Sergio Osmeña

“ His whole life was dedicated to the achievement of his people's freedom, and it is one of the sad paradoxes of fate that with forces of victory fast approaching the Philippines, he should pass away now and be deprived of seeing the culmination of his labors — the freedom of his people. President Quezon was a champion of freedom in war and in peace. The plains and hills of Bataan, where the brave Filipino and American soldiers faced with heroism the overwhelming power of the japanese invader, were also his field of action during the revolutionary days. ”

“ The immediate duty, then, of those of us who, under the mandate of the Constitution and the laws of the Philippines, are charged with the mission of continuing President Quezon's work, is to follow the course he has laid, to maintain and strengthen our partnership with America and to march forward with the United Nations with unwavering faith and resolute determination until complete victory is won.
The tide of the war which rose high against us in the early stages of the struggle has turned in our favor. ”

“ The Filipino people, with their wisdom in peace and gallantry in war, have established their right to take place in the family of nations as a full and sovereign member. We cannot renounce this right nor its ohligations and responsibilities. We shall, as a free and self-respecting nation, fulfill our duties not only to ourselves but also to the entire freedom-Ioving world by participating in the establishment and preservation of a just peace for the benefit of mankind. ”

“ The veterans of our wars for independence, and all those who supported our struggle for freedom, will receive for their labors and sacrifices the full recognition expected of a grateful nation. War widows and orphans will be provided for. ”

“ We are a Christian people and the faith that we imbibed spran from our contacts with nations of Occidental civilization. We embraced Christianity a century before the Pilgrim Fathers landed at Plymouth, For more than four hundred years we have kept that faith. We cannot now turn back and be a pagan people. ”

“ In providing for the reconstruction of our industries and the rehabilitation of our agriculture, immediate attention will be given to factory workers and farm hands throughout the Philippines, and full and generous assistance will be given to the small farmers who, because of the war, have lost their nipa huts, their work animals, and farm implements. ”

“ The forces of victory are on the march everywhere-in Europe, in India, and China, and in the Pacific Normandy and Britanny have been occupied by the Anglo-American forces. Poland is half reconquered by our great Russian ally. Two-third., of the Italian peninsula are in our hands, while thousands and thousands of planes continue to batter and destroy German communication and production centers, bringing the war to the German home land. ”

“ We are making preparations to meet the manifold problems arising from the closing and insolvency of our banks, insurance and credit institutions, the adulteration of our currency with unsound enemy issues, the impairment of the basis of taxation, and the initial difficulty of tax collection. Moreover, we are formulating a long-range economic program with a view to securing that sound economic foundation which will give our independence stability and permanence. ”

“ Roads and bridges destroyed by the enemy will be rebuilt. Disrupted communications by land, sea, and air, will be repaired and improved. Towns and cities which either were destroyed or suffered damages because of the war will be reconstructed under a systematic and scientific town planning program. ”