Thursday, December 28, 2006 Improvements on summit route might be difficult, says Tomas
IMPROVING the current makeover at the Asean ceremonial routes, as President Arroyo instructed in her visit last Tuesday, “might be difficult,” Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña said.
Osmeña pointed out yesterday that it takes time to replenish the wilted flowers, which were especially cultivated to be in full bloom during the original summit schedule of Dec. 11 to 14.
It will take a while to replace these, said Osmeña.
President Arroyo visited Cebu the other day and said she wants “more color” in the ceremonial route, citing the need to improve the landscaping in center islands and to put in more flowers.
GMA ‘impressed’
However, she was impressed with the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC), which summit spokesman Vic Lecaros stressed is ready to host “most activities” of the summit in January.
But like the original plan, the meeting of leaders will still be held at the Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa, Lecaros said in a statement to the press yesterday.
The ambassador believes that the CICC could bring in “the most awaited Ceboom Part 2,” as both local and international organizers already raise the possibility of their groups holding activities at the center after the summit.
Some groups had also expressed to the Mandaue City Government their intention of putting up various businesses at the vicinity of the CICC, including a hotel and mall.
The Capitol rushed the construction of the CICC so it can be used for the Asean summit, which was postponed due to bad weather.
All 10 member-countries of the Asean already confirmed attendance next month, as well as the six Asean “dialogue partners.”
Already difficult
The City’s Parks and Playground Commission still has P500,000 but Osmeña said it’s already difficult to get suppliers from the mountain barangays at this time, when demand is high.
City Agriculture Office Chief Joel Baclayon confirmed the mayor’s concern.
The commission met yesterday and sent Parks and Playground Commission consultants Therese Gonzales and Ado Macaraya to the mountain barangays at 2 p.m. to order the chrysanthemums and other flowers immediately available.
If the supply is not enough, the commission plans to tap suppliers in Davao City and Bulacan Province for more potted flowers.
“GMA wants to have more color not only in the center islands but also on both sides. So that is our biggest challenge because we only have a few flowers left. We need time to have the other plants to bear more flowers,” Baclayon told Sun.Star Cebu yesterday.
They could not borrow the potted flowers that the Sinulog Foundation Inc. used on both sides of the stage at the Cebu City Sports Center in January because some of the poinsettias died.
Expenses
The foundation spent almost half a million to buy 1,250 poinsettia and chrysanthemum plants from Baguio City and Cagayan Valley last year.
The red and pink poinsettias were chosen because they complement the color of the Sto. Niño’s vestments.
“The flowers were brought to the City’s farm in Taptap but most of them died, especially the poinsettias. Only a few survived. Besides, poinsettias bloom in season and we have a hard time going through the methods of making the flowers bloom at the time we want them to. We also lack the facilities to make the poinsettias bloom a brighter red. However, we are hoping to get enough chrysanthemums from the mountains,” Baclayon said.
Agricultural technologist Paz Eronico and 27 employees of the Cebu City Central Nursery planted and nurtured at least 12 assorted flowering plants that were imported from Taiwan.
They were preparing to move 400,00 potted flowering plants to the streets, parks and the city’s center islands.
They began the P2-million project last August and attended to the meticulous process of planting the seeds of petunia, marigold, vinca, zinnia, celosia, gaillarda, salvia, lantana, candle plant, sunflower and buttoners, among others. (GAC/With JPM)
