With the national elections just around the corner, candidates vying for the national posts are picking up the pace with their “campaigns.” However, it would be wrong to say they are campaigning because if they did, technically, they could be disqualified by the Commission on Elections for prematurely doing so. Suffice it to say, they are making themselves visible to the public as much as possible.

Among the presidential candidates spotted during the tourism tour were Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro and co-presidential aspirant Manny Villar’s running mate, Loren Legarda.

It’s no secret these aspirants hope to get the endorsement of Cebu’s lady governor, Gwen Garcia. In fact, Loren dropped hints during the tour’s stop in the town of Malabuyoc. Loren believes that she and the lady governor share similar views and advocacies, not to mention both of them are women leaders.

Loren is grateful for the chance to visit and tour Cebu like this, and spoke well of the provincial government’s efforts to showcase the different towns of Cebu. She adds that she plans to replicate the tour in Antique where her aunt is Gov. Sally Perez.

Joining Gibo and Loren are senatorial candidates Gilbert Remulla and Gwen Pimentel, who are similarly seeking the lady governor’s blessings and endorsement. Specifically, Ms. Pimentel hopes to have the governor’s endorsement, saying it is very important to her. Gwen Pimentel is the daughter of Sen. Nene Pimentel.

The three-day Suroy-Suroy Sugbo tour attended by these candidates passed through the towns of Oslob, Santander, Ginatilan, Malabuyoc, Samboan, Moalboal, Badian and Alegria where they were served with delicacies.

Truly, the Suroy-Suroy Sugbu tour is one of the best avenues of showcasing the beauty and culture of Cebu. For inquiries about Suroy-Suroy Sugbu, you may call Provincial Tourism Office at (032)253-5642 and (032)253-3766 (updated 04/27/2012)