Arroyo wishes ‘good for Filipinos’ on 72nd birthday
Credit to Author: The Manila Times| Date: Fri, 05 Apr 2019 09:40:10 +0000
SPEAKER Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo celebrated her 72nd birthday in her hometown in Lubao, Pampanga on Friday and only wished “for the good of the Filipino people always.”
Arroyo started her special day by attending the opening of a hot air balloon festival activity at Pradera Verde early Friday morning, then proceeded to hear a Thanksgiving Mass at San Agustin Church with her constituents.
In her birthday message delivered after the Mass, Arroyo looked back at her legacy which, she said, may not be as “dramatic” as that of Western leaders such as statesman Winston Churchill or former United States president John Kennedy, but rather one which hopefully would center around the restoration of the Philippines’ fiscal stability, having been a politician for 27 years.
“Unfortunately, I don’t think I will have as dramatic a legacy as those giants of the world history. I like to think that my legacy will center around restoring our country’s fiscal stability after a storm on financial crisis here and abroad,” she said.
“The restoration of fiscal stability was the platform for my program that built more and better infrastructures, and that reduced our poverty from 39 percent when I assumed the presidency, to 26 percent when I left the presidency,” Arroyo said.
At 72, Arroyo is preparing her retirement from politics as she is set to step down from office in two months. She had been a member of the House of Representatives and is on her final term as Pampanga’s Second District representative of Pampanga.
Prior to that, Arroyo served as the 14th President of the Philippines from 2001 to 2010.
Arroyo had been spending her final months taking a “sentimental journey” back to the previous projects, particularly on housing and transportation, which she implemented under her administration.
Claiming that “we all have to move on,” Arroyo expressed confidence that she would be leaving the House with a new generation of younger congressmen who will be “very good in taking over the reins of government.”
New Pampanga consultant
When asked for her plans after her retirement takes effect on June 30, Arroyo said that she would be writing her memoirs before she takes on the role of a consultant of the province.
“Sinabi ni Governor [Lilia] Pineda na sabihin ko sa inyo na upang patuloy ko pa na matulungan ang Pampanga, ako ay magiging consultant ng probinsya (Governor Pineda asked me to inform you that in order for me to continue serving the people of Pampanga, I will be a consultant of the province),” she told the public.
“Above all, I thank the Filipino people for the opportunity to serve. Dacal pung salamander quecayungan (thank you very much to all of you),” Arroyo said.
President Rodrigo Duterte wished Arroyo success and good health in a short birthday message.
“Isang maligayang pagbati sa ating dating Presidente at ngayon ay Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo sa kanyang kaarawan. Maraming salamat sa iyong suporta mula noon hanggang ngayon (A happy birthday to our former president and now Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on her birthday. Thank you for your support then until now),” he said.
“I will always pray for your good health and continued success. Happy birthday. More birthdays to come.” the President said. GLEE JALEA
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