SEN. EMMANUEL D. PACQUIAO
SPONSORSHIP SPEECH - NATIONAL BIBLE DAY

MR. PRESIDENT, DISTINGUISHED COLLEAGUES, A BLESSED AFTERNOON TO YOU ALL.

IT IS AN HONOR TO STAND BEFORE YOU TO SPONSOR SENATE BILL 1270, UNDER COMMITTEE REPORT 212, ENTITLED: "AN ACT DECLARING THE LAST MONDAY OF JANUARY AS 'NATIONAL BIBLE DAY' AND PRONOUNCE THE SAME A REGULAR HOLIDAY AND EVERY YEAR THEREAFTER."

THE PHILIPPINE POPULATION IS COMPRISED OF 93% CHRISTIANS. BECAUSE OF THIS OVERWHELMING PERCENTAGE, WE ARE KNOWN TO BE ASIA-PACIFIC'S LARGEST CHRISTIAN COUNTRY.

WITH THIS, THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THE CHRISTIAN POPULATION IN OUR COUNTRY WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE. RESEARCH DICTATES THAT IN THE YEAR 2050, FILIPINOS WILL COMPRISE 4.9% OF THE WORLD'S TOTAL CHRISTIAN POPULATION, MAKING OUR COUNTRY THE 4TH LARGEST CHRISTIAN COUNTRY.

MR. PRESIDENT, WITH THE CONTINUOUS INCREASE IN THE POPULATION OF CHRISTIANITY IN OUR COUNTRY, I BELIEVE THAT THE NATIONAL BIBLE HOLIDAY WOULD BECOME A CATALYST THAT ENCOURAGES THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MORAL CHARACTER AND SPIRITUAL FOUNDATION OF EVERY FILIPINO.

THE 1987 CONSTITUTION EVEN CALLS ON THE GOVERNMENT TO SUPPORT EFFORTS TO STRENGTHEN THE ETHICAL AND SPIRITUAL VALUES AND TO DEVELOP THE MORAL CHARACTER OF EVERY FILIPINO.

MR. PRESIDENT, EVEN OUR PRESIDENT RODRIGO DUTERTE DECLARED THIS MONTH, THE MONTH OF JANUARY, AS THE NATIONAL BIBLE MONTH.

THIS RECOGNIZES THE POSITIVE IMPACT IN WHICH THE LIVING TRUTH, THE BIBLE, HAS AFFECTED THE LIVES OF EVERY FILIPINO, INCLUDING RECONSTRUCTURISTS AND HEROES, WHILE MAINTAINING A NEUTRAL TREATMENT TO ALL RELIGIONS.

MR. PRESIDENT, LET US TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPIRITUALLY EMPOWER THE FILIPINO PEOPLE TO OPEN THEIR HEARTS FOR UTMOST NATION-BUILDING, UNITY, AND SOLIDARITY. WE NEED A NATIONAL BIBLE HOLIDAY DURING THE LAST MONDAY OF THE FIRST MONTH OF THE YEAR, FOR THE BETTERMENT OF OUR COUNTRY THROUGH GOD-CENTERED GOVERNANCE AND PEOPLE-CENTERED SERVICES.

DAGHANG SALAMAT.