INTRODUCTION
Today and in the next few days, we will sign a series of new laws whose implementation will signal the next important stage of our economic, political and social modernization programs which are the pillars of our shared vision of “Philippines 2000!!!”.
POLITICAL STABILITY THROUGH NATIONAL SECURITY
We give utmost importance to the passage of the bill which mandates the continuing modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines over a period 15 years. The allocation in this law of a total of p50 billion in the first 5 years to update the AFP’s equipment, manpower and technological capabilities sets the stage for the nation to achieve the level of preparedness appropriate for its defense and protection against external threats and foreign aggression.

Our armed forces can now acquire the support mechanisms for its modernization, with emphasis on the development, application and utilization of indigenous skills, materials, resources, technologies and industries.

Contrary to speculations from many quarters, this law is not a reaction to recent headlines about perceived external threats. National security is too important to be merely reactive. This modernization plan is a product of intensive study which started eight years ago during my stint as AFP Chief of Staff and followed up during my stewardship of the department of national defense and the persistent efforts of leaders of congress to enact this enabling measure.

Closer to the masses’ concept of political stability through our orderly conduct of free elections is this new law which mandates the commission on elections to provide every qualified voter with a sample ballot containing the official list of candidates and a voter’s information sheet that includes simplified instructions for proper voting. Through this simple but vital measure, we provide the means for every voter to express freely his choices of elective officials.
STRENGTHENING OUR ECONOMIC AGENDA
We also have today several new laws that will guarantee our sustained economic growth in the post UR-GATT era.
First is the law encouraging our farmers to plant high value crops such as fruit crops and cut flowers on non-productive agricultural and upland areas to increase their incomes. It also creates the high value crop development fund of p1 billion which will act as the safety valve in the gradual shift from traditional crops to high value ones, and the high value crops market research unit under the department of agriculture to oversee the program’s implementation as well as provide technical support to farmer-beneficiaries. We expect the program to substantially increase the earnings of the agricultural sector despite the shrinkage of the area of our arable lands.

In further support of our agri-led economic development thrust, we sign into law this bill increasing the Land Bank’s capitalization from the current p3 billion to p9 billion, thereby making it competitive with other banks while remaining a key player in the economic emancipation of our agricultural sector. Through this, we strengthen our commitment to provide a better future for about 25 million Filipinos dependent on the farming and fishing sectors. With a stronger capital base from internally generated funds, we expect land bank to fulfill its mission more effectively in providing credit and other support services to over one- half of our population.

The easier availability of capital and credit to consumers and small entrepreneurs is boosted by another new law which, among others, liberalizes the branching rules for thrift banks and redefines their reserve requirements to be 20% lower than those for commercial banks. This law repeals the private development banks’ act, the savings and loan association act and other provisions of law pertaining to savings and mortgage banks. It encourages more activities for thrift banks in the countryside as well as for its markets, including the most marginal of small industries.
IMPROVED PROSPECTS FOR SOCIAL REFORM
The list for today’s new laws is particularly beneficial to our Social Reform Agenda. Of special interest to us all is the redefinition of the jurisdiction of the court of appeals which I had certified to congress as urgent. This law clarifies and simplifies some previous gray areas in the courts, especially with regard to the court of appeals’ authority to conduct hearings in both its original and appellate jurisdictions, including petitions for annulment of regional trial court (RTC) judgments. This authority has now been defined and we can look forward to a decrease in litigations spawned by such ambiguities.

Today also, we are making the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) more responsive to the requirements of our landless farmers who are the neediest of our agricultural workers. The success of our Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program lies not only in land distribution but also in the adequate provision of support services that underpin the shift from tenancy to land ownership.

Without these sustained support services, the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) could become a vicious cycle of distribution and resale to original owners because the CARP beneficiary is unable to come up with the necessary inputs for his farm. Under this law, the DAR is refocused from its original land distribution functions to the goal of productivity by way of the provision of support services to ensure that the farmer-beneficiary is assisted until he is able to be more self-reliant and efficient.

The amendment to the Condominium Act, on the other hand, simplifies and liberalizes the requirements in condominium alteration and/or disposition which have hampered the growth of condominium building in the country. The amendment now provides that only a simple majority of condominium owners may amend or revoke a master deed or to authorize the sale, exchange, lease or disposition of common areas of the condominium building, subject to the approval of the housing and land use regulatory board.
ADDRESSING REGIONAL SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Along with this package of laws, we have two for regional socio-economic development. We create today the country’s latest administrative region: Region XIII, also known as the Caraga region after its original Spanish name. This is composed of the provinces of Agusan del Sur and Agusan del Norte and Surigao del Sur and Surigao del Norte. This region has been created not to gerrymander but to make possible more effective, integrated and comprehensive planning for these provinces which were erroneously classified under different regions in the past. I challenge the residents of Caraga to prove that thirteen is a lucky number.

We are also happy for the people of Zamboanga over the creation of the Zamboanga Special Economic Zone Authority (ZSEZA) which will speed up the development of the Zamboanga area, including Basilan, sulu and Tawi-Tawi.
OTHER LOCAL BILLS
Finally, we congratulate the people of the provinces where six new laws create the following new institutions: Leyte Normal College in Leyte; Ramon Magsaysay Polytechnic College in Zambales; Cauayan Polytechnic College in the new province of Isabela del Sur; Bataan State College and Bataan National Polytechnic College, both in Bataan; and the Balicuarto College of Arts and Trade in Northern Samar. Our young Filipinos there will now have better access to higher education and can face the future more confidently.

We also extend our congratulations to our new franchise holders: multimedia telephony and pacific airways corporation.
CLOSING
Once again, I would like to convey the highest commendation of our people to the leaders and members of Congress for these new laws that will boost our bid to become a newly industrializing country by the year 2000 and put Philippine socio-economic program on a sustainable path.

My gratitude especially goes to Senate President Edgardo Angara and House Speaker Jose de Venecia for the passage of these critical pieces of legislation. I congratulate all the authors and co-authors, sponsors and co-sponsors, and all legislators who have contributed to the speedy passage of these new laws.

But this is not the last of our signing ceremonies, for we still await the finalization of several other important bills.

Let me therefore thank you all for these laws, even as I look forward to signing the other enrolled bills due to be completed in the next few days, that have set this 9th Congress apart as the most responsive and productive group of Philippine lawmakers.

Hanggang bukas, maraming salamat.