Harvard University, Boston
22 September 2014


 

President Benigno S. Aquino III wrapped up the Boston leg of his Visit to the United States with a policy speech delivered at the Kennedy School of Government in Harvard University.

“In 2010, our aspirations were summed up in a campaign slogan:  Eliminating corruption would eliminate poverty.  To do so will make right all our systems and institutions that were so wrongly tarnished and abused.  Our people dared to dream, and acted on that dream by entrusting to me a mandate: To undo the corrupt, broken-down government that Filipinos had once accepted as the norm, and thus turn it into an effective and efficient government working to uplift the country,” the President said.

He enumerated four case studies on how his administration is fulfilling the mandate for change, providing specific government programs on social services, education, economic reforms, attainment of genuine peace and development in Mindanao, and reducing tensions in the South China Sea.

“Our challenge today is to make the gains even greater, and to ensure that the transformation becomes an enduring mainstream of justice and inclusiveness.  It is my hope that our experiences will motivate those like you, from the other side of the world, to be influencers, who in turn will inspire the communities and institutions with whom you will interact,” President Aquino imparted to the Harvard University audience.

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