It is with great pleasure that I note the continued success of the Philippine Bayanihan Center in Singapore. It is a project tha is close to my heart, as I was present during the inauguration of the Center in August 2001.

The Bayanihan Center is named after one of the core values of Philippine culture: bayanihan, where a community comes together to offer assistance and support to one another. It is an apt name, becuase the Center is tangible proof of our community's commitment to reach out to one another and offer what we can to help each other.

The Center is generously supported by SIngapore companies doing business in the Philippines, in cooperation with the Philippine Government. Through the cooperation and dedication of both the Filipino community and our Singaporean friends, the Center has expanded conderably in scope and reach.

I am proud to note that the Bayanihan Center in SIngapore is now a center for skills development and training and gathering place for Filipinos in Singapore. In the true spirit of bayanihan, it has opened its doors to all, and in so doing has contributed greatly to fostering deeper and more meaningful ties between the Philippines and Singapore.

I appreciate the many contributions of Ms. Jennie Chua, the first Honorary President of the Bayanihan Center's Management Board, and now President Emeritus. Her unflagging support of the Center, as well as her unstinting generosity with her time and resources, have played no small part in forming the Bayanihan Center as you see it now.

Dr. Roberto Mariano, who has since taken over the leadership of the Management Board, is also to be commended for his able guidance. I am confident that the bayanihan spririt that led to the inception of this Center will be sustained under Dr. Mariano's presidency.

I encourage you to visit the Philippine Bayanihan Center in Singapore, and to feel free to take part in the activities and courses that are offered there. Let us lend support to this laudable endeavor.

Mabuhay!