Philippine Leader Cites "Healing And Building" As Her Top Priority

Barely two months after her assumption as the 14th president of the Republic of the Philippines, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has cited healing the wounds of the country and building the nation as her topmost priority in her administration.

Arroyo has requested the public to uphold her in prayer and also pray for those who wish to destabilize her administration. "I also encourage you to continue watching my government from any wrong doing," Arroyo added.

The second female Philippine president assumed her post after 200,000 people marched towards Malacanang (the presidential residence) two months ago to unseat then President Joseph Estrada, who was charged in the senate with graft and corruption, betrayal of the public trust, culpable violation of the constitution and bribery.

All past presidents of the Philippines introduced political and economic reforms for the country and recognized these platforms as the top priority of their administration.

Among them, former president Fidel Ramos (1992-1998) introduced his economic reform program, a government policy to liberalize foreign investment in the country while his successor, Estrada (1998-2001), gave his all-out support to a program focused on poverty alleviation.

During the three-year Estrada administration, the Philippines recorded its worst economy and corruption problem in the last 20 years.

Its neighboring countries even called the Philippines the "sick man of Asia" while hundreds of foreign businessmen withdrew their investments in the country. Crime increased while the Philippine currency was at its worst in December of last year.

When President Arroyo declared "Healing and Building the Nation" as the topmost priority of her agenda, the peso currency strengthened while the business sector of Europe, the United States and Japan expressed their support to the new president.

After Arroyo's declaration, Sen. Loren Legarda said that Arroyo's appointment indicates a divine intervention.

The Christian Evangelical Community, represented by the
Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches, which claims to have 5 million members, has prayed for president Arroyo in public to support her agenda.

The Philippines will have its senatorial and local elections on May 14 this year. A number of political candidates are no longer focusing on political and economic reforms as their platforms but are now promoting ways to bring healing to the country.

By Noel T. Tarrazona
Special Asia Correspondent for ASSIST News Service