Gwen attending Daanbantayan festival

CEBU, Philippines - Three years after their falling out, Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia and Daanbantayan Mayor Maria Luisa Loot will face each other today in time for the staging of the northern town’s Haladaya Festival.

Garcia’s chief of staff, Elizabeth Francia, told The FREEMAN that Dame Mariquita Salimbangon-Yeung invited the governor.

Yeung is a closed friend of both Garcia and Loot and sister of fourth district Rep. Benhur Salimbangon. The FREEMAN failed to reach Loot on her phone.

Garcia missed the occasion since 2010 after she berated Loot at the Capitol when the latter asked for financial assistance for the festival set for their town fiesta. The governor asked Loot why Daanbantayan, which has always been a top performer, failed to cooperate in that year’s Pasigarbo sa Sugbo Festival of Festivals.

The governor said she was mad because even the smaller towns of Pilar and Tudela in the Camotes group of islands joined the event despite having to cross the sea to get to the venue at the Cebu International Convention Center in Mandaue City.

Haladaya Festival was recognized as one of the best festivals in the Pasigarbo sa Sugbo Festival of Festival in 2008 and 2009.

While the town no longer participated in the event in 2010, it joined the 2011 Sinulog Festival in Cebu City.

Since that incident at the governor’s ofice, Loot promised not to step inside the Capitol anymore.

Loot ran under One Cebu Party in 2010 elections but opted out of the party after the Capitol incident over for not participating the activities of the Province of Cebu.

This prompted Loot to declare support of the tandem of Hilario Davide III and Vice Governor Agnes Magpale of Liberal Party in next year’s elections.

Last month, the Garcia family reportedly appealed to Loot to support One Cebu Party in the 2013 elections which Loot already turned down.

Loot said that she was approached by 2nd district Rep. Pablo “Pabling” Garcia, the governor’s father, who hoped she would set aside differences with the governor.

She said that Pabling contacted her through Ronda Mayor Mariano Blanco.    - THE FREEMAN