ZAMBOANGA CITY, Jan. 17 (PIA) – “With a more active participation of Higher Education Institutions
(HEIs) on our crusade towards a peaceful and progressive Mindanao, we have
greater confidence in the inevitable success of our people,” said President
Benigno S. Aquino III during the Top Level Forum of University Presidents in
Mindanao held here yesterday.
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| (photo by: Jay Morales / Malacañang Photo Bureau) |
Visiting
the city for the first time as the highest official of the country, Pres.
Aquino bared that his “administration remains true to its pledge for peace,
education, opportunities, and a better life for the people of Mindanao.”
“After
two years and six months of our unity, we cannot deny the big difference of
Mindanao then and now, which we take pride of,” Aquino stressed.
The
country’s Chief Executive said: “Gone is the negative image of Mindanao torn
with corruption, conflicts, and violence,” adding, “the negative image of
Mindanao before was due to conflicts and violence, and corruption of officials
and the neglected quality of education and learning of the people.”
Aquino
said there was little learning in Mindanao because of corruption.
The
President said emphatically: “How can our constituents learn to read, write,
and think when they have to pass through ‘ghost bridges’ to look for ‘ghost
schools’ and to be taught by ‘ghost teachers?’ If this is continued, our people
will inherit ghost future.”
He then
underscored the critical role of HEIs in community development and nation
building by citing a research work on coco coir conducted by a certain Prof.
Justino Arboleda of Bicol State University, which had helped improve the
quality of life in his area and the national government in saving billions of
pesos for slope protection and soil erosion control program.
“Instead
of using expensive technologies for these programs, Prof. Arboleda’s coco coir
net proved to be much effective and very cheap which helped the government save
billions of pesos intended for the program. This became possible because of the
dedication of a person setting aside his personal gains, and instead made sure
that his research impacted the lives of the people,” the President said.
The
research has opened job opportunities for the people with the increasing number
of community-based processing centers from 16 in 2011 to 50 in 2012.
Mr.
Aquino challenged the university officials in Mindanao to be “more instrumental
in community development,” assuring them of the national government’s
unwavering support.
He concluded his speech by calling on everybody to be part of the positive change in the country, saying, “There is no limit to where we can go to, so long as we continue to dream and believe in our collective capacity to take care of each and everyone. That is the essence of where we have to go, and how we get there. We are all responsible for each and everyone.” (FPG/MVC/PIA9-ZBST)