Future Directions

                Where is the Philippines headed? Are we going to see better light in the years to come?

                If you see a loophole in the system, do not take advantage of it. Let us not acquire through patronage what we can acquire through hard work. No more cheating, no more taking advantage of others, no more one-upmanship—because in the end we will all realize our shared aspirations. All of us aspire for a corrupt-free system. We should also take part in changing the system so that we may attain that which we aspire for. Many of us think that government officials are corrupt. That may be true to some extent but there are also honest officials. Let us not lose faith in the government. After all, the government is there ultimately to serve its people and to maintain peace and order in the nation.

                We identified the poorest of the poor, and invested in them, because people are our greatest resource. Without regard for people, any democratic government will make no sense. In the end, people run the government. That is why all of the projects of the Aquino administration are always geared towards the welfare of the Filipino people. Through P-Noy’s leadership, how is the country faring in its journey to a peaceful and prosperous Philippines? How is the country doing in terms of treading on the straight path – ang daang matuwid?

The budget is the clearest manifestation of the straight path upon which we tread. P-Noy really pushed it hard to pass the 2011 National Budget on time. The passage of the budget on time is essential since the projects of the Aquino administration can start on time and materialize also on time. The day after his 2^nd SONA, the proposed national budget for 2012 has been delivered to the Congress. This is certainly an improvement and all of us can hope for the passage of the budget in due time, that is, before the year ends.

Now, our message to the world is clear: What is ours is ours; setting foot on Recto Bank is no different from setting foot on Recto Avenue. We do not wish to increase tensions with anyone, but we must let the world know that we are ready to protect what is ours. We are also studying the possibility of elevating the case on the West Philippine Sea to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, to make certain that all involved nations approach the dispute with calm and forbearance. Now, more than any other time, the Philippines has made its stand regarding the different claims to Spratly Islands. The government will defend the country’s territory and sovereignty. The modernization of the AFP is starting. And soon, the country will acquire more vessels, helicopters, patrol crafts and weapons.

                We are giving these poor families a chance to improve their lives, because their progress will be the country’s progress. At present, there are 1.6 million families who are beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program. P-Noy wants to expand this program to 3 million families before 2012 ends. Mothers are now having regular check-ups at health centers, babies are vaccinated and children are already going to school. This is a good consequence of the Conditional Cash Transfer Program. It is with hope that in the future, may all the families who benefited from the program return the favor to the country even through simple things.

                When the new Ombudsman, former Supreme Court Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales, takes office, we will have an honest-to-goodness anti-corruption office, not one that condones the corruption and abuses in government. Corruption and other wrong practices should never be tolerated in any government. That is why when the new Ombudsman takes office, cases will be filed against the corrupt along with their accomplices. It doesn’t end with the filing of cases but with the conviction of the offenders of the law.

                Today we can see that our taxes are going where they should, and therefore there is no reason not to pay the proper taxes. I say to you: it’s not just the government, but our fellow citizens, who are cheated out of the benefits that these taxes would have provided. This is why the BIR files cases after cases against tax evaders so that in doing so, the evaders may pay the proper taxes and other citizens will no longer think of dodging their tax obligations. Of course, everyone is hoping that in the future, no more cases will be filed against tax evaders because there are no more tax evaders. This aspiration is shared by the government especially by the BIR.

                How many years have we been over-importing rice? Many Filipinos thought that there was nothing we could do about it. We have seen in the news different warehouses where imported rice rots because they are not distributed to the people. Imagine the wasted food and wasted money for renting the warehouse and buying the imported rice. All of these are being resolved by the Aquino administration. There is an increase in rice production of 15.6%. This is brought by using the most effective types of seedlings, and careful and efficient spending on irrigation. We envision two things: first, an end to over-importation that only serves to benefit the selfish few. Second: we want rice self-sufficiency—that the rice served on every Filipino’s dinner table is planted here, harvested here, and purchased here.

                Let us stop pulling our fellow man down. Let us put an end to our crab mentality. Let us make the effort to recognize the good that is being done. Let us end the culture of negativism; let us uplift our fellow Filipinos at every opportunity. President Aquino asks Filipinos to stop the ‘culture of negativism’ or ‘crab mentality’. Let us be real Filipinos, patronizing our own products, respecting our laws, loving our country, being patriotic in simple ways and loving our fellow Filipinos. With this we can hope for a better Philippines in the coming years.

                I do not doubt that the reforms we are putting in place will yield concrete results. This is happening in many other places, and we will make it happen everywhere in our country. All of these things we are doing will be wasted if we do not do something to end the culture of corruption. Finally, let us take part in the government’s fight against corruption, against wang-wang, against entitlement, against abuse of power and authority. Then and only then will we see a better Philippines. We are on the way. Yes, we are.