Thursday, December 06, 2007 Antalan: A bias for the countryside By Roger P. Antalan Dateline IGaCoS
THE League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) recently embarked on the 1st LCP Caravan starting with Mindanao Island Cluster. The LCP is an LGU organization composed of 120 cities all over the country. I participated in the caravan as a consultant of the LCP and IGaCoS. It was a wonderful learning experience.
The LCP Caravan is a brainchild of the new president of the League, Mayor Benjamin "BenHur" C. Abalos, Jr. The idea is to put flesh into the motto of the LCP: Brotherhood of leaders: One vision, one mission, one nation. To share ideas and best practices on social, cultural, business developments and good governance with the cities in the provinces.
The caravan, which moves from one region to another, for a period of five to six days, consists of a forum on urgent and relevant matters on the first day. It holds the national extended board meeting on the second day and the caravan to nearby cities with brief reception and sharing programs for the rest of the week.
The first LCP Caravan started with a one-day forum at the Pryce Plaza Hotel in Cagayan de Oro last November 28. The first topic on the agenda was the controversial Juvenile Justice Welfare Act of 2006 and the Implementing Rules and Guidelines of RA 9344. It was a well-attended session and the open forum was lively and got extended into late lunch.
Retired General Aglipay was upbeat in his presentation of the sunrise retirement industry.
Other topics like the accessing Project Financing through the Department of Trade and Industry's Build-Operate-Transfer Scheme, through the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Mindanao Business Councils Centers of Business Opportunities, and through the LGU Financing Group of the Development Bank of the Philippines was also discussed.
The 35th National Executive Board Meeting was also held to discuss important matters affecting the league. The meeting continued under a very tense atmosphere because of the Manila Pen takeover by the rebels. Mayor Abalos and the Executive Board Members were the first to condemn the rebels? They also signified their unified support for PGMA during a press conference held at the same venue that very afternoon.
First term mayor Constantino Jaraulla of Cagayan de Oro hosted a dinner for the caravan mayors. The participants noted the great boom of real estate, trade, and industry in the city of Golden Friendships.
On the third day, the caravan motored to seldom-visited but really beautiful Marawi City. Mayor and Sultan Fahad Pre Salih took pride in the fact that this was the very first time that his city was visited by the LCP leaders. Marawi's main attraction is of course the Mindanao State University.
In the afternoon of November 30, the group went down to the city of Iligan and was warmly welcomed by Mayor Lawrence Cruz. The group was filled with awe and wonder with the visit to the Maria Cristina Falls and the ancestral home of PGMA.
December 1, 2007 saw the caravan crossed the Pangil Bay to Ozamiz City. Immediately, from the ferryboat ride, Mayor Aldong Porohinog led the welcome program at the Cotta Conference Room. Prayers were also made before the miraculous statue of the Virgin Mary.
After lunch, we motored to nearby Oroquieta with the ever-smiling Mayor Jorge Almonte as guide and merienda host. Main attractions were Oroquieta Boulevard and the still-imposing provincial capitol of Misamis Occidental built in the 1930?s.
Fittingly, the climax was the December 1 grand opening of the Christmas Festival of Lights in Tangub City -- the Christmas Symbols Capital of the Philippines. On its 15th year and already recognized as a tourism attraction, the opening was highlighted with a 15- minute fireworks display and the lighting of around 20 participating Christmas symbol displays. Thousands of people were in attendance and the lovely lady mayor Jennifer Wee Tan as star of the show.
The cities visited received three donations: one classroom worth P300,000 to P500,000 for the very poor barangays. The donation was done through the Ciara Marie Foundation (named after the late daughter of Mayor Abalos), 10 to 100 wheelchairs per city for the disabled from the Fil-Americans of the US through the PCCI were also given. An unlimited number of eyeglasses for the poor through the Indian Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines led by President
Ram Setaldas who was with the entourage all the time.
LCP President Benhur Abalos feels very strongly about the theme, "Brotherhood of Leaders," among city mayors in the countryside. The countryside cities have a lot to show Manila and other highly-urbanized cities in terms of best practices, good governance, and their relative safety from coup attempts.
