DILG Sec lauds R’Cebu exhibit, inspires Cebu mayors to showcase ‘galing ng Pinoy’

MINERVA BC NEWMAN

CEBU CITY – Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) secretary Benjamin Abalos, Jr. lauded the partnership of the Cebu Province and Robinsons Galleria to come up with R’Cebu project that was borne out of the pandemic, showcasing “kung gaano kagaling ang Pinoy.”

Abalos was the guest of honor during Friday’s, opening of the R’Cebu Garbo sa Sugbo exhibit featuring the local products, services and tourism advantage of the towns of Minglanilla, San Fernando and Sibonga and the Cities of Talisay, Naga and Carcar.  The R’Cebu-Garbo sa Sugbo’ exhibit runs from July 15 to 17 at the Robinsons Galleria in Cebu.

“What struck me the most of this project is that it was born a year ago, at the height of the pandemic.  The trademark of this project is that it was created in the midst of adversity, that came out good emerging a strong local governance and a stronger leader in the person of governor Gwen Garcia,” Abalos said.

Abalos said, this was his first time to be in a project where products, services and tourism destinations of the local government units (LGUs) are displayed and showcased for the public to know, appreciate and buy thus, creating a chain of economic reaction from livelihood to more income.

He added that as DILG secretary, he will talk with all the mayors in the country, get their concerns and encourage them to replicate R’Cebu in their respective LGUs as he toured the exhibits and watched all the cultural presentations with Garcia and Cebu’s first district mayors and officials.

“Let the pandemic be an inspiration for the nation to come back economically. Now is our time to show gaano kagaling ang Filipino, unity and economic recovery are the President’s primary goal for our country,” Abalos said.

Meanwhile, Cebu governor Gwendolyn Garcia, in her message during Friday’s R’Cebu event recalled how this project evolve a year ago to the present.  She said, DILG secretary Abalos is here and appreciates what Cebu is doing now, perhaps DILG will now work with us LGUs.

“What a long way we have gone amid the gloom of the pandemic a year ago. It was dark before but, we refuse to give up. All the seven districts in the Province had already done their 1st round and now it is their 2nd round for R’Cebu exhibit, that is what ‘Garbo sa Sugbo’ is all about,” Garcia said.

She added that it is always Cebu’s pride (Garbo sa Sugbo) to get united in times of hardships and adversities such as the pandemic and typhoon Odette, into one voice, one action, one direction. 

The Sugboanon steadily defied rules of the pandemic, they refused to lose hope. “Enough is enough!” Garcia said because ang kinabuhi nanginahanglan sad of panginabuhi, (living and livelihood are inter-connected).

“So, we are here again today, despite the pandemic, despite Odette, or perhaps because of these gloom and doom that we experienced, Cebu declared, we are moving on and moving forward because we are Sugbuanons, Garbo sa Sugbo,” Garcia beamed in conclusion.(Photos: MBCNewman)