P-NOY LEADS EDSA SA SUGBU RITES: President to visit northern towns after anniversary rites

President Aquino and his party arrived last night in Cebu to cap a busy day of travelling to calamity-devastated areas in Davao Oriental and Bohol.
The President arrived early in the evening and went straight to an Italian restaurant in Mandaue City, a source said.

Aquino and his party spent the night at the Marriott hotel in Cebu City. He will make his first public appearance at the Cebu provincial capitol where the 28th anniversary celebration of the  People Power revolution will be held this morning.

Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III, in a radio interview, said he was tasked to introduce the President before he delivers his speech.

Streets leading to the Capitol area were closed beginning at noon yesterday as the police and the president’s security team  started securing the areas where the anniversary celebration would be held.

Davide said the President will immediately fly to Bantayan island in northern Cebu to visit the areas devastated by supertyphoon Yolanda. He will then fly to Leyte at past 2 p.m. and is expected to be at Eastern Samar by 5 p.m.
Ethel Natera, the Capitol’s spokesperson said, President Aquino will be at the Capitol at 7:50 a.m.
“Once the president arrives, the program will immediately start,” she said.

Aquino’s move to hold the celebration in Cebu has met criticisms but according to Natera, “EDSA is not just a street. We’re talking here about the Filipino spirit. She said today’s celebration should encourage young people not to forget how they got freedom and to perpetuate an important part of Philippine history.

“Young people should be reminded about EDSA. Today’s event at the Capitol is some sort of turning over the EDSA spirit from the original players to the young generation. This is like a transition,” Natera said.

Good spirit

The President was in good spirits when he faced the residents of Cateel, Davao Oriental, to check on their situation after the devastation of typhoon Pablo (Bopha).  He said at first he thought they were at the wrong place.

“Talagang nagbabalik na ang normalidad sa inyong lalawigan. Ibang-iba na ito sa nakita nating sitwasyon matapos ang paghagupit ng bagyong Pablo,” he said, smiling. (The province is indeed back to normal. The situation is very different to what happened after the onslaught of typhoon Pablo.)

Bohol

The President arrived in Bohol at around 4 p.m. on board the presidential aircraft.  He went directly to the bunkhouses put up for residents displaced by the Oct. 15 earthquake in Loon town.

The President stayed at the site of the bunkhouses for about 15 minutes to check on the water and electricity there. He did not have any interaction with the beneficiaries and left for the Cong. Natalio Castillo Memorial Hospital, also in Loon town.
He was given a briefing on the retrofitted 25-bed capacity hospital, which has been housing the patients who were previously staying in a tent hospital provided by the Department of Health.