Monday, August 06, 2007 Surprise awardee, opposition presence highlight governor’s anniversary ball By Minerva B. Gerodias Sun.Star Staff Reporter
AS the Province of Cebu celebrates its 438th founding anniversary, Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia raised the challenge of “taking this experiment in unity to greater heights.”
Her administration also paid tribute to outstanding Cebuanos, an election watchdog and the lead organizer of the Asean summits held in Cebu.
“Our responsibility for our province’s future is to see to it that Cebu finds its proper place in the national and international stage, the horizon that is made clear by our strong and vibrant present,” Garcia said in her speech last night at the Capitol social hall.
Cebu has survived the challenges of war, famine, calamities both natural and man-made and “the blind persistence of human greed and ambition,” the governor said.
“We stayed as one and not just stayed, we fought with all the might of our forebears the forces that would divide us,” she said.
Arguably the most prominent political threat of Garcia’s first term from 2004-2007 were the bills to divide Cebu into four provinces, as proposed by then-legislators Antonio Yapha, Clavel Martinez and Simeon Kintanar. (Yapha and Martinez have since lost their bids for governor and vice governor, respectively, in the May 14 elections. Kintanar did not seek office.)
But Garcia pointed out that while 438 years of “an experiment in unity” has made Cebu as “the number one province in the entire country,” it is also the Cebuano’s responsibility to guard it from all threats and “to give substance to the hopes and inspirations which underpin it.”
As part of last night’s celebration, the Province of Cebu recognized five Cebuanos for excellence in their fields, by giving them the “Garbo sa Sugbo” awards.
The surprise awardee was Patricio “Junjet” Primor, director of last night’s event. He was so shocked that he was one of the awardees that he only managed to put on his barong when his name was called and was still fixing the buttons while walking to the stage.
Capitol announced only four of the awardees earlier in the week: Nicolas Pacaña, world-renowned ballet dancer; Steve Benitez, the entrepreneur behind the Bo’s Coffee chain; the University of the Philippines High School for garnering honors for two consecutive years in the International Cyberfair Competition in San Diego, California; and lawyer Antonio Oposa Jr. for his contributions in environmental conservation and legislation.
The Capitol only announced the fifth awardee, Primor, during last night’s show.
Given the Governor’s Citation was the Cebu-Citizens’ Involvement and Maturation in People’s Empowerment and Liberation (C-Cimpel) and Ambassador Marciano Paynor Jr.
C-Cimpel was recognized for its contribution in the May 14 elections, when its volunteers monitored the precincts, assisted voters and conducted a parallel count of election results. It was C-Cimpel’s copies of the election returns (ER) that the Commission on Elections relied on, after finding that 15 of the ERs from Bogo town were fake.
Paynor was recognized for his leadership in the hosting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in Cebu last January and for “his faith in the Cebuano spirit.” The ambassador served as chairman of the summit’s national organizing committee.
Last night’s event was attended by the Provincial Board members, mayors, businessmen and other leaders from the different sectors.
Opposition mayors like Medellin Mayor Ricardo Ramirez, Toledo City Mayor Arlene Zambo, Consolacion’s Avelino Gungob and Tuburan’s Constancio Suezo were also among those who attended. (MBG)
