(Pleasantries)

Magandang hapon po sa inyong lahat.

First of all, let me thank the men and women of the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation for contributing 8.96 billion pesos in dividends to the national government. This is its highest-ever remittance.

Behind the check that we have here today is a bigger check. Ito ay malinaw na patunay ng maayos na pamamahala at responsableng serbisyo ng ating mga GOCCs para sa taumbayan.

PSALM’s mandate is not simple. You were created to carry the burden of the past and to optimize the value of the power assets that remain for the benefit of our people.

Definitely not the most glamorous job in government, but absolutely one of the most important.

You do the heavy lifting that many don’t see, from preparing power assets for privatization, guarding the integrity of every bid, and sealing the deals that keep powering the engines of our economy.

Every successful privatization done properly means less burden on the taxpayers. And every power plant handed to capable hands means brighter homes, powered schools, and new life to our rural communities.

Malaking halaga po ang 8.96 bilyon na natanggap natin mula sa PSALM. But its real value will multiply once it enters the bloodstream of public service—once it becomes more classrooms, hospitals, and roads.

At ‘yan naman po ang mapapangako namin sa parte ng DOF. We will make sure every peso you contribute will be felt by the people. It will be used for programs that matter most. It will be invested back into the nation.

Kung dati wala tayong turn over ceremony, ngayon napapadalas kasi naniniwala kami na mahalagang nakikita na tayo sa gobyerno ay sama-samang nagtutulungan para sa mamamayang Pilipino.

For this is what nation-building should look like. Bawat ahensya may ambag. Bawat piso may saysay. Bawat tagumpay ay ibinabalik sa taumbayan.

Let me also thank the hard work of our very own Corporate Sector and Strategic Infrastructure Group, who always get the job done.

Once again, to the leadership and staff of PSALM—thank you for managing our power assets with integrity and for ensuring that they generate long-term value for the Filipino people.

Let us continue performing better so that PSALM can finally be debt-free. Because when that day comes, every peso you earn no longer pays for the past, but provides a better future for every Filipino.

Maraming Salamat po. Mabuhay ang Bagong Pilipinas.