LOS ANGELES- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and SCADC Chairman Edgardo D. Pamintuan on Saturday, June 20, led a high-level government delegation at a gathering of Filipino-Americans in the Los Angeles area held at the Gateway Sheraton, near the Los Angeles International Airport.

Some 500 Fil-Ams attended the breakfast conference organized by the newly formed FIL-USA, an association of various Filipino-Americans who seek to maintain an intimate attachment with their mother country by forging positive and uplifting engagements among their fellow expatriates. Also in attendance are First Gentleman Miguel Arroyo, Foreign Affairs Sec. Alberto Romulo, Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago, Ambassador Willy Gaa and Consul General Jo Bernardo Aragon who are en route to Brazil where the President is scheduled to go on a state visit. During her speech, PGMA expressed her gratitude to the more than 5 million Filipinos in the United States who continue to support the Philippine economy amid the global economic meltdown. . "Now more than ever, you and the overseas Filipino workers are keeping our country resilient. Through your unswerving dedication and your care, you are our far-flung heroes and the greatest contributors towards our nation’s resiliency."

"From Asia to North America to Europe, you are great patriots and great family men and women, and we envy all of you," Arroyo added. She said that her government would remain vigilant in keeping recession away from its shores. "What I would like to ask FIL-USA and the all the Filipinos here is to continue to be patriots so that we – I and the members of Congress who are here today – can keep working to keep the economy steady." Arroyo said.

FIL-USA, which organized the breakfast conference with President Arroyo, is the latest of Fil-Am groups that have shown their support and appreciation to the present administration. This was the result of the series of Good News Caravan Tours, led by Sec. Pamintuan and his team from the Philippines that visited key cities of the US where large concentrations of Fil-Ams are located. It was aimed at giving our countrymen the good news of massive infrastructure developments and programs that are happening in the home country. Rather than contradict the bad news being dished out by newspapers and news programs from the Philippines, the Good News Caravan presented the accomplishments of the present administration by backed up with power point presentations, pictures, videos, information and data about the positive things that are happening in the country, not only in terms of infrastructure but also in terms of uplifting the living and economic condition of every Filipino.

Sec. Pamintuan, who is also the Presidential Adviser on External Affairs, is in the United States to lead the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding among the SCADC, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC), and the Southern California Logistics Airport Authority (SCLA) to establish a coalition that will promote the growth and development of SCLA, Diosdado Macapagal International Airport ( DMIA) , and the Subic Bay International Airport (SBIA).PRC/SCADC

PGMA speaks before the members of FIL-USA, a Fil-Am group based in Los Angeles, California during their breakfast meeting held at the Gateway Sheraton on June 20, 2009.

PGMA poses with some officers and members of the FIL-USA during their breakfast meeting held at the Gateway Sheraton in Los Angeles, California last June 20, 2009. Also in the picture are SCADC Chair Sec. Edgardo D. Pamintuan, (standing, 2nd from right), and US-based business man Mr. Dan Concepcion (with hat).