Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Capitol turns Sonny’s slur into PR campaign
“Igat-Igat” was how former senator John “Sonny” Osmeña described Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia’s trips to the different towns.
The Cebuano term has a negative connotation, but the Provincial Government has turned it into an acronym to stand for the governor’s thrust in governance.
For the Capitol, “igat-igat” now means “Ipadayon Gwen Ang Trabaho; Ikaw Gob, Ang among Tamdanan.”
The acronym was printed on white shirts worn by department heads and other Capitol employees who went with Garcia to Boloc-boloc, Barili yesterday.
Last month, Osmeña, a political foe of the Garcias, criticized the governor for her trips to different towns, calling these useless because these don’t produce anything tangible to benefit the people. The trips are just “paigat-igat,” Osmeña said.
Since then, the word became an expression at the Capitol and even in the towns.
Derivations
Igat is a Cebuano word commonly used to describe a flirt. Like many Cebuano words, igat enjoys several derivations, like igat-igat. Depending on how the speaker applies it to a person, the word can be offensive. The word becomes even more colorful, even fun, when used outside its original context of sex, like in politics.
Now, Capitol sees in the word an opportunity to promote its project.
There were at least 100 shirts printed with igat-igat acronym. These were distributed to Capitol employees, department heads, consultants and some local officials.
Capitol consultant on information, organization and management Pablo John Garcia said they might be printing more shirts, as some mayors yesterday wanted to have theirs.
Personal funds
Pablo John assured people the money used for the printing were personal funds.
Garcia celebrated her Valentine’s Day in Barili to officially launch the lakatan propagation program dubbed as “Bahalag Saging Basta Loving” and by distributing Philhealth cards to Barili beneficiaries. Lakatan is a banana variety.
Some 700 farmers from the different towns were also given lakatan suckers and coconut seedlings.
There was also a memorandum of agreement signing for the Coastal Resource Management Initiatives of Southwestern towns.
From Barili, Garcia proceeded to Aloguinsan for tree planting, distribution of BHW kits and group insurance to barangay tanods, day care workers and barangay health workers. (MBG)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (February 15, 2006 issue)
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