Manifesto to document Presidentiables' words

CEBU, Philippines - To provide substance to the upcoming encounter of the “Presidentiables” with the Cebuanos, the organizers will prepare a manifesto to be signed by the six Presidential aspirants that confirmed to come on Friday.

In a press conference yesterday, event moderator Bunny Pages announced that immediately after the two-hour discussion with the top six Presidentiables, each candidate will be requested to sign a manifesto with the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), Cebu Business Club (CBC) and the Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) to properly document what they have promised to do, whoever will be elected as President.

“Elections are very important. Electing our leaders [wisely] is very important. Supporting this kind of event is good for the Cebuanos to have a great chance of meeting the candidates,” said Roberto Aboitiz, director of Aboitiz Equity Ventures (AEV) of which his company together with subsidiary Visayas Electric Company (VECO) are the large co-presenters of the event.

For his part, MCCI president Eric Ng Mendoza said that the first encounter with Presidentiables in person with at least 2,000 Cebuanos, is a good tool to show them that Cebu is united and “Cebu is a community.”

Meanwhile, to enhance the voters education campaign, the business sector also invited the SmartMatic-TIM to demonstrate automated counting at the Presidential Forum.

Event chairperson Carmel de Pio-Salvador said that invited guests during the forum are encouraged to be at the venue by 3:00pm to witness the special demonstration of the Smartmatic-TIM’s automated counting machine.

The following groups have signified their interest to participate in the forum: Dilaab Foundation, Cebu Bankers Club, PhilExport-Cebu, Philippine Retailers Association, Ateneo Graduate School of Business-Cebu Core Group, different local Chambers and Sectoral Associations in the Visayas and the leading Universities in Cebu.—Ehda M. Dagooc