PGMA's Speech during the Asian Forum on Corporate Social Responsibility

Grand Ballroom, Dusit Hotel Nikko, Makati City (03 July 2002)
THANK YOU VERY MUCH SECRETARY GING DELES. OF COURSE GING KNOWS WHAT I WENT THROUGH YESTERDAY BECAUSE SHE WAS WITH ME WHEN WE WENT TO CAMP ABUBAKAR. I THANK HER FOR COMING BACK AND FOR BEING HERE AND FOR INTRODUCING ME BECAUSE GING IS THE PARTNER OF CIVIL SOCIETY IN THE CORPORATE SECTOR IN CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY.

LAST NIGHT I WATCHED TV AND I SAW RAMON DEL ROSARIO THERE IN THE COVERAGE OF THIS CONFERENCE. AND I CONGRATULATE YOU RAMON FOR SHARING WHAT SEEMS TO BE SUCH A SUCCESSFUL CONFERENCE ON CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY. CONGRATULATIONS.

I'D LIKE TO GREET ALSO BOBBY DE OCAMPO; RORY TOLENTINO; JOEY CUISIA. AND I WOULD LIKE TO GREET THE PRESIDENTS OF THE VARIOUS BUSINESS CLUBS, AND THE DISTINGUISHED GUESTS ESPECIALLY THE U.N. ASSISTANT GENERAL MICHAEL BOYLE.

THIS MORNING I WAS PUTTING THOUGHTS DOWN FROM WHAT I WOULD TELL YOU TODAY. IN OTHER WORDS, I STARTED TO WRITE MY SPEECH THIS MORNING AND I WENT TO MY COMPUTER AND I PUT A TITLE "CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY" AND MY COMPUTER FLASHED THAT TITLE ALREADY EXISTS. SO I LOOKED AT THE TITLE AND IT WAS MY SPEECH OF LAST YEAR BECAUSE REMEMBER MANY OF YOU WERE HERE LAST YEAR -- NO, NOT HERE IN MALACAŅANG.

IN OTHER WORDS MANY OF YOU AND I WERE TOGETHER LAST YEAR DURING THE 2nd OBSERVANCE OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY WEEK -- IT WAS JULY 2nd. AND NOW AGAIN WE ARE HERE IN A BIGGER COMMUNITY THIS TIME TO RENEW OUR COMMITMENT TO SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY BECAUSE CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY EVEN IF WE DID IT LAST YEAR, WE MUST DO IT AGAIN THIS YEAR BECAUSE IT WILL CONTINUE TO BE RELEVANT AS LONG AS THE POOR ARE WITH US.

OVER 24 MILLION OF THE 75 MILLION FILIPINOS, OR ONE OUT OF EVERY THREE AMONG US, ARE POOR. AND THEY WILL LIKELY REMAIN POOR AND HAVE CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN WHO WILL MOST LIKELY REMAIN POOR UNLESS WE, AND THEY THEMSELVES, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

I THANK YOU, THE BUSINESS SECTOR BECAUSE EVEN AS WE HAVE JUST SURVIVED YET
ANOTHER GLOBAL SLOW DOWN. WE ARE JUST CELEBRATING TODAY THE 5th ANNIVERSARY OF THE COLLAPSE OF THE VAT, AND THEN THAT WAS 1997 AND WE HAD ANOTHER ONE LAST YEAR. AND WE HAVE JUST SURVIVED THAT EMERGING AS THE BEST PERFORMING ECONOMY IN SOUTHEAST ASIA AND THE THIRD BEST PERFORMING ECONOMY IN ASIA, BUSINESS IS AGAIN SENDING THE MESSAGE LOUD AND CLEAR THAT PHILIPPINE BUSINESS IS UNEQUIVOCALLY COMMITTED TO CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY. AND I THANK YOU FOR THAT.

THE PHILOSOPHY BEHIND CORPORATE CITIZENSHIP IS THE BELIEF THAT THE PEOPLE -- OUR PEOPLE -- ARE MORE THAN CONSUMERS, MORE THAN LABORERS, MORE THAN HIRED HELP. CORPORATE CITIZENSHIP ACKNOWLEDGES THAT WE ALL BELONG TO ONE SOCIETY, AND THAT WE ARE ALL RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WELL-BEING OF ONE ANOTHER, BEYOND BUSINESS AND BEYOND POLITICS. IT RECOGNIZES THE SPECIAL ROLE OF INSTITUTIONS SUCH AS BUSINESS CORPORATIONS IN BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR THE
WELFARE OF OUR PEOPLE BEYOND YOUR ROLE, THE ROLE OF THE PEOPLE AS CONSUMERS AND EMPLOYEES.

FOR EXAMPLE, THERE IS THE EMPLOYERS' CONFEDERATION OF THE PHILIPPINES UNDER DONALD DEE'S LEADERSHIP, AND I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO VISITING THEIR FACTORIES WHERE THEY WILL BE SELLING AT 50 PERCENT DISCOUNT PRODUCTS OF OTHER PARTICIPATING CORPORATIONS IN ONE ANOTHER'S COMMISSARIES SO THAT IT WILL BE A SALARY AUGMENTATION FOR THE WORKERS.

AND THOUGH THE FEDERATION OF FILIPINO CHINESE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IS NOT HERE TODAY I THANK THEM BECAUSE ... OH THERE YOU ARE JOHN, SABI NILA WALA KA DITO, OKAY -- JOHN NG IS HERE AFTER ALL -- I THANK THEM BECAUSE IN ONE OF THE SLIDES THAT YOU SAW IN THE PRESENTATION OF RORY THEY WERE GIVING SOMETHING TO FRANK DRILON, AND THAT WAS, TOGETHER WITH FRANK DRILON, THE FEDERATION WILL BE BUILDING ITS SCHOOL BUILDING PROGRAMS WHICH IT HAS BEEN HAVING ALL THESE YEARS BUT IT WILL CONVERGE WITH MY LIST OF THE BARANGAYS WHERE NO SCHOOL BUILDINGS EXIST. THIS IS A GREAT PARTNERSHIP, GREAT CONVERGENCE BETWEENCORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND GOVERNMENT RESPONSE.

AND WHEN I SPOKE BEFORE THEM IN THE VARIOUS CELEBRATIONS OF INDEPENDENCE DAY AND PHILIPPINE-CHINESE FRIENDSHIP I ALSO TOLD THEM THAT IN THE AREA WHERE GRACIA BURNHAM WAS RESCUED THAT IS THE TRIPLE SB AREA WHICH IS BIGGER THAN BASILAN -- SIRAWAY, SIBUCO, SIOCON AND BALIGYAN -- AND IT IS AN AREA OF GREAT POVERTY THAT IS WHY THE ABU SAYYAF HAVE A LAIR THERE NOT TO MENTION ALL OF THE OTHER LOST COMMANDS. AND I ASKED THEM ALSO TO BUILD SCHOOL BUILDINGS THERE. SO THEY GAVE AN ADDITIONAL SEVEN MILLION PESOS FOR SCHOOL BUILDINGS IN SSSB AREA, PLUS TWO MILLION PESOS FOR HYBRID RICE SO THAT THE PEOPLE OF SSSB CAN BECOME SELF-RELIANT AND EMPOWERED TO PROVIDE JOBS FOR THEMSELVES AND LIFT THEMSELVES OUT OF POVERTY. ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY THAT IS IN SYNCH AND CONVERGING WITH GOVERNMENT PRIORITIES.

AND IN THIS CONFERENCE YOU HAVE PRESENTED CONCRETE ACTION AND I'M GLAD FOR IT. I AM GRATIFIED TO SEE THE LEADERS OF THE LEAGUE OF CORPORATE FOUNDATIONS, THE COORDINATING ENTITY FOR CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY WEEK LAST WEEK AND NOW ONE OF THE PARTICIPANTS, AS WELL AS THE PRESIDENTS AND OFFICERS OF THE DIFFERENT BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS ALL WORKING IN CONCERT TO FIGHT POVERTY.

I COMMEND AND ENCOURAGE SOME VERY POSITIVE APPROACHES YOU ARE UNDERTAKING.

YOUR CONSOLIDATED PRIVATE SECTOR PROGRAM IS AN APPROPRIATE STRATEGY AS WE IN GOVERNMENT ARE ALSO SEEKING TO CONVERGE OUR OWN SOCIAL PROGRAMS. THIS ASSURES US OF MAXIMUM REACH AND COST-EFFECTIVENESS. WE MUST POOL RESOURCES. WE HAVE TO WORK IN CLOSE CONSULTATION NOT ONLY WITHIN THE PHILIPPINES BUT ALSO ACROSS THE PACIFIC.

I AM IMPRESSED WITH THE LINK OF THE PHILIPPINE CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY SECTOR WITH COUNTERPART ORGANIZATIONS BEYOND OUR NATIONAL BOUNDARIES. WE HAVE SO MUCH IN COMMON WITH OUR ASIAN BRETHREN IN THIS FIGHT. AND I AM GLAD THAT THIS IS NOW AN ASIAN CONFERENCE NOT JUST A PHILIPPINE CONFERENCE, AND I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT NEXT YEAR IT WILL BE IN INDONESIA. IN OTHER WORDS, IT WILL BE AN ANNUAL TRADITION -- WE COULD ALL LEARN FROM ONE ANOTHER.

TODAY THE BIGGEST CONCRETE ECONOMIC PROBLEM IN OUR COUNTRY IS UNEMPLOYMENT. THIRTEEN PERCENT OF OUR WORK FORCE, ALMOST FIVE MILLION PEOPLE IN ABSOLUTE NUMBER, ARE OUT OF WORK. AND I BELIEVE THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT IMPERATIVE FOR CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY TODAY, AND FOR GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS FOR THAT MATTER, IS TO ATTEND TO THIS ARMY OF THE UNEMPLOYED, EITHER PROVIDING THEM WITH EMERGENCY EMPLOYMENT, OR EMPOWERING THEM TO BECOME SELF-EMPLOYED, OR RE-ENGINEERING THEM TO QUALIFY FOR THE JOBS AVAILABLE, OR PROVIDING THEIR MINIMUM BASIC NEEDS IF THEY ABSOLUTELY CANNOT FIND WORK.

WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT THE REPORT OF RORY AND SHE TALKED ABOUT PAST -- THE PAST PIE AND THERE WAS THIS BIG PORTION ON HUMAN SERVICES AND THE SECOND BIGGEST ON LIVELIHOOD AND EMPLOYMENT -- AND I WAS WHISPERING TO RAMON AND TO BOBBY, "BUT NOW I THINK THERE SHOULD BE MORE ON LIVELIHOOD AND EMPLOYMENT BECAUSE THAT'S OUR BIGGEST PROBLEM," ONLY TO BE SO HAPPY THAT IN A LATER SLIDE WHEN SHE PRESENTED THE PIE FOR YOU PLANS GOING FORWARD -- IN FACT THE BULK OF WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO -- WILL INDEED BE FOR LIVELIHOOD AND EMPLOYMENT. AND SO HERE IS ANOTHER CONVERGENCE OF THOUGHT, I THINK WE THINK ALIKE -- GOVERNMENT AND THE CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY SECTOR -- REGARDING OUR PRIORITIES.

AND THROUGH MARKET TIES AND ECONOMIC COMPLEMENTARITY, OUR ALLIANCE AGAINST POVERTY IS DEEPLY EMBEDDED IN THE ASEAN. THIS ALLIANCE MUST BE FURTHER REINFORCED BY DEEPER ECONOMIC TIES WITH COUNTRIES AND GROUPS OF COUNTRIES BEYOND ASEAN -- CHINA, JAPAN, AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, INDIA, THE UNITED STATES, THE EUROPEAN UNION -- AND IT IS GOOD THAT WE HAVE THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE U. N. WITH US HERE TODAY.

AND THIS IS WHY THIS CONFERENCE IS IMPORTANT. AND SO I'D LIKE TO CONGRATULATE AND THANK THE ORGANIZERS OF THIS ASIAN FORUM ON CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY -- BOBBY AND THE ASIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, RAMON DEL ROSARIO AND THE AIM'S RAMON DEL ROSARIO CENTER FOR CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, AND ITS ORGANIZING PARTNERS AMONG THEM THE LEAD OF THE CORPORATE FOUNDATIONS AND THE PHILIPPINE BUSINESS FOR SOCIAL PROGRESS -- FOR GETTING YOU ALL TOGETHER IN THIS WORTHY ENDEAVOR.

TO PARTICULARS, I AM HAPPY THAT YOU HAVE AN EXCELLENT WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH GING DELES, DINKY SOLIMAN, AND OTHER OFFICIALS PRINCIPALLY IN CHARGE OF OUR KAPIT-BISIG LABAN SA KAHIRAPAN, OR KALAHI, WHICH HAS BEEN MENTIONED MANY TIMES EARLIER. THIS PROGRAM BRINGS TO THE COMMUNITY LEVEL THE CONVERGENCE OF OUR STRATEGIC THRUSTS IN COMBATING POVERTY.

THE SPECIFIC PLEDGES FROM YOUR COMMUNITY CAN HELP PUSH FORWARD THE KALAHI PROGRAM, AND THEY CAN ALSO INSPIRE SIMILAR ACTS OF GENEROSITY FROM PRIVATE ENTERPRISE. WE ARE BENT ON WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND WITH PEOPLE'S ORGANIZATIONS AND NGOs TO MAKE A DENT IN FINDING JOBS AND LIVELIHOOD FOR OUR PEOPLE SO AS TO FIGHT POVERTY.

I WOULD ESPECIALLY LIKE TO SEEK YOUR SUPPORT INDEED THEREFORE FOR THE THRUST OF INCREASING EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE POOR. LAST YEAR, WHEN I MET THE CORPORATE FOUNDATIONS OF THE PHILIPPINES, I ASKED FOR A PARTICULAR SUPPORT FOR EMERGENCY EMPLOYMENT FOR OUR OUT-OF-SCHOOL, OUT-OF-WORK URBAN POOR YOUTH IN METRO MANILA. I'M STILL ASKING FOR THAT AND KALAHI COVERS THAT. BUT IN ADDITION, LOOKING AT THE CONCRETE CONDITIONS OF THE PHILIPPINES TODAY, I NEED YOUR HELP EVEN MORE FOR THE
OUT-OF-WORK THIRTY-SOMETHING GENERATION IN THE URBAN AREAS IN LUZON OUTSIDE OF METRO MANILA, BECAUSE THESE ARE AREAS OF GREAT UNEMPLOYMENT.

IN PREPARATION FOR MY STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS LAST JULY 22nd, I HAVE BEEN HOLDING A REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL MEETING IN ALL REGIONS. LIKE YESTERDAY I WAS IN REGION 12 ASIDE FROM ABUBAKAR FOR AN RDC MEETING OF REGION 12. THE DAY BEFORE, I WAS IN REGION 11 FOR AN RDC MEETING OF REGION 11. I HAVE ONLY TWO TO GO, METRO MANILA AND REGION 7, AND IN THIS REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL MEETINGS AND INSPECTIONS I DISCOVERED AN IRONY: THAT THE MOST PROGRESSIVE REGIONS IN OUR COUNTRY ARE THE ONES WITH THE HIGHEST UNEMPLOYMENT. IT'S NATURAL WHEN YOU THINK OF IT BECAUSE JOB-SEEKERS WILL GO AND WHEN THEY CAN'T FIND A JOB THEY DON'T GO BACK HOME ANYMORE THEY TRY TO MAKE ENDS MEET ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, ALSO THOSE REGIONS THAT ARE RICHEST ARE ALSO THE REGIONS THE GREATEST DISCONTENT.

IN ANALYZING SURVEYS, NON-SATISFACTION OF THE PEOPLE I FOUND ANOTHER IRONY: NOT ONLY IS THE DISCONTENT GREATEST IN THE REGIONS WITH THE HIGHEST INCOME, BY INCOME CLASSES, THE DISCONTENT IS ALSO GREATEST AMONG THOSE IN THE HIGHEST INCOME BRACKETS -- THE ABC. YOU ARE THE ABC, AND I ASK THAT YOU INCLUDE AS PART OF YOUR CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY TO KEEP THE FAITH.

AS YOUR PRESIDENT, I MAY MAKE MISTAKES, ALTHOUGH IF YOU LOOK AT IT MOST OF MY MISTAKES ARE POLITICAL, NOT ECONOMIC POLICY. AND THEREFORE, THE FACT THAT I MAKE POLITICAL MISTAKES LEFT AND RIGHT -- BUT I KEEP MY ECONOMIC POLICY CORRECT -- I WISH YOU WOULD RECOGNIZE THEREFORE THAT MY FOCUS ON MY DUTY AS PRESIDENT IS NOT DISTRACTED BY POLITICAL CONSIDERATIONS.

I WISH YOU WOULD RECOGNIZE THAT I AM A PRESIDENT WHO KEEPS MY WORD. LAST
YEAR IN MY STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS I SPELLED OUT IN CONCRETE, QUANTITATIVE TARGETS, MY PROGRAM OF GOVERNMENT. I HAVE ASKED YOUR NGOs, DINKY HAS ASKED THE VARIOUS NGOs ESPECIALLY THE A.I.M. TO VALIDATE THE REPORT CARD OF THOSE TARGETS. I HOPE THAT YOU WILL SEE THE NGOs DOING THE VALIDATING THAT I AM COMPLYING WITH THOSE TARGETS. AND THEREFORE, THAT WHEN I SAY I WILL DO SOMETHING, I DO IT. AND THAT IS THE SIMPLEST MEANING OF CREDIBILITY.

INDEED WE MUST WORK TOGETHER. KALAHI IS OUR FOCUSED PROGRAM FOR DIRECT INTERVENTION IN POVERTY REDUCTION AT THE COMMUNITY LEVEL.

AND I WELCOME YOUR IDEA OF A PRIVATELY MANAGED FUND, A PRIVATELY MANAGED KALAHI FUND, SO TO SPEAK, THAT WILL POOL NEW MONEYS AND INITIATIVES WHICH YOU AND THE PUBLIC AT LARGE MIGHT WANT TO CONTRIBUTE TO OUR JOB CREATION AND LIVELIHOOD PROGRAM. THIS WILL BE A MECHANISM TO ENLARGE PARTICIPATION IN THE KALAHI TO INCLUDE SMALLER COMPANIES AND FILIPINOS FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE, AS RORY TOLENTINO SAID.

BECAUSE THE GREATEST DISCONTENT IS IRONICALLY IN THE RICH REGIONS, DEPRIVED BARANGAYS OF RICH REGIONS ARE PRIORITY AREAS FOR ME AND FOR KALAHI.

ANOTHER OF THE IRONIES I HAVE SEEN IS THAT INSURGENCY IN THE PHILIPPINES IS STRONGEST IN THE RICHEST REGIONS OF OUR COUNTRY -- REGIONS III AND IV ARE THE RICHEST REGIONS OF OUR COUNTRY AND YET IT IS WHERE INSURGENCY IS GREATEST. I BELIEVE IT IS NOT THAT RICHNESS CAUSES INSURGENCY OR THAT POVERTY AS A WHOLE CAUSES INSURGENCY BECAUSE THEN THE INSURGENCY SHOULD HAVE BEEN GREATEST IN THE POOREST REGIONS. IT IS ALSO BECAUSE WE HAD A SECCESSIONIST INSURGENCY IN ARMM, WE HAVE AN INSURGENCY, A STRONG INSURGENCY IN REGION 5 WHICH IS THE SECOND POOREST REGION. BUT WHY DO WE HAVE STRONG INSURGENCY IN REGIONS III AND IV?

YOU KNOW THE MIDDLE, THE MIDDLE PROVINCES ARE QUITE STABLE. THERE'S ONLY ONE NPA-INFLUENCED BARANGAY IN REGION I. THERE'S ONLY, NO, I BELIEVE NO NPA-INFLUENCED BARANGAY IN REGION II. SO THOSE THAT ARE IN BETWEEN THE RICHEST AND THE POOREST ARE QUITE POLITICALLY STABLE.

IT'S EASY TO UNDERSTAND WHY THERE'S INSURGENCY IN THE POOREST REGIONS BUT WHY IS THERE INSURGENCY IN THE RICHEST REGIONS?

I BELIEVE THAT IT IS THE CONTRAST THAT THE POOR BARANGAYS FEEL BETWEEN THEIR ECONOMIC EXCLUSION AND THE AFFLUENCE OF THE URBAN CENTERS WHICH ARE SO NEAR AND YET SO FAR AS FAR AS THEY'RE CONCERNED. I BELIEVE THIS WAS ALSO A GREAT CAUSE OF THE SECESSIONIST MOVEMENT IN MINDANAO -- NOT THE POVERTY OF MINDANAO AS A WHOLE BECAUSE MINDANAO'S GROWTH RATE IS HIGHER THAN AVERAGE, THE NATURAL AVERAGE. I BELIEVE IT IS THE CONTRAST THAT THE MUSLIM COMMUNITIES HAVE BEEN FEELING ALL THESE YEARS BETWEEN THEIR ECONOMIC EXCLUSION AND THE AFFLUENCE OF THE DAVAOS, THE GENSANS, THE CAGAYAN DE OROS.

YESTERDAY, AS MENTIONED BY GING, I WAS IN THE CONFLICT-AFFECTED AREAS IN MINDANAO TOGETHER WITH HER. THERE WHICH IS POOR HOPE IS RISING IN THE COMMUNITIES. WE WENT TO WHAT USED TO BE CAMP ABUBAKAR IN THE DRIVING RAIN AS GING SAID BECAUSE WE CAUGHT THE TYPHOON, COULDN'T FLY THERE SO WE HAD TO GO BY LAND THROUGH ROADS THAT ARE OF COURSE VERY ROUGH, RIVERS WITHOUT BRIDGES. AND WHEN I GOT THERE IN CAMP ABUBAKAR, WHERE, AGAIN, WHEN I WAS GOING TO GO THERE YESTERDAY, IT WAS INTERPRETED THAT I WAS GOING TO GO THERE TO TURN OVER THE CAMP TO THE MILF. ON THE CONTRARY, WHEN I GOT THERE I INSTRUCTED THE 603rd INFANTRY BRIGADE OF THE PHILIPPINES TO PERMANENTLY TRANSFER ITS HEADQUARTERS FROM SULTAN KUDARAT, MAGUINDANAO TO CAMP ABUBAKAR.

THE PHILIPPINE ARMY WILL CARVE OUT 50 HECTARES OF THE 2,000 HECTARES THAT MAKE UP WHAT IS CALLED CAMP ABUBAKAR. THESE 50 HECTARES WILL BE THE NEW PERMANENT HOME OF THAT BRIGADE, AND THIS WILL NO LONGER BE CALLED CAMP ABUBAKAR. IT WILL BE CALLED CAMP DUMA SINSUAT, NAMED AFTER THE FIRST MUSLIM CABINET MEMBER IN HISTORY -- MY FATHER'S CABINET BY THE WAY -- BUT HE WAS A MAN KNOWN FOR HIS GREAT INTEGRITY. AS FOR THE REST OF CAMP ABUBAKAR, WE WILL STOP CALLING IT THAT I SAID, WE WILL CALL IT WHAT THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT MAPS SAY IT IS: THE TOWNS OF BARIRA, BULDON, AND MATANOG -- THAT'S WHAT THEY ARE. WE WILL DO THIS TO STRENGTHEN THE RIGHT HAND OF THE GOVERNMENT -- THE HAND THAT ENFORCES SOVEREIGNTY AND PEACE AND ORDER.

ON THE LEFT HAND, HOWEVER, WE WILL REACH OUT ANEW TO OUR MILF BROTHERS BY INVITING THEM TO PARTICIPATE IN DEVELOPMENT.

YESTERDAY THE AMERICAN AMBASSADOR WAS WITH GING AND ME AND SHARED OUR ADVENTURE. IN FACT HE HAD A BIGGER ADVENTURE, HIS CAR GOT STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT RAGING RIVER WHERE BOULDERS USUALLY FALL DOWN WHEN THERE'S A TYPHOON. WELL, BEFORE HIS CAR GOT STUCK HIS USAID COLLEAGUES HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TELL THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THE SUCCESSFUL USAID PROGRAM PROVIDING LIVELIHOOD ENHANCEMENT TO FORMER MNLF COMBATANTS. AMBASSADOR RICCIARDONE ANNOUNCED THAT THE USAID TODAY IS READY TO EXTEND THIS PROGRAM TO AN INITIAL 300 RETURNING MILF COMBATANTS.

SO I HAVE SENT WORD TO THE MILF, THROUGH THE BACK CHANNELS, FOR ITS NGO CREATED UNDER THE RECENT PEACE AGREEMENT TO IMMEDIATELY NOMINATE 300 RETURNING COMBATANTS SO THAT THEY CAN DEMONSTRATE THE BLESSINGS OF BEING BACK IN THE FOLD OF PHILIPPINE SOCIETY AND SOVEREIGNTY.

WHAT USAID IS DOING IN THE MNLF AND THE MILF BARANGAYS IN MINDANAO, I HOPE THE CORPORATE FOUNDATIONS WILL DO FOR REBEL RETURNEE BARANGAYS IN REGIONS III AND IV AND MAYBE EVEN IV. I HOPE, WELL YOU HAVE ENRODE, I AM LOOKING FORWARD THAT YOU WILL FUND OR EVEN RUN KALAHI PROGRAMS FOR THE SOME ONE THOUSAND OR SO NPA-INFLUENCED OR INFILTRATED BARANGAYS IN THESE REGIONS.

AS I SAID, REGIONS III AND IV ARE RICH, BUT THERE ARE BARANGAYS OF GREAT ECONOMIC EXCLUSION, AND THEREFORE GREAT THREATS TO NATIONAL SECURITY.

OUR SOLDIERS ARE NOW CLEARING THESE BARANGAYS, IN REGIONS III, IV AND MOSTLY THROUGH CIVIL MILITARY OPERATIONS, BECAUSE IF THEY'RE ALREADY INFLUENCED IT HARD FOR CIVILIAN GOVERNMENT TO GO IN AHEAD. THE SOLDIERS MUST GO IN BUT THEY USUALLY GO IN AND SAY, "WE ARE GOVERNMENT, WE ARE GOOD GUYS, WE CARE FOR YOU LET US HELP YOU." SOMETIMES THEY SUCCEED, NO, MANY TIMES THEY SUCCEED. SOMETIMES THEY ARE RESISTED, MILITARILY AND THEREFORE IT TURNS INTO ARMED OFFENSIVES. BUT ONCE THESE BARANGAYS ARE CLEARED, WHETHER PEACEFULLY OR THROUGH AN ARMED OFFENSIVE -- AND MANY HAVE BEEN CLEARED OVER THESE PAST MONTH, NO, THESE PAST MONTH, JUST THESE LAST FOUR WEEKS -- OUR KALAHI PROGRAMS MUST ENTER THOSE BARANGAYS IMMEDIATELY, BECAUSE KALAHI IS THE FACE OF THE GOVERNMENT FOR THOSE DEPRIVED AREAS.

IF KALAHI FAILS TO COME IN IMMEDIATELY FOR LACK OF FUNDS OR LACK OF MANPOWER OR LACK OF MACHINERY, A VACUUM WILL BE CREATED ONCE AGAIN AND THE INSURGENTS WILL JUST RETURN. SO THIS IS WHERE I HOPE CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY WILL BE DIRECTED AT THIS TIME.

IN CLOSING, LET ME COMMEND ONCE MORE THE CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY COMMUNITY OF OUR COUNTRY FOR CONSISTENTLY LEADING THE BUSINESS SECTOR IN ADDRESSING YOUR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES. WHILE WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH SOME VERY TRYING ECONOMIC TIMES -- AND WE ARE STILL THROUGH SOME EMOTIONALLY TRYING TIMES -- YOUR COMMITMENT TO MAINTAIN, AND EVEN ENHANCE YOUR LEVEL OF YOUR EXPOSURE IN VARIOUS SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS, PROVIDES OUR GOVERNMENT WITH THE FLEXIBILITY IT NEEDS TO FOCUS ITS RESOURCES ON OTHER URGENT NATIONAL PRIORITIES ESPECIALLY, FOR ME NOW, BRINGING DOWN POWER RATES AND ENFORCING PEACE AND ORDER IN METRO MANILA.

HAVING ACHIEVED MOST OF THE TARGETS I SET OUT IN LAST YEAR'S STATE OF THE NATION, THAT'S WHERE I FIND I STILL HAVE TO DO A LOT OF WORK. AND SO I HAVE SET FOR MYSELF THESE TWO SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES AS THE CHALLENGES THAT I MUST CONCENTRATE ON: SQUEEZING BLOOD FROM STONE EVERY CENTAVO THAT THE POWER RATE GOES DOWN MATTERS FOR OUR COMPETITIVENESS; AND ALSO ENFORCING PEACE AND ORDER, GETTING RID OF THE KIDNAPPERS, GETTING RID OF THE DRUG PUSHERS ESPECIALLY WITH A NEW ORGANIZATION OF THE PNP THAT IS SUPPOSED TO COME ABOUT TOMORROW.

IN WORKING TOGETHER, I HOPE THAT NOT ONLY WILL WE BE ABLE TO FIND JOBS FOR THE POOR TOGETHER, BUT I ALSO HOPE THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO REVIVE THE BONDS THAT BROUGHT US TOGETHER IN EDSA -- THE BONDS THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN LOOSENED
LATELY BY SOME FAILED EXPECTATIONS. INSTEAD OF FAULTING ME WITH SOME VAGUE FAILURE TO INSPIRE OR TO LEAD, I WISH MANY OF YOU WOULD REMEMBER THAT I GREW UP TOGETHER WITH MANY OF YOU.

JOEY AND RAMON AND BOBBY,  WE WERE TEENAGERS TOGETHER, REMEMBER? WE WOULD SEE EACH OTHER AT PARTIES. WE EVEN DANCED WITH ONE ANOTHER DURING OUR JAM SESSIONS IN OUR HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE YEARS. THEREFORE, ALL THESE YEARS YOU HAVE KNOWN ME, YOU HAVE KNOWN MY PERSONALITY. AND YOU HAVE KNOWN THAT EVEN WHEN I WAS PRESIDENT'S DAUGHTER I WAS NOT FLAMBOYANT, NOT CHARISMATIC, JUST A PLODDER AND A HARD WORKER.

AND YET KNOWING THAT I AM NOT CHARISMATIC, FLAMBOYANT, THEATRICAL, ELECTRIFYING, MAGNETIC, YOU STILL GAVE ME A LANDSLIDE FOR SENATOR IN 1995 AND FOR VICE PRESIDENT IN 1998. BUT I WOULD LIKE TO TELL YOU THOSE WHO'VE KNOWN ME FOR ALL THESE 30 YEARS, I AM STILL THAT SAME PERSON YOU ENTHUSIASTICALLY SUPPORTED FOR SENATOR AND VICE PRESIDENT. I AM STILL THE SAME PERSON AS THAT SENATOR WHO GAVE STRAIGHT-FORWARD EXPLANATIONS OF ECONOMIC BILLS IN THE SENATE RATHER THAN BRILLIANT EXPOSES, PRIVILEGE SPEECHES AND INVESTIGATIONS, BUT WHO STEERED THOSE BILLS INTO SOME OF THE MOST USEFUL ECONOMIC LEGISLATION THAT YOU ARE STILL USING IN YOUR BUSINESS LIVES TODAY. I AM THAT SAME PERSON.

AND I HOPE THAT WE CAN LEVEL EXPECTATIONS. DON'T EXPECT ME TO SAY ELECTRIFYING THINGS IF THE LAST 30 YEARS I NEVER DID. DON'T EXPECT ME TO DO THEM NOW IN THE NEXT THREE YEARS. BUT EXPECT ME TO CONTINUE PLODDING AND TO CONTINUE PRODUCING THE GOOD MACROECONOMIC NUMBERS THAT PROVIDE YOU TODAY WITH A STABLE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT IN A WORLD OUTSIDE THAT IS STILL SLOWLY RECOVERING FROM TRAUMA.

WORK WITH ME ON THE GROUND, ON THOSE KALAHI AREAS WHERE THERE IS NO GLAMOR, NO STAR QUALITY, BUT WHERE THE DRUDGERY OF CONSISTENT HARD WORK AND DEDICATION TO SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES WILL, WITH YOUR FAITH, PROVIDE JOBS AND A BETTER LIFE FOR OUR PEOPLE.

WE CANNOT GIVE UP. WE MUST NOT GIVE UP. IT IS IN CONSTANT TRYING, IN RELENTLESS STRUGGLE, THAT WE MANIFEST OUR COMPASSION.

LET US CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER. LET US DO WHAT IS RIGHT. LET US DO OUR BEST, AND LET'S PRAY FOR GOD TO TAKE CARE OF THE REST.

THANK YOU.

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