NEW YORK CITY — President Arroyo will make a side trip to San Francisco, California on Monday despite supposed plans to make a quick return to Manila to join Filipino nation in grief over the loss of former President Corazon Aquino.

The President said a meeting with a group of businessmen in Silicon Valley, the world’s hub of information technology, was her “last event” after a three-day visit to New York City.

Mrs. Arroyo, who arrived here from Washington, DC last Saturday, is scheduled to take a chartered flight out of New York City on Monday afternoon and proceed to San Francisco, CA and then to Manila. The revision in the President’s flight does not change the arrival date in Manila on Wednesday.

“Are you going with us to Silicon Valley? Are you going with us to San Francisco? We still have a last event in Silicon Valley signing,” she asked reporters after a church service at the St. Patrick’s Cathedral here.

Reporters, who have complained about the lack of transparency in the President’s itinerary in the US, told the President that they would not be able to join the hastily arranged San Francisco leg.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita earlier said the President’s plane will just land in San Francisco for refueling.

Last August 1, President Arroyo decided to scrap public engagements in Chicago and Guam supposedly to catch up with the funeral rites of the late President Aquino.

While Palace aides claimed that the President was effectively cutting short her US tour, the Chief Executive appeared to have spent more time in New York City rather than immediately going home.

On the second day in New York City, Sunday, the President also celebrated the 41st wedding anniversary with Jose Miguel Arroyo and took the rest of the day off.

The First Couple’s first stop was St. Patrick’s Cathedral where they offered mass for the late President Corazon Aquino. The couple also received a blessing from Archbishop of New York Timothy Dolan after the mass.

“Congratulations on your 41st wedding anniversary,” the prelate told the First Couple.

The First Gentleman said they were supposed to stay in New York City until August 30 as scheduled.

But she is not going anymore to Chicago and Guam. From San Francisco, she will catch a flight back to Manila,” he said.

He said he gave President Arroyo a bouquet of roses and was expected to host a dinner at a fancy restaurant last night.