President Benigno S. Aquino III assured the government’s commitment to empower the people and reclaim the country’s stature as one of the best performers within a community of nations.

In his speech before various clubs during the Business Forum of Joint Alumni Clubs (U.S. Universities) at the Rigodon Ballroom of the Manila Peninsula Hotel in Makati City on Wednesday, President Aquino bared the legacy he wanted to leave to the people that is a country more developed and a revitalized economy that will uplift the living standards of the people.

“Your government is here to empower you and not to serve as a hindrance to progress. We wanted to reclaim our national pride to show the world that the Philippines is ready to take its rightful place in the community of nations and so we are standing our ground prepared to defend our dignity,” the President said.

“In a little over four years, I will be stepping down as your President… the only thing I want out of this position is to leave the country in a far-better state than what I inherited, with a government unshackled from corruption and dishonesty, with the steadily growing economy that leaves no one behind and with an empowered and engaged citizenry much like yourselves, ready to take on the task of nation-building together, I’m certain that these are goals that we all share, we are well on our way to achieving this,” he added.

“Let’s continue to work together. Let’s continue to believe in what this country can do. Let’s make the Philippines into what we all desire it to be: a country of potential fulfilled,” the President further noted.

The Chief Executive also bared the valuable contribution of prominent business entities in pushing for the country’s sustainable progress and development.

“The core of the country’s biggest corporations have committed to invest over 2 trillion pesos in our economy not in the next generation but over the next five years. The business sector is making a big bet on the economy and on our people… in so doing they are creating opportunities for our countrymen and so to those of you who have actively participated in improving the lives of our people, to those whose dreams did not leave any of our countrymen behind. You have the gratitude of our people,” the President said.

“Building opportunities and empowering our people are the same principles that have fuelled the new-found vitality of the Philippines, step by steady step, we have faced every obstacle head-on... we are all well aware that many of our problems have systemic rules and thus require systemic solutions that is why I have always maintained that no individual, not even our administration can do it alone, fixing the system requires contributions from all fronts,” he added.

The event dubbed as “General Assembly of the Joint Philippine Alumni Clubs” of US universities such as Columbia, Cornell, Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Northwestern-Kellog, Stanford and Wharton-Penn.

The forum is aimed at strengthening the role of the alumni clubs in support of President Aquino’s socio-economic agenda for the country.

Present during the event were cabinet officials led by Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, Trade and Industry Secretary Gregory Domingo, Transportation and Communications Secretary Manuel Roxas II, Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras and Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo.