Francis Escudero Quotes

These are countries that started with higher levels of poverty incidence than our country but have successfully managed to lessen, if not virtually eliminate, extreme poverty.

It is particularly galling to read a United Nation country report released in April 2008 that "poverty reduction in the Philippines has logged far behind that of Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and China.

This is where I would like to bring up the subject of equity. Economic statistics show that although there has been GDP growth over the past 23 years, the number of families living in poverty has increased - up to about 5 million families or 27.6 million people. This demonstrates that benefits of that growth have accrued to the wealthy. The rich have gotten richer and the poor have gotten poorer. This is clearly unacceptable to all of us.

I possess no silver bullet or magic wand. But this much I can promise - we will ensure that each and every rebel shall realize that he or she owns a part of this land we love, that whatever our creed or color, our political beliefs or ethnic group, we are first and foremost Filipinos.

But these two have been intractable problems for decades, even a century. Their root causes have been social injustice and economic injustice. Brilliant minds and experts have been harnessed to tackle these problems. And still the problems persist.

Let's begin with one principle: it is better to talk, than to shoot.

What can I say about the peace efforts with our Muslim brothers and the NPA?

Tourism is an economic activity that leverages on the beauty that our Creator willed to us. It will also encourage development of the far reaches of our country. And it would complement efforts to protect the environment.

The former will guarantee a healthier life for future generations and upholds the principle of stewardship - that we are merely caretakers of the world which we presently inhabit - And that we must hand on to our children the land and waters in as good a condition as when we inherited it from our fathers.

These are our six priority areas. But I should add the Environment and Tourism.

All such shenanigans bring up the cost of doing business in this country.

We witness the President approve a contract with ZTE for $328 million which turned out to be overpriced by as much as 60%.

We sign a contract for a North Rail that cost $17 million per kilometer while the equivalent cost in Shanghai is $7M.

You bring in a container, you pay P200, 000 but only get a receipt for P60,000. Meaning that P140,000 goes to the bureaucrats and tong collectors.

Most business executives accept that bribes and grease money are costs of doing business in "soft "states.