 I say what I was going prepared to say here. I think that all of us ought to join in a happy birthday. There is a period in which you can tell a lady's age, when it's Irene Marcos and it's her 22nd birthday. Happy birthday. But tonight, we welcome old and good friends to the White House in a visit symbolic of the superb relationship between our two countries. It's a nostalgic occasion for us as well. Nancy and I often think of our 1969 visit to Manila when we first experienced that unexcelled Philippine hospitality as the guests of our guests here tonight. And the birthday girl was quite young and small at that time. Many things have changed in both countries since that time, but one thing remains constant. The basic nature of the Filipino United States friendship, it remains solid. Both countries have worked hard over the years to maintain excellent cooperation in defense, foreign policy, refugee matters, economic assistance, and many other areas. And I pledge to you, President Marcos, that the United States will do its share to strengthen those ties in the 1930s. In the 1980s, I've been doing a little reminiscing at the table. Forgive me. 1930s was my first job. We value the friendship of the Republic of the Philippines for many reasons, Mr. President. Our intertwined histories during the first 50 years of this century left its imprint on your institutions of government, your educational system, and your public services, such as public health, and the widespread use of the English language as a result of that era. So is your flourishing free enterprise system. As important as our shared histories are our shared strategic interests which span this entire century. In World War II, Filipinos and Americans fought and died together. And you yourself, Mr. President, played an unforgettable heroic part in that conflict. Coming out of that war, your generation and mine fully understood the need for collective security arrangements. Unfortunately, some of today's young people, blessed by decades of relative peace, may not have this understanding. I think it's our duty to impart our historical experience to them. Today, a strong defense alliance is a major factor in contributing to the security of the Philippines and to the maintenance of peace and security in Asia. With an extra review of the military bases agreement, which begins in 1983, we shall continue to modernize our security relationship to best serve our mutual security interests. Both of our economies depend on vigorous trade and investment. These ties remain strong, and your presence in Washington, Mr. President, has enabled us to conclude several outstanding economic matters. President Marcos, we have accomplished a great deal together over the years. We will all do more in the years to come. Common determination to achieve a better life doesn't mean that we need to be alike. We need only to treat one another in a spirit of generosity and mutual respect. If we do that, our continuing commitment to one another, resting as it does on many years of close relations, will be solid now and for the future. So in that spirit, let me offer a toast to the President, Mrs. Marcos, and to the people of the Philippines, and to the mutual respect, the dedication to peace and security in the world, and the shared values which unite us. Mr. President and Mrs. Regan, distinguished guests, my friends, I feel I must pay tribute to this elegant and fairy-like party and dinner, which has reminded me too much not only of home, but of some dreamland at home. A tribute to the taste and sense of beauty, to perhaps primarily not only to President Regan, but Mrs. Regan for this lovely party which I shall always remember as the firefly party in the White House. You do us great honor with this dinner. Allow me to extend the gratitude of 50 million people on the Republic of the Philippines, Mrs. Marcos and myself, for this hospitality and this generosity. Certainly, we will be unable to reciprocate this beautiful event. You even had the songs all prepared, including a Philippine song. That's a favorite of the First Lady of the Philippines, Dahil Sayo, which means because of you. Because of you I love, because of you I live, and because of you I am what I am. And then you had the other theme song, which was a favorite of both President Regan and the other president. Understand? The theme song of Dr. Zivago, which is a long story, of course, and which I won't talk about. It happens to be one of our theme songs, because it was sung in one of what was what threatened to be a tragedy, but which did not. And that's why we remember it. Tonight, the Philippines once again is obligated to you, Mr. President, for your kind and the generous words. And the periods of difficulty, and perhaps, therefore, it is not too rushed to say that it is proper to use the appellation, friendship between the American and the Filipino. That friendship, that abiding friendship with cherries and cherries deeply. And this is why, as I come and stand once again on American soil, Mr. President, I cannot but be candid. I would not be candid if I did not speak to of those misunderstandings and the adversities which we have faced together for the world faces challenge and change. We are in a period of famine. As one of your great writers has said, you have passed through a period of torment and ordeal, perhaps, of tragedy. Thus, you experience, yes, assassination of some of your American leaders, constitutional crisis in the presidency, a trauma of Vietnam, and occasionally doubts about your own capability. Certainly, as we look around, in Asia, the countries of that part of the world are marked. And often, there is fear that perhaps does not wear it, that America is firm and resolute, actions, but that it faces and confronts its problems squarely, fairly, justly. As I stand on American soil and I see the doubts rising in Asia, I see another phenomenon that clears my mind. It is the phenomenon of an American nation led by a new leadership earnestly exerting heroic efforts in order to stop the slide and the loss of prestige of American leadership throughout the world. Yes, Mr. President, out of the dark, out of the shadows of the decline in even respect for America and decline for her leadership, there is a rising and emerging a new America, not only in Asia, but perhaps throughout the world. The stakes are high, Mr. President. Let there be strength and greatness for the American nation, for only then can there be hope for us, the poorer nations, and let America reclaim her role, her historic place, and her historic relationship with the poorer nations of the world, the members of the third world, my world, for that is your rightful place, Mr. President. America, this strength and capability to reclaim her natural place and historic relationship with all the nations and with other nations to re-establish order in our anxious, troubled world. We pray for this, we hope for this, not only the big nations, but spatially the small ones. And so may I ask you to rise and join me to a toast to the continued health and success of the President of the United States, the prosperity and the strength of the American people, and the friendship of the peoples of the United States and the Philippines.