GMA in another whirlwind visit to Cebu

There may be a political turmoil swirling around the nation’s capital, with another impeachment complaint brought once more against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (GMA). Speaker Jose de Venecia (who is also having his own troubles with the Ombudsman) had to inhibit himself, allowing Deputy Speaker Raul del Mar (Cebu north district) to do the honors of transmitting this new complaint to the House committee on justice. Honestly, we’re all sick and tired of all this political circus. But given the fealty of JDV, I doubt if this impeachment complaint would prosper.

Meanwhile, GMA breezed into Cebu and Bohol last Friday. First she choppered to San Miguel, Bohol for the inauguration of the Bayongan Dam-Bohol Irrigation Phase 1. I haven’t seen this new dam, but this was approved during our time with the Regional Development Council (RDC-7). However, I was in the Ubay livestock farm last month where another dam is now in use, collecting water and distributing it to many farmlands... thus increasing agriculture production in areas which were considered arid.

Then the President flew to the Tsuneishi shipyards in the western coast of Cebu in Balamban where she launched a brand new “made-in-Cebu” vessel dubbed “Hoegh Manila” built by the Tsuneishi Heavy Industries Cebu Inc. The President also graced the birthday bash of Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn F. Garcia where most of us waited for the presidential entourage to arrive after the 11 a.m. Mass officiated by Msgr. Boy Alesna with Fr. Dan de los Angeles. It was a happy moment with Gov. Gwen thanking GMA for all she had done for Cebu that no other president ever did.

There is no question that the President is still enormously popular in Cebu and I’m sure she feels so much at home in the company of friends as most of her enemies are not from here. As I entered the capitol building, I saw a troop of helmeted policemen complete with shields, but they weren’t needed, as there were no rallies conducted against the President.

It was also the first time that I met our new Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. who only knew me because he once responded to our article about the preservation of all spoken languages in this country. When he saw me, he stood up as if we had known each other and indeed, we talked like we were old friends.

On the table with Secretary Teodoro were GSIS chairman Winston Garcia and another good friend, Education Secretary Jesli Lapus. We all talked about the return of the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) and we were all in unison in saying that it’s about time we brought discipline back to our schools that are wracked with warring fraternities. Coincidentally Cebu first district Rep. Eduardo “EddieGul” Gullas dropped by our table and we told him that we support his bill on the return of the ROTC. Indeed, there’s still a lot more for GMA to do to make this country a better nation.

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I also bumped into Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano and thanked him for his support and asked him to help big bikers boost local tourism. That bit of good news actually came from the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) that finally lifted the ban on big bikes using the country’s expressways which include the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and South Luzon Expressways (SLEX) for as long as their use is limited to motorcycles with a minimum engine of 400cc.

This is great news for many big bikers from the south, who vowed not to return to Luzon because that ban on motorcycles would force them to use the old national roads, which are clogged with jeepneys and tricycles. If you think about it, using those roads poses a higher risk for accidents to happen. I’m glad that the DOTC had a change of heart, especially after the Supreme Court upheld its ban.

However, we did make our own personal appeal first to our good friend Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano that this ban was detrimental to local tourism. With the country experiencing a steady economic growth, many people ride to Luzon on their big bikes for a vacation. This means the motorcycle companies, which are now selling those Honda XRMs or Suzuki Raiders, should now think of selling 400cc big bikes so that many riders can use those high-speed expressways.

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Tomorrow the 8th Motor Show Cebu will open its doors to the public at the spanking new Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) in Mandaue City. This motor show will feature the best cars and motorcycles you can find in Cebu and that include all the brand new cars on the market. See you there!

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For e-mail responses to this article, write to [email protected]. Bobit Avila’s columns can also be accessed through www.philstar.com. He also hosts a weekly talkshow, “Straight from the Sky,” shown every Monday, 8 p.m., only in Metro Cebu on Channel 15 of SkyCable.