MESSAGE
Indeed, there is no greater happiness than spending time with our loved ones during holiday season. I hope that we will enjoy this time of the year by demonstrating love, solidarity, understanding, happiness, and optimism towards our personal and national aspirations.
One year has ended and another has taken its place. Soon, we will be once again preoccupied with our daily grind and usual day-to-day activities. Many will forget the events of the past year. But we, in government, will remember because it is our solemn duty to evaluate our work and make sure that its gains redound to the common good.
I invite everyone to be our government's partners in our fight against illegal drugs, criminality, and corruption; and in attaining peace and development in our country. Let us work together to enliven our business environment- by attracting more investments and creating more job opportunities for our people- so that, in the near future, working abroad would only be an option for our kababayans and not a necessity. The achievement of these goals will reclaim order and safety in our communities and will enable us to restore the public's trust in government and in our people' capacity to serve.
Let us all welcome 2017 with renewed determination and a reinvigorated spirit so that we can surmount the challenges ahead.
I wish all of us a fruitful and meaningful New Year.
RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE
MANILA
1 January 2017
Source: pcoo.gov.ph
