Draft Speech

Medium: Tagalog and English (Taglish)

Audience: Mass-based Informatics graduating students and awardees
Date: May 19, 2011
Place: Techno Hub, Commonwealth Ave., Diliman, QC
Time: 4-7 pm
Length of Speech: 10-15 minutes

PCSO, A PARTNERSHIP IN DEVELOPMENT

Mga panauhin. Mga kaibigan. Magandang hapon sa lahat ng mga naririto.

It is with great pleasure to greet you on the occasion of your Informatics Baccalaureate Mass and
Recognition Rites this year for your graduating students and awardees, and I am honored to be invited as
your guest speaker today.

Isang malaking karangalan na makadaupang-palad ko kayo sa araw na ito. Batid ko ang inyong
mga pangarap at pagpupunyagi na maka-ambag sa pag-unlad ng ating bayan. Tunay na nag-uugat
mismo sa mga tao ang pag-unlad. Itoy nagsisimula sa tiwala sa ating likas na katangian at kakayahan
saan mang dako ng bansa at sa tibay ng paninindigan na makahanap ng lunas na siyang magiging
kaagapay sa paglutas ng ating mga pangkasalukuyang suliranin. Kung tutuusin ang susi ng kasaganaan
ay totoong nakasalalay sa ating mga sarili.

Allow me to quote our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal: Ang ating mga kabataan ang pag-asa ng
ating bayan.

It is indeed true that the Filipino youth is one of the staunchest components of the nation,
because the idealism of the youth is the soul and conscience of the Filipino people. He voices out the
call for change and reform. His endeavors, borne out of altruistic and genuine love for the country,
should not be looked upon as obstacles to development. He is the catalyst of change. He is aware of
todays pretext and context.

The Filipino youth has spoken out because he sees the countrys realities and probabilities. He
speaks for the victims of violence, for those trapped by the complexities of the modern rat-race living.
He speaks for those who are deprived of freedom. His urge to use the power of persuasion is not
offensive, rather it is a defense against the global threats to our right to think, act and live as free men.

Thus, we as adults must recognize the youths significant contribution to our society and to
nation-building. Totoong napakahalaga ng nahahambag ng ating mga kabataan sa pag-unlad ng ating
bayan.
 May I say that, in that same direction, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, or simply
PCSO, can count on a long history of humanitarian services to the Filipino people. For many years, the
PCSO, as a charitable institution, has remained dedicated to its mandate which is tasked with the
responsibility to raise and provide funds for health programs, medical assistance and services, and
charities.

Moreover, the PCSO has been in existence for 77 years and has institutionalized itself as the
countrys principal government agency for the holding and conduct of sweepstakes, lotteries and other
similar gaming activities.

Over the years, the PCSO has been helping the marginalized sector of our society. Its essential
mission of providing medical and health services to the poor and middle-class but financially distressed
patients has never been more pronounced as it is today.

In the policy direction set forth by the new administration of Pres. Benigno Aquino III, the PCSO
is duty bound to see to it that those guidelines are being followed. Specifically, the evolution of the
PCSO commencing July 1, 2010 has been one of a series of progressive, forward steps which has
improved its services, strengthened its programs, increased contribution to nation-building and upgraded
its involvement in community welfare.

Moreover, the new PCSO management is devoted to curb corruption, streamline the organization
for efficient and effective public service, eliminate overlapping/duplicating functions or redundancy,
improve its products, and increase its savings which is tantamount to supplement fund for charity
purposes.

Its a gargantuan task for the new Board of Directors and me, but with providential serendipity
were eventually paying off our debts.

While it has, through the years, been able to extend many charitable aids to our people, I
sincerely believe that the PCSO can still do a lot better in terms of maximizing prudently the use of its
funds to promote the Filipino peoples welfare.

From our new office at the Philippine International Convention Center (P.I.C.C.), the 6/55 grand
lotto jackpot rose from a few millions to a historic P741 million in November 2010. The PCSO claimed
no credit for it; it could simply be luck of the draw or, as the economists put it, the market forces at play.
Others claimed that the rise in ticket sales could also be partly attributed to the renewed confidence of
the people in the Aquino administration.

Behind such changes and developments one constant remains: our humanitarian work for
medical and health charities, our long-term care for indigent patients, or members of the middle-class
who are financially distressed, mostly with difficult diseases that require hospitalization or surgery.
 We extend aid on two levels: on the personal, for needy individuals or their immediate relatives,
and institutionality to public/private hospitals or civic groups under special agreements.

We shall strengthen and broaden our charity reach. We shall go to the sick, the needy instead of
them coming to us for medical assistance. We shall establish charity centers in partnership with existing
private and public medical facilities in and around the urban centers.

We shall partner with the LGUs (local government units) in helping care for the medical needs of
the poor. We shall continue to recruit more doctors, nurses and staff who process hundreds of requests
day after day.

Over the years, the PCSO has provided financial assistance to the Childhaus Center for young
cancer patients. In January 2011, the PCSO entered into a partnership with the Tahan Tahanan Center,
located at the lower ground of East Avenue Medical Centers West Wing in Quezon City for another
group of children with life-threatening ailments, under the care of Dra. Ma. Victoria Abesamis.

The PCSO, together with The Medical City, sponsored the first liver transplant on Philippine soil
for a three-year-old girl, Catherine Erica Buenaventura, performed by a Filipino oncologist. Transplant
surgeon Dr. Vanessa de Villa led an all-Filipino team to save Erica. The surgery would have cost P4
million.

I was happy to help when approached by Ericas family and friends. The PCSO assistance was
only part of the story. Ericas uncle donated part of his liver to give her a new lease on life.

The Childhaus Foundation, the Tahan Tahanan Center and Ericas case reflect the humanitarian
dimension of the PCSO work, and the PCSO looks forward to helping more indigent patients and
carrying out programs for the sick with institutional partners, such as public/private hospitals and civic
groups.

On the development side, the PCSO contributes to the Aquino administrations social agenda for
nation-building and a healthier Filipino community. At the same time, the PCSO seeks to promote a
democratic, transparent and opportunity-creating national game. But it is open to new programs for
fund-raising, improvement of operations such as reaching out to underserved, rural communities,
sponsoring medical missions and establishing ties with healthcare institutions.

As remarked by Pope John Paul II said that as Christians, we must demonstrate this attitude of
loving the poor in whatever activity we are engaged. Christian faith teaches us hope. And so it is bound
to succeed.

Kami po sa PCSO ay bukas ang aming pintuan sa pangangailangan ng ating mga mamamayan.
As the head of PCSOs new leadership, I want to see that the PCSO will embark on a mission to create
within its life span a generation of healthy, robust Filipinos, all geared toward self-reliant, as against an
institution that could invariably create a vicious cycle of dependency without heed for self-improvement.
 The new PCSO board has in fact come up with a novel program that will bring the charity
institution closer to the people. Instead of the people going to the PCSO, the PCSO has recently
approved the PCSO Satellite Hospital/Clinic program which aims to serve the sick and the poor right
in their respective regions, provinces, towns and cities. There will be no need for the impoverished
clients to travel all the way to Manila to seek medical help. By setting up satellite hospitals/clinics, the
PCSO gives an answer to the medical needs of indigents faster and better.

At the moment, there are already three existing satellites. These are at (1) Quezon City Hall in
Kalayaan; (2) East Avenue Medical Center for children afflicted with cancer and other killer diseases;
and (3) Our Lady of Peace in Coastal Road Paranaque City. Very soon, the PCSO will have other
satellites in the provinces.

Although at present, the PCSO has several Provincial District Offices (PDOs), there is still an
overwhelming number of patients lining its doors for assistance. This is due to the fact that not all
provinces have PDOs, and most PDOs cater to patients of the region or clustered provinces.

As part of the new management's plan to bring PCSO's assistance closer to its beneficiaries, the
PCSO will open branch offices in all provinces where there are PCSO operations. If undertaken alone,
the PCSO will have to allocate a huge portion of its funds for this project. However, the PCSO is
coordinating with local government units for availability of possible offices sites free of charge. In
return, PCSO's presence will ensure that the host local government units (LGUs) constituents have easy
access to adequate and appropriate health and medical assistance, subject of course to documentary
requirements.

Let me reiterate that the PCSO shall indeed strengthen and broaden its charity reach. It
shall go to the sick, the needy instead of them coming to the PCSO for medical assistance. The
agency shall establish charity centers in partnership with existing private and public medical
facilities in and around the urban centers. It shall partner with the LGUs in helping care for the
medical needs of the poor. It shall continue to recruit more doctors, nurses and staff who process
hundreds of requests day after day.

Truly, the PCSO has lots of untapped resources that can be better used for programs that have
more impact on society. And the PCSO invites us to explore changes, reforms and possibilities with
them: on how all of us can join hands in improving the lives of target beneficiaries.

Naway nakapag-iwan ako ng kahit na butil na kaalaman sa pusot diwa ninyo ngayong hapong
ito. Maraming salamat sa inyong lahat.

xxx