Ms. Dale Zapata
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KABAYAN CALLS ON BUSINESSMEN TO LEAD IN UNIFYING NATION
19 August 2005


Saying that this is no time for fingerpointing and lauding the conference’s theme, “Crossing boundaries
together”, Vice-President and concurrent Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) chairman Noli “Kabayan” De Castro challenged the businessmen at the 13th Metro Manila Business Conference held at the Westin Philippine Plaza in Pasay City to lead and show the way towards unifying a seemingly fragmented society brought about by political bickering.


A stimulating challenge stares us in the face in the midst of all these uncertainties. This is the challenge of forging a common direction and harnessing the national effort towards development and
competitiveness.


The Vice-President explained that this is in addition to the other challenges that create intense pressures on local industries to open up and embrace change. These challenges are globalization, trade liberalization and technological advancement.


The Vice-President acknowledged that the free movement of goods and services bring with it threats and opportunities. But he exhorted the skeptics to instead prepare for the threats, and, more importantly, not lose sight of the opportunities.


As to technological advancement, Vice-President De Castro admitted that among its benefit is the closer inter-connection of islands, countries, and continents that virtually broke the barriers of communication and travel and allowed our major media networks to extend their reach to Filipinos abroad.


The Vice-President is confident that the local businessmen will rise to the occasion and would be dynamic enough to hurdle these challenges.


At the same time, he reminded them that they have the duty to be responsible corporate citizens who would follow the law, pay the right amount of taxes on time, and continue providing jobs and open opportunities in the economy.


Kaakibat ng mga responsibilidad na ito ay ang pagtutulungan  upang maitaas natin ang antas ng pamumuhay sa ating bansa.

                                                                     
Vice-President De Castro also took the opportunity to solicit their support for the upliftment of the lives
of the poor by being part of their dream of staying in a safe community and in a house they can truly call their own saying this is one good example where fellowship with the depressed sector could lead to a unified community.


For the part of the government, he mentioned that the HUDCC through the key shelter agencies (KSAs), undertook the following measures to revitalize the housing sector and make it healthy and viable: sustained investment-friendly business climate in housing by providing incentives for housing investments and reduced red tape in government agencies, embarked on organizational restructuring, streamlining, collection efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and transparency on the KSAs, supported the development of local government capacities in providing housing and shelter security, and addressed the housing requirements of the informal settlers and the urban poor.


In closing, the Vice-President asserts disunity will destroy the nation and it is up to us not to allow this to happen. He urged everyone not to forget a deeper boundary that we should also learn to cross --- the boundaries of political loyalties and personal interests. Together, he believes, the Filipinos could
cross boundaries and face the economies of the world but need to face them as one strong and competitive nation.