PGMA's Speech during the Commemoration of Araw ng Kagitingan |
Dambana ng Kagitingan, Mt. Samat Shrine Pilar, Bataan (09 April 2002) |
| THANK YOU VERY
MUCH, SECRETARY REYES. OUR OTHER APPOINTIVE OFFICIALS OF THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT; AMBASSADOR RICCIARDONE AND OUR FRIENDS FROM AMERICA -- AND I WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME THOSE VETERANS WHO CAME HERE ALL THE WAY FROM THE U.S. TO CELEBRATE THIS DAY WITH US; AMBASSADOR ARA AND OUR FRIENDS FROM JAPAN; GOVERNOR ROMAN AND THE OTHER OFFICIALS AND CITIZENS OF THE PROVINCE OF BATAAN -- THE PROVINCE WHICH IS NUMBER ONE IN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX AND I CONGRATULATE THEM AGAIN FOR THIS ACHIEVEMENT; COLONEL DE OCAMPO AND OUR OTHER BELOVED VETERANS AND THEIR SONS AND DAUGHTERS; OTHER MEMBERS OF THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS; OTHER DISTINGUISHED GUESTS; LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: AT 'YUNG ATING MGA TURISTA NA NARITO. MAS MARAMI ANG ATING CROWD NGAYON KEYSA NOONG ISANG TAON DAHIL SA INTINDE KO MARAMI AY MGA TURISTA NANGGALING SA IBA'T IBANG LUGAR. AT NARINIG KO KAY GOVERNOR ROMAN NA 'YUNG RESORTS NG BATAAN AY FULLY BOOKED ITONG BUONG SUMMER. IBIG SABIHIN NOON UMUOBRA 'YUNG ATING HOLIDAY ECONOMICS. I AM HONORED TO BE ONCE AGAIN ONE WITH YOU ON THIS HALLOWED GROUND. HISTORY LIVES IN THIS PLACE. THE SOLDIERS WHO DIED HERE CONTINUE TO STEER THE PULSE OF OUR REPUBLIC BY THEIR COURAGE AND HEROISM. THE FALL OF BATAAN INVOLVED THREE NATIONS THAT ARE TODAY'S PARTNERS FOR PEACE, DEVELOPMENT AND SECURITY. FROM MORTAL COMBAT IN THESE MOUNTAINS AND FIELDS, WE HAVE NOW CONVERGED INTO AN ALLIANCE AGAINST POVERTY AND TERRORISM FOR PROGRESS AND PROSPERITY IN THIS PART OF THE WORLD. THE LESSONS OF WAR ALWAYS BREAK INTO LESSONS OF PEACE. FROM DESTRUCTION, WE BUILD NEW RAMPARTS OF FREEDOM, DEMOCRACY AND PROGRESS. FROM EMNITY AND PREJUDICE, WE BUILD BONDS OF UNDERSTANDING, COOPERATION AND SOLIDARITY. FROM HATRED, WE BUILD COMPASSION, JUSTICE AND SHARED HUMAN EXCELLENCE. WE ARE HONORED BY THE PRESENCE OF OUR AMERICAN ALLIES. WE HAVE SHARED BATTLES AND STRUGGLES ACROSS DECADES, AND TODAY WE STAND SHOULDER TO SHOULDER IN YET ANOTHER HISTORIC FIGHT, THE FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM. WE ARE ALSO GRATIFIED BY THE PRESENCE OF OUR JAPANESE FRIENDS. WE WERE ENEMIES DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR, BUT TODAY JAPAN IS THE PHILIPPINES' FOREMOST ALLY IN OUR WAR AGAINST POVERTY BECAUSE IT IS BY FAR OUR BIGGEST SOURCE OF OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE. THE TWIN WARS AGAINST TERRORISM AND POVERTY ARE A STRUGGLE THAT MAY EVEN BE MORE FORMIDABLE THAN THE WARS OF THE PAST. AND WE CANNOT RELENT UNTIL WE FINISH THE ENEMY, DECISIVELY AND PERMANENTLY. WE PAY HOMAGE TO THOSE SOLDIERS WHO FOUGHT NOT ONLY IN BATAAN BUT ALSO IN CORREGIDOR AND THE OTHER BATTLEGROUNDS OF THE PHILIPPINE CAMPAIGN DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR. WE LIKEWISE HONOR TODAY ALL OUR HEROES AND VETERANS OF OTHER CAMPAIGNS: VIETNAM; KOREA; BATTLES IN OUR OWN LAND AGAINST INSURGENCY AND SECESSIONISM; TODAY'S WAR AGAINST THE GLOBAL THREAT OF TERROR. OUR HEROES HAVE GIVEN THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE THAT MANY OF US HAVE NEVER BEEN ASKED TO GIVE. BUT MANY OF US HAVE BEEN TOUCHED BY THE CRUELTY AND ANGUISH OF WAR. SOME OF US ARE NUMBED BY THE LOSS -- A SPOUSE, A BROTHER OR SISTER, A RELATIVE OR FRIEND. THOSE OF US WHO ARE NEVER CALLED TO GIVE THE SUPREME SACRIFICE LIKE OUR SOLDIERS, FEEL A GRATITUDE THAT CAN NEVER BE FULLY EXPRESSED. FOR THE SOLDIER FIGHTS SO THAT WE CAN LIVE NORMAL LIVES, ADVANCE THE PROSPERITY OF OUR OWN FAMILIES, GOVERN OURSELVES EFFECTIVELY, SPEAK FREELY AND ACHIEVE OUR DESTINY AS A NATION AND PEOPLE. BATAAN HAS BECOME A SYMBOL OF THE GREATEST AND NOBLEST SUFFERING OUR PEOPLE HAVE EVER KNOWN. AFTER BATAAN FELL ON APRIL 9, 1942, ALL ITS AMERICAN AND FILIPINO SURVIVORS WERE MARCHED FROM VARIOUS POINTS IN THIS PROVINCE TO THE TRAIN STATION IN SAN FERNANDO, PAMPANGA. AMONG THOSE WHO WERE IN THAT MARCH WAS MY FATHER'S BROTHER, ANGEL MACAPAGAL. THOUSANDS OF AMERICAN AND FILIPINO SOLDIERS PERISHED IN THIS DEATH MARCH. THE OTHERS WERE RACKED WITH FEVER, MALARIA, DYSENTERY AND UNTOLD HUNGER. WHEN THEY REACHED SAN FERNANDO, THE MEN OF BATAAN WERE PACKED INTO BOX CARS FOR THE FOUR-HOUR TRAIN RIDE TO CAPAS, TARLAC. THOUSANDS MORE DIED DURING THAT TRIP. AT CAPAS, THEY WERE MADE TO MARCH THE LAST SEVEN KILOMETERS TO CAMP O'DONNELL. MANY OF THOSE WHO SURVIVED THE 105-KILOMETER JOURNEY FROM BATAAN TO TARLAC WOULD DIE OF HUNGER AND ILLNESS AT THE CAMP, WHICH SUBSEQUENTLY BECAME THEIR BURIAL GROUND. LET US NEVER FORGET. LET NOT OUR CHILDREN FORGET THE COST OF WAR AND THE PRICE WE HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. WE IMPLORE THE ALMIGHTY TO GUIDE US SO WE SHALL NEVER AGAIN PAY SUCH A PRICE AS WE PAID IN BATAAN. WE, OF THE PRESENT GENERATION, SHOULD KNOW OF THESE STEEP SACRIFICES AND BE INSPIRED BY THEM. AND BEING INSPIRED, WE SHOULD LOOK FORWARD TO THE CHALLENGES OF THE FUTURE. OUR VISION IS TO ENSURE A BETTER LIFE AND A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR OUR PEOPLE. THE SACRIFICES OF THE PAST SHOULD NOT BE IN VAIN. THEY MUST BE THE LEAVEN IN WHICH WE SHAPE THE DESTINY OF SUCCEEDING GENERATIONS. EVEN AS I SPEAK -- AS MENTIONED BY AMBASSADOR RICCIARDONE -- FILIPINO AND AMERICAN SOLDIERS ARE ENGAGED IN TRAINING EXERCISES AGAINST A COMMON ENEMY IN BASILAN. THE BALIKATAN EXERCISES ARE GEARED TOWARDS ROOTING OUT TERRORISTS WHEREVER THEY MAY HIDE, IN DARKNESS OR DAYLIGHT. ONCE AGAIN, FILIPINO AND AMERICAN SOLDIERS ARE WORKING SIDE BY SIDE TO MAKE THE WORLD A SAFER PLACE FOR ALL OF US. AND IN THIS FIGHT, JAPAN IS EQUALLY OUR PARTNER. ON THIS SAME PLATFORM LAST YEAR, I SAID THAT POVERTY IS THE WORST ENEMY, AND ASKED YOU, OUR DEAR VETERANS TO HELP US WAGE THE WAR AGAINST POVERTY. THE FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISTS IS ALSO A FIGHT AGAINST POVERTY. SO, I ONCE AGAIN ASK YOU TO HELP US WAGE THIS RELENTLESS WAR. FOR EVEN IN YOUR ADVANCED YEARS, YOU ARE OUR LIVING EXAMPLES OF PATRIOTISM AND NATION-BUILDING. BUT AS MUCH AS WE NEED THE HELP OF OUR VETERANS, THEY AND THEIR DEPENDENTS NEED OUR OWN SO THAT THEY CAN LIVE OUT THEIR LIVES IN DIGNITY. TO THE PRESENT GENERATION THEN I ASK OF YOU, LET US CARE FOR THE VETERANS TO SHOW OUR DEBT OF GRATITUDE FOR THEIR SACRIFICES. MY ADMINISTRATION WILL CONTINUE TO SERVE THE WELFARE OF OUR VETERANS AS PART OF OUR OVERALL PROGRAMS TO FIGHT POVERTY AND IMPROVE ON PAST SERVICES. I AM DEEPLY AWARE OF THE CONCERNS OF THE VETERANS, MY FATHER HAVING BEEN AN UNDERGROUND FINANCIAL OFFICER OF THE GUERRILLA MOVEMENT DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR. WE SHALL CONTINUE TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE CONCERNS OF OUR VETERANS AND GREATER ATTENTION THAN IN THE PAST. I CANNOT ALLOW OUR SOLDIERY, PAST AND PRESENT, TO BE LEFT BEHIND IN THE WAYSIDE OF NATIONAL PROGRESS. THE PHILIPPINE VETERANS AFFAIRS OFFICE OR PVAO HAS -- UNDER OUR INSTRUCTION -- RENEWED ITS DRIVE TO SERVE THE VETERANS BETTER AND IMPROVE THEIR GENERAL WELFARE. ITS PRIORITY IS SIMPLE AND STRAIGHTFORWARD -- REDUCE RED TAPE AND REMOVE THE BOTTLENECKS TO EFFICIENT SERVICE. THE PVAO HAS EMBARKED ON AN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM. ITS KEY RESULT AREAS ARE THE FOLLOWING: * A VETERANS WEBSITE TO BE LAUNCHED TODAY, WHICH WILL ENABLE THE VETERANS TO DETERMINE IMMEDIATELY THE STATUS OF YOUR CLAIMS FROM ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD AND TO COMMUNICATE INSTANTLY TO THE PVAO THEIR COMPLAINTS AND SUGGESTIONS. * A DOCUMENT TRACKING SYSTEM USING BAR CODING TECHNOLOGY TO PINPOINT DELAYS IN PROCESSING, PREVENT DOCUMENT LOSSES, AND UPHOLD THE FIRST COME-FIRST SERVE RULES IN CLAIMS PROCESSING. * A DOCUMENT IMAGING SYSTEM TO PRESERVE VITAL RECORDS OF VETERANS AND FACILITATE THE SEARCH AND RETRIEVAL OF THESE DOCUMENTS WHEN NEEDED. * A DOCUMENT STORAGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM TO ORGANIZE AND PROPERLY STORE RECORDS. * A SINGLE, AUTHORITATIVE VETERANS ID BASED ON THE SUBMISSION, VALIDATION AND AUTHENTICATION OF BASELINE DOCUMENTS. * AND FINALLY, A REENGINEERING OF THE CLAIMS OF THE TRANSACTION PROCESS TO SIMPLIFY PROCEDURES AND SPEED UP PAPERWORK. THIS PROGRAM WILL BE FULLY OPERATIONAL WITHIN SIX MONTHS. THIS WILL HASTEN THE CLEANING UP OF THE PENSIONERS' LIST SO THAT OUR LIMITED FUNDS CAN BE DIRECTED TO THE GENUINE VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES. TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF DELAYED, MISPLACED OR ILLEGALLY ENCASHED PENSION CHECKS, PVAO HAS SHIFTED FROM THE POSTAL SYSTEM TO THE BANK REMITTANCE PROGRAM AS ITS MODE OF DISTRIBUTING PENSIONS. THE 'BIYAYA AGAD' PROGRAM HAS BEEN LAUNCHED TO ALLOW THE IMMEDIATE PROCESSING OF OLD-AGE PENSION FOR THE SURVIVING SPOUSES OF VETERAN PENSIONERS, AS WELL AS THE PAYMENT OF BURIAL ASSISTANCE FOR THEM. THE INTEGRITY OF THE PENSION SYSTEM IS PVAO's FIRST STEP TO ENABLE VETERANS WELFARE. THEN IT WILL MOVE ON TO THE BROADER PROGRAMS OF SOCIAL AMELIORATION. FOR INSTANCE, THE VETERANS MEMORIAL MEDICAL CENTER HAS SOLVED THE SHORTAGE IN THE SUPPLY OF MEDICINE BY PURCHASING EQUIVALENT AND ALTERNATIVE DRUGS FROM OTHER PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES AND CHANGING SOME OF ITS PROCUREMENT POLICIES. THE PVAO ASSURES US THAT IT WILL MOVE ON TO OTHER AREAS AS WE BUILD ITS RESOURCE BASE. WE NEED TO DO THIS -- BUILD THE RESOURCE BASE OF PVAO BECAUSE THE ARREARAGES IN VETERANS' BENEFITS THAT I INHERITED AMOUNTS TO ABOUT 20 BILLION PESOS AND STILL COUNTING. HOW TO RAISE THIS AMOUNT TO COVER THE ARREARAGES IS A MAJOR CHALLENGE THAT NEEDS THE JOINT EFFORT OF CONGRESS, THE EXECUTIVE, AND THE VETERANS THEMSELVES. I AM INSTRUCTING SECRETARY ANGELO REYES TO PURSUE HIS IDEA OF THE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE GOLF COURSE AREA OF THE VETERANS HOSPITAL, DEVELOPING IT NOT AS A GOLF COURSE BUT AS A COMMERCIAL CENTER TO RAISE FUNDS FOR PAYING THE ARREARAGES. OUR CONGRESSMEN, WHO ARE CONCERNED WITH VETERANS WELFARE HAVE ALSO SUGGESTED OTHER WAYS OF RAISING FUNDS, LIKE SELLING OUR PRIME PROPERTIES IN JAPAN TO FUND THE ARREARAGES. AND I HAVE ALSO AGREED WITH THIS IN PRINCIPLE, AND I ASK SECRETARY CAMACHO, WHO IS IN-CHARGE OF RAISING FUNDS TO TAKE CARE OF THE SALE OF OUR PROPERTIES IN JAPAN. I HAVE ALSO SUGGESTED TO THE PHILIPPINE VETERANS BANK THAT IN BEHALF OF THE VETERANS COMMUNITY, THEY SHOULD ENTER INTO A COMPROMISE PLAN WITH THE NAVY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE AREA THAT THE VETERANS AND THE NAVY ARE DISPUTING IN FORT BONIFACIO. AND I HAVE HERE ADMIRAL HINGCO LISTENING, AND I AM INSTRUCTING ADMIRAL HINGCO TO ALSO JOIN THE VETERANS BANK IN THE JOINT DEVELOPMENT OF THIS AREA FOR THE BENEFIT OF BOTH FUNDING THE VETERANS ARREARAGES AND THE MODERNIZATION OF THE NAVY. ALL THESE IDEAS AND OTHER IDEAS WILL BE THE SUBJECT MATTER OF OUR CABINET MEETING TODAY TO BE HELD RIGHT AFTER THIS CEREMONY. ITONG CABINET MEETING NA ITO Y GAGANAPIN DITO MISMO SA BATAAN, ANG PUGAD NG KAGITINGAN. AT ITONG CABINET MEETING NA ITO AY DEDEKADO SA DAKILANG BETERANONG FILIPINO. WE MUST DO ALL THESE FOR OUR VETERANS BECAUSE WE CAN NEVER TRULY ENJOY THE BLESSINGS OF PEACE AND APPRECIATE THE VALUE OF HUMAN LIFE UNLESS WE RECALL THE SACRIFICES OF WAR. OUR TASK IS TO DEVELOP THE HABITS OF THOUGHT AND OF ACTION THAT OUR VETERANS BECAME KNOWN FOR IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE OUR NATIONAL GOALS -- DISCIPLINE, FORTITUDE, A TOUGH SPIRIT TO STRETCH THE LIMITS OF HUMAN CAPACITY. ON THIS DAY THEN, LET US HONOR THE SACRIFICES OF OUR WAR VETERANS BY REDEDICATING OURSELVES TO THE TASK OF CREATING A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR OUR COUNTRY. LET US ALL WORK TOGETHER, AND HARDER THAN EVER, TO WIN THE BATTLES AGAINST POVERTY AND TERRORISM; TO WIN THE STRUGGLES FOR DEMOCRACY, INDEPENDENCE AND FREEDOM. MAY THE ALMIGHTY BLESS ONCE MORE THIS HALLOWED GROUND. AND ALL OF US, MAY WE ALL BOW OUR HEADS IN OBEDIENCE TO HIS SUPREME WILL FOR PEACE, HARMONY AND THE GOOD OF ALL MANKIND. MABUHAY ANG ATING MGA BETERANO! MABUHAY ANG DAKILANG PILIPINAS! MARAMING SALAMAT SA INYONG LAHAT. |