prayers and support, too. they say that it can be lonely at the top. from that vantage point, national issues and high - level problems may overshadow the needs and concerns of the bsp community. even when the going gets tough, my fervent wish is that i never lose sight of where i came from. ako ay laking bsp. ang aking husay at lakas ay galing sa bsp. i therefore owe it to all of you to stay connected and to continue serving the bsp community even as we all serve our country with skill, honor, integrity, and accountability. our beloved philippines has a lot of promise before it, and in your good hands, it will continue to thrive and flourish. it is because of this promise that we must relentlessly seek excellence, not for glory or acclaim, but for the sake of delivering the best possible service to the filipino people. i thank president rodrigo roa duterte for this opportunity to serve. mabuhay ang bsp! mabuhay ang ating mahal na bansang pilipinas! 1 in 2016, the country ’ s gross domestic product ( gdp ) grew by 6. 8 percent. it is higher than malaysia ’ s 4. 5 percent, indonesia ’ s 4. 9 percent, thailand ’ s 3. 0 percent, and singapore ’ s 2. 9 percent ( source : bsp website available at www. bsp. gov. ph / statistics / efs _ asian. asp ) 4 / 4 bis central bankers'speeches

thomas jordan : the swiss franc – a success story address by mr thomas jordan, chairman of the governing board of the swiss national bank, at the launch of the book der schweizer franken – eine erfolgsgeschichte ( the swiss franc – a success story ), zurich, 3 october 2012. * * * ladies and gentlemen, allow me to begin by welcoming you all to the launch of the book der schweizer franken – eine erfolgsgeschichte. since this book was commissioned by the swiss national bank, i would like to take this opportunity to say a few words as to how it came about. after i have finished, first hans - peter thur, publishing director of nzz libro, and then professor baltensperger, the book ’ s author, will speak to you. after their comments, and before we close this event with a standing lunch, you will have the opportunity to ask questions. the german theologist, hans von keler, 1 is said to have commented “ history is more than what has already happened ; it is the layers of the past beneath our feet, the ground on which we lay our foundations ”, and it seems to me to be particularly fitting for today ’ s book launch. institutions do not just fall from the sky – they are created by people. switzerland ’ s present monetary and currency institutions have come into being as the result of a gradual process. professor baltensperger ’ s book is an impressive account of the efforts to establish sound institutions over a period of more than 150 years. many approaches were tried, some proved their worth, while others were abandoned. the establishment of these monetary institutions was not a constant reinvention of the wheel ; rather, progress was evident. the sound institutions that have grown in this way represent valuable capital for our country and have made a significant contribution to switzerland ’ s prosperity. i feel that it behoves us to become familiar with the history of our monetary and currency institutions. this is true not just for the employees of the snb, but in particular for them. in fact, this was the original idea behind professor baltensperger ’ s book, namely to improve employees ’ knowledge of switzerland ’ s economic history. or, expressed in a different way : to encourage them to “ become familiar with the ground on which we lay our foundations ”. on the initiative of the former chairman of the board, jean