At the same time, De Venecia rallied the nation to focus on the seven core Charter amendments aimed at making the Philippines a second-world nation in the next 10 years.

"Let us not lose sight of our vision and the core issues, which are the seven strategic Charter amendments," the Speaker said in a press statement released just hours before last night’s Lakas-CMD national directorate meeting in Malacañang.

De Venecia said his proposal for a French-model president under the proposed shift to a parliamentary system "is just a three-year transition period formula because we have a president elected until 2010 and we have to follow the rule of law."

He, however, said that "the final vision is for a British model with a strong prime minister and a ceremonial president since the Philippines has no king or queen."

The Speaker said the president who would be elected after the three-year transition phase would have ceremonial powers as the "unifying symbolic head of state."

The full parliamentary government following the transition period would also eliminate an upper house similar to the British House of Lords and install a unicameral parliament to eliminate the historic gridlock in lawmaking, De Venecia said.

De Venecia and former President Fidel V. Ramos, both staunch advocates for years of Charter reform and a shift to a unicameral parliament, have clashed over the French model.

"Otherwise Ramos and I are in agreement on Charter reform," the Speaker said.

De Venecia corrected Ramos by saying the Philippines would not have an upper house under the full parliamentary government envisioned in the Charter amendments proposed last December by the Constitutional Consultative Commission.

"We are precisely moving for a unicameral parliament to put an end to paralysis and gridlock between the upper house and the lower house," he said.

The Speaker observed that President Arroyo already has displayed "statesmanship and humility" by agreeing to share executive powers with a prime minister and the interim parliament during the proposed three-year transition phase until 2010 when her term expires.

He also said the controversial issues of whether to cut short President Arroyo’s term and cancel the 2007 elections "should not sidetrack our leaders and our people as we undertake the mother of all reforms."

De Venecia called Charter reform the "country’s last remaining hope to turn around the economy and transform the Philippines from a third-world to a second-world country in the next 10 years."

He said he would seek endorsement by Lakas party leaders of the seven core Charter amendments, which are the following:

An immediate shift to parliamentary government.

A shift to a unicameral parliament which would abolish both the Senate and the House of Representatives, eliminate the gridlock in lawmaking and make it less expensive and more efficient.

The lifting of term limits for elected officials.

The holding of elections once every five years, to reduce political corruption.

The elimination of the "balimbing" or partyswitching system to strengthen the political parties and install a program-oriented government.

The creation of strong autonomous regions in the country as an initial step towards transition to a Federal system.

The lifting of economic restrictions, ushering in an open-door policy to attract foreign direct investments into the country that would enable it to replicate the economic transformation of China, Singapore, Hong Kong, etc.

GMA prioritizes  fight against poverty and hunger

By GENALYN D. KABILING

Leaving the intense discussions on constitutional reforms in the hands of Congress, President Arroyo yesterday said she prefers to give her "full time and energy" in carrying out the government’s campaign to resolve poverty and hunger in the country.

The President appeared to be shying away from the Charter change debate after it reached near fever pitch when former President Fidel V. Ramos called her to step down next year to allow a shift to parliamentary government.

Mrs. Arroyo has rejected Ramos’s proposal, saying she would serve her constitutional mandate until 2010 and that she will relinquish power until an amended Charter says so.

"I shall continue to devote my full time and energy in leading the way to fight poverty and hunger while we all anticipate the positive impact of our incipient economic boom on the daily lives of our people," she said in a statement.

The President also called on local government executives, civil society, civic and religious groups "to join the bandwagon of social equity and reform as the payback for the sacrifices of our people."

"We must increase the volume of civic duty above the political noise, and work unceasingly to uplift the people and to right what is wrong with our political system," she said.

"Social reform, economic growth and political renewal must be knit tightly in a single-minded national strategy to achieve first world status in 20 years," she added.

With differing views on Charter change that threaten to split ruling the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats party, the President said the issue of Charter change is now in the hands of Congress.

"We must first allow the institutional process to work before wading into contentious issues which would only divide further the nation," her spokesman and Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said in a separate statement.

Bunye said President Arroyo and former President Ramos continue to share a "common aspiration that is anchored on the welfare and future of this country" despite a rift on how to amend the Constitution.

Meanwhile, President Arroyo’s Serbisyo Muna! Project presented its opening salvo for 2006 as it brought its Serbisyo Muna! Caravan to Navotas last Friday, Jan. 13.

The Serbisyo Muna! Project is an all-encompassing endeavor which brings together the various socio-civic and community development efforts of the national government, the local government units, the private sector, as well as the non-government groups. One of its major programs is the Serbisyo Muna! caravan, a one-day event highlighted by the provision of basic social services direct to the people.

Jeannie Sandoval, wife of Navotas-Malabon Rep. Federico Sandoval, said Serbisyo Muna! is a project that brings awareness to the community about the different services of the government.

One of the major highlights of the Serbisyo Muna! caravan was the free medical and dental mission conducted by Pagcor, PCSO, the Department of Health-NCR, and representatives from the Navotas Health Office, the Philippine National Police, the Department of Education, and the Manila Doctors’ Hospital.