INTRODUCTION
Unang dumalaw ako rito sa Romblon bilang inyong Pangulo tatlong taon na ang nakalilipas, pagkatapos ng selebrasyon ng anibersaryo ng EDSA Revolution. Ngayon naman, kasama ko ang buong Gabinete ilang linggo na lamang bago muli nating ipagdiwang ang makasaysayang araw na iyon.

Ito po ay pagpapatunay na ang ating mga malalayong lalawigan, lalo na yaong binubuo ng mga isla, ay bahagi rin ng aming mga plano ng pagpapaunlad at pambansang kaganapan.
A DIALOGUE ON OUR SHARED CONCERNS
We are holding this week’s cabinet meeting in the province of Romblon in line with our continuing desire to bring the government closer to as many of our people as possible.

The members of the Cabinet are here to discuss with you how their departments can best respond to your concerns.

We in the national government are willing to help those local government units (LGUs) which have shown resourcefulness in solving their problems using available resources and ingenuity in raising funds for programs and projects through the powers provided to them by the local government code.

We must synergize the efforts of our LGUs to achieve our shared vision of “Philippines 2000!!!”. We must encourage collaborative efforts among ourselves, especially in specific and concrete undertakings such as in the areas of small and medium enterprise (SME) development, preservation of the environment and human resource capability building.

Our goal, as contained in the Social Reform Agenda (SRA), is to ensure a more equitable distribution of the fruits of development and democracy throughout the country and among all our people.

In this way, our efforts become mutually reinforcing, as a result of which, the whole country can move forward at the same time.
MIMAROPA: A POTENTIAL GROWTH CLUSTER
Gayunpaman, nauunawaan namin na may ilan tayong mga lalawigan na maaaring hindi sapat ang kakayahan na makipagsabayan sa ibang mayayamang probinsiya.

That is why we have identified 20 priority provinces which receive more attention than others in terms of delivery of services and assistance by national agencies precisely because they need those services and assistance the most. These include island provinces, like Romblon, whose geographical isolation has contributed to their underdevelopment.

The other strategy we are pursuing is the clustering of provinces into regional growth centers in order that their development may be better coordinated from a larger perspective, based on optimizing the potentials and resources of each to complement those of the others and thus accelerate the region’s growth as a whole.

This is the idea behind the MIMAROPA project involving the provinces of Mindoro Occidental and Oriental, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan. It presents an unprecedented opportunity for the component provinces to tap shared development potentials.

These island provinces, being the resource base of Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon (Calabarzon), Metro Manila and nearby regions in the Visayas and Mindanao, have the capability to rise as major suppliers of grains, marine products and livestock. And with their unspoiled environment and natural beauty, these provinces can easily become major tourist destinations.

The strategic position of MIMAROPA, which is at the heart of the Philippines, can be used to great advantage at fast-tracking development within itself, as well as in being the link that enhances growth in the north, south and central Philippines.

The project was launched only last July 19 but, like our successful regional growth centers, I expect MIMAROPA to give greater coherence and impetus to your efforts at modernization here in Romblon.
THE PROMISE OF ROMBLON
Let me reiterate here your comparative advantage which you must tap to the fullest.

Your province is known far and wide as the source of our best local marbles. We have to optimize the use of this — your most valuable asset. Beyond the small, ornamental marblecrafts that you turn out, you should look into how you can produce quality construction materials made out of marble that can be globally competitive.

Romblon is also known for having the hardest wood in the world, known as “Philippine Ironwood”, or teak as it is called elsewhere. You have to devise measures by which you may tap your abundant supply of this hardwood and other forest resources to accelerate your province’s growth and, at the same time, ensure that there is enough left for succeeding generations to benefit from.

This capital town has a deep, well-protected harbor which is a natural advantage for you in terms of shipping goods and serving as the means to develop your province into a prime tourist destination. This is not difficult to attain because you have numerous fine beaches, caves, hot springs and waterfalls and you can be a jump-off point to the world renowned Boracay beach.
CLOSING
Mga minamahal kong taga-Romblon, may mga likas na yaman ang inyong lalawigan na magagamit ninyo tungo sa inyong kaunlaran. Sa inyong pagsisikap, sa pamumuno ng inyong mga halal na opisyales, at sa tulong namin sa pamahalaang nasyonal, gayundin ng proyektong tulad ng MIMAROPA, mapapabilis natin ang pagsulong ng Romblon.

I enjoin our local government executives to continue providing our people with the necessary means to make them active partners in attaining our vision of peace and prosperity. Let us mold them into one cohesive team who can effectively contribute to community development and nation building.

Panatilihin natin lagi sa ating isipan na makakamit natin ang ating pangarap na mapayapa at masaganang pamumuhay kung tayo ay magkakaisa, magsasama-sama at magtutulungan para sa ikabubuti nating lahat.

Maraming salamat at mabuhay tayong lahat!