Vice President Jejomar Binay is coming for the Sinulog, but there’s no word yet whether President Benigno Aquino III will attend.
Most of the requests for VIP section seats in the grandstand of the Cebu City Sports Center came from consulate offices, said Belinda Navasquez, secretary of Mayor Michael Rama.
“I personally called the President on the phone and invited him,” said Mayor Rama last Friday.
“He told me he would check his schedule and try to make it.”
Aquino was here for the Sinulog last year.
Binay confirmed his attendance through a staff member, Irish Cubillan, who said Binay will likely stay the whole day.
“There are other persons who may be seeking posts in next year’s election who wanted to come,” said Mayor Rama.
“We may allow them but there will be no speeches.”
Rama said, as much as possible, there should be no disruption when the Sinulog parade starts at 9 a.m.
City Hall’s protocol office confirmed the presence of former Philippine Ambassador to Canada Francisco Benedicto, Japanese Consul Yoshiaki Hata and Consul General Pedro Chan of Toronto.
A 29-member Fil-Canadian delegation said it would also come to Cebu City for the festival.
“All they asked from us is for a vehicle to pick them up at the airport,” said a protocol office staff member, who requested anonymity for lack of authority to speak.
She said they had difficulty accommodating guests due to lack of office funding. The City Council didn’t approve a P2-million budget request that would have been used for hotel accommodations of guests.
In the absence of an office budget, they rely on the mayor’s office for their operations.
Navasquez said other VIP guests would be known tomorrow.
Councilor Alvin Dizon said he received two tickets from the mayor’s office for the VIP section of the grandstand, which he will give to foreigner friends.
He said he wanted to watch and take photos of the Sinulog street dancing instead.
Councilor Margot Osmeña said she, too, received VIP tickets from the mayor’s office.
While she said she would watch the event, she’s unsure whether her husband, former mayor and Rep. Tomas Osmeña of Cebu City’s south district, would attend.
Other guests would be at the red section located above the VIP section, with sponsors. With Correspondent Chito Aragon