Keynote Speech of

VICE PRESIDENT NOLI DE CASTRO

13^th Metro Manila Business Conference

19 August 2005

GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME TO SPEAK BEFORE YOU --- THE LEADERS AND MOVERS OF BUSINESS AND LOCAL GOVERNANCE IN METRO MANILA. THE THEME FOR YOUR CONFERENCE, “CROSSING BOUNDARIES TOGETHER,” IS VERY APPROPRIATE FOR THE DYNAMIC ENVIRONMENT THAT OUR COUNTRY IS FACING TODAY.

GLOBALIZATION AND TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE

THERE ARE TWO EXTERNAL DEVELOPMENTS THAT CREATE INTESE PRESSURES ON LOCAL INDUSTRIES TO OPEN UP AND EMBRACE CHANGE. I REFER TO THESE DEVELOPMENTS AS CHALLENGES. THEY MAY SEEM LIKE THREATS FOR THE WEAK BUT ARE REALLY OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE INNOVATIVE AND THE RISKTAKER.

THE FIRST CHALLENGE IS GLOBALIZATION AND TRADE LIBERALIZATION. WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE THREATS AND OPPORTUNITIES ARISING FROM THE FREE MOVEMENT OF GOODS AND SERVICES.

LET US PREPARE FOR THE THREATS, BUT LET US NOT LOSE SIGHT OF THE OPPORTUNITIES. WE KNOW THAT THE CONTINUING INCREASE IN OIL PRICES IS A CAUSE FOR ALARM. BUT I HOPE THIS WILL NOT IMMOBILIZE US. INSTEAD, LET US BE MORE AGGRESSIVE IN TAPPING THE POTENTIALS OF NEW PRODUCTS, SERVICES, AND MARKETS.

THE SECOND CHALLENGE IS TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT LEADING TO CLOSER INTERCONNECTION OF ISLANDS, COUNTRIES, AND CONTINENTS.

I CAN PERSONALLY RELATE TO THIS. WHEN I STARTED AS A REPORTER, AND LATER ON AS A BROADCASTER, WE USED RADIO SETS TO TRANSMIT OUR REPORTS ON THE AIR. WE HAD TO PLAN OUR TRIPS CAREFULLY DUE TO THE CONSTRAINTS OF AIR, WATER, AND LAND TRAVEL. IN THOSE DAYS, THE COMPETITION FOR LISTENERS AND VIEWERS WAS JUST CONFINED TO THE BOUNDARIES OF THE PHILIPPINES.

TODAY, AS YOU MAY HAVE OBSERVED, REPORTERS HAVE GONE BEYOND CELLULAR PHONES AND ARE REGULARLY USING SATELLITE TECHNOLOGY TO RELAY IMAGE AND VOICE TO MILLIONS OF FILIPINOS. LOCAL REPORTERS CAN NOW BE SENT TO RUN AFTER THE NEWS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT HAS BROKEN THE BARRIERS OF COMMUNICATION AND TRAVEL AND ALLOWED OUR MAJOR MEDIA NETWORKS TO EXTEND THEIR REACH TO FILIPINOS ABROAD.

INDEED, LIFE IN THE 21^ST CENTURY HAS BECOME INTERCONNECTED AND FAST CHANGING. HOW TRUE IT IS, INDEED, THAT WE LIVE IN ONE SMALL WORLD.

THE CHALLENGE OF NATIONAL UNITY

YET, WHILE THE WORLD MAY SEEM SMALL, THE PHILIPPINES SEEMS TO BE SO BIG THAT IT CAN AFFORD TO BE DIVIDED.

I SEE A THIRD CHALLENGE. AND THIS ONE COMES FROM WITHIN US. THIS IS THE CHALLEGE OF FORGING A COMMON DIRECTION AND HARNESSING THE NATIONAL EFFORT TOWARDS DEVELOPMENT AND COMPETITIVENESS.

IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT THE TURN OF EVENTS IN OUR POLITICAL LANDSCAPE HAS GENERATED TOO MUCH POLITICAL NOISE.

NAKAKALUNGKOT NA SA PANAHON NG KRISIS, ANG UNANG REAKSYON NG MARAMI AY MAGHANAP NG SISISIHIN. WALA ITONG MAIDUDULOT NA KABUTIHAN.

MERONG MGA PROSESO ANG ATING SISTEMA --- ANG ATING SALIGANG BATAS. BIGYAN NATIN NG PAGKAKATAONG MALANTAD ANG KATOTOHANAN UPANG HUMUPA NA ANG KRISIS PULITIKA.

SA GANANG AKIN, NANINIWALA AKO SA PROSESO, KAYA MAS MABUTING PAGTUUNAN NA LANG NATIN ANG ATING MGA TUNGKULIN AT GAMPANAN ITO NG TAPAT AT MAAYOS.

NANINIWALA PO AKO NA… TUNGKULIN NAMING MGA NASA GOBYERNO ANG MAGHANAP NG SOLUSYON SA PROBLEMA NG BAYAN, HINDI SA MGA PROBLEMA NG PULITIKA.

TUNGKULIN NAMING GUMAWA NG MGA PROYEKTO AT MGA PANUNTUNAN PARA SA IKABUBUTI NG LAHAT --- AT HINDI IN AID OF ATTENTION, RE-ELECTION, OR RETENTION.

KAYO NAMANG NASA BUSINESS SECTOR, TUNGKULIN NINYONG MAGING MABUTING CORPORATE CITIZENS, SUMUNOD SA BATAS, MAGBAYAD NG TAMANG BUWIS SA TAMANG PANAHON, AT KUNG MAARI, IPAGPATULOY ANG PAGBIBIGAY NG TRABAHO AT PAGBUBUKAS NG MGA OPORTUNIDAD SA EKONOMIYA.

AT KAAKIBAT NG MGA RESPONSIBILIDAD NA ITO AY ANG PAGTUTULUNGAN UPANG MAITAAS NATIN ANG ANTAS NG PAMUMUHAY SA ATING BANSA.

FORGING A UNIFIED FRONT IN HOUSING

ITO ANG PANUNTUNAN NA SINUSUNOD KO SA AKING SEKTOR: ANG HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT. NAIS KONG IBAHAGI SA INYO KUNG ANO ANG GINAGAWA NAMIN PARA TUGUNAN ANG PROBLEMA NG PABAHAY.

UNA, PINAPANATILI NAMING INVESTMENT-FRIENDLY ANG HOUSING UPANG MAENGANYO ANG MGA MAMUMUHUNAN NA MAGPASOK NG KAPITAL. KATULONG NAMIN SA GAWAING ITO ANG MGA DEVELOPERS, ANG MGA BANKO, AT IBA PANG BUSINESS GROUPS.

IKALAWA, ISINAAYOS NAMIN ANG MGA AHENSIYA NG GOBYERNO SA ILALIM NG HUDCC, SA PAMAMAGITAN NG ORGANIZATIONAL RESTRUCTURING, STREAMLINING, AT TRANSPARENCY. NAGPATUPAD KAMI NG MGA PROGRAMA UPANG PATAASIN ANG COLLECTION EFFICIENCY AT GAWING COST EFFECTIVE ANG MGA PROYEKTONG PABAHAY NG PAMAHALAAN.

IKATLO, SINUSUPORTAHAN NAMIN ANG MGA LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS UPANG MAGING MAS EPEKTIBO SILA SA PAGGAWA NG KANILANG HOUSING PROGRAMS.

AT IKA-APAT, BINIGYANG PANSIN NAMIN ANG PANGANGAILANGAN NG URBAN POOR SA PABAHAY, LALU NA YUNG NAKATIRA SA DANGER AREAS AT NASA RIGHT-OF-WAY NG MGA PROYEKTONG PANG IMPRASTRAKTURA NG PAMAHALAAN, KATULAD NG NORTHRAIL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM KUNG SAAN, ANG SECTOR NG PABAHAY ANG NAATASANG MANGUNA SA PAGLIKAS NG MGA INFORMAL SETTLERS SA RAIL RIGHT-OF-WAY NG NORTHRAIL NA HUMIGIT KUMULANG AY NASA 40,000 NA PAMILYA MULA KALOOKAN DITO SA METRO MANILA HANGGANG CLARK SA PAMPANGA.

SA PABAHAY, AT MARAHIL GANUN NA RIN SA BUONG BUSINESS SECTOR, NAKIKITA KO ANG PANGANGAILANGAN NG PAGKAKAISA UPANG HARAPIN ANG NAPAKARAMING PAGSUBOK.

I RECENTLY ASKED A GROUP OF LOCAL AND FOREIGN BUSINESS LEADERS TO SUPPORT THE HOUSING SECTOR, ESPECIALLY OUR NORTHRAIL RESETTLEMENT SITES WHICH WE CALL NORTHVILLE COMMUNITIES. AND I AM MAKING THE SAME CALL TO ALL OF YOU --- DO YOUR SHARE IN UPLIFTING THE LIVES OF THE POOR AMONG US. AND HOW MEANINGFUL IT IS FOR YOU TO BE PART OF THEIR DREAM OF STAYING IN A SAFE COMMUNITY AND IN A HOUSE THEY CAN TRULY CALL THEIR OWN. IT MATTERS NOT WHETHER YOU ARE PRO- ADMINISTRATION OR PRO- OPPOSITION. OUR HOUSING PROGRAM IS FOR EVERY FILIPINO, AND I INTEND TO KEEP IT THAT WAY.

MY FRIENDS, DISUNITY WILL DESTROY OUR NATION. LET US NOT ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN.

WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT CROSSING THE BOUNDARIES OF TRADE, COMMUNICATION, AND TRANSPORTATION. LET US NOT FORGET A DEEPER BOUNDARY THAT WE SHOULD ALSO LEARN TO CROSS --- THE BOUNDARIES OF POLITICAL LOYALTIES AND PERSONAL INTERESTS.

LET US CROSS BOUNDARIES AND FACE THE ECONOMIES OF THE WORLD. BUT LET US FACE THEM AS ONE STRONG AND COMPETITIVE NATION.

THANK YOU AND GOOD DAY TO ALL OF YOU.

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