Happy Birthday Governor Gwen!

At the start of her term, Governor Gwen climbed up the roof of the Provincial Capitol Building unmindful of the historic symbolism of that act.

Clad in jeans and poised for take-off, here was a woman governor unafraid of heights or challenges, ready to take on the helm of leadership of a very powerful province of the country.

As steady as her resolve, then, to reach the top of the Capitol, Governor Gwen now continues to slowly but surely secure her brand of leadership throughout Cebu.

Like the strong fruit trees that she envisions to line up major roads throughout the province, she has proceeded to ensure that more basic services, especially health, are accessed by increasing number of constituents during her term. She is proud of having enrolled more number for Philhealth now than before, for example.

She not only has a vision of where she wants to bring the people and province during her leadership. She is slowly working on basic changes within long-standing structures, within and outside Capitol, to facilitate transparent and faster procedures, implementation of projects, and, responsible public accountability within one, united Cebu.

She has more years as governor and more goals to achieve. It will be to her credit if during and at the end of her term, problems of food, employment, education, health, housing and sustainable environment can be more than adequately addressed.

Beyond these material indicators of development, however, as a birthday prayer, we ask the Lord to enlighten Governor Gwen even more to provide principled, honest, people-oriented leadership during these politically turbulent moments.

May she be surrounded and supported by just as sincere, dedicated, and diligent co-workers who will put the welfare of the most needy as their priority for their honest brand of leadership and team work.

May she be able to rally more partners for her goals to bring Cebu and the Cebuanos to greater heights of genuine prosperity and development.

May the good Lord continue to shower her too with physical as well as inner strength to meet the daily challenges of being governor.

May she also find private time for her to grow even more into the person that she is guided, she is destined to be, that she personally wants to be.

May she have more occasions to smile and to rejoice than to be stressed and to be hurt. But even as challenges come her way, may she find refuge and strength from the Lord up above and genuine people and friends around her.

May she continue to shine and bring glory to the Lord through her service as Cebu's first woman governor.

May blessings of unity, prosperity and partnerships pour her way, so that she can fulfill her destiny of bringing Cebu and her people to heights higher than the top of the Provincial Capitol.

Happy, happy birthday, Governor Gwen Garcia! May your blessed days with the Lord continue through the years!

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