WE ALL KNOW WHY WE ARE GATHERED HERE TODAY. WE ARE CELEBRATING A MILESTONE, THE 15TH YEAR OF THE BASES CONVERSION AND DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY. IT HAS BEEN SO FAR A VERY SUCCESSFUL CORPORATE JOURNEY, AND WE HAVE THE NUMBERS TO PROVE THAT THE BCDA HAS RESPONDED TO THE CHALLENGES AND DELIVERED ON ITS COMMITMENTS DURING ITS FIRST FIFTEEN YEARS. A HEARTFELT CONGRATULATION IS INDEED IN ORDER FOR ALL OF US.

OUR JOURNEY, HOWEVER, IS FAR FROM OVER. THERE ARE GARGANTUAN TASKS DOWN THE ROAD, IN BOTH THE NEAR AND LONG TERM. ONE MAY SAY THAT, CONSIDERING ITS CORPORATE LIFE OF FIFTY YEARS, THE BCDA HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN.

WE ALL KNOW THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE FACED TOGETHER DURING THE PAST FEW YEARS. THESE CHALLENGES HAVE TESTED NOT ONLY OUR RESOLVE AND DETERMINATION, BUT HAVE LIKEWISE DEMONSTRATED HOW THE BCDA HAS GROWN INTO A STRONG, ALBEIT YOUNG, ORGANIZATION. WE HAVE PASSED THE TESTS OF OUR JUVENLIE CORPORATE LIFE WITH FLYING COLORS, AND NOW WE ARE READY TO ENTER THE PRIME YEARS OF BCDA'S EXISTENCE.

THE PAST YEAR SAW THE RESOLUTION OF TWO MAJOR ISSUES THAT HAVE PREVIOUSLY CAST DOUBTS ON OUR ABILITY TO SUSTAIN THE VIABILITY OF THE SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONES UNDER OUR WINGS. THE RECENT SIGNING BY PRESIDENT ARROYO OF THE LAW RESTORING TAX INCENTIVES TO OUR LOCATORS AND ITS TWIN AMNESTY MEASURE ARE SIGNIFICANT VICTORIES FOR THE BCDA. YET I SEE THEM MORE AS A FURTHER CHALLENGE TO OUR ORGANIZATION. WHY?

THE NEW LAWS ARE DEFINITELY WELCOME NEWS TO OUR LOCATORS AND BUSINESS PARTNERS. BUT THAT ALSO MEANS BIGGER TASKS TO DO FOR ALL OF US. NOW, WE HAVE NO MORE REASONS, NO MORE ALIBIS, NOT TO BE ABLE TO INCREASE INVESTMENTS IN CLARK, JOHN HAY, PORO POINT AND MORONG. WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE MEANS; WE MUST NOW ACCOMPLISH MORE. THE CONVERSION PART OF BCDA HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED. WE NOW MOVE ON TO THE DEVELOPMENT PART.

THE PAST FIFTEEN YEARS HAVE MERELY ALLOWED US TO BUILD A STRONG FOUNDATION FOR THE BCDA. IT PROVIDED US THE OPPORTUNITIES TO PLAN, VISUALIZE, EXPLORE, INITIATE, CONSOLIDATE, CLEAR ALL OBSTRUCTIONS AND CREATE PATHS FOR THE FUTURE. WE HAVE ACHIEVED SO MUCH DURING THE PAST FIFTEEN YEARS LAYING DOWN THE GROUNDWORK SO THAT ALL THE FORMER MILITARY BASELANDS UNDER OUR JURISDICTION MAY BECOME DYNAMIC CENTERS OF ECONOMIC GROWTH. THE FIRST FIFTEEN YEARS ALLOWED US TO CHART OUR FUTURE. AND THE FUTURE IS RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW.

IN A FEW MONTHS, THE SUBIC-CLARK-TARLAC EXPRESSWAY WILL COMMENCE OPERATIONS AND FULFILL ITS MISSION OF EXPANDING THE CENTRAL LUZON ECONOMIC DYNAMO NORTHWARDS. RIGHT HERE IN FORT BONIFACIO, LOCAL AND FOREIGN INVESTORS ALIKE HAVE BEEN EXPLORING WAYS TO DEVELOP SOME OF THE NEWLY AVAILABLE PRIME LOTS AT OUR DISPOSAL. THE SAME IS TRUE WITH CLARK AND JOHN HAY. JOINT VENTURE OPPORTUNITIES KEEP KNOCKING ON OUR DOORSTEPS.

THE CHALLENGE, THEREFORE, IS TO MAKE THE BCDA MORE RELEVANT, MORE ATTUNED TO THE CHANGING TIMES. WE HAVE TO REINVENT THE ORGANIZATION TO MAKE IT THINK, ACT AND EXECUTE PLANS LIKE THE BIGGEST AND MOST SUCCESSFUL PROPERTY DEVELOPERS IN THE WORLD. WE MUST UNDERSTAND OUR MARKETS. WE MUST SEEK NEW BENCHMARKS. WE MUST AIM HIGHER. WE ARE NO LONGER A JUVENILE BCDA. AS WE FURTHER DEVELOP OUR FORMER BASELANDS, SO MUST THE BCDA TRANSFORM ITSELF INTO A MORE MATURE, MORE FORWARD-THINKING ORGANIZATION. AND, HAVING WORKED WITH YOU DURING THE PAST THREE YEARS, THERE IS NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE BCDA ARE MORE THAN CAPABLE OF MEETING THIS NEW CHALLENGE.

WITH THIS, I WELCOME ALL OF YOU TO A CELEBRATION OF FIFTEEN YEARS OF STEWARDSHIP AND GOOD GOVERNANCE.

MABUHAY ANG BCDA.