Sunday, August 17, 2008 Capitol, Lapu show 'mended fences' during battle site visit
PROVINCIAL officials yesterday made good their promise to include the Lapu-Lapu City Government in the tourism caravan “Suroy-Suroy sa Sugbo: Urban Adventure.”
Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia and at least 100 participants made a stopover in the Mactan Shrine in Barangay Mactan for their lunch and a cultural presentation.
Although Mayor Arturo Radaza missed the celebration, his wife, Mactan Barangay Captain Paz Radaza, and other city officials welcomed Garcia and other delegates upon their arrival past 11 a.m.
Barangay Captain Radaza told Sun.Star Cebu in a phone interview last night that the mayor did not make it to the shrine because he accompanied Chief Justice Reynato Puno during his visit to Cebu.
Garcia previously corrected reports that she dropped Lapu-Lapu City from the itinerary of the tourism activity, after nobody from the City Government attended the meeting she called to polish the program.
The mayor’s wife explained that what happened was a mere “miscommunication” between the City Government and the Capitol.
This time, the Radazas called up the governor a day ahead of the event to inform her that the mayor could not attend the activity at the Mactan Shrine.
In her speech, Barangay Captain Radaza thanked the governor, guests and tourists for visiting the city and called it a “dramatic milestone” for Mactan.
Participants were treated to cultural presentations and an exhibit of accessories and home décor items at the shrine, the site of an annual reenactment of the battle in 1521 between Lapu-Lapu and the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan.
Despite the rain, the tourism caravan kicked off from the Capitol premises past 8 a.m. Their first stop was at the Sto. Nino Parish in Barangay Paknaan, Mandaue City, where they were greeted by city officials and residents led by Mayor Jonas Cortes and Vice Mayor Carlo Fortuna.
Elementary and high school students danced for the participants.
In an interview with reporters, Fortuna thanked the Provincial Government for including their city in the tourism program.
Cortes also thanked the participants and urged them to sample the city’s delicacies and other locally made products.
From there, the caravan went to the Giardini del Sole for a peek at the city’s furniture industry.
Participants also visited the workplaces of accessories maker Almarcas International Corp on H. Cortes St. in Mandaue City, before proceeding to the Mactan Shrine.
In Mactan, the group also visited the Birhen sa Regla Church where they offered a short prayer, then headed to Cordova town where municipal officials met them.
A socio-cultural presentation was also presented to the participants inside the town’s multi-purpose gym.
At 8:30 a.m. today, the participants are scheduled to proceed to the Hilutungan wharf in Cordova town, for a series of activities. After lunch, they will return to Mandaue City and visit the Shrine of St. Joseph Church.
The tour will end at the Park Mall in the North Reclamation Area, where they can sample products by various companies in Mandaue City. (GMD)
