Arroyo ends 5-day US trip, notes ‘solid gains’ in MDGs
By Fe Zamora, Christine Avendaño
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 01:02:00 09/27/2008
NEW YORK—President Macapagal-Arroyo told a high-level global forum that while economic turmoil has threatened the Philippine’s poverty alleviation programs, she remains confident that structural reforms and the Filipino people’s resilience will help the country survive the crisis.
Speaking at the roundtable discussion on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for 2015, Ms Arroyo said on Thursday (Friday in Manila) that her government has already made “solid gains” midway to the 2015 target.
The MDGs, which was agreed upon by 189 countries, including the Philippines, aim to reduce poverty and hunger; reduce child mortality; bring universal primary education and gender equality; improve women’s health; stop and reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS and other diseases; promote environmental sustainability and global partnerships for aid, trade and debt relief.
President Macapagal-Arroyo, expected to arrive in Manila at 5:30 a.m. Saturday, was wrapping up her five-day visit to New York where she attended and spoke before the 63rd session of the United Nations General Assembly and met with world and business leaders.
“Yet, almost overnight, the significant gains we have made to alleviate hunger and poverty are under assault. The surge in the global prices of food and fuel has started to overwhelm the poorest among us,” she said.
‘We can’t do it alone’
“Against the backdrop of this turmoil, however, we remain optimistic that the structural reforms we have made at home will allow us to overcome the external shocks from abroad,” she added.
President Macapagal-Arroyo said the Philippines would “emerge from this challenge” because it had diversified its exports and had been pushing for self-reliance. She said the country had already attained 17 percent energy independence by using geothermal biofuels instead of the usual gasoline and petroleum. She also said efforts were being made to ensure a stable supply of food.
“But I am not here to fool myself or anyone else. I’m a realist and we cannot do it alone. We need the help of developed countries more than ever,” she said.
Breakfast with Rice
Earlier in the day, President Macapagal-Arroyo attended a breakfast meeting hosted by US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice for the Women Leaders’ Working Group (WLWG) at the Empire Room of the Waldorf Astoria.
She told Rice and other world leaders that having a woman in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) would be another gain for women empowerment.
President Macapagal-Arroyo renewed her campaign for Sen. Miriam Santiago’s bid to sit in the 15-seat ICJ, the Geneva-based principal judicial organ of the United Nations.
In her short speech, Ms Arroyo called on the leaders, who included the President of Chile Michelle Bachelet, President of Liberia Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and President of Finland Tarja Halonen, to be “champions of women” especially during this time of economic turmoil.
Women’s gains
“It is now, more than ever, that women’s voices should be heard in the fight for the rights and opportunities of women, both in our respective nations and in the whole world,” President Macapagal-Arroyo said.
The WLWG was started by Rice in 2006 to ensure that women’s issues were given adequate international attention.
“Add another great gain [on women’s issues] right here at the UN, if we continue to secure a seat for a woman in the ICJ,” Ms Arroyo said. “If selected, we continue to have one. If not, then the women’s voice will not be represented in that very important court and that would be a shame.”
The WLWG meeting was also attended by US Senior Advisor for Women’s Empowerment, Shrin Tahir-Kheli and women foreign ministers as well as representatives from the countries of Afghanistan, Iraq, Gabon, Greece, Yemen and Pakistan.
During her visit, Ms Arroyo held bilateral meetings with the heads of established countries and young republics, including Serbia, Slovenia Comoros, Cape Verde, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Equatorial Guinea, Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Andorra, South Africa, Panama and San Marino.
She also met with secretary general Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, who assured her of the OICs support for a political settlement in Mindanao “within the sovereign integrity.”
Left behind
President Macapagal-Arroyo flew back to Manila Thursday night (Friday in Manila) but left behind Press Secretary Jesus Dureza who was stricken ill with gastritis and was expected to stay one more day in a New York hospital.
Dureza was “generally feeling well now and out of pain” after he was rushed to the New York Presbyterian Hospital Thursday morning due to severe stomach pains, a Malacañang statement said Friday.
“He’s (Dureza) in high spirits before we left New York,” said Dr. Anthony Golez, deputy presidential spokesperson, who was with the presidential party.
Doctors ran several tests to “eliminate suspicions like myocardial infarction (another term for heart attack) and aneurysm,” the deputy presidential spokesperson said.
Gastritis
Dureza was later diagnosed as suffering from gastritis, an inflammation of the lining of the stomach, according to Golez.
The 60-year-old Dureza was expected to be discharged from the hospital Friday (Saturday in Manila).
In a phone interview, Golez, who was in San Francisco, California for a private visit, said Dureza had complained of stomach pains while in his hotel room at around 5 p.m. Wednesday (Thursday in Manila). At that time, the press secretary had taken antacids to ease the pain.
But the pain persisted and Dureza eventually skipped the dinner hosted by Ambassador Hilario Davide Jr., Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, at his residence.
Successful trip
Ms Arroyo will be home in time for the installation of newly appointed Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Jesus Versoza who replaces outgoing PNP chief Avelino Razon, in turnover ceremonies at Camp Crame in Quezon City.
Despite Dureza falling ill, Ms Arroyo’s trip to the US was “successful,” according to Golez, who said it was “a proud moment for the entire Filipino nation and the entire Filipino race,” as the President was the fourth world leader to speak before the UN General Assembly.
“President Arroyo told the world that our economy was strong after it was able to deal with the high food and oil prices which had affected many people,” Golez also said, this time in an interview over government station Radyo ng Bayan.
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