FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND MY SINCEREST GRATITUDE TO AIM’S RVR CENTER FOR CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND JCI-PHILIPPINES FOR CONFERRING ON ME THE RAMON V. DEL ROSARIO SR AWARD FOR NATION BUILDING.  I AM HUMBLED AND TRULY HONOURED BY THIS RECOGNITION.  SECONDLY, I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE THIS RECOGNITION WITH ALL OF THE PASSIONATE MEMBERS OF THE VARIOUS NGOS AND COOPERATIVES THAT I HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH OVER THE PAST DECADES, WITH MY FORMER COLLEAGUES IN GOVERNMENT, AS WELL AS THE THOUSANDS OF WORKERS AND ASSOCIATES OF THE VARIOUS BUSINESSES I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN.  LAST BUT NOT LEAST, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK MY FAMILY WHO HAS SUPPORTED ME THROUGH ALL THESE YEARS.

TODAY WE ARE AT THE DAWN OF A NEW CHAPTER IN OUR COUNTRY’S HISTORY AND LIKE MILLIONS OF OTHER FILIPINOS, I AM OPTIMISTIC THAT THIS NEW ADMINISTRATION WILL USHER IN A RENEWED BELIEF IN THE POTENTIAL OF OUR COUNTRY.  THERE IS AN AIR OF OPTIMISM AND HOPE THAT IS PREVAILING ACROSS THE ENTIRE COUNTRY AND THERE IS NO BETTER TIME THAN NOW TO HARNESS THESE POSITIVE FEELINGS TOWARDS THE TASK OF NATION-BUILDING.  WE MUST NOT SQUANDER THIS OPPORTUNITY GRANTED TO ALL OF US.  THE TIME IS NOW.

NATION BUILDING IS A RESPONSIBILITY THAT MUST BE SHARED BY EVERYONE – FROM OUR NEWLY ELECTED POLITICAL LEADERS TO THE BUSINESSMEN TO THE ORDINARY STREET VENDOR.  HOWEVER, WE MUST ACKNOWLEDGE THAT A HEAVIER RESPONSIBILITY LIES ON PEOPLE LIKE YOU AND ME, WHO HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO HELP MORE OF OUR LESS-PRIVILEGED COUNTRYMEN.  WE CANNOT EXPECT A THIRD OF OUR COUNTRYMEN WHO LANGUISH IN POVERTY TO THINK ABOUT NATION BUILDING WHEN THEY DO NOT EVEN KNOW WHERE THEIR NEXT MEAL IS GOING TO COME FROM.  TO BUILD A STRONGER NATION, WE MUST ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF THE 30 MILLION FILIPINOS WHO CONTINUE TO FEEL NEGLECTED, GROWING RESENTFUL AT BEING MARGINALIZED AND MIRED IN POVERTY.  WE CANNOT AFFORD TO DASH THEIR HOPES – AGAIN.

I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AN ADVOCATE OF DEVELOPING THE RURAL SECTOR WHERE THREE FOURTHS OF OUR COUNTRY’S POOR LIVE AND WORK.  MY YEARS OF INVOLVEMENT IN AGRICULTURE HAVE EXPOSED ME TO THE LITANY OF INEQUITIES FACING THE FILIPINO FARMERS AND FISHERFOLK.  IT IS GRAVELY IRONIC HOW OUR FELLOW COUNTRYMEN WHO PRODUCE THE BULK OF OUR FOOD ARE THE ONES WHO LIVE IN POVERTY AND SUFFER FROM HUNGER.  AS A COUNTRY, WE, IN THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS HAVE SEVERELY UNDERINVESTED IN AGRICULTURE.  WITH A MUCH INCREASED POPULATION, SPENDING TODAY IN REAL TERMS PER CAPITA IS EVEN LESS THAN IN THE PAST. 

THAT IS WHY IT IS NO SMALL WONDER WHY WE ARE WHERE WE ARE TODAY.  FROM A NET AGRICULTURAL EXPORTER, WE ARE NOW A NET IMPORTER.  FROM BEING SELF-SUFFICIENT IN RICE AND CORN, WE NOW IMPORT SUBSTANTIAL QUANTITIES OF THESE GRAINS.  OUR RURAL POOR, INSTEAD OF DECLINING IN NUMBER HAVE NOW INCREASED.  INDEED, NATION BUILDING WOULD BE A FAR-FETCHED IDEAL UNLESS WE ADDRESS THE URGENT NEEDS OF THE RURAL POOR.  THE BENIGN NEGLECT OF OUR FARMERS AND FISHERFOLK CONTINUES, AS THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR DOES NOT HAVE A STRONG POLITICAL VOICE NOR DO OUR RURAL FOLK HAVE MUCH ECONOMIC POWER.  THIS NEGLECT OF THE RURAL SECTOR HAS LED TO SOMETHING WORSE THAN MATERIAL POVERTY – POVERTY OF THE SPIRIT.  THIS STATE IS BROUGHT ABOUT BY A FEELING OF HAVING LIMITED OR NO CHOICE, NO ACCESS TO BETTER OPPORTUNITIES, NO CHANCES AT MAKING A DIGNIFIED LIVING, NOT BECAUSE OF A LACK OF MOTIVATION OR INITIATIVE, BUT BECAUSE OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES FORCED UPON THEM BY THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT. 

I AM A STRONG BELIEVER THAT POVERTY OF THE SPIRIT CAN BE ALLEVIATED BY MAKING SOCIAL INVESTMENTS IN EDUCATION AND HEALTH AND PROVIDING PEOPLE WITH THE MEANS TO MAKE AN HONEST LIVING AND THUS BE ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE WELFARE OF THEIR FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES.  THIS IS HOW WE EMPOWER PEOPLE.

THROUGH MY INVOLVEMENT IN LA FRUTERA I HAVE WITNESSED HOW THE LIVES OF HUNDREDS OF FORMER MILF AND MNLF REBELS HAVE BEEN TRANSFORMED BY HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO EARN A DECENT LIVING AND PROVIDE FOR THEIR FAMILIES.  THE PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENT IN A LARGE BANANA PLANTATION IN MAGUINDANAO HAS EMPOWERED PEOPLE AND BROUGHT PEACE. TWENTY YEARS AGO, WHO WOULD EVER HAVE THOUGHT THAT PEACE COULD BE ATTAINED IN THIS ONCE WAR-TORN AREA BY INVESTING IN A BANANA PLANTATION?  I AM OFTEN ASKED HOW WE WERE ABLE TO CONVINCE FORMER REBELS TO GIVE UP THEIR ARMS IN FAVOUR OF EMPLOYMENT IN BANANA GROWING AND MY ANSWER IS SIMPLE – PROVIDE MARGINALIZED PEOPLE WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO HELP THEMSELVES OUT OF POVERTY AND PURSUE HIGHER ASPIRATIONS, AND PEACE WILL NATURALLY FOLLOW.  PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT GO TOGETHER.  WE CANNOT KEEP ON WAITING FOR PEACE TO COME FIRST.  THE REASON THERE IS NO PEACE IS BECAUSE THERE IS NO DEVELOPMENT.  IT IS MY FERVENT HOPE THAT THE LA FRUTERA MODEL IN MAGUINDANAO CAN INSPIRE GOVERNMENT AND OTHER PRIVATE COMPANIES TO SEE HOW PROVIDING JOBS, ESPECIALLY IN THE RURAL AREAS, IS A SUSTAINABLE WAY TO ALLEVIATE POVERTY – AND STRIFE.

IN THAT LIGHT, ALLOW ME TO CALL UPON OUR NEW GOVERNMENT TO INCREASE GOVERNMENT SPENDING IN RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND RELATED SERVICES TO MAKE UP FOR PAST NEGLECT.  IN ALLOCATING INVESTMENT RESOURCES, THE PUBLIC SECTOR NEEDS TO FOCUS ON AREAS THAT PRESENT LARGE EXTERNALITIES WHERE THE PRIVATE SECTOR WOULD NORMALLY UNDERINVEST; WHERE THE GOVERNMENT’S INVESTMENT WOULD ACT AS A CATALYST TO PRIVATE INVESTMENT.

THE TASK OF NATION BUILDING IS ONE WHERE ALL OF US HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY.  WE MUST TAKE IT UPON OURSELVES TO WORK TOWARDS THE EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR NATION.  I HOPE YOU WILL ALL SHARE IN MY HOPE THAT A BETTER FUTURE CAN ONLY BE REALIZED WHEN DEVELOPMENT IS ONE THAT IS ALL-INCLUSIVE, WHERE THE FRUITS OF GROWTH ARE SHARED BY EVERYONE.