BY REGINA BENGCO

LUBAO, Pampanga. - Faced with a rising oil prices, a possible rice crisis, and impending large-scale brownouts, President Arroyo on Friday turned to prayer.

During a thanksgiving Mass for her 61st birthday here, Arroyo led a prayer to the Our Lady of Fatima, whose feast day falls on the first Saturday of each month. Arroyo's birthday actually falls on April 5, the first Saturday of this month. (It was on a "Sabado de Gloria" that she was born, hence the name given her.)

The yearly celebration for Arroyo's birthday, which starts with a Mass at the St. Augustine Parish Church in her hometown of Lubao, was advanced a day earlier because Arroyo wanted Saturday to be her day off.

In her prayer, Arroyo thanked the Virgin Mary for "all the graces granted to our people in the midst of crises and conflicts."

"We believe you will intercede for us and intervene for the Filipino people to receive the transforming and unifying graces to fulfill the Filipino Earth Chapter preamble and principles which enshrines Pamahalaan or God-centered governance," she said.

She said she read the prayer to the Our Lady of Fatima because one of her supporters asked her to say it. Arroyo also thanked her province mates for continuing to support her despite the political flak that she is getting in Metro Manila.

Arroyo found an ally in Pampanga Archbishop Paciano Aniceto, the celebrant of the mass, who lashed at members of the clergy who have been calling for the President's resignation and those who he said use the pulpit for political purposes.

Aniceto, in his homily, said, "The Eucharist is meant for everybody; it is not our personal property."

"We should not allow the values of the world to contaminate the beauty of the word of God," he added.

He said the day's Gospel, which is about the multiplication of bread and fish to feed 5,000 men, shows God's compassion and underscores the need for sharing, humility, and concern for all and the country.

He asked for prayers so that Arroyo would realize the depth of her faith.

"The presidency is an office of grace. It (should be characterized by) sharing and sacrifice," he added.

Arroyo was joined in the Mass by daughter Luli, son Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel Arroyo and his wife Angela and their daughters Mikaela Gloria and Marie Angelique. Also present were Trade Secretary Peter Favila, presidential management staff chief Cerge Remonde, and local officials of Central Luzon.

The President wore a red sleeveless blouse and black slacks. Nobody called attention to her garb in church, which is considered inappropriate for Mass.

People who greeted Arroyo outside the church were given a packed lunch and a plastic bag containing two kilos of rice, canned sardines, corned beef and beef loaf, and instant noodles to take home.

Arroyo then led the inauguration of the P112.9 million expanded terminal building of the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) at the Clark Freeport Zone.

The DMIA has been hosting at least 60 international flights a week by Air Asia, Tiger Airways, Asiana, Hong Kong Express and China Southern and domestic carriers SeaAir, Cebu Pacific, and Asian Spirit.

Arroyo also witnessed the signing of agreements between Clark international Airport Corp. (CIAC) and the Singapore International Airline (SIA) Engineering Corp.; between CIAC and the Kuwait Gulf and Link (KGL); and between CIAC and MacroAsia Corp.

SIAEC will make an initial $100 million investment for its project to set up a 10-hectare world-class maintenance, repair and overhaul facility. SIAEC is a major provider of aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul services in the Asia Pacific region.

The agreement between CIAC and KGL provides for the setting up of the Global Gateway Logistics Park which costs $25 million.

Arroyo also inaugurated the NCO Call Center facilities and spoke before the National Food Summit.

In Manila, there was a different kind of birthday greetings. The Church-based group Solidarity Philippines said it would gift Arroyo with renewed calls for her to step down.

Fr. Joe Dizon, the group's co-convenor, said the call would benefit every Filipino who has been indirectly dragged into the series of corruption controversies involving Arroyo's administration.

"May she be given the heart to seriously consider resigning for the good of the people," he said.