EDITORIAL – Build and they will come

Ten years of dreaming has finally come to a reality for Davao del Norte Governor Rodolfo Del Rosario.
That Governor Del Rosario’s dream is what he would consider as his legacy project—a modern sports complex for the province. That dream has come into fruition.
Last week, some 5,000 athletes and officials were the ones who personally experienced this dream project. Some of these kids have just come from a horrendous trauma left by devastating typhoon Pablo. For five days, they forgot about their worries and instead showcased man’s innate indomitable spirit.
Governor Del Rosario and his son Congressman Anthony del Rosario held on to this dream despite the odds. Some dreams, afterall, are worth keeping. In those ten years, a lot of things happened. The Asian crisis shelved the first launch of the project and Cong. Anthony battled for his life. The father-son team later revised the plan to a more practical and affordable one, and devised a scheme where the provincial government need not spend a single centavo in the construction of the project until its turnover. It’s called “Build and Transfer” scheme.
And so, we were all witness last week when the province of Davao del Norte hosted the Davao Regional Athletic Association (Davraa) meet and showcased its world-class sports stadium.
The ambitious project of Davao del Norte follows that baseball maxim: “build and they will come.”
Indeed, Davao del Norte has built an oasis where other LGUs like Davao City have not been successful at doing. Already, Davao del Norte has lined up major sports national events. Proof that if you will build the facility, people will come.
Some just don’t believe in that.