After Suroy-Suroy, Gwen treats youth group to "Lakbay Aral"

CEBU, Philippines - After inviting them to join the Suroy-Suroy Sugbo Southern Heritage Trail for a day, out-of-school youth from Minglanilla town will have the chance of participating in the “Lakbay-Aral” program to Camotes Island.

Governor Gwendolyn Garcia said the participants will go to Camotes with the town’s barangay captains. The youngsters are part of the town’s anti-graffiti team. They are tasked to revive the town’s clean image by wiping out graffiti and stopping vandalism.

Garcia said it would benefit the youngsters to see personally the examples set by three towns in Camotes Island as far as maintaining cleanliness is concerned. The governor said she hopes that such examples will be replicated in Minglanilla.

During her visit prior to the slated Suroy-Suroy Sugbo during the weekend, Garcia commended the improvement on the bridges, walls and curbs in Minglanilla, as far as cleanliness is concerned. Minglanilla was the first stop in the Southern Heritage Trail last Friday.

Garcia also met the members of gangs Bloods, Crips and Hardcore in the town who expressed willingness to end their long time rift and instead work together in cleaning up the graffiti, which they claimed responsibility for.

Representatives of the three groups signed a peace treaty in the presence of Garcia, Vice Governor Agnes Magpale, Vice Mayor Elanito Peña and Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) President Manolo Delgado during the Suroy-Suroy Sugbo. After the signing, more than 50 members of the three groups joined the first day of the Suroy-Suroy Sugbo Southern Heritage Trail up to Boljoon town.

Their participation was Garcia’s treat to the youth groups after they signed the commitment to help the province in the campaign against vandalism and criminality particularly in Minglanilla.

The groups formally declared their intention to stop hostilities, especially among themselves.

The groups agreed to “develop their individual and collective capacity to resist violence” separately and jointly. They also agreed to have their leaders consult with each other from time to time as regards the implementation of the treaty.  — (FREEMAN)