Acting guv gets towns to join tour

ACTING Cebu Gov. Agnes Magpale yesterday announced that there will be a three-day Suroy-Suroy Sugbo tour on Jan. 23.

Magpale said the Southern Heritage Trail will have a budget of P500,000 and will cover the first and second districts of Cebu.

Four local governments have yet to confirm participation in the tour.

“Bisan dili included ang town, i-highlight gihapon kung maagian (Even if the town will not participate, we will still highlight its attractions),” Magpale told eight town representatives who attended the meeting.

Capitol tourism head Grace Paulino said they are targeting 200 paying guests and 80 have confirmed, so far.

Suroy-Suroy Sugbo was launched under the administration of suspended Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia to promote tourism in remote Cebu towns.

Dalaguete tourism officer Victor Caruz said the tour will give tourists a chance to view Cebu’s vegetable highway, which traverses his town.

Mantalongon, Dalaguete is known as the vegetable basket of Cebu.

Magpale said the Southern Heritage Tour will use six of the 26 Capitol-owned tourist buses.

She said participating towns will get financial assistance from Capitol in the form of rental for the tourist bus that will be used.

In the past Suroy-Suroy tours, Capitol paid P100,000 for each Ceres bus used.

Magpale assumed as acting governor following the suspension of Garcia starting Dec. 19.

Garcia decided to stay in her office at the Capitol while seeking legal remedies against the order from Malacañang.

Some mayors have expressed loyalty to Garcia and the One Cebu party. But Magpale and the Liberal Party also have local government officials on their side.

The first district of Cebu covers the cities of Talisay, Naga and Carcar and the towns of Minglanilla, San Fernando and Sibonga.

The first district is represented in Congress by Rep. Eduardo Gullas.

The second district, which is represented in Congress by Rep. Pablo Garcia, covers the towns of Alcantara, Alcoy, Alegria, Argao, Badian, Boljoon, Dalaguete, Dumanjug, Ginatilan, Malabuyoc, Moalboal, Oslob, Ronda, Samboan and Santander.