Wednesday, January 17, 2007 Governor to offer thanks by dancing
STARTING today, Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia will start practicing for this Sunday’s Sinulog, where she will join the street parade.
She defied warnings on security, saying she wants to dance in thanksgiving for the completion of the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) and the peaceful hosting of the 12th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit.
It was her prayer when she danced in the Sinulog grand mardi gras last year, she said.
After sending off the last of the heads of state yesterday morning, Garcia flew by helicopter to Sta. Fe, Bantayan Island to join their celebration of the fiesta of Sto. Niño.
She flew back to the mainland in the afternoon to attend the thanksgiving mass at the CICC that was officiated by Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal.
“Every nook and cranny of the CICC holds memories of our struggle,” she said.
Before he left Cebu, Laos Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh told Garcia yesterday at the airport that he was awed by the Cebuanos, who smiled despite walking under the heat because of the traffic the summit brought.
Like Thailand Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont, he vowed to come back.
“For him, everything was perfect. He said President Arroyo made the right decision in choosing Cebu,” Garcia quoted the Laos prime minister as saying.
Last year’s Sinulog festival was the first time a governor joined the festivities by dancing in the parade. This Sunday, she will be wearing a Muslim-inspired costume and dance from the opening ceremony, the Sinulog route, and then back to the Cebu City Sports Center to cap the parade.
All Capitol department heads will be with Garcia, who will be dancing with Daanbantayan’s Haladaya Festival dancers. “It will be more meaningful because I will be dancing with one of the many festivals in the province,” she said. (JPM)
