Ambassador's Remarks at the Ground-Breaking Ceremony
for 24-Hour Electric Supply Project
Batanes, April 16, 2003
 

Thank you very much.  If I may, with the permission of everyone here, I will follow the Congressman's good example and dispense with the recognitions.  Otherwise it will take all morning and we all have important things we want to do.  I am honored to be here in the presence of  the people from Batanes and my colleagues who are visiting with us from different parts of the national government and the local government.  I'd like to thank in particular Governor Gato and the Mayor for an extremely warm welcome. 

I might just mention several reasons why I have come up here today.  I've wanted to come ever since I first arrived a year ago.  This is the first real opportunity during a reliable travel season that I have been able to come, and this was an excellent opportunity to come because of the other things that we are celebrating today.  What are the reasons that I came? 

Number one is to continue my education about this wonderful country of yours.  I've only been here a little over a year and I am collecting 'good news' stories.  As an American, I think Americans and others in the world don't really hear enough of the wonderful things about the Philippines that I've been experiencing since I have been here.  You hear about SARS, and you hear about terrorism, but that is not the Philippines that I know.  I also know, that just as Washington, D.C. is not the United States of America, nor is New York the United States of America; Manila is not the Philippines.  Many of us love Manila, but I also love getting out of Manila and seeing the good things that are being done at the local level. 

One of the lessons I am already taking away, is the example that Batanes has shown in national level, provincial level and municipal level leadership working together, seizing opportunities, creating opportunities, and building them.  When I see Congressman Abad, Governor Gato, and Mayor Viola, when I see a daughter of Batanes in the national government, Undersecretary Hidalgo -- who is so loyal to her home province that she wanted to jump on the airplane with us to show me a traditional house that she has restored here -- I'd say this is a province that has its act together.  This is an example.  It is the kind of thing that really impresses Americans.  It is the kind of thing that we like to help celebrate, to give attention to and to contribute to, where we can, while recognizing that it is the local leadership that will carry the day.  All we can do is stand back, cheer, and perhaps, offer a little help around the edges.

The second reason I came, is that  part of my job is to deepen the ties between Americans and Filipinos, and not just Washington and Manila, but between Americans and Filipinos outside these capital cities.  In coming to Batanes, I am keeping a promise that Colonel Lewey made to the Governor and the Mayor that we would do this.  He promised that we would work harder to have more contact even though it takes a great effort to come to Batanes because it is so far and the flights aren't always reliable given the seasons.  Colonel Lewey won't let me come on his airplane except during certain times of the year. Apart from the Peace Corps, which has been a wonderful American connection to Batanes and has been doing wonderful things, we have had a very small U.S. military transient activity. Colonel Lewey told me about this, and I agreed with him that it is not enough just to come through, get our fuel and move on. We have got to pay some attention to the people here, to listen to the people and what they want.  We are doing that now, and Colonel Lewey has given us a lot of good ideas about how to do it, so I thank you for that, Colonel.

Another way that I want to promote American-Filipino ties is by promoting tourism to places that are so beautiful.  Not just safe.  Clearly, Batanes is safe and warm and welcoming to all kinds of foreigners, not just Americans.  But it is also so beautiful, and impressive.  Just coming in and seeing a few of the islands from the air and a good part of this one: this is a place I want to come back to. (Applause) Marie and I have already decided that we want to come and hike.  We want to visit that lighthouse.  As I was coming in, I almost came out of my seat, saying "That lighthouse looks just like Cape Cod, where I am from, in New England."  And the Congressman asked me, "Did you see my lighthouse?"  And there it was, it was just like those I've seen on the coast of New England.  So I am coming back with Marie and I hope I will be able to bring my daughters here.  I came here so I can tell Americans that this is a place Americans ought to visit.

And finally, another tie we are all here to celebrate today -- and this really sealed my decision to come on this day -- was our cooperation between the United States Agency for International Development, the Department of Energy, and several American energy companies.  We have a large program to help the Philippines exploit renewable energy.  Your country is blessed with so many advantages that other countries can only envy.  One of them is an abundance of potential in renewable energy resources, whether it's geothermal, or hydro, or solar, or, as here in Batanes, wind energy.  What the United States Agency for International Development has done is to help to fund a study that produced an "atlas of wind energy" for the entire Philippines. It is thanks to that research that we 'found' you. 

We are here in Batanes because that atlas pointed out -- on the basis of scientific study -- that Batanes is the leader in the Philippines in having  a wind resource.  You might not have thought of the wind as your friend, but thanks to modern technology, it is.  This is where you are number one in the country, and you can lord it over everyone else.  As the Governor has pointed out, this is the first commercial wind-energy project for which we will be breaking ground today.  I hope you are proud of that. We in the United States Government are proud for our tiny role in helping to 'find' Batanes.  Beyond that, of course, the national government, NAPOCOR, and Secretary Perez are the ones who did the detailed study, to confirm that, indeed, Batanes is an excellent site with commercial possibilities for wind energy.  They are the ones making it all happen. 

The Secretary of Energy and I were just saying how we are going to have to come here and watch every time you reach a stage, such as putting up a tower.  We'll find a way to come here to salute you and, especially, when you finally cut the ribbon, we will throw the switch for the wind power.  That will be a great thing.

Finally, another reason I came sort of wraps up all the others.  I have fun in my job.  I enjoy being Ambassador of the United States to the Philippines, and I came here to have some fun.  I love to meet Filipinos who are doing wonderful things, such as building, constructing the country, lifting the country out of poverty, and providing an example to others.    I say, "God bless you all," and thank you so much for having Marie and me and my colleagues from the Embassy with you today. 

Maraming Salamat at Mabuhay.  (Applause)

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