While President Arroyo wooed Cebuanos by announcing major projects left and right, Poe, skirting Cebu City where she was, had to content himself with dealing out promises in the cities of Danao and Talisay.
Mrs. Arroyo announced that she has signed the Leyte-Cebu power interconnection which she said would solve the looming power crisis in the province and that by Monday, the whole of Bantayan Island will enjoy 50 megawatts of additional power.
The President said she recognizes the need of Cebu’s fast growing economy for more power and water.
She said the Leyte-Cebu interconnection upgrading project would plow in an additional 200 megawatts of power for Cebu, enough to solve its looming power crisis.
She also signed a memorandum of understanding to preserve and enhance the Luyang River watershed in Carmen and to generate an additional 50,000 cubic meters of water for the Metropolitan Cebu Water District.
Mrs. Arroyo also hobnobbed with the high and the mighty, inducting the new officers of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry at the Cebu City Marriott Hotel and then promising the titans of industry improved peace and order to improve the economy.
She handed out a P5-million check to Mandaue City Mayor Thadeo Ouano for the improvement of the Mandaue City District Hospital.
She also flirted with the urban poor, announcing that she has allocated half-a-billion pesos for a community mortgage program that would give them a chance to own the private lands that they occupy.
In a dig at Poe, who is a high school dropout and who has never held office, Mrs. Arroyo, trying to strike a familiar chord with Cebuanos, told a crowd of the urban poor in Guadalupe that "sa usa ka nasud, importante gyud ang eksperyensiya (for a country, experience is important)."
As she inaugurated the Cebu South Coastal Road, a major component of the P2.8-billion Japanese-funded South Reclamation Project, Mrs. Arroyo said more projects of this sort would be given to Cebu if she is given a fresh mandate by the people.
"This is just a downpayment for Cebu. If given a chance, for the next installment, Cebu will have more projects. These are not promises but results. I am the better option for Cebu to have power, water and infrastructure. I am challenging my opponents to say that they could have done better than what I have done," she said.
In Danao City, whose leaders, the Duranos, are for Mrs. Arroyo, Poe pulled a surprise by gathering a crowd of about 10,000. This fired up the actor to promise change and true service to the people.
Poe recalled having filmed scenes for one of his movies in Danao and thanked its residents. — Freeman News Service