Lakas-Kampi-CMD presidential bet Gilberto "Gibo" Teodoro Jr. is best to be at the helm of the country in times of national crises, a key leader of the Filipino-Chinese business community said Friday.

At the first council meeting of the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc. (FFCCCII), Alfonso Uy, FFCCCII national president, said Teodoro’s extraordinary crisis leadership typifies the spirit of Filipino-Chinese volunteerism that is geared at mitigating the effect of disasters on peoples' lives without media fanfare and mileage.

“That is extraordinary leadership, when you do something good without expecting public adulation in return,” he said.

Teodoro was welcomed warmly by an enthusiastic gathering of the influential FFCCCII, which has 170 member-organizations nationwide.

Uy said that Teodoro, the assembly’s guest speaker, has been an active partner of the FFCCCII in the chambers’ activities in the latter’s capacity as chairman of the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) until November of last year.

"During relief operations for typhoons Frank and Ondoy, we saw how effective, methodical and hardworking a crisis manger Secretary Teodoro is," Uy told the meeting to resounding applause by participants.

In his remarks, Teodoro said the lessons of the two powerful typhoons should prod the government to come up with a doable response organization at the level of local governments.

Teodoro envisioned a national agency that would coordinate and implement all disaster-control activities between the national government and local government units. The services would include emergency shelter, medical and water supply teams as well as plans for psychological counseling for disaster victims.

The 1989 Bar topnotcher and Harvard-trained lawyer also vowed he would build a kinder, gentler government under a national leadership attuned to the aspirations of majority of Filipinos.
“It is important for a president to listen and consult with his countrymen through an exchange of ideas," Teodoro said, stressing how important it is to create a "principled and responsible consensus for the country."

He further said that Filipinos learn to benefit from the diversity and richness of the national culture and not to pursue a homogenous national identity, which he described as unachievable.

The Philippines should instead, “embrace its rich culture and its mixture of people of different religions from our interactions with other countries throughout the century," he said.