Sunday, July 20, 2008 Invitation was sent to Lapu-Lapu
CAPITOL yesterday clarified it invited all local government units (LGUs) who will be part of the tourism program Suroy Suroy sa Sugbo: Urban Adventure slated Aug. 16 and 17.
Unfortunately, it was the Lapu-Lapu City Government that failed to send even only one representative on behalf of Mayor Arturo Radaza to appear during the meeting last July 17.
In a press statement, the Capitol information office thru Jeanette Malinao, Capitol consultant on mass media, slammed the pronouncement of City Tourism Commission ex-officio Chairman Rudy Villanobos for saying that had the provincial government formally invited them to the meeting, they would have attended the assembly.
Meeting
Recently, Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia dropped Lapu-Lapu City and its tourism spots from the itinerary of the tourism caravan after the City Government snubbed the meeting called for by the governor.
They were supposed to discuss plans and preparations of the tourism event.
The Provincial Government said that proper coordination with the Office of the Mayor was made starting July 9 about the scheduled meeting.
“A transmission verification report would show that a letter was sent to the mayor’s office through fax last July 9, when Ruby, a staff member of the mayor, confirmed that they received a clear copy of the letter,” the statement read.
Capitol said that a certain Ruby confirmed that the letter was forwarded to Mark Ycong, the mayor’s executive assistant.
Representatives
Likewise, Capitol said that Ycong assured that the City Government would send representatives to attend the meeting after several calls from the Provincial Government.
A staff of the governor also made numerous calls to Ycong last July 17 and informed him that the meeting was about to start.
Ycong, according to Capitol, said that the city’s representative was on his way to attend the meeting.
But nobody from Radaza’s office appeared.
“The absence of somebody from Lapu-Lapu has prompted (Gov. Gwendolyn) Garcia to institute changes in the planned Urban Adventure, which will go resort-hopping in Lapu-Lapu instead of the usual sites,” the statement added.
The Capitol-Lapu-Lapu City rift started after city officials insisted to continue the proposed 400-hectare Mactan North Reclamation and Development Project.
The Garcias are publicly opposing the reclamation project since they claimed it lacks the endorsements from concerned government agencies. (GMD)
