One good news for Cebu that came from the Tholons 2018 Service Globalization Index was we are now on the 11th place in the world’s top Super Cities. Let me take a quote from The FREEMAN’s banner news article on Wednesday, which said: “Cebu needs to work harder if it wants to return to its 8th place ranking as most preferred outsourcing destination in the world in 2016. Still, landing 11th is no mean feat, as the city competed against big cities in the world, including Bangalore (1), Metro Manila (2), Mumbai (3), New Delhi (4), Hyderabad (5), Krakow (6), Dublin (7), Pune (8), Montevideo (9) and Buenos Aires (10), said Wilfredo Sa-a, Jr., managing director of the Cebu IT/BPM Organization or CIBO.”
According to the report, “most of the cities in the Top 10 have between three million to 26 million in population with the exception of Krakow, Poland and Dublin, Ireland. Metro Cebu, on the other hand, only has about 2.5 million people. Cebu is ahead of Singapore, Seoul, and even Tokyo in the 2018 Top 100 Super Cities. Tholons Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Avinash Vashistha suggested that Cebu catch up in developing its infrastructure support, as well as in building up its innovation ecosystem if it were to aspire in improving its ranking as one of the top 10 Super Cities in the world.”
Actually, these Super Cities are the cities that play host to the I.T. industry, which is mostly dominated by Indian cities. I’m just surprised that Metro Manila has gotten the second top slot of these Super Cities. Cebu was No. 8 in the previous Tholons surveys. Frankly speaking, I really can’t tell whether our 11th position is a plus factor or not. But that Cebu is still on this enviable list is good enough.
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One good news coming from President Rodrigo Duterte was that the growth in his stomach is not cancerous but cirrhosis. That may be due to his drinking problem during his younger days. I’m sure that this good news wasn’t received well by the Yellowtards who are hoping that Leni Robredo might take over the role of the president if Duterte had a medical problem that could force him to take a leave of absence.
With the midterm polls coming soon, Duterte last Tuesday disclosed the names of six Cabinet members who might run in next year’s elections. They are Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Cayetano, Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque, political affairs adviser Francis Tolentino, Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castriciones, Presidential Assistant Christopher Go and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority Director General Guiling Mamondiong. This is what the President told the Malacañang Press Corps.
So with this news, people want to know whether it would mean a Cabinet revamp. So far, the president said he has a name for the person to take over Secretary Cayetano. Meanwhile, the name of Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo was brought up to be the next Press Secretary. At least we know that a Cabinet revamp would certainly take place when the 2019 election campaign kicks off.
Meanwhile, Duterte heaped praises on Tolentino, a former Metro Manila Development Authority chief, saying he has been efficient as a point person during disasters. So Tolentino is part of the pro-Duterte senatorial bets. Let me point out that while they all belong to the Duterte administration, it doesn’t really mean that they are going to win their case against the opposition senators. This is the initial list of senatoriables with a good chance of running for senator because Duterte mentioned their names. I would like to see the list of senatoriables from the Liberal Party so we can sort of prioritize their names as to who would be good for the Senate.
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October is considered by the Catholic Church as the month of the Blessed Virgin Mary, most especially that it is the Holy Month of the Rosary. So there is a Fatima 101 Marian Symposium with the theme “Re-live Her Messages & Prophecies of Our Times” this coming Saturday October 13, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the 11th floor of Express Inn on Jones Avenue. Those who are Marian followers, please attend this in order to relive the many things that our Blessed Virgin Mary prophesied for our future.