President Manuel Roxas remembered as the nation-builder

Senator Mar Roxas is calling on the nation's youth and those running for public office in the coming elections to draw inspiration from the late President Manuel A. Roxas's exemplary leadership and the patriotic zeal of his generation as the nation marks the 59th death anniversary of the first president of the new republic.

"We commemorate today the death of my grandfather, President Manuel A. Roxas, by remembering and learning from his vital role in liberating the Philippines not only from foreign rule but, more importantly, from the clutches of poverty and the social devastation of World War II," Roxas said in a statement.

"Today, we don't have a war to recover from, yet we find ourselves as poor, as broken, and as wounded; and sadly, seemingly devoid of hope," he added. The senator stressed the need to rebuild the nation, strengthen democratic institutions, and focus government's attention on solving people's real problems through the proper and transparent use of public funds.

The Liberal Party stalwart had earlier proposed that the funds accruing from RVAT be converted into a people's fund to finance and permanently solve perennial problems involving health, education, and other urgent basic services. "We need to honor people's sacrifices in the same way that we continue to honor and cherish the sacrifices made by our heroes and forebears."

Roxas said the task of the country's leaders today is to find ways to rebuild the nation and renew the people's faith in government to bring about change for the better. He also noted that young Filipinos are often left out of public consultations and debates on critical issues. The senator called on young people to take the initiative of learning more about the work of past presidents and national heroes to rekindle their enthusiasm for civic work and responsible leadership.

"The task to rebuild our nation does not only belong to our leaders but through the vigorous participation of and strong partnership with the people especially the youth. When we go to the polls next month to elect the politicians who will lead us, may we be guided by the life of President Roxas and his noble aspirations for our beloved country and the future generations of Filipinos," he said.

Widely regarded as "the nation-builder," President Roxas was the architect of the first Master Economic Plan, the first known in developing Asia, which spurred the Philippines' return to normalcy and economic growth after the war.

His brilliant economic plan and dedication to public service were instrumental in reenergizing the country and the people to believe that we would be able to bounce back and arise from the ruins of war triumphantly.

Today, his legacy lives on in projects and advocacies of the President Manuel A. Roxas Foundation.

Recently, the foundation donated 20,000 copies of the PMA (President Manuel Roxas) video documentary "Country Above Self" to the Department of Education's Adopt-A-School Program for distribution to 5,000 public high schools and 15,000 public elementary schools.

To bolster the foundation's effort, the President Manuel A. Roxas Memorial Center will begin construction within the year, and museums in honor of the late leader will be set-up in all towns, cities, and schools named after him.