State of the province: Cebu still strongest

CEBU, Philippines – Governor Gwendolyn Garcia reported yesterday that Cebu Province is in an even much better position financially during her State of the Province Address at Capitol.

Garcia also used the 45-minute speech to take potshots at Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña and hint that she might seek a higher position in the 2010 elections.

Wearing a tailored jusi suit, she delivered the 20-page speech before a capacity crowd at the social hall interrupting her delivery 43 times with applause.

Garcia said that the province is very “strong.”

“The state of the Province of Cebu is strong — stronger than we were last year, stronger than we have ever been and stronger than ay other province can hope to be,” Garcia said.

She said the assets of the province amount to P20 billion as of December 31, 2008, which is 16 percent higher that what is was a year before that.

Garcia, the 24th and the first lady governor of the province, said that she projects to maintain the position of Cebu as the undisputed richest province in the entire country.  She said that the province had a gross income of 1.676 billion as of December 31, 2008, which could make it the best performing in the whole country.

The governor lauded the Provincial Board headed by Vice Governor Gregorio Sanchez for the passage of the 2008 Revenue Code, which contributed to the increase of the tax base and has resulted in the increase in local income for the first half of this year. From January to June 2009, the total tax revenue was more than P153 million or 27 percent more than what was collected for the same period of last year.

Garcia said the province will certainly be number one in current assets with a marked increase in current assets by 15 percent from 2007 levels, to 1.528 billion in 2008.     She also expected to maintain our position as the number one province in terms of cash and equity with a cash position of 1.13188 billion pesos, which is 10 percent more than in 2007.     “And as I have started for five years now, not to boast or brag but simply to assure Cebuanos – in the Province of Cebu, at least – that their future has not been mortgaged. We remain debt free. Free of debt from any banking or financial institution and we will remain so for as long as we are here,” Garcia said.   Without naming Osmeña, Garcia took at him by saying that the province has not sacrificed basic services because of debt. “The greatest tragedy, for any local government unit, would be to say: We have no funds for basic services. Maybe next year or when this great gamble we took finally pays off, it does,” Garcia said. She continued in saying that the province has done the exact opposite, as it exploited the wealth of resources in order to redouble their efforts in providing more basic services. Garcia also hit Cebu City’s plan on closing down their public hospital.

“As we all know, the operation of hospitals is a tricky business. Local Government Units would rather look for the slightest excuse to abdicate this responsibility, we do know of one local government unit famously itching to do so,” Garcia said. In 2009, according to the governor, the province will see the start of the operation of the first provincial hospital in Carcar and two more in Balamban and Danao City. Garcia also reported that the Cebu International Convention Center earned close to 47 million pesos since it first opened its doors in 2007. “Not bad for a building that someone, quite curiously, claims to have been built out of scrap metal. But just because he made his city settle for scraps in a recent controversial and highly questionable deal does not make him the expert on scrap,” the governor said.

Garcia also said that the proposed Trans-axial Highway project, which is estimated  to cost at least P45 billion, is on track since there are number of interested parties that have expressed interest in entering into a joint venture with the province. In terms of tourism, the governor also said that the province has 49 festivals in the 52 cities and municipalities and has seen an influx of tourists with the Suroy-Suroy Sugbo project.

She also said the 55-volume definitive history of the province is set to be launched in January 2010.

The governor also cited key accomplishments since she first became governor five years ago and how she has made true of her promises.

Among these is that the province promised to asphalt 400 kilometers of provincial roads, but completed 600 kilometers.

She also said that the province distributed a total of 455,000 bags of cement to the barangays for the construction of a total of 125 kilometers of roads.

Cebu has also lighted up 81 far-flung sitios and will be completing 101 more this year

There is also the delivery of 440 classrooms to LGUs.

The effort to have an estimated 1 million individuals covered by Philhealth insurance.

And the province also declared an all out war against communist insurgency that has resulted to the surrender of 81 rebels.

At her end of SOPA, Garcia has reiterated that she will be staying here in Cebu, but.

“I wish to tell you, that after delivering the state of the province address for the fifth time, after five years of serving Cebu and together with you – write the continuing history of this great province. My fellow Cebuanos, I have decided to stay, to lead – if the people will it, Garcia said.

The announcement of Garcia drew what was probably the loudest applause.

But before she made her final decisions, Garcia admittedly told the crowd that she dreamed of higher positions.

Garcia has been lured by many presidential hopefuls to be their running mate for the 2010 elections. “Last year, I ended by speech with a declaration of my intention to stay in 2010 and beyond. I thought that had settled everything, but it has not. Perhaps, in the fluidity of the political season that is upon us, words are not always perceived as being written on stone. The calls, the offers, and the rumors of higher office continue to stalk me like my own shadow,” Garcia said. The governor said, “And I will not pretend that I have not – more than once – stopped, to turn, to face that shadow. If public service is a privilege, after all, then the opportunity for greater service is a higher privilege still.” — Garry B. Lao/NLQ (THE FREEMAN)