> Go
Negosyo
We are reprinting here the first part of the speech delivered by
PGMA on February 23, 2006 morning during the GO NEGOSYO! Summit
held at Every Nation Leadership Institute, Fort, Taguig City:
“If you remember in my inaugural address in 2004 when I talked
about my 10-point pro-poor, pro- growth and pro-peace program,
number one item in the ten points was to create 6 to 10 million
jobs by developing 3 million entrepreneurs and 2 million hectares
of land for agri-business. And that’s the reason why whenever Joey
Concepcion invites me to an entrepreneur summit like this I accept
the invitation because it’s the number one priority of our
administration.
I’d like to congratulate therefore Joey for putting this together
and of course to greet our very distinguished trustees who are
here on stage, not only are they trustees of the Philippine Center
for Entrepreneurship but they are also either on their own or
their families are models and inspiration for all would-be
entrepreneurs in the country. Thank you very much for being role
models for us.
This summit on entrepreneurship symbolizes the commitment of the
Filipino people to the economy. And I’m glad that you’re holding
your summit on this day, it becomes a part of our celebration of
EDSA 1. Indeed, we need a new form of People Power to drive
entrepreneurship and that new form of people power is the
innovative use of resources to build businesses and provide jobs —
that is the definition actually of entrepreneurship.
There is great patriotism in setting up businesses that give jobs
and feed the stomachs and spirit of our countrymen and their
families. Filipino entrepreneurs are patriots, those here on the
stage and those here on the floor, patriots who believe in our
country and people and who invest in our nation’s future.
Earlier when I was given the t-shirt and it said, ‘do you have the
E-factor?’ that means, do you have the entrepreneur factor because
it’s like the ‘x- factor’ — it’s something extra.
And what is the E-factor? Being an entrepreneur is a skill
inherent in the Filipino. Just as Filipinos are natural musicians,
Filipinos are natural entrepreneurs. Most Filipinos do have that
E-factor. And I’m very happy that Joey has put together a
mechanism to be able to bring out that E-factor to its greatest
potential and reality.
The Filipinos are creative and persevering and that’s part of the
E-factor. Successful entrepreneurs are known for their creativity
and the Filipinos are known for our creativity. That’s why we
excel in music, we excel in dance, we excel in the arts, we excel
in software development because of our creativity. But Joey talked
about something else in addition to innovativeness and
creativeness, one more trait that keeps entrepreneurs going and
that is optimism. And I’m glad that Joey has chosen that as the
theme for this morning’s session.
It’s not only Joey, the entrepreneurship advocate, that tells us:
be optimistic. Be not afraid, Jesus Christ told his
disciples”.
On February 24, 2006, or 24 hours after her speech, PGMA boldly
declared Presidential Proclamation 1017 or the State of National
Emergency in the national media.
***
CONGRATULATIONS to the distinguished Bicolano historian Danilo
Madrid Gerona for his new book, “NAGA:The Birth and Rebirth of
A City” published by the City Government of Naga.
Dr. Gerona obtained his bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts
degrees at the Ateneo de Manila University and finished his
doctoral studies at the Asian Center of the University of the
Philippines. A specialist in the history of the early Spanish
colonial years in the Bicol region, he has done extensive research
in various archives in the Philippines and in Spain. He has read
papers in prestigious international conferences of historians in
Spain and in France. He wrote the book From Epic to History:
A Brief Introduction to Bicol History. A number of his articles
have been published in international journals in Europe and in the
Philippines.
A former member of the Executive Committee on Historical Research
of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, he is
presently an associate professor in the Department of Social
Sciences in the Ateneo de Naga University and a lecturer in the
graduate school of the Universidad de Santa Isabel.
The 178-page fascinating book traced the Pre-historic World of
Naga, the Coming of the Spaniards and the Founding of Nueva
Caceres, the Formative years, and the Period of Regional
Integration.
It highlighted the City in a Period of Regional Prosperity, and
its Quest for Freedom during the Philippine Revolution, and the
Philippine-American War. The book includes the Americanization of
the Emerging Filipino Spirit, and the radical changes brought
about during the American Period. It also portrays the Bicolanos’
gallant heroism during the Japanese invasion, the graphic details
of Japanese atrocities, and the vibrant guerilla movement that
opposed the invaders with tenacity. It also discusses the
Liberation of Naga, Post-war Reconstruction and Recovery, the
Golden Era of Education, the Rebirth of the City, and the Roads to
Rapid Development.
The book was edited by Jose Fernando P. Obias, Rev. Fr. Danilo T.
Imperial, and Gabriel Hidalgo Bordado. Copies of the said book are
available at the Raul S. Roco Public Library at Naga City.
Quote
“BUT IN THE PHILIPPINES, SPEAKING FOR THE GOVERNMENT, WE WOULD
RATHER HAVE A LICENTIOUS PRESS THAN A BRIDLED PRESS. THAT IS OUR
PRESS POLICY. NONETHELESS, I AM GLAD TO KNOW THAT THERE ARE
REFORMISTS WITHIN THE PRESS, AND I HOPE THAT THIS CELEBRATION OF
WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY WILL INSPIRE THE REFORMISTS TO DEMONSTRATE
THAT PRESS FREEDOM CAN ALSO MEAN THE FREEDOM TO REPORT GOOD NEWS.”
PGMA’s Speech during the UNESCO World Press Freedom Day
Celebration and Awarding Ceremonies Ceremonial Hall,
Malacanang (03 May 2002)
