INTRODUCTION
Tunay pong makahulugan ang pagdiriwang na ginagawa natin ngayon dito sa makasaysaysan at matulaing bayan ng Antipolo, Rizal.

Sa ating pagsalubong sa nalalapit na bagong taon nang may ibayong pag-asa sa pagsulong ng ating bansa, nararapat lamang na balikan natin ang ating nakalipas upang maging gabay tungo sa pag-unlad.

In order for us to achieve the progress we want, we have to look back at the roots of our beginnings so as to move forward with greater confidence.

Today, on the occasion of the 120th birth anniversary of Juan Marquez Sumulong, we recall his virtues, his vision and his efforts to make the Philippines a truly sovereign nation.

At the same time, we will remember how this once small missionary village came to be a leading municipality of the province of Rizal and the hub of yet another growth corridor linking Metro Manila and the provinces of Rizal, Laguna and Quezon or the Marilaque Growth Area.
THE LEGACY OF DON JUAN SUMULONG
The evolution of Rizal province into one of the premier provinces of the country ran parallel to the distinguished career of one of its greatest sons whose influence affected the direction that our nation took during his time.

In the process, the mention of Rizal province and the Sumulong family has become almost synonymous with each other. And there is no better proof of the legacy of the statesman and political stalwart we honor than the devoted service of my eminent predecessor and Don Juan Sumulong’s granddaughter, former president Corazon C. Aquino.

In recalling the career of Don Juan Sumulong, I am struck by three significant aspects which I find quite relevant to what we are trying to achieve for our country at present.

Foremost among these was his record as a public servant which was one of untarnished integrity and dedication to duty. This he valued dearly as he constantly advised his children to be self-reliant, never to seek or rely on the influence of “padrinos” for their advancement. He always reminded them to regard highly their honor and self-respect more than riches, power or influence that their status in life could bring. These are precisely the kind of virtues that our moral recovery program strives to uphold in order that we may hasten our development as a people.

Secondly, Don Juan struggled to maintain an effective and responsible opposition party as essential to sustaining democracy. He kept alive that opposition party to fiscalize the acts and policies of the party in power, and to offer constructive criticism in the form of alternative measures and proposals. He ran against President Quezon for the presidency in 1941 in spite of failing health, inspired by no other purpose than to maintain the two-party system in the Philippines. This spirit, no doubt, influenced the decision of Cory Aquino to carry on the fight of Ninoy against the dictatorship.

Thirdly, Don Juan had the foresight to arouse in our people an interest in solving our economic problems first. He strove to make them realize that they had to be not only politically prepared but also economically self-sufficient for the responsibilities of independence. To stress its importance, he used to say, “an empty sack cannot stand, but fill it with rice and it will not fall.”
MARILAQUE AS THE NEXT GROWTH AREA
Those words ring true then as now. As we continue to aspire to be a key player in the international marketplace, under our battle cry of “Philippines 2000!!!”, the province of Rizal — because of its proximity to the national capital region — will expectedly play a vital role.

There is a need to decongest metro manila and we can only do this by facilitating the development of its nearby provinces. A natural and logical expansion would be eastward of the capital; thus, we must provide a growth corridor between the metro manila area and the provinces of Rizal, Laguna and Quezon.

It is for this reason that I issued Executive Order No. 197 last August 29 creating a presidential commission to plan for and develop a growth area from the National Capital Region to those three provinces, otherwise to be known as the Metro Manila-Rizal-Laguna-Quezon or Marilaque Growth Area. This will be similar to Calabarzon and the Northwest Luzon Growth Quadrangle in Region I.

This commission has been tasked to prepare an integrated development plan for this growth area that will encompass agri-industry, housing, tourism, environmental protection, water supply, power generation, natural resources and other investment opportunities. It will then act as the central coordinating body for the implementation of said integrated development plan.

Today, we are formally launching the Marilaque Growth Area Program. To spur the development of this area, we have identified the key components to this vital flagship program to include, among others, the Marikina-Infanta Corridor Project, the Rizal Industrial Estates Project, the Lungsod Silangan Project, the Laiban Dam Project, and the Manggahan Floodway Socialized Housing Project.
ANTIPOLO AT THE CENTER OF THE GROWTH AREA
It is most auspicious that we are launching Marilaque here today because Antipolo will inevitably be at the center of this new growth area.

Perhaps this is the most appropriate way of bringing back the glory that this municipality once enjoyed and of showing our appreciation for its having contributed Don Juan Sumulong to the political development of our nation.

It will be recalled that Antipolo was once the capital of the province of Morong before it was converted into the province of Rizal. While the seat of the provincial government is now in Pasig, Antipolo remains an important commercial, religious, political and cultural center.

It is the home of our miraculous Nuestra Señora de la Paz y Buenviaje whose guidance to safe voyages is sought by the faithful up to this day. Its being a pilgrimage and excursion site every month of May has become legendary. I have in fact approved the recommendation of the National Executive Committee for World Youth Day to include Antipolo in the proposed list of destinations to be visited by devout pilgrims.

Although it is second only to the town of Rodriguez (formerly Montalban) in terms of total land area, Antipolo’s upland environment at about 600 feet above sea level continues to attract thousands from Metro Manila and other towns who want to escape the congestion and pollution of the metropolis.

Antipolo is at the crossroads of our history and culture. With Marilaque, Antipolo will also be at the crossroads of progress.
CLOSING
Ang pagdiriwang natin sa araw na ito ay nagbibigay-buhay hindi lamang sa alaala ni Don Juan Sumulong na ipinagmamalaking anak ng bayan ng Antipolo kundi gayundin sa pangakong kaunlaran ng mga kalapit-lalawigan ng Kamaynilaan.

Bilang pagwawakas, ako ay umaasa na ang ating mga kababayan na naninirahan dito sa Marilaque ay pagyayamanin ang pag-asang dulot ng ating bagong plano upang bigyang-katuparan ang ating mapayapa at masaganang pamumuhay.

Magkaisa po tayo at magtulong-tulong upang ating makamit ang hinahangad nating tagumpay.

Mabuhay ang “Antipolo 2000!!!”, “Rizal 2000!!!” at “Philippines 2000!!!”.

Maraming salamat po at manigong bagong taon sa lahat.