Your Excellency Robert G. Brinks, Honorable Ruth Emmerick, Friends, ladies and gentlemen:

Let me begin by making a confession.

Unknown to most of you, I am a big fan of the people of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Two of them stand out in my list – one is a famous painter; the other, a young girl whose diary is perhaps the most public chronicle of one person's most private thoughts and feelings.

The Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) warmly accepted the offer of support by the Kingdom of Netherlands, a member of the European Union bloc (EU), for the construction of shelter homes for human trafficking victims and the improvement of IACAT's database.

Justice Undersecretary Jose Vicente B. Salazar said that the agreement between IACAT and the Netherlands is "one more major step in our efforts to close ranks and tap the power of partnerships."

Inauguration IJM Field Office

Hotel Gracelane, City of San Fernando, Pampanga

August 1, 2012

Friends, ladies and gentlemen:

Good afternoon to all of you; mayap a gatpanapun; magandang hapon po sa inyong lahat.

It is significant that today's occasion is being held here in the city of San Fernando here in the province of Pampanga.