PGMA's Speech during the 64th Commencement Exercise of the Tiburcio Tangcinco Memorial Institute of Science and Technology

PGMA's Speech during the 64th Commencement Exercise of the Tiburcio Tangcinco Memorial Institute of Science and Technology

Calbayog City, Samar (20 March 2002)

MARAMING SALAMAT DR. MONA VALISNO, MY PRESIDENTIAL ASSISTANT FOR EDUCATION.

PUWEDE NA HO KAYONG UMUPO.

UNA SA LAHAT, ALLOW ME TO GREET THE GOVERNOR OF PROVINCE SAMAR, GOVERNOR
MILAGROS TAN; YOUR CONGRESSMAN, WHO INVITED ME TO BE IN THIS
OCCASION, CONGRESSMAN UY; THE MAYOR OF CALBAYOG CITY, MAYOR
SARMIENTO. AND I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SAY THAT WITH ME TODAY IS
PRESIDENTIAL ADVISER ON JOB CREATION CITO LORENZO.

I AM HAPPY TO BE HERE ONCE AGAIN IN CALBAYOG CITY PARA MAG-BATI SA ATING
MGA GRADUATING STUDENTS AT MAPAG-USAPAN NATIN ANG KINABUKASAN NINYO,
KINABUKASAN NG CALBAYOG. KINABUKASAN DIN NG BUONG SAMAR. AT KAYA SA
GANITO AY AKO'Y NASISIYAHAN NA BATIIN KAYONG LAHAT PATI NA RIN YUNG MGA
OFFICIALS NG INYONG PAARALAN UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF DR. CAILLO, THE
PRESIDENT.

SA ATING EKONOMIYA, SA ATING 21st CENTURY, ALAM KO NA 'PAG KAYO AY
NAGGA-GRADUATE ANG PANGUNAHING KAILANGANG MALAMAN NINYO AY SAAN KAYA YUNG
MGA TRABAHO NGAYON. SO YON ANG ATING KAILANGANG GAWIN. AT GUSTO KO LAMANG
IPAHAYAG SA INYO YUNG IBA'T-IBANG MGA GINAGAWA NG ATING PAMAHALAAN PARA SA
CALBAYOG AT SAKA SA SAMAR PARA SA GANOON AY YUNG TRABAHO AY MAS DUMADAMI
DITO SA INYONG LUGAR.

UNANG-UNA, GAYA NG SABI KO NOON SA STATE-OF-THE-NATION ADDRESS NUNG AKO AY
NAGING PANGULO AT NAGSALITA SA MGA CONGRESSMEN -- NANDOON NGA SI CONGRESS
UY NARINIG NIYA YUNG AKING DISKURSO -- SINABI KO NA ANG PANGUNAHING HAMON
NG ATING BANSA AY ANG MASUGPO ANG PROBLEMA NG KAHIRAPAN SA LOOB NG ISANG
DEKADA. ITONG MGA PROBLEMA AY NANDOON NUNG ARAW PA, HENERASYON PA NUNG ANG
AKING TATAY, THE LATE PRESIDENT DIOSDADO MACAPAGAL, AY NAGING PANGULO YON
DIN ANG SINABI NIYA -- PANGUNAHING TRABAHO AT KUNG PAPAANO MASUGPO ANG
KAHIRAPAN.

SPEAKING OF MY FATHER, ALTHOUGH MANY OF YOU DON'T KNOW HIM ANYMORE EXCEPT
MAYBE READING A PAGE OR TWO ABOUT HIM IN THE HISTORY BOOKS, GUSTO KO LAMANG
MALAMAN NINYO KUNG GAANO KAMAHAL NI DIOSDADO MACAPAGAL ANG SAMAR.

YUNG INYONG PANTALAN NG CALBAYOG YUN ANG NAGBIGAY NUN AY SI DIOSDADO
MACAPAGAL NUNG SIYA AY PANGULO. AT NUNG SIYA AY TUMAKBO PANG
RE-ELEKSYON KAHIT NA YUNG KANYANG KALABAN AY HUSBAND NG ISANG WARAY AY
NANALO PA RIN SIYA DITO SA SAMAR KAYA MAHAL DIN NG SAMAR SI DIOSDADO
MACAPAGAL.

AT NUNG AKO AY NAGING SENADOR AY PARANG KAGAYA NG TATAY KO MINAHAL KO RIN
ANG SAMAR AT BUONG MGA BAYAN NG SAMAR AY SINIKAP KONG TULUNGAN AT DITO YUNG
INYONG NIAGA PARK. NIAGA BA ANG PANGALAN NOON? YON HO AY NANGGALING SA
AKING COUNTRYWIDE DEVELOPMENT FUND.

NGAYON NA AKO AY PANGULO DI KAILANGAN HINDI LAMANG YUNG MGA PARK-PARK ANG
TINUTULONG KUNG HINDI PAPAANO NGA MASUGPO ANG PROBLEMA NG KAHIRAPAN.

NUMBER ONE IS JOBS. KAYA SABI KO KAY SECRETARY CITO LORENZO -- KAYA KASAMA
KO SIYA DAHIL SIYA ANG ADVISER FOR JOBS CREATION -- SABI KO ON THE OCCASION
OF MY VISITING CALBAYOG FOR THE GRADUATION DAY OF TIBURCIO TANGCINCO
MEMORIAL INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHOLOGY, LET US HAVE A JOBS FAIR PARA
YUNG MGA ESTUDYANTENG NA GA-GRADUATE AY MALAMAN KUNG SAAN ANG MGA
AVAILABILITY NG TRABAHO.

KAYA NANDIYAN SA LABAS MAY JOBS FAIR; AND I HAVE HERE A PARTIAL REPORT OF
THE JOBS FAIR. THERE ARE SEVERAL PARTICIPATING RECRUITMENT AGENCIES.
MERON FOR OVERSEAS, MAY 7 OVERSEAS RECRUITMENT AGENCIES NA NANDITO NGAYON
NAGPA-PARTICIPATE SA JOBS FAIR AT MAY DALAWANG LOCAL RECRUITING AGENCIES --
ONE IS CAL ENERGY BASED IN ORMOC CITY DAHIL SILA YUNG GUMAGAWA NG ATING
ENERGY PROJECTS DOON SA TANGONAN GEO-THERMAL, AND THEN MAY JOB OPENING, AT
SAKA YUNG SHINING STAR DISTRIBUTOR. AND AS OF 9 O' CLOCK THERE WERE 558
REGISTERED APPLICANTS. WELL, I'M NOT SUPRISED KASI 500 ANG ATING
GRADUATION STUDENTS NGAYON ANO. BUT I'M HAPPY TO LET YOU KNOW THAT HERE IN
THE JOBS FAIR THERE ARE 1,934 JOB VACANCIES.

SO, I HOPE THAT THERE WILL BE A MATCHING BETWEEN THE JOB VACANCIES AND WHAT
ARE THE JOBS YOU FEEL YOU CAN DO, GRADUATING STUDENTS OF THIS WONDERFUL
INSTITUTION.

LET ME SAY, LET TALK ABOUT THE OTHER JOB OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE WOULD LIKE
TO HAVE EVEN OUTSIDE OF THIS JOBS FAIR. NUMBER ONE NGA IS THE JOBS FOR
BECAUSE THE WAY TO FIGHT POVERTY IN THE 21st CENTURY IS TO PROMOTE OF
SYSTEM OF FREE ENTERPRISE WHERE JOBS ARE CREATED BY INVESTMENTS. YON ANG
UNANG-UNA.

PANGALAWA, WE WANT TO MODERNIZE AGRICULTURE, AND BY MODERNIZING AGRICULTURE
WE WOULD LIKE TO CREATE ONE MILLION JOBS IN AGRICULTURE. DITO SA CALBAYOG
ANG ATING MODERNIZATION PROGRAM AY NANDIYAN SA ATING PALAY BECAUSE CALBAYOG
HAS 1,000 IRRIGATED HECTARES AND WE WANT TO PUT HYBRID RICE THERE. THE
HYBRID RICE THAT I WAS ABLE TO GET AS ASSISTANCE FROM CHINA WHEN I MADE MY
STATE VISIT TO CHINA. THIS 1,000 HECTARES IS WHAT WE ARE PREPARING FOR
UNDER OUR HYBRID RICE PROGRAM ALSO UNDER CITO LORENZO, OUR PRESIDENTIAL
ADVISER FOR JOB CREATION, TO INCLUDE 1,000 FARMERS IN THE HYBRID RICE
PROGRAM. SO ITO AY MAGDADAGDAG NG TRABAHO SA 1,000 FARMERS.

BAGO KAMI PUMUNTA DITO NAGKAROON NG MEETING SI SECRETARY CITO LORENZO AT
SAKA SI MAYOR SARMIENTO PARA NGA MAPAG-USAPAN YUNG MGA KUNG PAPAANO LALAWAK
ANG TRABAHO SA CALBAYOG.

ASIDE FROM THE HYBRID, PANGALAWANG BAHAGI SA AGRICULTURAL MODERNIZATION AY
YUNG ISDA, YUNG TINAPA. KASI SABI NGA NILA THAT AH, NO MERON
FRESH FISH AT MERONG TINAPA. SPEAKING FIRST ABOUT THE FRESH FISH, WHAT WE
ARE DOING, WHAT WE ARE WORKING FOR IS TO HELP CALBAYOG MARKET YOUR FISH TO
SUPERMARKETS IN METRO MANILA FOR BETTER PRICES.

NGAYON YUNG SMOKED FISH, YUNG TINAPA SABI NI MAYOR, CALBAYOG HAS THE BEST
TINAPA IN THE WHOLE COUNTRY. BUT EVEN IF THE PRODUCT IS GOOD,
ALAM N'YO TO BE ABLE TO MARKET PACKAGING IS AS IMPORTANT AS THE PRODUCT
ITSELF, AND YOU NEED THE TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE THE MARKETING, THE PACKAGING
SO THAT YOUR DELICIOUS TINAPA CAN BE BROUGHT TO OTHER PARTS, TO MANILA AND
OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY OR EVEN FOR EXPORT. AND SO FOR THIS PURPOSE,
SECRETARY LORENZO WILL COORDINATE WITH DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
AND THE MARKETS FOR YOUR TINAPA. SANA DUMAMI ANG TRABAHO NINYO DOON.

ALSO FOR AGRICULTURAL MODERNIZATION THERE IS COFFEE. ROBUSTA HAS BEEN
TESTED AND IT IS GOOD FOR CALBAYOG. AND YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO FOR CALBAYOG
WHAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO FOR THE COOPERATIVES THERE IN SULU KASI SA
SULU MALAWAK YUNG KANILANG MGA COFFEE AT NABEBENTA NILA. AND DOON NGA MAY
GIYERA DITO WALA DI MAS LALO MADALI DAPAT DITO DI BA. HERE YOU HAVE THE
LAND BUT YOU DO NOT HAVE THE MARKET. AND FINANCING IS ALSO NEEDED. SO
SECRETARY LORENZO WILL LINK UP CALBAYOG WITH NESTLE AND THE MANILA COFFEE
RETAILERS ASSOCIATION -- KASAMA NA DOON YUNG MGA ANO NGA PANGALAN NUNG,
STARBUCKS, SO THAT WAY HOPEFULLY STARBUCKS WILL BE CARRYING CALBAYOG
ROBUSTA.

ALSO FOR AGRICULTURAL MODERNIZATION WE HAVE VEGETABLES. RIGHT NOW THERE IS
AN ON-GOING NEGOTIATION WITH MAKRO -- ALAM N'YO ITONG MAKRO ANO -- FOR THE
SUPPLY OF VEGETABLES TO THE THROUGH THE HELP OF THE PHILIPPINE BUSINESS FOR
SOCIAL PROGRESS. SIGURO KILALA N'YO YUNG PHILIPPINE BUSINESS FOR SOCIAL
PROGRESS DITO LEYTE ALTHOUGH MAYBE NOT SUCH IN CALBAYOG. KASI YUNG
PHILIPPINE BUSINESS FOR SOCIAL PROGRESS SILA AY MAY MALAKING-MALAKING
PROGRAM SA MAQUEDA BAY -- YUNG MAQUEDA BAY REVIVAL AT SAKA YUNG PAGTUTULONG
DOON SA MGA ILANG MGA COMMUNITIES SA MAQUEDA BAY TO REVIVE THE WATER AND
ALSO TO GIVE ALTERNATIVE LIVELIHOOD TO THE FISHERMEN OF MAQUEDA BAY ANG
GUMAGAWA NIYAN YUNG PBSP. KAYA PARA DITO SA INYO SA CALBAYOG ANG TULONG
NA GINAGAWA NINYO AY KUNG PAPAANO MAKABENTA NG VEGETABLES NG CALBAYOG SA
MAKRO. SO YON ANG SANA MANGYARING YON, NA ONE DAY NAGSHA-SHOPPING ANG MGA
KAIBIGAN N'YO DOON SA METRO MANILA MAKIKITA NILA VEGETABLES FROM CALBAYOG
FROM SAMAR.

BUT THIS STILL NEEDS FURTHER INVESTIGATION REGARDING LOGISTICS AND PRODUCT
QUALITY BECAUSE VEGETABLES ARE PERISHABLE SO WE HAVE TO OVERCOME THAT
PERISHABILITY. BUT IT IS ALSO GOOD TO KNOW THAT AN AUSTRALIAN COMPANY
BASED IN MELBOURNE HAS SIGNIFIED THE INTENTION OF PROVIDING ASSISTANCE IN THE PRODUCTION OF VEGETABLES. AND THE INITIAL PROJECT WILL BE THAT OF YOUNG CORN. SO INAASAHAN NATIN NA ANG CALBAYOG AY PUWEDE RING MAKINABANG DOON.

ISA PANG PRODUKTO SA MODERNIZATION OF AGRICULTURE AY YUNG BANANAS. TEN
TONS OF BANANAS FOR BANANA CHIPS CAN BE PRODUCED AND CITO LORENZO WILL BE
LINKING UP YOUR CITY WITH BANANA CHIP EXPORTERS BECAUSE WE HAVE A GOOD
EXPORT INDUSTRY FOR BANANA CHIPS.

AND FINALLY IN THE MODERNIZATION OF AGRICULTURE, ANG SAMAR AY PROBINSYA NG
NIYOG. I'M SURE MANY OF YOU WHO ARE GRADUATING HERE COME FROM COCONUT
FAMILIES. KAYA YAN ANG KINABUKASAN NG SAMAR: KUNG PAPAANO MA-MODERNIZE ANG
COCONUT INDUSTRY -- KUNG PAPAANO YUNG MGA COCONUT FARMERS 'PAG MAHINA ANG
PRESYO NG COCONUT AY PWEDE MAGKAROON NG PANDAGDAG NA INCOME. AT AKO'Y
NASISIYAHAN NA MERON NA TAYONG KINABUKASAN DITO DAHIL SA WAKAS AFTER 15
YEARS MAGAGAMIT NA NATIN YUNG PROCEEDS NG COCONUT LEVY.

AKO AY NASISIYAHAN NA NGAYON ANG GOBYERNO ANG SIYANG NAGPAPATAKBO NG UNITED
COCONUT PLANTERS BANK. THE UNITED COCONUT PLANTERS BANK IS THE
MANAGER THROUGH SEVERAL LAYERS OF CORPORATIONS OF THE COCONUT LEVY. WHILE
THE PRINCIPAL OF THE COCONUT LEVY AND ITS OWNERSHIP IS UNDER LITIGATION IN
THE SUPREME AND THE SANDIGANBAYAN AY MERON NA TAYONG KAPANGYARIHAN GAMITIN
YUNG BUNGA. AND SO HOPEFULLY IN A MONTH OR TWO WE WILL BE ABLE TO DECLARE
DIVIDENDS. WELL, WE DON'T CALL THEM DIVIDENDS, SOME OF THE FUNDS AVAILABLE
FROM THE COCONUT LEVY AND THEY WILL USED FOR THE GOOD OF THE COCONUT
INDUSTRY -- FOR THE GOOD OF THE COCONUT FARMERS AND THEREFORE FOR THE GOOD
OF THE PROVINCE OF SAMAR.

AND IN THE MEANTIME BECAUSE YOUR SCHOOL IS VERY IMPORTANT, WE HAVE TO
PROVIDE FOR THE CONTINUING EDUCATION -- THE HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT FOR
YOUR SCHOOL. I AM VERY HAPPY THAT TODAY AS PART OF YOUR GRADUATION PRESENT
I AM BRINGING THREE MILLION PESOS FROM THE PRESIDENT'S SOCIAL FUND
FOR THE REHABILITATION AND RENOVATION OF THIS SOCIO-CULTURAL
CENTER. KAYA LANG I WOULD LIKE TO ADVISE YOUR PRESIDENT KUNG
PWEDENG ONE MILLION LANG ANG GAMITIN DITO TAPOS TWO MILLION MAGAMIT SA
IBANG BAGAY KAGAYA HALIMBAWA NG COMPUTERS AT SAKA BROADBAND FACILITIES --
GAMITIN NIYA IYON SA GANOON YUNG ATING MGA ESTUDYANTE DITO SA
NAPAKA-IMPORTANTENG PAARALAN AY HANDA SA 21st CENTURY, HANDA MAKAKUHA
KAAGAD NG TRABAHO AT HANDANG ANG PROBINSYA NG SAMAR AY UMANGAT MULA SA
KAHIRAPAN SA WAKAS.

ONCE AGAIN, CONGRESSMAN UY THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR INVITING ME TO THIS
GRADUATION AS YOU INVITED ME BEFORE TO THE CITY FIESTA OF CALBAYOG WHEN YOU
WERE A CITY MAYOR. AND I WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALSO MAYOR SARMIENTO FOR ALL
THE HOMEWORK THAT WAS DONE BEFORE I COULD COME HERE SO THAT HE CAN WORK ON
THE PLANS TO BE DONE HERE, AND MY VERY EFFICIENT PRESIDENTIAL ASSISTANT FOR
EASTERN VISAYAS VICTOR DOMINGO WILL HELP TO FOLLOW-THROUGH ON
ALL OF THESE PROJECTS FOR THE BEAUTIFUL CITY OF CALBAYOG.

AND SO I SHALL END MY CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE TO YOU TODAY, AND BEFORE THE
GRADUATION DIPLOMAS ARE DISTRIBUTED TO YOU I SHALL FIRST DISTRIBUTE AND
GIVE TO YOUR PRESIDENT THE ... CHECK FOR YOUR BEAUTIFUL SCHOOL.

CONGRATULATIONS. MAUPAY NGA AGA HA IYO TANAN.

[HOME]