Let’s be prepared for the end of the month

For our special presentation on our talk show “Straight from the Sky” we finally got to interview Cebu’s most powerful couple; 5th District Congressman Rep. Duke and Liloan Mayor Christina Garcia Frasco. I dare say they are a powerful couple simply because not only is Mayor Christina the daughter of Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia, but as Liloan mayor she succeeded making this sleepy town into a vibrant first-class town. She is one of the most active mayors in Cebu and I haven’t heard a single complaint about how she runs Liloan.

As far as former Liloan Mayor and now 5th District Rep. Duke Frasco is concerned, a year ago, he achieved a political miracle of sorts in winning the 5th District which has been held by the Durano Family for 70 years! Mind you, his victory is not because of his family’s business, Titay’s Rosquillos, but rather because the people of the 5th District finally realized there was a young politician who can help improve their lot, and more importantly they have a millennial couple running the government in just a year.

I will never forget that during his first term as Mayor of Liloan, he installed a state-of-the-art street lighting system that you would only see in the streets of American cities and you know that you are already in Liloan when the streets suddenly lights up as if it was daytime. To be perfectly honest, it has taken me two years to get the Frasco couple for an interview. So finally, I had to go to Liloan to catch them for this interview on my show.

So watch this very interesting show with Rep. Duke and Mayor Christina Frasco on SkyCable’s channel 53 at 8 p.m. with replays on Wednesday and Saturday same time and channel. We also have replays on MyTV’s channel 30 at 9 p.m. Monday and at 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. on Wednesday and Friday.

* * *

Yes, I was able to travel to Liloan to interview Rep. Duke and his wife Mayor Christina. It was to be my longest drive in three months and an opportunity to check our border patrols. Most of our border guards are very courteous and calm, but strict in implementing who should be able to pass through as long as they have their IDs.

On the way to Liloan, we overtook a funeral cortege, perhaps to bury the dead at the Manila Memorial Park. I honestly thought that funeral corteges were no longer allowed, especially in these ECQ times. Anyway, I hope they will change this age-old tradition that we Filipino have been doing since time immemorial.

Incidentally, we learned that Cebu City and Mandaue City will remain under strictest quarantine since the number of cases of COVID-19 remains high, even as restrictions in business and travel in many parts of the country begin to ease. In Resolution No. 37 dated May 15, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) placed Cebu City under Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) until May 31.

Mandaue City was originally under General Community Quarantine (GCQ), based on an earlier IATF resolution.

Meanwhile, Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes posted on the city’s Facebook page, saying his constituents will continue to receive stay-at-home kits. So Cebu City and Mandaue City prefer to be under ECQ. In the meantime, there are now 1,715 COVID-19 cases in Cebu City.

But to be totally honest about this situation, I earnestly hope that Cebu City and Mandaue City will no longer entertain any extension of ECQ beyond the May 31st deadline. I have always insisted that our fatality rate or death toll has remained at 11 people dead, which is very low as far as statistics are concerned. What is of higher priority now that we have two weeks to go until the end of the month is to prepare to restore our sagging economy. One of the biggest economic growth drivers for Cebu is our tourism industry and even if we open up by month’s end, tourism isn’t going to be restored perhaps until six months from today. So no more excuses, please!