Arroyo says it's hard to govern RP if media is free

MANILA, Philippines - President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Wednesday lamented that it was hard to govern a country with a media like that of the Philippines. However, she added that her job is not based on public relations. Mrs Arroyo made the remark during a speech delivered at the inauguration of the P1.31-billion Addalam River Irrigation Project in Cabarroguis in Quirino province. " I know for a fact from being around my father who incidentally was a protege of President Quirino... I learned from him how challenging it is to govern our nation, especially with a media that is the freest in the whole world, as it was during my father's presidency,"she said. "But a president governs for the benefit of all the Filipinos and should not be focused on public relations,"she added. In the same speech, the President reiterated that she is committed to land reform, just like her father. Mrs Arroyo also hailed Quirino province and its people, saying the province's vegetables feed many Filipinos even outside the region and that Quirino plays a major role in rice self-sufficiency. “With the help of Quirino province, we have succeeded in ensuring that our country's food supplies remain stable. That's why we have strengthened agriculture production (with the irrigation project)," she said. She said the problem of high oil price and gasoline is a global issue and outside the control of government but measures have been introduced to lift the people's burden. One of these measures, she said was removing the tariff on oil and providing targeted cash payments to the poorest of the poor, apparently referring to the "Katas ng VAT" program her administration initiated. “This is a global phenomenon and these global forces are causing difficulties to all countries around the world so no matter what actions we take we must work together to resolve these global issues if we are to see any significant recovery in the world economy," she added. - GMANews.TV