I am here because I know that we have to be here during this time. Dala-dala ko po ‘yung mga tao na makakatulong sa inyo kaagad. [applause]

Iyon pong nasa agricultural sector, nandito po si Governor Piñol ng Cotabato noon, Secretary. [applause] Alam niya ang trabaho niya. Secretary Leonor Briones ng Department of Education. [applause] Alam ko po sira ‘yung mga eskwelahan ninyo. Alam niya ang ginagawa niya.

Of course, Secretary Lorenzana is the Defense Secretary. Nandito po si Alfonso Cusi. Si Al Cusi tawag nila. Manager ito noon ng NAIA and then noong panahon ko na kinuha ko siya ng Energy. So importante siya sa restoration ng inyong electricity. And he will do the job I’m sure.

Ganito iyan, nandito sila to assess and to make a report because we will be meeting in Malacañan it’s either tomorrow or a day after. We would be spending the rest of the days towards the end of the year — pasensiya na ho kayo hindi ako marunong mag-Bicolano — at we will be working on the so many things that you would need.

May pera ho. I have my Social Fund and we will make the assessment of how much we will be extending help. Malalaman po ninyo iyan before New Year. [applause]

So I hope that…Uuwi muna ako, Davao, then I have a flight tomorrow. We will be spending our New Year sa Manila na lang, sa opisina.

So what I can assure you is that based on the money that we have, we will make the restoration and giving of assistance immediately. We will not wait for the New Year kasi alam ko importante na dadating sa inyo ‘yan. [applause]

What I see and have seen is that it’s typical. But the only thing that’s quite different from you from Leyte, huwag naman sana mangyari po dito, is that nakakalat ‘yung patay, thousands of them. And it was really a horrible experience in my life which I cannot forget.

So, nandito ako para magbigay ng assurance sa inyo na ang gobyerno kung maaari lang kaagad-agad ang tulong. [applause] And the schools will be rebuilt immediately.

The reason why I could not make any move the other year was because I — pumasok ako ng Presidente at ‘yung budget nandoon na. I am not trying to be dwelling on politics but the only reason why I could not build rehab houses and everything because I was operating on a budget which was prepared last year and which was not really mine. Kalahati noon kay Presidente Aquino and — “buyog”, tawag sa amin niyan. [laughter] Ewan ko kung anong pangalan sa inyo.

Iyon kaya ako medyo na…I could not simply move because there’s no money. I could not get from one department to pay off the needs of another because that could be robbing Peter to pay Paul. Kunin mo ‘yung isang pera for that purpose. Hindi sa gobyerno walang ganun e. Because bottoms up, so talagang pagdating namin doon bottoms up, wala na kaming naiwan except for the maintenance and operating expenses.

But hopefully this year mag-ano na ako, right at the start mag-umpisa na kaagad ako na maggalaw. Iyon lang po.

I am happy that I was able to land safely. I slept all the way. Nagising ako nandito na. And good that we could get a plane to be here on time.

Sana po maawa ang Panginoong Diyos, pare-pareho man ‘yan para sa atin and I prayed that you’d recover your bearing — iyong ano ninyo sa buhay ninyo and not to despair.

But the only reason bakit bugbog kayo is kayo po ang bintana. What’s bintana in Bicol? Bintana pa rin? [Bintana] You are facing the Pacific Ocean. Kumbaga itong Pilipinas, bahay, ang unang bintana na masagupa ng bagyo, kayo. So wala na talagang magawa niyan. Leyte and Samar could be — it’s gonna be a continuous events in your life.

Maybe in the fullness of God’s time if you’re able to get along with life and magkaroon kayo ng pera, build houses that are really constructed in such a way that it would meet the challenges of the storms and typhoons that would come our way kasi wala nang katapusan iyan especially that there’s a climate change.

It is going to be a very lethal and virulent thing that would come your way habang-buhay na ninyo pati ng mga anak ninyo. Kaya think about it hard. If you have to build houses, make it strong materials, I said na kayang sagupain ang bagyo.

Iyan ang ibinigay sa iyo ng nature because you chose to be here. I do not your forefathers several eons ago but they decided to stay here.

Every time that kumukulo ‘yung init ng Pacific Ocean and it gets to mix with the cold currents — hot and cold — ano ‘yan talagang masama ‘yan.

So iyan lang po…Pasalamat ako for the warm welcome. Sabi ko nga sana ayaw ko na lang mag-ano…Sabi ko kay Bong si Ms. Alberto na lang ang mag — siya ‘yung kilala ko dito. Well, of course, I am happy that may taga-San Beda, si Congressman Sarmiento.

So, salamat sa pagsalubong ninyo. [applause] Alam mo may peculiar practice ng gobyerno na ayaw ko. Iyong ako ang kunwari magbibigay ng tulong, ceremonial gift-giving, ayaw ko niyan.

Hindi ko naman…Hindi naman akin ‘yan pera naman ninyo, pera ko rin, it’s the people’s money. It’s really a propaganda which I hate. Ayaw ko.

So, ibibigay sa inyo ‘yan. Ayaw ko ‘yung magtawag ng lima o tatlo lang tapos magbibigay-bigay ako ng ganun. Ayaw ko ‘yang mga propaganda. [applause]

Style bugok ‘yan. [laughter] Totoo. Para sa akin style bugok ‘yan. Hindi ko ginagawa ‘yan. Nandiyan ‘yan dala-dala ko man. Kunin ninyo kay Judy Taguiwalo. Iiwan ko siya dito. Si Judy during the Martial Law years, ito ‘yung mga left sa gobyerno. Ex-convict rin ito kasi napreso noong panahon ni Marcos kaya galit ‘yan sa mga ganun. And I know ‘yung style ng mga — basta ayaw ko.

Kunin lang ho ninyo at ibibigay naman sa inyo ‘yan. There is no need for me to go into this. Nakokornihan (corny) ako. [laughter]

Salamat po.