A Polish shoulder to cry on for GMA

Raising taxes is never easy. Just ask Polish Prime Minister Marek Belka, who offered much-needed words of comfort to his counterpart, beleaguered President Arroyo, during his visit here.

Belka, an economist like Mrs. Arroyo, said he also had to face tough challenges in instituting economic reforms in his country.

During the official dinner hosted by the President for Belka, his wife Krystyna and his party Wednesday, the Prime Minister said he was optimistic that Mrs. Arroyo would be able to hurdle all the obstacles and achieve prosperity for the country.

"I do believe that you, Mrs. President, are one of the 10 most influential and powerful women in the world today. You will prevail with your ideas. With the benefits of these tough economic reforms, you will create a stable and prosperous country," Belka said.

He was referring to new tax measures — such as the "sin taxes" on alcohol and cigarettes and the expanded value-added tax (EVAT) — pushed by Mrs. Arroyo to raise the country’s image abroad among credit rating agencies.

Belka wished the President "great success" in her tough choices to raise government revenues, balance the budget and push initiatives to stop graft and corruption, among other reforms.

"Myself, as an economist trying to reform our economy, I understand the pains of those difficult choices perfectly well," the Polish leader said.

His optimism and confidence in Mrs. Arroyo, he noted, were well founded, especially keeping in mind the words of another great female leader dubbed the "Iron Lady" — former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who said "once a woman is man’s equal, she becomes his superior."

"Long live the Philippines! Long live President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo," Belka said.

Belka’s visit was the first-ever made by a Polish prime minister, which he said marked an historical moment in both countries’ relations, with Poland becoming a partner of the Philippines in its growing involvement in Asia.

Notwithstanding geographical distance and being one of the largest countries in the European Union, the Prime Minister said Poland shared Mrs. Arroyo’s view of the need of both countries to embrace new markets, investments, trade and modern ideas.

For her part, the President thanked Belka for Poland’s interest in doing business in the Philippines, particularly in the mining industry.

She said she was extremely happy that Poland was willing to put up a consortium to conduct a feasibility study and seek financing for the upgrading and extension of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) Main Line South up to Matnog, Sorsogon in the Bicol Region.

"I also thank Poland for the $140-million accommodation for the Philippines’ security, home defense and police equipment," the President said.

The Chief Executive also expressed her gratitude to the visiting Prime Minister for Poland’s hosting of the $100-million International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) being operated by Filipino entrepreneur Enrique Razon.

ICTSI is now in its second year of operation in the thriving port of Gdynia, Poland.

The President also mentioned another tie binding both countries: the late Pope John Paul II, who hailed from Poland.

"As two predominantly Catholic countries, our links to the late Pope John Paul II are one of abiding faith and piety, one whom the Polish people loved so much but also one who loved the Filipino people so much," she said.

"Pope John Paul II visited our nation twice, in 1981 and 1995. On both occasions, the Pope was so moved to tears by the spontaneous outpouring of love and devotion by the Filipino crowds — five million people, the biggest in history. He was going to visit the Philippines for the third time but sadly, failing health and his eventual passage from this Earth precluded it," the President said.

Mrs. Arroyo also said Poland and the Philippines were bound by "glorious moments in the struggle for freedom."

"Filipinos fought for independence from colonial rule in 1898 and also restored democracy through a peaceful power revolution in 1986. Across the world, the world was witness to the unwavering courage of the Polish people during the Warsaw Ghetto uprising in the spring of 1943," she said.

"During the long and bitter Cold War, the Polish people also laid claim to their own version of ‘people power’ as the heroic Lech Walesa and his Solidarity Union led a peaceful transition to democracy. Solidarity started its fight at the shipyards of Gdansk. And today Gdansk, now known as Gdynia, is where a Filipino entrepreneur (Razon) operates a $100-million container terminal port," she noted.