Press Release
January 25, 2021

SEN. EMMANUEL D. PACQUIAO
PRIVILEGE SPEECH | NATIONAL BIBLE DAY 2021

Mr. President, esteemed colleagues in the Senate, public servants, brothers and sisters in faith, fellow Filipinos, good afternoon.

By virtue of Republic Act No. 11163, we have set aside every last Monday of January for this special occasion. That is why today, we celebrate the FOURTH ANNUAL NATIONAL BIBLE DAY. Indeed, this is the day that the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it!

This pandemic has been testing our faith and our strength as a nation, but it could not stop us from finding opportunities to share the biblical teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ as we declare our faith in the power of His love and grace.

TODAY, MORE THAN EVER, OUR COUNTRY NEEDS THE LORD. We are confronting challenges that we have not encountered before and we cannot rely on our own strength and knowledge.

The pandemic has caused the religious places all over the world to confront closures because of limitations in physical gatherings, but we are finding creative platforms to declare the GOOD NEWS OF SALVATION. Online worship services have been established so that we can continue reaching more people for the Lord even during lockdowns.

The Veritas Truth Survey in June 2020, revealed that 89% of the respondents believe that faith is "very important" in the fight against COVID-19.

In September 2020, Pulse Asia revealed that majority of respondents or 51.8% declared that they became more religious during this pandemic while only 1.5% stated that they became less religious.

In the latest report of Pew Research Center, we also found out that for 96% of Filipinos, it is "necessary to believe in God in order to be moral and have good values."

Mr. President, if we desire real strength, authentic healing, and genuine transformation for our nation, then we have to humble ourselves before the Lord and recognize that apart from Him, we are nothing. We need to be intentional in reading the Word of God. And I believe that a true and effective leader has integrity, humility, and generosity.

WE ALL NEED THE LORD. He is the Ultimate Source of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. In James 1:5-7, we are reminded, "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you." God alone can grant us divine protection and abundant provisions. It is only by His grace and His power that we can overcome any crisis.

WE ALL NEED THE LORD that is why I will never get tired of reminding all of us to SEEK FIRST the kingdom of God and His righteousness. For as long as I have breath, I will keep encouraging all of us to read the Word of God every single day. Let us meditate on His word day and night, recognizing that God's Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path.

Let us remember what is written in 2 Chronicles 7:14, "Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land."

PILIPINAS, PINILI TAYO NG DIYOS. We are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession. Let us therefore declare the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light.

To all of us, Happy National Bible Day! Thank you and God bless the Philippines!

News Latest News Feed