Flag-Raising Ceremony
- 93rd Anniversary of the Philippine Senate

Secretary Emma Lirio Reyes, our Deputy Secretaries, Senate officials, my dear Senate employees and co-workers in government, friends, ladies and gentlemen, magandang umaga po sa inyong lahat.

The natural calamities and disasters that we experienced recently have been an occasion for Filipinos from all classes and from all over the world to show their selflessness, concern for their fellow Filipinos, and their ability to summon their best to contribute whatever they could to alleviate the sufferings of the victims of the most disastrous typhoon in recent memory to hit the nation's capital and its environs. This was followed by another typhoon which brought destruction to the northern provinces, and my own home Province of Cagayan bore the brunt of its ruinous force.

I commend our Senate employees and the Secretary of the Senate herself for being among the first to suggest, even as I was already preparing to announce it, to cancel our scheduled Christmas party and, instead, to just donate the budget for the Christmas celebration to the typhoon and flood victims.

One of the most amazing things that foreigners notice is the Filipinos' resilience, our people's strong faith in the Almighty, to take tragedies as challenges and their courage and determination to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives and dreams despite the loss of their loved ones, their homes and properties built and acquired with hard-earned money. Filipinos even manage to smile and keep a sanguine disposition amidst uncertainty and calamity.

But these tragic events have also opened our eyes to the reality and magnitude of the problem of climate change and global warming, which for many years have been brushed aside as mere theories and subject matter for discussion and debate among environmentalists and scientists. They were even dismissed as mere platforms for propaganda by some of anti-global warming advocates among politicians. It is sad that it has to take the wrath of nature to be felt by all of us to realize our own insensitivity, neglect and our own human contribution to the destruction of our natural wealth and the harm we inflict on our own environment.

This month, we are celebrating the 93rd anniversary of the Philippine Senate. The significance of this occasion is underscored by the activities that will be undertaken and participated in by the officers and employees of the Senate secretariat, as well as the Senate proper. However, more than the fun and merriment, this is an opportune time for us to give back to this Institution which, for most of us, has served as a second home. I have given the directive to keep the celebration austere out of sensitivity to the dire state of the nation and its economy at present. I am happy to note that the month-long activities include livelihood training programs and community outreach activities that will benefit the less privileged members of our society.

Moreover, the celebration of the Senate's 93rd anniversary is an auspicious occasion to thank the Lord that we are part of this institution which is constantly at the forefront in preserving the legacy of our nation's heroes and in safeguarding our hard-won democracy. You, the Senate employees, have been the staunch supporters of the Senators, including myself, in our legislative work. To you we owe the long hours of labor that we put into our daily tasks in our hope to render no less than exemplary service to our country and fellowmen and to respond to the call for us to act with dispatch to address the most pressing needs of the people.

We expect our hands to be full in the last remaining months of the 14th Congress in light of the country’s economic problems, the heartbreaking natural calamities that struck our country recently, not to mention that we also share the responsibility of ensuring that the elections in 2010 will be orderly, peaceful, fair and honest. We cannot afford to fail in these primordial tasks. Rest assured that your Senators will be working tirelessly until all the important measures are passed. This may be a big challenge and a daunting task, but I am confident that we can count on your dedication and hard work to help us achieve our goals within the very limited time we have left.

Having said that, I would like to seize this unique opportunity to express my gratitude as Senate President, and speaking as well on behalf of all your Senators, to thank each and every one of you for your indispensable contribution to the accomplishment of the work we have set out to do. The legislative mill is tedious indeed, and we are thankful to the men and women in the Senate who, with equal dedication, ensure that the process continues as efficiently and effectively as it should. In deep appreciation of your relentless efforts to deliver excellent technical and administrative support to the Philippine Senate, I am making a few announcements.

The Senate is doing its share in alleviating the suffering of our countrymen by allocating funds from our budget for the victims of typhoon Ondoy. To support relief efforts, the entire one month Discretionary Fund of the Senate President was donated to three organizations: the Philippine National Red Cross, ABS-CBN Foundation, and the GMA Kapuso Foundation. Moreover, the amount collected by the Public Assistance Center will be used to purchase goods for the barangays, which are in dire need of assistance as identified by the Ad Hoc Committee on Typhoon Ondoy.

But since the typhoon also affected our own Senate employees, I am authorizing the release of an across the board financial assistance in the amount of P3,000.00 to be extended to our rank and file personnel.

Aside from the longevity pay which you have already received last Thursday, you will also get your Anniversary Bonus, which is equivalent to P600 for every year of service in the Senate. Those who have less than a year but at least six months of service will get the amount of P500.

Moreover, I have approved your request for the Senate employees to continue to receive your monthly transportation allowance of P5,000. As you all know, the transportation allowance that you receive every month comes from the savings generated last year. As such, your transportation allowance is not included in the Senate budget submitted for this year. Actually, in the proposed 2010 national budget, the Senate budget was reduced, and therefore not sufficient to accommodate any additional benefits or bonuses. This is the reason why I had to think carefully how we can remedy the situation in order to accommodate your needs.

Thus, after discussions with the generous Chairman of the Committee on Accounts, Senator Panfilo Lacson and the Senate Secretary, we have decided to introduce an amendment to the proposed Senate budget for FY 2010 and include the amount needed to fund your monthly transportation allowance. We are confident that this amendment, if approved, will ensure that you will continue receiving this P5,000 monthly benefit upon the approval of the FY 2010 General Appropriations Act.

Be assured that the Senate is an institution that cares for the welfare of its employees. Moreover, your Senators are very supportive of every initiative that will improve the economic status and well-being of each employee. I am proud to say that the compensation and benefits that the lowest paid employee of the Senate receives are comparable to, or even more than, the remuneration that mid-level personnel and professionals in other government agencies receive. With the additional benefits you are getting, you are now among the highest paid government employees.

But I would like to emphasize an important matter. The Senate must be sensitive to the plight of other government workers as well. While we grant the maximum benefits we can afford to our employees ‐benefits which are not otherwise enjoyed by others in the rest of the bureaucracy ‐ these benefits must be coupled by a fair and merit-based system of compensation. The benefits you are enjoying should inspire you to be more efficient and dedicated public servants. You must be tireless in rendering excellent service and relentless in pursuing excellence in a principled manner.

You may have noticed that under my leadership, we have been continuously reviewing policies and re-casting some old rules in order to improve the capability of the various units under the Secretariat. We have imposed a ban on the detailing of director-level officials because they are needed by their mother units. We have adopted a freeze-hire policy except when absolutely necessary, in order to give a chance to those casuals and contractual employees among you who are qualified to be able to occupy regular positions. We have opened more positions for filling up based on the exigencies of the service, and we have also approved promotions and upgrading of positions for deserving personnel. We are now in the process of revising our performance rating system in order to conform to civil service rules and so that each rating will be faithful to the actual performance of each employee.

There will be more as we continue to review even the organizational structure of the Senate Secretariat. And I hope that these actions will be viewed in the spirit of professionalizing the Senate as an organization, improving its competence and of exacting from each of you the best that you could give to the Senate - a Senate that cares for your welfare and a Senate that should serve as an example of professionalism and integrity in government service. Those deserving must be properly recognized and acknowledged, but those who merely enjoy the salaries and perks of their positions without giving back the service they owe to this institution must be weeded out. The Senate must not serve as a refuge for those who just want to earn but refuse to work and to learn.

Christmas, the most-awaited season every year, is just around the corner. I am sure that we all want to have a "Merry Christmas". And so, I call on everyone to exercise prudence and avoid wasting the resources of the Senate so that we can generate more savings. More savings will translate to a very merry Christmas for all of you.

Let me end with this little reminder: Amidst the puzzling complexities of this world, we must keep the faith; we must never tire of finding joy in simple things; and, whether we have abundance or scarcity of resources, we must cultivate a grateful and giving heart.

Happy 93rd anniversary! Mabuhay ang Senado!

Speech delivered by Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile on October 12, 2009