PGMA's Speech during the Opening Ceremonies of the 2nd National Convention of the Chinese-Filipino Business Club, Inc. (CFBCI)

PGMA's Speech during the Opening Ceremonies of the 2nd National Convention of the Chinese-Filipino Business Club, Inc. (CFBCI)

24 Jan 2002

THANK YOU VERY MUCH SECRETARY ROMULO.

MR. GO, PRESIDENT; MR. GO, EVP; MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF THE CLUB; MEMBERS OF THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS; DELEGATES TO THIS NATIONAL CONVENTION OF THE CHINESE-FILIPINO BUSINESS CLUB; LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:

FIRST, LET ME GREET THE FILIPINO-CHINESE BUSINESS CLUB ON THE OCCASION OF YOUR NATIONAL CONVENTION. THE FILIPINO-CHINESE ARE A CHERISHED PART OF OUR MULTI-ETHNIC SOCIETY. IT IS FITTING TO CELEBRATE THINGS THAT OUR FILIPINO-CHINESE CULTURE ENJOYS AND CHERISHES. THUS, TODAY ON THE OCCASION OF THE OPENING OF YOUR CONVENTION, I WOULD LIKE TO ANNOUNCE THAT I HAVE JUST SIGNED A PROCLAMATION DECLARING JUNE 9 OF EVERY YEAR AS FILIPINO-CHINESE FRIENDSHIP DAY. JUNE 9 COINCIDES WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF FORMAL DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS BETWEEN YOUR HOME, THE PHILIPPINES, AND YOUR ANCESTRAL MOTHERLAND, CHINA.

I ALSO WISH TO GREET YOU A HAPPY ANNIVERSARY ON THE OCCASION OF OUR 40-DAY CELEBRATION OF PEOPLE POWER 1 AND PEOPLE POWER 2. MANY OF YOU WERE THERE AT EDSA, SOME WERE NOT. BUT TODAY WHETHER YOU WERE THERE OR NOT, YOU ARE ALL PART OF PEOPLE POWER TODAY. SO, THIS CELEBRATION IS YOURS AS WELL AS MINE. INDEED, IT IS A YEAR SINCE I BECAME PRESIDENT.

I TOOK THE PRESIDENCY AS A GIFT FROM GOD. I ACCEPTED ITS CHALLENGES AS MY DUTY. ON THE DAY I BECAME PRESIDENT I SAID, THAT IT WAS TIME TO BIND THE NATION'S WOUNDS, HEAL ITS DEEP DIVISIONS, AND BRING ALL THE PEOPLE TOGETHER IN A NEW SHARED HOPE FOR A BETTER FUTURE IN A MORAL SOCIETY.

THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR THAT WE ARE CELEBRATING EDSA 1 AND EDSA 2 TOGETHER, COMBINING THE RESTORATION OF FREEDOM WITH THE VINDICATION OF TRUTH AND THE TRIUMPH OF JUSTICE. EDSA 1 BROUGHT DOWN TYRANNY, EDSA 2 TOOK OUT PLUNDER.

WHAT WE NEED NOW IS EDSA 3 -- A REAL EDSA 3 -- NOT THE FAKE AND UNSUCCESSFUL ONE THAT OCCURRED LAST APRIL AND MAY. A REAL EDSA 3 TO COMPLETE THE CIRCLE OF THE FILIPINOS' UNPARALLELED POLITICAL ACHIEVEMENT BY PUTTING AN END TO UNDERDEVELOPMENT AND POVERTY, AND GIVING A FRESH START TO PROGRESS AND SOCIAL JUSTICE.

I KNOW HOW WE OWE THE TWO EVENTS -- EDSA 1 AND EDSA 2 -- TO GOD, AND ALSO TO THE SENSE OF JUSTICE THAT GOD PLANTED IN EACH ONE OF US. WE OWE GOD THANKS FOR MAKING FILIPINOS INTOLERANT OF WRONG AND COURAGEOUS ENOUGH TO CORRECT IT.

EDSA 2 WAS A MIRACLE AS EDSA 1 WAS. BUT GOD WORKS HIS MIRACLES THROUGH MEN, BRINGING JUSTICE THROUGH THE JUST, HONESTY THROUGH THE UPRIGHT, AND ALWAYS EVER A CHANGE FOR THE BETTER THROUGH MEN AND WOMEN OF FAITH AND COURAGE.

HE PICKED A WOMAN TO LEAD OUR COUNTRY OUT OF BONDAGE INTO FREEDOM, AND HE PICKED ANOTHER WOMAN TO LEAD OUR COUNTRY OUT OF POVERTY BACK ON THE ROAD TO PROGRESS.

IN 1986, THE PEOPLE WOULD NOT TAKE THE MANIPULATION OF THE POLLS TO PERPETUATE TYRANNY. IN 2001, THE PEOPLE WOULD TAKE THE DISREGARD OF PROOF OF CORRUPTION TO KEEP IMMORALITY IN HIGH OFFICE. I SEE THE HAND OF GOD IN THE ACTS OF MEN.

HIS EMINENCE JAIME CARDINAL SIN SAID IN THIS EVENT, "WE MUST CELEBRATE THE KINDNESS OF GOD AND THE GREATNESS OF THE FILIPINO."

DURING THESE 40 DAYS, WE CELEBRATE THE FAITH AND COURAGE OF THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF FILIPINOS WHO KEPT VIGIL AT THE EDSA SHRINE AND RALLIED TO BRING BACK HONESTY AND HONOR TO GOVERNMENT.

WE PAY SPECIAL TRIBUTE TO THE YOUTH WHO OUTDID EVEN THEIR ELDERS IN CLAMORING FOR NATIONAL RENEWAL.

I REDEDICATE MYSELF DURING THIS 40 DAYS TO THE GREAT PROJECT BEGAN IN EDSA 2 -- TO MAKE OUR COUNTRY NEW, TO MAKE GOVERNMENT HONEST, TO LEAD OUR PEOPLE OUT OF POVERTY, AND REALIZE THE GREATNESS THAT LIES WITHIN THE NOBLE RACE THAT INVENTED PEACEFUL PEOPLE POWER REVOLUTION.

I MUST INSIST ON THE TRUTH. WE HAVE MADE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS. WHERE BIGGER AND RICHER ECONOMIES FAILED, OURS MOVED FORWARD. WHERE BIGGER AND STRONGER CURRENCIES COLLAPSED, OURS HELD FIRM. SAY WHAT THEY WILL, THE ONLY EVIDENCE OF CORRUPTION IN MY GOVERNMENT ARE THE BASELESS CHARGES OF OUR ENEMIES.

ADMITTEDLY THE COUNTRY IS STILL IN A LESS THAN IDEAL STATE, BUT NO ONE EXCEPT THE EXTREME REACTIONARIES CAN DENY THAT IT WOULD HAVE COLLAPSED IF THE GOVERNMENT HAD NOT CHANGED. TODAY, OUR ECONOMY IS BACK ON THE ROAD. BACK ON TRACK TO THE MAIN BATTLE, THE BATTLE AGAINST POVERTY.

WE STOPPED THE RAMPANT SPECULATION AGAINST THE PESO. NOW IT IS STABLE. WE STOPPED MUCH OF THE MASSIVE SMUGGLING THAT WAS UNDERMINING LOCAL INDUSTRY AND STEALING REVENUES WHILE THEY ENRICHED THE FORMER PRESIDENT'S FRIENDS, HAVE WE NOT FORGOTTEN? I HOPE WE HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN.

WE SLOWED DOWN THE MASSIVE BORROWING OF THE PAST AND REPLACED IT WITH WILLING INVESTMENTS IN OUR COUNTRY'S FUTURE. OUR BOND OFFERINGS ARE READILY TAKEN UP, TWO-AND-A-HALF TIMES OVERSUBSCRIBED THE LAST ROUND, BECAUSE HERE AND ABROAD PEOPLE BELIEVE IN OUR COUNTRY AGAIN.

OUR STOCK MARKET IS AT ITS FIVE-MONTH HIGH. IT IS BACK TO THE LEVELS BEFORE SEPTEMBER 11. I WAS TELLING DANTE GO THAT I WAS READING THE ANALYST TODAY AND THEY SAID, "IT WENT UP ANOTHER 39 POINTS YESTERDAY BECAUSE THE AMERICANS ARE HERE." BUT DANTE GO SAID, "NO, IT'S NOT BECAUSE THE AMERICANS ARE HERE BUT BECAUSE CONFIDENCE IS BACK."

I THINK I READ THE MESSAGE RIGHT -- GOVERNMENT IS TOO SERIOUS TO BE HANDLED LIKE SHOW BUSINESS. SOME SAY I HAVE NO CHARISMA. I HAVE NO "IT", NO I-T MAYBE I HAVE I-T (INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY) BUT NO I-T, "IT." ONLY YOU BUSINESSMEN, I'D LIKE TO ASK -- WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE I.T. OR I.Q.? MY PREDECESSOR ON THE OTHER HAND MAY HAVE HAD SO MUCH CHARISMA, TOO MUCH CHARISMA. BUT I'M NOT HERE TO MAKE PEOPLE LAUGH, I'M HERE TO MAKE PEOPLE'S LIVES BETTER.

WHAT WOULD YOU WANT? SOMEONE WHO KNOWS THE JOB OR SOMEONE WHO JUST PRETENDS? SOMEONE WHO WORKS HARD OR SOMEONE WHO JUST DRINKS HARD?

THE FATE OF THE NATION WILL NOT UNFOLD ON THE SILVER SCREEN BUT IN THE UNFORGIVING LIGHT OF REALITY WHERE ONLY HARD WORK PAYS, INTEGRITY IS CREDIT, AND INTELLIGENCE SAVES THE DAY.

NOW AS EVER, THE MAIN FIGHT IS AGAINST POVERTY, AND THE PRINCIPAL OBJECTIVE IS TO GIVE THE 40 PERCENT OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE LITTLE OR NOTHING A MATERIAL STAKE IN THEIR COUNTRY SO THAT IT BECOMES IN THEIR EYES WORTH WORKING FOR. SO THAT THEY WILL AND MAXIMIZE THE POTENTIAL OF THE GREAT FILIPINO WORKER THAT THEY ARE.

THIS FIGHT AGAINST POVERTY IS PART AND PARCEL OF A NEW AND UNPARALLELED PRESENT. OUR MISSION IS ROOTED IN A NEW WORLD, WHICH IS YOUR THEME TODAY, "A NEW AGE, A NEW AND GLOBAL ECONOMY."

THERE IS NOW MORE WEALTH AND YET MORE POVERTY; MORE EDUCATION AND YET MORE IGNORANCE; MORE KNOWLEDGE AND YET LESS WISDOM; MORE DIALOGUE AND COMMUNICATION AT LIGHTNING SPEED, YET LESS UNDERSTANDING AND MORE WARS. WITH THOSE PLANES CRASHING INTO THE WORLD TRADE CENTER, THE TECHNOLOGY OF FLIGHT THAT DEFINED THE MODERN AGE IS NOW THE SYMBOL OF THE NEW TERROR.

THE FIGHT AGAINST POVERTY DOES NOT MERELY CALL FOR DARING. THE FIGHT DEMANDS INTELLIGENCE AND CARE. THESE QUALITIES MAY NOT STIR UP THE BLOOD BUT THEY WILL STEER THE COUNTRY MORE SURELY TO SAFETY AND PROGRESS.

I HAVE SAID THAT WE NEED A THIRD EDSA, BUT IT CANNOT BE IN THE SACRED PLACE OF EDSA SHRINE, BECAUSE WE MUST RESTORE THE SACRED PLACES TO THEIR ORIGINAL PURPOSE, WHICH IS PRAYER AND NOT POLITICAL ACTION. AND BESIDES, WE NEED MORE ROOM. EDSA WAS WHERE WE MADE DESPERATE POLITICAL CHANGES. BUT IT IS IN THE REST OF THE COUNTRY, IN BINONDO, IN OTHER PLACES WHERE WEALTH IS CREATED, IN PLACES WHERE WEALTH CAN BE DISTRIBUTED THAT WE WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WAY OUR ECONOMY WORKS AND OUR PEOPLE LIVE.

YES, WE NEED ANOTHER EDSA, THIS TIME FOR ECONOMIC PROGRESS AND IT MUST BE BIGGER THAN ANY OF THE TWO EDSA's BEFORE. IT MUST ENCOMPASS THE ENTIRE NATION -- RICH AND POOR, CHRISTIAN, MUSLIM AND BUDDHIST, CHINESE AND BROWN FILIPINOS, WINNERS AND LOSERS IN THE LAST POLITICAL CONTEST. BECAUSE IF THIS LAST EDSA DOES NOT SUCCEED WE SHALL ALL BE LOSERS IN THE END.

I THEREFORE REACH OUT TO ALL OUR PEOPLE ONCE AGAIN, WHICHEVER SIDE OF THE DIVIDE THE PAST TWO EDSAS LEFT THEM AND YOU. JOIN ME NOW IN THE THIRD BUT PROBABLY... OR IT MUST BE THE GREATEST PEACEFUL REVOLUTION OF ALL -- PEOPLE POWER AGAINST POVERTY, PEOPLE POWER FOR PROGRESS.

IT IS TIME TO SET ASIDE REVENGE SO THAT THE WORK OF TRUE JUSTICE CAN BEGIN. THE WORK OF JUSTICE DOES NOT STOP IN THE NATION'S COURTS. WE MUST BRING IT AS WELL TO THOSE WHO HAVE RENOUNCED THEIR COUNTRY AND HELD THEMSELVES ABOVE THE LAW.

WE CAN DISAGREE ON HOW TO GOVERN OUR COUNTRY; WE CAN EVEN DISAGREE ON WHICH PART OF OUR COUNTRY WE WANT TO CALL OUR OWN, BUT ON ONE THING WE CANNOT QUARREL, AND THAT IS TO RESPECT OUR DIFFERENCES BY RESPECTING ALWAYS THE RULE OF LAW AND THE SANCTITY OF HUMAN LIFE.

THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT WE CANNOT DEBATE IN PEACE; THERE IS NO ISSUE THAT CANNOT BE RESOLVED CONSTITUTIONALLY -- YES, EVEN THE REDISTRIBUTION OF POLITICAL AUTHORITY IN OUR COUNTRY. BUT THERE IS NO WAY WE CAN HEAR EACH OTHER ABOVE THE SOUND OF ARTILLERY. THERE IS NO WAY THIS GOVERNMENT WILL LISTEN AT THE POINT OF A GUN. AND I AM VERY HAPPY THAT OUR ALLIES AND OUR ENEMIES HEARD THIS. AND I WAS TELLING THE POLICE LAST NIGHT, "THANK YOU FOR DOING SUCH A GOOD JOB OF PEACEKEEPING AND AVERTING MAYHEM. THE CROWD CONTROL WAS SO GOOD, IT WAS BIGGER THAN THE CROWD THAT THEY CONTROLLED."

LAST YEAR, AT THE OPENING OF CONGRESS, I ASKED THE POLITICIANS FOR A MORATORIUM ON POLITICKING. TO SOME EXTENT THEY DID, THEY GAVE THAT MORATORIUM AND IN FACT TO A LARGE EXTENT, THEY GAVE US COOPERATION AS WELL IN ESSENTIAL REFORMS. YES, EVEN THE OPPOSITION.

NOW, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK FOR A MORATORIUM ON BLAME FROM SOME SECTORS OF THE PUBLIC, AND A MEASURE OF PATIENCE AS I LEAD OUR COUNTRY IN OVERCOMING THE GREATEST GLOBAL ECONOMIC CRISIS SINCE THE GREAT DEPRESSION OF THE 1930s.

I AM NOT CAMPAIGNING FOR MYSELF THIS EARLY FOR THE 2004 ELECTION. IT IS MY CRITICS WHO ARE CAMPAIGNING THIS EARLY AGAINST ME. ARE THEY AFRAID IF I SUCCEED IN HELPING OUR COUNTRY? THIS IS THE ONLY WAY THEY CAN SUCCEED, BY HURTING OUR PEOPLE?

LET US STOP IT NOW. IT IS INDEED TOO EARLY. THERE IS MORE THAN ENOUGH TIME BEFORE THE 2004 ELECTION. ON THE OTHER HAND, THERE IS NO TIME TO LOSE FOR A PHILIPPINE ECONOMIC RECOVERY THIS YEAR. WE HAD MADE SO MANY STRIDES IN SURVIVAL IN THE PAST YEAR. WE HAVE THE MOMENTUM FOR THIS YEAR. LET US NOT LOSE IT BY BLAME TOSSING. LET US NOT LOSE IT BY CAMPAIGNING AGAINST EACH OTHER.

WE CAN QUARREL OVER WHO THE LEADER OF THIS COUNTRY SHOULD BE AFTER THE NEXT ELECTION. BUT WE MUST WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE THIS COUNTRY WORTH QUARRELING ABOUT. WE OWE THIS TO THE PEOPLE WE ALL SAY WE WISH ONLY TO SERVE.

AND FROM OUR PEOPLE, FROM THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, THE CHINESE COMMUNITY, THE WHOLE COMMUNITY, I ASK FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND UNDERSTANDING. YOU HAVE DONE YOUR PART IN PUTTING BACK MORALITY AND INTELLIGENCE IN GOVERNMENT. IT IS NOW THE GOVERNMENT'S TURN TO PUT FAITH IN THE FUTURE BACK IN YOUR HEARTS.

KAYA KAYO MGA FILIPINO-CHINESE COMMUNITY, MGA NAMUMUNO SA CHINESE-FILIPINO BUSINESS CLUB, MARAMING SALAMAT. MULA PO NUNG UNANG ARAW NG AKING PAGKA-PRESIDENTE TUMUTULONG NA KAYO AT KINIKILALA KO 'YON. KAYA TULOY-TULOY TAYONG MAGKASAMA PARA SA GANOON SA PANGUNGUNA NG ATING MAGAGALING NA NEGOSYANTE NA MARAMI AY CHINESE-FILIPINO TULOY-TULOY NA SANA ANG ATING PAGBALIK SA MAGANDANG KINABUKASAN NG ATING BANSA. KAYA SA INYONG LAHAT CONGRATULATIONS SA INYONG CONVENTION.

MARAMING SALAMAT AT MABUHAY TAYONG LAHAT.

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