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Port Orchard, Washington
USA
November 16, 2002
The Honorable Eddie Pechon
Kagawad, Sangguniang Bayan
Municipality of Pandan
Antique, Philippines
Dear Eddie,
I remember you in high school as a free spirit, boisterous and fun loving,
making the most out of your youth and vitality. I can picture you now
exuding the same vitality and spiritedness as a Kagawad vehemently opposing
the NAPOCOR power plant in Patria.
It is such a relief to know that you are there fighting with us for the same
principles and for the same reasons. Like us, you realize the massive
destruction the power plant will do to our people and to our land, an
inevitable catastrophe that will render them worthless, useless, and
helpless. There will be no greater tragedy than this.
When I think of our hometown, I think of beauty, welcomed solitude, peaceful
tranquility, clean air, sunrise and sunsets, and simple living replete with
freshness everywhere… fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh fish, fresh meat,
fresh mornings and fresh tomorrows. When I think of what's going to happen if
NAPOCOR gets its power plant in Patria, I see myself saying goodbye to a
place that had nurtured and nourished my body and soul. There will be nothing
to go back to because the place will be gone, a thing of the past. So why go
and why stay?
While there is still a chance to change the course of history, I refuse to
imagine how much worse it will be for you who have opted to stay and die
there. I refuse to let my grinding misery overwhelm me and simply let your
world go away. I refuse to believe that the price you pay for your loyalty
to our place is a lingering death caused by an outsider. I refuse to see
your dreams vanish into the soot-laden air. I refuse to accept the finality
of it all.
Because I refuse, I am doing my share by writing to you and asking you to
please hang in there. Don't give up. Cling fast to your resolve to protect
our townspeople, our land, and our environment. We are behind you, and we
won't leave you. We are all in this together. Let's hold on to each other
and draw strength from one another. The worst is yet to come, but we will
prevail because justice is on our side.
May your tenacious spirit sustain you to fight the good fight. Thanks for
being there.
Very truly yours,
(Sgd.) Thelma Mantac Ramos
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