Guv scraps dancesport from provincial meet

Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia has decided to cancel the dancesport competition among public elementary and high schools in the province for the upcoming provincial meet.

This after the governor got irked when personally witnessed students wearing “scanty” costumes and doing “provocative moves” in a dance presentation last Thursday night at the Tuburan cultural complex

The town celebrated the 146th birth anniversary of Gen. Arcadio Maxilom to which town officials invited Garcia to witness the cultural presentation of the students.

Garcia received a plaque of recognition for helping the town to set up the first museum in the province. The governor was told by Vice Mayor Rosemarie Suezo that they would be presenting a cultural dance presentation, the launching of the hymn of the town and a balak or poem.

The governor arrived at the complex at almost 8:30 p.m. where she was warmly greeted by more than a thousand of Tuburanons. She stayed there for almost four hours just to watch the students in their cultural dance presentation.

But Garcia was “displeased” when she saw one student wearing a skimpy costume and some portions of the performance where dancers do provocative dance movements. The students will reportedly join the dancesport competition in the upcoming provincial meet on November 30.

Can no longer bear what she was seeing, the governor graciously stood up and asked permission that she will be leaving.

Mayor Constancio Suezo and his wife, Vice Mayor Rose Suezo claimed they were also surprised when they saw the presentation. “Wala gyud makahibalo ana kay wala man gud na naapil sa program. Nangutana pa gani ko sa gobernador kung siya ba’y nag-sponsor ana (dance sport competition),” the vice mayor told The FREEMAN. It was later learned that school officials inserted the dance sport presentation in the program.

“I’m not trying to compete with the dance sport. Let us not confuse our children,” Garcia said as she clarified that she is not against dancesport but it would be contradicting to her main thrust, which is to promote culture and heritage.

Yesterday morning, the governor talked with the DepEd officials and recommended to scrap the dancesport competition in the upcoming provincial meet.

It is the DepEd concept to have dance competition among the students in the province.

“They (DepEd) are here to teach our children in appreciating our heritage and culture,” Garcia said.

Garcia said that the scrapping of the dance sport competition is not a “statement” against the dancesport. In fact, the governor commended Edward and Eleanor Hayco, the Cebu’s premiere dance- sports couple, who produced champions in the field of dancing.

She said that “give it to the expert” when it comes to dancesports so that proper guidance among the dancers will be monitored.

“Some will say it’s art but for me, there is more art in our dances before they try to learn the culture of others,” the governor explained.

Earlier, Garcia has reminded school officials not to hold school presentations where students wear skimpy and revealing clothes. — Garry B. Lao/WAB (THE FREEMAN)