Statesman

I did not become president to be popular. To work, to lead, to protect and preserve our country, our people, that is why I became president.

I shall work with Congress, civil society groups and local government executives who are convinced that charter changes are needed to enable the country to surmount the unprecedented challenges of the 21st century.

We're working with our neighbors Indonesia and Malaysia to fight terrorism in our own common seas.

Now I ask you to make your sacrifice. Take a gamble. I took the plunge and I'm glad of it.

Real government is about looking beyond the vested to the national interest, setting up the necessary conditions to enable the next, more enabled and more empowered generation to achieve a country as prosperous, a people as content, as ours deserve to be.

Even before 9/11, the Philippines was already fighting terrorism in southwestern Philippines. That's why when 9/11 happened, we could understand the pain.

The people want government that works for them at every level.

We must promote solid traits such as work ethics, a dignified lifestyle, matching actions to rhetoric, performance rather than grandstanding.

I know the pain of having to deal with terrorism. And that's why, after 9-11, I was one of the first to join the international coalition to fight terrorism.

In the time one is given, the steward must make the most of the talents one is given by the Lord.

Central Philippines has the competitive edge in tourism in its natural wonders and the extraordinary hospitality of its people.

I am very grateful to our Muslim population. One of the things we've been doing is stepping up our inter-faith dialogue with the Muslim population. And I think that helped very much in their support for me.

By and large, our political system has betrayed its promise to each new generation of Filipinos, not a few of whom are voting with their feet, going abroad and leaving that system behind.

I feel that if I am freed of the burden of politics, then I can do more, and I can take more unpopular decisions.

I ask the educational system, the parents, the church, and pillars of the community to help shape a new culture of honesty, patriotism, respect, discipline and service for young Filipinos.

I was invited by President Bush to come to the United States on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the mutual defense treaty.

We have to be bold in our national ambitions. First, we must win the fight against poverty within the next decade. Second, we must improve moral standards in government and society to provide a strong foundation for good governance. Third, we must change the character of our politics to promote fertile ground for reforms.

Agrarian reform should not merely subdivide misery, it must raise living standards. Ownership raises the farmer from his, but productivity will keep him on his feet.

It is simply the truth that the political system that I am part of has degenerated to the point that it needs fundamental change.

I believe that the war against terrorism and the war against poverty in these times of turmoil go together. So you - when you fight one, you have to fight the other.