Speech of Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye during the Induction Program of the Rotary Club of Uptown Dagupan 2006 |
De Luxe Grand Ballroom, Dagupan City, (02 July 2006) |
| Good evening to all of
you. I congratulate the incoming directors and officers of the Rotary Club of Uptown Dagupan 2000, and I thank you for inviting me to be part of this event. There is no way I could turn down your president, Edna Gonzales, who is my kumadre twice over - I stood as ninong at the wedding of her daughter Candy and son-in-law Chris, while she stood as ninang at the wedding of my daughter Trisha and son-in-law Joy. Our daughters were roommates at the Ateneo and remain as close as sisters. So here I am tonight , even if it meant coming straight from the airport after President Arroyo's official visits in the Vatican, Rome and Madrid where she had the great opportunity to meet with His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, the newly installed President and Prime Minister of Italy, the King and Queen as well as the Prime Minister of Spain. You all understand very well the word 'commitment' because, as Rotarians, you have brought to the world the idea of service above self to a higher level. For that, we can all give ourselves a well deserved warm applause. I know that the First Gentleman and Her Excellency, the President, are active and proud members of the Rotary Club. Across the archipelago, Rotarians are in the forefront of civic action, done quietly yet effectively, as a community of servant-leaders. As you proceed to help others, I hope that you will consider serving as ambassadors and ambassadresses of goodwill for government, so that more people would know the good news, and benefit from a renewed sense of trust in our institutions. Our vision, as often enunciated by President Arroyo, is permanent political and economic stability to take the Philippines to the threshold of the First World in twenty years. To realize that vision, we need to sustain our development efforts. We must forge ahead, against all political odds, to create an environment geared for excellence, not further divisiveness. The Rotary Club of Uptown Dagupan 2000 can be a pillar of our public diplomacy efforts. Your members are well-regarded in the community, if not the province. Your hearts are in the right place, and your motives unassailable. I urge you to help us build a reservoir of optimism within Philippine society, by spreading good news, and assuring others that positive reforms are underway. What is our good news? For one, President Arroyo's efforts to conquer poverty has gained public support from world leaders including Pope Benedict, who commended the President for a job well done. Our targets to Beat the Odds, as contained in the Medium Term Philippine Development Plan - continue to be on track. Urgent fiscal challenges have been resolved, because our people chose to sacrifice for long-term national gain. Tourist arrivals continue to increase; Filipino workers are in demand in all parts of the globe; the Information Technology and Business Process Outsourcing industries continue to create jobs by the thousands; industrial peace is on hand with the lowest number of strikes ever recorded in recent history. There is so much to be thankful for, yet very little information has reached our people. Our good news is not about government, but about the synergy between government and the governed. It also springs from strong local political power, where the wellsprings of vigilance and enterprise are born in the barangays, where people come together to decide how to solve their problems, using their own hands, tools and resources. The key to progress and stability is less power in the hands of the national government and more power to the local governments, private enterprises, and in the hands of Filipino citizens. The key to progress and stability is more democracy, less political rancor and distrust. Now is the time to once more cast aside partisan strife and personal interests in order for our country to move forward. Later this month, the President will deliver her State of the Nation Address at the opening of Congress. We call on our people to rally by her side, and not join the voices of discord who wish her toppled for selfish gains. We also welcome the initiatives of various sectors in spearheading an information drive on Charter reforms - be it pro or anti - because this percolates the issues in the public mind on how to improve our system of governance. A brighter future beckons for all of us if only we work together as one nation and stay the course. I shall spare you the volumes of data and statistics on how much we have achieved or how we intend to bring our country forward. Suffice it to say that the future, in its full glory and bloom, lies in our hands and we must all rise to the challenge. We are in this journey together. The Rotarians of Dagupan and we, your public servants, will go the distance in creating an achieving and just society. Like all Rotarians, the challenge before every Filipino is to follow your motto of "Service Above Self." We have a great nation, a race that is second to none in terms of skills, courage, and industry. We must, however, rise above our affliction of ignoring good news in favor of petty and negative developments in the political arena. To our Rotarians, especially the new and incoming officers, I invite you to help the Office of the Press Secretary share the good news among our people. Be instruments of hope; vehicles of optimism. Let us be grateful to be Filipinos, and as Filipinos let us be good citizens of the world. But first, let us start here at home. We must be proud of our achievements in turning the economy around, and building a strong foundation for a brighter future for our children. Congratulations, once again, and more power to all of you |