Why is Governor Garcia an effective leader?

Governor Gwen is a bundle of guts, grit, and gumption. She is geeky and giddy. And no one dares cross her path or they would be put in place. The eldest child of the late governor and deputy speaker Pablo Garcia and Judge Esperanza “Inday” Fiel Garcia has proven to all and sundry that the first woman governor of Cebu can make the impossible happen. And her achievements speak for themselves.

It was the great Margaret Thatcher who said: “If you want something said, ask a man. If you want something done, ask a woman.” Michelle Obama said: “There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish”. And the iconic Maya Angelou once exclaimed: “I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life’s a bitch. You’ve got to go out and kick ass.” Governor Gwen Garcia is one who combines all these qualities; action-oriented, performance-driven, a hands-on leader, and equipped with guts, grit and gumption. Her favorite mantra is “Buhat ang pasultihon, dili sulti and pabuhaton.” Which means that action, indeed, speaks better than words. Cebu is very fortunate to have elected an amazing woman as its 25th and 27th governor.

The Garcias are from both Dumanjug of the 7th District and Barili of the 3rd District. That is why her father used to be a representative of both districts one after the other. She was born in October under the sign of Libra. That is why she is hardworking, achievement-driven, results-oriented, and is never an ivory tower strategist or dreamer. She is a perfect Libran, always moving, changing, evolving. That is why men who cannot cope with her pace and stamina and would either withdraw or distance themselves in fear. She needs a man who is strong, powerful, and daring. She hates people who are lazy, inept, and lacking in energy, passion, and enthusiasm. If you work for her, you better shape up or prepare to ship out.

Governor Gwen can be a very demanding boss, but deep within her, she is really a loving and nurturing woman. Being born during the Chinese zodiac year of the Wooden Sheep, she is hard like a piece of mangkono or ironwood outside, but really soft and loving sheep inside. She can be the most loyal friend but she can also be the most dangerous and lethal enemy. Before Libra is the sign of Scorpio which has a very deadly and poisonous venom. Her father trained her well. She was made a consultant on systems promotion and development and later, on financial affairs. Earlier, she was sent to the best schools, St. Theresa’s College and later in UP for her AB in Broadcast Communication. She also studied Law in UP but did not pursue it. She has a number of honorary doctorate degrees too. What matters most is not credentials but performance.

Governor Gwen was first elected governor in 2004 succeeding her father with a plurality of only 7,000 votes. But in 2007, she won with an overwhelming majority of 500,000. In 2010, she prevailed over Junjun Davide by more than 100,000. Term-limited, Governor Gwen ran and won handily as representative of the 3rd District. In 2019, she came back by beating Agnes Magpale and was reelected in 2022 where she won in all towns and cities, except in the city of her opponent. But even in Danao, she garnered a large chunk of votes. Why is Governor Gwen invincible? Not because of words, or promises. Her achievements are hard to beat. My column space is never enough to enumerate everything that she has done. Today, Cebu is well-respected, well-admired, and well-recognized because of her leadership.

Well, even her enemies admire her for her guts, grit, and gumption. People are amazed by her courage, determination, and aggressiveness. She is never afraid to trade barbs with Cabinet members or some Manila-based technocrats who have no knowledge of what is happening on the ground here. For those who don’t know her well, she is the woman they would easily hate or would rather avoid. But to the ones who really know Governor Gwen, she is the lady, the girl, and the female ally one would love to be with and treasure as a friend. I will visit her on October 23 and greet her a belated happy birthday. Governor Gwen is one of Cebu’s most precious jewels. It is hard to find another one.