Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Saturday welcomed her listing by Forbes Magazine as the fourth most powerful woman in the world.

"President Arroyo has humbly taken note of this accolade which comes from a very prestigious international magazine," presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye said. "It was a pleasant surprise".

Arroyo jumped five places in the magazine's 2005 poll, behind US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi and Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymshenko.

Arroyo has weathered a rough political crisis over the past two months by rejecting opposition calls for her resignation over allegations that she cheated in last year's presidential election.

But Forbes noted that the controversies surrounding Arroyo might cause her to lose her prominence like former Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri.

Forbes rankings are based on a composite of the media visibility and economic impact.

Source: Xinhua