President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo vowed on Friday to put the country's fiscal house in order, use the 2005 budget to advance her 10-point legacy agenda, and step up efforts to break the culture of corruption.

Arroyo said in her New Year's resolution that 2005 is a year for urgent change for the Philippines after "we have passed a season of triumph and tragedy."

"I know that the people cannot wait. I'm impatient, too, for the urgent change to be made. We must act now as one nation," she said.

She called on Congress, the private sector and civil society to lead with her.

Communications Director Secretary Silvestre Afable described the year 2004 as an extremely challenging year for the Arroyo administration because it was "reform and change driven."

Afable said that President Arroyo had set a clear agenda to fight poverty and turn the economy around during the early weeks of her presidency.

Within the first 100 days of the President's term, she successfully resolved a hostage crisis in Iraq involving Filipino worker Angelo dela Cruz through withdrawing its small humanitarian contingent two weeks in advance of its original schedule, he said.

The president initially announced a fiscal crisis, however, resulting in concrete action for government reforms ranging from severe austerity measures to congressional action on major tax measures, he added.

"Dissension over what constituted a fiscal crisis gave way to a convergence of action in support of the president's fiscal roadmap to raise revenues while pruning public expenditures," Afable pointed out.

"Despite several crises in 2004, we have risen as one nation to meet and surmount these challenges guided by the national interest and strong faith," Afable added.

Source: Xinhua