INTRODUCTION
Maayong aga sa inyo nga tanan.
I am delighted to be back here in Bago City, the home of the Philippines’ latest sports hero, Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco, Jr.

Three years ago, I came to this city to inaugurate the rice mill project of the Negros Kabisig Foundation, which is the post-harvest facility located in Barangay Busay. From the latest report submitted to me, I am happy to know that the facility continues to be in good working condition and is serving the common tao. I am confident it will improve the livelihood and family incomes of our small farmers in the area.

Today, we are back in Bago City to celebrate and share with you the joy and excitement we feel in knowing that the Philippines is again highlighted in the world of amateur boxing because of Onyok, one of your native sons, and the entire Velasco family.
PRODUCER OF HIGH-CALIBER BOXERS
We are also here to let you know that the Ramos administration recognizes the efforts that the local officials have undertaken to promote the Negros Occidental Sports Development Program. It is certainly worth emulating and duplicating in other parts of the country since the program has already produced six Olympic boxers.

Let me take this opportunity to introduce to you our Filipino boxers from Bago City. They are:

* Leopoldo Constancio, a Southeast Asian (SEA) Games champion, who represented the Philippines in the Olympic Games in Los Angeles, California, USA, in 1984 and in Seoul, South Korea in 1988;

* Isidro Vicera, Jr. and Roel Velasco, who represented our country in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics where Roel, brother of Onyok, won a bronze medal in his category;

* Reynaldo Galido and Virgilio Vicera, who represented the country in the just concluded Atlanta Olympics; and,

* Also fresh from his successful campaign at Atlanta, the country’s latest boxing superstar after more than thirty (30) years, Olympic silver medalist Onyok Velasco.

All of them were products of the Negros Occidental Sports Development Program and later, the National Sports Development Program, and became SEA Games medalists.
BOOSTING NATIONAL SPORTS DEVELOPMENT
It is inspiring to note that the Negros Occidental Cultural and Sports Fund (NOCSF) has allocated p557,000 for School Year 1996-97 to provide stipends to one hundred ninety-one (191) student-athletes in Negros Occidental. Twenty-eight (28) of these student-athletes, I was told, are from Bago City. Aside from boxing, the others who receive financial assistance from the program are into swimming, badminton, volleyball, softball, baseball, and athletics.

In addition to the NOCSF, governor Rafael Coscolluela is putting up a p15-million sports facility expansion in Bacolod City, with an eight million-peso p8-million seed fund from the local treasury.

In recognition of the exemplary efforts shown by both the local government officials and the private sector in support of our National Sports Development Program, I wish to announce that the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) shall likewise release the amount of p3 million for the completion of the Bacolod City Multi-Purpose Sports Center (BCMPSC).

To this amount, I am adding p5 million from the savings and reserves of the Office of the President-Department of Budget and Management-Department of Education, Culture and Sports (OP-DBM-DECCCS) for the province of Negros Occidental and its component cities for sports facilities development.
BAGO CITY’S INFRASTRUCTURE AND LIVELIHOOD PROJECTS
In line with Bago city’s success in its sports development program, I would also like to commend Mayor Manuel Torres, Congressman Edward Matti, Governor Coscolluela and the business sector of Negros Occidental for the impressive infrastructure projects that they have completed in Bago City. This p37-million amateur boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP) Bago City Coliseum and Cultural Center, the upgrading of five concrete bridges in the locality and the concreting of close to twenty kilometers of city roads, including the Bago-Busay Road, is a great example of your community teamwork and solidarity.

You have also shown your concern for improving the skills and know-how of your constituents by establishing the farmer’s training center where people learn new ways of increasing production and productivity. This is certainly a good example of the strong partnership between your government and non-government organizations (NGOs) towards uplifting the lives of our countrymen and women.

These accomplishments are in line with the life-long efforts of my high school classmate, the late Rafael Salas, who is the pride of Bago City, the Philippines and the United Nations.
INDUSTRIALIZATION AND TOURISM IN BAGO CITY
It is also interesting to note that Bago City hosts the alcohol distillery establishment of one of the country’s most respected corporations — La Tondena. The company’s plans to further expand its operations by setting up a mineral water plant in Barangay Ilijan within the year only shows this place’s viability for industrial production.

Likewise, the exploration for geothermal power and its development by the Philippine National Oil Corporation (PNOC) manifests the abundance of natural resources in this part of the region.

Tapping the potentials of your environment has indeed raised the entrepreneurial spirit of the Negrenses. This is evidenced by the operations of the Buenos Aires Mountain Resort and the ongoing construction of the convention hall in Rafael salas, both of which should make Bago city a major tourism destination.
TOWARDS PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT
The development of Bago City can be sustained and further hastened if peace and order in this part of our country can be maintained and strengthened. But it is not only Bago City that we want to see developed; we want to see the entire Negros Island and, in fact, the whole Philippines attain progress alongside our successful Asian neighbors.

We can only do this if the entire country is at peace so development can continue unhampered. We have made inroads in our peace efforts in Mindanao which should pave the way for peace and development in the southern Philippines.

The government has been conducting public consultations and information campaigns on the peace process. Our people must know, and their sentiments considered, in this vital exercise. Peace is necessary for us to ensure that all development plans and programs, not only in Mindanao but throughout the whole country, are accelerated and successfully implemented.
CLOSING
In closing, I commend all your local government officials for the progress that they have brought to Bago City.

I also wish to thank all the businessmen of negros for supporting our sports and other development program and all the people of Bago City for the warm reception and hospitality you have given me and my party today.

Mabuhay ang Bago City!

Mabuhay ang Negros Occidental!

Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!

Madamo gid nga salamat.