Good morning! Senator Gordon, Assistant Secretary Abadilla, Ms Esplanada, Excellencies from the Manila diplomatic corps, colleagues from the American Embassy, friends; thank you for joining us at this early hour.
Today is a special day. President Bush has declared today a “National Day of Prayer and Remembrance” for the victims and survivors of Hurricane Katrina. We also want to remember and to thank the many people around the world who have offered support and assistance in this time of our great need. It is especially appropriate that we in Manila gather on this occasion because the government and people of the Philippines, starting with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, were among the first to express condolences for our losses, and to offer support for the survivors.
Over the past two weeks, we’ve all see the terrible images of the enormous damage to homes and property in the area hit by the hurricane. We’ve heard about the many lives lost, we’ve seen the desperate conditions in which people had to survive, with little food or water or sanitation. We’ve seen and heard about looting and banditry. And we’ve asked ourselves, can these scenes really be from the United States of America, in the year 2005? Sadly, we know they were, and we know that the poorest and most vulnerable suffered the most. But we also know that many people went out of their way to provide help in time of need, without regard to their own losses and suffering. The volunteer caregivers, the overstretched police, the city, state and federal workers who tried their best to provide services when the means at their disposal were also washed away or blown away. Fortunately, order has now been restored, the water is being pumped out of submerged areas, the clean-up has begun and the massive reconstruction will get underway soon. New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Biloxi, Gulfport and the surrounding areas will be rebuilt, and life will return to those areas that were watery wastelands just a few days ago.
Perhaps the most encouraging news to emerge from this disaster was the outpouring of sympathy and support from people throughout the world, including many who themselves have benefited from American assistance when they faced natural calamities. Poor countries including Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have offered a helping hand, and many private individuals have also contributed. Just yesterday, a Philippine businessman donated $20,000 for the victims of Hurricane Katrina -- $10,000 from his company and $10,000 from himself. Many others in this country have also contributed, and many hundreds more have written to express their sympathy and support. I would like to read from one such letter, which I received from a man in Mindanao last week. He wrote, in part:
Quote: My family and I would like to express our heartfelt condolences to your country. It pains us that we Filipinos, who have been recipients of several billions, I suppose, of aid, cannot offer the same when the tables are turned. I was showing my daughter the pictures on the Internet of the devastation and telling her that I had been to some of those then-picturesque places, and that someday I wanted to take her there, too. She pointed to a man in one of the pictures and said, “Dad, the place of the Balikatan people looks worse than ours; maybe they should come and stay with us for awhile; well, since we can’t help, can you tell them we will pray for them tonight, please?” Though highly irregular, I write to you, then, to convey these thoughts of an 11-year old who still believes in miracles and in Santa Claus, and who I would do anything for. Since material goods we have not, all that we could offer is that tonight, at least, the prayers of a little girl and her family are for those Americans now in need. End quote.
Let me say, to our young friend in Mindanao and to you, such messages touch us all, and inspire us to do what we can to help each other, in America and in the Philippines, in this moment and in the years to come.
One organization that has consistently given funds and services to victims of disasters is the Philippines Red Cross. I would like especially to thank Senator Dick Gordon, President of that organization, and through him all the members for all that they have done, including their very generous contribution for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. (applause) I would also like to thank the representatives of the Department of Health, the Department of Foreign Affairs, and the diplomats present here today for all of the assistance and support they have provided. (applause)
It is now my great pleasure to invite Senator Gordon to come to the podium to share his thoughts with us on this occasion: Senator Gordon
