To observe roses parade, visit landfill: Three Cebu City councilors to go abroad

CEBU, Philippines – Three Cebu City councilors are scheduled to travel abroad before the yearends, one will attend seminars in two Asian countries while two others will observe the world famous Pasadena roses parade in the United States of America.

Councilor Nida Cabrera, who chairs the committee on environment, is scheduled to attend a seminar workshop in Jakarta, Indonesia and a study visit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on November 18 and 19 and 20 to 23, respectively.

Councilors Edgardo Labella and Rodrigo Abellanosa on the other hand will be off for California in December to observe the world famous tournament of roses parade in Pasadena.    

Cebu City agriculturist Joey Baclayon will be with Labella and Abellanosa for the said travel starting December 26 to January 6, 2011.

Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young said Cabrera's travel will be paid for by Friedrick Ebert Stiftung and Berjaya Corporation Berhad.

Friedrick Ebert Stiftung invited Cabrera to attend the workshop on Gender Responsive Budgeting in Jakarta, Indonesia on November 18 and 19.

On November 20 to 23, she will be in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for the working visit and project familiarization of the Bukit Tagar Sanitary Landfill. The visit is also sponsored by Berjaya Corporation Berhad.

Cabrera said the regional workshop in Indonesia aims at exchanging and analyzing experiences in advocating and implementing gender responsive budgeting in Southeast Asia.

In Malaysia, there will be a dialogue session and working visit to the Bukit Tagar Sanitary Landfill site for familiarization of the project.

Last September, the Berjaya Corporation Berhad, a Malaysian company, presented to Mayor Michael Rama and to the members of the Solid Waste Management Board their proposed development of an engineered sanitary disposal facility for solid waste management in Cebu City. Labella and Abellanosa's mission in Pasadena is also to observe how their roses parade is being done hoping that this can be applied in the city's own flower festival.

"There is a need to observe and witness the spectacular and world-famous Pasadena Rose Parade to personally get information from the organizers how the event is planned and presented, hence, the city could also come up, or at least approximately, with a more elaborate Flower Festival," said councilor Alvin Dizon, the proponent of the resolution authorizing the travel.

The city's flower festival is held every month of October since it was launched in 2009. - Garry Lao and Jessica Ann R. Pareja/FPL (FREEMAN)