Page 73 - May 2018 - December 2018 Issue

The topic assigned for me to write about is National Heroes Day, and I was
informed that we in the ManCom are considered “heroes” in a way. The
dictionary defines a “hero” as a person who is admired or idealized for courage,
outstanding achievements or noble qualities. Hmmm… tall order, I thought to
myself. The Diksiyionaryong Filipino (2001) lists an even more formidable
definition of bayani: a person of extraordinary courage and ability; considered to
possess extraordinary talents, or someone who did something noble (“dakila”).
So, I said, quit it, I can never be that.

Still and all, the fact that we can never be heroes does not stop us from aspiring
to become such, at least in our own way. Story of my life, really. I was beset with
all kinds of life-threatening obstacles from the day I was born (yes, you read that
right). I was never meant to become this person today (whatever this person
has become today). My childhood was happy but it was by no means easy — I
had to leave our idyllic home in the province to live in a high school dormitory at
twelve years old, away from my beloved parents, my friends, and my little baryo
by the river and between the hills.

Perhaps you can call it persistence, perseverance or dogged determination, but
somehow I got what I had always aspired for. That is probably the key,
ASPIRATION, for in my book there is no such thing as destiny (at wala ring
forever) but there is that thing called hard work and never giving up, no matter
what, despite what fate throws your way, and no matter what others may say.
You create your own silver lining behind the clouds, and your responsibility is to
make finding a silver lining you can call your very own.

Closer to home, let us consider the C5 South Link. That project, abandoned and
shelved by the previous Cavitex concessionaire, underwent a lot of birthing
pains when we first started working on it in 2013. The right-of-way already
acquired by government was occupied by settlers, who continue to multiply to
this day. The Notice to Proceed was a huge task to acquire because of a hostile
regulatory body that was supposed to be our partner in our tollway concessions.
Yet somehow, through persistent follow-ups and insistence on our concession
rights, we eventually started building it. As I would always remind JLLB (J. Luigi
L. Bautista, MPT South President) after each small victory, we need to take lots
of baby steps. Today, it is with pride and joy that I witness the piles get erected
one by one. There will still be many many challenges before we complete this
project, but we should just remind ourselves each time that “baby steps” is to
key to reaching long, long distances. CALAEx and CTBEX will also involve lots of
frustrations and challenges, but again the key words are “baby steps.” In that
way, when we do complete these projects and we see for ourselves the benefits
they will provide for our motorists, we can all rightly be called heroes.

Joseph Marigomen

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