TRADE AND COMMERCE

Launch of the Regional MDG II Report - Welcome Message, September 7, 2005

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:

I WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND MY WARMEST GREETINGS TO ALL THE DELEGATES IN THE LAUNCHING OF THE REGIONAL MILLENIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS II REPORT.

THIS REPORT, WHICH WILL BE SUBMITTED TO THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY HIGH-LEVEL MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT SUMMIT TO BE HELD IN NEW YORK IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS MONTH, IS CLEARLY A VERY IMPORTANT DOCUMENT. IT NOT ONLY PRESENTS THE REGION’S REPORT CARD REGARDING THE MDGS BUT ALSO SHOWS AN ANALYSIS AND ASSESSMENT OF THE CHALLENGES THAT THE REGION FACES AND PROPOSALS ON CRITICAL ACTIONS TOWARD THEIR ACHIEVEMENT.

THE MARGINALIZED AMONG US

EVERYDAY, WE GRAPPLE WITH THE PROBLEMS OF THE PRESENT: POVERTY, HUNGER, INJUSTICE, DESPAIR. WE ARE DISTURBED BY THE HAVOC BROUGHT ABOUT BY HURRICANE KATRINA ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PACIFIC. ON OUR PART OF THE PLANET, WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE EQUALLY DISASTROUS IMPACT ON THE VULNERABLE SECTORS OF UNMITIGATED INCREASES IN THE PRICE OF OIL AND ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY. WE ALL HAVE OUR OWN SHARE OF PROBLEMS.

YET WE REMAIN HOPEFUL ABOUT THE FUTURE. WE HAVE ACCEPTED THE CHALLENGE OF ACHIEVING THE MILLENIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS IN THE NEXT DECADE. TODAY, AS WE COME TOGETHER TO RENEW OUR COMMITMENT TO THE MDGS, WE MOVE A STEP CLOSER TO OUR COMMON ASPIRATIONS.

THE MDG CHAMPIONS

WE COMMEND THE MULTILATERAL DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTIONS, PARTICULARLY THE ADB, UNDP AND UNESCAP, FOR PROVIDING SUBSTANTIAL AND MEANINGFUL ASSISTANCE TO THE COUNTRIES IN THE ASIA AND THE PACIFIC REGION IN THEIR EFFORTS TO MEET THE MDGS. WE UNDERSTAND THAT MOST OF THESE INSTITUTIONS HAVE IN FACT MADE THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE MDGS, PARTICULARLY THOSE PERTAINING TO POVERTY REDUCTION AND INCLUSIVE AND SUSTAINABLE GROWTH, AS THE FOCUS OF THEIR OPERATIONS IN THE REGION. THEY ARE ALSO HELPING THE COUNTRIES IN UNDERTAKING IMPORTANT INSTITUTIONAL AND POLICY REFORMS THAT WILL CONTRIBUTE IN PROVIDING THE ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR THE ATTAINMENT OF THE MDGS.

THE PHILIPPINE EXPERIENCE

IN THE PHILIPPINES, WE CONSIDER CITIES AND URBAN CENTERS AS HUBS OR STAGING POINTS TO CREATE RIPPLES OF DEVELOPMENT. THIS RIPPLING EFFECT TAKES SHAPE IN THREE LEVELS: INTER-LOCAL, INTER-CITY, AND REGIONAL-NATIONAL.

AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL, WE REMAIN STRONGLY COMMITTED TO THE MDGS. WE REALIZE THE CRITICAL NEED TO BRING ABOUT THESE VERY BASIC AND RUDIMENTARY IMPROVEMENTS IN LIVING CONDITIONS, WHICH REALLY JUST BARELY PUT MANY OF OUR PEOPLE AT THE THRESHOLD OF A DECENT LIFE. HOWEVER, WE ALSO APPRECIATE THAT MASSIVE RESOURCES ARE REQUIRED TO ACHIEVE THEM. FOR THE PHILIPPINES, IT HAS BEEN ESTIMATED THAT ABOUT 2.8 TRILLION PESOS WILL BE NEEDED IN YEAR 2002 TO 2015 TO BE ABLE TO MEET THE MDGS BY 2015. BUT PERHAPS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE FINANCIAL RESOURCE REQUIREMENTS, WE ARE AWARE THAT A CRITICAL FACTOR IN THE SUCCESS OF THESE EFFORTS IS THE STEADFASTNESS OF THE COUNTRY’S LEADERSHIP IN PURSUING THE NEEDED ACTIONS AND POLICIES. OUR RESOURCES MAY BE MEAGER BUT I WISH TO ASSURE YOU OF THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT’S UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO PROVIDE THE SUITABLE AND ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR THE ATTAINMENT OF THE MDGS.

IT HAS BEEN TWO YEARS SINCE THE INITIATION OF THE 12 MDG LOCALIZATION PILOT CITIES PROGRAM IN THE PHILIPPINES. AND SO FAR, WE HAVE SEVERAL COMPONENTS ALREADY IN PLACE.

FIRST, WE PREPARED DEVELOPMENT BASELINES AND POVERTY PROFILES. THESE DATA PROVIDED US WITH BASIC INFORMATION ON HOW BEST TO ADDRESS THE POVERTY PROBLEM OVER A PERIOD OF TIME, WHILE PRIORITIZING THE NEEDS OF THE POOREST SECTORS.

SECOND, WE MADE SURE THAT MDG TARGETS ARE INCORPORATED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF LOCAL PLANS AND PROGRAMS. WE ALSO GAVE EMPHASIS TO HUMAN RIGHTS AND GENDER STANDARDS IN LOCALIZING THE MDGS.

THIRD, WE ADOPTED THE INTER-LOCALIZATION OF MDGS AS AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO INFRASTRUCTURE DELIVERY. WE BUILT A CADRE OF LOCAL MDG CHAMPIONS THROUGH VARIOUS PEER-TO-PEER APPROACHES.

FOURTH, WE HAVE A COMPONENT ON THE FORMATION OF LEADERS-SUCCESSORS. WE RECOGNIZE THE NEED FOR EFFECTIVE AND INNOVATIVE LEADERSHIP IN REALIZING LOCAL MDGS.

FIFTH, WE PROMOTED OWNERSHIP OF THE PROCESS AND COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION THROUGH CREATIVE QUAD-MEDIA CAMPAIGN, INVOLVING BOTH LOCAL AND NATIONAL MEDIA. WE INSTITUTIONALIZED CITIZENS FEEDBACK IN THE LOCALIZATION PROCESS. WE ALSO DISSEMINATED AND SHARED LOCAL KNOWLEDGE IN REALIZING MDGS.

AND SIXTH, WE BUILT THE CAPACITIES OF LOCAL RESOURCE INSTITUTIONS TO RESPOND TO LGU-LED REFORMS.

EFFECTIVE INSTITUTIONS AND MDGS

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I CAN NOT OVER-EMPHASIZE THE NEED FOR EFFECTIVE INSTITUTIONS IN ATTAINING THE MDGS. OUR OWN EXPERIENCE IN THE LOCALIZATION PROJECT SHOWS THE IMPORTANCE OF LOCAL AND NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN PUSHING THE REFORM AGENDA FORWARD.

OUR SMALL SUCCESSES HAVE INSPIRED US TO WORK HARDER.

IN THE PHILIPPINES, WE HAVE A TERM FOR SHARED LABOR OR COLLABORATIVE EFFORT --- THE WORD IS “BAYANIHAN.” BAYANIHAN MEANS WORKING TOGETHER. BUT BAYANIHAN ALSO COMES FROM THE WORD “BAYANI”, OR HERO. PERHAPS, OUR FOREFATHERS THOUGHT THAT THOSE WHO JOIN HANDS TO WORK FOR A COMMON GOAL OUGHT TO BE CALLED BAYANI OR HERO.

WE, TOO, HAVE MET A LOT OF HEROES IN OUR LOCALIZATION EXERCISE. THEY ARE LEADERS AND FOLLOWERS WHO WORKED NOT FOR THEIR PERSONAL INTEREST, BUT FOR THE COMMON GOOD. LIKE MANY OF YOU PRESENT HERE TODAY.

I BELIEVE IN THESE HEROES ---AND THIS IS WHY I REMAIN OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE FUTURE.

INDEED, THE FUTURE IS WITHIN OUR REACH.

LET US THEREFORE CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER IN RESHAPING OUR INSTITUTIONS. LET US STRENGTHEN REGIONAL COOPERATION

AND COLLABORATIVE UNDERTAKINGS --- IN THE SPIRIT OF BAYANIHAN.

I WISH TO CONGRATULATE THE ADB, UNDP, UNESCAP, AND ALL OF THOSE WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED IN THIS VERY SUCCESSFUL UNDERTAKING.

THANK YOU AND GOOD DAY TO ALL OF YOU.

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