Garcia: Cebu, Jeju sisterhood to open good opportunities

CEBU, Philippines — Governor Gwendolyn Garcia is looking forward to more opportunities for Cebu constituents after the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province of South Korea last June 14, 2024.

In the recent MOU signing at the Cebu Provincial Capitol for the sisterhood relations between Cebu and Jeju Province, Garcia assured the delegation led by Governor Oh Young-hun that their current partnership will benefit their constituents and no one else.

I say this with all frankness and honesty, if you deal with the Province of Cebu, there are no other hidden agenda, Garcia said.

In a dialogue, the spokesperson of Jeju Provincial Government, Yeo Chang-soo, asked Garcia about Cebu s autonomy from the central government.

Garcia explained that the Philippines government system follows Republic Act 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991, which is an act granting local government units (LGU) to have autonomy, empowering them to come up with their own policies and ordinances that would benefit the constituencies in their towns, cities, or provinces.

Garcia, in jest, further added that Cebu is the only one with a hard-headed governor.

Maybe you only heard that it s only the Province of Cebu, even though the law allows for all local government units to exercise local autonomy but however it would seem that theres only one hard-headed governor,  she said.

Garcia stressed that she feels that it has always been her duty that the local autonomy is respected by the national government.

Province of Cebu sets the policy without interference from the other government agencies that may wish to come in and further delay the project, Garcia said.

The governor also shared that being a hard-headed governor or exercising the local autonomy have made them explore and push their limit to have the country s first Public Private Partnership (PPP). With this, Garcia said it is a welcoming signal to businesses in Jeju who wish to enter a PPP with the Province of Cebu.

In fact, she shared that they are in partnership with a foreign company for a 150-megawatt Solar Farm and the province is also in talks with foreign partners for a subway and an expressway as a diversion road linking southern and northern Cebu.

We exercise charm to get what we wish, and if we cannot get it, we let the dragon come out, said Garcia lightheartedly.

The MOU between the two provinces aims to boost cooperation in tourism, trade, and agriculture.

The possibility of opening direct flights from Cebu to Jeju, and vice versa, was also part of the discussion.

Garcia invited the delegation of Jeju Province to visit Cebu again in its 455th Anniversary as a province on August this year. — /ATO (FREEMAN)