President Arroyo is racking up more frequent flyer miles abroad with her latest trip to Libya. It is her 73rd foreign trip since taking office in 2001.

Despite criticisms about her apparent obsession for foreign travels at the expense of public funds and the lavish dinners in Le Cirque and Bobby Van’s, Mrs. Arroyo leaves on Sunday accompanied by a lean delegation that includes Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo and Press Secretary Cerge Remonde.

Also part of the delegation is Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Special Concerns Rafael Seguis, chairman of the government panel in peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, who left last night for Libya.

The Libyan trip is a state visit upon the invitation of Libyan leader Col. Muammar Qaddafi to attend the 40th Anniversary of the Great Al Fateh Revolution on September 1. This means the expense is shouldered by the inviting government.

While there, the President will participate in the African Union (AU) Summit to strengthen the Philippines’ bilateral relations with African countries.

“The Libyan government has invited a number of leaders and dignitaries from several countries to attend the anniversary celebration, including the President,” the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a statement.

“The visit will also provide the opportunity for the President to reiterate her request for Libya’s continuous support for the Philippine peace process as well as for the Philippines’ bid for Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) observer status, as discussed during Her Excellency’s bilateral meeting with the Libyan Leader on July 16, 2009, at the sides of the 15th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt,” the DFA said.
 
According to the DFA, Libya played a significant role in bringing peace and development in Southern Philippines, and was instrumental to the conclusion of the 1976 Tripoli Agreement and in the 1996 Final Peace Agreement between Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).

Aside from her state visit to Libya, President Arroyo is also slated to attend the two-day African Union (AU) Summit on August 31 in Tripoli, which will zero in on the settlement of conflicts in Africa, including the problem on piracy in Somalia.

Malacañang has been under fire for the lavish dinner of President Arroyo and her delegation at the plush French restaurant, Le Cirque, in New York, which costs a hefty $20,000, according to the New York Post.

Over the years, the President has visited many key cities in Asia, Europe, North America, South America, and Middle East, either on state or official visits, saying it was important to reinforce international engagements.

Official data released by the Commission on Audit (CoA) showed the Presidential foreign travel expenses (FTE) from 2002 to 2007 reached some P1.447 billion. The expenditures rose from P80.625 million in 2002 to over P100 million the following year.

In 2004, the President’s FTE surged further to P154.383 million and doubled in 2005 to hit P398.447 million. In 2007, the amount went up by nearly 50 percent to P0.588 billion

She visited the US 16 times. The President also flew regularly to China, with nine visits, and Japan with seven trips.

China and Japan are also major trade, investment, and development partner of the Philippines.

Mrs. Arroyo was also a regular guest in Hong Kong (6), Malaysia (5), Brunei (5), Indonesia (5), Singapore (4), Thailand (4), United Kingdom (3), Vietnam (3), Italy (3), and Switzerland (3).

She has twice visited Mexico, Kuwait, South Korea, France, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Australia, United Arab Emirates, and Egypt. This is her second trip to Libya.

The globetrotting President also traveled to Canada, Cambodia, Bahrain, Vatican, Finland, Belgium, Cuba, New Zealand, Portugal, Equatorial New Guinea, India, Peru, Qatar, Bahrain, Syria, Russia, Colombia, Panama, and Brazil.

With the distance she has flown from 2001 to 2009, President Arroyo has earned the reputation as a most traveled Chief Executive in the country.

If she was a member of a frequent flyer program, she would have easily accumulated millions of points and redeemed for free air travel, goods and services.

The President’s flight plan often included two to three countries at a time, which mostly lasts three to four days. On some occasions, the President visited the same country within the year. She also left the country more than a week when she flew to places in different continents in just one leg.

Despite her long absence, she kept in constant contact with her Cabinet although sometimes she was criticized for leaving the country amid political troubles or natural disasters.

In her travels abroad, Mrs. Arroyo also found time to do what tourists do, watching a Broadway show in New York City, visiting shrines in Fatima, Portugal and Lourdes, France, as well as enjoying famous landmarks such as Great Pyramid in Giza and the Sphinx in Egypt, the Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil, and Taj Mahal in India, among others.

At times, the President’s airplane’s technical stopovers on long-haul flights also provided opportunities to visit places outside her itinerary, including Panama and Colombia.

After being swept into power in 2001, the President made nine travels abroad mostly to introduce herself to world leaders. Her first state visit was Malaysia in August 2001, followed by state visits to Brunei and Singapore.

The President’s longest travel was in December, 2007 when she traveled to Spain, the United Kingdom, with impromptu side trip to Kuwait for 11 days. The journey was made a few days after she quelled a rebellion by junior military officers at the Manila Peninsula in Makati City.

Her shortest trip, on the other hand, was a day-long trip to Hong Kong when she attended a forum of investors in June 2004 and was met by protest rallies from Filipino workers.

In July, the President went on working visits to Japan and Brazil, which included an unannounced side trip in Colombia. On the way back to Manila, she went on another unscheduled side trip to Hong Kong where she met with anti-graft consultant Tony Kwok and members of the Filipino community.

Recently, the President was criticized for making too many overseas trips while Filipinos faced financial troubles at home. Her critics have questioned the necessity and cost of the President’s frequent travels as well as the size and composition of the presidential entourage.

In the past, the President’s delegation in foreign trips included family members and congressional allies which her critics said showed insensitivity to the nation’s financial woes.

In September 2004, the President’s state visit to China became a family vacation when she brought along members of the First family in the entourage.

Around 200 people, including 30 lawmakers, joined the President in her visit to France, Spain, and United Kingdom in December 2007.

Last year, Malacañang announced that the President spent P123-million for her eight-day visit to Switzerland, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the US with a 61-strong delegation. After many years in office, it was the only time that Malacañang released the travel expenses of the President to the public.

In her last State of the Nation Address, the President defended her travels abroad saying these served to foster closer ties with nations, seek trade and investments, and promote the welfare of Filipino workers.

“Hindi ako nag-aatubiling bisitahin ang ating taong bayan at kanilang mga host sa buong mundo — mula Hapon hanggang Brazil, mula Europa at Middle East hanggang sa American Midwest, nakikinig sa kanilang mga problema at pangangailangan, inaalam kung paano sila matulungan ng ating pamahalaan — by working out better policies on migrant labor, or by saving lives and restoring liberty,” she said.

The President also said her vigorous international engagement has helped bring in foreign investment. Net foreign direct investments, she said, has multiplied 15 times during her administration.

“Together with our OFWs, they more than doubled our foreign exchange reserves. Pinalakas ang ating piso at naiwasan ang lubhang pagtaas ng presyo. They upgraded our credit because while the reserves of our peers have shrunk this past year, ours reserves grew by $3 billion,” she said.

She said her international engagement has also corrected historical injustice, referring to the passage of a US law providing one-time benefit payment to Filipino World War II veterans.

“The day we visited Washington, Senator Daniel Inouye successfully sponsored benefits for our veterans as part of America’s stimulus package,” she said.

In justifying the President’s travels, Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said the benefits have outweighed the cost, citing “billions of dollars” in investments as well as new job opportunities for Filipinos.

With the amount of foreign aid and investment commitments supposedly generated amid the global financial turmoil, Remonde said the President will not slow down with her foreign commitments on behalf of the country’s interests despite the criticisms.

The Philippines generated at least US$6.2 billion in investments, trade, and aid from the recent US visit of President Arroyo, Remonde said, adding that the amount is higher than the total benefits generated in her combined foreign trips for 2007 and 2008.

In 2007, the President’s foreign trips generated US$873 million in investments, trade, and assistance, with the Middle East accounting for US$579.8 million and the European Union with US$185.4 million.

Last year, foreign visits of President Arroyo generated US$399.9 million, the bulk coming from the United Arab Emirates with US$375.4 million.

This year, Malacañang’s foreign travel expenditures have been pegged at P240 million. However, FTE spending is projected to go beyond the budgetary allocation and is expected to hit over P500 million, with the remainder coming from the huge contingency fund of the Office of the President.