Thousands gather for June 12 rites

Cebuanos made their presence felt in yesterday’s 115th celebration of the nation’s independence Day.

Around 60,000 people participated in the civic-military parade from the Fuente Osmeña circle to Plaza Independencia in Cebu City yesterday afternoon said Chief Insp. Wildemar Tiu, head of the Waterfront Police Station.

In Mandaue City, students and teachers performed a short historical play in the City Hall quadrangle after the wreath laying in the monuments of national hero Dr. Jose Rizal and the leader of the Philippine revolution against the Spanish colonizers Andres Bonifacio.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said the number of people who joined yesterday’s 115th Independence Day celebration was very encouraging. He is very happy with the number of people who have participated in the celebration.

“The elusive hope is being enhanced and invigorated and that’s our country and Cebu City needs,” Rama said.

Rama also took the occasion to thank the people for giving him a fresh three year term starting noon on June 30. His election he said was an expression of the Cebuano’s “independence” in electing him. He did not elaborate.

Participants in the civic-military parade included government employees, soldiers from the air force, navy, army and the Philippine National Police. War veterans also joined the activity.

Last night, the Cebu city government hosted a dinner in the Fort San Pedro for government officials and the business sector.

Mandaue celebration

In the Independence Day ceremony in the Mandaue City Hall, Vice-mayor Glenn Bercede said that the independence day celebration will enable the people to give life to their respective sense of nationalism and responsibilities towards others.

Mayor Jonas Cortes was not present, but left a message that was read by the city’s oldest elected official, Councilor Diosdado Suico, 79.

Cortes’s message called on Mandauehanon’s to have “discipline and in valuing the common good above one’s self in order to remain free.”

Cortes added,”Our forefathers who offered their lives for the good of our country, freedom means to love our homeland above all others.”

Earlier, a Mass was held at the National Shrine of Saint Joseph at 6:30 am officiated by Msgr. Arthur Navales, parish vicar. Then the wreath laying in the monuments of Rizal and Bonifacio.

Students and teachers then performed a short historical play depicting the Battle of Mactan, the martyrdom of Filipino priests Gomez, Burgos and Zamora (Gomburza) and Bonifacio’s cry of baliktawak that the signalled the escalation of the Philippine revolution for independence from Spain and the 1986 Edsa uprising.

Lapu-Lapu celebration

Over 5,000 people different sectors marched carrying Philippine flaglets from the City Hall to the Mactan Benito Ebuen Air Base for and youth students joined the Independence Day celebration at the Mactan Benito Ebuen Air Base in Lapu-Lapu City.

At around 8:00 a.m. when the parade was completed at the football field of Mactan Air Base fronting the geadquarters of the 2nd Air Division, the flag ceremony lead by Mayor Paz Radaza, Vice Mayor Marcial Ycong, 2nd Air Division Commander Major General Romeo Poquiz commenced.

Mayor Radaza cited the challenges faced by Lapu-Lapu City as one of the fastest growing cities in Cebu.

“We have charted our own destiny and was granted independence to set the sail of our own boat, while we are free from foreign rule, our city of Lapu-Lapu, like most other growing cities in the country, is beset by domestic concerns caused by a hyperactive progress and development, In all honesty, our city is developing faster than we can play catch up, there are a handful of mega developments that will pour in around 40 billion pesos here .” she said.

Aside from its robust tourism, new investments like the Megaworld’s Mactan Newtown is expected to generate over 80 thousand jobs in five to ten years./Christine Emily L. Pantaleon, Jucell Marie P. Cuyos and Norman V. Mendoza