STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS OF PRESIDENT GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO DURING THE 2ND REGULAR SESSION OF THE 14TH CONGRESS

OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES, 28 July 2008 Thank you, Speaker Nograles. Senate President Villar. Senators and Representatives. Vice President de Castro, President Ramos, Chief Justice Puno, mem ers of the diplomatic corps, ladies and gentlemen! " address you today at a crucial moment in #orld history. Just a fe# months ago, #e ended $%%& #ith the strongest economic gro#th in a generation. "nflation #as lo#, the peso strong and a million ne# 'o s #ere created. (e #ere all looking to a etter, righter future. )ecause tough choices #ere made, kumikilos na ang ayan sa #akas. *alapit na sana tayo sa pag alanse ng udget. (e #ere retiring de ts in great amounts, reducing the drag on our country+s development, ha ang namumuhunan sa taong ayan. )iglang, igla, na aligtad ang ekonomiya ng mundo. -ng pagtalon ng presyo ng langis at pagkain ay nag unsod ng pandaigdigan krisis, the #orst since the .reat /epression and the end of (orld (ar "". Some lame speculators moving illions of dollars from su prime mortgages to commodities like fuel and food. 0thers point of the very real surge in demand as millions of Chinese and "ndians move up to the middle class. (hatever the reasons, #e are on a roller coaster ride of oil price hikes, high food prices and looming economic recession in the 1S and other markets. 1ncertainty has moved like a terri le tsunami around the glo e, #iping a#ay gains, erasing progress. This is a comple2 time that defies simple and easy solutions. 3or starters, it is hard to identify villains, unlike in the 455& financial crisis. 6veryone seems to e a victim, rich countries and poor, though certainly some can take more punishment than others. To address these glo al challenges, #e must go on uilding and uttressing ridges to allies around the #orld! to ring in the rice to feed our people, investments to create 'o s7 and to keep the peace and maintain sta ility in our country and the rest of the #orld. 8et even as #e reach out to those #ho need, and #ho may need us, #e strive for greater self,reliance. )ecause tough choices #ere made, the glo al crisis did not catch us helpless and unprepared. Through foresight, grit and political #ill, #e uilt a shield around our country that has slo#ed do#n and some#hat softened the #orst effects of the glo al crisis. (e have the money to care for our people and pay for food #hen there are shortages7 for fuel despite price spikes. Neither #e nor anyone else in the #orld e2pected this day to come so soon ut #e prepared for it. 3or the guts not to flinch in the face of tough choices, " thank .od. 3or the #isdom to recogni9e ho# needed you are, " thank, you Congress. 3or footing the ill, " thank the ta2payers. The result has een, on the one hand, ito ang nakasal a sa ayan7 and, on the other, more unpopularity for myself in the opinion polls. 8et, even unfriendly polls sho# self,rated poverty do#n to its $%,year lo# in $%%&. *y responsi ility as President is to take care to solve the pro lems #e are facing no# and to provide a vision and direction for ho# our nation should advance in the future. *any in this great hall live privileged lives and e2ert great influence in pu lic affairs. " am accessi le to you, ut " spend time every day #ith the underprivileged and under represented #ho cannot get a grip on their lives in the daily, all,consuming struggle to make ends meet.

Nag,aalala ako para sa naka,aa#ang may ahay na pasan ang pananagutan para sa uong pamilya. Nag,aalala ako para sa magsasakang nasa unang hanay ng pam ansang produksyon ng pagkain ngunit nagsisikap pakanin ang pamilya. " care for hard#orking students soon to graduate and #anting to see hope of good 'o and a career prospect here at home. Nag,aalala ako para sa :4,year old na padre de pamilya na di ara#,ara# ang tra aho, at nag, aa ala sa asa#a at tatlong anak, at dapat igyan ng higit pang pagkakakitaan at dangal. " care for our teachers #ho gave the greatest gift #e ever received ; a good education ; still trying to pass on the same gift to succeeding generations. " care for our 03(s, famed for their skill, integrity and untiring la or, #ho send home their pay as the only #ay to touch loved ones so far a#ay. Nagpupugay ako ngayon sa kanilang mga karani#ang Pilipino. *y critics say this is fiction, along #ith other facts and figures " cite today. " call it heroism though they don+t need our praise. 6ach is already a hero to those #ho matter most, their families. " said this is a glo al crisis #here everyone is a victim. )ut only fe# can afford to avoid, or pay to delay, the #orst effects. *any more have nothing to protect them from the immediate lunt force trauma of the glo al crisis. Tulad ninyo, nag,aalala ako para sa kanila. "to ang mga taong ayan na dapat samahan natin. Not only ecause of their sacrifices for our country ut ecause they are our countrymen. <o# do #e solve these many comple2 challenges= Sa kanilang kalagayan, the ans#er must e special care and attention in this great hour of need. 3irst, #e must have a targeted strategy #ith set of precise prescriptions to ease the price challenges #e are facing. Second, food self,sufficiency7 less energy dependence7 greater self,reliance in our attitude as a people and in our posture as a nation. Third, short,term relief cannot e at the e2pense of long term reforms. These reforms #ill enefit not 'ust the ne2t generation of 3ilipinos, ut the ne2t President as #ell. Napakahalaga ang Value -dded Ta2 sa pagharap sa mga hamong ito. "tong programa ang sagot sa mga pro lemang namana natin. 1na, ma a#asan ang ating mga utang and shore up our fiscal independence. Pangala#a, higit na pamumuhunan para mamamayan at imprastraktura. Pangatlo, sapat na pondo para sa mga programang pangmasa. Thus, the infrastructure links programmed for the our poorest provinces like Northern Samar! >ao,ang,>apinig,-rteche, right no# ay maputik, San "sidro,>ope de Vega7 the reha ilitation of *aharlika in Samar. Take V-T a#ay and you and " a dicate our responsi ility as leaders and pull the rug from under our present and future progress, #hich may e compromised y the glo al crisis. >along lumakas ang ti#ala ng mga investor dahil sa V-T. *ula P?@.?% kada dolyar, lumakas ang piso hanggang P:%.$% ago umalik sa P:: dahil sa mga pa igat ng pangdaigdigang

ekonomiya. Aung alisin ang V-T, hihina ang kumpiyansa ng negosyo, lalong tataas ang interes, lalong a a a ang piso, lalong mamahal ang ilihin. Aapag i inasura ang V-T sa langis at kuryente, ang mas makikina ang ay ang mga may kaya na kumukonsumo ng B:C ng langis at 5%C ng kuryente ha ang mas masasaktan ang mahihirap na ma#a#alan ng PB% illion para sa mga programang pinopondohan ngayon ng V-T. Take a#ay V-T and #e strip our people of the means to ride out the #orld food and energy crisis. (e have come too far and made too many sacrifices to turn ack no# on fiscal reforms. >eadership is not a out doing the first easy thing that comes to mind7 it is a out doing #hat is necessary, ho#ever hard. The government has persevered, #ithout flip,flops, in its much,critici9ed policies, including oil and po#er V-T and oil deregulation. ut irreplacea le

Patuloy na gagamitin ng pamahalaan ang lumalago nating yaman upang tulungan ang mga pamilyang naghihirap sa taas ng ilihin at hampas ng agyo, ha ang nagpupundar upang sanggahan ang ayan sa mga krisis sa hinaharap. Para sa mga namamasada at namamasahe sa dyip, sinusugpo natin ang kotong at colorum upang mapataas ang kita ng mga tsuper. Si 3ederico -lvare9 kumikita ng P$%% a day sa kaniyang rutang Cu ao,Rosario. Tinaas ito ng anti,kotong, anti,colorum ngayon P?%% na ang kita niya. "yan ang paraan kung paano napananatili ang dagdag,pasahe sa piso lamang. <alaga lang ng isang te2t. Te2ting is a #ay of life. " asked the telecoms to cut the cost of messages et#een net#orks. They responded. "t is no# do#n to ?% centavos. Noong <unyo, nagpala as tayo ng apat na ilyong piso mula sa V-T sa langisDdala#ang ilyong pam ayad ng koryente ng apat na milyong mahihirap, isang ilyon para college scholarship o pautang sa &%,%%% na estudyanteng maralita7 kalahating ilyong pautang upang palitan ng mas matipid na >P., CN. o iofuel ang motor ng li u,li ong 'eepney7 at kalahating ilyong pampalit sa fluorescent sa mga pampu likong lugar. Aung mapapalitan ng fluorescent ang lahat ng um ilya, makatitipid tayo ng lampas P$ illion. Sa sunod na katas ng V-T, may P4 illion na pam ayad ng kuryente ng mahihirap7 kalahating ilyon para sa matatandang di sakop ng SSS o .S"S7 kalahating ilyong kapital para sa pamilya ng mga namamasada7 kalahating ilyon upang mapataas ang kakayahan at eEuipment ng mga munting ospital sa mga lala#igan. -t para sa mga kalamidad, angkop na halaga. (e released P4 illion for the victims of typhoon 3rank. (e support a supplemental (estern Visayas calamity udget from V-T proceeds, as a tri ute to the likes of Rodney )erdin, age 4F, of )arangay Rom ang, )elison, -ntiEue, #ho saved his mother, rother and sister from the raging #aters of Si alom River. *ula sa u#ang ito, #ala nang income ta2 ang sumus#eldo ng P$%%,%%% o mas ma a a sa isang taon ; P4$ illion na a#as, u#is para sa maralita at middle class. *araming salamat, Congress. Ngayong may PF$ na commercial rice, natugunan na natin ang pro lema sa pagkain sa kasalukuyan. Nagtagumpay tayo dahil sa pagtutulungan ng uong ayan sa pagsasaka, antay, presyo at paghihigpit sa price manipulation, sa masipag na pamumuno ni -rtie 8ap. Sa mga >.1 at religious groups na tumutulong dalhin ang N3- rice sa mahihirap, maraming salamat sa inyo.

/ahil sa su sidy, N3- rice is among the region+s cheapest. (hile #e can take some comfort that our situation is etter than many other nations, there is no su stitute for solving the pro lem of rice and fuel here at home. "n doing so, let us e honest and clear eyed ; there has een a fundamental shift in glo al economics. The price of food and fuel #ill likely remain high. Nothing #ill e easy7 the government cannot solve these pro lems over night. )ut, #e can #ork to ease the near,term pain #hile investing in long,term solutions. Since $%%4, ne# irrigation systems for 4:@,%%% hectares, including *almar in *aguindanao and North Cota ato, >o#er -gusan, Casecnan and -ulo in Nueva 6ci'a, - ulog,-payao in Cagayan and -payao, -ddalam in Guirino and "sa ela, among others, and the restoration of old systems on another 5B%,%%% hectares have increased our nation+s irrigated land to a historic 4.? million hectares. 6d#in )andila, :B years old, of 1galingan, Carmen, North Cota ato, cultivated one hectare and harvested F? cavans. Thirteen years na gina#a iyong *almar. "n my first State of the Nation -ddress, sa i ko kung hindi matapos iyon sa Setyem re ay kakanselahin ko ang kontrata, papapasukin ko ang engineering rigade, natapos nila. (ith *alamar, no# he cultivates five hectares and produces 5& cavans per hectare. *a uhay, 6d#inH V-T #ill complete the San RoEue,-gno River pro'ect. The >and )ank has Euadrupled loans for farmers and fisherfolk. That is fact not fiction. Check it. 3or more effective credit utili9ation, " instructed /- to revitali9e farmers cooperatives. (e are providing seeds at su sidi9ed prices to help our farmers. "ncremental *alampaya national revenues of P: illion #ill go to our rice self,sufficiency program. Rice production since $%%% increased an average of :.%&C a year, t#ice the population gro#th rate. )y promoting natural planning and female education, #e have cur ed population gro#th to $.%:C during our administration, do#n from the $.F@ in the 455%+s, #hen artificial irth control #as pushed. 0ur campaign spreads a#areness of responsi le parenthood regarding irth spacing. >ong years of pushing contraceptives made it synonymous to family planning. Therefore informed choice should mean letting more couples, #ho are mostly Catholics, kno# a out natural family planning. 3rom 45&B to 45B4, nag,e2port tayo ng igas. <indi tumagal. )ut let+s not e too hard on ourselves. Panahon pa ng Aastila umi ili na tayo ng igas sa la as. (hile #e may kno# ho# to gro# rice #ell, topography doesn+t al#ays cooperate. Nature did not gift us #ith a mighty *ekong like Thailand and Vietnam, #ith their vast and naturally fertile plains. Nature instead put our islands ahead of our neigh ours in the path of typhoons from the Pacific. So, #e import 4%C of the rice #e consume. To meet the challenge of today, #e #ill feed our people no#, not later, and help them get through these hard times. To meet the challenges of tomorro#, #e must ecome more self,reliant, self, sufficient and independent, relying on ourselves more than on the #orld. No# #e come to the future of agrarian reform. There are those #ho say it is a failure, that our rice importations prove it. There are those #ho say it is a successDif only ecause anything is etter than nothing. "ndeed, people are happier o#ning the land they #ork, no matter #hat the difficulties. Sa S0N- noong $%%4, sina i ko, a#at taon, mamamahagi tayo ng dala#ang daang li ong ektarya sa reporma sa lupa! 4%%,%%% hectares of private farmland and 4%%,%%% of pu lic

farmland, including ancestral domains. /i hamak mahigit sa target ang naipamahagi natin sa nakaraang pitong taon! B?:,%%% hectares of private farmland, &5&,%%% of pu lic farmland, and Certificates of -ncestral /omain for ?$?,%%% hectares. "ncluding, over a 4%%,%%% hectares for )ugkalots in Guirino, -urora, and Nueva Vi9caya. -fter the release of their C-/T, Rosario Camma, )ugkalot chieftain, and no# mayor of Nagtipunan, helped his 4?,%%%,mem er tri e develop irrigation, plant vegeta les and corn and achieve food sufficiency. *a uhay, ChiefH -grarian reform should not merely su divide misery, it must raise living standards. 0#nership raises the farmer from his ut productivity #ill keep him on his feet. Sinimula ng aking ama ang land reform noong 45@F. 1pang ma uo ito, the e2tension of C-RP #ith reforms is top priority. " #ill continue to do all " can for the rural as #ell as ur an poor. -ya# natin na paglaya ng tenant sa landlord, mapapasa,ilalim naman sa usurero. 3ormer tenants must e empo#ered to ecome agri usinessmen y allo#ing their land to e used as collateral. /apat mapalaya ng reporma sa lupa ang magsasaka sa pagiging alipin sa i a. /apat igyan ang magsasaka ng dangal ilang taong malaya at di ha#ak ninuman. (e must cur the recklessness that gives land #ithout the means to make it productive and ites off more than eneficiaries can che#. -t the same time, " #ant the rackets out of agrarian reform! the threats to take and therefore undervalue land, the conspiracies to overvalue it. )e #ith me on this. There must e a path #here 'ustice and progress converge. >et us find it efore Christmas. /apat nating linisin ang landas para sa mga i ig magpursige sa pagsasaka, taglay ang pananalig na ang lupa ay sasagip sa atin sa huli kung gamitin natin ito nang maayos. -long #ith massive rice production, #e are cutting costs through more efficient transport. 3or our farm,to,market roads, #e released P@ illion in $%%&. 0n our nautical high#ays. R0R0 oats carried FF million metric tons of cargo and F4 million passengers in $%%&. (e have uilt F5 R0R0 ports during our administration, 4$ more are slated to start #ithin the ne2t t#o years. "n $%%F, #e inaugurated the (estern Nautical <igh#ay from )atangas through *indoro, Panay and Negros to *indanao. This year #e launched the Central Nautical <igh#ay from )icol mainland, through *as ate, Ce u, )ohol and Camiguin to *indanao mainland. These developments strengthen our competitiveness. >eading multinational company Nestle cut transport costs and offset higher milk prices a road. Salamat, R0R0. Transport costs have ecome so reasona le for akeries like .ardenia, a loaf of its read in "loilo is priced the same as in >aguna and *anila. Salamat muli sa R0R0. To the many >.1s #ho have stopped collecting fees from cargo vehicles, maraming, maraming salamat. (e are repaving airports that are useful for agriculture, like Iam oanga City -irport. Producing rice and moving it cheaper addresses the supply side of our rice needs. 0n the demand side, #e are oosting the people+s uying po#er. .inaga#a nating la or,intensive ang pagga#a at pag,ayos ng kalsada at patu ig. Noong S0Nng $%%4, naglunsad tayo sa NCR ng patra aho para sa $%,%%% na out of school youth, na tina#ag 08ST6R. Ngayon, mahigit $%,%%% ang ineempleyo ng 08ST6R sa uong ansa. "n disaster,stricken areas, #e have a cash,for,#ork program. "n training, &.&: million took technical and vocational courses over the last seven years, dou le the num er in the previous 4: years. "n $%%& alone, 4.& million graduated. -mong them are

Jessica )arlomento no# in <an'in as supply officer, Shenve Catana, *arie .race Comendador, and *arlyn Tusi, lady #elders, congratulations. "n microfinance, loans have reached P4%$ illion or F% times more than the PF illion #e started #ith in $%%4, #ith a 5BC repayment record, congratulationsH *a'or lenders include the >and )ank #ith P@5 illion, the Peoples+ Credit and 3inance Corporation PB illion, the National >ivelihood Support 3und PF illion, /)P P4 illion and the /S(/+s S6-,A PB%% million. 3or partnering #ith us to unleash the entrepreneurial spirit, thank you, .o Negosyo and Joey Concepcion. 1pland development enefits farmers through agro,forestry initiatives. Ru er is especially strong in Iam oanga Si ugay and North Cota ato. Victoria *indoro, ?@ years old, used to earn P?,%%% a month as farmer and factory #orker. No# she o#ns 4% hectares in the .oodyear -grarian Reform Community in Aa asalan, Iam oanga Si ugay, she earns P4%,%%% a #eek. (ith one hectare, Pedro and Concordia 3aviolas of *akilala, North Cota ato, they sent their si2 children to college, ought t#o more hectares, and earn P4?,%%% a month. CongratulationsH Jatropha estates are starting in 5%% hectares in and around Tamlang Valley in Negros 0riental7 $%% in CamSur7 F%% in .enSan, ?%% in 3ort *agsaysay near the Cordero /am and &%% in Samar, among others. "n our $%%@ S0N-, our food askets #ere identified as North >u9on and *indanao. The sad irony of *indanao as food asket is that it has some of the highest hunger in our nation. "t has large fields of high productivity, yet also si2 of our ten poorest provinces. The prime reason is the endless *indanao conflict. - comprehensive peace has eluded us for half a century. )ut last night, differences on the tough issue of ancestral domain #ere resolved. 8es, there are political dynamics among the people of *indanao. >et us sort them out #ith the utmost so riety, patience and restraint. " ask Congress to act on the legislative and political reforms that #ill lead to a 'ust and lasting peace during our term of office. The demands of decency and compassion urge dialogue. )etter talk than fight, if nothing of sovereign value is any#ay lost. /ialogue has achieved more than confrontation in many parts of the #orld. This #as the message of the recent (orld Conference in *adrid organi9ed y the Aing of Saudi -ra ia, and the universal message of the Pope in Sydney. Pope )enedict+s encyclical /eus Caritas 6st reminds us! JThere #ill al#ays e situations of material need #here help in the form of concrete love for neigh our is indispensa le.J Pinagsasama,sama natin ang mga programa ng /S(/, /0<, .S"S, SSS at i a pang lumala an sa kahirapan sa isang National Social (elfare Program para proteksyonan ang pinaka,mahihirap mula sa pandaigdigang krisis, and to help those #hose earnings are limited y illness, disa ility, loss of 'o , age and so onDthrough livelihood pro'ects, microfinance, skills and technology transfer, emergency and temporary employment, pension funds, food aid and cash su sidies, child nutrition and adult health care, medical missions, salary loans, insurance, housing programs, educational and other savings schemes, and no# cheaper medicineDThanks to Congress. The (orld )ank says that in )ra9il, the income of the poorest 4%C has gro#n 5C per year versus the FC for the higher income levels due in large part to their family stipend program linking #elfare checks to school attendance. (e have introduced a similar program, Panta#id Pamilya. 6mployers have funded the t#o increases in SSS enefits since $%%?. Thank you, employers for paying the premiums.

.S"S pensions have een inde2ed to inflation and have increased every year since $%%4. "ts salary loan availments have increased from t#o months eEuivalent to 4% months, the highest of any system pu lic or privateD#hile repayments have een stretched out. Pag," ig housing loans increased from PF.B$ illion in $%%4 to P$$.@ illion in $%%&. This year it e2perienced an B:C increase in the first four months alone. Super heating na. /apat dagdagan ng .S"S at uksan muli ng SSS ang pautang sa pa ahay. " ask Congress to pass a ill allo#ing SSS to do housing loans eyond the present 4%C limitation. )ago ako naging Pangulo, isa+t kalahating milyong maralita lamang ang may health insurance. Noong $%%4, sa i natin, dadagdagan pa ng kalahating milyon. Sa taong iyon, mahigit isang milyon ang na igyan natin. Ngayon, @? milyong Pilipino na ang may health insurance, mahigit do le ng $%%%, kasama ang la inlimang milyong maralita. Philhealth has paid P4%% illion for hospitali9ation. The indigent eneficiaries largely come from (est and Central Visayas, Central >u9on, and "locos. Patuloy nating palala#akin itong napaka,importanted programa, lalo na sa Ta#i,Ta#i, Iam o Norte, *aguindanao, -payao, /inagat, >anao Sur, Northern Samar, *as ate, - ra and *isamis 0ccidental. >alo na sa kanilang mga magsasaka at mangingisda. "n these provinces and in -gusan Sur, Aalinga, Surigao Sur and calamity,stricken areas, #e #ill launch a massive school feeding program at P4% per child every school day. )ukod sa li reng edukasyon sa elementarya at high school, nado le ang pondo para sa mga college scholarships, #hile private high school scholarship funds from the government have Euadrupled. " have started reforming and clustering the programs of the /ep6d, C<6/ and T6S/-. -s #ith fiscal and food challenges, the glo al energy crunch demands etter and more focused resource mo ili9ation, conservation and management. .overnment agencies are reducing their energy and fuel ills y 4%C, emulating Te2as "nstruments and Philippine Stock 62change #ho did it last year. Congratulations, Justice Vitug and 3rancis >im. To reduce po#er system losses, #e count on government regulators and also on 6P"Ramendments. (e are successful in increasing energy self,sufficiencyD?@C, the highest in our history. (e promote natural gas and iofuel7 geothermal fields, among the #orld+s largest7 #indmills like those in "locos and )atanes7 and the solar cells lighting many communities in *indanao. The ne# .aloc oil field can produce 4&,%%%,$$,%%% arrels per day, 4K4$ of our crude consumption. The Rene#a le 6nergy )ill has passed the <ouse. Thank you, Congressmen. 0ur costly commodity imports like oil and rice should e offset y hard commodities e2ports like primary products, and soft ones like tourism and cy erservices, at #hich only "ndia eats us. 0ur P F?% million training partnership #ith the private sector should Eualify @%,%%% for call centers, medical transcription, animation and soft#are development, #hich have a pro'ected demand of one million #orkers generating L4F illion y $%4%. "nternational finance agrees #ith our progress. Credit rating agencies have kept their positive or sta le outlook on the country. 0ur #orld competitiveness ranking rose five notches. Congratulations to us. (e are sticking to, and #idening, the fiscal reforms that have earned us their respect.

To our investors, thank you for your valua le role in our development. " invite you to invest not only in factories and services, ut in profita le infrastructure, follo#ing the formula for the Tarlac, Pangasinan,>a 1nion 62press#ay. " ask usiness and civil society to continue to #ork for a socially eEuita le, economically via le alance of interests. *ining companies should ensure that host communities enefit su stantively from their investments, and #ith no environmental damage from operations. 0ur administration enacted the Solid (aste *anagement -ct, (ildlife -ct, Protection of Plant Varieties, Clean (ater -ct, )iofuels -ct and various la#s declaring protected areas. 3or reforestation, for ne2t year #e have udgeted P$ illion. Not only do forests enhance the eauty of the land, they mitigate climate change, a key factor in increasing the freEuency and intensity of typhoons and costing the country %.?C of the ./P. (e have set up over 4%% marine and fish sanctuaries since $%%4. "n the #haleshark sanctuary of /onsol, Sorsogon, -lan -manse, :%,year,old college undergraduate and father of t#o, #as earning P4%% a day from fishing and driving a tricycle. No# as #haleshark,#atching officer, he is earns P4,%%% a day, ten times his former income. 3or clean #ater, so important to health, there is P?%% million this year and P4.? illion for ne2t year. 3rom 'ust one sanitary landfill in $%%4, #e no# have $4, #ith another 4B in the #orks. (e launched the Iero )asura 0lympics to clear our communities of trash. Rather than more money, all that is needed is for each citi9en to keep home and #orkplace clean, and for gar age officials to stop sEua ling. 0ur investments also include essential #ays to strengthen our institutions of governance in order to fight the decades,old scourge of corruption. " #ill continue to fight this attle every single day. (hile others are happy #ith headlines through accusation #ithout evidence and privilege speeches #ithout accounta ility, #e have allocated more than PF illion ; the largest anti,graft fund in our history ; for real evidence gathering and vigorous prosecution. 3rom its dismal past record, the 0m udsman+s conviction rate has increased ?%%C. >ifestyle checks, never seriously implemented efore our time, have led to the dismissal andKor criminal prosecution of do9ens of corrupt officials. " recently met #ith the *illennium Challenge Corporation, a 1S agency that provides grants to countries ased on governance. They have commended our gains, contri uted P4 illion to our fight against graft, and declared us eligi le for more grants. Thank youH >ast Septem er, #e created the Procurement Transparency .roup in the /)* and linked it #ith usiness, academe, and the Church, to deter or catch anomalies in government contracts. 0n my instruction, the )"R and Customs esta lished similar government,civil society tie,ups for information gathering and ta2 evasion and smuggling monitoring. *ore advanced corruption practices reEuire a commensurate advances in legislative responses. Colleagues in Congress, #e need a more stringent -nti,.raft -ct. Sa pagmahal ng ilihin, hirap na ang mamimili ; tapos, dadayain pa. /apat itong mahinto. <inihiling ko sa Aongreso na magpasa ng Consumer )ill of Rights la an sa price gouging, false advertising at i a pang ga#ain kontra sa mamimili.

" call on all our government #orkers at the national and local levels to e more responsive and accounta le to the people. Panahon ito ng pagsu ok. Aung saan kayang tumulong at dapat tumulong ang pamahalaan, #e must e there #ith a helping hand. (here government can contri ute nothing useful, stay a#ay. >et+s e more helpful, more courteous, more Euick. Aaaki at ng ating mga adhikain ang tuloy na pagkalinga sa kapakanan ng a#at Pilipino. "isa ang ating pangarap ; maunlad at mapayapang lipunan, kung saan ang magandang kina ukasan ay hindi pangarap lamang, agkus natutupad. Sama,sama tayo sa tungkuling ito. *ay papel na gagampanan ang negosyante, pinunong ayan at sim ahan, sampu ng mga nasa lala#igan. a#at mamamayan,

(e are three ranches ut one government. (e have our disagreements7 #e each have hopes, and am itions that drive and divide us, e they personal, ethnic, religious and cultural. )ut #e are one nation #ith one fate. -s your President, " care too much a out this nation to let anyone stand in the #ay of our people+s #ell eing. <indi ko papayagang humadlang ang sinuman sa pag,unlad at pagsagana ng taong ayan. " #ill let no one ; and no one+s political plans ; threaten our nation+s survival. 0ur country and our people have never failed to e there for us. (e must e there for them no#. *araming salamat. *agandang hapon sa inyong lahat.