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Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Nalzaro: Mayor’s arrogance
By Bobby Nalzaro
There he goes again. Mayor Tomas Osmeña said there is no need to sell Cebu to domestic and foreign tourists because everybody knows about the place. That is not only an expression of overconfidence but is also arrogance of the highest order.
Osmeña made the remark during the four-day Philippine Advertising Congress attended by some 3,000 delegates from the advertising and media sector at the Waterfront Hotel and Casino in Lahug.
I really can’t understand why the mayor issued such a statement. Reading between the lines, the remark is tantamount to telling the Ad Con delegates, “We don’t need you here.”
Well, if Osmeña doesn’t want Cebu to host the Ad Con again for whatever reasons, he could just have shut up in deference to the activities’ organizers and delegates.
But frankly, Tommy should be thankful to the Ad Con organizers for choosing Cebu as this year’s venue. Other big cities like Davao, Baguio and Bacolod also bidded but Cebu was preferred. It was the third time Cebu hosted the Ad Con. The first was in 1999 and the second in 2001. The Ad Con is usually held either in Manila, Subic or Baguio.
We are actually lucky we have enough facilities and amenities to be able to host big events. We are strategically located, with Manila where most of the Ad Con delegates come from only an hour air travel away.
Davao can probably host big events, but Ad Con organizers considered the peace and order situation there. Bacolod has no venue that can accommodate a big number of delegates.
And I don’t agree with the claim that we no longer need to promote Cebu. We should continue to inform tourists about the province.
I talked with some delegates, especially the first timers, and they told me they could not believe we are that progressive. Mind you, they are from Metropolitan Manila and they don’t even know what’s in store for them here in Cebu. How much more the foreigners?
If there is no longer any need to promote Cebu, why then are we sending people abroad to conduct a sales blitz and entice our kababayans to go home and witness the colorful annual grand parade of the Sinulog?
As for the possibility that other cities might envy and get angry at us because we are not giving them a chance to host the Ad Con, well, that is not our fault. Cebu is not the one deciding the hosting, it’s the decision of the Ad Con board. So, why worry about it? The progress we achieved should encourage instead other local government officials to develop their place.
I also don’t buy Osmeña’s observation that only hotels and airline companies are benefiting the hosting of the Ad Con. While it is true that a big chunk of the income goes to the airline and hotel companies, but the benefits also trickle down to other businesses, like restaurants, bars, travel and tours firms and even those selling local delicacies.
So, if hosting big events benefits many sectors, why should we stop promoting Cebu?
(bgnalzaro@gmanetwork.com)
(November 23, 2005 issue)
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