Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo stressed the building of a strong government to fight corporate tax evasion and corruption, and the teaching of patriotism among the country's youths, when she delivered Monday afternoon the State of the Nation Address to Congress.

In front of a fully packed joint session of the congress at the Batasang Pambansa complex, Arroyo, wearing the traditional yellow Philippine dress and looking relaxed, won a standing ovation from the congressmen after a 40-minute speech.

She first repeated her rejection of US criticism over her decision to pull out troops from Iraq in exchange for the release of a Filipino held hostage by Iraqi militants for days.

"Would Iraq have a change for the better today if Angelo dela Cruz was not saved?" she said. "We do not sacrifice policy for human life, but apply policy for human life."

Presenting her five packages of executive and legislative proposals covering fields from job creation to education, Arroyo asked the country's rich to make contribution by paying more taxes. "Those with more must sacrifice more," she said.

She said the biggest problem that her government is faced with today is the budget deficit, which has "reduced the ability of the government to invest in infrastructure, provide social services and establish social charity for the poor".

Arroyo said that to improve the country's financial situation, the Philippines needs a strong government, cooperation from private businesses, patience of its people and understanding of the legislative.

She stressed her determination to fight "corporation corruption " highlighted by tax evasion and attributed as one of the reasons for the widening gap of income between the rich and the poor.

"Only a fiscally strong government can create a congenial business environment," she said, adding that that's why she decides to present a package of tax and public revenue measures to cut government expenditures and increase state income by 180 billion pesos (about 3 billion US dollars).

Arroyo also criticized the country's lucrative public electricity monopoly for wastefulness and causing hiking of energy prices, and said she intends to privatize the sector to achieve energy independence of the country and lower energy prices.

In her education improvement and youth opportunity package, Arroyo gives priority to a campaign for education of discipline, citizenship and patriotism.

She said that "English, science, technology and love of the country" are the most important causes in all classrooms. "It is not free market, but patriotism, which makes the country strong," she said.

Arroyo also is targeting the creation of a maximum 10 million jobs in six years by supporting small- and medium-sized enterprises in the provinces to alleviate the overpopulation of Metro Manila.

On building a more efficient government, she pledged more efforts to fight bureaucracy, downsize the government and to fire redundant and incompetent public employees.

Arroyo won a six-year term in the May presidential election.

Source: Xinhua