Gwen Garcia and her suroy-suroy

I went on the recent Suroy-Suroy Sugbo to the north. But my reason for going was not the attractions that supposedly await in the 15 towns there. I come from that side of the province and am already quite familiar with the attributes of the area. Something else in these periodic excursions to the Cebu countryside intrigued me.

They called it the Northern Escapade, a three-day trip that covered the mainland towns of Compostela, Liloan, Carmen, Catmon, Sogod, Borbon, Tabogon, Daanbantayan, Medellin, San Remegio and the cities of Danao and Bogo; and the island towns of Bantayan, Sta. Fe, and Madridejos. Two full tourist buses and several vans left the Cebu Capitol in the early morning of October 16. The tour culminated in the evening of October 18, at the fabulous Amara estate in Liloan.

Aside from the slight differences in the terrains and sceneries of the towns visited, everything was all too similar everywhere throughout the whole trip – from the cultural presentations to the foods that were served the group that consisted mainly of local tourists. Nonetheless, everybody seemed to enjoy it all. I enjoyed watching everybody having fun.

The city folks, the balikbayans and the few foreigners in the tour group had no complaints. Well, none except for the possible added poundage that everybody feared would result from the sumptuous, rich fares at every stop and the little inefficiencies at the resorts where the tourists were booked on their two overnight stays.

I have one complaint myself — the emcees in those short cultural presentations. Terrible on the whole. Adding to their scanty English vocabulary, they talked in a manner that hinted of a lack of understanding in what they were saying. They all – or most of them, at least – sounded frivolous and yet seemed trying to call attention to themselves.

At one particular stop, the lady on the microphone proudly announced, “Our pintos is made from ground rice mixed with milk and sugar,” referring to the sweet local delicacy that their place is famous for. The young Korean guy beside me muttered, “But our tour guide said it’s made from young corn.”

Earlier, in another town, the governor was introduced as “Our beloved mayor—Governor Gwendolyn Garcia!”

Overall, though, the experience was far from being anything one would regret going through. Beneath the superlative claims of each town about itself, there was always some bedrock of fact to find, something that would encourage plans of coming back. It was my first time in many, many years to go back to the north of the province. Seeing the familiar places again, now with fresh eyes, I realized what many interesting features and good prospects there are in them.

A fixture in all Suroy-Suroy trips – whether to the north or to the south, to the east or to the west – is Gwen Garcia. She is the face of Suroy-Suroy Sugbo and is herself a main attraction in it, if not to the tour participants, then to the people of the places in the tour itinerary. Almost whole communities, old people and young children alike, would line up by the roadsides just to have a glimpse of Gwen.

The Capitol boss often gives in to the popular craving for her, frequently getting off her air-conditioned car and daring the scorching heat of the tropical sun, in order to shake hands with, even hug, people along the way. It’s easy to think of it as mere public-relations savvy; after all, she’s a politician and should have plenty of that. But, on the other hand, she could be acting out of sheer humanity. Maybe she understands in her heart that those local folks have been waiting there for long hours, for her.

I am not quite sure what to make of the governor’s impressive conduct during the recent Suroy-Suroy. If it was simply a political performance, it was very well acted. I had seen how it drew multitudes to her. If it was really as sincere as it appeared to be, then is she heaven-sent?

Any hard-nosed cynic, like me, will not immediately buy the messianic image being projected. But the people in the rural areas don’t seem to care about the governor’s true motivations. They’re only too happy to be on the receiving end of projects that the Cebu Capitol spurts out generously nowadays, under her leadership.

Gwen Garcia has star value. She has a pretty face and keeps her body in the right shape. She arrived in Borbon on horseback. She danced with the Palawod Dance Company in Bantayan. People applauded every time.

Perhaps Gwen knows that the masses do not necessarily distinguish between delightful entertainment and good public service, so she tries to give them both. She distributes Capitol-sponsored projects among friendly and non-friendly areas alike. Whether her actions are borne out of pure sentiment for the people or just a political tactic is not certain. But any politician who could do as she does is a winner.

There’s no doubt about the possible economic returns from the Suroy-Suroy project for the localities that participate in it. The local products sold in display booths specially set up around the stopover sites disappear in a few minutes. Vendors sigh in regret that they did not stock up more of their locally made merchandise.

The question, however, is whether the benefits of this Capitol-organized tour of the province justify its cost. The supposed “snacks” served to the large flock of tourists by the host municipalities were actually full meals, usually with a litson baboy (roasted pig) beside the biko (cooked glutinous rice mixed with caramelized coconut milk and sugar) or the puto-maya (glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk), the fried kamote (local sweet potato) or linung-ag saging (boiled banana), green or ripe. The colorful cultural presentations obviously required special costumes, sets and props. This is not to mention the human-resource outlay necessary for setting up everything.

Yet the participating local government units do not seem to mind the cost of their preparations. They view the expenditures as investment – not cost – and do not expect to recover it right away. They look forward to the long-term benefits that the undertaking will hopefully yield for them.

These over-the-weekend trips look like a brilliant concept. It’s highly affordable, in terms of both money and time. There’s a lot to see and discover. The business-minded is sure to think up feasible business ideas fit for the different places along the way. And a lot to learn, too. Any budding politico will certainly learn a few useful techniques just by observing Gwen Garcia’s winning public demeanor in the course of the tour. For the ordinary chap, there are many things to delight in.

These values for the tourist are true with any place in Cebu where the Suroy-Suroy goes. But, if I may recommend, the north is a good place to consider by anyone planning a short trip, to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life, to expand one’s horizons, to find new opportunities, to relax and recharge worn spirits.

Look to the north! Whether you wish to go on your own or join the Suroy-Suroy, you’ll be amazed at what the northern towns have to offer. The Cebu north is not yet so widely known to tourists, except perhaps for the beaches of Bantayan island. This means you won’t have to stand in a long queue.

Suroy-Suroy Sugbo’s Northern Escapade has let me rediscover my own side of the province. But, unfortunately, Gwen Garcia still remains an enigma to me.  

(e-mail: [email protected])