PGMA's Speech during the GenXchange (Generation X) Forum

Yuchengco Hall, De La Salle University Taft Ave., Manila (06 Feb 2004)

Sister Luz Soriano and the Assumption old girls, who are here; Dean Bernardo; Dean Alba; Dean Flores; we have our commissioners, youth commissioners today, headed by Bambam Aquino; faculty and students of La Salle University, ladies and gentlemen.

I have been in office for two years now. Of the three and a half years of my tenure, the daily problems I have faced are among the hardest in our country's history, and even in the world's recent history. If we are to confront our problems successfully , we need strength. The strength that comes from a strong republic.

Some have asked, what is a strong republic?

I said in my State of the Nation Address last July that two essential features mark a strong republic:

One, independence from class and sectoral interests.

Two, the capacity to execute sound policies and deliver essential public services, which capacity is realized through strong institutions and a strong bureaucracy.

Thus, a strong republic needs to have strong institutions, particularly four strong institutions: an effective government; a vigorous free enterprise economy; a true and vigorous democratic representation; and a vibrant civil society.

By effective government, I mean effective national and local governments and a professional and dedicated civil service.

I mean national security.

I mean securing the persons and properties of the citizens of the republic.

I mean upholding the law without fear or favor.

I mean providing public infrastructure.

I mean helping the poorest and weakest citizens and empowering them.

A strong republic must go further to dismantle the structures that protect abuse and perpetuate weakness.

The second strong institution of a strong republic is a vigorous free enterprise economy. But to ensure vigorous and free play of market forces, government must remove monopolies and combinations in restraint of trade.

Government must ensure a level playing field. But not just that, a strong republic commits itself to provide the basic necessities for as many as it can -- women, minorities, the old, the young.

A strong republic also cannot leave its workings entirely to the free market.

While a strong republic does not dictate to the market, it plans the direction that the economy ideally should go.

A strong republic also maintains an ecological balance to ensure for us and our posterity a sustainable environment. Because left to itself, the free market might dictate the devastation of our rivers and forests, the total exhaustion of our mineral wealth, and the blighting of our urban landscapes for instant gain.

The third institution of a strong republic, aside from effective government and a vigorous free enterprise economy, is true and vigorous democratic representation. By this, I mean that a republic grows strong with more democracy. The more empowered people are the less political bosses dictate the outcome of the political process so, much stronger does a republic grow.

In a strong republic every vote is counted, and no fake vote is counted.

Elected officials must be more representative of the people in general than of friends and patrons in particular.

We must find a way to end the adversarial relationship between congress and the president, but we must also find a way to end the often horse trading relationship between Congress and the presidency. And we must find a way to unleash the energy and creativity of local governments and local communities.

By the fourth institution of a strong republic, namely, a vibrant civil society, I mean that as we have seen the power of civil society to effect rapid political change, we need the power of civil society applied to more subtle social changes in such areas as women's rights, family support, a more productive synergy between church and state, and the preservation of the nation's cultural values.

But as you can see, from my description of the vision of a strong republic and from the reality check around us, we are not yet a strong republic. Rather, we are still a weak state.

A state is weak if dominant classes or sectors control it or shape its policies, especially those dealing with the economy. This is our decades-old fundamental weakness.

What are the symptoms of this weak state that my generation and your generation of Filipinos has inherited? A large gap between rich and poor. A gap that has been exploited for political ends. A political system based on patronage, and ultimately, corruption to support patronage. In recent years, the use of destabilization, black propaganda and character assassination as political tools of the trade.

The common word in these is -- politics, too much politics.

The adverse global environment has aggravated our weakness. Following the 1997 Asian currency crisis, our ability to generate public revenues steadily deteriorated. The ratio of revenues-to-GDP declined from 19 percent in 1997, 17 percent in 1998, 16 percent in 1999, 15 percent in 2000. This trend weakened us financially, limiting the resources we have to fund development and increasing our need to borrow. During my first year as president, 2001, we were able to arrest the decline, sustaining the ratio of 15 percent, however, the decline resumed last year.

On the other hand, the adverse global environment has provided opportunities to address our national security concerns. Remember that even before 9-11, we had already been suffering the scourge of terrorism.

You will recall that during the previous administration the Abu Sayyaf were able to generate some 20 million dollars in ransom from Sipadan, which strengthened their capability for terror. With our decisive response to 9-11, we gained foreign allies in our war against terror, which enabled us to neutralize the notorious Abu Sabaya and to degrade Abu Sayyaf's strength.

Despite the harsh domestic and global conditions, our country is moving forward. In Asia, our GNP growth of 5.2 percent is surpassed perhaps only by China and Vietnam. Our inflation rates and interest rates are low. Our exports have resumed growing. Demands for the talents and skills of the great Filipino worker remains as strong as ever.

Now, can we build a strong republic?

Yes, we can. Peoples have proven their ability to build a strong nation-state within just a generation.

Note the following descriptions by scholars:

First description. "Patronage-oriented political parties and free-spending corruption dominated the political system which consisted of a distinctive complex of a weak national administration, divided and fragmentary public authority, and non programatic political parties."

Note a second description. "The nation-state had a weak hold on the imagination and consciousness of a people who were now forced to think of them as one community. Most identified themselves with their province of birth and not with the nation."

Don't these descriptions seem to describe Philippine society today and its weaknesses? But actually, the scholars were referring to different countries. The first description was a description of the United States in the 1930s. The second description described Italy in the 1920s. These two countries were able to build strong nation-states within a generation.

We can, too. But we must all work together. To think as a nation rather than as our sectoral interest or our geographical interest.

In building a nation, it is our obligation to ensure that the lives of our citizens and of the future generations are free from the threat of weapons of mass destruction, particularly from those who have demonstrated irresponsibility in possessing such awesome power of destruction. We are also mindful of the danger of such weapons falling into the hands of terrorists.

Our world, which you, our students will inherit, must over and above everything that we are to fight poverty and strenghten our nation, be free from tyranny, so that Filipinos, Arabs and peoples of all races and religions can live a life of political choice and economic opportunity. Because that is what's building a strong nation is all about. And we owe it to our Filipino brethren abroad and to the global community, a more stable, humane world in which to live and work. And to you, the future generations, we are obliged to leave a legacy of a nation free from poverty and a world free from terror.

Watching the televised proceedings of the United Nations last night, we saw evidence that challenges our role as a responsible member of the world community.

We've seen the danger of having weapons of mass destruction in the hands of those who have joined cause with terrorists.

Our stand against nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction is not new. Our constitution prohibits nuclear weapons within our territory. We are signatories to long-standing international conventions against chemical and biological weapons. We must stand with the civilized world against the uncivilized conduct of war.

I'm also alarmed at the information of the link between the Iraqi leadership and terrorist organizations. Terrorism, as we have seen, knows no boundaries. It strikes even those countries who have chosen to remain neutral. 'Di ba pagkatapos ng World Trade Center pinakagrabeng tinamaan ang Indonesia, ang Bali. As long as there is terrorism, the lives of Filipinos, whether they are working in the Middle East, living in the united states as migrants or here at home, will always be at risk.

We are not fighting the Iraqis for America, but we remain an active member of the global coalition against terrorism. We are not fighting the Iraqis, the Iraqis are peace-loving people. What we are doing is calling on Saddam Hussein to put his people and the citizens of the world on notice that he aspires not for conflict and suffering but rather for a legacy of compassion and humanity. I hope he will heed the call of his suffering people and do what is right.

If -- God forbid -- there is armed conflict, our response will be, as it has always been, in the context of the capabilities of a developing nation and consistent with our constitution. We will not send combat troops to Iraq. Our foreign and economic policy are not predicated on appeasement. But we must know right from wrong, what is just from unjust. We must be bound by a common humanity, as we are bound by a global economy.

The world has never been more connected; evidenced by the millions of Filipinos who are thousands of miles from home.

Our utmost responsibility -- if, god forbid, there should be war is the safety and well-being of Filipinos in the Middle East. Government has prepared and is ready to implement a plan that will take Filipinos out of harm's way.

I went to Kuwait last weekend, as the leader of the Philippines, concerned about the safety of the 60,000 Filipino citizens in Kuwait and the 1.2 or 1.5 million Filipinos in the middle east.

I met with our citizens, with our team responsible for ensuring their safety, and with the host government of Kuwait. Our citizens there are strong, resilient, and proud. I assured them that if conflict should occur, this nation will do everything in its power to ensure their safety and well-being.

Here, at home, the police and military will check any extremist plots to violate law and order. We will work with vigilant communities, both Christian and Muslim, to fight terrorism. Now, is the time for deep interfaith solidarity.

In the days ahead, we must seek the guidance of God and the call of our conscience. I will reflect on the best course of action that will protect our overseas workers, the integrity of our nation, and the greatest chance to comply with their obligation to guarantee our future generations a strong nation in a world free from terror and oppression.

Thank you.

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