I begin this year with a sense of urgency, but also a deep sense of hope and renewed purpose.
The nation is at a crossroads, and must move forward with decisive action in Congress, the unity of the people, and a clear direction of your elected leadership. As President of this great nation, I will provide that leadership and direction in 2005.
While it won’t be easy — nothing worth fighting for ever is — it must be done.
Simply put, we must enact vital legislation to increase revenues, pass the budget that invests in our 10-point pro-poor program, and take executive action towards wiping out corruption.
The economy is the foundation of our hope and the creation of jobs, the central organizing principle of my government. My pledge to the people of the Philippines in my election campaign of just six months ago was to create jobs, bring fresh water and electricity to those who have none, and build new classrooms and equip schools with modern technology.
I further pledge to build vital infrastructure, bring unity to our social divisions, and restore peace between Muslims and Christians in a war-torn south. And I will do it, but it will take the support of every single person in this room and resolve amongst our political and business leadership, pulling together, in the same boat, to move this nation in the right direction.
We must work together as a people and as a nation to solve our problems. Church, state, military, civilian, rich and poor — we all have a stake in the future of our nation. Collectively and as individuals, we must employ every fabric of our being to bring about the kind of community and bring the hope that the people yearn for and deserve.
I can’t do it alone nor even with a full weight of the government by my side. We need to harness the power of the nation and spark the individual power of each soul that makes up this nation, if we are to forge a new Philippines.
What lies ahead is exciting. I welcome the challenge and remain ever so hopeful that we will prevail. 2005 will be a year of transformation and change that will move the nation forward, and after the year we had in 2004 we need a brighter day ahead.
What a year it was. We face a contested election and just recently the loss of the nation’s beloved FPJ. We came face to face with the far-flung responsibilities of securing the lives of our OFWs personified in Angelo dela Cruz, the Filipino. Everyman. And most importantly, we must focus on how the year came to a close with great typhoons here in the Philippines but in the end seemed dwarfed by the tsunamis that struck our Southeast Asian neighbors. Each caused grief of unimaginable proportions and for life itself we should be thankful.
Tonight we must all take a moment to once again reflect on the power of nature and the good fortune of life itself. As we send our prayers to our loved ones, friends and neighbors here at home and abroad who don’t come with us into the new year. The death and destruction of nature is a humble reminder of our own vulnerability. And shame on us as leaders if we inflict our own political tsunami upon this great nation of ours if we don’t come together and take the bold steps necessary to get our nation back on track.
We can and must start fresh with a new year. And it must start with the powers that be that make up the leadership of this nation. Leaders in business, government, the media, civil society.
I ask you to join me to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse in government.
I ask you to help me in fighting corruption, to stop illegal logging and identify tax cheats.
I ask you to help me pass legislation in Congress to strengthen our finances and the institutions that govern us.
I ask you to help pass a national budget that will invest in the poor and allow them to live a life of dignity, meaningful work, and reward.
I ask you to help me reform the military, invest in a strong judiciary, and press for social justice.
I ask you to help develop sensible, environmentfriendly laws as we develop a safe and vital new mining sector.
And I ask you to bring hope, optimism, and vigor, working together to get this nation moving once again.
We are on the right track. Our exports are up, our growth is up, and our spending is in line. We are our own worst enemies.
We have many obstacles to overcome, but many are barriers we place in front of ourselves.
It’s time to tear down barriers and build up hope, growth, and a new optimism at the start of this New Year. Leaders in business, government, the media, civil society. This is your nation too. You are among the best and brightest. I may be President, but we need thousands of leaders to inspire our people and to do the right thing.
May it begin tonight here in this room together with our friends, friends of our country from all over the world.
I ask, therefore, everyone in this room to join me in a toast to a year of urgent change and a year of fervent hope. Mabuhay!
