Could It Be I'm Falling In Love?

This is my current favourite song ---Could It Be I'm Falling In Love? sung by Boyz II Men. I instantly like it the first time i heard it (just last Sunday). It's on my iPOD playlist (thanks again to NS for uploading great selections on my iPod!). Well, like is an understatement. I super LOVE it! How 'bout listening to it non-stop while going home from a hard day's work? :-)







Free MP3 Downloads at MP3-Codes.com

Kwentong 'Kutsero' :-)

11:45pm na dito. Kadarating ko lang dito sa bahay namin. Pumasyal ako sa isang kaibigang malapit nang umuwi for good sa Pinas (LT). Nakipag-chikahan at nangumusta kung kelan ang flight niya. Sinoli ko din yung kanyang damit na pinasuot sa akin minsang naggala kami sa Abu Dhabi ng grupo. Ibinalik naman niya ang all-time favorite ko na book ni Paulo Coehlo na 'The Alchemist'. Tiyak, babasahin ko na naman ulit ito. Binigay din niya yung gift sa akin ng isa pang kaibigan (si ate JR) last Christmas...hehe...Ngayon lang ito naibigay pero ok pa rin. It's the thought that counts.:-) Thanks, ate JR!

Mabilisang kwento lang ito dahil malalim na ang gabi? hehe...Naalala ko ang isang forwarded message ng isang kaopisina kanina sa ofis na nabasa daw niya sa FB. Ang sabi daw "Okay lang sa akin kung may madilim kang nakaraan, meron ka namang malabong kinabukasan sa akin." Hahaha....wala lang. :-)

Speaking of malabo, ang labo ng aking mga kwento today! hehe...Pero meron akong pinaghahandaang something BIG at MALINAW for my blog. 1st Anniversary presentation ko sana ang mga ito. Pasensiya na kelangan ko lang isulat ang mga ito dito, short memory na kasi ako ngayon. Baka may makalimutan ako.
1) change of blog lay-out (may kinausap na akong kaibigan para tulungan ako dito)
2) 1st anniv post (saktong pagbalik ko from vacation)
3) isang makabagbag damdaming tula sa wikang Ingles (been working on it since may, hindi pa buo pero target posting date ko is by end of this month, last post ko naman ito before my blog anniv)

Time checked. 12:02 am. Yan na ang pinakamabilis kong kwento. I'm now signing off. Gudnyt! :-)

christmas presents ni ate JR last Dec 09

na ngaun lang naibigay sa akin (thru LT) :-)

one great book that i highly recommend to read!!!

"when you really want something,

all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it."

-a quotable line from the book

Note: Photos uploaded on 13 Aug 2010

Halu-Halong Balita Ngayong Araw

Unang Balita
Nakatanggap ako kanina sa ofis ng forwarded message na nagsasabing effective 01 Aug 2010, ay mandatory na ang membership at contribution sa Pag-ibig Fund ng mga OFW na katulad ko. No PAG-IBIG means No OEC at No POEA Registration. Wala naman akong violent reaction na narinig sa mga kasamahan ko patungkol dito. Good news din ito sa mga nagbabalak mag-housing loan. :-)

Pangalawang Balita
Tahimik ako kanina sa bus. Seryosong sound trip ang aking 'trip'. Dahil meron akong 420 songs na bagong kanta sa iPod ko! Thank you NS!

Medyo nakaidlip pa ako nang mag-ring ang aking phone. Si pinsan from Abu Dhabi :-). Nangungumusta lang daw. Sabi ko sa kanya, bukod sa pangungumusta sa akin baka meron pa siyang gustong sabihin? Natawa siya kasi yun lang daw talaga at na-miss niya lang ako bigla. Masaya naman si pinsan at okay naman ang naging birthday party niya last weekend. (na gustung-gusto kong puntahan kaya lang nauna ang isang okasyon na ako pa ang nag-schedule) I asked him na padala naman niya ako ng pics para naman makita ko ang naging party niya.

Hindi pa nagtatapos dun ang istorya. Pagdating ko sa bahay, may natanggap akong text message sa aking pinsan. Sabi niya, 'teh, tsaka ko na lang ipapakilala sa'yo ang aking bagong lovelife.' Natural naging maligalig na naman ako pagkabasa nito. Tinawagan ko agad ito. Pinaalalahan ko lang naman. Wala namang problema sa akin ito. Tanggap ko naman. Hangad ko lamang ang kaligayahan ng aking pinsan. Good news ito para sa aking pinsan. :-)


Pangatlo at Huling Balita
Nakaugalian ko na ang magpunta at dumalaw sa aking mga sinusubaybayang blog. Kahit nga wala silang bagong post, pumupunta pa rin ako. Wala lang, naging routine ko na. hehe...Ngayong araw na ito, natuwa ako kasi may bagong post ang isa sa mga sinusubaybayan ko. Click agad ako sa blog niya nang biglang ooopppppsssss....problema.....mukhang ni-private na niya ang blog niya..hindi na ito open to public...kaya yun medyo nalungkot at napaisip bakit kaya? hindi ko na din ito malalalaman. Bad news naman ito para sa akin. :-(

A Date With Baby MJohn :-)

I have a good news! Nakipag-date na ako dito sa Dubai! Yipeee!!!!!Yes, I had a date with Baby MJohn! :-)
Noong July 23, 2010, isang araw bago ang birthday ni baby MJohn, ni-meet ko sina ID at ate E sa may Fun City sa Reef Mall. Walking distance lang sa aming bahay ito. Walang children's party si MJ sa birthday niya. Napagdesisyunan ng mag-asawa (RD&ID) na kami-kami na lang ang mag-celebrate. Nasa business trip din kasi si RD. Dahil adult's party ang mangyayari, lahat seafoods ang magiging handa! hmmmmm..sarap. Kaya naman kinailangang magpunta ng Fish Market nina ID at ate E.

Habang kami naman ni MJohn ay super bonding! First time maiwan sa akin ni baby MJohn. Super nag-enjoy ako!!!!!!!! Ang bait-bait na bata talaga. Ni hindi siya sinumpong or nag-tantrums sa mahigit dalawang oras naming magkasama. Napagtanto ko din na pwedi pala akong maging tagapag-alaga ng bata or better yet maging isang nanay ng bata balang-araw. Hindi ko namalayan ang oras. Walang tigil sa paglalaro si baby MJohn. Habang ako naman ay stage mom ang dating. Picture dito, picture doon kay MJohn. May dala-dala ding bottled water at pampunas ng pawis.

Ito ang ilan sa mga pictures ni MJohn, habang sakay ang mga paborito niyang laruan--lahat ng klase ng sasakyan, basta may manibela! :-)

baby MJohn as taxi driver. :-)

MJohn, lipat tayo di ko alam tawag sa sinasakyan mo. :-)

sa tingin ko isa itong pang F-1 race. :-)


dump truck naman yata ito. :-)


London Big Bus naman ito :-)




baby MJohn, that one is for big guy...
wag ka muna agad lumaki para baby ka pa naming matagal ha..:-)

napagod ako dito at naupo sa isang massage chair;

kinukulit ako dito ni baby MJohn para maglaro pa.

aba sympre nagpakulit ako, who can't resist this very lovable baby? :-)

Napakasaya ni MJohn sa naging date namin. Actually, the feeling is mutual. As in super happy din ako. Natapos ang date namin dahil dumating na ang nanay at tagapag-alaga ni MJohn. Proud nanay ang aking kaibigan si ID dahil napakabait ng kanyang anak. Kuwento ko sa kanya, hindi ako pinahirapan ni MJohn..hehe...Sabay-sabay na kaming umuwi sa bahay ng aking kaibigan (sa Mirdiff) dahil nag-sleepover ako sa kanila for MJohn's birthday kinabukasan naman.

sarap ng handa ni MJohn! :-)

nabusog kaming mga oldies! hehe

(relyenong bangus, alimasag seaside style,

seafood palabok, buttered shrimp,

cake na thomas & friends- fave cartoons ito ni MJ,

avocado shake, yung tinapay for pic purpose only,

breakfast namin after naming magsimba sa st. mary's)

Stress Buster

Sobrang stress ako kanina. Naramdaman ko ang pagsakit ng batok ko. Mukhang kailangan ko na namang bumalik sa physiotherapy. Naalala ko meron pa akong natitirang ilang session for body massage sa kanila.


Pero bakit nga ba ako stress kanina? Muli kong babalikan ngayon...hehe.
1) meron akong close friend dito na may pinagdaraanan na mabigat na problema ngayon. very strong naman siya sa pagharap nito. sabi ko sa kanya, it will pass too. pero hindi ko maiwasang mag-worry pa rin para sa kanya. ako lang din ang nakakaalam sa pinagdaraanan niya ngayon, wala akong ibang taong mapagsabihan. i pray na sana maging maayos ang lahat lahat sa kanya.
2) dagdag stress din ang work ko kanina, month-end closing.
3) at ang humabol na naka-stress pa sa akin (yata) ay nang tawagan ako ng isang kaibigan at magkwento na napuyat daw siya kagabi dahil sa kakabasa ng blog ko (na ayaw na ayaw kong ipabasa sa mga kakilala ko). at biglang tanong sa akin na sino daw si XXXXX? sabay sabing napaka-sikreto ko daw talaga. This is one of the reasons kaya ayaw kong malaman nila itong blog ko. Ni-blog ko na dati wala naman akong magagawa, open to public ang blog ko.
Naalala ko tuloy nang minsang mag heart-to-heart talk kami ng isang kaibigan. She had opened her whole heart to me which I really appreciate. I believe marunong naman akong magpahalaga sa tiwala na binibigay sa akin. Kaya naman nakaramdam ako ng lungkot (konting-konti lang naman) when few days after ng aming masinsinang pag-uusap na iyon ay pinaalalahan ako na 'off-the-record' daw ang aming napag-usapan. Baka daw kasi mai-blog ko ito at mabasa ng iba. :-( . Naiintindahan ko naman ang aking kaibigan.

Mabigat tuloy ang pakiramdam ko kaninang uwian. Stressed na stressed. Needed help! hehe...Kaya tinawagan ko ang aking nanay. Nangumusta lang at nakibalita sa pagkuha niya ng passport. Kahapon kasi ang appointment niya. Good news! makukuha na daw niya ang passport niya sa August 20! Yipppeeee!!!!!!Na-excite ako kasi ibig sabihin matutuloy ang aming Hongkong trip sa bakasyon ko sa September! Gustung-gusto ko kasi makapasyal ang aking nanay sa ibang bansa. :-) And I think, now is the right time para magawa ko ito. Habang single pa ako at wala pang sariling pamilya. Pagkasabi ng aking ina sa good news, biglang tumaas na ang energy level ko. Nawala ang lahat ng stress na nararamdaman ko. hehe. Sabi ko sa nanay ko, ipadala sa akin agad ang scan copy ng passport niya pagka-received para makapagpa-book na ako ng flight namin dito pa lang. EXCITED na talaga ako! :-)

After 20 Years...

Finally! nai-send na ng pinsan ko ang aming pictorials nung 'gumala' kami noong July 03, 2010 (Sabado). Sabi ko nga sa kanya after 20 years....hehe..of course, exaggerated lang ako after almost a month lang naman. Sobrang busy lang ni cousin ngayon dahil daw sa training niya. :-)

Kanina sa ofis na-received ko ang Part 1 ng mga pictures namin (more to come!!!lolz). Tumawag pa si cuz dahil 'nagpapaliwanag'. Hehe, alam niya kasing matagal ko ng inaantay ang mga backpics namin para mai-post ko nga dito. Tsaka pinaghirapan naming gawin ang mga ito. Kahihiyan namin ang aming itinaya dito. Haha.....

si pinsan (CP) at ako :-)

feeling modelo kami.hehe.

ako kasama si Burj Khalifa.lolz.

si AB (friend ni Jo) at ako sa Metro Station
natuwa si Jo nung ibalita kong gumala kami kasama si AB.
sabi naman ni ID, nagsama ang dalawang 'naiwan' ni Jo. hehe.

SONA

Ang mga Pilipino kahit saan mang sulok sila ng mundo ay hindi matatawaran ang pagmamahal sa Inang Bayan. Malayo man sila o malapit, ramdam mo ang concern sa kanilang Bansang Sinilangan.

Kanina sa ofis ay nakibahagi lahat ng mga Kabayan sa unang SONA ni Pangulong Noynoy Aquino. Hindi kami nahirapang makakuha ng kopya ng SONA dahil napaka-resourceful ng aking mga kasama.


State of the Nation Address
of His Excellency Benigno S. Aquino III
President of the Philippines
to the Congress of the Philippines
Session Hall of the House of Representatives
July 26, 2010[Batasan Pambansa Complex, Quezon City]

(ENGLISH TRANSLATION PROVIDED BY NOYNOY MEDIA BUREAU)

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte; Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile; Vice President Jejomar Binay, Chief Justice Renato Corona, Former Presidents Fidel Valdez Ramos and Joseph Ejercito Estrada; Members of the House of Representatives and the Senate; distinguished members of the diplomatic corps;

My beloved countrymen:

Our administration is facing a forked road. On one direction, decisions are made to protect the welfare of our people; to look after the interest of the majority; to have a firm grip on principles; and to be faithful to the public servant’s sworn oath to serve the country honestly.This is the straight path.

On the other side, personal interest is the priority, and where one becomes a slave to political considerations to the detriment of our nation.

This is the crooked path.

For a long time, our country lost its way in the crooked path. As days go by (since I became President), the massive scope of the problems we have inherited becomes much clearer. I could almost feel the weight of my responsibilities.

In the first three weeks of our administration, we discovered many things, and I will report to you some of the problems we have uncovered, and the steps we are taking to solve them.
This report is merely a glimpse of our situation. It is not the entire picture of the crises we are facing. The reality was hidden from our people, who seem to have been deliberately obfuscated on the real state of our nation.

In the first six years of this year, government expenditure exceeded our revenues. Our deficit further increased to PhP196.7 billion. Our collection targets, which lack PhP23.8 billion, were not fully met, while we went beyond our spending by PhP45.1 billion.

Our budget for 2010 is PhP1.54 trillion. Of this, only PhP100 billion - or 6.5% of the total budget – can be used for the remaining six months of the current year. Roughly 1% of the total budget is left for each of the remaining month.

Where did the funds go?

A calamity fund worth PhP2 billion was reserved in preparation for anticipated calamities. Of this already miniscule amount, at a time when the rainy season has yet to set in, PhP1.4 billion or 70% was already spent.

The entire province of Pampanga received PhP108 million. Of this, PhP105 million went to only one district. On the other hand, the province of Pangasinan, which was severely affected by Typhoon Pepeng, received a mere PhP5 million, which had to be used to fix damages inflicted not even by Pepeng, but by a previous typhoon, Cosme.

The funds were released on election month, which was seven months after the typhoon. What will happen if a typhoon arrives tomorrow? The fund has been used up to repair damage from typhoons that hit us last year. Our future will pay for the greed of yesterday.

This is also what happened to the funds of the MWSS. Just recently, people lined up for water while the leadership of the MWSS rewarded itself even though the pensions of retired employees remain unpaid.

The entire payroll of the MWSS amounts to 51.4 million pesos annually. But this isn’t the full extent of what they receive: they receive additional allowances and benefits amounting to 81.1 million pesos. In short, they receive 211.5 million pesos annually. Twenty four percent of this is for normal salaries, and sixty six percent is added on.

The average worker receives up to 13th month pay plus a cash gift. In the MWSS, they receive the equivalent of over thirty months pay if you include all their additional bonuses and allowances.

What we discovered in the case of the salaries of their board of trustees is even more shocking. Let’s take a look at the allowances they receive:

Attending board of trustees and board committee meetings, and you get fourteen thousands pesos. This totals ninety eight thousand pesos a month. They also get an annual grocery incentive of eighty thousand pesos.

And that’s not all. They get a mid-year bonus, productivity bonus, anniversary bonus, year-end bonus, and financial assistance. They not only get a Christmas bonus, but an additional Christmas package as well. Each of these amounts to eighty thousand pesos. All in all, each member of the board receives two and a half million pesos a year exclusive of car service, technical assistance, and loans. Let me repeat. They award themselves all of these while being in arrears for the pensions of their retired employees.

Even the La Mesa watershed wasn’t spared. In order to ensure an adequate supply of water, we need to protect our watersheds. In watersheds, trees are needed. Where there should be trees, they built homes for the top officials of the MWSS.

We cannot remove them from their positions quickly because they are among the midnight appointees of former president Arroyo. We are investigating all of these things. But if they have any shame left, they should voluntarily relinquish their positions.

Now let’s discuss funds for infrastructure. The DPWH identified two hundred forty six priority safety projects to be funded by the motor vehicle user’s charge. This needs a budget of 425 million pesos. What they ended up funding were only 28 projects. They disregarded 218 projects and replaced these with seventy projects that weren’t in the plans. The 425 million pesos originally asked for became 480 million pesos, increasing because of projects allocated for a favored few.

These projects make no sense: unstudied and unprepared for, sprouting like mushrooms.
The era of such projects is at an end. Under our administration, there will be no quotas, there will be no overpricing, the funds of the people will be spent for the people.

There’s more. Five days before the term of the previous administration ended, they ordered 3.5 billion pesos to be released for the rehabilitation of those affected by typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng. This was supposed to fund eighty-nine projects. But nineteen of these projects amounting to 981 million pesos didn’t go through public bidding. Special Allotment Release Orders hadn’t even been released and yet the contracts were already signed. It’s a good thing Secretary Rogelio Singson spotted and stopped them. Instead, they will all go through the proper bidding, and the funds will be used to provide relief to those who lost their homes due to typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng.

Let’s discuss what happened in Napocor. From 2001 to 2004, the government forced Napocor to sell electricity at a loss to prevent increases in electricity rates. The real motivation for this is that they were preparing for the election.

As a result, in 2004, NAPOCOR slumped deeply in debt. The government was obligated to shoulder the 200 billion pesos it owed.

What the public thought they saved from electricity, we are now paying for using public coffers. Not only are we paying for the cost of electricity; we are also paying for the interest arising from the debt.

If the money we borrowed was used properly, then there would be added assurance that constant supply of electricity is available. However, this decision was based on bad politics, not on the true needs of the people. The people, after having to sacrifice, suffered even more.

This is also what happened to the MRT. The government tried again to buy the people’s love. The operator was forced to keep the rates low.

In effect, the guarantee given to the operator that he will still be able to recoup his investment was not fulfilled. Because of this, Landbank and the Development Bank of the Philippines were ordered to purchase the MRT.

The money of the people was used in exchange for an operation that was losing money.
Let us now move on to the funds of the National Food Authority (NFA).

In 2004: 117,000 metric tons (of rice) was the shortage in the supply of the Philippines. What they (the government) bought were 900,000 metric tons. Even if you multiply for more than seven times the amount of shortage, they still bought more than what was needed.

In 2007: 589,000 metric tons was the shortage in the supply of the Philippines. What they bought were 1.827 million metric tons. Even if you multiply for more than three times the amount of shortage, they again bought more than what was needed.

What hurts is, because they keep purchasing more than what they need year after year, the excess rice that had to be stored in warehouses ended up rotting, just like what happened in 2008.

Is this not a crime, letting rice rot, despite the fact that there are 4 million Filipinos who do not eat three times a day?

The result is NFA’s current debt of 177 billion pesos.

This money that was wasted could have funded the following:

- The budget of the entire judiciary, which is at 12.7 billion pesos this year.
- The Conditional Cash Transfers for the following year, which cost 29.6 billion pesos.
- All the classrooms that our country needs, which cost 130 billion pesos.

This way of doing things is revolting. Money was there only to be wasted.

You have heard how the public coffers were squandered. This is what is clear to me now: change can only come from our determination to stamp out this extravagance and profligacy.
That is why starting now: we will stop the wasteful use of government funds. We will eradicate projects that are wrong.

This is the point of what we call the zero-based approach in our budget. What used to be the norm was every year, the budget merely gets re-enacted without plugging the holes.
Next month we will be submitting a budget that accurately identifies the problem and gives much attention on the right solution.

Those that I have mentioned were only some of the problems we have discovered. Here now are examples of the steps we are undertaking to solve them.

There is a case of one pawnshop owner. He purchased a vehicle at an estimated cost of 26 million pesos.

If he can afford to buy a Lamborghini, why can’t he pay his taxes?

A case has already been filed against him. Through the leadership of Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, BIR Commissioner Kim Henares, Customs Commissioner Lito Alvarez, and Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, every week we have new cases filed against smugglers and against those who do not pay the right taxes.

We have also already identified the suspects of the cases of Francisco Baldomero, Jose Daguio and Miguel Belen, 3 of the 6 incidents of extralegal killings since we assumed the Presidency.

Fifty percent (50%) of these incidents of extralegal killings are now on their way to being resolved.

We will not stop the pursuit of the remaining half of these killings until justice has been achieved.

We will hold murderers accountable. We will also hold those who are corrupt that work in government accountable for their actions.

We have begun forming our Truth Commission, through the leadership of former Chief Justice Hilario Davide. We will search for the truth on the alleged wrongdoing committed in the last nine years.

This week, I will sign the first ever Executive Order on the formation of this Truth Commission.

If the answer to justice is accountability, the answer to the dearth in funds is a new and creative approach to our long-standing problems.

We have so many needs: from education, infrastructure, health, military, police and more. Our funds will not be enough to meet them.

No matter how massive the deficit is that may keep us from paying for this list of needs, I am heartened because many have already expressed renewed interest and confidence in the Philippines.

Our solution: public-private partnerships. Although no contract has been signed yet, I can say that ongoing talks with interested investors will yield fruitful outcomes.There are some who have already shown interest and want to build an expressway from Manila that will pass through Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, until the end of Cagayan Valley, without the government having to spend a single peso.

On national defense:

We have 36,000 nautical miles of shoreline, but we only have 32 boats. These boats are as old as the time of (US General Douglas) MacArthur.

Some had this proposition: they will rent the Navy headquarters on Roxas Boulevard and the Naval Station in Fort Bonifacio.

They will take care of the funding necessary to transfer the Navy Headquarters to Camp Aguinaldo. Immediately, we will be given 100 million dollars. Furthermore, they will give us a portion of their profits from their businesses that would occupy the land they will rent.
In short, we will meet our needs without spending, and we will also earn.

There have already been many proposals from local to foreign investors to provide for our various needs.

From these public-private partnerships, our economy will grow and every Filipino will be the beneficiary. There are so many sectors that could benefit from this.

We will be able to construct the needed infrastructure in order to help tourism grow.
In agriculture, we will be able to have access to grains terminals, refrigeration facilities, orderly road networks and post-harvest facilities.

If we can fix out food supply chain with the help of the private sector, instead of importing, we will hopefully be able to supply for the needs of the global market.

The prices of commodities will go down if we are able to make this efficient railway system a reality. It will be cheaper and faster, and it will be easier for travelers to avoid crooked cops and rebels.

A reminder to all: creating jobs is foremost on our agenda, and the creation of jobs will come from the growth of our industries. Growth will only be possible if we streamline processes to make them predictable, reliable and efficient for those who want to invest.

We make sure that the Build-Operate-and-Transfer projects will undergo quick and efficient processes. With the help of all government agencies concerned and the people, a process that used to take as short as a year and as long as a decade will now only take six months.
The Department of Trade and Industry has already taken steps to effect this change, under the leadership of Secretary Gregory Domingo:

The never-ending horror story of registering business names, which used to take a minimum of four to eight hours depending on the day, will be cut down drastically to fifteen minutes.
What used to be a check list of thirty-six documents will be shortened to a list of six, and the old eight-page application form will be whittled down to one page.

I call on our local government units to review its own procedures. While we look for more ways to streamline our processes to make business start-ups easier, I hope the LGUs can also find ways to implement reforms that will be consistent with the ones we have already started.

All will certainly benefit from this streamlining -- be it businessmen, soldiers, rebels and ordinary Filipinos. As long as the interests of Filipinos will not be jeopardized, we will explore all available avenues to make this a reality. We must start now, and we should all help achieve this and not stand in each other’s way.

The time when we will no longer be made to choose between our people’s security and the future of our children is upon us now.

Once we implement these public-private partnerships, we will be able to fund public service in accordance with our platform.

This will enable us to fund our plans for education.

We will be able to expand our basic education cycle from seven years to the global standard of twelve years.

We can build more classrooms, and we will fund service contracting under the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education Program (GASTPE).Conditional cash transfers that aim to lessen the burden of education on parents will also be funded if this partnership becomes a reality.

Our plans for improving PhilHealth can now be within reach.

First, we will identify the correct number of Filipinos who sorely need PhilHealth coverage, as current data is conflicting on this matter. On one hand, PhilHealth says that eighty-seven percent (87%) of Filipinos are covered, then lowers the number to only fifty-three percent (53%). On the other hand, the National Statistics Office says that only thirty-eight percent (38%) of Filipinos are covered by Philhealth.

Even as we speak, Secretary Dinky Soliman and the Department of Social Welfare and Development are moving to implement the National Household Targeting System that will identify the families that most urgently need assistance. An estimated 9 billion pesos is needed in order to provide coverage for five million poor Filipinos.

Our country is beginning to see better days ahead. The private sector, the League of Provinces headed by Governor Alfonso Umali, together with Governors L-Ray Villafuerte and Icot Petilla, are now ready to do their share when it comes to shouldering the financial burden. I know that the League of Cities under the leadership of Mayor Oscar Rodriguez will not be far behind.

If the local governments share in our goals, I know that I can surely count on Congress, the institution where I began public service, to push for our agenda for change.Our Cabinet has already showed it skill by identifying not just problems but also proposing solutions in a matter of three weeks.

In the aftermath of Typhoon Basyang, we were told by those in the power sector that we would be without electricity for four days. The quick action of Secretary Rene Almendras and the Department of Energy resulted in the restoration of power to almost all those affected within twenty-four hours.

The so-called water shortage in Metro Manila was quickly attended to by Secretary Rogelio Singson and the Department of Public Works and Highways. Secretary Singson did it without prodding, which alleviated the suffering of those affected.

We also witnessed the competence and initiative of those we appointed to be part of our Cabinet. It is but just that they not be forced to go through the eye of a needle to be confirmed by the Commission on Appointments. Should this happen, competent Filipinos will be encouraged to help our country by becoming public servants.

In the soonest possible time, we will convene the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) to discuss the important bills that need to be addressed. Rest assured that I will keep an open mind and treat you honorably.

We will push for the Fiscal Responsibility Bill, which will limit spending bills only for appropriations that have identified a source of funding. We need 104.1 billion pesos to fund those laws already passed but whose implementation remains pending because of lack of funds.

We will re-evaluate fiscal incentives given in the past. Now that we are tightening our purse strings, we need to identify those incentives that will remain and those that need to be done away with.

We will not allow another NBN-ZTE scandal to happen again. Whether from local or foreign sources, all proposed contracts must undergo the scrutiny of correct procedures. I now ask for your help with amending our Procurement Law.

According to our Constitution, it is the government’s duty to ensure that the market is fair for all. No monopolies, no cartels that kill competition. We need an Anti-Trust Law that will give life to these principles, to afford Small- and Medium-Scale Enterprises the opportunity to participate in the growth of our economy.

Let us pass into law the National Land Use Bill.

It was in 1935, during the Commonwealth, that the National Defense Act was passed. There is a need to amend for a new law that is more responsive to the current needs of national security.

I appeal to our legislators to pass the Whistleblower’s Bill to eradicate the prevalent culture of fear and silence that has hounded our system.

We will strengthen the Witness Protection Program. We must remember that from 2009 to 2010 alone, cases which involved the participation of witnesses under the program resulted in a ninety-five percent conviction.

There is a need to review our laws. I call on our lawmakers to begin a re-codification of our laws to ensure harmony in legislation and eliminate contradictions.

These laws serve as the basis of order in our land, but the foundation of all rests on the principle that we cannot grow without peace and order.

We face two obstacles on our road to peace: the situation in Mindanao and the continued revolt of the CPP-NPA-NDF.

Our view has not changed when it comes to the situation in Mindanao. We will only achieve lasting peace if all stakeholders engage in an honest dialogue: may they be Moro, Lumad, or Christian. We have asked Dean Marvic Leonen to head our efforts to talk to the MILF.

We will learn from the mistakes of the past administration, that suddenly announced an agreement reached without consultations from all concerned. We are not blind to the fact that it was done with political motivation, and that the interest behind it was not that of the people.
We recognize the efforts of the MILF to discipline those within its ranks. We are hopeful that the negotiations will begin after Ramadan.

To the CPP-NPA-NDF: are you prepared to put forth concrete solutions rather than pure criticism and finger-pointing?

If it is peace you truly desire, then we are ready for an immediate cease-fire. Let us go back to the table and begin talking again.

It is difficult to begin discussions in earnest if the smell of gun powder still hangs in the air. I call on everyone concerned not to waste a good opportunity to rally behind our common aspiration for peace.

Our foundation for growth is peace. We will continue to be shackled by poverty if the crossfire persists.

We must understand that now is a time for sacrifice. It is this sacrifice that will pave the way for a better future. With our freedom comes our responsibility to do good unto our fellows and to our country.

To our friends in media, especially those in radio and print, to the block-timers and those in our community newspapers, I trust that you will take up the cudgels to police your own ranks.
May you give new meaning to the principles of your vocation: to provide clarity to pressing issues; to be fair and truthful in your reporting, and to raise the level of public discourse.
It is every Filipino’s duty to closely watch the leaders that you have elected. I encourage everyone to take a step towards participation rather than fault-finding. The former takes part in finding a solution; from the latter, never-ending complaints.

We have always known that the key to growth is putting the interest of others beyond one’s own. One thing is clear: how do we move forward if we keep putting others down?

How will those without education secure quality jobs? How will the unemployed become consumers? How will they save money for their future needs?

If we change all this, if we prioritize enabling others, we will open a world of opportunities not just for ourselves but for those who direly need it.

We have already begun the process of change, and we are now able to dream of better things for our country. Let us not forget that there are those who wish us to fail, so that they will once again reclaim power to do as they please at the expense of our people.

My firm belief is that our fate is in the hands of God and our people. While we focus on uplifting the lives of our fellow men, I have an unshakeable faith that Almighty God will give us His blessings and support. If we remain firm in our belief that God is on our side, is there anything impossible for us to achieve?

The mandate we received last May 10 is testament to the fact that the Filipino continues to hope for true change. The situation is not what it was before; we can all dream again. Let us all become one in achieving a fulfilment of our hopes and aspirations for our country.

Maraming Salamat Po!