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This is a synopsis of the speech I delivered last Saturday, September 20, 2008, during the ceremonial groundbreaking program to signal the start of the construction work for the 2×82-mW clean coal technology power plant in Barangay ingore, Lapaz, Iloilo City by the Global Business Power Corp., a subsidiary of the MetroBank group:

This is a dream fulfilled for Ilonggos who have been pushing for a stable source of cheap power for the city and province of Iloilo, and the entire island of Panay as well. After several false starts, this project is finally at the starting line, its engines revving, and just waiting for the green light to fulfill its mission for our people. The project was originally conceived as far back as five years ago, and we watched with bated breath as plans were changed every now and then, the proposed sites also shifting, filled with anxiety as to whether it will push through or not.

It was an agonizing wait because we realized that the power supply in the whole island of Panay was falling short of demand, and we needed to plug the gap soon. The urgency of this need was always foremost in the mind of Governor Niel Tupas, Sr. who saw early on that the economy of the province depended on the availability of stable and cheap power. In fact, the first question that potential investors coming to visit him asked was, “What is the outlook of the power situation?” For Governor Tupas, this question underscored the vital importance of power to attracting investments to Iloilo.

Thus, Governor Tupas is extremely happy that this project is finally getting off the ground. Honestly, we view this event with a tinge of envy, because Governor Tupas had been pushing for its implementation in one of the candidate sites in the province of Iloilo. He wanted to leave a legacy of having built the first clean coal technology power plant in the province that would propel its economy to greater heights. Chairman Francis Sebastian mentioned that the governor treated him and Chairman Tony Abacan to the famous Lapaz batchoy, in the hope that this would lock the project to Iloilo. But Governor Tupas doesn’t really  mind that the project ultimately went to the city. He will just send Mayor Trenas a bill for the batchoy.

This project will also send a loud and unmistakable signal to investors around the world that Iloilo is the right place to locate their businesses. This P18-billion investment to be funneled by the MetroBank group for the project is a strong vote of confidence that will surely be noticed in the corporate boardrooms around the globe. For this, we are thankful to the MetroBank group for staying on course, for keeping its focus on the project, despite the tubulence that it encountered in bringing this investment to Iloilo.

Iloilo province may have lost one huge investment, but this is still a giant leap forward for the economy of the province as well as the entire island of Panay. While this project is situated in the city, its cheap power will still reach the farthest reaches of the island, and we are certain to reap untold benefits for our people.

In behalf of Governor Tupas, I am happy to extend the congratulations of the whole province of Iloilo to the Global Business Power Corp. as it embarks on this project that will assure a brighter future for our people.

Olympics silver medalist Mary Jane Estimar showing her medal to Iloilo provincial administrator Manuel "Boy" Mejorada.

Mary Jane Estimar was working as a manicurist when she discovered wushu sanshou as a sport. As a child, she’s always loved sports — basketball and volleyball were among her favorites. But she was never one who got into martial arts until she stumbled into the gym of Arnold Tinagan. When she learned the basics, she decided this was going to be her sport.

Showing the discipline and dedication that make a champion, Mary jane worked hard to sharpen her fighting skills by training almost every day. In a matter of four years, Mary Jane worked her way up the competition ladder until finally, she landed a place in the Philippine Olympic team for wushu sanshou as a special event. Even though her sport was classified only as a special event, and the medals won’t be counted in the official tally for the Beijing Olympics, Mary Jane never let up in her training.

Early this year, she joined the team for the final phase of the training in China, where she and her team mates were exposed to the rigorous methods of training. “We trained several hours each day using techniques we’ve never tried before,” Mary Jane told me on Friday, September 5, 2008, when she paid a courtesy call to the Office of the Governor. “It was exhausting and bruising but we persevered.”

Mary Jane gained confidence with her fighting skills as she sparred with champion fighters in different parts of China where the sport originated. “I found that a Filipina could match them in fighting skill and technique,” she said. She knew that she would achieve a good performance in the Beijing Olympics, and her focus intensified as the big event approached.

Just then, in the month of May, the sad news about the death of her father in Dulonan, Arevalo reached her in China. The youngest in the family, she was also the bread winner, and she was caught in a dilemma: should she take a break from her training to attend her father’s funeral? She also needed to raise the money  for the burial expenses.

Mary Jane is a good daughter, and that part of her told her she should go home. But she also realized that she had a higher obligation to the nation. The country was thirsting for a medal, and even if her sport was categorized as a special event, it fell upon her shoulders to bring home a medal to give honor and glory to the Philippine flag.

She decided to stick to the final phase of the training, but made sure all the expenses for the funeral were taken care of. After that brief period of mourning, Mary Jane continued with her training. She turned that sadness into a burning passion for a higher glory. “I told myself that I will fight for my country, and for my father,” she said. In his death, he became an inspiration to a doting daughter.

This motivating influence of her father is what drove Mary Jane to summon great endurance and strength as she faced her opponents in the Beijing Olympics. She won in the first round, but injured her ankles. Still, she persevered and won in the second round. This time, her left shoulder was hurt. By the time she reached the finals and fight for the gold medal, Mary Jane was almost limping. Every movement was painful.

Surrender, however, had no place in Mary Jane’s vocabulary. Pitted against a taller, healthier Chinese opponent, she continued to fight even though her feet had become useless because of the extreme pain. “I could only punch, but not kick,” she said.

When her Chinese coach saw the futility of the situation, he threw in the towel. Mary Jane cried in frustration, even though she had earned the silver medal for our country. She wanted to get the gold in honor of her father. Unknown to her, the entire nation had already exulted over her silver medal finish. It was enough to give luster to a poor over all performance for the Philippines in the Olympics.

Mary Jane displayed the soul of a champion, and a great part of that could be attributed to her being an Ilongga.

Iloilo should be proud of her.