August 24, 2008 | 12:00am
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo arrives Cebu today to grace the blessing and inauguration of the 8.5-hectare new campus of the Sacred Heart School-Jesuit in Canduman, Mandaue City.
Arroyo, an alumna of Georgetown University (a Jesuit school in Washington, DC) and a former professor of Economics at the Ateneo de Manila University, will arrive at the SHS-J campus at 8:00am, and is set to stay until 11am, the longest period she will spend for one activity in Cebu.
The President will also attend the Pontifical Mass to be officiated by Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal.
Joining her are Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes, sixth district Rep. Nerissa Soon-Ruiz, SHS president Rev. Ernesto Javier, Society of Jesus father provincial Fr. Jose Cecilio Magadia, and SHS-J board of trustees chairman Victor Chiongbian, among others.
At 2:30pm, the president will proceed to Malacañang sa Sugbo to confer the Order of Sikatuna with the rank of Grand Cross (Datu) honor on Brunie Darussalam Deputy Minister of Defense, Yang Berhomat Pehin Datu Singamenteri Colonel Dato Seri Paduka Haji Mohammad Yasmin Bin Haji Umar.
Authorities said Mrs. Arroyo will stay overnight in Cebu, and depart at the Mactan Cebu International Airport tomorrow. — Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/RAE