PGMA's Speech during the Unveiling of the Marker and Inauguration of the Bugallon Bridge

Bugallon, Pangasinan (April 21, 2001)

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MARAMING SALAMAT SECRETARY DATUMANONG. MAYOR JOSE, TANSANSARAY MAYORS, DIYAD FIRST TAN SECOND DISTRICT IN PANGASINAN; GOVERNOR VICTOR AGBAYANI; TANSARAY OPISYALES ED PROVINCIAD PANGASINAN, CONGRESSMAN TEDDY CRUZ, VICE GOVERNOR LAMBINO. Y CABINET MEMBERS, I WILL NOT MENTION ALL OF THEM BECAUSE I'D RATHER MENTION THE SENATORIAL CANDIDATES LATER EXCEPT THAT I WILL MENTION THE CABINET MEMBER FROM PANGASINAN, SECRETARY NANNY BRAGANZA, AND TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE HAVE STILL ANOTHER CABINET MEMBER FROM PANGASINAN WHO IS NOT HERE WITH US TODAY SECRETARY LEONY MONTEMAYOR. EVEN THE LIFE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES IS IN THE HANDS OF SONS OF PANGASINAN BECAUSE MY SENIOR MILITARY ASSISTANT IS THE SON OF ALAMINOS AND MABINI, GENERAL BOYSI BRAGANZA, AND THE COMMANDING GENERAL OF THE PRESIDENTIAL SECURITY GROUP IS FROM SAN NICOLAS, PANGASINAN AND THAT IS GENERAL GLENN ROBONZA. MY LIFE IS IN THE HANDS OF PEOPLE OF PANGASINAN BECAUSE SIYAK ED PANGASINAN. A PLEASANT GOOD AFTERNOON TO ALL OF YOU. MAGANDANG HAPON SA INYONG LAHAT. IT IS MY PLEASURE TO BE WITH YOU TODAY TO UNVEIL THE MARKER AND FORMALLY OPEN THE BUGALLON BRIDGE, THE COMPLETION OF WHICH IS PART OF, AS MENTIONED EARLIER, THE FIRST PHASE OF THE P1.1 BILLION AGNO AND ALLIED RIVERS URGENT REHABILITATION PROJECT FUNDED BY THE JAPAN BANK FOR INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION. AND THAT IS WHY WE'D ALSO LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE CHARGES D'AFFAIRES OF THE JAPANESE EMBASSY, HONORABLE YOSHI SADAUKA. AND I WISH TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT HAS CONSISTENTLY BEEN AN IMPORTANT PARTNER IN HELPING US MEET THE COUNTRY'S FINANCIAL AND TECHNICAL NEEDS. THIS OCCASION TODAY IS FURTHER PROOF OF THIS BENEVOLENT AND SINCERE DESIRE TO HELP OUR PEOPLE. IN BEHALF OF THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT, I THEREFORE EXTEND OUR SINCEREST GRATITUDE TO THE JBIC, THE FUNDING AGENCY OF JAPAN -- AND THE REPRESENTATIVE OF JBIC IS HERE TODAY, MR. SEICHI KITASAWA -- AND THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT FOR THEIR CONTINUED AND VALUABLE ASSISTANCE TO THE FILIPINO PEOPLE. THIS BRIDGE IS A TESTAMENT TO THE SPIRIT OF COOPERATION BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES AND, IN THIS SENSE, THIS NEW BRIDGE IS MORE THAN A TRANSPORTATION LINK. YOU COULD SAY THAT THE CONSTRUCTION OF THIS BRIDGE ALSO GIVES US THE OCCASION TO BUILD MANY SMALLER BRIDGES OF COOPERATION ALONG THE WAY, AND, FOR THIS REASON, I SEE OUR CEREMONIES TODAY AS A CELEBRATION OF WHAT PEOPLE CAN ACHIEVE BY WORKING TOGETHER. ED SICAYON KABALEYAN CO DIAD PANGASINAN, LIM-MAAC DIA NATAN ANDI LABAT YA MANLUCAS ED SAYA'Y BALON TAYTAY NA BUGALLON AG INGEN TA PERSONAL YA MISALAMAT TAC ED SICAYON AMIN ED PATULOY NIYON PANSUPORTA ED ADMINISTRASYON CO. AND SPEAKING OF THOSE WHO SUPPORT OUR ADMINISTRATION SO OUTSTANDINGLY, MAY I ALSO THANK FORMER SPEAKER JO DE VENECIA FOR THAT SUPPORT, AND FORMER PRESIDENT FIDEL RAMOS, THE FIRST SON OF PANGASINAN TO BECOME PRESIDENT REPRESENTED HERE BY HIS DAUGHTER CRISTY RAMOS. TINAWAG TA CAYON CABALEYAN CO TA SI INAC ET TAGA-BINALONAN TAN SI LOLAC ED TAGA-SAN CARLOS CITY KUMON AYAN TAYTAY ET MANSILBING SIMBOLO NA PANTUTULUNGAN TAYO TAN ALIGUAS NA BILAY. ANTAC YA IMPORTANTE YAN TAYTAY PIANO MAGANON NAAWIT SO PRODUKTO NIYO MANLAPPUD BARRIO UNLAD BALEY. THE COMPLETION OF THE BUGALLON BRIDGE WILL NOT ONLY ENHANCE THE MOBILITY AND PRODUCTIVITY OF RURAL FOLKS, IT WILL ALSO FACILITATE THE FLOW OF GOODS AND SERVICES AND, SUBSEQUENTLY, MAXIMIZE AND EVEN CREATE NEW BUSINESSES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR PEOPLE. TOGETHER WITH THE OTHER FLOOD CONTROL COMPONENTS, THE PROJECT WILL ALSO GREATLY REDUCE THE PROBABLE DAMAGE WITHIN THE AREA INSIDE THE FLOOD PLAIN BETWEEN THE PARALLEL DIKES AND DOWNSTREAM AREAS IN MORE THAN 14 BARANGAYS MENTIONED BY SECRETARY DATUMANONG WITHIN THE TOWNS OF BUGALLON AND LINGAYEN. THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THIS BRIDGE THEREFORE SYMBOLIZES OUR COMMON EFFORT TO BUILD OUR LOCAL AND NATIONAL ECONOMIES AS PARTNERS, BENEFITING FROM EACH OTHER'S RESOURCES. IT ENHANCES OUR COMMON FIGHT AGAINST POVERTY BECAUSE ONE OF THE CONCRETE STEPS TOWARDS POVERTY ALLEVIATION IS THE AGGRESSIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS LIKE ROADS AND BRIDGES, ESPECIALLY IN THE PROVINCES. AND I WOULD LIKE TO SAY APO PADI WHO GIVE OUR OPENING PRAYERS HE ASKS US TO CONTINUE THIS PROJECT AND WE WILL DO SO AS LONG AS WE'RE ABLE TO COVER THE BUDGET DEFICIT THAT WE HAVE INHERITED FROM THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION. HE ASKED US TO GIVE GOOD OFFICIALS FOR OUR COUNTRY AND I TELL YOU MY CABALEYANS HERE IN BUGALLON FOR US TO HAVE GOOD OFFICIALS IN OUR COUNTRY VOTE FOR THE PEOPLE POWER CHAMPION IN THE SENATE -- V-O-T-F-O-R-D-C-H-A-M-M-P. AND SO THAT YOU WILL REMEMBER, BALBALEG YE SALAMAT YOU GLORIA AND 13-0 YOU TRUST ME TRUST ME, TRUST MY SENATORIAL CANDIDATES. SA V ED VILLAR, LET US WELCOME MANNY VILLAR AND VOTE FOR HIM FOR SENATOR. O IS FOR OBET. EARLIER, OBET, DOON SA SAN CARLOS CITY PAGKATAPOS NIYONG UMALIS DOON SA MULTISECTORAL MEETING 'YUNG MGA COOPERATIVES MARAMING HINIHINGING KINAKAILANGAN NA PALITAN 'YUNG BATAS TUNGKOL SA KOOPERATIBA ANG AKING SAGOT SA KANILA KUNG ANONG REFORMANG GUSTO NIYO SA KOOPERATIBA TULUNGAN NATIN 'YUNG ATING KAMPIYON NG KOOPERATIBA SI OBET PAGDANGANAN. T IS FOR TAÑADA, SI TAÑADA ANG GAPON NATAN BECAUSE HE IS IN MINDANAO BUT, WE WANT TO VOTE FOR TAÑADA FOR SENATOR BECAUSE EVEN IF WE ARE A GLOBAL ECONOMY -- AND WE HAVE FRIENDS LIKE JAPAN -- WE STILL NEED TO PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF OUR OWN PEOPLE, WE STILL NEED TO REMEMBER THE PRINCIPLES OF NATIONALISM AND THAT IS WHY WE MUST VOTE FOR TAÑADA FOR SENATOR. OUR F IS FLAVIER. HE IS NOT HERE BECAUSE HE HAD TO BE THE ADVANCE PARTY TO OUR NEXT APPOINTMENT IN DAGUPAN BECAUSE EVEN OUR HOST SPEAKER DE VENECIA IS STILL HERE WITH US BUT YOU ALL KNOW, FLAVIER BECAUSE IN THE LAST ELECTIONS ED ELECSYON 1995 PARA SENADOR SO NUMBER ONE ED PANGASINAN ET GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO SO NUMBER TWO ET JUAN FLAVIER. AND O AGAIN, IS FOR OSMEÑA AND HE IS NOT HERE WITH US TODAY BECAUSE HE IS ALSO IN THE SOUTH. BUT HERE IN PANGASINAN MANY OF US ARE CONCERNED ABOUT BIG PROJECTS LIKE THE SAN ROQUE DAM THAT WE MAY FORGET TO TAKE CARE OF THE WELFARE OF THOSE WHO MIGHT BE DISPLACED -- AND OSMEÑA IS THE CHAMPION OF THE LITTLE PEOPLE WHO WERE AFFECTED BY BIG DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS. THAT IS WHY WE MUST VOTE SERGE OSMEÑA FOR SENATOR. AH AYUN PALA EH, OK OSMEÑA PROXY. SO R ET ... HA? RECTO. SA D, ANGGAPO NI D, NI DRILON. DRILON IS OUR FORMER SENATE PRESIDENT BUT HE SACRIFICED HIS POSITION IN ORDER TO FIGHT FOR JUSTICE AND GOOD GOVERNANCE. LET US RETURN DRILON TO THE SENATE. SA C, ET CHATO, THE CHAMPION OF THE WOMEN BUT HER ... SHE IS NOT HERE TODAY BECAUSE SHE IS ALSO IN THE SOUTH ATTENDING TO OTHER PROCLAMATION RALLIES. BUT THE WOMEN, TO THE WOMEN OF PANGASINAN, I ASK YOU TO BE THE CAMPAIGN MANAGERS FOR CHATO FOR THE SENATE. SO H, ET HERRERA. OH, VERY GOOD. SI HERRERA ET CHAMPION ED WORKING CLASS; CHAMPION ED PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, THE DISABLED; CHAMPION AGAINST DRUG MENACE, CHAMPION AGAINST THE DRUG TRADE IN THE PHILIPPINES. AND SO IF WE WANT TO PROTECT OUR WORKERS, IF WE WANT TO PROTECT OUR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, AND IF WE WANT TO PROTECT OUR YOUTH AGAINST THE MENACE OF THE DRUG PUSHERS LET US VOTE FOR BOY HERRERA FOR SENATOR. SO A, POPULAR NA POPULAR, ARROYO. UNTAN MET. SO M, MAGSAYSAY -- POPULAR MET BECAUSE LIKE ME, LIKE CRISTY RAMOS, IS THE SON OF A FORMER PRESIDENT, A WORTHY SON OF A FORMER PRESIDENT JUN MAGSAYSAY FOR SENATOR. ISA PANG M, MARENG WINNIE MONSOD -- BABAE MET, EKONOMISTA. ETO HINDI BABAE PERO ANAK NI WINNIE MONSOD. AND FINALLY SA P, OKAY, PANGILINAN. TANSARAY CABALEYAN. PINAGPABLIGIRAN TAN AGAGI DIAD BUGALLON TAN PANGASINAN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING WITH US TODAY. AND DO NOT FORGET VOT FOR D CHAMMP. BRING THE PEOPLE POWER COALITION TO THE SENATE. BALBALEG YA SALAMAT SICAYON AMIN.