Press Release
May 11, 2007

Vote for visionary candidates, Angara urges

Reelectionist Sen. Edgardo J. Angara urged the electorate yesterday to vote for senatorial candidates with viable visions on how to improve the conditions in the country.

"The Senate should have members who are forward-looking, not persons who are barnacled to the past," he stressed.

Angara pointed out that the country is living in a highly competitive world and its leaders should be preoccupied with fleshing out measures to keep the Philippines in step with technological and scientific advances.

"We must leave all past cares behind. We must not let the past ruin our chances of having a better future," he said.

He cited the case of France , which he described as a laggard in Europe because it is dwelling too much on past glories.

"France is retrogressing because it is too traditional. France is still looking back at Bastille while other countries are looking at the future. It is being left behind by Italy , Germany and Spain , which are blooming because of technical innovation," Angara said.

He warned that the Philippines would retrogress further if it would not put more emphasis on math, science, technology and engineering.

"The world will be inherited, not by the meek, but by the innovative," Angara contended.

He also said that the next Senate should concentrate on strengthening small and medium enterprises, education and political reforms.

"SMEs are the real engine of the economy. The owners of SMEs, not the Sys, Gokongweis and Ayalas, are the ones who provide more employment, especially in the countryside," he added.

Angara said that the fastest way to develop the countryside is by infusing more capital for SMEs engage in agri-business.

"Agri-business is the easiest and cheapest way of creating jobs," he added.

He cited the projections by the Department of Labor and Employment that agri-business would create 2 million jobs in the next three years.

"Unfortunately, our colleges and universities could not produce that much graduates skilled in agriculture and related concerns," Angara lamented, as he urged the streamlining of courses to the job market.

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