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Tuesday, February 14, 2006
CH to spend P400T for telecast of Charter Day celebration
Cebu City Hall will spend at least P400,000 for the television coverage and live telecast of the 69th Charter Day program next week, which will serve as the dress rehearsal of the programs for the Asean summit.
The amount will be used to pay television networks NBN, ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC) and Global Filipino Channel that will air the event live in Australia, United States, Asia and the Middle East.
Mayor Tomas Osmeña said he wants the world to see that Cebu is capable of hosting a very important meeting of the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).
“We’re televising the event to show the rest of the world that Cebu is supportive of the President and to show Manila and the hierarchy in government that we can do our job,” he told a news conference yesterday.
Charter Day program organizer Ricky Ballesteros said they have a budget of P3.4 million for the event, which will cover the food, lights and sounds, stage décor and backdrop.
Osmeña said he also hopes the major production number will convince President Arroyo to hold the Asean summit here, amid speculations the venue will be transferred to Manila.
About 1,000 delegates are expected for the gathering leaders of the 10-member Asean and the heads of state of the China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and the US, among others.
The production will involve the dance troupes from 17 local universities and the Cebu City Dancesport Team who will perform the national dances of the 17 countries that will participate in the summit in December.
The President has already announced that it will be a holiday in Cebu from Dec. 11 to 14 to ease traffic and security preparations.
“They’re preparing a contingency plan to bring the event to Manila and we’re telling her don’t do that. We are doing a dress rehearsal to show her we’re prepared and para mauwawan siya ba if she changes her mind,” said the mayor.
Osmeña also defended the “Anak sa Sugbo” award the City Government will confer on the President on Wednesday next week from criticisms of some militant groups.
“I should have expected that but I still think she deserves it. Our President has been subjected to a lot of criticisms for having her inauguration here so we’re defending that position,” he said. (LCR)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (February 14, 2006 issue)
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