Keynote
Speech of
VICE PRESIDENT NOLI DE CASTRO
13th
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 21ST
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.
©
Copyright
2005
Office of the Vice President (OVP)
Management Information Services
Division (MISD). All rights reserved.
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