Cebu City’s hosting of 64th Palaro an answered prayer from Sto. Niño
In a story that will pull at the heartstrings of every devotee of Señor Sto. Niño, Vice President Sara Duterte said Cebu City’s winning the bid to host the 2024 Palarong Pambansa is an answered prayer from the miraculous Holy Child.
Duterte, who is also the secretary of the Department of Education, made this revelation during the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the DepEd and the Cebu City government led by mayor Mike Rama for the staging of the Palarong Pambansa 2024 yesterday at the City Hall.
The momentous ocassion was also graced by vice mayor Raymond Garcia, DepEd assistant secretaries Francis Cesar Bringas and Dexter Galban, DepEd-7 director Salustiano Jimenez, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)-7 director Leocadio Trovela, Philippine Sports Commissioner Ed Hayco, Cebu City Sports Commission (CCSC) chairman John Pages, and councilors Dondon Hontiveros, Jaypee Labella, and Jerry Guardo.
The country’s secondhighest official recounted in her speech that in the course of the bidding process last year, she got a call from Rama about Cebu City’s serious intent to stage the 64th edition of the multi-sport conclave for elementary and high school student-athletes all over the country.
After Rama, Duterte said she received another call from Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia expressing the support of the province on the city’s bid.
But guided by her principle of fairness, Duterte said she only gave her nod out of respect to both Rama and Garcia but did not make any assurance or commitment to Cebu’s top executives.
Duterte made it clear that from the beginning until the end, she did not have a hand in the selection process, much more influence the result.
“I never called the secretariat, I never attended any of their meetings,” said Duterte.
“Grabi akong kulba kay sige ko og tando nila (Rama and Garcia). Mao nagsige gyud ko og ampo sa Sto. Niño,” Duterte continued.
And what a sigh of relief for Duterte when she was informed by the Palarong Pambansa selection committee that Cebu City edged Negros Occidental and Antique province in the bidding and was awarded with the hosting rights of the DepEp-sanctioned games.
“Sa dihang gi-ingnan ko nga ang Cebu City midaog with a unanimous vote, nakaingon ko “thank you Sto. Niño, daghang salamat!”
“Wala gyud nako giimpluwensiyahan ang resulta, you did it on your own,” said Duterte in praise of all those who moved heaven and earth just to bring the annual athletic meet in the Queen City of the South.
It’s the first time for Cebu City to hold the prestigious school-based tilt in 30 years and third overall since 1954. The last time it hosted the event was way back in 1994.