As the leader of the nation, I say in behalf of the Filipino people to the world: we are strong and principled believers in democracy.

The Philippines and the U.S. have had a strong relationship with each other for a very long time now. We have a shared history. We have shared values, democracy, freedom, and we have been in all the wars together in modern history, the World War, Second World War, Cold War, Vietnam, Korea, now the war on terrorism.

I sow; my successor reaps. This is the majesty of democracy.

College education is the great Filipino dream. But in a world of rapid technological change, getting a job or keeping it depends as much on how well one reasons as how well one uses his hands.

We must weed out corruption and build a strong system of justice that the people can trust.

We have the hardest working people in the world, the most adaptable and the most congenial to employ.