The 2004 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Government Service

RESPONSE of Haydee Yorac

Chairman and Trustees of the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation Distinguished Guests, Fellow Awardees and Dear Friends.

I would like to thank the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation and those who have taken part in the selection process for bestowing this honor upon me. I feel humbled by this recognition because I know I did not do it alone. There are so many other unsung public servants who have made their respective contributions in making the public office truly a public trust.

Our values and personal convictions dictate the direction that we take and the stand that we make on moral issues that affect our work, in particular, and the country, in general. The desire to make government more effective and efficient in its mandate of good governance is of paramount importance. It is the driving force that compels many of us to accept responsibilities in government, despite the odds.

In the Philippines, the odds are made even more formidable by our experience of a dictatorship that ravaged our economy and shattered the morale of our people. Twenty years takes a long time to undo and, sometimes, it can really be frustrating! However, I have been favored with the support of well-meaning individuals and groups in this endeavor. Together we have tried to do our best in regaining the public’s trust in government.

The task is by no means completed; the goal is not yet reached. We continue to try and do our best and leave the rest in God’s hands.

Thank you and good evening.