Gwen to visit 21 churches in two-day "Visita Iglesia"

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia is set to visit today at least 21 parishes in the south as part of her annual observance of the Holy Week.

Garcia started her annual “visita iglesia” or church visit even before she became governor.

Garcia has made it a yearly obligation to make a ten-minute stop in every town she visits and pray one mystery of rosary together with the officials of the town.

Garcia will begin her church visit at the St. Catherine Parish Church in Carcar City.

From Carcar, Garcia will traverse to Barili in the midwest down south in Dumanjug, Ronda, Alcantara, Moalboal and Badian.

Around 40 minutes stop at the Badian Municipal Hall for lunch before proceeding to St. Joseph Parish Church in Barangay Madridejos in Alegria at 1:00 in the afternoon and the St. Francis Xavier Parish Church in Poblacion, Alegria then in Malabuyoc, Ginatilan and the two parishes in Samboan then in Santander.

A holy mass will be held at the Immaculada Concepcion Parish Church in Oslob at 4:00 in the afternoon before proceeding to the southeastern churches in Nueva Caceres, Oslob; Boljoon, Alcoy, Dalaguete and in Argao.

The last church to be visited is the Nuestra Señora del Pilar Parish Church in Sibonga where Mayor Lionel Bacaltos will host the governor for dinner at his residence.

Meanwhile, come Capitol department heads and employees ended their half-day work yesterday at the Cebu South Bus Terminal where Garcia personally inspected the facility.

Garcia mingled with the passengers in boarding some buses and sat in dining tables where some were eating their lunch.

Garcia commended the CSBT management for orderly set up of the terminal which she said a big improvement compared in the past years.

In Medellin, a new Easter Sunday activity will be experienced by vacationers in northern Cebu.

The Municipality of Medellin has offered a unique activity called the “Amazing Race-Medellin” as part of Mayor Ricardo “Ricky” Ramirez’s efforts to promote the town as a must-see tourist destination.

Seen for so long as mere sugarland, Medellin’s image has been re-invented as the “eco-adventure tourism capital of northern Cebu.”

The activity, in cooperation with Habagat Outdoors, is open to 20 three-member teams who will have the chance to grab cash prizes and a chance to tour Medellin’s amazing tourist spots while doing the race.

With race director Allan Salazar and race course-setter Ramon Vidal of Habagat, the teams will have to hurdle a series of “missions” starting 8 in the morning to 6 p.m. on Sunday, April 24.

The event will bring racers to a mandatory cruise at the scenic Dagusungan River using a rubber tube, while more excitement awaits them at the magnificent Gibitngil Island.— (FREEMAN)