TACLOBAN CITY – Not having a lavish city celebration is a wise decision of the city government and it is welcome to them, according to Pintados founding chairman Roque Tiu when asked to comment on the earlier announcement of Tacloban City Councilor Cristina Romualdez.
“I hope that with this pronouncement and with her previous pronouncements in December last year that they want unity, we will have a more meaningful and peaceful fiesta celebration by allowing every group to contribute their activity in relation to the city fiesta,” Tiu said.
To recall, in the special session held last week, Romualdez announced that it was decided by the committee on tourism of which she chairs not to hold a lavish fiesta celebration to lessen expenses of the city government.
Although it is inevitable to spend during fiesta celebration, Romualdez said that the priority of the city government under Mayor Alfred Romualdez right now is to provide the needs of the people like those who are working in the city government.
Tiu said that ever since the Pintados Festival was organized in 1987, the city government did not spent any amount as it was their foundation that organized all activities related to the city fiesta.
“We never forced them to give us anything, the only thing we have asked from them is to allow us to handle all activities for the city fiesta,” Tiu said.
“We do really want help from the city government but they never gave us anything financially,” Tiu added.
Tiu also revealed that there are officials who always associate the celebration to politics, which cannot be avoided as one of the main
supporters of the Pintados Festival is the provincial government.
“Associating us with politics had been going on since the time of former mayors Uldarico Mate and Bejo Romualdez,” said Tiu.
“What we really want was help from both the province and city governments but when the provincial government lends uswith help the city government abandons us,” Tiu added.
Tiu said that they also solicit supports from the private sector.
He added that the good relation between the Pintados officials and the provincial government had also paved the way for the merging of Pintados to Kasadyaan Festival which is a creation of the provincial governent when now Palo Mayor Remedios “Matin” Petilla was the governor of the province.
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