TRANSCRIPT OF THE SPEECH DELIVERED BY
SENATOR MIRIAM DEFENSOR SANTIAGO
University of Perpetual Help System, Biñan, Laguna
1 March 2016

Thank you very much. When I left Manila this morning, it was likely going to rain. Quickly, my staff called me from the office and said, "Ma'am we have a problem about the campus tour: It is likely raining and there is heavy traffic." I said, "Do not worry; I will go. I have a secret. I will abolish these two obstacles. We will have light traffic and the rain will stop. I am going to pray to Our Lady of Perpetual Help."

Manalangin din ang mga nagnanakaw ng pera ng gobyerno, dahil kapag naging presidente ako, kulong silang lahat. At 'yung iba pa ngang magnanakaw tumatakbong presidente, ang lalakas ng loob!

Hindi muna ako magpi-pickup lines. Sa halip, may kwento ako. Maikli lang ito.

Juan: Noong 2013, tumakbong mayor ang tatay ko.

Pedro: Wow! Ano na ang ginagawa niya ngayon?

Juan: Wala. Nanalo siya eh.

Tanong: Bakit hindi naho-hold up ang politiko?

Sagot: Professional courtesy.

Tanong: Kung ang opposite ng pro ay con, ano naman ang opposite ng progress?

Sagot: Congress.

Tanong: Lahat ba ng fairy tale nagsisimula sa "Once upon a time..."

Sagot: Hindi, ang iba ay nagsisimula sa "Kung iboto ninyo ako..."

This is a country that suffers the grip of poverty. What we need are genuine leaders, leaders like the young people from the University of Perpetual Help. Dapat ang ating mga pangulo manggaling sa magagandang campuses at makikita mo na sa likod ng mga iyan ay mga teachers na qualified na magbibigay ng sense of values sa ating lipunan.

Alam ninyo, ang itsura ng campus ninyo sa loob, para akong nagbalik sa mga campus ko sa Amerika at sa Europa. I have no doubt that the graduates of this university will someday be some of the leaders of our country and real leaders, not leaders who are hypocritical at nagnanakaw pa ng limpak-limpak na pera. Biro mo, bilyun-bilyung pera ng sambayanan ang kinukuha nila at binibigay sa mga sarili nila. Pinupuri pa nila ang sarili nila habang nagnanakaw. Ang nangyayari, kinukuha nila ang pera sa gobyerno, pagkatapos, kapag eleksyon ulit, kunwari ibabalik nila ang pera sa mga botante. Pagkatapos, kapag binoto ninyo sila, nanakawin nila ulit, kaya walang katapusan. Ang nangyayari ay our ladies and gentlemen of perpetual plunder.

We pray to God that in this united country where most of the people's hard-earned money go to the private pockets of crooks and criminals, we pray that our Lady of Perpetual Help will come, descend to the Filipino people, choose our values, which are faith, hope, and charity. We have faith that the Filipino people will soon rise above their immoral values; we have hope that this will become true in our lifetime; and finally, that we shall all have charity for each other.

Ngayon na nangangampanya tayo sa pagka-presidente, kailangan maipakita natin kung ano ang problema ng ating bansa. Kailangan makapagbigay tayo ng mga dalawang milyong trabaho sa ating mamamayan. Walang kumikilos eh. We all say that we want jobs and the candidates say they will give jobs, but it has never happened. That's because they don't mean what they say.

In order to provide employment, we have to have additional jobs. In order to have new jobs, we have to have new businesses. In order to have new businesses, we must have capital both from the local Filipino businessmen and from the imported capitalists. That is the first thing to be done. The first thing to be done is to create two million jobs.

Pangalawa, the best and more important thing is we must have faith in ourselves. Hindi na Pilipinong lagi lang pinaglalaruan ang pangalang Pilipino. Parang wala tayong pagmamalaki sa sarili. I tell you, I have been abroad many times. I have been to several countries, I have competed with other nationalities, and I tell you that in so far as natural resources are concerned, there is no better than the Filipino. Magaling ang Pilipino! There is nothing to hold the Filipino back except our own lack of self-confidence. Parang sinasabi nating ganyan na talaga ang Pilipinas eh, puno ng magnanakaw. Wala na tayong magawa pa kundi mag-OFW nalang tayo, o kaya magnakaw din tayo kamukha ng iba. Hindi yan masasabi ng nag-e-eskwela sa University of Perpetual Help. Hindi nila yan sasabihin kailanman.

Napakahirap, sinasabi ko sa inyo, sa likod ng aking karanasan, napaka-hirap na kalabanin ang mga nagnanakaw ng pera dahil magagalit at magagalit sila, magbabayad pa sila, manunuhol pa sila ng mga black propagandists nila. Ang dami-daming mga taong kamukha nito na halos wala nang hiya. Pero kung mananaig sila, ibig sabihin wala na palang diyos ang ating mundo, but we have been told "every hair on your head has been counted by God." Kaya alalahanin natin 'yan habang tayo'y nakagraduate na at naghahanap ng trabaho. Alalahanin natin na may nagbabantay sa ating bawat-isa. 'Yan ang Panginoon, kaya 'wag kang malungkot para sa ating bansa o para sa sarili mo. This country loves you and you may not be aware of it, but we love this country with all our heart.

That's why hindi ako uurong maski anong gawin nila sa akin. Ilang beses ko na silang hinamon na mag-suntukan kami, ayaw naman nila. Talagang mahirap. Nakikita ko na yumayaman ang mga katabi ko at ako naman ay hindi na umangat doon sa kinakaroonan ko. I'm only a plain middle class Filipina. Parang naaawa ako pero sugod pa rin ako nang sugod dahil kailanman hindi tayo magpapatalo sa mga ito.

So, we remember the words of the poet: It matters not how strait the gate, how charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul. Ladies and gentlemen of Biñan, Laguna, help me. Help me to make our country transform itself into the master of our fate and the captain of our soul. Thank you.