Celebrating a milestone

Allow me to share a milestone with our readers as today is the eighth anniversary of our Talkshow, Straight from the Sky when we featured our first guest, then Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas. To be totally honest about it, this show was given to me courtesy of SkyCable’s former general manager Gerardo “Boybo” Villanueva and Angie Verdan who is currently the General Manager of the Cebu Port Authority. I consider these two the parents of our show.

I never had any background on broadcast media having been a journalist for more than ten years at the time. But Angie and Boboy saw a potential in my person, hence Straight from the Sky was born. The name was taken from this column, “Shooting Straight” and mated with SkyCable’s name. Of course, back then critics would whisper that our show would not last the year 2000. I guess that was due to the reality about talk shows done in Cebu, they make a big bang and fizzle out a few months later.

But by God’s grace we are now having our 420th show on our eighth year and we can only thank our thousands of loyal televiewers for keeping the faith. We thank most especially our four hundred plus guests and, yes, our advertisers and of course, we couldn’t have done this show without our TV crew and the prodding of Ms. Glenda Descuatan of SkyCable. We will be showing our 8th anniversary show this coming Monday featuring Globe Telecom’s Corporate Social Responsibility something we have been advocating that all corporations ought to adopt.

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Talking about milestones, today the Cebu Normal University (CNU) will confer a degree Doctor of Humanities, Honoris Causa to three exemplary Cebuanos, namely, Gov. Gwen F. Garcia, Honorary Consul Roberto E. Aboitiz of the Netherlands for the Visayas and Mindanao and Canadian Honorary Consul Robert O. Lee, chairman of the Asian Center for Couples and Families during the CNU 79th graduation rites at the Cebu International Convention Center.

I can’t agree more with CNU’s choice for indeed, these three people are exemplary citizens of Cebu. Just to name a few of Gov. Gwen’s accomplishments, under her the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office handed out wheelchairs and crutches to 85 persons. With her partner board member Agnes Magpale she signed PB ordinance no. 2005-18 creating the Women Development Code of the Province of Cebu, which upholds the rights of women either in the workplace or in their homes signed into law last October 2005 including the Children’s Code of Cebu, which Magpale also authored. Her Suroy-Suroy Tourism program has given the whole Province of Cebu a real taste of our tourism boom and a revival of Cebuano culture.

This is not to mention that under her watch, the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center has become an example for all government jail facilities to emulate. Being a prisoner in the CPDRC today means you have a good chance to be rehabilitated. If I wrote all the accomplishments of Gov. Garcia since she took over the reins of power at the Province of Cebu, honestly I would run out of space.

Another conferee is our dear friend Consul Robert O. Lee, who is without any doubt the most active honorary consul in Cebu representing Canada. Because he is hyperactive, then ambassador Peter Sutherland came to Cebu so many times where people thought he already held office here. Because of Consul Lee’s conferment of this Honoris Causa Canadian Ambassador Robert Desjardins will be here tomorrow to celebrate with Consul Lee.

Last but not the least is our good friend Consul Roberto E. Aboitiz Chairman and CEO of many Aboitiz Companies who also doubles as Honorary Consul of the Netherlands. Sir Bobby is a major pillar in the nation’s Business and industry, running transport, business parks, shipyards and the Aboitiz Equity Ventures (AEV) which is in the forefront of the power industry all over the country. But closer to his heart; he is head of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (RAFI) that gives a social conscience to the numerous Aboitiz business concerns whose Corporate Social Responsibility is now being duplicated by many multi-national companies.

But to his friends in the Easyriders Motorcycle Club, Bobby is just one of the guys who carries the aura of a responsible biker —that riding two wheels doesn’t have to be stereotyped as reckless and irresponsible. He even carried his CSR advocacy into the Easyrider’s annual “Ride of a Lifetime” program where the bikers allow young kids to ride their big bikes after giving them a party, complete with gifts and food. Congratulations are in order for all of CNU’s conferees. May your tribe increase!

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