Governor Gwendolyn Garcia and Vice Governor Hilario Davide III raise the flag during the start of the celebrations of the 452nd founding anniversary of Cebu Province today, August 6, 2021. | Mae Fhel Gom-os
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia has likened the difficulty of raising the flag today to what Cebu Province has gone through leading to its 452nd founding day and the challenges it continues to face at present.
Garcia shared this symbolic analogy during today’s celebration of the founding day of the province.
”Tungod kay nakakuha ta og tabang… nga gibira ang pisi, nahibalik og saka katong niungot. But since I was holding that rope, that was pulling up the provincial flag, when it get heavier and heavier, I realized that it was all up to me. That I have to strain and pull and give everything that I have to see to it that the flag would reach the very top,” Garcia added.
(Because we got help … in pulling the rope, the part that got stuck was unstuck and the flag continued to ascend. But since I was holding that rope that was pulling up the provincial flag, when it got heavier and heavier, I realized that it was all up to me. That I have to strain and pull and give everything that I have to see to it that the flag would reach the very top.)
Cooperation, support
She also cited the cooperation and support given by the tricities — Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu — to Cebu province.
This was shown with the tri-cities mayors — Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes and Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan — attending the celebration today.
“Truly, the political boundaries that divide us are little as compared to the bonds that can never separate us. Kon kaha aduna kita’y mga distinction sa mga jurisdiction, apan labaw sa tanan, sa kasing kasing, sa hunahuna ug sa akong kinatibuk-an, kita mga Sugbuanon usa ra kitang mga Sugbuanon,” Garcia told the tricities’ mayors.
(Truly, the political boundaries that divide us are little as compared to the bonds that can never separate us. If there are distinctions of jurisdiction, but above all, in our hearts, our minds and our whole beings, all of us Cebuanos are united.)
Garcia on past leaders
In this year’s founding anniversary of Cebu province, local officials led by Garcia held a flag-raising ceremony, tree planting activity and a Mass at the Capitol.
Aside from the challenges that Cebu Province continues to face and hurdle at present, Garcia also cited the past leaders of Cebu.
“We owe it to history, and as [Third District Representative] Pablo John Garcia said, we owe it to those who came before us. The great Cebuano leaders, who charted the course of our journey, and on whose shoulders, we the present crop of leaders now stand to give us an even better vantage view of what lies ahead in order for us to define the bright and progressive future that our constituents hope for,” she said.
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Cebu province to celebrate 452nd founding anniversary with simple rites
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