Speech of Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye, PRSP |
Manila Diamond Hotel |
28 October 2004 |
| Public relations has been
defined as doing good and telling the whole world about it. In relation to my job, as
Presidential Spokesperson and concurrent Press Secretary, that means telling the whole
world all the good things that the President has done or intends to do. It means telling
the world the policies, programs of the President. I consider my work crucial in securing public understanding and acceptance of the President's policies and programs. Without the public's support, these programs will not be successfully implemented. Even in a corporate setting, where the CEO is not running for any office, he or she has to gain the support and acceptance of the organization from top to bottom in order for that corporation to attain its objectives. My daily grind consists of radio and tv interviews, preparation of media statements and conducting an almost daily briefing for the Malacanan press corps. In dealing with the so-called Malacanan brat pack, I have to perform a delicate balancing act. I have to satisfy the public's demand or need for news but at the same time I have to ensure that confidential or restricted information, whose disclosure might be prejudicial, is properly managed. My relationship with the President is based on trust and confidence and professionalism. I have the highest respect for our President and her excellent work ethic The President has been described invariably as a leader with boundless energies. A hands-on President. As shown by her handling of the Oakwood incident, a President who is very decisive and totally in command. A can do President. Very Intelligent. Deeply religious. She is all that and much more. She is a President with a clear vision of where we should be headed. She is a President who is resolved to tackle the problems of the poor with compassion, with specific solutions. She is determined and she has the capacity to put our fiscal house in order. People tell me that the work of a Presidential Spokesperson is a tough high-pressure job with awesome responsibilities. A week after my appointment, Manila Standard Editor-in-Chief Jullie Yap Daza asked me in her TV talk show how long I expected to remain. She reminded me that historically, previous holders of the position since the time of President Cory have had a very short shelf life. I told Ms. Daza that I would continue to serve for as long as I enjoy the trust the confidence of the President and for as long as I feel I have something positive to contribute. I have been on the job more than two years now, but according to my wife, and some of you may agree with her, the pressures and the wear and tear of the work do not seem to show. And what's the reason for my comparative longevity? To tell you the truth, I enjoy my work because I enjoy working for the President. I fully believe in her and I share in her vision. I have been a reporter for radio and print, a corporate and bank executive, a city mayor, chair of the Metro Manila Authority, a legislator. And yet I find this current job as one of the most challenging. I do not mind the long and odd hours because I know that my boss, President Gloria, works even longer than I do. I have accompanied her on most of her foreign trips and I have seen how she worked in the plane long after most of the members of the delegation have fallen asleep. I have seen her go from the airport after a long transcontinental flight straight to a cabinet meeting in Malacanan while other members of the party opt to go home and sleep off their jet lag. Even her close-in security people, soldiers trained to endure hardships, sometimes find it difficult to keep pace with her. Where does she get all that incredible amount of energy? A very strong driving force is her very clear vision for our country and for our people. For her, there is so much to do. But there is so little time. She sees the poverty around us. She wants to cut this by one half before the end of her term. During her inaugural address, President Gloria gave a glimpse of the governance that would pervade her new administration as well as the values and principles that we as a nation must live by in order to attain our goals. She outlined ten legacy programs which she would like to carry out before she bows out of office six years from now. She would like to leave behind -a nation with less unemployment by creating a minimum of six million jobs in six years, -a nation where all schoolchildren of school age are in school with the proper amenities conducive to learning, -where even the remotest barangays have access to electricity and clean water, -where our fiscal house is back in order because we have tamed the hge budget deficit, -where the results of elections need not wait for a month to be known, -where vital infrastructure, including, but not limited to the digital highway, are in place, -where Metro Manila has been decongested, -where key areas such as Clark and Subic are efficiently operating as vital logistics and service hubs, -where people live in peace because insurgents have beaten their swords into ploughshares and -where erstwhile divided segments of our society are reconciled under justice. President Gloria gave to the people a detailed agenda for development during her State of the Nation Address which she delivered before a joint session of Congress. She outlined five packages of executive and legislative proposals covering: 1. Job Creation and Economic Growth 2. Anti-Corruption and Good Governance 3. Social Justice and Basic Needs 4. Education Improvement and Youth Opportunity 5. Energy Independence and Savings All these, she later transformed into her very detailed Medium Term Philippine Development Plan or MTPDP. As a communicator, I have my work cut out for me. I do not have to reinvent the wheel. The MTPDP, which is a distillation of three years of planning, strategizing, piloting, experimenting , already provides the vital and core messages that I have to communicate to a wide range of audiences. As the President's spokesperson, I consider it my duty to strive to present what is good, what is productive, what will bring greater good. It is like seeing a glass of water as either half empty or half full. To move our country forward, we need to see our situation and project it in a more positive light. Positive thoughts lead to positive action and positive results. We can not do this alone. We will need all the help we can get. And that includes yours. We hope that the Public Relations Society of the Philippines will be a partner In projecting and in helping realize the President's vision for a brighter Philippines. |