MANILA, Philippines?President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will visit Iloilo province next week when she returns to the country after her 10-day US visit to assess the damage brought by typhoon Frank (international codename: Fengshen) and oversee relief and rehabilitation efforts, a senior Palace official said Wednesday.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the President will also hold her weekly Cabinet meeting there Tuesday.

Iloilo has been placed under a state of calamity after experiencing its worst floods in years. Almost all of its 42 towns were under water.

The President held another video conference with Cabinet members and the National Disaster Coordinating Council in Malacañang at 1:30 a.m. Wednesday to get an update on the damage of the typhoon and on the search-and-rescue efforts for the missing passengers of MV Princess of
the Stars, which sank off Sibuyan Island in Romblon province at the height of the typhoon.

This was the second time Arroyo called her Cabinet and NDCC officials to an early dawn meeting to get an update in the aftermath of the typhoon. The first one was the 2:30 a.m. video conference Monday when she was in Fresno, California.

Arroyo is currently in Washington and had just met with US President George W. Bush, who assured the Philippines of his government's support for the typhoon victims. There is a 12-hour time difference between Manila and Washington.

Although visibly sleepy and fatigued, the officials delivered their reports on the typhoon update. Because of the very early meeting, some of them became apparently confused on the day.

Vice President Noli de Castro, for example, kept on reminding Transportation Undersecretary
Maria Elena Bautista that today is Wednesday.

In her report, Bautista repeatedly mentioned that divers would start the search mission on the missing victims of the sunken vessel "tomorrow (Thursday)" when she meant Wednesday.

Public Works Undersecretary Ramon Aquino also received a lesson in geography from the President during his report.

Aquino was reporting on the two bridges in Iloilo which have already been restored -- out of nine that were damaged since the typhoon ravaged the province over the weekend -- when the President asked him if he was referring to the bridges in the towns of Guimbal and Sta. Barbara.

When the official replied, "No Ma'am, these are in Iloilo Ma'am," Arroyo laughed out loud.

"They are both in Iloilo. If you were not such a good undersecretary on the ground, I will spank you," she said in jest.

A rattled Aquino ended up mistaking the bridge in Sta. Barbara to be the one in Guimbal, prompting another amused comment from the President and eliciting laughter from the Cabinet members present.

"No, no, no. Sta. Barbara bridge is in Sta. Barbara and Guimbal bridge is in Guimbal," Arroyo said.

Arroyo is on a 10-day, three-state working visit to the United States. She is expected to arrive in the country on June 30.