PGMA’s Speech during the Cebu Business Month Festival and the 9th Grand Chamber Awards 2004 of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc.

PGMA’s Speech during the Cebu Business Month Festival and the 9th Grand Chamber Awards 2004 of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc.

Grand Ballroom, Waterfront Hotel Lahug Cebu City, Cebu (21 June 2004)

Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you, Cebu.

Thank you, president go for your introduction. And thank you for inviting me to be here once again with the Cebu business community.

Tonight, I'm here with my husband Mike and my daughter Luli.

I'd like to also greet the people of Cebu City headed by Mayor Tommy Osmeña and Congressman Raul Del Mar, and to thank the congressmen of Cebu for their defense of the Cebu vote in the canvassing. Thank you, Raul.

Ambassador Hwan and our friends from Korea; my Cabinet members who are here tonight, three of them; our three Taipans whom we are honoring tonight: Mr. Lucio Tan, Mr. John Gokongwei, Mr. Andrew Gotianun; the past officials of the chamber; Mr. Han Joon-Ho, chairman of Kepco; officers and members of the Cebu chamber; all the officials of the Philippine government who are here with me tonight; movers and shakers of the Cebu business community, maayong gabii kaninyong tanan.

Earlier, I thank the congressmen, represented here by Congressman Raul Del Mar, for defending the vote of Cebu. But I must thank all of you because there is a vote to defend to begin with.

So let me begin by thanking you all for giving me the largest margin of votes in the whole country last May. Thank you also for your unswerving support for me through the years. You gave me a big vote in '92, '95, '98 and 2001 to my senatorial candidates, and now the biggest vote in 2004. Daghan salamat gikan sa akong kasing-kasing kaninyong tanan.

And I join the leaders of both houses of Congress in congratulating the chairs and members of the canvassing committee for their eminent work in the cause of democracy. A valiant fight was fought and both sides are to be commended. I'm not taking Congress for granted as the proclamation has to be hurdled amidst expected contentious debates. I will wait patiently and let the constitutional process run its course. But I thank the people, especially the people of Cebu for your support, forbearance and vigilance. I thank the large Cebu delegation who sat it out all day and all night for several days and nights in the Congress while waiting for the Cebu vote to be canvassed.

And now that the canvassing is over, the committee report is being prepared for presentation to Congress, let me assure you that we will combine the rule of law and the reconciliation process to consolidate our nation and prepare to meet the tough times ahead. The Filipino people have spoken and the loudest voice came from the province and City of Cebu.

Now it is time for us to give room for unity and solidarity. Politics is over. Let's get together. Let's join hands. Let's work together towards greater prosperity.

And that's why it's so fitting that on the day after the end of canvass, I'm here with you tonight to honor three men whom we can rely on in working for that prosperity. John Gokongwei and Andrew Gotianun are members of the renowned 'Go' clan of Cebu. And Lucio Tan spent many years of his childhood in Daan Bantayan in northern Cebu. Indeed, therefore, they can be considered Cebuaños contribution to the entire Philippine community, and that's why they so very well deserve the grand chamber awards. Congratulations to the three of them!

We can count on them not only to be the leaders of our work towards prosperity in the country as a whole, but also to make Cebu -- what I said when I came here during the campaign time -- "not only an international industrial center, not only a tourism center of the region, but also a maritime capital and a hub of information technology.

In order to be all these -- industrial center, maritime center, tourism center, I.T. center -- the most critical infrastructure requirement in Cebu is electric power. That's why a short while ago, my administration provided you, the people of Cebu, with a power generator set in Bantayan. And tonight... Earlier, what was that little ceremony we had? That was an announcement that Korea Electric Power Corporation or Kepco, whose CEO is here with us tonight, will invest 250 million dollars to build a 200-megawatt environment-friendly power plant here in Cebu province. Two hundred megawatts will be sufficient to cover the power requirements of the Visayan islands. But if necessary, Kepco is prepared to expand their plant to 400 megawatts.

Let me tell you a little something about Kepco. I was privileged to attend the inauguration of Kepco, of their plant in Batangas two years ago. And I'm happy to let you know that that Kepco plant in Ilijan, in Batangas has now been cited as one of the twelve most efficient power plants in the whole world. On top of that Kepco is also committed to contribute 200 barangays to my campaign promise of electrifying 1,500 barangays per year. I asked them to prioritize the unelectrified barangays of the province of Cebu.

Vince Perez would also like me to let you know -- members of the Cebu chamber, members of the Cebu business community -- about other activities we're doing to ensure that Visayas will not have a power crisis. One is the announcement that Transco is beefing up the Leyte-Cebu interconnection upgrading project that will add 200 megawatts to an existing link. He also wants me to announce the Cebu-Mactan interconnection to ensure power for Mandaue and Cebu, and the Cebu-Negros interconnection that will increase the transfer capacity between these islands, make transmission more efficient because we need all these efficient power supply and efficient power transmission in order to truly continue and enhance the role of Cebu as an industrial, tourism, I.T. and maritime center in the country.

To make sure that Cebu will indeed be a maritime center in our region of the world, Larry Mendoza is here to let the Cebu chamber know and the Cebu business community that we will make, we have made the July 1 deadline for compliance with the international ship and port facility security code. Right, Larry?

To comply with this code, Cebu Ports Authority has finished its security plan, 148 Philippine vessels have submitted ship security assessments and 78 of them have been issued international ship security certificates. I made sure that Larry would be here to give you the good news because I have kept my ear open to the anxiousness of our Cebu business community about this compliance.

I listen to the Cebu business community. I listen to the people of Cebu. And I thank you for listening back and supporting me in the last elections.

You know, it's quite significant that Kepco is a Korean company. And it's because Korea is our fastest growing tourism market. And Cebu is a favorite of Korean tourists, especially the honeymooners. So Kepco is doing this not only for the industrial requirements of Cebu, but to make sure that its Korean tourists will be very... Feeling very convenient with no interruption of power in the resorts and other places they go to.

Indeed, Cebu-Bohol compete with metro manila in being the number one tourism destination in our country. You remember that I have announced to you that we will transfer the Department of Tourism to Cebu.

Secretary Pagdanganan is here to let you know that he has already started planning this move. Now I want to let you know that I will also set up no less than a Malacanang in the south right here in Cebu. It's the least I can do because Cebu made me president of the republic of the Philippines.

Thank you, Cebu for making me president. Thank you Cebu for adopting me as your daughter by Sanggunian Panlalawigan Resolution. And thank you also for the political maturity and sobriety you are showing the nation and for standing by me.

Let us stand together for the progress of Cebu. The progress of Cebu is the progress of the Philippines.

Mabuhi kamong tanan!

Daghan salamat kaninyong tanan.

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