"In you repose our hopes for a truly transformed AFP - an armed forces that will do our people proud and keep them secure,'' the President said in his speech at the commencement exercises of the PMA's 110-member Mabikas Class '96. In asking the graduates to help protect the country against threats, Ramos told PMA graduates to "let go of easy-going and counter-productive habits and attitudes, and relinquish the convenience of family life in your transformation from carefree civilians into highly disciplined soldiers.''

"In a short while, each of you will be the responsibility of representing government wherever people need your services. Outside this institution, yours will be the job to keep our people's faith in our government and in the rule of law,'' the President said. "Use the superiority of your training to help transform and lift the conditions of our communities. Although you were trained to be leaders in our armed forces, never forget that the larger dimension of the profession of arms is service to the people,'' the President said.

"As we broke out of the fetters and yoke of tyranny imposed by colonizers, so too shall we break out of the shackles of inertia, poverty, and underdevelopment, And we will continue to grow,'' the President declared, referring to the Philippine Centennial celebrations. The President vowed to continue to draw from the wellsprings of the Filipino people's optimism and from their reserves of initiative, resilience, and resourcefulness. "Individually, we cannot do much nor go too far. On the other hand - with perseverance, hard work, and God's grace - we, as a national team, will get to the finish with flying colors,'' the President said.

The President said the name of the game now is global competitiveness, adding that the "new challenge is to be able to cope with the liberalization of world trade and the opening up of relations among nations in the economic, political, social, and cultural fields.''

"We must seek and sustain a niche in the community of nations that shall insure our viability and survivability as a national society,'' the President said. To achieve this, the Chief Executive urged new graduates "to surmount the challenges within our shores and improve our national condition.''

It is in this connection, the President added that his government launched the vision of Philippines 2000. "That is why we have made people empowerment the linchpin of our development plans. That is why we have opened up our economy and implemented a Social Reform Agenda that is people-oriented and people-empowering,'' the President said, noting that these policies have enabled the country to grow steadily through the last four years. "We proved our critics wrong,'' the President said. "We got out of our sickbed and are now running in step with the rest of our neighbors in the Asia-Pacific Region.''