CEBU, Philippines - This year Talisay City celebrates its 12th Charter Day without the usual fanfare.
The two-day celebration started last night but organizers did not send invitations to top Capitol officials as it was their wont in past celebrations.
Governor Gwendolyn Garcia or acting Gov. Agnes Magpale was present.
City administrator Ritchel Bacaltos confirmed that suspended governor, her brother, Rep. Pablo John, or Magpale were invited.
He said the city understood situation at the Capitol.
“We did not invite them because of the situation right now,†Bacaltos said.
However, the city invited Provincial Board Member Julian Daan and acting vice governor PB member Sergio Restauro. Both Daan and Restauro hail from Talisay City.
Only Rep. Eduardo Gullas, who fathered the bill which converted Talisay into a city, was given a space in the program for his Charter Day message.
Talisay City, which celebrates its Charter Day every 12th of January, became a component city on Dec. 30, 2000 by virtue of Republic Act 8979, which Gullas authored.
Gullas said he is grateful to Talisay residents for giving him a chance to serve them as their first elected city mayor from 2001 to 2004.
On his third and last term as district representative, Gullas will run again as city mayor in the May elections.
Aside from Gullas, Restauro, and Daan, the city extended invitations to private and public sectors, non-government organizations, national agencies in the city, and school administrators.
Mayor Socrates Fernandez, who is on his third and last term, said the city has moved forward after 12 years of citihood.
Fernandez cited the rehabilitation of thousands of landless and homeless residents, free medical assistance to the poor and sick through health cards, livelihood through free training for brief skill courses, providing salaries for volunteer school teachers, funding for teachers and equipment for Talisay City College, and construction of government cemeteries.
“All these are done without fanfare but offered for alleviation of marginal and unfortunate members of our community,†Fernandez said.
Today’s Charter Day celebration carries the theme “Talisay City-12 years of achievements moving towards greater heights.â€
Today’s celebration includes the celebration of the Eucharistic Mass. (FREEMAN)