No less than President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is willing to take the lead in belt-tightening under the government’s energy conservation and austerity program.

In a radio interview this morning, Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said the austerity measures were designed to cushion the impact of the unabated increase in world oil prices.

"The President is willing to lead by example at saka iyong mga ahensiya na nasa ilalim ng Pangulo ay kasama rin (The agencies under the Office of the President are included)," he said.

In line with this, the President, Bunye said, has trimmed the country’s official delegation to the China state visit and likewise reduced her presidential convoy.

He revealed the Palace has done some cost cutting measures in the bureaucracy including the skipping of merienda during official meetings.

Bunye bared that an executive order limiting local and foreign travels is now being drafted to further cut down on cost.

"Kung gustong sumunod at makisama ng Senate at House of Representatives (If the Senate and the House of Representatives want to follow), they are welcome to come up with their own rules limiting foreign travel," he said.

The President has stressed that the government, from the Office of the President down to the Local Government Units (LGUs), must economize on its resources to maximize savings and reduce the budget deficit.

Earlier, the President ordered a ban on the purchase of new government vehicles and the implementation of a car-less day scheme in a bid to save on fuel expenses and boost environment protection.

Mrs. Macapagal-Arroyo said the energy conservation program is geared at cushioning the impact of soaring fuel prices, as well as reduce expenses on gasoline and electricity without sacrificing productivity.

The program is expected to generate about 12 percent reduction in oil importation, equivalent to a yearly savings of $874 million.

All government agencies were directed to strictly adhere to the mandatory 10-percent reduction in fuel and electricity consumption.

To further boost her energy conservation drive, the President encouraged private car owners to organize car pools among their relatives, friends, neighbors and officemates.