Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. yesterday said President Benigno Aquino’s acknowledgment of his good governance in Negros Occidental strengthens his resolve to do more and work harder for the province.

Aquino, in his State of the Nation Address, said “It has also been my privilege to work with and interact with Governor Alfredo Marañon of Negros Occidental. He is not a party mate, but I think I am part of his fan club because of his good governance in Negros.”

Marañon said his wife, Marilyn, was touched by what the President said, she cried.

The governor said after the President mentioned him in the SONA, he received more than a hundred text messages and a deluge of phone calls from people congratulating him.

The governor said he was expecting the President to mention Negrense polio victim Mark Joseph Escora, a jeepney “barker” turned call center supervisor, in his SONA because the Presidential Management Staff had come to interview him, he was surprised that he was also cited in the SONA.

Asked if the President’s acknowledgment of his work would mean he will have no opponent in his 2016 reelection bid, Marañon said “the future is not for us to tell, elections are far off.”

Fr. Felix Pasquin said the President’s mention of Marañon in his SONA “made us Negrenses proud, for that, we are very happy.”

Pasquin, rector of the San Sebastian Cathedral and a strong critic of Aquino, marked his 69th birthday last night at the St. John Mary Vianney Hall of the Cathedral Pastoral Complex, that was attended by the governor.

Meanwhile, Marañon said American investors interested in putting up solar, hydro and biomass power plants in Negros Occidental met with him yesterday morning.

The governor said he is encouraging them to invest in Negros as it will solve the power needs of the province.
They are exploring the province for potential power plant sites, he said.*CPG

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