Your excellency Archbishop Gian Vincenzo Moreni, excellencies, colleagues in government, ladies and gentlemen:

Allow me, on behalf of the government and people of my country, to extend to your excellencies and to your leaders our greetings and wishes for a peaceful, prosperous and fulfilling 1994.

I thank you for joining Mrs. Ramos and me today as we celebrate the occasion of the new year, and renew the warm relations binding your respective countries and organizations with the Philippines.

Philippine policy towards the rest of the world is grounded on our firm belief in a fundamental philosophy — friendship with all peace-loving nations. In this era when new conditions provide opportunities for both conflict and cooperation, there can be for a country like the Philippines no better guarantee of peace and security than the cultivation of friendship and mutual benefit with all other countries.

As a charter member of the United Nations (UN), the Philippines staunchly supports the reinvigorated efforts of the UN to help build a more equitable structure of international relations.

As a nation at the heart of the Asia-Pacific community, the Philippines welcomes the growing political, economic and cultural interdependence and cooperation within our region.

As a founding member of ASEAN, the Philippines is gratified at the growing maturity and cohesiveness of our primary association, and looks forward to pursuing the initiatives launched in the past year, particularly those aimed at greater regional and sub-regional economic integration and the beginning of a meaningful dialogue in regional security.

In 1993, my country’s relationships with its immediate neighbors and traditional friends were renewed and enhanced, in accord with the new paradigms of our respective governments.

We value our friendship with you and will continue to strive to strengthen these relations.

Economic realities validate this philosophy even more. The world is now a truly global and diverse marketplace with immense opportunities and challenges for all. Such opportunities can be grasped fully only with the hand of friendship.

In this context, the Philippines has reached out to many nations through the large numbers of our nationals who have found welcome in your countries and who have in turn made meaningful contributions to your societies. They form an unbreakable bond between our nations.

I am particularly gratified that you, excellencies of the diplomatic corps and heads of international organizations, were able to witness for yourselves in 1993 our efforts at reforming and reinvigorating key areas of the Philippine economy, and improving our peace and order situation. Clearly, 1993 was a crucial turning point in the development of the Philippines.

As important, we have laid the solid foundations for even more substantial and more rapid advances for the coming years onto the year 2000.

The Philippines shares with all of you a strong commitment to a peaceful, stable and prosperous world. We are determined to make a purposeful contribution to that world of the future.

Last Monday, I gave a detailed outline of my program to attain precisely this. I summarized this in three words: building, peace-making and modernizing.

Let me share with you my visions for 1994.

For 1994, I see a world entering into the era of the free market, where free and open competition, encouraged by market forces, becomes the general rule instead of unilateral and arbitrary restrictive practices.

I see the East Asia region as the dynamo that will propel larger world trade.

I see the Philippines at the gateway to this region, a revitalized and energized Philippines, determined, prepared and inspired, to play such a crucial role in the region’s continued stability and economic growth.

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, may I again express to you our most heartfelt greetings — the first lady’s and mine — on the occasion of the new year. I invite you to raise your glasses with me and join in a toast:

To all of you, long life, good health, continued success and enduring happiness —

Mabuhay!!!