By: Sheila Covarrubias
ZAMBOANGA CITY, May 29, (PIA) - - Zamboangueños
have found a committed ambassador of goodwill in the person of former actress
and incumbent Parañaque City Councilor Alma Moreno, who is bent in helping the
city in its campaign to correct misperceptions about Zamboanga.
Moreno,
who is president of the Philippine Councilors League (PCL) is in Zamboanga City
together with the PCL National Chairman and Tagum City Councilor Allan Zulueta
and other PCL officers to prepare the groundwork for the holding of the PCL’s
National Assembly with some 2,000 participants in the city from September
12-14.
Moreno
and her group, accompanied by Councilors Rudy Lim and Abdurahman Nuño, met with
Mayor Celso Lobregat in City Hall yesterday morning to seek the mayor’s support
to the scheduled event.
“Nandito
po kami para humingi ng tulong kay Mayor (Lobregat) at payagan gawin dito (sa
Zamboanga) ang 3rd Assembly ng PCL from Sept. 12-14. Ito ho ang
pagkakataon para ipakita na ang Zamboanga City ay napakaganda at hindi ho
magulo at napakabait ang mga tao rito”, the PCL president said addressing city
government employees during the flag raising ceremony in front of City Hall
yesterday morning per request from Mayor Lobregat.
In
an interview with reporters afterwards, the former actress showed no qualms in
talking about the many things that Zamboanga has to offer and how infatuated
she is with the city and its people citing her numerous visits before.
She
admitted that reports reaching Manila and other parts of the country say that
Zamboanga is a troubled area in view of bombing incidents but stressed that she
herself has proven these reports wrong as the situation in the area is normal
and stable.
There
may be some incidents that have affected the city, but the same happens or
worse things happen in other areas, she said, stressing that it was the
unanimous decision of PCL national officers during a recent meeting to hold the
assembly here in Zamboanga City.
“Basta
ho ang masasabi ko, huwag ho kayong maniwala sa mga sabi-sabi na ang Zamboanga
ay magulo, hindi po totoo, kasi po number one ang mga tao napakabait, ang sarap magtanggap ng bisita, katulad
ngayon, iikot po kami, we will see Paseo del Mar and other beautiful places. Zamboanga
City is beautiful”, she added.
She
thanked Mayor Lobregat for expressing his all out support to the holding of the
PCL event in Zamboanga in September.
Moreno’s
impressions of Zamboanga was affirmed by the PCL National Chairperson Zulueta,
who said that the decision to hold the national assembly of councillors in the
city in September is grounded on the belief that “Zamboanga City has a lot of
good innovations and good practices that councillors from all over the country
should know and replicate in their respective local government units”.
“This
(the hold of the assembly in Zamboanga) is also to show to the whole country
that Zamboanga City is a very peaceful city, palagi ho ako dito (sa Zamboanga)
and this is high time that PCL will hold its own activity here and hopefully
with your support, we will have a very successful event”, Zulueta emphasized. (JPA/SC/CIO/PIA9-ZBST)
