Privilege Speech of Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel
on the Occasion of the Centennial of the Senate
October 17, 2016

MY ESTEEMED COLLEAGUES, OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES OF THE SENATE, FRIENDS AND GUESTS,

I stand today on an issue of public interest and public importance. The institution we love and serve is now 100 years old. I would like to take this opportunity to greet all my fellow senators, our staff, the officials, and employees of the Senate a happy, once in a lifetime, centennial!

After a hundred years, most organizations, except the most exceptional, face decline or irrelevance, assuming that they still exist.

After a hundred years, most wine, except the most exceptional, would go sour or lose its spirit, even if it is kept under the best conditions.

After a hundred years, most songs, except the most exceptional, would be forgotten, or even if remembered, would no longer please like it used to do.

A hundred years is a long time, Mr. President, and it is my privilege to be a part of something exceptional, which is the Senate of the Philippines. We remain as strong and as committed to the service of the nation since we were first convened on October 16, 1916 as we are today, when we celebrate our hundredth year.

What a difference a hundred years make! In 1916, when Manuel Quezon first banged the gavel of the Senate President, we were an American colony of 9.5 million souls. Our main objective then was independence and the freedom to chart our own course for our nation.

Today, we are a nation of more than 100 million Filipinos, an independent nation facing the challenges of continued rampant poverty, the rise of drugs and criminality, and intrusions into our national patrimony. While our tasks remains the same – to enact relevant laws, to check abuses, to review international treaties, and above all, to uphold democratic ideals – the context in which we fulfill them always changes.

We have weathered war, dictatorship, and coups in our hundred years. We remained, we prevailed. For this we must give credit not just to the senators past and present, but to the employees of the Senate as well. We, the senators, may make headlines with our words and debates in this session hall, but without the efforts of our staff and the employees of the Senate, our institution would not have made history the way it did.

Mr. President, with your permission and that of my esteemed colleagues, I wish to express my congratulations to all the members of the Senate family – officials, staff, and employees – for their excellent service. On behalf of this body, I thank them for their selfless devotion. We would not be where we are now without them.

As we celebrate our achievements and look back to the glory of the past, let us remember that our watch is not yet done. We have the future to look forward to, a future full of opportunities to serve our countrymen.

Our current majority here in the Senate has a legislative program of government for change which I will no longer mention. I reminded you about these during the centennial dinner.

The success of this program depends on all of us here in the Senate – senators, officials, staff, employees, and all the members of the Senate family. We remember those who have served before us, many of whom already passed away, and honor them by giving the same level of excellence, dedication, and service as they did.

We cannot rest on our laurels. We must continue the tradition of excellence, that we may serve as an example to those who would follow us in serving the Senate in the future. Only then will our program of government for change succeed.

The struggle for a better life for every Filipino never ends. As we climb one mountain, there is another summit to reach. Our people deserve only the best, we cannot make them settle for anything less. We must be ready to fulfill the Filipino People’s dream of a better Philippines. We must stay true to our duty and continue to be relevant to our People’s lives and in our Country’s history.

And let me say, Mr. President, that I have every trust and confidence in the members of the Senate family. Whatever the future may hold for us, I trust that we can overcome any problem so long as we have each other and help each other. As we continue our journey, I cannot ask for better companions. We will live up to our centennial motto:

Ang Senado, sandigan ng demokrasya, dangal ng sambayanang Pilipino. Mabuhay ang Senado ng Pilipinas!

Maraming salamat po, Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen of this chamber. Congratulations to all of us.