Elpidio Quirino

“ And we have received assurances from the Amer­ican Government that the United States will help us defend our national integrity and independence.
But we cannot depend entirely on foreign assistance to maintain our integrity. National honor and dignity re­quire that we do not accept the role of a mere ward in the defense of our own liberty and freedom. Thus, we are making the utmost sacrifice to meet our internal and external obligations to enable us to contribute our just share to world security. ”

“ We are no less participating directly in the implementation of a world issue, doing our proportionate share in the world effort to preserve peace and freedom for all. Our earnest efforts, therefore, to provide for our own security under the present circumstances become a vital part of our contribution to world security. ”

“ I am gratified to observe the determination of the Congress to follow up our commitments for the implementation of our understanding with the United States leading to financial assistance under the ECA. But I must state that our tax program is not predicated merely on our desire to do our part in furtherance of said commitments. We have to provide for our most critical and urgent necessities. In fact, if we have to adequately meet our imperative needs, we must have an income more than the goal of P565 million envisaged in that understanding. But I know the capacity of our people. ”

“ We need even more critically, on the part of all of us, a moral rearmament. Our greatest enemy can be ourselves when we stubbornly resist to purge what is selfish in us. The world is not merely on the verge of fire ”

“ We are increasing our forces for this cause-the cause of innocent free men, women, and children in our midst and everywhere, ravished and destroyed by the agents of a foreign foe bent on world domination. ”

“ It is understandable that all these measures cannot be approved in the twinkle of an eye; they involve our capac­ity not only to shoulder immediate additional tax burdens but also a long-range program of fiscal rehabilitation and financial stability. But the necessity to provide for our imperative needs in the present world crisis presses, as the untoward effects of their neglect mount daily in propor­tion and importance. ”

“ With the reorganization thus ef­fected, I am sure we will further improve the social welfare services.
More social reforms are due to enable the landless to own their lands, earn their livelihood, and enjoy a higher stand­ard of living. It is never enough to promise social justice. Our most effective answer to Communism is a genuine strengthening of our national social program for the definite and positive improvement of the people’s welfare. ”

“ We must convince our people not to begrudge the just share of each for the ultimate benefit and protection of all. After all, the tax program before you places the burden on those who are able to pay and aims to correct inequalities under the present tax system.
NATIONAL DEFENSE
Some eight months ago, the majority of our people believed that the solution of our peace and order problem could be achieved primarily by the adoption of measures other than military. Even today there are some who delude themselves into believing that our peace and order problem is predominantly a social one. ”

“ With the approval of our pending tax program, both can be substantially accomplished.
I realize that the tax bills are not popular, for taxes are seldom popular, if at all. They are, however, of absolute necessity now. There is no longer any other source for needed public funds. The borrowing capacity of our Gov­ernment is limited. We cannot justifiably look always to the United States to meet our budgetary requirements. This Government cannot be delivered to the Treasury of the United States. ”

“ We have revitalized the judiciary by appointing men of proven ability and integrity, and by imposing a more ex­peditious disposition of court cases. In the face of threats posed by unscrupulous elements, our courts have acted positively and courageously in cases prejudicial to the general welfare and security. But we need more judges of first instance to cope with the increasing work. We need also more severe measures to implement our deter­mination to have the laws safeguarding the life and health of our citizenry enforced. ”

“ In the reorganization of the Department of Education, I emphasized the necessity of giving more impetus to vocational training. It is my hope that by a proper revision of our educational laws, coupled with adequate funds and adjustment in the curriculum, our millions of students in our public schools alone could be made to produce many of the things that we need today and not wait for the full develop­ment of their potentiality. ”

“ Present precarious conditions demand the continuance for the time being of economic control measures and their im­provement. At the same time appropriate measures should be taken to control exports and prevent the exportation of essential commodities and critical materials needed for con­struction and national defense.
Measures have been taken to stockpile essential commod­ities, to lessen the curtailment of imports of equipment and materials for agriculture and industry, and to allow the unlimited import of foodstuffs. The control of prices must be made more effective everywhere. ”

“ In behalf of our fighting men, I urge approval of the bill now before you, granting gratuity and other benefits to officers and men of the Armed Forces who become casualties in the present anti-dissident campaign. Only by doing so can we hope to do justice to our gallant men who are engaged in the heroic task of restoring peace and order in this country in the shortest possible time. ”

“ Let us, to the limit of our spiritual resources, will to fight the formidable enemy, whose lust for world power has impressed many of our people, to the extent of falling for his familiar tricks of fostering dissension and subversive ambition. ”

“ While few radical changes have been made due to the present political development of the country and the social and economic repercussions that a drastic reorganization en­tails, it must be stated that the prime objectives of efficiency, simplicity, and economy have weighed heavily in the de­termination of the changes effected. ”

“ We have to summon all our courage and intelligence and coordinate and contribute all the strength we can muster, in material and moral resources. We can­not afford to fail in meeting the present problem of sur­vival.
Arms without valor, however powerful, are useless weapons. Valor can be aroused only by a righteous cause. ”

“ In spite of our efforts to rehabilitate our badly damaged agriculture, we still have plenty to do in order to attain our goal. The production of copra, lumber, and others has been brought to prewar level, but our output of sugar, abaca, tobacco, and gold among others has remained below that of 1941. ”

“ Equally urgent is our task of making available to the Armed Forces the necessary funds to make possible the retirement of officers and men who have served the country so faithfully and well and thus accelerate their replacement with younger and deserving elements. ”

“ And yet people can be immobilized by fiddling and tem­po razing while the nation’s very life and future are at stake. Let us, as leaders of this nation, give the appro­priate example in moral rearmament. ”

“ We should accelerate and increase produc­tion. We must make our country self-sufficient in food and other essentials. We should produce not only what we actually need but what we shall need in the impending greater emergency. We should set aside more funds to hasten the subdivision of public lands and to expedite the necessary surveys needed for the issuance of titles. ”

“ Both the Workmen’s Compensation Act and the Woman and Child Labor Law, and other laws, parts of which have be­come obsolete, must also be revised to make them more responsive to the present needs of our people. ”

“ Many of our people do not drink clean water and it is extremely costly to construct water systems during these days of financial stringency. There should be more artesian wells in cities and municipalities, especially in the barrios. ”

“ They deal with the means of pro­tecting our workers and promoting industrial harmony. They embody the most notable experiences of practically all the countries of the world, and provide us with a highly dependable guide for constructive social and labor legislation. ”

“ But the present government agencies assigned to im­plement the economic rehabilitation and development prog­ram are not structurally patterned to meet emergency situa­tions. They do not possess adequate power and authority in themselves, separately, to cope with the new situation. ”

“ The construction of a network of roads in Mindanao must be accelerated in order to give impetus to the agricultural and industrial development of this fertile region. Funds should be made available for the estab­lishment there of a more extensive and efficient telecom­munication system. ”