Committee formed to help in 2021 fete

CEBU, Philippines — The Lapu-Lapu City government has formally constituted the Mactan Quincentennial Committee to assist the National Quincentennial Committee (NQC) in implementing various activities for the 500th anniversary of the Victory of Mactan on April 27, 2021.

The members of the local steering committee took their oath of office yesterday.

Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard Chan, who heads the said committee, said in a press conference after the oath-taking ceremony that even if President Rodrigo Duterte will not join the celebration, it will still not affect the events.

Chan cited the need to organize a local committee that will assist the NQC in rolling out its plans and programs that will zero in on the Island of Mactan, starting with the countdown to the quincentennial celebration of the Battle of Mactan.

“The Island of Mactan is a focal place in commemorating the 500 years of the Battle of Mactan. Many of the celebrations prepared by the NQC will always zero in on the island. Therefore, I see the need to formalize the team that will take care of the various plans for Mactan-specific, Mactan-centric celebrations,” said Chan.

Under the EO, Chan’s wife, Cindi, will be the co-chairwoman, being the first lady of the city. Vice Mayor Celedonio “Celsi” Sitoy will be vice chairman and City Tourism Officer Edward Mendez will be secretary.

Four members of the committee will come from the private sector, while specifically identified to become members are the regional director of the Department of Tourism, representatives from the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Cebu and the Department of Education, and the mayor of Cordova town. The city police chief will serve as sergeant-at-arms, who will advise the committee with the peace and security preparations of the celebration.

Chan also emphasized that the committee will perform only coordinative functions, with a specific task to coordinate with the NQC in laying down plans and programs that are special to the city.

With the constitution of the MQC, the mayor said that the residents of this historic city can expect a lot of the activities and programs that will eventually tap officials from the 30 barangays, the hotels and restaurants, the students, the youth, the local historians, and other stakeholders in the island. — BRP (FREEMAN)