PIA Dispatch - Sunday, August 1, 2010

P-Noy leads nation in commemorating Cory's first death anniversary

President Benigno S. Aquino III today led the nation in commemorating the first death anniversary of his late mother, former President Corazon C. Aquino by joining family and friends in remembering the heroism of the icon of Philippine democracy through a memorial mass concelebrated by members of the clergy led by Lingayen-Dagupan Bishop Socrates Villegas.

The former president passed away in the early morning of August 1, 2009 after losing a valiant fight against colon cancer. She was 76 years old then.

In his speech, the President thanked those who condoled with them during their time of grief and who gave him and his family the strength to endure and get past inconsolable sadness.

“A year ago today, many of you shared our grief when our mother passed away. The days we spent here in La Salle were marked with sadness. What gave us the strength to endure this was the love and sympathy of you, our dear friends, who joined us in bidding our mother goodbye one last time,” the President said.

The President intimated that when his mother passed away, he thought that her “hope that she embodied for our country” died with her.

“What we did not expect was in the coming days, our feeling of loss would reverberate throughout the nation,” he said, adding that “that true expression of love for our mother soon evolved into renewed hope for our long suffering nation.” 

He pointed out that through his mother’s death, “the clamor of friends and family challenging me to run for President of the country began to rise slowly and in the short time span of one year, I stand before you now as President of the Philippines.”

“Sa pagbababang-luksa natin, sa tulong ng Maykapal at sa balikat ng taongbayan, ako po ay narito ngayon bilang inyong Pangulo,” the President said. 

“For those who came before us and taught us by words and deeds how to love, live and believe, it is our duty to bear that torch forward. Tinanggap ko ang hamon alang-alang sa pinaglaban ng aking mga magulang. Ipagpapatuloy ko ito sa tulong ninyo,” he concluded.


P-Noy: "Let us fulfill our social contract with the Filipino people"

President Benigno S. Aquino III rallied the Filipino people to join him and his government in bringing about an effective change by doing small and simple acts of kindness towards others.

In his speech after the memorial mass commemorating the first death anniversary of his late mother, former President Corazon C. Aquino, the Chief Executive said it is the duty of everyone to “fulfill our social contract with the Filipino people.”

“The clamor of our people for change is so deep and so widely expressed that none of us can afford to be bystanders,” the President said. 

“Each of us has a duty to fulfill our social contract with the Filipino people by putting the interests of others before ourselves. We can only end poverty if we fight corruption and this is where everyone has a major role to play,” he stressed.

According to the President, the most simple and basic acts of “showing common courtesy to strangers, by paying taxes, by following traffic rules and by disposing of our wastes properly” can go a long way in the administration’s fight against corruption.

The President stressed that “we could do more by reporting to the proper authorities any wrongdoing that may be brought to our attention.”

“Let us challenge ourselves and our leaders to brave the straight path. Naumpisahan na natin sa pamamagitan ng pag-bantay sa mga wang-wang at pag-pigil sa mga naghahari-harian sa daan,” he stressed.

“Sana naman po, sa ilan pang pagkakataon ay susunod pa rin kayo at itutuloy ang maganda nating nasimulan,” he added.

The President also vowed to work hard to achieve the goals he set out for the country.

“Hindi madali ang ating trabaho sapagkat may ilan na ipinaglalaban pa rin ang nakagisnan nilang mali. Subali’t hindi ko pababayaan ang tiwalang pinagkaloob ninyo at sa pagkakataong ito na isulong ang makabuluhang pagbabago,” he said.


P-Noy orders multi-agency inquiry into PAL-pilots' row 

President Benigno S. Aquino III today ordered Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. and the heads of three other government agencies to look into the cancellation of 11 flights by the Philippine Air Lines last Friday after several of its pilots reportedly resigned from their posts.

In a press conference held after the memorial mass commemorating the first death anniversary of former President Corazon C. Aquino at the St. Benilde Gymnasium, La Salle Greenhills in Mandaluyong City this morning, the Chief Executive said he had tasked the Department of Transportation and Communications (DoTC), Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE), Department of Justice (DoJ) as well as the Executive Secretary to get to the bottom of this issue.

“The Executive Secretary together with the Secretary of the DoTC (Department of Transportation and Communication) and at the minimum the DoLE (Department of Labor and Employment) Secretary and probably the DoJ Secretary also will be sitting down with the (Philippine Air Lines) management and Airline Pilot Association of the Philippines tomorrow,” the President said. 

The President pointed out that the group will be conducting two separate meetings “to address the situation and provide everybody with solutions.”

The President reminded PAL and the pilots of their obligations to the flying public. 

“PAL, for instance, has obligations when they secured the franchise to operate this public conveyance. The pilots also have obligations. This is of course being studied. 

The President meanwhile seriously took note of the disruption caused to “our tourist and to other aspects of the economy that would need their services.” 

“If this is not warranted, then, they lay themselves also open to appropriate charges. Hopefully, we will be able to come up with a resolution, so that the riding public is not inconvenienced and the economy does not suffer because of this,” he added.