Ceboom or bust
I arrived in Cebu yesterday to cover the Asean summit. Haven’t had the chance to go around. The weather here has been bad for days now. Kinda dreary. The road to my hotel looks like a road in Kalilangan, Bukidnon, circa 1970s. The water from the tap tastes like seawater. A meal of chicken adobo costs more than 400 pesos; a plain rice costs about 60 pesos. Drat.
This morning, I woke up to find out that Romeo Gacad was accosted and nearly arrested by Cebu policemen for taking pictures of an Asean streamer without a permit. This place is crawling with cops and soldiers.
It also fells so cosmetic here, as the Cebu government tries very hard to impress its guests with such gaudy things as street lamps that look like thin enemy robots in a Star Wars movie and a Cebu International Convention Center that looks from the outside much like a jumble of medical equipment forcibly fused together.
If you read the local papers today, Jan. 12, you get the sense that Cebuanos are only interested in how they would look to their guests. The main story in Cebu Daily News, for instance, is about the squabble among local officials over, gasp!, the datelines used by journalists filing stories from here.
(Apparently, the other cities in Cebu were miffed that “Cebu City” was used initially as the dateline; this was later changed to “Cebu, Philippines” after officials from Mandaue City, where the convention center is located, protested.) There are stories on state dinners, on the horrendous traffic, on an SUV that plunged off a bridge, etc. but — at least in CDN — I saw no story on such summit agendas as counter-terrorism, energy security, etc.
(In fairness, CDN might have tackled these matters in previous issues of the paper. Still, if your only source of Asean news today is CDN, you’d scratch your head wondering what all the fuss is about and whether the summit is just one bacchanalia. On a dreary, drizzling day at that. Double drat.)
I’m here to supposedly make sense of this event. I’m here to supposedly make sense of this event. (I should probably torture you by referring you to this site.) Good luck to me.
[tags]pinoypress, asean, cebu, asean summit[/tags]
No related posts
Reds seek activation of NPA hit squads in cities After Ampatuan Massacre, 2009 a Record Year for Journalist Killings Worldwide CHR to military: Respect and protect human rights during martial law in Maguindanao Maguindanao, its political elite and a culture subservient to corruption U.S. Must Improve Responsiveness to Mass Atrocities; Absent UN Action, Make Clear Willingness to Act on Its Own, Says New CFR Report Martial law dilutes the Philippines’s human rights and democratic gains Martial law in Maguindanao sets ‘most dangerous precedent’ Lawyers will wear black armbands, ribbons in courts Law group shall file plunder cases against President Arroyo et al. UN Experts: Maguindanao massacre must be the start of a major reform process
Arroyo’s oil-price control a publicity stunt, cries Ibon Political Bloodbath Continues: Widow of Slain Activist Shot Dead New Wave of Protests Against Charter Change Set in April Comelec’s Automation to Worsen Election Fraud — Watchdog 2008: Another Bad Year for the Philippine Press ‘Unemployment Figures Wrong; Number of Jobless Higher’ ‘Nicole Is Not the Enemy’ ‘Nicole’: ‘My Conscience Bothers Me’ Is the Call Center Industry a Bright Spot for New Graduates? 6 Great Ways to Vent Your Frustrations Eating Dirt Is Actually Good For Children Australia Offers 150 Scholarship Slots for Philippines, Asia-Pacific mamert dolera: The horrible maguindanao massacre displays the “crueltiest 221; act of political warlordism... Don Untalan: I am also interested to buy (AROD) and the tall hybreed variety. Pls advice where to buy from Manila,... scott: Sports and politics do not mix. But the economy of the Philippines relies on Pacqiao. How much money would a... Bernadine Ebo: nov.11,2009 4:45 my husband and i wants to adopt