Robsham Theater, Boston College
21 September 2014
From the special mass, President Benigno S. Aquino III headed to the Robsham Theater at Boston College for a reception meeting with the Filipino community and led the presentation of the Benigno and Corazon Aquino Scholarship to the university’s recipients.
One of the recipients is Matthew Alonsozana, a Filipino-American, who delivered a message on behalf of the Aquino scholars.
In his speech, President Aquino shared that it has been 31 years since he left Boston and recalled fond memories while his family lived in the city, saying that this is where he learned the value of introspection. “I consider my time here as among my formative years, fortifying me for the continuation of the struggle, and arming me with relevant experiences,” he said.
The President repeatedly mentioned that Boston will always remain close to his family’s heart since the years that the Aquino family spent in the city will always be linked to the EDSA people power revolution which reclaimed democracy and restored national dignity in the Philippines. “The solidarity we felt from Boston College and the community here was a precursor of the solidarity displayed by the millions of Filipinos who massed in EDSA,” he added.
The Chief Executive also discussed the positive changes and transformation that the Philippines is experiencing due to reforms in governance, thereby raising the world’s level of confidence to the country.
“A few days ago, during my visit to Europe, a senior official from a major international bank suggested that we consider globalizing the peso. While that suggestion certainly took me aback, it also drove home a point: money after all is a paper representation of value. That official’s suggestion was tantamount to saying that the peso, and consequently, the Philippines was stable and worthwhile to invest in. It was not too long ago when we were touted as the Sick Man of Asia; today, the confidence of the world extends even to our currency. Truly, so much has changed,” President Aquino stated.
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