As Senator Kiko Pangilinan looks to the future of the Liberal Party (LP) amid the turmoil in the country’s political scene, he couldn’t help but reminisce about the legacy left by the late former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III.
Pangilinan, now the chair emeritus of the political party that Aquino once led, remembered the former leader as he delivered a speech at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani in Quezon City to mark the 80th founding anniversary of the Liberal Party.
“Mula 2010 hanggang 2016, naipakita ng LP kung ano ang nagawa ng liberalismo at demokrasya sa pagpapatakbo ng buong bansa.”
“Mula 2010 hanggang 2016, naipakita ng LP kung ano ang nagawa ng liberalismo at demokrasya sa pagpapatakbo ng buong bansa,” the veteran legislator said. “Noong pangulo si PNoy, na-engganyo ng ating daang matuwid — ng malinaw, maayos, at mahusay na pamamalakad — ang mamuhunan sa Pilipinas.”
Pangilinan, who was Aquino’s food security czar from 2014 to 2015, mentioned how the Philippines recorded its highest foreign direct investments—from $1.1 billion in 2010 to $5.6 billion in 2015–during Aquino’s term.
The seasoned lawmaker recalled as well some four million jobs generated by these investments and how the unemployment rate decreased to 6.3 percent in 2015.
“Hindi nagpasiil ang Partido Liberal sa minanang talamak na korapsyon, matinding kahirapan, at gobyernong dinededma ang mga hinaing ng taumbayan. Nakapagpakulong ng mga kurakot, na matataas na opisyal ng pamahalaan, naipababa ang bilang ng mahihirap, at naipababa rin ang presyo ng pagkain at mga bilihin sa palengke,” the senator recalled.
As Aquino’s food security czar, Pangilinan was instrumental in bringing down rice inflation to just 0.8% and overall inflation to 1.5% in 2015. These were the lowest recorded in 20 years.
And as the Philippines currently suffers through the worst corruption issue in its history with the multi-billion-peso flood control projects, he remembered how the Aquino administration constructed the largest network of roads in its six-year tenure.
“Hindi lamang salita ‘yung ‘daang matuwid’, hindi lamang matuwid na daan, matibay na daan (rin).”
“Sabi nga the largest road construction network in the history of the country. Talagang hindi lamang salita yung ‘daang matuwid’, hindi lamang matuwid na daan, matibay na daan (rin),” Pangilinan said, referring to the Aquino administration’s rallying call of “Daang Matuwid (Straight Path)” to highlight its platform of anti-corruption and good governance.
With the LP celebrating its 80th anniversary and the 2028 elections looming, Pangilinan—at its helm—looks forward to continuing the party’s legacy of courage and determination to remain true to its democratic values in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges facing the country.
“Nasa ating mga kamay, nasa ating nagkakaisang mga kamay, para ipanalo ito. Pinatunayan ng ating kasaysayan: hindi tayo nagpapasiil sa mga hamon ng panahon,” he told LP members and other event attendees.
