President Arroyo lambasted rich nations for delaying the Doha round of the World Trade Organization negotiations. During an economic forum yesterday, the President said that although the negotiations got postponed, developing countries like us still have a chance to get a good deal and that the Philippines is still open to free-trade agreements. "We hope the Doha round is successful because it was designed to be the round that would focus on development, to be the round to bring the benefits of the global trading system to less developed nations," she said.

Taking-off in 2001, the Doha Development Round fell down last year. Rich nations were stipulated to curtail subsidies to farmers in order to spare the developing nation's agricutural sector to take a plunge. "On this road to globalization, the developed nations have let many of the less developed nations down," President Arroyo said. She further stated that, "When trade served their interests, it was the green light. Now that they might have to give up certain subsidies or markets, the yellow light of caution is up."

"While we want a successful round, we will not just wait around. We aim to go full speed ahead, in the Philippines and in ASEAN, to strengthen our economic ties regardless of what the Doha (round) does or does not," she said.