INTRODUCTION
Today’s bill-signing ceremony is a most auspicious way for government to begin the new year.

It augurs well for the continuing productive relationship between congress and the presidency which has brought about a significant cluster of meaningful economic, social and political reform measures through legislation.

Makati is the center of commerce of Metro Manila. That it is a melting pot of banking, merchandising, education, medical care, recreation and tourism enterprises and also of diplomatic establishments is well-known. From its dynamism emanate human and financial resources that spread out to the whole nation to catalyze the growth of the economy.
AN OVERDUE CITYHOOD
For these reasons alone, the grant to Makati of cityhood has been considered to be timely and meritorious.

RA 7854, which shall be known as the “Charter of the City of Makati”, tasks the city government to provide adequate social and health services to its constituents. It provides for two legislative districts, ensuring better representation for the people of Makati.

The Ramos administration welcomes the conversion of the municipality of Makati into a city. Therefore, allow me to congratulate both houses of Congress for sponsoring and passing this landmark legislation.

And for the officials of Makati city, let me challenge you to make your new city of Makati more effective, efficient and responsive to the needs of its residents and to become the cleanest and greenest city in the Philippines in 1995. Surely these goals can be achieved if Makati’s constituents and officials continue to make business and public service their main business — and not politics.
INDICATORS OF PROGRESS
There is a far greater significance to the recent creation of new Philippine cities. I believe they are clear indicators of progress and a more dynamic future ahead of us.

For a long while, our number of cities stood at 60. Then last year, Santiago, a progressive town in Isabela, became the first and, up to now, the only city in the Cagayan Valley. In the following months, Mandaluyong and Pasig had their turns by virtue of thorough legislative procedures. Makati thus becomes the country’s 64th city.

In the hierarchy of local government units (LGUs), cityhood connotes progress and modernization, a transformation from rural to cosmopolitan status. The increasing number of our cities is indeed proof of the steady industrializing process our country is experiencing as a whole.

Today, we also sign the memorandum of understanding on the Distance Education Project of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS), the People’s Television (PTV), and the University of the Philippines Institute of Science and Mathematics Education Development (UP-ISMED).

The three modules of forty lessons each which the project will produce and broadcast via PTV channels will substantially upgrade the knowledge and skills of teachers currently teaching science in elementary schools and chemistry and physics in high schools.

We are all aware that science and technology are changing the future of the world. Filipino schoolchildren, who comprise our nation’s best assets and comparative advantage, need to have adequately trained and competent science and technology teachers. With this new project and its innovative open-broadcast television lessons, we not only enter the world’s information highway but also make available to thousands of teachers nationwide the opportunity to master subjects that they were not especially trained for, but which they will eventually be fully qualified to teach — because of such “long-distance” training programs.

I congratulate the moving spirits behind this tripartite education project and challenge at the same time its implementors and beneficiaries to maximize the potential of this creative hi-tech enterprise.

I also commend Senate President Edgardo Angara who has generously consented to help fund the project from his Countrywide Development Fund (CDF).
CLOSING

As I will report to the nation two days from now, the Philippines indeed took remarkable strides towards its vision of NIC-hood in the past year.

We began that task two and a half years ago, and today we reaffirm our commitment to making it happen.

Winning the future means providing for it as well — materially, intellectually, and morally.

There is no denying the fact that the achievements we have made so far are due in large part to the strong spirit of cooperation forged between the legislative and the executive branches on the basis of a common vision for the Philippines as we move into the 21st century.

As I extend my congratulations once again to the authors and sponsors of the Makati cityhood bill, I would also like to take this occasion to reiterate my appeal to Congress to favorably act on the remaining administration measures.

When Congress resumes session next month, it will have only 16 session days remaining to consider priority legislation still left undone.

These bills are vital to our political stability, economic health, people’s empowerment, and social well-being, and they cannot be held back for long.

These important bills include, among others, those on the sustainable development and the protection of our forests; the incentives for foreign investors; the modernization of our armed forces; the expansion of the coverage of the Social Security Law; the extension of the Asset Privatization Law; the organization of a Metro Manila Development Authority; and as important as all others — the key seven measures I have certified for immediate enactment to improve our electoral system.

We face many urgent tasks and priorities in the immediate future.

Let us pray to the good Lord that 1995 be another fruitful year of our working together for the greater benefit of our people and our beloved Philippines. But as we pray, let us perform, and as we perform, let us pray.

Let our battle cry in 1995 be “exceed five in 95!”.

Mabuhay ang “Philippines 2000!!!”, and a prosperous and peaceful new year to all!

Maraming salamat po.