MANILA, Philippines -- The Moro Islamic Liberation Front welcomes President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo?s endorsement of the postponement of the elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Midnanao, a spokesman for the Muslim rebel group told INQUIRER.net Wednesday.

Eid Kabalu made the statement as he also disclosed that the MILF met the President in Shariff Kabunsuan not to discuss the pending peace agreement but to oversee the implementation of a government project involving the clearing and dredging of the heavily silted Rio Grande de Mindanao in the province.

Kabalu said the President?s endorsement Tuesday was consistent with the call of the MILF to allow the talks to progress.

Pushing through with the ARMM elections will "postpone the start of the transition period" for the Bangsamoro juridical entity, which can be established once a final peace agreement is reached, the MILF had said.

The juridical entity is envisioned to be an expansion of the existing ARMM area.

A plebiscite will be held in 712 villages after the memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain is signed, to determine whether they want to be included in the entity.

Kabalu said their participation in the Rio Grande de Mindanao project was in response to a "humanitarian call" and because of positive developments in the peace negotiations.

Kabalu said there were about seven MILF officials who were present, but added that they did not talk to the President. He said they were invited by the city government.

The President was there upon the request of Cotabato bishops so that she could see the damage wrought by week-long flooding brought about by typhoon ?Frank? (international codename: Fengshen).

Engineers have said that the accumulation of some 30 tons of water hyacinth, now occupying about eight hectares in the center of the downstream channel of the Rio Grande de Mindanao at the border of Cotabato City and Shariff Kabunsuan, blocked the flow of the silted river to the Moro Gulf, diverting water instead to residential areas.

In the past few days, Kabalu said hundred of MILF fighters have also been volunteering to clear the river.

"We participated in response to a humanitarian call," Kabalu said, adding that the cleared waterways can protect some 20,000 families from flooding.

Kabalu also said that recent developments in the peace negotiations have improved the goodwill between the government and the MILF.

Arroyo proceeded to Cebu province after the event in Shariff Kabunsuan to witness the turnover of classrooms to the Lapu-Lapu City government and to meet with ship owners later Wednesday.

The association of ship owners is protesting the current Coast Guard guidelines that prohibit passenger and cargo vessels from sailing when typhoon signal number 1 is raised.