message that tourism should be considered as a special expression of social life "with economic , financial and cultural implications, as well as consequences that are crucial to individuals and peoples."

The World Tourism Day will focus attention on tourism in relation to those pockets of poverty that exist on every continent.

The drama of poverty, according to the Pope, is one of the greatest challenges today, when the rift between the different areas of the world is growing deeper despite the availability of the necessary means to remedy it.

"It is impossible to remain indifferent and inert in the face of poverty and underdevelopment. We cannot withdraw into our own selfish interests, abandoning countless brothers and sisters to a wretched plight, and even worse, leaving many of them to meet with a relentless death," the Pope said in his message.

Tourist activity, according to the Pope, can play an important role in the fight against poverty, from the financial as well as the social and cultural viewpoints.

"Traveling provides an opportunities to become acquainted with different places and situations and to realize what a great gap exist between the rich and poor countries. It is also possible to make a better use of local resources and activities, fostering the involvement of the poorer classes of the population," the Pope said.

The Pope expressed the hope that tourist activity will always be an effective means of alleviating poverty, of fostering the personal and social growth of individuals and peoples, and "of the consolidation of participation and cooperation among nations, cultures and religions."

The President is scheduled call on the Pope at 11 A.M. (Rome time). She will then have lunch with the Philippine Ambassador to the Holy See Francisco Alba before getting interviewed by Vatican television at 2:00 P.M.

The following day, Sunday, she will hear mass along with a delegation of bishops from the Philippines at Pontifico Collegio Filipino before meeting with the Filipino community 3 P.M. at the Sala Esperanza of Ergife Palace Hotel.

UNITED NATIONS, New York - Support for the peace efforts in Mindanao by the Macapagal-Arroyo administration has been snowballing with United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan offering Tuesday to help reach an understanding between the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was upbeat about the possibility of formal peace talks starting in October after her meeting with Annan at his office in the UN Headquarters. It has been the second meeting between the two leaders since 2001.

"We are very grateful for the UN Secretary-General's offer to help in whatever way we think he should help with regard to our peace talks," she said

"We're immersed in spirit and deed in the collective security of mankind and I appreciate the Secretary-General's leadership in this regard and I conveyed it (to him)," she added.

She said that Annan welcomed the peace process and told her to inform him on what help the UN could provide for the resumption of the peace talks.

"So I gave him an update on what we are doing, but it’s good to know that aside from being able to count on our neighbors, the US (United States) and the OIC, (Organization of Islamic Conference), we can always count on the UN itself," she said.

Annan’s offer of help came just before Mrs. Macapagal-Arroyo got a reaffirmation from Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad about his country's role as host and third country mediator of the peace talks that are set to be held in Kuala Lumpur.

Moreover, the President is set to meet Friday with 15 foreign ministers and ambassadors from member states of the OIC, with peace and development in Mindanao expected to be on top of their agenda.

Mrs. Macapagal-Arroyo and Dr. Mahathir had a bilateral meeting right after she conferred with Annan.

"In the course of (the bilateral meeting), they reaffirmed the role of Malaysia as the host and third country mediator of the forthcoming peace talks. They went over the whole round of the peace talks which should be held in early part of October," Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas Ople said.

According to Ople, the President acknowledged ''Malaysia's help in jumpstarting the peace talks by October while the US has committed post-conflict rehabilitation assistance.''

The discussions between the President and the Malaysian leader centered on the MILF’s demand for withdrawal of government troops from the Buliok Complex, the government’s demand for demobilization and disbandment of MILF forces, and the question of ancestral domain.

However, both leaders conceded that these remained as the most contentious issues of the talks.

"So President Arroyo requested for early resumption of the peace talks and Prime Minister Mahathir said he would like to see this happen after all the preliminary issues are settled," Ople explained.

He said there might be one last exploratory talk in Kuala Lumpur before the formal peace talks resume.

In addition, Defense Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the President also reminded Mahathir about the request submitted by the government for the deployment of a third party monitoring team in the Philippines.

Ermita said both the President and the Prime Minister see the importance of this monitoring team so there will be no trouble while the talks are ongoing.

"So they said they will look into the details and because they would like to see how other countries will signify their intention to be part of such a monitoring team, how it would play a role and how this could be done," he said.

With the President during the 20-minute with Annan were Ople, Ermita, Senators Aquilino Pimentel and Manuel Villar, and Representatives Prospero Nograles, Baham Mitra, Antonio Nachura, Cynthia Villar and Rodolfo Bacani

NEW YORK CITY (via PLDT) -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has been invited to attend the summit meeting of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) scheduled for October 16 and 17, 2003, in Malaysia.

The President made the announcement herself during her talk over coffee, at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel here, with members of Manila-based media covering her working visit to the United States.

She said that the Philippines was among four non-OIC member countries extended invitation to the meeting as observers.

The three others are Russia, Ghana and Sri Lanka.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas F. Ople said that Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad had expressed confidence that the attendance of President Macapagal-Arroyo in the OIC summit would "further strengthen the already excellent Philippines-OIC relations."

The President has expressed gratitude to the OIC for its role in promoting peace between Muslim rebels in the Philippines and the government.

She noted the role played by the OIC in forging the Tripoli agreement with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), signed in 1996, and the promotion of peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

"The Philippines has been probably the most successful peace process that the OIC was able to facilitate," she said.

The President said that even UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan had offered to help the Philippines in forging a peace agreement with the MILF that would finally put an end to the armed conflict in Mindanao.

"He (Annan) said he welcomes the peace process and if they can help in any way, he said 'just let them know,' so I gave him an update on what we're doing," she said.

NEW YORK CITY (via PLDT) – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said today that the Philippines will take on the role of a consensus-builder when it is elected as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.

In a talk over coffee with Manila-based media at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, the President also laid down three principles that would guide the Philippines in decision-making on key international issues that would confront the UN during its stint at the Security Council.

"The Philippines will be honored to advocate and spearhead commonality in the Security Council," she said, stressing that the Philippines will not be taking sides, but will instead hope to build consensus among members of the UN on critical matters.

The guiding principles the President identified are: the promotion of collective security, the promotion of multilateral approach to the work of the Security Council for peace, and the promotion of the rule of law in the areas where the UN is operating.

The Philippines is expected to assume the seat in 2004 up to 2005.

Even before assuming the seat, the President noted that the Philippines has already been "an active participant and contributor to UN operations," citing the country's deployment of military personnel, civilian police officers and civil affairs personnel in major UN operations in Iraq, Cambodia and East Timor."

She said this could be among the reasons the Asian bloc in the UN has supported the Philippines' bid for the Security Council seat.

"It's heartwarming to know that we enjoy the trust and confidence of Asian nations in this bid. I'm confident the vote of the Asian bloc would be respected by the other regional blocs," she said.

During her talks with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the President said she assured that her administration will continue to deliver the same support, as she informed him "we are prepared to take in similar tasks in Liberia."

Philippine Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN Lauro Baja said the UN has invited the Philippines to send in as many as 500 members to the multinational peace keeping force in Liberia.

The President also said that the Philippines could have gotten the support of the members of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) for its UNSC bid because of its role in forging an agreement for increased cooperation in Asia in the fight against terrorism.

She said that during her talks with Annan, she noted the "relentless anti-terrorism campaign in the Philippines," and efforts undertaken by her administration in forging cooperation with its neighbors in Asia "to interdict and constrict terrorist cells."

"This is being done hand in hand with the stepped up peace process with the MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front)," the President said.

The Arroyo administration has taken the path towards building stronger cooperation between Muslims and Christians, mindful that the fight against terrorism could be taken advantage of, by parties seeking to ignite a clash between these two biggest religious blocs in Asia.

Consistent with her administration's foreign policy on matters related to the situation in the Middle East, the President said "the UN should play a stronger role in Iraq so that would be a multilateral approach."

Though the Philippines has supported the actions taken by the United States and its allies in Iraq, the country has remained consistent in its position that any contribution of its government to the effort, must be under the auspices of the UN.

NEW YORK (via PLDT) – "Get them to the peace table and the funds will start pouring in.''

This was disclosed by Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) Secretary Mai Jimenez as she confirmed an announcement made by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo here of a multi-million dollar windfall from the Multi-Donor Trust Fund that has been put together by the World Bank and the United States Institute for Peace (USIP).

``What is important about the fund is that the benefits would come in the form of grants and not loans. There would be no need to repay them – just peace in exchange for funds,'' said Jimenez.

Mrs. Macapagal-Arroyo, in a meeting with USIP officials here Thursday, announced the government's program of an all-grant, Multi-Donor Trust Fund which will serve as a ``peace dividend'' for Mindanao as soon as a peace agreement is finalized between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

The Trust Fund will provide assistance for the demobilization, disarmament and reintegration (DDR) of combatants and for the reconstruction and development of conflict-affected communities.

This will include the MILF communities and those areas in Mindanao whose growth and development were stunted due to the peace and order problems caused by the MILF, also those in the otherwise peaceful areas of Zamboanga peninsula and the SOCSARGEN area.

The proposal was conceived when several multi-lateral and bilateral donors intimated to the President their willingness to help the Philippines arrive at permanent peace in Mindanao. The World Bank and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) have proposed to lead the undertaking.

But this early, Jimenez said that ``merely coming to the peace negotiations will be enough to open the floodgates for prospective contributors to peace in Mindanao.''

According to Mrs. Macapagal-Arroyo, the WB will coordinate the establishment of the all-grant, multi-donor trust fund through an official delegation led by Finance Secretary Jose Isidro Camacho during the annual WB meeting in Dubai.

USAID was the earliest to commit to contribute to the Trust Fund with the Islamic Development Bank, Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and the governments of Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia following suit.

The President underscored that the Trust Fund would be ``over and above the $3.75 billion that has already been sourced for infrastructure, socio-economic and good governance projects that are already ongoing in Mindanao but have been hampered for decades.''

``We will try to enhance development efforts once the peace agreement with the MILF is finalized. This Trust Fund will facilitate the inclusion of the MILF in the implementation of development programs in Mindanao,'' Mrs. Macapagal-Arroyo said.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today said that she would seek the blessing of Pope John Paul II for the entire country and the Filipino people and not just for herself or for her family.

In a phone patch interview with anchormen from GMA Channel 7 and ABS-CBN Channel 2 for their early morning newscasts in Manila, the President was also emphatic in saying that she does not intend to talk about politics during her audience with the Pope tomorrow.

The President was reacting to insinuations, obviously peddled by the opposition, that she would seek the Pope’s guidance on deciding whether she would run or not in next year’s elections.

"Wala ho akong balak makipag-usap tungkol sa politika sa Santo Papa (I don’t intend to talk politics with the Pope)," the President said.

She also said that her scheduled audience with the Pope at the Vatican would depend on the state of the Pope’s health. Wire reports said that the Pope was indisposed last Thursday and had cancelled all his appointments.

So far, the President said, she has not received an official communication canceling her scheduled audience with the Pope.

The President stressed that she had not talked about politics and that it is the other people who kept on injecting politics on whatever she does.

She lamented the vicious cycle in the country when people start to talk about politics right after an election.

The President said that she would like to break this cycle so that the people can focus in the setting up of stronger institutions, which are necessary in the building of a strong Republic.

She said that her audience with the Pope has been scheduled early this year but with the threat of war in the Middle East then, she had to postpone it.

For a Roman Catholic country like the Philippines, the President said, it is only natural for its leader, to visit the Pope.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today said that if she has finally decided on what she intends to do in the 2004 elections, she would have made it known to everybody by now.

In a phone patch interview with ABC-CBN Channel 2, Mrs. Macapagal-Arroyo said, however, that what preoccupies her mind at present is the pursuit of peace in her round of meetings at the United Nations with leaders of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) and the U.S. Institute for Peace.

"Ang masasabi ko parati ang aking desisyon ay kung ano sa paniniwala ko ang ikabubuti ng bansa (What I can say is that my decision will always be what will be for the good of cour country)," the President said.

The President responded to critics who, she said, made fun of her pronouncements that she seeks divine guidance in making decisions.

"Alam mo bahagi yan ng ating simbahang katoliko (You know, that’s part of our Catholic religion) yong discernment… the process of discernment," she said, "Yung mga nagsasabing bakit raw ang Diyos hindi sila kinakausap, siguro, hindi sila nagdadasal ng discernment. (Those who wonder why God does not speak to them, perhaps, they don’t pray for discernment)."

The President also said that she wants to change the excessive indulgence in politics as part of the Filipino culture, because it weakens our Republic.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s five-day working trip is focused practically on the United Nations.

In New York, the first leg of her trip, the President addressed the 58^th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and made a pitch for the Philippines’ bid for a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council.

In Paris, the President will speak at the 32^nd general conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, (UNESCO), another important UN body.

"It’s good that by chance virtually my entire trip revolves around the United Nations," the President said today in a phone patch interview with GMA Channel 7.

She took the occasion to thank UNESCO for all the help it is giving to the Philippines.

Among these is the UNESCO grant for the preservation of the world-famous Banaue Rice Terraces which has been considered as the eighth wonder of the world.

The UNESCO is also helping a group of disabled singers and dancers, the Earth Savers, which the UN organ has made its official ambassadors of goodwill, the President said.

Her other activities included meetings with Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad, foreign ministers and ambassadors of the Organization of Islamic Conference and with the United States Institute of Peace on the pursuit of peace and development in Mindanao.

She also met with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan where the President pledged continued support for the UN initiatives in Iraq and in other conflict areas in the world.

The purpose of her trip, the President said, is to do what must be done to achieve peace for the country, especially in Mindanao.

NEW YORK CITY (via PLDT) -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has assured the international community that her administration has been working to break the culture of rumor mongering during election season.

The President gave the assurance in a roundtable discussion with members of international news organizations here, concerned that the international business community has put on hold many of their investments as a result of what they perceived as uncertainties triggered by the onset of the election season.

A number of credit rating agencies have expressed concerns over the possible change in leadership in the Philippines after the 2004 elections, noting that only the continued leadership of President Macapagal-Arroyo could guarantee consistency in economic policies.

The President said the rumor mill in the Philippines has been in full blast and "that part of the culture is what we would want to break."

Breaking this culture, she said, "is part of building a strong Republic."

Even as calls for her to change her mind about not joining the next presidential race mounts, her administration remains committed in undertaking critical economic reforms that could continue to be implemented after her term expires.

Still, the President recognized that "there are many voices calling on me to change my mind in order to ensure stability and continued economic reforms."

However, she said she has not changed her mind and would not allow herself to be sidetracked by politics.

"What I've been doing is to concentrate on economic building," she told the group of international journalists.

NEW YORK CITY (via PLDT) -- The Philippines has laid down the principles that would guide the country in decision-making on key international issues, as it prepares to assume its post as one of the newest members of the United Nations Security Council.

In an interview shortly after her meeting with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said the Philippines is committed in helping the UN Security Council in promoting "the idea of collective security established under the UN Charter."

The Philippines also vowed to help the UN in strengthening the observance of the rule of law and maintenance of international peace and security. These two principles, she said, will "guide our tenure in the UN Security Council."

The Philippines is expected to assume the seat in 2004 up to 2005.

Even before assuming the seat, the President noted that the Philippines has already been "an active participant and contributor to UN operations," citing the country's contribution in deploying military personnel, civilian police officers and civil affairs personnel in major UN operations in Iraq, Cambodia and East Timor.

During her talks with Annan, the President said she informed the Secretary General that the Philippines is prepared to take in similar tasks in Liberia.

Philippine permanent representative to the UN Lauro Baja said the UN has invited the Philippines to send in as many as 500 members to the multinational peace keeping force in Liberia.

The President also cited during the talks, the "relentless anti-terrorism campaign in the Philippines," and efforts undertaken by her administration in forging cooperation with its neighbors in Asia "to interdict and constrict terrorist cells."

"This is being done hand in hand with the stepped-up peace process with the MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front)" the President said.

The Macapagal-Arroyo administration has taken the path towards building stronger cooperation between Muslim and Christians, mindful that the fight against terrorism could be taken advantage of by parties seeking to ignite a clash between these two biggest religious blocs in Asia.