Wednesday, November 28, 2007 Glo in Cebu to party with media, address mayors in assembly
FOR the first time, the League of Municipalities of the Philippines is holding its annual national assembly outside Metro Manila.
Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia told the mayors that they have chosen well when they picked Cebu as the venue of their 17th General Assembly.
“What better venue to hold a discussion on the future of the nation than in Cebu, the geographic center of this archipelago, and where Philippine history, as we know it, began? Or, where the Philippines can begin again,” Garcia said in her welcome remarks at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel yesterday.
Garcia was also proud to tell the mayors that Cebu is a “strong province…a model for a strong republic,” as described by President Arroyo.
The President also picked Cebu to host the first of the series of her out-of-town Christmas parties.
This was revealed by Undersecretary for Media Relations Jose Capadocia.
“We wanted to do something of a social event. From Cebu, the holiday cheer will be spread to the regions. If we can do a Malacañang press reception, why not a similar reception in the Malacañang sa Sugbo?” he told reporters in a briefing yesterday.
Today’s Christmas reception with Arroyo at 11 a.m. at the Malacañang sa Sugbo precedes the one in Malacañang in Manila, which will be on Dec. 14.
Arroyo is expected to arrive in Cebu in time for a 10 a.m. speech at the LMP general assembly at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel in Lahug.
LMP is a local government association of 1,510 municipalities in the country. It has 81 chapters. Since 2001, it is headed by Mayor Ramon Guico of Binalonan, Pangasinan.
After the LMP affair, the President will drop by the 25th Conference of the Association of South East Asian Nations Federation of Engineering Organizations (CAFEO 25) in the same venue.
Engineer Enrico Nera, president of the Philippine Technological Council that is hosting CAFEO 25, said in a statement that the event aims to encourage “a multi-professional approach” to the economic, social and techno-scientific problems among engineers and convince them to help control technologies and practices that abuse the environment.
Arroyo will then proceed to the Malacañang sa Sugbo to host her Christmas reception with the local media.
Media workers will be issued tickets with numbers because part of the program includes raffle draws.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime event not just for the working press but also for their families,” said Fayette Riñen of the Philippine Information Agency 7.
The President will leave the social gathering around 2 p.m. for Quezon Province to attend to peace and security matters.
During her speech, Governor Garcia informed the town mayors that Cebu is still the best province in the country in terms of assets, equity and cash and that it remains debt-free.
That “supreme compliment” from the President was also proven when Cebu hosted the 12th Asean Summit last January.
“We are truly honored that you (LMP) have chosen our beautiful province as the venue for this prestigious and historic event,” she said. (MBG/NRC)
