Children, employees enjoy ‘tartanilla’ rides at Capitol compound

Tartanilla rides around the Capitol grounds are part of the 445th Founding Day, activities of the Capitol. (CDN PHOTO/ JUNJIE MENDOZA)

Capitol employees and their children enjoyed short refreshing rides on tartanillas around the Capitol compound yesterday.

Two-year-old Charles Darwin Gabona was jumping up and down, repeatedly shouting “hose” while waiting to board his designated horse-drawn carriage. Every so often, he would also try to shout kabayo, the local term for horse, but all he could manage is a concise “bo.”

For P10, Charles and his mother, Mary Ann, who works at the Provincial Veterinary Office, were carried from the Capitol main building to the Legislative Building and then back to the main building again.

They were among the 200 people who availed of the rides, which were part of the month-long activities of the 445th Founding Anniversary of the Capitol which kicked off last Friday.

The Capitol hired four horse-drawn carriage drivers for the day and paid P2,500 each to give rides for P10 each passenger at the Capitol.

“We planned to have horseback riding and even fishing as part of the founding anniversary activities, but we decided instead on tartanilla rides because it will only need less equipment and less cost for the preparations,” said  Ramil Abing, Cebu Provincial Administrator and the head of the 445th founding anniversary organizing committee.

Tartanilla driver Regino Ortaleza, 62, said the tartanillas really catch the attention of children not because of their bright colors but simply because of the horses that draw them.

He said most of his passengers for the day were children.

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