Garcia, mayors endorse Sim K's "e-governance"

The political rift over the Sugbuak issue momentarily took a backseat when Governor Gwen Garcia, along with 12 of 15 mayors of the second district, yesterday endorsed the e-governance project of Rep. Simeon Kintanar (2nd dist.).

Kintanar was among three congressmen who filed House bills creating new provinces out of the present Cebu, with him proposing his own district to become Cebu del Sur. But these bills became one volatile issue now known as Sugbuak with Garcia on the lead of the antis.

But Kintanar, chairman of House committee on information and communication, recently came up with the e-governance project for his district, which drew his Sugbuak opponents to his side.

Kintanar, with the e-Governance Center of Excellence, yesterday held a workshop for mayors of his district to acquaint them on the technology and usage of the e-governance project, which sets up an online linkage between the towns and the barangays.

He said the project already has P5 million from his Countrywide Development Fund, and P5-million from the National Computer Center. He urged the Capitol to also put up another P5-million as counterpart funds.

The mayors got more interested on the project's Community E-Centers, which are public outlets to be set up in the towns that would provide affordable services such as telephone or fax, Internet or e-mail, computer training, and distance education, among other forms of information technology.

Of the 12 attendees of the workshop, Dumanjug Mayor Cesar Baricuatro was not there but he sent a representative. Three mayors who were absent were from the towns of Alcoy, Alegria, and Boljoon.

All of them however were known allies of Garcia so when Kintanar asked for their support of the project, they immediately held a consultation meeting on the matter with the governor, at a coffee shop of the hotel where the Kintanar workshop was held.

Garcia eventually asked them to sign a one-page manifesto endorsing the project. All the mayors present signed it except for Argao Mayor Wilfredo Caminero.

Kintanar, for his part, clarified that his project, despite the support of Garcia and the mayors, did not mean he is abandoning his bill creating a new province off his district.

But Garcia and the mayors countered that their support to the project also did not mean they are abandoning their opposition against the Sugbuak issue.

They also said they endorsed the project because it strengthens the reason why Sugbuak should not be pursued anymore. E-governance unites Cebuanos so why should we divide under several provinces, they argued. - Ferliza C. Contratista and Fred P. Languido