benjamin e diokno : financial health for filipinos through financial education speech by mr benjamin e diokno, governor of bangko sentral ng pilipinas ( bsp, the central bank of the philippines ), at the bsp financial education stakeholders expo, pasay city, 25 november 2019. * * * national economic development authority ( neda ) undersecretary rosemarie edillon ; department of education ( deped ) undersecretary ann sevilla ; philippine stock exchange ( pse ) chief operating officer atty. roel refran ; educators ; fellow public servants ; development partners ; leaders from the financial services industry and non - government sectors ; friends from the media ; honored guests ; good morning. the bangko sentral ng pilipinas ( bsp ) welcomes you to the 2nd financial education stakeholders expo. thank you for joining this annual event for financial education. in 2018, about 1, 000 financial education experts, practitioners and advocates gathered here in smx for the first ever expo. we envisioned it to bridge different players in the financial education space. we sought to know of their ongoing initiatives, understand challenges, and find opportunities for collaboration and partnerships. we wanted to determine ways forward to achieve shared financial education objectives. in a year, the seeds of collaboration planted in 2018 have started to take root. today we convene again to showcase the progress we have made, and what more we can do together. allow me to share what we can expect from the 2019 expo. the plenary sessions will present how financial education contributes to green and sustainable development. top financial advisors will impart lessons on responsible financial planning, making our money grow and becoming good financial role models. similar lessons will be highlighted in a theater production after the lunch break – this is quite interesting so stay tuned. tomorrow is just as exciting. we will go into breakout sessions, delve deeper into financial education challenges and solutions, and learn more about stock market investing. we will have entertaining sessions like a financial education board game, a financial literacy game show, an awards program, and a raffle draw for all expo participants. there will be special performances from actor ( mr. xian lim ) and a percussion group ( batangas drumbeaters ). so you better be here tomorrow to enjoy the fun! we also have 76 exhibit booths ( 60 exhibitor institutions / entities ) in the other room ( function room 5 ). our expo partners are showcasing their wares,

jean - claude trichet : state celebrations for the introduction of the euro in slovakia statement by mr jean - claude trichet, president of the european central bank, at the state celebrations for the introduction of the euro in slovakia, bratislava, 8 january 2009. * * * dear president, prime ministers, excellencies, dear governors, ladies and gentlemen, the introduction of a new currency is an historic moment for a country, and the introduction of the euro in a member state through the treaty - based convergence process is an historic moment for europe. robert schuman stated in his founding declaration that europe will be made through concrete achievements which create tangible solidarity among its people. european monetary union is a concrete achievement, and the euro is a tangible sign of solidarity among its people. the euro is also a tangible sign of increasing economic integration in europe, which is to the benefit of stability and prosperity for its citizens. today, with slovakia ’ s adoption of the euro, we therefore have every reason to celebrate. slovakia ’ s economic achievements on the way towards euro adoption slovakia has made remarkable progress in both nominal and real convergence. this has been reflected in a decline in inflation and a significant economic growth record. slovakia ’ s performance is based on the firm foundations of a bold economic reform programme implemented earlier this decade. cooperation between the ecb and narodna banka slovenska on the side of central banks, this historic moment has been prepared through a very close cooperation over the last couple of years between the european central bank and narodna banka slovenska under the leadership of governor sramko. this cooperation has laid the groundwork for the smooth and successful introduction of the euro in slovakia. the sustainability of convergence the introduction of the euro in slovakia will further enhance the benefits of the single market. the euro removes exchange rate uncertainty between slovakia and many of its most important trading partners, integrates the country into one of the world ’ s largest economies and helps to shield it from some of the effects of the international financial turbulence. it is also important to stress that the introduction of the euro must not give rise to complacency. in order to ensure that convergence is sustainable and that the slovak people can reap the full benefits of euro adoption, the slovak public authorities will need to pursue ambitious economic policies on all fronts. a rigorous and credible implementation of fiscal policy in line with the commitments of the stability and growth pact is particularly important. other policy measures would need to focus on slovakia