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President Aquino enjoins Filipinos to continue supporting reform agenda in New Year message

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MALACANANG, Philippines – President Benigno S. Aquino III, in his message for the New Year, expressed the deep pride he feels regarding the recent developments in the country, and advised Filipinos to choose the right leaders in next year’s elections to sustain those gains.
“I join all Filipinos as we bid farewell to a historic 2015 and expectantly look forward to a peaceful, prosperous 2016,” President Aquino said in his message released on Tuesday.
“As I reflect on the developments of our country this past year and those that came before it, I am filled with pride by how far we have come since we began our journey in 2010.”
The country now has a soaring economy, robust democracy, and magnified presence on the global stage, which not only promises a great start to the coming year but also highlights the Philippines’ “ongoing narrative of resurgence under the Daang Matuwid”, he said.
The President recalled that more than five years ago, the country faced a “future full of despair and uncertainty” amid reports of plunder, mismanagement, and corruption in government.
“Today, progress, opportunity, and growth fill news about the Philippines, both here and abroad,” he said.
He attributed these achievements to the country’s collective resolve to follow the straight and righteous path, “a path that transformed damaged public agencies into stronger, more transparent, and responsive institutions, turned a demoralized government workforce into dedicated civil servants, and galvanized an apathetic populace into active, empowered nation-builders”.
The President further noted that the government reform agenda reinvigorated a sluggish business sector into a major driver of economic growth.
“Indeed, the Daang Matuwid is a roadmap that will catapult us into First World Status and make us a $1-trillion economy by the year 2030,” he said.
President Aquino also said that this possibility encourages him and the rest of the government to faithfully pursue their tasks in the last six months of his administration.
The same motivation should also guide the country as it chooses a new set of leaders next year to maintain the Philippines’ upward growth trajectory and keep the nation on the Daang Matuwid, he added.
“As long as we bear in our hearts and minds the welfare of our people, we will realize our inherent greatness and usher in a Philippines that we can proudly bequeath to the coming generations,” he said, wishing the country a happy and eventful new year.

Criselda Cabangon David, a happy mother of two kids, is a full-time Sociologist at the City Government of Lucena, Quezon Province. She is currently the Managing Editor of Ang Diaryo Natin Sunday News, a weekly local community newspaper in the Philippines and an active member of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines.