ROXAS CITY, Capiz – Cebu Governor Gwendolyn “Gwen” Garcia has called on all Visayans to be: “one people with one destiny and aspiration under one leader.”
Speaking at the opening rite of the four-day second One Visayas summit held in this city starting March 11, Garcia, chair of the Visayas Regional Development Council (RDC) executive committee, said the Visayans should nurture the ties that bind the islands together into one supreme aspiration.
The One Visayas summit is participated by three Visayan regions namely Region 6 (Iloilo, Capiz, Akan, Antique, Guimaras and Negros Occidental), Region 7 (Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental, Biliran and Siquijor), and Region 8 (Leyte and Samar).
Cebu hosted the first One Visayas summit last year while Capiz and Roxas City this time.
Former defense secretary Gilbert Teodoro, representing President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, joined the summit as keynote speaker.
This year’s celebration is dubbed: “Heroes and Nationalism” with emphasis on arts, culture and tourism.
Garcia said the celebration will help bind the Visayans as strong people with culture of their own to be proud of.
The summit was attended by the chairmen of three regional development councils in the Visayas with RDC 6 chairperson Salvacion Perez as head of the organizing committee.
Aside from Garcia and Perez, other governors who attended the opening rites are Aklan Governor Carlito Marquez, several regional government agencies officials, provincial officials, and festival delegations from the three regions. (Lydia C. Pendon)