MANILA, Philippines - President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo asked the Filipino community in the United States Monday (Manila time) to help victims of typhoon "Frank" in the Philippines.

President Arroyo, who is on a 10-day trip to the US, issued the appeal during a program with Filipino-Americans at the Fresno Convention Center when she joined them in hearing Sunday mass.

"To our Fil-Am brothers and sisters, for your generosity towards the less fortunate in the Philippines, and for your commitment to enhance development in our motherland, salamat (thank you)!" she said.

Excerpts of her message were posted on the Office of the Press Secretary website.

A Palace statement said some 600 Filipino-Americans witnessed Mrs Arroyo conduct a video conference with the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC).

The Palace said the video conference showed that while Mrs Arroyo is out of the country, "she remains focused and on top of the situation back home."

President Arroyo also lauded the Filipinos in the US for doing so much without losing their bonds of affection for their motherland, or their inherent pride in their Filipino heritage.

Every year, she said, Filipino-Americans extend all forms of assistance for your old schools, hometowns, provinces and local organizations.

"From medical and dental missions, to educational and internet support, to humanitarian and charitable causes, Filipino-Americans are ever ready to help the land of your forefathers," she said.

In her appeal for help, Mrs Arroyo said that with the onslaught of typhoon "Frank," Filipinos back home are hoping that the Filipinos in the US will again extend their help to the less fortunate.

Any assistance to the typhoon victims could be coursed through the embassies and consulates as the President has given out instructions for them to open disaster-relief donation accounts.

In addition, the NDCC was directed to set up an accounts website and text number.

Mrs Arroyo, accompanied by First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, visited the Community Regional Medical Center (CRMC) in the agricultural city of Fresno where some 2,000 Filipino nurses and a growing number of doctors are gainfully employed.

"Bumisita ako ngayon para ipaalam sa inyo na ipinagmamalaki namin ang ating mga medical practitioners dito sa Amerika (I visited you to let you know how proud we are of Filipino medical practitioners in the US)," she said.

The visit to the hospital was one of the official schedules in her 10-day, three-state visit to the US that would take her to Washington and New York.

Her first stop was San Francisco where she stayed overnight before proceeding to Fresno for a homecoming after 10 years.

Arroyo said she visited Fresno when she was still vice president, and that Fresno-based Filipinos had kidded her that when she visits the place again, she would be the President.

Acting Labor Secretary Marianito Roque, who was with Mrs Arroyo, said that for the past seven years, some 5,976 Filipino nurses were deployed to the US to fill up the 130,000 vacancies for nurses and physical therapists.

Roque said that while there are many qualified medical practitioners in the Philippines waiting to be employed in the US, the problem lies in the issuing of the certification from the US Department of Labor.

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