Floral offerings, awards on Cebu City’s Charter Day

Don Vicente Rama will be honored in today’s 75th Cebu City Charter Day celebration with a floral offering.

His showbiz celebrity great-grandson Richard Rama Gutierez will receive the flowers at the Pahina Central Fire substation where Don Vicente’s statue stands.

Gutierrez is the son of actress Anabelle Rama, who is a cousin of Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama.

A total of 75 families of Cebu will be honored for contributing to the development of the city.

The testimonial dinner is set at the Cebu City Waterfront Hotel and Casino in Lahug.

At 7 a.m., Mass will be held at the Plaza Sugbo in front of City Hall followed by a parade of colors.

The mayor and guests will then proceed to Pahina Central for the floral offering.

In the evening, the 75 notable families from Cebu will be given recognition.

“The families were chosen not only for their exemplary achievements that have brought pride and honor to the city of Cebu, but also for their prominence (in various fields of endeavor) before the year 1965. Many of the families were prominent since the Spanish times,” said City Hall organizers.

The families that will be given plaques include those from politics and business sectors.

The clans include those with surnames of Abadia, Abella, Abellana, Abellanosa, Aboitiz, Alcoseba, Aliño, Alix, Almendras; Avila-Cañizares, Aznar, Bacalso, Barba, Borromeo, Briones, Cañete, Chiongbian, Chiu-Benedicto, Climaco, Colina, Cuenco, Cui, Dakay, Del Mar, Del Rosario and Diola.

Also included are the clans of Echavez, Escaño-Garcia, Escario, Espina, Estenzo, Fernan, Gaisano, Gandionco, Garces-Gorordo, Garcia, Go Tiao Co, Gonzales, Gothong, Gullas, Hermosisima, Herrera, Inocian, Jaca, Jakosalem, Jumalon, Kabahar, Lhuillier, Ludo-Luym, Osmeña, Pacaña, Padilla, Rama, Reynes-Mercado, Rodriguez, Sala, Salvador, Sanson, Segura, Seno, Singson, Solon, Sotto, Streegan, Tabada, Tabal, Tudtud, Urgello, Uytengsu, Velez-Leyson, Veloso, Vestil, Villa, Villanueva and Ylaya.

Last night, the city government recognized outstanding department heads and officials.

This year’s Outstanding Department is the Cebu City Medical Center.

Rama said the hospital management and its structures had greatly improved.

“We have to give it to them. There’s been a very big improvement in the CCMC compared to before,” said Rama before the awarding ceremonies.

He said the award was also a boost to the morale of hospital personnel after threats of hospital closure made by former mayor Tomas Osmeña.

Dr. Gloria Duterte, CCMC chief of hospital, received a plaque of appreciation from Rama and members of the PRAISE committee.

“In 50 years, this is the first time we got this award. We are happy for recognizing our efforts and achievements. We have made a lot of changes,” said Duterte in an interview.

Other awardees include City Civil Registrar Evangeline Abatayo as Most Outstanding Department Head and City Information Officer Carlo Dugaduga as Outstanding Division Head.

Secretary to the mayor Belinda Navasquez was awarded Outstanding Assistant Department head.

Mayor Rama said the staff should take pride in the award , “but this should not reduce their initiative and dynamism to do more.”

He said they should surpass what they have accomplished in the previous years.

Meanwhile, Rama clarified that he didn’t order the exclusion of Assistant City Treasurer Tessie Camarillo and Asian College of Technology (ACT), owned by councilor Rodrigo Abellanosa from the list of Charter Day awardees.

He said he just did not approve their nominations. /Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac with a report from Reporter Dale G. Israel