EDITORIAL - Cebu City is not swimming in money

Now that the Cebu provincial government has backed off from giving assistance to the town of Daanbantayan for the latter's holding of its Haladaya Festival, Mayor Maria Luisa Loot has found and ally in Cebu City officials.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama has supported the idea of giving P500,000 to Daanbantayan for the Haladaya after Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia junked Loot's request for assistance for the event.

The town failed to participate in Capitol's Pasigarbo sa Sugbo this year. This despite the fact that Haladaya's queen had been the Pasigarbo's top beauty last year. Upset over Haladaya's no-show, Garcia refused assistance to the Daanbantayan festival when Loot met her at the Capitol.

A word war ensued when Loot strikes back at the governor after feeling insulted when the latter reportedly berated her for the town's failure to join the Pasigarbo. The issue further intensified when the Cebu City government entered the picture.

A staff of south district Representative Tomas Osmeña reportedly called up Loot to offer P500,000 as assistance from the city government. When Loot accepted the offer, Garcia said she felt "someone" dictated the city to give assistance to the town, apparently referring to Osmeña.

There's nothing wrong with extending aid to the town, according to Rama, who said the city has Big Brother Program which extends help to other cities and municipalities. He said the fact that the Daanbantayan council held a special session to request assistance from Cebu City only shows the town's sincerity to push through with the Haladaya.

The city's move may have stemmed from its principles surrounding the Big Brother Program. But there's no need for it to look for other areas to extend a helping hand.

In the city, thousands of indigents are in need of assistance. And the City Hall should prioritize them, not the tourism event in other local government unit which cannot bring a profit of even a single cent to the city coffers.

This is not to say the city should stay away from giving assistance to Daanbantayan. No one can prevent it from helping stage a successful Haladaya.

But Cebu City is not swimming in money that giving financial aid to other LGUs has already become a practice. Its officials should learn to keep the house in order first.