Thursday, July 19, 2007 Wenceslao: Capitol gathering By Bong O. Wenceslao Candid Thoughts
MUCH of what I know about Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia I got from media reports and talks with Capitol beat reporters. The other night she invited us to her temporary office at the old session hall (her office is under renovation). “Us” included Frank Malilong, Godofredo Roperos and Bobby Nalzaro of Sun.Star, Jerry Tundag and Bobit Avila of The Freeman, and Juan Mercado of Cebu Daily News and Sun.Star.
The exchange lasted for four hours (I arrived late because of my editing deadline), meandering from such topics as water, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, media, Capitol projects and even destiny. The intention was to give columnists a glimpse of the mind and human side of Capitol’s Iron Lady. I got that and more, and so did the other guests.
My impression was that of a governor who still retained a youthful zest and love of work, traits that are the first to vanish as traditional politics starts to devour officials elected into office. Which reminded me of what I had when I organized the peasants in the country side, risking life and limb in the struggle with only the feeling of fulfillment in having “served the people” as compensation.
Garcia talked about destiny and God’s will to the point of being repetitive.
She became governor for a purpose. Her being at the helm is incidental--–she could have been an Osmeña or a Yapha. She is no superwoman, nobody is. Had her marriage not broken up, she would not have drifted to the Capitol. Everything was also about choices; she told her dad she wanted to be governor, knowing her experiences prepared her for it.
There was this idea that the photograph of her climbing the roof of the Capitol building defined her first term. But she said that act, done on her first day in office, was not planned. She was initially interested in surveying the dome for dusty Christmas decors. Then, with a ladder, thought of reading the familiar message up there: The authority of the government emanates from the people
Who influenced her most, her father or mother? The go-go nature, the work ethic, she said, came from her mother. The values came from her father.
She talked about her partnership with her brother, ex-Capitol consultant Pablo John Garcia, now congressman. He saw meaning in things, Gwen said.
PJ was in the gathering but left for his wedding anniversary activity. Separating a productive partnership is difficult, the governor said. (more tomorrow)
