The couytryside tour of Cebu’s midwest yesterday had the familiar signs of a campaign stomp.
With five senate aspirants, including Gov. Gwen Garcia in the group, it was hard to miss in the Suroy Suroy sa Sugbo.
There was a lot of handshaking and speeches, with prominent self-introductions.
Rep. Ma. Milagros “Mitos” Magsaysay brought her campaign mini-bus whith her face and name splashed on the sides. Her staff distributed poster calendars.
Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño also distributed pocket calendars with his name and photo printed on them.
Also present were Sen. Loren Legarda, and Joey de Venecia who is executive assistant of Vice President Jejomar Binay.
In Manila, the United National Alliance (UNA) yesterday formally announced the formal entry of Garcia, Magsaysay and Miguel Zubiri in the senate slate of the Binay-led alliance of the Partido ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) and the Partido Demokratiko ng Pilipinas – Lakas ng Bansa (PDP-Laban) of Binay. (Venecia was included in the first batch of UNA.)
The two-day Suroy Suroy countryside tour of the Cebu provincial government called “Exploring the Midwest” travelled through towns in the third district, bailiwick of Rep. Pablo John Garcia who plans to run for governor next year.
First stop was the Tsuneshi Hotel in the compound of Tsuneshi Heavy Industries in Balamban town.
Then the group went to a fish pond of Asturias Mayor Alan Adlawan for lunch, where the two Garcias sat in a nipa hut to share lunch with Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale and the out-of-town political aspirants.
Another hut was occupied by members of the Beautiful Cebu Movement including businessman Glenn Soco.
The campaign air was made obvious in Tuburan town, hometown of Liberal Party (LP) stalwart, the late Vice Gov. Greg Sanchez Jr.
During the town’s Tubod Festival, Magsaysay, Casiño, De Venecia and Legarda got the chance to speak for three minutes each before the crowd.
Magsaysay’s staff handed out poster calendars. So did Casino’s.
Magsaysay, a first timer in the tour, praised Governor Garcia and told reporters the tourism program should be brought to the national level.
“She knows how to market Cebu. That is the reason Cebu is the most sought after place by local and foreign tourists,” she said.
Casiño, in a separate interview, emphasized his focus on helping small and medium enterprise.
“Natutulongan ang mga micro and small enterprises in every town visit to promote. I think this is really the way to go,” he said.
It was Senator Legarda’s third time to join the Suroy Suroy in different destinations.
“I told Governor Garcia to make a template for the Department of Tourism to tap so that other provinces can follow. It gives you pride of place,” Legarda said.
De Venecia, a first timer in the tour, said Garcia should make it a model for the country’s tourism program.
“Makikita natin ang pride of Cebu,” he said.
About 300 guests joined the first day of the Suroy Suroy.
The day ended with a sunset dinner and a fireworks display by the beach in Maravillas Park in Tabuelan town. Carmel Loise Matus, Correspondent