PGMA's Speech during the 105th Independence Day Celebration

PGMA's Speech during the 105th Independence Day Celebration

Zamboanga City Coliseum, Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Sur

Muchas gracias, Secretary Cito Lorenzo, Nieto de Zamboanga City.

Mayor Lobregat, muchas gracias por su bonito discurso and for the welcome to all of us; Congressman Celso Lobregat; members of the Cabinet who are here, and I would like to introduce them to you, ladies and gentlemen of Zambonga City: Secretary Angelo Reyes; Secretary Dinky Soliman; Secretary Joey Lina; Secretary Ging Deles; Secretary Mai Jimenez; General Abaya and the other soldiers and officers; City Councils of Zamboanga headed by Vice Mayor Fabian; PNP Chief Ebdane and the other policemen and women; governor George Hofer of Sibugay, Zamboanga; and the other visiting officials from out of town; mga minamahal kong kababayan na nakikinig diyan sa Quirino Grandstand at sa Luneta; binabati ko si Vice President Guingona at saka si Secretary Richard Gordon, at lahat na nagpaparada sa Luneta.

And to all of you, to all of us, a Ustedes todos, buenas tardes, de todos personas nasyonal, iyi Zamboangueños quien campion de demokrasya de aton. Esta le prente en la giyera kontra terorismo.

Narito ako ngayon sa Mindanao sa paggunita natin ng araw ng kalayaan dahil kailangan dito natin bigyan ng lubos na katuparan ang pangako ng tunay na kalayaan.

Mindanao, the land of promise, is also our final frontier of freedom. Ang labanan para sa kalayaan ay wala na sa Cavite, Bataan o Corregidor kung hindi nandito na sa lupang pangako, ang Mindanao.

Our most important focus of human freedom is Mindanao. Freedom from fear, freedom from want, freedom from injustice. We shall continue the fight against terrorism and poverty until peace, security and prosperity take root in this part of the country. Freedom cannot wait. The people cannot wait.

Kabilang sa labanang ito ay ang pagsasagawa ng piling paghuli at pagpaparusa sa mga nagkakasala. Ang paglulunsad ng mga usapang pangkapayapaan. Ang pagbibigay ng tulong pang-ekonomiya at ang pakikipag-tulong sa ating mga kaibigang bansa at organisasyon.

We are wielding the strong hand of government authority, the compassionate hand of development, and the even hand of enlightened diplomacy to win the peace for our people. Ang mga ito ay patuloy nating ginagawa.

There is a Tagalog proverb: "Habang ang tao ay nasusugatan ito ay tumatapang." it means hardship makes people stronger. I'm gratified to show the world how mindanao and therefore the Philippines has become stronger.

Noong isang taon, inahon ko ang bandilang Pilipino sa Poblacion ng Lamitan sa Basilan. Bago noon, halos walang naaahon sa Basilan. Maging pag-asa, maging tanim hindi makaahon kahit na kataba-taba ang lupa dahil sa bandido at terorista. Walang naiwan kung saan ang mga ito ay nagkalat ng lagim at nagdarambong maliban sa desperasyon, kasakitan at pagdusa.

Now, Basilan is in peaceful reawakening. As the people have started to take hold of their future using their own hands and resources aided by well- meaning allies for peace and development. Ang relasyon ng Pilipinas at ng mundo ngayon ay higit na malakas sa kailanman. Ang kooperasyon ay likas na batas ng kaunlaran at narito ako sa Mindanao upang bigyang diin ang bagong panahon ng kooperasyon para ipasulong ang kapayapaan, seguridad at kaunlarang pangkabuhayan ng Pilipinas.

Stability and predictability are essential for creating jobs. That is why I have labored to rebuild key strategic alliances for the Philippines in Asia, Europe, North America including the United States. Kailangan ng Pilipinas itong mga alyansa para ipasulong ang pangangalakal. Maingganyo ang mga namumuhunan at makakuha ng tulong para labanan ang mga elementong gustong magdestabilisa sa Pilipinas. Alam natin ang puhunang kailangan para dito. Alam natin ang lakas ng loob na kailangan para dito.

Strength and security and foreign policy is one facet to the jewel that's the Philippines. Another is the great Filipino worker. Bilib ako sa Pinoy and my focus is clear -- jobs for the great Filipino worker. Trabaho para sa Pinoy.

Hindi lamang ako pinunong responsable sa bansang walongpung milyong tao. Ako rin ay pinuno ng isang pangmundong samahan ng walong milyong Pilipinong nakatira at nagtatrabaho sa ibayong dagat. At naglilikha ng bilyung-bilyong dolyar na kita bawat taon.

We all share a desire to improve the economy and make things work to the advantage of the Filipino. The great comparative advantage of the Philippines is our rich human resources. Highly-skilled, well-educated and English-speaking. This includes the millions of Filipinos working in over a hundred forty countries of the world and the millions more employed in the Philippines.

Ang batayan nitong tagumpay ng dakilang manggagawang Pilipino ay simple-- edukasyon. Ito ay asal na nakabaon sa ating taumbayan. Pinagmamalaki ng bawat pamilya kung saan ang bukas na libro ngayon ay mangangahulugang bukas na pintuan bukas para sa trabaho at oportunidad.

When I became president two years and four months ago, I took a hard look at education, and I asked myself -- is it preparing the youth for the jobs of the new economy? Or is it just keeping them off the streets until they're thrown there jobless after graduation, if they finish school at all.

Sa aking unang Ulat sa Bayan noong 2001 sinabi ko, to prepare our youth to be the next generation of the great Filipino worker, the knowledge workers, we will upgrade math and science teaching in basic education. We have done that with the new curriculum that we implemented this past school year. Now, we will upgrade English teaching so that our great Filipino worker will continue his or her advantage in this increasingly competitive world.

Upang mapalawak ang tsansang magtapos, ang ating mga bata sa paaralan sinisigurado natin na may paaralan bawat barangay. Ngunit higit dito sa lahat ng mga paaralang higit limampung bata sa bawat silid aralan, inaatasan ko na magdalawang halili ang mga klase para hindi masikip at mahirap mag-aral.

Sa mga paaralan namang elementaryong higit sandaang bata bawat silid aralan at sa mga high school kung saan higit dalawang daang mag-aaral bawa't silid aralan, itong taong aralan magtatayo tayo ng dagdag na silid aralan. Sa ganitong paraan, minsanang sasagutin natin ang matinding pagkakulang ng silid aralan na matagal nang nagbibigay ng perwisyo sa ating mga mag-aaral.

In addition, I am mainstreaming distance learning in the school system. This is education by television. In barangays where there are still no classrooms, chapels, barangay halls, multi-purpose centers or even shades of mango trees can be the venue. This distance learning module which I call the "strong republic school" will provide basic courses in English, math and science. It will be mainstreamed into the country's formal education system. Because the students who will take this up will be promoted to the next level as long as they pass a qualifying examination.

Supervision will be the responsibility of the nearest formal school. Para-teachers will be tapped from among retired school teachers, teacher soldiers, college level members of the community and socio-civic organization members. They will be trained to shepherd the students through the different modules. Dahil hindi pa umaabot ang sistema ng komunikasyon sa lahat ng malalayong lugar gagamitin ang mga technovan ng technology and livelihood resource center para maghatid ng distance learning.

Gagamitin rin ang sistema ng komunikasyon ng Philippine Information Agency. At nag-alok ang channel two at lahat ng istasyon ng pamahalaang telebisyon na palalabasin itong mga programa sa edukasyon sa mga angkop na oras para ang mga magulang at mga anak ay kapuwa matutong magbasa, magsulat at magbilang. Ang layunin ko ay magkaroon ng sistemang... Buong sistemang satellite para sa programa itong taong aralan.

In our country, the student-teacher ratio is 34 to 1. That's not bad. Therefore, our problem is not the total number of teachers. It is the distribution of the teachers. There are many barangays all over the country where teachers refuse to be assigned. Largely, because they are wartorn barangays. The distance learning system will address this problem as well.

Ako ay bilib sa Pinoy. Salamat sa inyong sipag para sa inyong mga mahal sa buhay at para sa bansang Pilipinas. And I have tried to return the loyalty and dedication of our great Filipino workers, ang ating mga dakilang Pinoy, by working to reform the Philippines, to shake it from its lethargy and outmoded ways of doing things so that we can all prosper. Yet, like every year, this past year has seen its shares of ups and downs. But overall, the march of progress is clear and irreversible.

Tuloy nating tatanggalin ang katiwalian sa gobyerno. Hahabulin ang mga nagdadaya sa buwis. At magtrabaho para higit to make sure the people finally get the fair deal they deserve.

Gamitin natin ang batas para pigilin ang mga terorista at pandaraya sa gobyerno habang pinapa-ibayo ang sistema pinansyal ng Pilipinas.

We've moved forward on BIR reform and customs reform. Revenues are up. The key reform area now is the electric power sector, because we don't want 2006 to begin a period of darkness.

We have passed legislation to direct greater liquidity into the banking system so that our banks can provide more funds for small and medium enterprises and for housing .

Ngunit hindi lamang batas kung hindi pondo ang dapat ilagay sa tamang bagay kung kukuha tayo ng mabuting dibidendo para sa bansa para sa mga darating na taon. Kaya tayo ay namumuhunan sa imprastraktura para tumulong sa pagbiyahe ng tao at produkto at pag-ibayuhin ang kalidad ng buhay.

We're making new investments in small and medium enterprise. Remember, if we are to build a big middle-class, we must empower the people who will populate it. My small and medium enterprise program is a long-term investment in the future of our people. I know the talent is there. This small and medium enterprise program starting with ten billion pesos of funds available through the small banking system is the financial encouragement that they need and they deserve.

At tuloy tayong naghahanap ng puhunan sa kalusugan, sa pangsasaka, sa teknolohiya. Siyempre sa pagmodernisa kailangan rin nating harapin ang mga pamana ng nakaraan. Ito ay isang hamon na maalagaan ang ating pamana at palakihin ang ating mga pagkakataon habang minamantine ang disiplina sa pondo. Ang hamon ay napapalala dahil sa paghina ng pangmundong ekonomiya.

Our challenges remain: many economic, many social, many political. But you have my word that I wake up everyday determine to make progress for our country. And I believe we have made progress.

Este de espiritu de el independencia de nueva dia y necesita kita promotir y asi mas fuerza para se una futuro progresibo para sa aton mundo. Tiene kita fuerza y independencia para y asi este.

Bilib ako sa Pinoy.

Maraming salamat. At mabuhay ang dakilang Pilipino!

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