SPEECH OF MRS. CORAZON S. DE LA PAZ-BERNARDO, INTERNATIONAL SOCIAL
SECURITY ASSOCIATION (ISSA) PRESIDENT, AT THE STRATEGIC CONFERENCE ONSOCIAL WELFARE AND PROTECTION – 06 JULY 2009, SOFITEL PHILIPPINE PLAZA
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, COLLEAGUES AND FRIENDS, IT IS AN HONOUR AND A PLEASURE TO BE INVITED TO SPEAK AT THIS MEETING ON SOCIAL WELFARE AND PROTECTION. IT IS HERE THAT YOU, THE REPRESENTATIVES OF VARIOUSPHILIPPINE SOCIALLY ORIENTED GROUPINGS, BRING THE HOPE OF A MORE JUSTAND DECENT FUTURE TO THE PEOPLE YOU REPRESENT.
I THANK LINDA WIRTH FOR DISCUSSING SOCIAL SECURITY FROM THE ILO’S POINTOF VIEW, ESPECIALLY ABOUT A GLOBAL FLOOR FOR SOCIAL SECURITY.
WE OFTEN HEAR THAT SOCIAL SECURITY IS NOT ONLY A GREAT ACHIEVEMENT OFTHE 20TH CENTURY, BUT THAT IT IS AN INESCAPABLE PRIORITY OF THISMILLENNIUM. WITHOUT SOCIAL SECURITY, SUSTAINABLE AND MORE EQUITABLEECONOMIC GROWTH IS NOT POSSIBLE.
IF EVIDENCE OF THIS ACHIEVEMENT IS NEEDED, I WOULD ASK YOU TO IMAGINEWHAT OUR SOCIETIES WOULD BE LIKE IF WE COULD NOT RELY ON SOCIALSECURITY, EVEN HOW MEAGER, TO BE THERE WHEN WE NEED IT.
BUT IF OUR CONFIDENCE IN SOCIAL SECURITY IS TO BE MAINTAINED, THERE ISA NEED TO HONOUR COMMITMENTS TO SOCIETY. FIRST, SOCIAL SECURITY INSTITUTIONS MUST DELIVER ACCORDING TO THEIR MANDATES. OFTEN THIS MEANS THEY MUST IMPROVE AND EXTEND BENEFITS. EQUALLY, GOVERNMENT MUST RESPOND TO THE VOICED EXPECTATIONS OF POPULATIONS. GOVERNMENT MUST ACT TO ENSURE A SUSTAINABLE FRAMEWORK FOR IMPROVING SOCIAL SECURITY.
THE GOAL OF THIS MEETING IS TO PROVIDE AN ARENA TO DISCUSS HOW SOCIAL SECURITY CAN BE A POSITIVE FORCE IN TOMORROW’S WORLD. SOCIAL SECURITY WILL HAVE TO ADAPT TO NEW SOCIETAL AND ECONOMIC CONDITIONS. THE EXPECTATION IS THAT TODAY’S SESSION WILL BOTH INSPIRE AND CHALLENGE USING OUR WORK TO EXTEND AND IMPROVE SOCIAL SECURITY FOR ALL.
SOCIAL SECURITY: WHAT IS IT, AND WHY WAS IT CREATED?
SOCIAL SECURITY HAS EXISTED SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL. WE COULD ENDLESSLY DEBATE THE DEFINITION OF SOCIAL SECURITY. BUT FOR ME, AT ITS CORE, SOCIAL SECURITY MUST PROVIDE THE ELEMENT OF “ECONOMIC SECURITY” AGAINST THE MULTITUDE OF RISKS THAT PEOPLE FACE THROUGHOUT THEIR LIVES.
IN MY VIEW, IT IS THE “SOCIAL” COMPONENT THAT EXPRESSES HOW THAT SECURITY IS PROVIDED. FOR US, THE HUMAN RACE, IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN BY BELONGING TO A SOCIAL GROUP LIKE A FAMILY, A CLAN, A COMPANY OR A COMMUNITY OR COUNTRY. BY BELONGING TO A SOCIAL GROUP IT HAS BEEN POSSIBLE TO REDUCE THE RISKS IN DAILY LIFE AND PROVIDE GREATER INDIVIDUAL SECURITY.
MANY OF OUR CURRENT SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEMS HAVE THEIR ROOTS IN THESE BEGINNINGS.
SOCIAL SECURITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE ARE INNATE HUMAN RIGHTS, JUST AS HEALTH AND SAFETY AT WORK TODAY IS A BASIC HUMAN RIGHT MORE THAN EVER.THE ISSA, FROM ITS INCEPTION, 82 YEARS AGO, HAS PLAYED A VITAL ROLE IN PROMOTING THE DEVELOPMENT AND EXPANSION OF SOCIAL SECURITY AND DECENT WORK THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.
THE FIRST NATIONAL COMPULSORY HEALTH INSURANCE AND OLD AGE BENEFIT SCHEMES APPEARED IN EUROPE IN THE LATE 1880S AND SPREAD THROUGHOUT MANY PARTS OF THE WORLD IN ONE FORM OR ANOTHER. IN 1919, THE INTERNATIONAL LABOUR OFFICE WAS CREATED AS A PART OF THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES THAT ENDED THE HORRORS OF WORLD WAR I. ITS CREATION REFLECTED THE BELIEF THAT UNIVERSAL AND LASTING PEACE COULD ONLY BE ACCOMPLISHED IF IT WERE BASED ON SOCIAL JUSTICE. THERE WAS INCREASING UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD’S ECONOMIC INTERDEPENDENCE AND THE NEED FOR COOPERATION.
IT WAS WITH THIS UNDERSTANDING THAT IN 1927 THE ISSA WAS FOUNDED WITH THE BACKING OF THE ILO, AS THE MUCH NEEDED FORUM FOR SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATORS, REPRESENTING DISPARATE CULTURES AND ECONOMIC SYSTEMS.
DURING WORLD WAR II IN NOVEMBER 1942, THE BEVERIDGE REPORT WAS PRESENTED TO THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT. IT DECLARED A WAR ON “WANT”, AND FREEDOM FROM DEPRAVATION THROUGH A COMPREHENSIVE SOCIAL INSURANCE POLICY BASED ON SOCIAL PROGRESS.
IN 1948 THE UNITED NATIONS UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS,DECLARED SOCIAL SECURITY A BASIC HUMAN RIGHT, THEREBY GIVING IT ALEGALLY RECOGNIZED PLACE NEXT TO SUCH OTHER NOBLE NOTIONS AS THE RIGHTTO LIFE AND LIBERTY, AND NOW THE RIGHT TO HEALTH AND SAFETY AT WORK ORDECENT WORK.
THE THIRTY YEARS FOLLOWING 1948 WITNESSED A LARGE SCALE EXPANSION OF SOCIAL SECURITY TO MORE COUNTRIES, MORE BRANCHES, AND MORE CATEGORIES OF PEOPLE COVERED AND PROTECTED.
SOME MIGHT ASK, “WHAT HAS THE PAST GOT TO DO WITH THE PRESENT?” IT’SOVER, LET’S MOVE ON. HENRY FORD ONCE FAMOUSLY SAID, “HISTORY IS MORE ORLESS BUNK.” AND THE HISTORIAN AND ECONOMIST FRANCIS FUKUYAMA BRASHLY DECLARED, “THE END OF HISTORY.” I WOULD RESPECTFULLY DISAGREE. I BELIEVE THAT WE CAN AND MUST LEARN FROM HISTORY. HISTORY PREPARES US,AND TEACHES US WHAT WENT WRONG OR RIGHT, WHAT DIDN’T WORK AND WHAT DID, AND HOW WE CAN AVOID THE FORMER AND BUILD ON THE LATTER.
AT THE END OF THE 19TH CENTURY, OLD-AGE POVERTY WAS SEEN AS ONE OF THEMAJOR SOCIAL CHALLENGES IN EUROPE AND THE COMPULSORY SOCIAL INSURANCE SCHEMES THAT I MENTIONED WERE INTRODUCED IN RESPONSE. A CENTURY LATER,ALTHOUGH OLD-AGE POVERTY IS STILL A SERIOUS PROBLEM IN MANY COUNTRIES,IN THE DEVELOPED WORLD AT LEAST THE PREVAILING SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC SITUATION HAS CHANGED: MANY OF THE ELDERLY ARE MORE AFFLUENT ALTHOUGH IN CERTAIN COUNTRIES THE CURRENT GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISES HAS REVERSEDTHIS TREND BECAUSE OF LOSS IN VALUE OF THEIR INVESTMENTS. NOW LIFE EXPECTANCY IS MUCH HIGHER BUT THE SUPPORT RATIO – THE WORKING POPULATION TO THE RETIRED POPULATION – IS MUCH LOWER AND IS SET TOREDUCE IN MANY DEVELOPING AS WELL AS INDUSTRIALISED COUNTRIES. THIS CURRENT GLOBAL ECONOMIC, FINANCIAL AND SOCIAL TURMOIL HAS MADE THINGS EVEN MORE COMPLICATED THAN A YEAR AGO. MORE GOVERNMENTS HAVE TO ALLOTMORE FUNDS TO STIMULATE THEIR ECONOMIES AND MAKE CASH TRANSFERS TO ADVERSELY AFFECTED GROUPS, WHICH OTHERWISE WOULD HAVE TO BE FUNDED BYEXISTING SOCIAL SECURITY INSTITUTIONS OUT OF CONTRIBUTIONS FROM MEMBERS. THIS IS, HOWEVER, QUITE CONTROVERSIAL AS IT MIGHT BE AGAINST THEIR LEGISLATED CHARTERS.
TO SET THE STAGE, I WISH TO BRIEFLY REMIND US ALL OF SOME OF THE MAJOR CHALLENGES IN THE WORLD TODAY – OR THE MEGA-TRENDS, AS THEY ARE OFTEN REFERRED TO. I WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU ALL TO THINK DEEPLY ABOUT THE IMPLICATIONS OF THESE TRENDS FOR SOCIAL SECURITY.
GLOBALIZATION IS WITHOUT DOUBT THE MOST CITED OF THESE MEGA-TRENDS. AS WE ALL KNOW, GLOBALIZATION CAN BRING MANY OPPORTUNITIES, FOR TRADE, INVESTMENT, ADVANCES IN TECHNOLOGY – IN SHORT, IT HAS A GREAT POTENTIAL FOR RAISING WELL-BEING AROUND THE WORLD. BUT, AS WE CAN SEE INDEVELOPED AND DEVELOPING COUNTRIES ALIKE, IT CAN ALSO BRING MISERY, PRECARIOUSNESS AND GROWING INEQUALITY.
THIS IS INDEED THE PARADOX OF GLOBALISATION. TAKE THE CASE OF ASIA. WHILE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE IN ASIA HAVE BEEN LIFTED OUT OF EXTREME POVERTY, MOST COUNTRIES IN THE REGION HAVE SEEN THE GAP BETWEEN RICH AND POOR PEOPLE WIDEN SIGNIFICANTLY. WHILE SINGLING OUT GLOBALIZATION AS THE MAIN CAUSE FOR THESE ESCALATING INEQUALITIES, THE ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK IN A REPORT PUBLISHED 2 YEARS AGO HAS WARNEDGOVERNMENTS THAT SUCH A TREND COULD “UNDERMINE SOCIAL COHESION AND MAY LEAD TO VIOLENT CIVIL WAR”, AND GROWTH PROSPECTS WOULD BE JEOPARDIZED.THE BANK CONCLUDED THEN BY CALLING STRONGLY FOR REDESIGNING REDISTRIBUTIVE POLICIES AS A POLICY OBJECTIVE FOR THE ASIAN REGION.
SOCIAL SECURITY HAS THEREFORE, AND PERHAPS MORE THAN EVER, A KEY ROLE TO PLAY.
I HAVE TALKED EARLIER ABOUT INNOVATION IN SOCIAL SECURITY PROGRAMMES. GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS SUGGEST, HOWEVER, THAT INNOVATION MIGHT BE NEEDED AT THE POLITICAL LEVEL TOO. MIGHT THERE NOW BE NEED FOR THE MORE CONCRETE DEVELOPMENT OF REGIONAL SOCIAL SECURITY MECHANISMS? THE ARABS ARE GIVING COVERAGE TO ARABS OF OTHER NATIONALITIES WORKING IN THEIR COUNTRIES. A SIMILAR PROPOSAL TO COVER ASEAN NATIONALS WORKING IN OTHER ASEAN COUNTRIES WAS PRESENTED AT AN ASEAN SOCIAL SECURITY ASSOCIATION(ASSA) MEETING LAST YEAR. AND MIGHT THE TIME NOW HAVE COME FOR DEVELOPING TRULY GLOBAL SOCIAL SECURITY POLICIES AS A RESPONSE TO ECONOMIC GLOBALIZATION? THESE ARE CHALLENGING QUESTIONS.
WHAT IS BEYOND DOUBT IS THAT THE IMPACTS OF GLOBALIZATION ARE HERE TOSTAY. AND AS WORLD ECONOMIES WILL CONTINUE TO GROW, PRESSURE FORFLEXIBILITY WILL PROVIDE LESS SECURITY TO WORKERS. MORE MIGRATIONS ARE TO BE EXPECTED. ALL THIS REQUIRES MORE AND BETTER SOCIAL SECURITY.
THERE ARE OTHER MEGA-TRENDS THAT WILL HAVE MAJOR IMPLICATIONS FOR SOCIAL SECURITY IN THE YEARS TO COME.
DEMOGRAPHIC AGEING IS ONE OF THESE. ITS EFFECT IS TO BE FULLY FELT BY INDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRIES IN THESE NEXT 10 TO 30 YEARS. THE REAL CHALLENGE IS THEREFORE RIGHT IN FRONT OF US. IT IS AN ISSUE FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES AS WELL, AS THE AGEING OF THE POPULATION WILL BE MUCH FASTER THERE THAN IN DEVELOPED COUNTRIES. IT IS FORESEEN FOR EXAMPLE THAT CHINA WILL HAVE THE SAME PROPORTION OF AGED PEOPLE ASEUROPE BY 2050 – THAT’S IN A LITTLE MORE THAN 40 YEARS! AS IS OFTEN MENTIONED, THE REAL CHALLENGE IS NOT AGEING, BUT THE CAPACITY OF SOCIETIES AND ECONOMIES TO PREPARE FOR THIS AGE REVOLUTION. SOCIAL SECURITY HAS INDEED A MAJOR ROLE TO PLAY. IN THE PHILIPPINES, AGEINGMIGHT NOT BE AN IMMEDIATE CONCERN BUT THE DEMAND FOR HEALTH CARE OFMORE PEOPLE GROWING OLD IS STILL A GROWING CONCERN.
ANOTHER MAJOR TREND WILL BE THE TRANSFORMATION OF WORK, IN PARTICULAR THROUGH THE DIGITAL ECONOMY. THIS INVOLVES A NEW DISTRIBUTION OF LABOUR THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, AND NEW CHALLENGES IN TERM OF EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND IN PROVIDING THE NECESSARY INCENTIVES TO KEEP MORE PEOPLEAT WORK LONGER. PRO-ACTIVE SOCIAL SECURITY POLICIES IN SUPPORT OF THELABOUR MARKET WILL BE PARAMOUNT. AFTER ALL, THE BEST SOCIAL SECURITY ISA JOB.
OTHER MEGA-TRENDS OF SIGNIFICANCE WILL BE CONTINUING URBANIZATION THAT WILL SEE A MAJORITY OF THE WORLD’S POPULATION LIVING IN CITIES. EVEN GLOBAL WARMING, A HOT TOPIC TO BE SURE, WILL HAVE AN IMPACT ON SOCIAL PROTECTION; IN SO FAR AS FLOODING AND DESERTIFICATION WILL INCREASE MIGRATORY TRENDS AND PRESENT MANY CHALLENGES IN TERMS OF HEALTH. THERE WILL BE FIERCE COMPETITION BETWEEN SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES ASWELL, CHALLENGING THE FINANCIAL BASIS FOR EXTENDING SOCIAL SECURITY PROVISION AND PROVIDING A MINIMUM SOCIAL BENEFIT FOR ALL.
ALL TRENDS MENTIONED HERE, AND OTHERS, WILL ALL ACT TO SHAPE A NEW SOCIAL SECURITY FOR THE NEXT GENERATION.
CHANGES IN SOCIAL CIRCUMSTANCES HAVE SHIFTED THE FOCUS TO THE NEED TO REDESIGN SCHEMES TO MINIMISE THE IMPACT OF AN AGEING POPULATION AND INCREASED UNEMPLOYMENT AND UNDEREMPLOYMENT ON THE SUSTAINABILITY OF SCHEMES AND TO ENSURE INTERGENERATIONAL EQUITY.
RESPONSES TO ACTUAL AND PREDICTED CHANGES IN SOCIAL CONDITIONS ARE VARIED. SOME COUNTRIES SUCH AS SWEDEN AND CHILE MADE RADICAL STRUCTURAL REFORMS TO THEIR PENSION SYSTEMS.
OTHER COUNTRIES ARE MAKING PARAMETRIC CHANGES: THERE ARE THOSE THAT ARE GRADUALLY RAISING THE AGE OF RETIREMENT; OTHERS ARE EQUALIZING RETIREMENT AGES FOR MEN AND WOMEN IN RESPONSE TO CHANGING GENDER ROLES AND LEVELS OF EMPLOYMENT AS WELL AS TO DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGES. COUNTRIES HAVE ADOPTED OTHER METHODS TO HELP MEET THE COST OF PROVIDING PENSIONS FOR AN AGEING POPULATION.
BUT AN AGEING POPULATION HAS IMPLICATIONS NOT ONLY FOR PENSION POLICY BUT ALSO FOR NUMEROUS OTHER AREAS NOT LEAST HEALTH AND LONG-TERM CARE. IN THE 1990S A RAPIDLY AGEING POPULATION PROMPTED JAPAN AND GERMANY TO INTRODUCE A NEW BRANCH OF SOCIAL INSURANCE FOR LONG TERM CARE.
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES WITH YOUNG POPULATIONS FACE MORE IMMEDIATE PROBLEMS: ESPECIALLY LACK OF HEALTH CARE AND UNEMPLOYMENT. THESE ARELONG STANDING AND CHALLENGING ISSUES SPECIALLY NOW IN THE FACE OFF ALTERING ECONOMIES.
LARGE SCALE MIGRATION, TOO, CAN IMPACT ON THE FABRIC OF SOCIETY AND SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEMS: AN EXODUS OF LARGE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE OF WORKING AGE FROM ONE REGION MAY ALTER THE AGE BALANCE OF THE EXPORTING AND RECEIVING POPULATIONS. THE NEEDS OF MIGRANT WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES HAVE TO BE ADDRESSED AS THEY ARE AMONG THE FIRST ONES TO BE AFFECTED BY DECLINING ECONOMIES AND ATTENDANT UNEMPLOYMENT.
IT IS CLEAR THAT WE NEED A BETTER UNDERSTANDING AND APPRECIATION OF THE
IMPACT THAT PUSH AND PULL INCENTIVES DESIGNED TO MEET POLICY OBJECTIVESIN ONE BRANCH OF SOCIAL SECURITY MAY HAVE IN OTHER BRANCHES. CONSIDERING THESE ISSUES WHEN DESIGNING AND IMPLEMENTING SOCIAL SECURITY SCHEMES IS ESSENTIAL IN ORDER NOT TO CREATE NEW PROBLEMS INTHE PROCESS OF RESOLVING OTHERS.
AFTER 82 YEARS OF ENORMOUS EXPERIENCE IN THE ISSA, ONE THING WE KNOW FOR SURE: NO ONE INDIVIDUAL SYSTEM OR SOLUTION WORKS IN EVERY CASE. WEKNOW ALL TOO WELL THAT SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEMS ARE NOT PERFECT AND NEVER WILL BE; THAT THEY MUST CONSTANTLY ADAPT TO CHANGING SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CIRCUMSTANCES.
ALL OF US AT THIS MEETING BRING OUR EXPERTISE, OUR EXPERIENCES, AND OUR DIFFERENCES HERE TO THE TABLE. OUR DISCUSSIONS TODAY WILL REFLECT THIS DIVERSITY AND PROVIDE US WITH THE OPPORTUNITY OF EXCHANGING AND LEARNING FROM EACH OTHER.
HOW CAN WE ENHANCE THE IMPACT OF OUR SOCIAL SECURITY SCHEMES IN THE PHILIPPINES TO MAKE THEM MORE EFFECTIVE? WHAT ARE SOME OF THE TRENDS AND CHALLENGES THAT WE, AND THE NEXT GENERATION, ARE BOUND TO FACE IN OUR COUNTRY?
OUR ANSWERS TO THESE, AND OTHER IMPORTANT QUESTIONS THAT WILL BE POSED TODAY AND EVEN LATER, WILL BE THE WRITING OF OUR OWN HISTORY. LADIESAND GENTLEMEN, WE ARE HERE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE EVERYDAY LIVESOF ORDINARY PEOPLE WHO ARE ALL TOO OFTEN FACING HARDSHIP AND ADVERSITY. WE ARE PRIVILEGED HERE IN BEING OFFERED THE OPPORTUNITY TO FIGHT, INOUR OWN WAY, AGAINST POVERTY AND MISFORTUNE. AND I BELIEVE THAT THIS BATTLE IS AS WORTHY TODAY AS IT WAS 82 YEARS AGO WHEN THE ISSA WASFOUNDED.
OF COURSE, SOCIAL SECURITY CANNOT SINGLE-HANDEDLY SOLVE ALL OF THE ENORMOUS PROBLEMS THAT ARE BEING FACED ACROSS THE GLOBE AND ACROSS OUR COUNTRY TODAY. WE ARE BUT A PIECE OF A MUCH LARGER PUZZLE. BUT IF WE ARE PRO-ACTIVE AND INVEST IN OUR COMMUNITIES WE CAN SURELY CONTRIBUTE TO THE SOLUTIONS.
CONFIDENCE IN SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEMS AND IN THE ORGANIZATIONS ADMINISTERING THEM IS ABSOLUTELY VITAL. IT IS ON OUR SHOULDERS TOENSURE THAT THE SYSTEMS THAT WE ADMINISTER ARE RELEVANT, EQUITABLE, SUSTAINABLE AND WELL-MANAGED AND WOULD HELP CREATE A BETTER WORLD NOTONLY FOR OURSELVES BUT FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS, THOSE OF OUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN. IT IS OUR TURN NOW TO BE MEN AND WOMEN OF VISION INA WORLD AND IN A COUNTRY WHERE TURMOIL AND OPPORTUNITY SHARE THE STAGE IN EQUAL PARTS. LIKE THE GENERATIONS BEFORE US, WE MUST ADAPT TO THE CHANGING SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CHALLENGES THAT HAVE NOW BEEN HANDED TO US.
AS I LOOK OUT AT THE TALENT AND EXPERTISE, THE INTELLIGENCE AND ENERGY THAT HAVE GATHERED HERE TODAY, I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT OUR DISCUSSIONS WILL INSPIRE US TO BETTER FOCUS OUR EFFORTS AND FIND SOLUTIONS TO THE MANY DIFFICULT CHALLENGES AHEAD.
THE GOAL OF THIS MEETING IS TO LOOK TO THE BROADER PICTURE, AND TO BE FORWARD LOOKING. I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT SOCIAL SECURITY SHOULD GENERATE MAJOR OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL PEOPLE. I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO THE DEBATE IN THE HOPE OF LEARNING HOW WE CAN BETTER ENSURE THAT ALL PEOPLE CAN HAVE ACCESS TO THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT THEY REQUIRE TO CONTRIBUTE TO SOCIETY IN AN ACTIVE AND DIGNIFIED MANNER.