Thank you very much, Secretary Anton Lagdameo.

[Please take your seats.]

The Second District Representative of Bataan, Representative Albert Raymond Garcia; the Bataan Third District Representative Maria Angela Garcia; the Bataan Governor Jose Enrique Garcia; the host for all of this grand project here is the Hermosa Mayor, Mayor Antonio Joseph Inton; the National Grid Corporation President Anthony Almeda; NGCP Vice Chairman, Henry Sy Jr; NGCP Chief Technical Officer Rico Vega; the officers and employees of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines; my fellow workers in government; distinguished guests; ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon.

It is certainly with great… I know that you hear this in all of the speeches when a guest says, “it is with great pleasure that I come here today.” But in this case, I can guarantee you, I mean that sincerely. It is with great pleasure to be here today. [applause]

Not only because I am in the historic province of Bataan but because after almost four years, we are finally seeing the completion of this vital transmission line project. We celebrate today a milestone in our nation’s history with the inauguration of the Mariveles-Hermosa-San Jose 500 kilo-Volt Transmission Line Project here in Bataan.

This development involves more than two hundred seventy-five circuit kilometers of overhead lines supported by nearly almost four hundred towers and two new substations; [and] a total line transmission capacity of eight thousand megawatts.

It is noteworthy that this new transmission line will serve as a vital corridor for the current five thousand megawatts and the additional two thousand five hundred megawatts of committed power generation projects here in Bataan and in Zambales.

Once operational, it will certainly strengthen power transmission services not only in the region, but all the way [in] Metro Manila.

It ties well, as well, with other projects here in Bataan such as the Battery Energy Storage System in Limay which we inaugurated last year and the Bataan–Cavite Interlink Bridge that we are now implementing. I think they’ve started to bid out already the approaches, the landings of the bridge. So, talagang pinipilit natin. I know that we… You would say, that you are the ones who are most anxiously awaiting. I’m equally anxiously awaiting as you are. That’s why… [applause] Ako na siguro ang pinakamakulit sa naging pangulo dito sa Pilipinas.

I thank the determined efforts of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines and our various government agencies in overcoming the challenges that you encountered in this grand project.

This transmission project attests to the transformative power of collaboration between the public and the private sectors to be able to attain a stable, reliable, and resilient power supply for the country.

It will also help in the Administration’s thrust to transition to renewable energy to mitigate the impact of geopolitical uncertainties and of course, the effects of climate change.

So, I direct the DOE and the NGCP to complete the almost seventy transmission projects on time as indicated in our Transmission Development Plan, particularly the Batangas-Mindoro Interconnection Project and the Northern Luzon 230-kiloVolt Loop.

And this way, we can meet our increasing energy demand, encourage technological advancements, and produce more employment opportunities for our people.

I look forward to the impact that your endeavors will bring to our country, especially as we now make inroads towards unlocking the full development potential in the green and in the blue economies, which is suited to the Philippines.

I’m also excited as we shape up Bataan to be a literal and figurative powerhouse, as well as a center of economic and development activity in the future.

So, I encourage everyone to embrace our shared responsibility of guaranteeing a dependable and adequate energy supply for all.

I trust [that] the public will strive to become stewards of our environment through conservation and smart consumption of energy.

With our synergized efforts pushing our national development forward, we can build greener and more sustainable cities and achieve total electrification for the entire country.

Once again, my congratulations to everyone here for the successful completion and energization of the 500 kilo-Volt Transmission Line Project.

Let us build the Bagong Pilipinas that we dream of, where all our communities are powered by affordable and accessible electricity, where our industries are geared towards inclusive and sustainable prosperity, and where opportunities await those who dare to make their dreams a reality.

Congratulations to NGCP! Congratulations to all of those who have been involved in making this project, this dream project a reality.

Maraming salamat at magandang hapon sa inyong lahat. [applause]

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