Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia last night doused cold water on attempts to lure her to run for a national position when she gave her State of the Province Address at the packed Capitol Social Hall.
Garcia said that she will concentrate on looking after the progress and development of Cebu.
Garcia has been lured by many presidential hopefuls to be their running mate for the 2010 elections while some sectors are encouraging her to seek the presidency.
“I cannot find myself leaving Cebu for anything – not for money, nor fame, nor greatness. Not even for higher office,” so said Garcia drawing a standing ovation from the over 800 guests.
“My fellow Cebuanos, I am here to stay,” Garcia said.
The 23-page SOPA was delivered in 45 minutes capped by 29 instances when the audience applauded the governor.
Garcia said that she has been asked number of times where she will see herself two years from now.
“I have been asked, a number of times, where I see myself two years from now. And I smile. I smile because I know exactly what the question is all about. And I smile because I do not see myself anywhere else but in Cebu, now, two years from now, five years from now,” Garcia said.
Senators Richard Gordon, Manuel Roxas, Manuel Villar, who have openly expressed their desire to seek the presidency, have all showed interest in getting the governor as their vice presidential candidate.
The governor’s decision to stay in Cebu has been welcomed by members of her family.
Rep. Pablo Garcia of the 2nd District of Cebu and the father of the governor, said, “Personally, I’m very happy and I like her to stay in Cebu.”
Reps. Pablo John Garcia, Benhur Salimbangon and Nerissa Soon-Ruiz also welcomed the announcement of the governor.
Accomplishments
The message of the SOPA though was still to highlight what Garcia’s administration has achieved since she started her second term last year.
“The state of the province is strong. The strongest that it has ever been,” Garcia said as she began her SOPA.
She said that as of December 31, 2007, the province has increased its total assets by more than 300 percent now amounting to almost P 17 billion.
Garcia, who happens to be the 24th and the first lady governor of the province, reported that when she assumed the leadership of the province in 2004, the province had over 5 billion in assets.
“We are now, without any doubt, the richest province in the country, not just in the present, but at any given time in this country’s history,” she said.
She also found the opportunity to take potshots at Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña without naming him by saying that a local government chief executive is jealous of the province for being debt free.
“In fact far from being a debtor, we have become a total opposite – the Province of Cebu has officially become a creditor, as we have opened credit facilities to local government units in the province to finance worthwhile and revenue-generating projects,” Garcia said.
Osmeña and Garcia are locked in a verbal tussle following the failed negotiations for a land swap that escalated to road closures and freezing of any development permit of Ciudad, the province’s 2.8-hectare commercial project in barangay Apas.
“We have not mortgaged our present, much less our future, for a debt from which there seems to be no relief in sight,” the governor said.
In a more obvious effort to hit at Cebu City, Garcia compared the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC), which she said it is earning compare to the South Road Properties that is not.
“I cannot end this speech without talking about the CICC. The project has been earning revenues for the province the past one and half years and we are not paying for any interests or the principal of any bank loan,” she added.
The CICC has already hosted 237 events and a total of P32,250,000 has been added to the province coffers.
She also continued that one LGU referring to Cebu City’s SRP that they continue paying the principal and interest for the loan. It is just lying there, empty, save for some migratory birds, and has not earned a single centavo for the people,” Garcia said.
She also expressed her determination to defend the province’s right over its properties, which they are now trying to recover.
Garcia reported that they have already recovered 164 hectares of property in the City of Cebu including the 80-hectare Camp Lapu-Lapu property and the 22-hectare Boy Scout Camp, which includes the Cebu City Zoo.
The lot was donated to the BSP in 1963 for the establishment of a campsite. The Cebu City Zoo is also located on the lot.
In terms of roads and asphalted, the province has asphalted 534 kilometers of provincial roads and concreted 81.67 kilometers of barangay roads.
Garcia also committed for the proposed 400-kilometer Trans-axial Highway project, estimated to cost at least P45 billion, is already being reviewed by the Provincial Economic Enterprise Council.
The project is foreseen to connect the province’s towns and cities through a highway running the center length of the island.
The province also completed 217 school buildings, or an equivalent of 434 badly needed classrooms.
This year, Garcia reported that they will be completing the construction of two provincial hospitals in Carcar and Danao and the devolution of the Balamban District Hospital and the Bogo District Hospital.
The province also completed 22 level III water projects and will be completing 15 more within a year.
In health, the province has enrolled with Philhealth over 103,000 indigent families.
Also, the province has planted 2 million jackfruit trees and introduced the Sinanduloy program.
Garcia also highlighted the success of the Suroy-Suroy Sugbo – tours of Cebu Province organized by the Capitol.
At her end of SOPA, Garcia said, “As we measure the strength of the state of our province, and celebrate its real strength that is beyond any measure.”
Among the invited guests was Senator Daryl Beall of the State of Iowa in the united States. Other invited guests include members of the judiciary, heads of government offices in the region, town and city mayors and representatives from the business sector and the academe.— (/NLQ)