Rama attends Catbalogan city mayor’s SOCA

CEBU City Mayor Michael Rama made time to fly to  Catbalogan City  to attend its  8th Charter Day celebration last Tuesday.

He was one  of the special guests who received a plaque of appreciation on behalf of  Cebu City .

His presence there was for  official business, but it also  drew attention to his reported budding relationship with Catbalogan Mayor Stephany Uy-Tan, a matter talked about in City Hall circles for months but something Rama is  reluctant to discuss in public.

“Is that an issue? No? So there’s no issue,” Rama yesterday told  reporters   who asked him about his quick trip to Catbalogan.

The mayor hurried off to attend  a forum at the Capitol.

Reporters asked to see the plaque to read the text of the award by  the mayor’s secretary said the mayor didn’t allow it.

Cebu Daily News called up Catbalogan City Mayor Stephany Uy-Tan for an interview. She declined and referred to Catbalogan city administrator Dennis Cosmod to answer questions.

“Mayor Mike is one of the guests together with other regional guests from the Department of Tourism (DOT) and Department of Budget and Management (DBM). There are other awardees such as SM, Roble, Robinsons, Balay Mindanaw, Katbalaugan Foundation,” Cosmod said.

Cosmod said the mayor received a plaque of appreciation from the Catbalogan City government.

“The award was for the support and accommodation of Tribu Katbalaugan during the Sinulog and the help during the typhoons especially Ruby,” he said.

Rama was out of town Monday and Tuesday.  Mayor Tan gave her second State of the City Address (SOCA) at the Samar State University Maceda Gymnasium.

In previous years, Rama was open about his relationship with lawyer girlfriend Jocelyn Pesquera, a former City Councilor, who attended public events  and socials  by the mayor’s side.

However, the picture quietly  changed last year although  Pesquera remains in the mayor’s  close circle and an influential figure in the Cebu city government as a  director in the Metro Cebu Water District and the Mendicancy Commission, a special body under the Office of the Mayor.

The Catbalogan City government on Tuesday  gave awards to best performing departments and employees of the city and the top eight corporate and individual tax payers of the city.

Assistance

During the Sinulog Festival last January, the Cebu City government invited Catbalogan City to join the grand parade.

For the first time, the Catbalogan City government sent a representative, the Tribu Katbalaugan, which won the fourth prize in the Free Interpretation category.

Dance troupe members were given sleeping quarters in one of Cebu City’s public schools like other out-of-town contingents before, during and after the Sinulog Festival.

The Cebu City government also gave a P300,000 financial assistance to Catbalogan City which was affected by typhoon Seniang last January.

Cebu City  gave the same amount to Borongan City in Eastern Samar and the towns of Dumanjug, Alcantara, Ronda and Sibonga in Cebu province.