Philippine President Gloria Arroyo said soaring oil prices had hurt her country's fight against widespread poverty despite high economic growth last year.

"We are aware that no matter how much improvement there is at the top of the economic ladder, many of our people still struggle mightily," she said late Sunday, with the text of her comments released Monday.

"The high price of gasoline and everyday commodities hits our poor the hardest," she said in the southern city of Cagayan de Oro.

"While the high price of oil is a global issue outside the control of government, we have nevertheless taken and will continue to take actions to reduce the pain on our people of these high prices."

Official figures released last week showed 3.8 million more people had joined the ranks of the poor between 2003 and 2006, amid cuts in social spending and new taxes to boost a narrow revenue base.

The data showed one in three Filipinos live on a dollar or less per day.

The economy grew at a 31-year high of 7.3 percent last year, when inflation was kept at a 20-year low of 2.8 percent.

But the Asian Development Bank has said not enough jobs are being created amid insufficient investment and obstacles to growth like poor infrastructure.

"Many things are left to be done. I plan on working hard with you the next two years to fulfill our Philippine Reform Agenda until the day I leave office in 2010," Arroyo said.

"We have made tough and unpopular decisions to raise revenues and as we in the executive crack down on tax cheats so that we could invest in our physical infrastructure and in our people."