Noy: I surpassed my supporters’ expectations

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino believes he has “surpassed” the expectations of the 16 million Filipinos who voted for him and has even gained more supporters now than when he was a presidential candidate in May 2010.

“At this point in time, one can really look back and say I think we’ve surpassed the expectations of those who believed in us from the start and who’ve stood by us all this time,” Aquino said during a question-and-answer forum at the Sofitel Hotel yesterday.

His remarks were made during the annual Christmas party of the predominantly female Bulong Pulungan weekly journalists’ forum.

“I think even the numbers – you look at the survey results – I have more supporters now than when we actually won in 2010,” Aquino said.

He called on media executives to help his administration continue the reforms.

Even if he claimed to be “uncomfortable” discussing his achievements, he took credit for what he described as the shrinking number of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

Statistics reveal that about 400,000 have returned to be employed in local-based jobs out of 10 million OFWs.

“I am really so pleased about the decrease in the number of OFWs. There is a study that says at least about 400,000 of our countrymen have come back home and have found meaningful jobs,” Aquino said.

“If you ask what’s the proof of meaningful jobs, the unemployment rate has continued to drop. It’s 5.7 percent. The other figure that I’m really so pleased about is the number of out-of-school youths,” he explained.

“In 2008, it was 2.7 million; it’s now down to 1.2 million despite the fact that there is an increase in population,” Aquino stressed.

Comparing himself to his predecessors, Aquino said a “major difference would be I think I am a bit more optimistic now of what this country and our people can do and that we can do it really rather quicker than what was imagined.

“Some, like things that I think before was close to impossible, now more and more I am convinced it is just a matter of time to achieve all of these things that we have to do,” Aquino said.