President Aquino chats with school children inside a completed Brigada Eskwela classroom at the Marikina Elementary School in Shoe Avenue, Santa Elena, Marikina City yesterday. Also in photo are TESDA chief Joel Villanueva, Education Secretary Armin Luist

The Philippines’ attaining first world status may soon be imminent if significant reforms initiated by the current administration would be consistently pursued, President Aquino suggested yesterday.

“Kung madidiligan ang ating mga pinunla, at makaka-graduate ang mga pinagaaral natin upang makapasok sa maaayos

na trabaho, baka po tuluyan nang nasa first world status tayo sa panahong iyon (If we water the seeds sown and those we sent to school will find better jobs, then time will come that we’ll be part of the first world),” he said.

He issued the statement after gracing the Oplan Balik Eskwela 2015 and Brigada Eskwela at the Marikina Elementary School, where he commended the efforts of public school teachers and the Department of Education for helping students.

He then cited a litany of achievements his administration has made in the last five years, among them the decline in unemployment and hunger incidence among families.

He also mentioned the government’s poverty alleviation program, including health and education.

He said the robust economy could grow even stronger if Filipinos band together and show their unity once again, like what was demonstrated in EDSA People Power in 1986.

Aquino then called on the people to help one another, and help provide solutions to government, not just complaints.

“Many time we proved that we could go farther if we are united, with the spirit of People Power we could make the impossible possible,” he said.

Aquino likewise disclosed that government was able to resolve in 2012 the 61.7 million textbooks backlog that he inherited from the administration of former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.