Speech of President Arroyo during

the Blessing and Inauguration of

the Newly Installed Regional Office
VII Payroll Services Unit (PSU) of
the Department of Education
June 22, 2004
Speech
of
Her Excellency Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
President of the Philippines
During the Blessing and Inauguration of the Newly Installed Regional
Office VII Payroll Services Unit (PSU) of the Department of Education
[Delivered at the DepEd Regional Office, Ecotech Compound Lahug, Cebu City,
Cebu, June 22, 2004]
Thank you very much, Secretary De Jesus and congratulations on implementing
the vision of the bill of Congressman Gullas whom Im also greeting today.
I would like to greet the officials of the province of Cebu headed by Governor
Pabling Garcia and also to wish Governor Garcia once again a happy 50th
anniversary. I would like to greet as well the other officials of Cebu like
Congresswoman Neris soon-Ruiz whos here and Talisay mayor, Mayor Gullas. of
course, the people of Cebu City headed by Mayor Tommy Osmea and
Congressman Raul Del Mar who is actually our host congressman in this district.
And all the officials of the Department of Education including our very respected
and beloved teachers for whom this payroll system is being implemented. And all
the appointive officials of the national government who are here with us today.

I am happy to have the opportunity to be here in the first implementation of this

regional payroll system. And in honor of the author of the bill on regional payroll
systems, Congressman Gullas, the first regionalized payroll today will be given to
the teachers of Carcar who belong to his district.
I thank the teachers, as Undersecretary Luz said, this convenient system will
hopefully make it easier for the teachers and the DepEd to do your work with
greater speed, greater convenience, less expense because teachers bear so much
of a burden not only teaching our young the values they need to be good citizens
but even counting votes in an election which is so tedious.
I hope that just as we have been able now to computerized and therefore
regionalized the payroll system here in region vii, next time well be able to
computerize elections as well so you wont have such a difficult time.
And speaking of elections, may I take this opportunity once again to thank the
people of Cebu for the overwhelming mandate you gave me to be president of the
Philippines as well.
The Filipino people were the real winners in this election. And in the name of the
people, I reach out for unity, healing and reconciliation. We have had enough of
hatred and recrimination for the past months and its time to mend fences and
move forward.
The people not only clamor for statesmanship, they demand it. Let the buoyancy
of the moment bring our hearts and minds together in the service of a common
and noble cause. Lets heal the wounds of the body politic, unite the country, and
fight for change together.
Now is the time for all leaders to stand proud for democracy and to demonstrate
that they are worthy of the peoples trust, durable trust, respect and loyalty.
Sa gihapon kaninyong tanan, akong mga ginigugma nga mga taga-Cebu,
maayong buntag ug daghan salamat sa inyong suporta.

Thank you.
Source: www.op.gov.ph
Macapagal-Arroyo, G. (2004). PGMAs Speech during the Blessing and
Inauguration of the Newly Installed Regional Office VII Payroll Services Unit (PSU)
of the Department of Education. Retrieved from
https://web.archive.org/web/20100615133431/http://www.op.gov.ph/index.php?
option=com_content&task=view&id=5677&Itemid=38