PGMA's Speech during the Departure Ceremonies for an Official/Working Visit to the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States

NAIA Terminal 1, Pasay City (27 Jan 2002)
MR. VICE PRESIDENT; MR. SENATE PRESIDENT; MR. SPEAKER; EXECUTIVE SECRETARY AND ALL THE OTHER CABINET MEMBERS; MRS. COLLINS; MR. CAMPBELL, THE CHARGE D' AFFAIRES; GENERAL CAMILING, ACTING CHIEF OF STAFF; LT. GEN. ABAYA; LT. GEN. DEFENSOR; DE LOS SANTOS; VICE ADMIRAL HINCO; PNP CHIEF MENDOZA; REAR ADMIRAL LISTA; LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:

AFTER THE SEPTEMBER 11 TRAGEDY LAST YEAR, I TRAVELED TO SEVERAL COUNTRIES ON A MISSION FOR NATIONAL SECURITY AND DEVELOPMENT. IN SHANGHAI, LAST OCTOBER, WE ISSUED THE APEC DECLARATION AGAINST TERRORISM JUST BEFORE I WENT BACK TO BEIJING TO FORGE AGREEMENTS WITH CHINA RELATED TO THE FIGHT AGAINST TRANSNATIONAL CRIME.

THEREAFTER, I WENT TO BRUNEI TO ATTEND THE 7th ASEAN SUMMIT, WHERE AGAIN, WE ISSUED A COLLECTIVE DECLARATION AGAINST TERRORISM WHOSE FIRST DRAFT WAS CRAFTED BY THE PHILIPPINE DELEGATION; THEN TO INDONESIA, WHERE I PURSUED OUR TRILATERAL AGREEMENT WITH THAT COUNTRY AND MALAYSIA TO SECURE OUR COMMON BORDERS.

I THEN CROSSED THE PACIFIC TO THE UNITED STATES TO WRAP UP OUR MISSION, WITH TANGIBLE RESULTS IN TERMS OF DEVELOPMENT AND SECURITY ASSISTANCE, WHOSE FRUITS CAN BE CLEARLY SEEN TODAY.

WE HAVE SEEN THE FRUITS OF ACTION DIPLOMACY. BUT CONTINUITY IS IMPORTANT. THAT IS WHY TODAY, I LEAVE AGAIN TO SEEK CONFIDENCE AND SUPPORT OF THE WORLD FOR OUR COUNTRY, AS THE GLOBAL SCENARIO RAPIDLY CHANGES FROM ALL-OUT WAR TO ALL-OUT CONSOLIDATION. THE PRIZE ALL NATIONS SEEK IS PEACE, STABILITY AND GROWTH.

THE TALIBAN HAS FALLEN, AND AFGHANISTAN IS IN THE PROCESS OF RESTORING THE PEACE BEFORE THE BIG PUSH OF NATION BUILDING. THE THEATER OF CONFLICT HAS SHIFTED ELSEWHERE, AND NOW WE ARE IN THE MAP ONCE AGAIN, NOT JUST BECAUSE OF OUR RESILIENT ECONOMY BUT BECAUSE WE HAVE SUPPORT FOR OUR FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM IN SOME ISOLATED PARTS OF SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES. AFTER WE SHALL HAVE WON THE PEACE THERE, WE SHALL ALSO EMBARK IN A DETERMINED BID FOR COMMUNITY-BUILDING AND PERMANENT STABILITY.

THE PROCESS THAT STARTED FROM MASSIVE ARMED ACTION IN AFGHANISTAN, WHICH HAS TRANSFORMED INTO PEACEKEEPING, AND WHICH WILL EVENTUALLY SHIFT TO NATION-BUILDING, WILL BE A CONSISTENT POINT OF GLOBAL FOCUS. THIS TRANSITION OF STRATEGIC POLICY FROM INTERDICTION OF TERRORISTS, TO DEVELOPMENT AS A MEANS TO INOCULATE THE GLOBAL ORDER AGAINST TERRORISM, IS NECESSARY TO ACHIEVE A PERMANENT AND COMPREHENSIVE SOLUTION THAT SHALL DEFEAT TERRORISM AND ITS TWIN, POVERTY.

SOLUTIONS TO POVERTY ARE INDISPENSABLE TO THE RESOLUTION OF IRRATIONAL VIOLENCE. I AM A FIRM BELIEVER IN THIS EMERGENT LESSON -- NOT BECAUSE OF AFGHANISTAN BUT BECAUSE WE HAVE SEEN IT IN OUR OWN HISTORY OF CONFLICT. THAT IS WHY I SPEND MOST OF MY TIME IN OUR OWN LAND, WITH THE POOR COMMUNITIES OR AT MY DESK THINKING AND WORKING FOR THEM. SPENDING TIME WITH THE POOR WAS MY PRIMARY MANNER OF CELEBRATING THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF EDSA 2. UNTIL THIS MORNING, I WAS WITH THE URBAN POOR IN METRO MANILA, AND I SHALL BE WITH THEM AGAIN UPON MY RETURN NEXT WEEK. THE MASSES NEED CONSTANT AND CONTINUING CARE, CONCERN, LEADERSHIP.

ONCE AGAIN, THE TWIN WAR AGAINST POVERTY AND TERRORISM MARKS MY JOURNEY TO THE UNITED KINGDOM, TO CANADA, AND TO THE UNITED STATES.

PRIME MINISTER BLAIR INVITED ME TO LONDON TO DISCUSS HOW TO ACHIEVE LASTING INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND PROSPERITY, HOW THIS CAN BE ACHIEVED AFTER WINNING THE WAR ON TERRORISM. I WILL SHARE MY VIEWS ON THE INTER-LINKAGES BETWEEN THE PROBLEMS OF POVERTY AND TERRORISM IN THE LIGHT OF ENABLING COUNTRIES AND PEOPLES TO BECOME FULL PARTICIPANTS IN GLOBAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

THE U.K. IS CURRENTLY OUR BIGGEST FOREIGN INVESTOR. IT IS ONE OF THE LARGEST STAKEHOLDERS IN THE PHILIPPINES, BEING HEAVILY IMMERSED IN THE MALAMPAYA PROJECT, WHICH IS THE SINGLE BIGGEST INVESTMENT IN OUR COUNTRY.

BRITAIN IS NOW LEADING THE PEACEKEEPING PHASE IN AFGHANISTAN. I INTEND TO GET MORE DETAILS FROM MR. BLAIR ABOUT THE INVOLVEMENT OF VARIOUS COUNTRIES IN THIS PHASE.

PEACEKEEPING IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE GLOBAL COMMITMENT TO THE WAR AGAINST TERRORISM. AND SO WILL BE OUR INVOLVEMENT IN POST-CONFLICT NATION-BUILDING. IN THIS, WE SHALL CONTINUE TO RELY ON THE EXCELLENCE OF THE GREAT FILIPINO WORKER, WHOSE QUALITY AND DEDICATION ARE RENOWNED.

AT THE SAME TIME, MY TRIP TO GREAT BRITAIN HAS A SPECIAL ANGLE IN TERMS OF THE FIGHT AGAINST CRIME. WE WANT SCOTLAND YARD TO TRAIN OUR POLICEMEN IN THE FINE POINTS OF DEALING WITH KIDNAPPERS. SCOTLAND YARD IS KNOWN TO BE ONE OF THE BEST DETECTIVE ORGANIZATIONS IN THE WORLD. WE WANT OUR COPS TO IMBIBE PROVEN LESSONS IN SURVEILLANCE AND EXTRICATION OF HOSTAGES AND KIDNAP VICTIMS. THIS IS ESSENTIAL FOR OUR CURRENT THRUSTS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT.

ON TOP OF ALL THESE, THE PHILIPPINES AND BRITAIN HAVE MANY SHARED VALUES AND POLITICAL CONVICTIONS RANGING ACROSS VITAL GLOBAL ISSUES. ON THE PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE LEVEL, NGO COLLABORATION BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES IN THE FIELDS OF ENVIRONMENT, CONSERVATION, CHILD WELFARE AND MICRO FINANCE HAS BEEN ACTIVE AND EFFECTIVE.

THIS IS ALSO TRUE IN THE CASE OF CANADA, WHICH I SHALL VISIT UPON THE INVITATION OF PRIME MINISTER JEAN CHRETIEN AFTER MY ONE-DAY SOJOURN TO LONDON.

THE PHILIPPINES AND CANADA HAVE FORGED A LONG AND CONSTRUCTIVE RELATIONSHIP FORGED BY SHARED IDEALS AND INTERESTS, WHICH INCLUDE THE PROMOTION OF HUMAN SECURITY, HUMAN RIGHTS, GOOD GOVERNANCE, PRIVATE ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT, AND SOCIAL EMPOWERMENT.

WE HAVE AN ANNUAL TRADE WITH CANADA OF HALF-A-BILLION DOLLARS. IN THE LAST 15 YEARS, CANADA HAS PROVIDED US MORE THAN 300 MILLION DOLLARS IN OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE OR O.D.A. THROUGH THE CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY OR CIDA.

CIDA GRANTS HAVE TARGETED AREAS OF CONCERN THAT ARE IMPORTANT FOR OUR THRUSTS IN POVERTY REDUCTION AND GOOD GOVERNANCE, ESPECIALLY AT THE LEVEL OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS. MUCH HAS ALSO BEEN COURSED TO DEVELOPMENT OF SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES, AND SOCIAL PROJECTS THAT BENEFIT MINDANAO AND THE ARMM, WESTERN VISAYAS, AND OTHER POVERTY-STRICKEN AREAS.

CANADA IS ALSO THE HOME OF MORE THAN 300,000 FILIPINOS, WHO CONSTITUTE A VISIBLE ETHNIC GROUP IN THAT COUNTRY. FILIPINOS WHO MIGRATE TO CANADA BELONG TO THE HIGHLY SKILLED CATEGORIES IN THE SERVICE SECTOR: PROFESSIONALS IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY, MEDICAL WORKERS INCLUDING DOCTORS AND NURSES, AND CARE GIVERS AMONG OTHERS.

INDEED, CANADA IS THE HOST TO THE GREAT FILIPINO WORKER.

THE WORLD KNOWS OUR GREAT FILIPINO WORKERS AND WE ARE PROUD OF THEM. IN EVERY NOOK AND CORNER OF PROGRESS AND DEVELOPMENT, OUR WORKERS ARE THERE, TURNING THE WHEELS OF INDUSTRY, MANAGING THE NETWORKS OF GLOBAL COMMERCE, HEALING THE SICK, AND TEACHING THE YOUNG.

IN CANADA AND ELSEWHERE, OUR STRATEGY FOR HUMAN CAPACITY BUILDING IS TO TRANSFORM OUR LABOR FORCE INTO THE NEW ECONOMY WORK FORCE. INTERNATIONALLY, WE SHALL PREPARE OUR WORKERS FOR THE MOST PRODUCTIVE, REWARDING AND FULFILLING JOBS. AT HOME, WE WILL PROMOTE FAST-GROWING INDUSTRIES WHERE HIGH-VALUE JOBS ARE MOST PLENTIFUL AND WHICH CAN USE OUR MOST COMPETITIVE RESOURCE -- THE GREAT FILIPINO WORKER.

THIS WILL ALSO BE THE THEMATIC BACKGROUND OF MY MEETING WITH THE MEMBERS OF THE CANADIAN BUSINESS COMMUNITY AS WELL AS THE BRITISH BUSINESS COMMUNITY TO WHOM I WILL PRESENT OUR CONTINUING GAINS IN ECONOMIC STABILITY IN THE FACE OF AN OTHERWISE SLUGGISH TREND AROUND THE WORLD. ASIDE FROM INVITING MORE INVESTMENTS, I WILL ENCOURAGE THE GROWTH OF TRADE, WHICH HAS A LARGE POTENTIAL FOR EXPANSION. THE PHILIPPINES CAN SUPPLY CANADA FRESH TROPICAL FRUITS, ELECTRONICS, GARMENTS AND OTHER PRODUCTS.

I ALSO HOPE TO BE ABLE TO RAISE PHILIPPINE-CANADIAN RELATIONS TO A NEW LEVEL OF COOPERATION ON SECURITY MATTERS. IN THIS VEIN, I WILL SEEK THE EXTRADITION OF FILIPINO FUGITIVES WHO HAVE SOUGHT REFUGE IN THAT COUNTRY.

ONWARD TO NEW YORK, I SHALL ATTEND THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM, THE WORLD'S MOST PRESTIGIOUS BUSINESS FORUM. THE THRUST OF THE MEETING IS "LEADERSHIP IN FRAGILE TIME: A VISION FOR A SHARED FUTURE."

IT HAS SIX THEMES: ONE, ADDRESSING SECURITY AND ADDRESSING VULNERABILITY; TWO, REDEFINING BUSINESS CHALLENGES; THREE, REDUCING POVERTY AND IMPROVING EQUITY; FOUR, REEVALUATING LEADERSHIP AND GOVERNANCE; FIVE, RESTORING SUSTAINED GROWTH; AND SIX, SHARING VALUES AND RESPECTING DIFFERENCES.

THE THEMES OF THE SUMMIT FALL SQUARELY IN LINE WITH THE PRIORITIES OF MY ADMINISTRATION. WE ARE REDUCING OUR VULNERABILITY TO TERRORISM THROUGH JOINT TRAINING WITH AMERICAN TROOPS. WE ARE FIGHTING POVERTY WITH A WIDE ARRAY OF POLITICAL, ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL TOOLS. WE HAVE RESTORED GOOD GOVERNANCE. WE ARE ON OUR WAY TO SUSTAINED GROWTH.

I SHALL SPEAK OF MY EXPERIENCES IN STABILIZING THE ECONOMY, DEEPENING THE POLITICAL HORIZON AND STRENGTHENING THE POLITICAL WILL AGAINST CRISIS. IN THE EXCHANGE, I HOPE I CAN EARN FOR OUR NATION AND OUR PEOPLE, THE CONTINUING CREDIBILITY WE NEED TO GAIN MORE INVESTMENTS AND MORE JOBS.

ACROSS MY ENTIRE JOURNEY, I SHALL SPEAK WITH OUR FILIPINO COMMUNITIES, INFORMING THEM OF OUR PROGRAMS TO NURTURE OUR POLITICAL AND SOCIOECONOMIC GAINS THROUGH THE CURRENT CRISIS, AND SEEK THEIR SUPPORT FOR SHORING UP NATIONAL STABILITY AND GROWTH.

WE SHALL INTERFACE THE PHILIPPINES AND THE WORLD IN A MANNER THAT SHALL DEMONSTRATE GENUINE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS, MUTUAL RESPECT AND SINCERE FRIENDSHIP, AN ABIDING VISION OF A NEW WORLD OF DEMOCRACY, FREEDOM, HUMAN SECURITY AND EQUALITY.

ONCE MORE, LEADERS OF THE PHILIPPINE CONGRESS AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS WILL JOIN ME IN THESE ENDEAVORS. AND OUR

BUSINESS DELEGATION WILL PROVIDE THE VANGUARD OF ENTERPRISE BUILDING.

I THEREFORE LOOK FORWARD TO BOARDING MY FLIGHT, MY COMMERCIAL FLIGHT, BEARING IN MIND THE GREAT STAKE THAT ALL FILIPINOS HOLD IN THE PURSUIT OF AGGRESSIVE, COMMON SENSICAL, AND CONSTRUCTIVE FOREIGN POLICY.

THANK YOU.

[HOME]