Monday, March 31, 2008 Costanilla: 'Takas sa Talisay' as tourism magnet By Sam Costanilla spotlight
AS a show, last Wednesday morning’s 63rd anniversary of the landing of American liberation forces on the shores of Talisay City was truly entertaining. City councilor Shirley Belleza and this writer annotated the reenactment of the historic event. Everyone who witnessed the presentation was visibly delighted.
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HOWEVER, the event, dubbed as Takas sa Talisay, Kagawasan sa Sugbo (Landing in Talisay, Freedom of Cebu), was held only up to 11 a.m. I pitied the war veterans and their relatives who had to leave the venue as there were no more activities to see. To me, the yearly event should be treated as a daylong festivity. Everybody is supposed to commemorate the landing anniversary with much gladness in a festive mood and atmosphere.
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IN FACT, if Takas sa Talisay becomes a whole-day event, it would attract tourists to the city. I was told that during former Mayor Delia Tiu’s watch, the landing anniversary was a daylong observance, but it was discontinued after her term ended. I hope incumbent Mayor Soc Fernandez would, starting next year, emulate Tiu’s example by making the landing anniversary a daylong observance.
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PARLOR games, karaoke singing sessions featuring the veterans, selling of landing anniversary tokens, a trade fair and a veterans’ forum are just some of the appropriate activities for the entire day. If these events are spread out from morning until evening, the Takas sa Talisay definitely becomes a more meaningful observance.
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THE Cebu Music Factory, a collaboration of Local Ground and New Cebu Music era band members, wants to join the planned re-recording of the Paul Melendez song Usa Ka Tingog (One Voice) in the tradition of We Are The World. Spotlight reader Rey Dacalos e-mailed that they themselves are planning to do a similar project in the tradition of We Are Cebu, but they are still waiting for Canada-based Troy Degamo of 40 The Band to come home this October.
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THIS local television director-actress was finally kicked out by management after mounting complaints coming from unpaid talents and karenderia owners. Her shallow alibis failed to convince management not to believe talks that she squandered company funds for her personal benefit.
