Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo stressed on Thursday her nation's efforts to improve competitiveness in the global market and to alleviate investors' worries over safety.

"I have come here to tell Japanese businessmen that the Philippines does not stop seeking to improve its competitiveness in terms of the costs and the quality of production in the Philippines," Arroyo told a group of reporters during her first trip to Japan since becoming president in January.

She said the country's labor force has huge potential -- 75 million people speak English and are skilled with information technology and the Philippines has a younger population than Japan.

Arroyo said that areas for possible foreign investment include the country's telecommunications, roads, air ports and sea ports.

The Philippines has also reinforced peace and social order by doubling the number of police officers , setting up an emergency line and cooperating with anticrime nongovernmental organizations, she said.

Arroyo is to be in Japan until Saturday.

Prior to her visit, Arroyo said she would urge Japan, the world's largest official development assistance donor, to maintain the level of its assistance to the Philippines.

In August, Tokyo announced plans to cut its official development assistance allocations by around 10 percent for fiscal 2002. The review is part of the fiscal reform led by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.