Thank you Executive Secretary Victor Rodriguez; Metrobank and Metrobank Foundation Chairman Arthur Ty; Metrobank Foundation Vice Chairman Alfred Ty; Metrobank Foundation President Aniceto Sobrepeña and other officials of the foundation; of course our Metrobank Foundation awardees; other distinguished guests here with us this afternoon; ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon.
Time and again, our personal and shared experiences teach us that even the grandest vision can become reality. But only when and if we put our effort together to make our dreams come true. Proof of this are the accomplished lives of these outstanding Filipinos who are our awardees today.
I am thus deeply honored as I always have been to join the Metrobank Foundation in giving due recognition to the noteworthy contributions to the awardees that they have made to our society.
On behalf of a proud nation, I congratulate and thank all of you for your outstanding service to the country. Congratulations are not sufficient, but a note of gratitude for the service that you put in.
It is arguable to say that the way of life of a soldier, a policeman, and a teacher could be described as one of the most difficult and often thankless jobs that we ask our citizens to do.
And yet, you did it and you did it well. And you look into the face of the challenges that were before you and you did not allow that to stop you because clearly you have a commitment to the service that you have taken an oath to continue and to serve.
Your constant resolve to fulfill and transcend your duties to the best of your ability will exemplify what it means to be true public servants. You are the living embodiment of the phrase “beyond excellence.”
I know as you know that you need no award for the things you do and it is not the reason why you do that. Not for thanks, not for praise, not for honors. You do what you do because you feel the need to continue with your service and you find fulfillment in that.
Nonetheless, the Metrobank Foundation, just as the people whose lives you have touched and enriched, must express their gratefulness, but not only the Metrobank Foundation, but your communities, your families, and your country. For you are the beacons of inspiration for our people and our nation.
Let me also thank Metrobank Foundation and its partners for spearheading initiatives such as this. This is a program that has been going on for 30 years.
And again, it is a clear – it demonstrates a clear understanding of what we are looking for in terms of public servants from our local communities, from the police, from our soldiers, and our teachers.
This is corporate social responsibility at its best. If this day tells us anything, it is that each and every single one of us, in our own way plays a crucial role in nation-building.
You do not need superpowers or you do not need to have the decorations to show that you are a hero. What you have done is the little things that you do every single day and have done and continue to do and intend to do for the rest of your lives make you heroes, not only in your own minds, but in all of your community, and all of your countrymen.
Just do what you believe to be right and do it with all your heart. This is what you have done. This is what you have kept to, the idea that no matter what challenges are put before you, you will continue to serve.
Again, my congratulations and our thanks to the awardees and for the Metrobank Foundation, mabuhay kayo, mabuhay ang Pilipino. Magandang hapon po sa inyong lahat.