PGMA's Speech during the Blessing and Inauguration of the Newly Installed Regional Office VII Payroll Services Unit (PSU) of the Department of Education

PGMA's Speech during the Blessing and Inauguration of the Newly Installed Regional Office VII Payroll Services Unit (PSU) of the Department of Education

DepEd Regional Office, Ecotech Compound Lahug, Cebu City, Cebu (22 June 2004)

Thank you very much, Secretary De Jesus and congratulations on implementing the vision of the bill of Congressman Gullas whom I'm also greeting today.

I would like to greet the officials of the province of Cebu headed by Governor Pabling Garcia and also to wish Governor Garcia once again a happy 50th anniversary. I would like to greet as well the other officials of Cebu like Congresswoman Neris soon-Ruiz who's here and Talisay mayor, Mayor Gullas. of course, the people of Cebu City headed by Mayor Tommy Osmeña and Congressman Raul Del Mar who is actually our host congressman in this district. And all the officials of the Department of Education including our very respected and beloved teachers for whom this payroll system is being implemented. And all the appointive officials of the national government who are here with us today.

I am happy to have the opportunity to be here in the first implementation of this regional payroll system. And in honor of the author of the bill on regional payroll systems, Congressman Gullas, the first regionalized payroll today will be given to the teachers of Carcar who belong to his district.

I thank the teachers, as Undersecretary Luz said, this convenient system will hopefully make it easier for the teachers and the DepEd to do your work with greater speed, greater convenience, less expense because teachers bear so much of a burden not only teaching our young the values they need to be good citizens but even counting votes in an election which is so tedious.

I hope that just as we have been able now to computerized and therefore regionalized the payroll system here in region vii, next time we'll be able to computerize elections as well so you won't have such a difficult time.

And speaking of elections, may I take this opportunity once again to thank the people of Cebu for the overwhelming mandate you gave me to be president of the Philippines as well.

The Filipino people were the real winners in this election. And in the name of the people, I reach out for unity, healing and reconciliation. We have had enough of hatred and recrimination for the past months and it's time to mend fences and move forward.

The people not only clamor for statesmanship, they demand it. Let the buoyancy of the moment bring our hearts and minds together in the service of a common and noble cause. Let's heal the wounds of the body politic, unite the country, and fight for change together.

Now is the time for all leaders to stand proud for democracy and to demonstrate that they are worthy of the peoples' trust, durable trust, respect and loyalty.

Sa gihapon kaninyong tanan, akong mga ginigugma nga mga taga-Cebu, maayong buntag ug daghan salamat sa inyong suporta.

Thank you.

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