Arroyo's new year message: Learn and move on

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Submitted by eman on Tue, 12/29/2009 - 8:04pm

MANILA, Philippines - As she steps down from the presidency and runs for a congressional seat in Pampanga in 2010, President Arroyo asked the public to learn from this year's challenges and to "cast away the things that set us against each other" as the Philippines faces another year.

In her last new year's message as the Philippines' chief executive, she also commended the country's resilience amid economic crises and natural calamities.

"We emerge from the year 2009 with more solid faith, more courage, more concern for our brethren, and greater determination to work harder to achieve even more," she said.

"Let us ask for His (God's) graces and blessings as we start another year. And as we continue and go on with the many journeys of our nation's life, let us offer to Him our nation," she added.

The economy posted positive growths in the first 3 quarters of the 2009, thanks to government spending and remittance-fueled consumption. Although minimal, the country's gross domestic product growth fared better compared to most of its Asian neighbors who slipped into recession as a result of the global economic slowdown.

"The global recession failed to break our unprecendented record of economic growth in every quarter during our watch. Our economy continued to grow," she said.

President Arroyo also cited the Filipinos' swift response to victims of typhoons "Ondoy" and "Pepeng" (international code names Ketsana and Parma, respectively), which hit the Philippines in the past months.

"Our people responded with grit to the super-typhoons forced upon us by the harsh realities of climate change caused by human beings all over the world. Our people opened hearts and hands with generosity to the victims," she said.

Mrs. Arroyo's term, which started in 2001, has been plagued with numerous allegations of corruption, political violence, and election cheating, among others. The country's second female president is eyeing a House seat in Pampanga next year, when the Philippines will have its first fully automated elections.

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as of 12/29/2009 6:43 PM
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