INTRODUCTION
Mga minamahal kong kababayan dito sa Bicol: Maray na aldao sa indo gabos.

In this feast of Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia, i come here foremost as a pilgrim. Although a Protestant, I share your belief in an all-good and compassionate being. I join you, therefore, in this offer of thanksgiving for all the blessings we have received during the year.

But more than thanksgiving, this is also a pilgrimage of renewal — renewal of our commitment to work for things noble and fight things evil. In front of a caring patroness, we once more reaffirm our resolve to reject mendicancy and hopelessness. Along with our firm belief that she will hear our prayers is our promise to work even harder for our aspirations.

Thus, I have also come here as your president — to respond to your call for my leadership. It is, therefore, with a strong sense of obligation that I have come to thank you and seek your support once more for the programs of my administration.

In this holy place and during this auspicious occasion, I find it appropriate to renew this administration’s all-out war against poverty — a vicious enemy that has brought untold misery to countless Filipinos. Counting on the gutsy and hardworking Bicolanos as among my able soldiers, I reiterate our campaign against poverty.
COMBATING THE HARDSHIPS OF BICOLANOS
I know that many Bicolanos are familiar with the cruelties of poverty.

Latest records show that the region has one of the highest incidence of poverty in the entire country. More than one-half of the total households in the region is earning less than 3,000 pesos, the minimum a family of five must earn to provide for its most basic needs. Considering that Bicolanos comprise roughly 8% of our total population, this is a most pressing situation indeed.

To this war, I have dedicated the talents and resources of the entire bureaucracy. I have directed all government agencies to work toward this end. The presidential commission for countryside development, headed by former governor Daniel Lacson of Negros Occidental, is coordinating our efforts to fight poverty in the rural areas.
ADDRESSING THE BICOLANOS’ NEEDS
This brings me to the other purpose of my visit here today.

I have come here to personally listen to your problems and see how best we can resolve them. Before coming to this hall, I consulted with your local leaders. As expected, insurgency ranked number one among your concerns.

You must be aware by now of our initiatives to come up with permanent solutions to this problem to have lasting peace.

We have launched a peace program to offer our rebel brothers the chance to join us in bringing about peaceful reforms and sustained economic progress.

We have created the national unification commission to undertake meaningful dialogue with all insurgent groups to determine once and for all how best address the root causes of insurgency and rebellion, starting with improving we can jointly improve the living conditions of our poor.

You who are often caught in the crossfire must help us convince those in the hills of the sincerity of our campaign and our efforts in making the government more responsive to your needs.
ANNOUNCEMENT OF PROJECTS
Allow me now to announce to you what this administration has already done for your region.

Under the President’s Social Fund, I have directed the release of the needed funds for the construction of 50 school buildings in the region for the rest of 1992. I have also instructed PMS to study possible PSF funding for the rehabilitation of various dilapidated school buildings throughout Bicol to include the recently fire-gutted school buildings in Bulan, Sorsogon.

To address the water shortage in Bicol’s urban centers, I am directing the local water utilities administration to explore with the Naga City and other LGUs the possibility of providing loan assistance for the construction water pumping stations. I am asking LWUA Administrator Antonio de Vera to submit to me his report on this not later than the end of this month.

To meet the growing need for safe drinking water in the islands of Masbate Province, I hereby approve the funding of 600,000 pesos from PSF for the construction of 15 deep wells within the year.

We recognize the importance of transportation, communications and other infrastructure in supporting economic development. I had previously directed DOTC Secretary Jesus Garcia and DPWH secretary Ping de Jesus to double their efforts to meet the region’s needs on this.

Let me now announce my long lists of tasks for these two hardworking gentlemen so you can follow up implementation with their respective departments.

For the DOTC:

1. Accelerate the rehabilitation of the port facilities in Legaspi and Tabaco by the end of the year. This is part of the provincial port project under an existing OECF loan package.

2. Review the viability of establishing airport facilities in Sorsogon. Whether it is to reopen the bacon airport or construct a new one in Bulan, I expect the recommendation within one week from today.

3. Complete as soon as possible the fire-crash and rescue equipment project between the Philippines and France that now includes the airports of Camarines Sur, Catanduanes and Masbate.

4. Complete by the end of the year the upgrading of the air navigational facilities in the airports of Camarines Sur and Masbate being done in cooperation with the U.S. Government.

5. Accelerate the installation of public calling stations in 36 towns of Camarines Sur under the Municipal Telephone Project. I expect this to be 50% operational by the middle of 1993 and the rest by the end of that year.

6. And finally, facilitate the early completion of PNR’s main line south revitalization project. Within 1993, the Manila-Naga railway services should be revitalized and operational, and by 1994, the entire Manila-Legaspi route. The Ramos government has started a study on the total upgrading of the PNR South Line through a B.O.T. scheme.

For DPWH:

1. Accelerate the completion of the construction within ten months of the Quirino Highway stretching from Del Gallego town to Sipocot.

2. Formulate and submit to my office within a month an implementable and sustainable maintenance plan for the Maharlika Highway. The implementation of this shall be monitored by three NGO’s.

3. Lastly, and in coordination with the DBM, submit within the month, possible funding options for the concreting of the Naga-Carolina Road. This project, as promised by my predecessor, is critical to the area’s growth since it connects the city with its six outlying major barangays. Other similar projects are also being studied.

As to the preservation of the Bicol National Park, I am instructing DENR to submit to my office within the month an update on its preservation plan. I expect the plan to include the participation of the LGU’s and the private sector.
THE REGION’S POTENTIALS
As I have been made aware of your problems, so have I seen the region’s vast potential. You and I should help each other turn Bicol into a new growth center and one of the most prosperous regions of the country.

Consider your numerous off-shore fishing grounds. Six of these — Lamon Bay, Lagonoy Gulf, Ragay Gulf, Visayan, Samar and Sibuyan Seas — are among the richest in the country.

You, too, have an abundant supply of minerals. Gold, copper, silver, zinc and manganese are present almost everywhere in the region.

Most important of all, your sources of geothermal power assure you of a steady supply of energy. The power plants in Tiwi, Bacon-Manito, and Bulan are operational. Waiting to be tapped are the Lagnos-Pasacao mountain, Mount Isarog in Camarines Sur and Lanot Mercedes in Camarines Norte.

With all these, how can we not realize our shared dream for Bicol?

OUR POVERTY ALLEVIATION APPROACHES
At this point, let me reiterate our approaches towards poverty alleviation that will optimize the use of our capabilities and assets.

Let us organize ourselves into groups which can analyze the challenges confronting us. Then, let us formulate solutions which you yourselves can implement. I am talking here of the formation of cooperatives which can undertake endeavors of common interest and whose benefits can be shared by all their members. I am referring to families and neighborhoods engaging in livelihood enterprises that will lead to more productive, self-reliant communities.

It is within ourselves to be able to do his or her share to improve our standard of living. It is in our capacity to initiate activities that will put to good use our sense of community and the bounty nature has provided us.
CONCLUSION
What this region needs, obviously, is to unleash its long-hidden potentials and in this, I make a solemn pledge to all Bicolanos: you shall have the full support of the national government.

We all want to see Bicol prosper so we can substantially reduce poverty in the region by the end of my term.

I want to see Bicol prosper not only for Bicolanos but also for it to contribute to our national goal of making the Philippines the next tiger economy of Asia.

You and I can make this come true if we put our minds and hands together. We can work together to attain peace so we can pursue and enjoy the fruits of progress. With the help of the Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia, all these shall be within our reach if we try hard enough.

In the presence of our patroness, let us swear to try our very best and she will guide us to success.

Mabuhay po tayong lahat. Dios mabalos sa indo gabos.