City wants to lump Fuente O’s 100th in P18-M celebration

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

WITH an P18-million proposed budget, organizers of Cebu City’s 75th Charter Day celebration will include activities to celebrate the centennial of the Buhisan Dam and the Fuente Osmeña circle, as suggested by the City Council.

City Hall will again recognize outstanding individuals and institutions during the annual Charter Day awarding ceremony, but several other activities have been lined up for the whole year by volunteers from the private sector.

Have something to report? Tell us in text, photos or videos.

Among the activities is the recognition of 75 outstanding Cebuano families and clans, concerts, memorial lectures, as well as a logo design contest and a slogan-making competition.

Although a total of P18 million was proposed for the Charter Day activities, only P10 million will be spent on the week-long program initiated by City Hall, including the awarding of outstanding individuals and institutions.

The other P8 million is the City’s subsidy for the activities initiated by the private sector, including the search for outstanding families in the field of governance and community service; business and industry; sports, media and the arts; religion and apostolic work; environment, science and technology; and in their professions.

Dr. Lourdes Jereza, chairperson of the Cebu City @ 75, said the expenses may be more than P8 million, but the private sector will contribute and foot the bill for the awards.

Aside from featuring the families during a memorial lecture and in the year-long photo exhibit, the organizers will also sponsor a reunion for the family members.

“The activity is a vehicle that will make Cebu City a truly family-oriented city,” Jereza told a press conference yesterday.

Last Monday, the executive department proposed to the City Council the P18-million budget for the Charter Day celebration, which some councilors criticized. The councilors noted a big disparity between the proposal and this year’s P5-million budget for the same event.

Councilors Nida Cabrera and Margarita Osmeña said the 100th year of the Buhisan Dam and the Fuente Osmeña circle should be the bigger celebration.

But yesterday, Jereza assured that the centennial celebration of the dam and the rotunda will be incorporated in the Charter Day celebration.

“This is a cooperative, collaborative effort, so all the events—the 100th year of Buhisan and the Fuente Osmeña—will be included,” she said.

Jereza said, though, that they have yet to discuss how the activities will be incorporated.