MAGANDANG UMAGA SA LAHAT NG
MGA NAMUMUNO AT KAWANI NG BUREAU OF CUSTOMS, LALONG HIGIT ANG ENFORCEMENT
AND SECURITY SERVICE, NA NAGDIRIWANG NG KANILANG IKA-DALAWAMPUNG ANIBERSARYO.
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO THE E.S.S. GROUP!
LET ME CONGRATULATE YOUR E.S.S. DIRECTOR, GENERAL NICASIO RADOVAN, WHO MAY
HAVE JOINED YOU FAIRLY RECENTLY, BUT NONETHELESS ADDS MUCH OF HIS POLICE
EXPERIENCE TO YOUR UNIT’S 20-YEAR HISTORY.
OF COURSE, WHILE THE E.S.S. COUNT IS 20 YEARS, THE HISTORY OF THE BUREAU
GOES ALL THE WAY BACK TO 106 YEARS – AND IN ONE FORM OR ANOTHER, PERHAPS
UNDER A DIFFERENT NAME, WHAT WE KNOW TODAY AS THE E.S.S. WAS ALREADY THERE
-- SECURING AND PROTECTING THE CUSTOMS BUREAUCRACY, PREVENTING AND
SUPPRESSING SMUGGLING.
SURELY, THE E.S.S. TODAY IS 20-YEARS-OLD, FIVE TIMES OVER!
WHEN I RECEIVED THE INVITATION TO BE WITH YOU THIS MORNING, I READILY
ACCEPTED NOT ONLY BECAUSE GEN. RADOVAN IS A DEAR FRIEND, BUT MORE BECAUSE I
WANTED TO BE WITH YOU, AND THANK YOU, PERSONALLY, FOR DOING A GOOD JOB, AND
IN FACT MAKING MY OWN JOB, POSSIBLE!
YOU SEE, IN ADDITION TO BEING THE PRESIDENT’S STAFF AS PMS SECRETARY, I HAVE
MONITORING AND OVERSIGHT OF THE PRESIDENT’S PRIORITY INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM,
PRINCIPALLY THE MAJOR PROJECTS IN THE FIVE SUPER REGIONS CREATED BY THE
PRESIDENT MORE THAN TWO YEARS AGO.
THESE PROJECTS, WHICH WILL COST SOME P2.06 TRILLION UNDER THE UPDATED
COMPREHENSIVE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT PROGRAM, ARE MADE POSSIBLE BY YOUR
RELENTLESS EFFORTS TO RAISE CUSTOMS REVENUES.
LAST YEAR, CUSTOMS REVENUES REACHED 210 BILLION PESOS, A MODEST INCREASE OF
6.2% OVER THE 2006 LEVELS, BUT A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS OUR
EFFORTS TO BALANCE THE BUDGET, AND FINALLY PUT OUR FISCAL HOUSE IN FINE
ORDER.
MY MEETINGS AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENTS, UNTIL NOW, HAVE MOSTLY BEEN WITH THE
INFRA BUILDERS AND SPENDERS. LAST YEAR WE HAD THE 2ND INFRASTRUCTURE FORUM
IN MANILA. TWO WEEKS AGO, WE HAD THE 3RD INFRASTRUCTURE FORUM IN DAVAO. IN
ANOTHER TWO MONTHS, A SIMILAR FORUM FOR THE VISAYAS WILL BE HELD IN BOHOL.
THIS IS A COMING TOGETHER OF THE INVESTORS AND LENDERS, BOTH LOCAL AND
FOREIGN, THE CONSTRUCTORS AND IMPLEMENTORS, THE LGU’S AND LINE DEPARTMENTS,
N.G.O. AND OTHER AID PARTNERS, TO CLEAR BOTTLENECKS IN IMPLEMENTATION AND
BROADEN SUPPORT FOR AND PARTICIPATION IN THE PROJECTS.
UNDER THE SUPER REGIONS DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY, SELECTED REGIONS AND PROVINCES
ARE GROUPED ACCORDING TO THEIR ECONOMIC STRENGTHS, TO STIMULATE ECONOMIC
GROWTH, SPREAD DEVELOPMENT AWAY FROM METRO MANILA, AND SET THE COUNTRY IN
STEP WITH ITS ASIAN NEIGHBORS.
WE HAVE THE FOLLOWING SUPER REGIONS, WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE DEVELOPMENT
THEMES:
- THE NORTH LUZON
AGRIBUSINESS QUADRANGLE (NLAQ), WHICH COVERS THE ILOCOS AND CORDILLERA
REGIONS AND THE NORTHERN PART OF CENTRAL LUZON, AND SHALL FOCUS ON
AGRIBUSINESS DEVELOPMENT;
- THE LUZON URBAN BELTWAY
(LUB) SHALL SERVE AS A GLOBALLY COMPETITIVE LOGISTICS AND SERVICES HUB
SPANNING FROM CENTRAL LUZON TO THE CALABARZON DOWN TO THE PROVINCES OF
OCCIDENTAL MINDORO, ORIENTAL MINDORO, AND MARINDUQUE;
- THE CENTRAL PHILIPPINES,
WITH ITS CENTRAL THEME OF TOURISM DEVELOPMENT, IS COMPOSED OF THE ENTIRE
BICOL REGION, THE VISAYAS, AS WELL AS THE PROVINCES OF PALAWAN, ROMBLON,
AND THE ISLANDS OF CAMIGUIN, AND SIARGAO;
- THE MINDANAO
AGRIBUSINESS SUPER REGION, WHICH COVERS THE WHOLE OF MINDANAO AND THE
AUTONOMOUS REGION OF MUSLIM MINDANAO (ARMM), SHALL ALSO FOCUS ON
AGRIBUSINESS DEVELOPMENT;
- AND
THE CYBER CORRIDOR, WHICH SPANS FROM BAGUIO TO DAVAO, SHALL PROMOTE
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY AND THE KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY.
EACH SUPER REGION’S
DEVELOPMENT THRUST SHALL BE REALIZED THROUGH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF
INFRASTRUCTURE AND SOCIAL PROJECTS, WHICH ARE ALL PART OF THE PRESIDENT’S
SOCIAL PAYBACK PROGRAM.
ANOTHER PART OF SOCIAL PAYBACK IS THE PROMOTION OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP THROUGH
MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT OF MSME.
IN ADDITION TO MY DUTIES AS PMS SECRETARY AND INFRASTRUCTURE MONITOR, I HAVE
ALSO BEEN GIVEN OVERSIGHT OF THE PRESIDENT’S MSME PROGRAM.
FROM 2004 TO 2007, SOME 203.61 BILLION PESOS HAVE BEEN RELEASED IN LOANS TO
3.65 MILLION MSME CLIENTS, CREATING MORE THAN 2.1 MILLION NEW JOBS.
ABOUT 3.6 MILLION OF THOSE BORROWERS ARE IN THE MICROFINANCE CATEGORY --
WITH LOANS AS LOW AS P3,000, PAID OVER CYCLES OF THREE MONTHS OR LESS -- AND
IT IS IN THEM THAT WE HAVE SEEN THE MOST DRAMATIC AND HEART-WARMING IMPACTS.
ABOUT 33% OF THOSE BORROWERS ARE FARMERS; 23% FISHERFOLK; 27% IN THE
INFORMAL SECTOR; AND, MOSTLY PART OF THE SO-CALLED UNDERGROUND ECONOMY THAT
OUR CRITICS SAY WE DO NOT SERVE.
CONSIDER SOME OF THE LIVES CHANGED BY THE MICROFINANCE PROGRAM: ELIZABETH
BEDRA, OWNS A FLEET OF TRICYCLES FROM A P5,000.00 LOAN; SALVACION CANLAS,
FROM UNEMPLOYED SQUATTER, NOW SUPPLIES DOORMATS TO SHOEMART; VIRGINIA BORDE,
RENTS OUT TRACTORS AND AGRI-MACHINERIES; LETICIA GERONA, MAKES BABY DRESSES;
MYRNA BORATA, RESELLS AND REPACKS SUNDRY ITEMS; EDITH SANTIAGO, RECYCLES
TETRA PACKS INTO ACCESSORIES -- THE LIST CAN GO ON, DIFFERING ONLY IN NAMES
AND INGENUITY, BUT HAVING THE SAME LIFE-CHANGING EFFECT.
I DO NOT TROT OUT THESE
STORIES AND PROGRAMS TO DAZE YOU WITH THE NUMBERS. OR DAZZLE YOU WITH THE
IMPACTS.
I BRING THEM UP THAT YOU MAY SHARE WITH US THE SENSE OF ACHIEVEMENT, THE
FULFILLMENT, AND THE SWELLING PRIDE THAT CAN ONLY COME FROM KNOWING THAT WE
ARE DOING OUR JOB, AND DOING IT WELL.
AT THIS TIME WHEN THE PUBLIC IS RELENTLESSLY HARANGUED, IN MEDIA AND IN THE
FORUM OF CHOICE OF OUR CRITICS, WITH ALL KINDS OF CHARGES AND ALLEGATIONS,
FLIMSY AND BASELESS AS THEY WERE, IT IS EASIER TO SHRINK AND SHRIVEL, TO
DUCK AND HIDE, FEARING THAT THE PUBLIC HAS ALREADY CONDEMNED US.
WHEN YOU SHOULD BE AT THAT JUNCTURE OF UNDESERVED SELF-SHAME, AND UNJUST
PUBLIC CONDEMNATION, BEFORE YOU HANG YOUR HEAD LOW, THINK OF ELIZABETH BEDRA,
OF SALVACION CANLAS, OF VIRGINIA BORATA, AND THE OVER 3 MILLION LIVES THAT
HAVE BEEN CHANGED BECAUSE YOU DID YOUR JOB WELL -- AND HOLD YOUR HEAD HIGH!
YOU ARE PART OF THE PRESIDENT’S LEGACY TEAM. AND YOU HAVE EVERY REASON TO BE
PROUD OF IT.
WHEN I MEET AGAIN WITH OUR IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES, I SHALL TELL THEM ALL IS
WELL WITH OUR REVENUE GENERATING PARTNERS.
I KNOW YOUR TARGETS HAVE BEEN RAISED. BUT I UNDERSTAND EVERY EFFORT IS BEING
MADE TO MEET THOSE TARGETS.
AS THE PRESIDENT ALWAYS REMINDS US: MUCH HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED; MORE NEEDS
TO BE DONE.
IF I MAY ADD MY OWN MANTRA: THE REWARD OF GOOD WORK, IS MORE WORK.
SO, TO THE BUREAU THAT DID GOOD LAST YEAR, WE EXPECT MORE OF THAT GOOD WORK
THIS YEAR.
AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS TO E.S.S. ON THEIR 20TH ANNIVERSARY!
MABUHAY AND E.S.S. AT B.O.C.!
MABUHAY ANG ATING PANGULO!
MABUHAY ANG ATING BAYAN!
MABUHAY TAYONG LAHAT! |