GMA extends US visit by one day

SAN FRANCISCO, California (via PLDT) — They won’t leave their heart in San Francisco. Not yet anyway.

President Arroyo feels confident enough of the country’s peace and order situation that she has extended her stay here by a day.

First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo said Mrs. Arroyo has agreed to his suggestion that they remain for another day in San Francisco where they used to go on vacation.

"I’ll take (the President) shopping," he said.

The First Couple stayed at the Hilton Hotel when they arrived last Oct. 28 after official activities in Honolulu, Hawaii and Los Cabos, Mexico.

Mrs. Arroyo was scheduled to stay here until last Wednesday.

Yesterday, Mrs. Arroyo and the First Gentleman went to Oishi, their favorite restaurant here, which is operated by Filipino Jonathan Andres, who has been living here for the past 20 years.

Mrs. Arroyo will arrive in the Philippines tomorrow, a day after the birthday of her late mother, former first lady Eva Macapagal.

Mrs. Macapagal died in 1999, three years after the death of President Diosdado Macapagal.

Upon her arrival, Mrs. Arroyo will visit her parents’ graves at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Fort Bonifacio.

Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye and the rest of Mrs. Arroyo’s delegation left for the Philippines Wednesday night.

Asked why Mrs. Arroyo stayed behind, Bunye said: "It’s a well-deserved respite."

Meanwhile, Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Heherson Alvarez said Mrs. Arroyo has emerged as "an effective clear voice of developing countries" following her deft handling of world trade and security at the recent Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Mexico.

Alvarez, national spokesman for Lakas-National Union of Christian Democrats, said Mrs. Arroyo showed her economic and political savvy when she bemoaned the protectionist practices of rich countries, which hurt developing countries.

Developing countries saw the speech of Mrs. Arroyo, one of three participating female heads of government, as an eloquent articulation of their concerns and aspirations.

In that forum, Mrs. Arroyo reminded APEC leaders to focus on economic issues to impugn terrorism, which became the main theme of the summit.

"If we neglect the economic imperatives at this time ... we will be feeding terrorism by promoting hunger, disease and ignorance," Mrs. Arroyo said.

Alvarez also hailed Mrs. Arroyo’s success in bagging an investment pledge from Cypress Power, a premier manufacturer of solar cells.

Solar cells and other "renewable energy sources" or "clean fuels" are gaining ground in the face of perceived worsening climate brought about by the burning of fossil fuel like gasoline, diesel and coal.

Alvarez said Mrs. Arroyo’s ability to take advantage of foreign policy opportunities to solve intractable domestic problems was shown when she successfully pushed forward her views on regional peace and security and APEC’s vision of free, open and prosperous economies.

Mrs. Arroyo is recapturing the Philippine image abroad as a resurgent country whose economy has shown remarkable strength in the face of regional and world downturns, Alvarez added. – Marichu Villanueva