WILL the change of leadership in the Sinulog Foundation Inc. (SFI) affect the preparation for the Sinulog 2020?

The question was raised by Cebu City Vice Mayor Michael Rama, who resigned as SFI chairman on Oct. 29, 2019.

“I do not know. I am not the only one (in the SFI). I am not indispensable,” said Rama, who tendered his resignation after holding the post for 14 years when Mayor Edgardo Labella created the Sinulog Governing Board (SGB).

To answer Rama’s question, SGB executive director Barney Borja said the change of leadership in SFI will not affect the SGB’s plans for Sinulog 2020.

“We have the full support and coordination of SFI and its execom,” Borja said in a text message to SunStar Cebu.

In their Nov. 5 meeting, Rama said, he turned over the responsibilities of SFI chairman to the SGB president and concurrent SFI chairman Pericles Dakay.

“The ball is now with Engineer Dakay,” Rama said.

He remains a member of the SFI board of trustees.

He expressed hoped that the respective functions of SFI and SGB will be in sync to avoid the occurrence of conflicts.

He said SFI and SGB each have an executive director and that setup can cause disagreement.

He said there should be only one executive director.

Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella created the SGB through an executive order on Aug. 23.

Rama’s “irrevocable” resignation came days after the meeting of the SGB with SFI’s Dakay to plot the activities of Sinulog 2020.

Rama had said he had not been informed of the meeting.

Former councilor Jocelyn Pesquera has also resigned as chairman of the SFI execom. (JJL/MPS)