PGMA's Speech during the 2002 Presentation Ceremonies of the Ramon Magsaysay Awards

PGMA's Speech during the 2002 Presentation Ceremonies of the Ramon Magsaysay Awards

CCP Main Theater, Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City (31 August 2002)

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

MR. JAIME AUGUSTO ZOBEL DE AYALA, CHAIRMAN OF THE RAMON MAGSAYSAY FOUNDATION BOARD OF TRUSTEES; PRESIDENT CORAZON AQUINO; SENATOR RAMON MAGSAYSAY, JR. AND THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE MAGSAYSAY FAMILY; DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE RAMON MAGSAYSAY FOUNDATION; HONORABLE RECIPIENTS OF THE 2002 RAMON MAGSAYSAY AWARDS; EXCELLENCIES; MEMBERS OF THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS; ASSOCIATE JUSTICES OF THE SUPREME COURT; LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:

TONIGHT, WE MARK THE 95th BIRTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GREAT FILIPINO AND THE GREAT ASIAN, PRESIDENT RAMON MAGSAYSAY, AND CELEBRATE THE ACHIEVEMENT OF ASIA'S FINEST CITIZENS AND LEADERS.

IN A TRIBUTE TO PRESIDENT MAGSAYSAY, MY LATE FATHER, DIOSDADO MACAPAGAL ONCE SAID, AND I QUOTE: "HISTORY WILL RECORD THAT HIS ACHIEVEMENT IN THIS FIELD WAS TWO-FOLD: FIRST, HE BROKE THE BACK OF THE COMMUNIST REBELLION; AND SECOND, HE AROUSED THE MASSES OF THE PEOPLE TO THE FACT THAT THEIR NATION IS CAPABLE OF HAVING LEADERS WHO WOULD CONSECRATE THEIR ENERGY TO THE REDEMPTION OF THE PEOPLE FROM THEIR MISERY."

TONIGHT'S AWARDS ARE A TESTIMONY TO THE LIVING LEGACY AND SPIRIT OF PRESIDENT RAMON MAGSAYSAY. OUR AWARDEES REFLECT THE EXCELLENCE, BOLDNESS OF THOUGHT AND ACTION, AND DEVOTION TO THE PEOPLES AND RACES ACROSS ASIA, JUST AS THE LATE PRESIDENT HIMSELF DID IN HIS TIME.

THESE AWARDS ARE NOT ONLY A RAY OF HOPE IN A COMPLEX WORLD OF CONFLICTING INTEREST, ISSUES AND CONCERNS. FOR MY PART, THEY ALSO HELP ME IN A MOST PRACTICAL AND CONCRETE WAY IN MY GOVERNANCE.

LAST FEBRUARY, I LAUNCHED THE HYBRID RICE COMMERCIALIZATION PROGRAM IN 44 PROVINCES OF OUR COUNTRY AS THE FLAGSHIP PROJECT OF MY AGRICULTURAL MODERNIZATION. I AM PROUD TO SAY THAT THE HYBRID RICE TECHNOLOGY WHICH I AM USING NOW IN THIS AGRICULTURAL MODERNIZATION PROGRAM WAS DEVELOPED AS A COLLABORATION BETWEEN PHILRICE AND YUAN LONGPIN, WHOM I MET LAST YEAR BECAUSE HE WAS LAST YEAR'S MAGSAYSAY AWARDEE. THIS PROGRAM IS DIRECTED TOWARDS DOUBLING YIELDS. AND IT IS MY AIM THAT IN TWO YEARS, 30 PERCENT OF IRRIGATED LANDS WILL HAVE ADOPTED THIS HYBRID RICE TECHNOLOGY OF YUAN LONGPIN. TWO YEARS FROM OUR ENVISION THAT THESE FARMERS WILL DOUBLE THEIR INCOMES AS A RESULT OF ADOPTING HIS TECHNOLOGY.

ON A NATIONAL SCALE, THE HYBRID RICE OUTPUT WILL INCREASE THE PRODUCTION OF RICE BY ALMOST HALF A MILLION METRIC TONS AND REDUCE OUR FOREIGN EXCHANGE EXPENDITURES ON THE IMPORTS OF OUR STAPLE FOOD. MY BEING GUEST SPEAKER IN LAST YEAR'S MAGSAYSAY AWARDS WAS THE CATALYST FOR THIS GREAT INNOVATION IN OUR AGRICULTURAL MODERNIZATION BECAUSE I MET YUAN LONGPIN IN THOSE AWARDS. SINCE THEN HE HAS HELPED OUR COUNTRY AND OUR FARMERS. AND I THANK YOU, THE RAMON MAGSAYSAY FOUNDATION TRUSTEES, FOR INTRODUCING ME TO SOMEONE WHO HAS SINCE DONE SO MUCH FOR OUR AGRICULTURAL MODERNIZATION AND OUR FIGHT AGAINST POVERTY.

THIS YEAR, OUR VERY OWN CHIEF JUSTICE IS THE AWARDEE FOR GOVERNMENT SERVICE. HE IS A PILLAR OF PATRIOTISM, WORKING BEYOND THE LIMELIGHT -- QUIETLY, EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY -- TO SAFEGUARD PHILIPPINE DEMOCRACY AND PROMOTE THE RULE OF LAW. HIS HUMBLE DEMEANOR AND UNASSAILABLE INTEGRITY, HIS COURAGE AT THE MOST CRITICAL PERIODS OF OUR NATION ARE THE STANDARDS BY WHICH EVERY MAN OF THE BENCH, IN ASIA OR ELSEWHERE, MUST BE MEASURED.

OUR OTHER AWARDEE, DR. RUTH PFAU, A LADY SHINES IN THE FIELD OF PUBLIC SERVICE. A GERMAN NUN WHO ADOPTED PAKISTAN AS HER OWN, SHE ESTABLISHED A NATIONAL PROGRAM FOR THE ERADICATION OF LEPROSY, SIMULTANEOUSLY TRAINING MEDICAL WORKERS WHILE EMPHASIZING SOCIAL REHABILITATION AMONG BOTH VICTIMS AND NON-VICTIMS. EVEN NOW, SHE IS PREOCCUPIED WITH CHARITABLE DEEDS INVOLVING AFGHAN REFUGEES IN HER ADOPTED COUNTRY.

MR. BHARAT KOIRALA EXEMPLIFIES THE BEST OF ASIA IN THE FIELD OF JOURNALISM, LITERATURE AND CREATIVE COMMUNICATION ARTS. CONSTANTLY SHARING HIS TALENT AND TIME, HIS PUBLIC AFFAIRS PROJECTS IN FAR-FLUNG RURAL COMMUNITIES OF NEPAL DEVELOPED ENLIGHTENED CONSTITUENCIES. INDEED, HE IS AMONG THOSE WHO OPENED RURAL NEPAL TO THE EMPOWERMENT OF THE INFORMATION AGE.

OUR AWARDEE FOR PEACE AND INTERNATIONAL UNDERSTANDING, THE VENERABLE POMNYUN SNIM, IS A ROVING AMBASSADOR OF GOODWILL, KNOWN FOR HIS DEEP COMMITMENT TO COMBAT HUNGER AND UNDERDEVELOPMENT IN NORTH KOREA. DR. SANDEEP PANDEY, THIS YEAR'S RECIPIENT OF THE AWARD FOR EMERGENT LEADERSHIP TRANSFORMED EDUCATION INTO A RELEVANT AND DYNAMIC ELEMENT IN THE LIVES OF THE POOR AND THE POWERLESS. DR. SANDEEP HAS PROVIDED AN INVALUABLE
CONTRIBUTION TO THE PEOPLE OF INDIA. HE HAS ENABLED PEOPLE TO TAKE CONTROL OF THEIR LIVES AND THEIR FUTURE.

FINALLY, OUR AWARDEE WHO IS NOT HERE BUT WHOSE MESSAGE IS SOMETHING THAT IS VERY STRONG IS OUR AWARDEE FOR COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP. SHE IS IMPORTANT NOT ONLY FOR THE MESSAGE SHE HAS GIVEN US BUT FOR THE UNWAVERING COMPASSION THAT SHE HAS SHOWN IN MINISTERING TO THE THOUSANDS OF BURMESE REFUGEES AND DISPLACED PERSONS IN THE BORDER OF BURMA AND THAILAND. THE WORK OF DR. MAUNG IS A MODEL FOR US FILIPINOS AS WE NOW ADDRESS THE GREAT TRAGEDY HAPPENING IN SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES.

I TALKED TO PRIME MINISTER MAHATHIR ON THE PHONE YESTERDAY. WE CAME TO AN UNDERSTANDING ON HOW BEST TO EASE THE SITUATION AFFECTING OUR COUNTRYMEN IN SABAH AND THOSE COMING BACK. I AM SENDING A MISSION TO KUALA LUMPUR ON MONDAY TO THRESH OUT THE DETAILS. IN THE MEANTIME, NOW IS THE TIME FOR OUR NATION TO COME TOGETHER FOR A HUMANITARIAN CAUSE AS DR. MAUNG HAS BEEN DOING. THIS TIME FOR US IT IS IN BEHALF OF THE THOUSANDS OF DEPORTEES FROM SABAH. MANY OF THEM ARE SICK AND HUNGRY LIKE THOSE THAT DR. MAUNG HAS BEEN CARING FOR IN THE BORDER. OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS NEED OUR HELP. I CALL UPON EACH AND EVERYONE TO EXTEND WHATEVER ASSISTANCE YOU CAN GIVE. OUR DISTRESSED BROTHERS AND SISTERS NEED FOOD, MEDICINE, CLOTHING AND SHELTER. OUR COUNTRYMEN AND COUNTRYWOMEN WHO HAVE LESS IN LIFE. OUR COUNTRYMEN AND COUNTRYWOMEN WHOM RAMON MAGSAYSAY LOVE SO MUCH.

ONCE AGAIN, I HOPE THAT THE EXAMPLE SET BY THE RECIPIENTS OF THE RAMON MAGSAYSAY AWARDS FOR THIS YEAR WILL HELP OUR PEOPLE HAVE A BETTER SOCIETY IN OUR OWN COUNTRY.

I CONGRATULATE THE FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF PRESIDENT MAGSAYSAY FOR THIS YEAR'S AWARDS WHICH PERPETUATES THE GREAT LEGACY OF RAMON MAGSAYSAY.

TO EVERYONE, THANK YOU. TO OUR AWARDEES, CONGRATULATIONS! TO OUR MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, THANK YOU FOR YOUR EXCELLENT CHOICE ONCE AGAIN THIS YEAR. TO THE FAMILY OF RAMON MAGSAYSAY, THANK YOU FOR GIVING THE PHILIPPINES, THANK YOU, FOR GIVING ASIA A MAN THAT WE CAN ALL EMULATE. CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU.

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