Gordon and Fernando 'the transformers' get their act on the road

Now, two politician-administrators who pride themselves as "modernizers" have chosen this same town to launch their campaign to win the Philippines' top two posts in the coming May elections, and apply to the entire country what they say they achieved in Olongapo City and Marikina City, respectively.

At their proclamation rally in Imus on Tuesday, Bagumbayan standard bearer Sen. Richard Gordon and his running mate Bayani Fernando vowed to take their "Transformers" image seriously, and improve the education system and provide modernization to ensure progress for the country.

'Infrastructure czar'

Addressing the question of the Sangley Point port facility, Gordon wisely chose to focus on his now-familiar theme of taking a seemingly hopeless case and turning it into a success story.

He said among the first thing he would rehabilitate in Cavite once elected was Sangley Point, and modernize it into a container port. Projects like this, he said, would generate jobs for the people.

Gordon has repeatedly claimed that among his biggest achievements so far was the conversion of the huge Subic Bay Naval Base, a huge US naval facility adjacent to Olongapo City, into the Subic Bay Freeport under the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority.

Sangley Point, a former US naval base in Cavite, was turned over much earlier to the Philippine government in 1971 but quickly deteriorated thereafter.

In that regard, Gordon said he would appoint Fernando, former chairman of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, as "infrastructure czar" that would oversee all the government projects for modernization, including railways and roads.