TRANSCRIPT OF THE SPEECH DELIVERED BY 

SENATOR MIRIAM DEFENSOR SANTIAGO 

University of Perpetual Help System, Biñan, Laguna 
1 March 2016

Thank you very much. When I left Manila this morning, it was likely going to rain. Quickly,
my staff called me from the office and said, "Ma'am we have a problem about the campus tour:
It is likely raining and there is heavy traffic." I said, "Do not worry; I will go. I have a secret. I will
abolish these two obstacles. We will have light traffic and the rain will stop. I am going to pray
to Our Lady of Perpetual Help."

Manalangin din ang mga nagnanakaw ng pera ng gobyerno, dahil kapag naging presidente
ako, kulong silang lahat. At 'yung iba pa ngang magnanakaw tumatakbong presidente, ang
lalakas ng loob!

Hindi muna ako magpi-pickup lines. Sa halip, may kwento ako. Maikli lang ito.

Juan: Noong 2013, tumakbong mayor ang tatay ko. 

Pedro: Wow! Ano na ang ginagawa niya ngayon? 

Juan: Wala. Nanalo siya eh.

Tanong: Bakit hindi naho-hold up ang politiko? 

Sagot: Professional courtesy.

Tanong: Kung ang opposite ng pro ay con, ano naman ang opposite ng progress? 

Sagot: Congress.

Tanong: Lahat ba ng fairy tale nagsisimula sa "Once upon a time..." 

Sagot: Hindi, ang iba ay nagsisimula sa "Kung iboto ninyo ako..."

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 This is a country that suffers the grip of poverty. What we need are genuine leaders, leaders
like the young people from the University of Perpetual Help. Dapat ang ating mga pangulo
manggaling sa magagandang campuses at makikita mo na sa likod ng mga iyan ay mga teachers
na qualified na magbibigay ng sense of values sa ating lipunan.

Alam ninyo, ang itsura ng campus ninyo sa loob, para akong nagbalik sa mga campus ko sa
Amerika at sa Europa. I have no doubt that the graduates of this university will someday be
some of the leaders of our country and real leaders, not leaders who are hypocritical at
nagnanakaw pa ng limpak-limpak na pera. Biro mo, bilyun-bilyung pera ng sambayanan ang
kinukuha nila at binibigay sa mga sarili nila. Pinupuri pa nila ang sarili nila habang nagnanakaw.
Ang nangyayari, kinukuha nila ang pera sa gobyerno, pagkatapos, kapag eleksyon ulit, kunwari
ibabalik nila ang pera sa mga botante. Pagkatapos, kapag binoto ninyo sila, nanakawin nila ulit,
kaya walang katapusan. Ang nangyayari ay our ladies and gentlemen of perpetual plunder.

We pray to God that in this united country where most of the people's hard-earned money
go to the private pockets of crooks and criminals, we pray that our Lady of Perpetual Help will
come, descend to the Filipino people, choose our values, which are faith, hope, and charity. We
have faith that the Filipino people will soon rise above their immoral values; we have hope that
this will become true in our lifetime; and finally, that we shall all have charity for each other.

Ngayon na nangangampanya tayo sa pagka-presidente, kailangan maipakita natin kung ano

ang problema ng ating bansa. Kailangan makapagbigay tayo ng mga dalawang milyong trabaho
sa ating mamamayan. Walang kumikilos eh. We all say that we want jobs and the candidates
say they will give jobs, but it has never happened. That's because they don't mean what they
say.

In order to provide employment, we have to have additional jobs. In order to have new
jobs, we have to have new businesses. In order to have new businesses, we must have capital
both from the local Filipino businessmen and from the imported capitalists. That is the first
thing to be done. The first thing to be done is to create two million jobs.

Pangalawa, the best and more important thing is we must have faith in ourselves. Hindi na
Pilipinong lagi lang pinaglalaruan ang pangalang Pilipino. Parang wala tayong pagmamalaki sa

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sarili. I tell you, I have been abroad many times. I have been to several countries, I have
competed with other nationalities, and I tell you that in so far as natural resources are
concerned, there is no better than the Filipino. Magaling ang Pilipino! There is nothing to hold
the Filipino back except our own lack of self-confidence. Parang sinasabi nating ganyan na
talaga ang Pilipinas eh, puno ng magnanakaw. Wala na tayong magawa pa kundi mag-OFW
nalang tayo, o kaya magnakaw din tayo kamukha ng iba. Hindi yan masasabi ng nag-e-eskwela
sa University of Perpetual Help. Hindi nila yan sasabihin kailanman.

Napakahirap, sinasabi ko sa inyo, sa likod ng aking karanasan, napaka-hirap na kalabanin

ang mga nagnanakaw ng pera dahil magagalit at magagalit sila, magbabayad pa sila, manunuhol
pa sila ng mga black propagandists nila. Ang dami-daming mga taong kamukha nito na halos
wala nang hiya. Pero kung mananaig sila, ibig sabihin wala na palang diyos ang ating mundo,
but we have been told "every hair on your head has been counted by God." Kaya alalahanin
natin 'yan habang tayo'y nakagraduate na at naghahanap ng trabaho. Alalahanin natin na may
nagbabantay sa ating bawat-isa. 'Yan ang Panginoon, kaya 'wag kang malungkot para sa ating
bansa o para sa sarili mo. This country loves you and you may not be aware of it, but we love
this country with all our heart. 

That's why hindi ako uurong maski anong gawin nila sa akin. Ilang beses ko na silang
hinamon na mag-suntukan kami, ayaw naman nila. Talagang mahirap. Nakikita ko na
yumayaman ang mga katabi ko at ako naman ay hindi na umangat doon sa kinakaroonan ko.
I'm only a plain middle class Filipina. Parang naaawa ako pero sugod pa rin ako nang sugod dahil
kailanman hindi tayo magpapatalo sa mga ito.

So, we remember the words of the poet: It matters not how strait the gate, how charged
with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul. Ladies and
gentlemen of Biñan, Laguna, help me. Help me to make our country transform itself into the
master of our fate and the captain of our soul. Thank you.

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