Sunday, November 30, 2008

Temporary

Hi folks, just want to let any in the area that read this to know that we have temporarily stopped the filling operations at the gas station site. This is in no way permanent; we just have other projects that needed my immediate attention at this time. The release date of our paperwork on the Mini-Sawmill at Regional Office of DENR is December 2, so there was a lot of work that needed to be done at the time the papers were to be released.
There are several construction projects that needed to be completed at the Sawmill site, as well as some personal appearances that I needed to make, and I just didn't want too much going on where it was possible that my direct attention might have been needed in one place while I was off in another.
After the Sawmill is taken care of, we will be right back to the filling work at the gas station site at full steam.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Why St. Christine



Many people over the past few months, here in our little piece of paradise, have asked me what made me chose St. Christine as the site for a gas station. It is a real hard question to answer. My decision took about two years to finalize and it came after many hours and days weighing all the pros and cons. I actually had 4 other sites picked as possible candidates, and the method I used in determining the final location is a bit confusing. Simply put the decision was based on my estimation that it was in St. Christine, but only in the exact location that the filling is continuing now, where the most benefits to the whole community could be realized.
I needed a location that was capable of providing the maximum return on investment so I could continue with my other projects using the returns from the gas station. The combination of the fishing boats and the combined population of Diatagon and St. Christine meant higher usage in that area versus any other area in the municipality. The fishing boats in my opinion needed better access to the fuel. If the fishing boats had to spend less time and less money to get their boats loaded with fuel, they could in return offer their catch at a lower price to all of us wanting the fruits of their labor. The plan for the gas station is to extend a line from my tanks to the waterfront and offer a pump on the Diatagon River for boats to pump fuel directly into their boats. I wanted to eliminate the need for them to have elaborate transportation systems just to get fuel into their tanks. When making my decision, I needed a place close enough to the water where these boats could dock and take on fuel. The site in St. Christine is the place.
Another question that sometimes comes up is; why Phoenix? A quick look at their website will shed some light on that for those who know me. http://www.phoenixphilippines.com/ They have a compatible philosophy to my own. Just take a look at their Mission, Visions, and Core Values under the Company tab in their website. I.e.: We take social responsibility to heart by building programs to nurture the environment and uplift the life of the communities we serve. Also the idea of the Phoenix appeals to me for both the community and myself. A phoenix is a mythical bird with a tail of beautiful gold and red plumage (or purple and blue, by some sources). It has a 600-800 year life-cycle, and near the end the phoenix builds itself a nest of cinnamon twigs that it then ignites; both nest and bird burn fiercely and are reduced to ashes, from which a new, young phoenix or phoenix egg arises, reborn anew to live again. The new phoenix is destined to live as long as its old self. And it is known in Christianity as a symbol of Christ representing His resurrection, immortality, and life-after-death. This community needs a rebirth, the days of the Lianga Bay Logging Company are gone, but many are still living in that past glory without thinking of what they can do to replace that glory. They need the idea of the Phoenix to revitalize this community and let it fulfill its potential. Even the company officials from Phoenix immediately saw the potential and were anxious to become part of our community. For myself I came here and wanted to start a new life, to get over the loss of my closest friends, my mother and grandmother in a one year period of time. This is my time to rise, and in the process, bring along a people that are in so desperate a need for some direction in their life. In so many ways, the symbology is very fitting.