PGMA's During the 6th Asia Pacific-Middle East Regional Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

PGMA's During the 6th Asia Pacific-Middle East Regional Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

Ceremonial Hall, Malacanang (Nov 25, 2002)

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. NERY.

HER ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCESS MARGRIET; DON JUAN MANUEL SUAREZ DE TORO; MR.
CHERPITEL; MR. FORSTER; GENERAL CANATOY; JUSTICE LUCIANO; EXCELLENCIES OF
THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS; DELEGATES TO THE 6th ASIA PACIFIC-MIDDLE EAST
REGIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE RED CROSS AND RED CRESCENT; DISTINGUISHED
GUESTS; LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:

TO ALL THE RED CROSS AND RED CRESCENT MOVERS AND SHAKERS OF THIS REGION,
WELCOME TO THE PHILIPPINES. WE ARE HONORED THAT THE RED CROSS AND RED
CRESCENT OF ASIA, PACIFIC AND MIDDLE EAST IS HOLDING YOUR CONFERENCE IN MY
COUNTRY.

AND I AM ALSO HONORED AND VERY HAPPY TO WELCOME PRINCESS MARGRIET. I FEEL A
SENSE OF DEJA VU BECAUSE ONE GENERATION AGO, WHEN MY FATHER WAS PRESIDENT
OF THE PHILIPPINES, HER MAJESTY QUEEN BEATRIX, THEN PRINCESS, CROWNED
PRINCESS ALSO VISITED OUR COUNTRY. AND MY FATHER HOSTED A PARTY FOR HER IN
THIS VERY SAME HALL.

I'M VERY HONORED AND WE ARE ALL HONORED AS FILIPINOS THAT PRINCESS MARGRIET
IS HERE BECAUSE CAUSES ARE MORE SUCCESSFUL WHEN THERE ARE SYMBOLS, AND
PRINCESS MARGRIET IS A SYMBOL. SHE EPITOMIZES THE WOMAN IN HUMANITARIAN
WORK AROUND THE WORLD. I AM GLAD, YOUR HIGHNESS THAT YOU ARE GRACING THE
CONFERENCE AND PROVIDING IT AND US WITH INSPIRATION.

INDEED, WE MUST ALL BE WORKERS FOR HUMANITY ESPECIALLY IN THIS CHALLENGING
AGE OF TERRORISM, INTERNAL WARS, WIDESPREAD IGNORANCE, DISEASE AND
INJUSTICE.

THE WORK OF HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE RED CROSS AND RED CRESCENT
ALLEVIATES MUCH OF THE PAIN OF EVENTS THAT KILL, MAIM, DISPLACE AND CAUSE
UNTOLD SUFFERING AMONG HUMAN BEINGS.

IT'S OUR CHALLENGE TO PERSEVERE EVEN AGAINST SEEMINGLY INSURMOUNTABLE ODDS
IN A WORLD OF CONFLICT AND UNPEACE. AND IT IS THE SPECIAL MISSION OF
LEADERS LIKE YOU, OF THE RED CROSS AND RED CRESCENT, WHO HAVE COME TO THIS
MEETING.

THE RED CROSS HAS BEEN OUR PARTNER FOR A LONG TIME.

I'M GLAD THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO SHARE NOT ONLY OUR WORK BUT ALSO THE
EXPERIENCES OF THE RED CROSS AND RED CRESCENT RIGHT HERE IN OUR COUNTRY IN
YOUR CONFERENCE.

AS MR. NERY SAID EARLIER, YOUR MEETING FOCUSES ON THREE ELEMENTAL AREAS
THAT ARE ALSO OF INTEREST TO OUR COUNTRY: HEALTH, POPULATION MOVEMENTS AND
DISASTERS.

IN OUR COUNTRY, HEALTH ISSUES ARE NOW TELESCOPED ON THE AFFORDABILITY OF
MEDICINE AND HEALTH CARE. LAST YEAR, WE STARTED A PROGRAM TO CUT IN HALF
THE PRICE OF MEDICINES MOST OFTEN PURCHASED BY THE POOR. WE HOPE TO EXPAND
THAT PROGRAM TENFOLD THIS COMING YEAR. WE HAVE ALSO PROVIDED HEALTH
INSURANCE FOR MILLIONS OF OUR POOR COUNTRYMEN.

IN OUR COUNTRY, TOO, POPULATION MOVEMENT IS CAUSED BY POVERTY AND BY
CONFLICT. MR. NERY TALKED ABOUT POPULATION MOVEMENTS OF FILIPINOS TO OTHER
COUNTRIES AND INDEED, WE HAVE SEVEN MILLION FILIPINOS ALL AROUND THE WORLD
WHO WILL BE SENDING US EIGHT BILLION DOLLARS IN REMITTANCES THIS YEAR.
BUT, I BELIEVE FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF HUMANITARIAN WORK THAT CRUCIAL
POPULATION MOVEMENTS ARE THE MOVEMENTS WITHIN OUR COUNTRY.

POVERTY CAUSES OUR RURAL POPULATION TO MOVE TO THE CITIES, SO THAT TODAY,
51 PERCENT OF OUR POPULATION IS URBAN. UNLIKE A GENERATION AGO, WHEN
HER... THEN THE PRINCESS NOW THE QUEEN VISITED, 70 PERCENT OF THE
POPULATION WAS RURAL. NOW 51 PERCENT IS URBAN. AND 20 PERCENT LIVE IN
MANILA AND THE SURROUNDING URBAN AREAS. THESE RESULTS IN URBAN BLIGHT AND
UNHEALTHY CONGESTION.

IN RESPONSE TO THIS, MY GOVERNMENT IS DEVELOPING THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND
LOGISTICS BACKBONE, AND THE NEW GOVERNMENT CENTER CONCEPT WHICH WILL
HOPEFULLY COMBINE TO DISPERSE URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND DECONGEST METRO MANILA.
THIS WILL OPEN UP NEW OPTIONS FOR THE URBAN SECTOR TO IMPROVE THEIR QUALITY
OF LIFE. FOR EXAMPLE, AFFORDABLE AND DEPENDABLE MASS TRANSPORT FROM THE
SURROUNDING PROVINCES TO METRO MANILA WILL MAKE IT POSSIBLE TO CHOOSE TO
ESTABLISH A WHOLESOME FAMILY LIFE IN THE COUNTRYSIDE WHERE THE COST OF
LIVING IS LESS WHILE STILL WORKING IN THE CITY. BUT, IF IT IS POVERTY THAT CAUSES THE POPULATION TO MOVE TO MANILA
WE MUST ADDRESS THAT POVERTY IN THE COUNTRYSIDE.

TO KEEP THE POPULATION IN THE COUNTRYSIDE, THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND LOGISTICS
BACKBONE WHICH WILL LOWER TRANSPORT COSTS FOR AGRICULTURAL GOODS TO THE
INDUSTRIAL AND URBAN CENTERS WILL IMPROVE THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR. AND I
WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK THE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS -- THERE ARE NONE OF THEM
IS HERE TODAY -- FOR A BILL THAT THEY HAVE NOW PASSED THROUGH FOUR
COMMITTEES IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ON LAND AS COLLATERAL. THIS WILL
ELIMINATE A MAJOR BOTTLENECK TO THE DEPLOYMENT OF CAPITAL TO AGRICULTURE
AND REDUCE POVERTY IN THE COUNTRYSIDE.

BUT EVEN AS WE ARE UNDERTAKING THESE MEASURES TO EASE POPULATION MOVEMENT
CAUSED BY POVERTY, WE THANK THE RED CROSS AND THE RED CRESCENT FOR YOUR
VALUABLE ASSISTANCE IN THE POPULATION MOVEMENTS CAUSED BY ARMED CONFLICT.

I THANK YOU, FOR INSTANCE, THAT THE LAST OF THE EVACUEES OF THE RECENT WAR
IN MINDANAO HAVE GONE HOME. AND WE THANK YOU FOR MAKING THAT EASIER. WE
HAVE A CEASEFIRE IN PLACE WITH THE MORO ISLAMIC LIBERATION FRONT AND THE
MILF HAS STARTED TO ORGANIZE THEIR OWN NGO THAT WILL UNDERTAKE DEVELOPMENT
PROJECTS AND RECEIVE ASSISTANCE.

IN THE FORMER CAMP ABUBAKAR, WHICH USED TO BE THE CENTER OF GRAVITY OF THE
SECESSIONIST REBELLION, THERE IS NOW A BUSTLE OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.

WE ALSO THANK THE RED CROSS AND RED CRESCENT, FOR YOUR CONSISTENT PRESENCE
IN THE VARIOUS DISASTERS THAT HAVE VISITED OUR REGION INCLUDING OUR
COUNTRY.

TODAY, TERRORIST INCIDENTS ARE BECOMING THE MOST SERIOUS DISASTERS. AND I
THANK THE WORK OF THE RED CROSS AND RED CRESCENT IN SOOTHING THE SUFFERING
OF THE VICTIMS OF TERRORISM EVEN AS I ASK YOU TO ELEVATE OTHER ISSUES
RELATED TO CONFLICT OR TERRORISM TO A HIGHER PLACE IN THE AGENDA OF YOUR
ACTION AND ADVOCACY PLAN.

ONE, IS AN ACTIVE CAMPAIGN, I HOPE, AGAINST THE EMPLOYMENT OF CHILDREN AND
MINORS IN COMBAT. THIS COMES TO MY MIND, BECAUSE JUST A WEEK AGO, I
ATTENDED A SURRENDER CEREMONY OF FORMER COMMUNIST REBELS AND SAW HOW THEY
STILL CONTINUE TO BE RECRUITED AT SUCH AN EARLY AGE TO WAGE WAR AGAINST THE
GOVERNMENT. I ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND COOPERATION IN FACING THIS SERIOUS
CHALLENGE TO THE COMMUNITY OF CIVILIZED NATIONS.

IN MY LAST STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS BEFORE THE PHILIPPINE CONGRESS LAST
JULY, I SPOKE OF THE NEED FOR A STRONG PHILIPPINE REPUBLIC TO CARRY OUT
VITAL REFORMS NEEDED TO WIN THE WAR AGAINST POVERTY WITHIN THE DECADE.

I SPOKE OF THE NEED FOR A STRICT ENFORCEMENT OF THE LAW AND THE
STRENGTHENING OF THE INSTITUTIONS OF GOVERNANCE. I SPOKE OF A SHARP
CONSTITUTIONAL CUTTING EDGE AGAINST CRIME, TERRORISM AND CORRUPTION.

NOW, I WOULD LIKE TO CALL THROUGH YOU FOR A CHAIN OF STRONG REPUBLICS
ACROSS THE REGION TRAVERSING THE PACIFIC, ASIA AND THE MIDDLE EAST, SO THAT
WE CAN STRIVE TO ENSURE OUR COLLECTIVE SECURITY AGAINST TERROR AND
TRANSNATIONAL CRIME, AND BUILD SOCIETIES THAT WILL HELP ONE ANOTHER DEFEAT
POVERTY. THIS IS MY CALL ON THE OTHER SIDE OF OUR EQUALLY GREAT EFFORT TO
BUILD THE INSTITUTIONS OF HUMAN DIGNITY AND INSTITUTIONS. INSTITUTIONS LIKE
YOURS THAT MAKE FOR A JUST, HUMANE AND PEACEFUL SOCIETY. FOR INSTITUTIONS
LIKE YOURS ARE INDISPENSABLE INSTITUTIONS OF GOOD GOVERNANCE AND STRONG
REPUBLICS.

A STRONG REPUBLIC TEMPERS STEEL WITH HUMANITY WHERE THIS IS DEEMED
IMPERATIVE FOR THE COMMON INTEREST.

EVEN IF WE MUST STAND UNCOMPROMISINGLY AGAINST THE DARK FORCES THAT SEEK TO
DESTROY HUMANITY, WE MUST WORK WITH COMPASSION TO UPLIFT THE POOREST OF THE
POOR, TO HEAL THE SICK, TO TEACH THE IGNORANT. AND IN THIS WORK, I SAY,
"CARRY ON RED CROSS AND RED CRESCENT. YOU ARE DOING A GREAT JOB FOR
HUMANITY."

CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU.

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