The first of its kind in the country Great Naga Sale By PAUL JOHN F. BARROSA THERE’S nothing more that delights a shopper than when her favorite store goes on sale. On that special day, people rush to the mall or tiangee offering products at great discounts, making them buy more for less, especially in these hard times. Now, what happens when all the malls and business establishments in the city simultaneously declare a sale for, say, six days? The city government here led by City Mayor John G. Bongat kicked off the First Great Naga Sale on August 27 until September 1, in collaboration with the Department of Trade and Industry, the Metro Naga Chamber of Commerce and Industry and all the business establishments in the city. Mayor Bongat said the trading event is aimed at perking up local business and sales through private and public partnership especially during the lean month of August when everybody is looking forward to the celebration of the Penafrancia fiesta every September, which incidentally this year marks the 300th year of the Bicolanos’ devotion to the Blessed Virgin of Penafrancia, patroness of Bicolandia. Over 3 million visitors, pilgrims and devotees are expected to flock to Naga to be part of that grand historic celebration that will last from the first week to the third week of September. “Great Naga Sale” is all about business establishments in the city offering sales discounts from 10% to 50% and even more on their goods and services. Customers and shoppers from all over Bicol and beyond will have more to fill their shopping bags while being lavished with various special events lined up for the duration of the trading extravaganza. Discounts are offered as well in var- ious food and dining outlets and restaurants, such that Naga on those inclusive days is transformed into your ideal place to shop, dine, and relax without hurting much your pocket! is also expected to boost sales and income even before “We identified places in the City wherein we will the formal start of the fiesta. “This also goes without conduct some amusing activities for the shoppers. We saying that the pre-fiesta trade event will translate to would see bands performing during the event,” says Reuel higher business tax revenues for the city,” the mayor Oliver, head of the Naga City Investment Board. said. The city mayor said the city-wide event would City officials led by the city mayor as early as July met henceforth be held every year from August 27 to with MNCCI President Alberto Bercasio, DTI September 1. Provincial Director Edna Tejada and representatives from Trias to finalize plans for the city-wide sales and He added the event will also be supported by Trias, a trade promotion project which they hoped would Belgium-based organization which currently provides further strengthen Naga’s role as a booming trading assistance in entrepreneurship development. hub in this part of South Luzon. According to City Administrator Florencio Mongoso Jr., The Centro Naga Business Club is also a major player “the fact that we are helping businesses promote their in the first ever widespread sales discount in shopping products and help boost their sales is already an history. incentive for them to participate in the “Great Naga Sale”. So what are you waiting for? Mark your calendar now Mayor Bongat said the event will usher in the upcoming and be part of the Great Naga Sale! grander events of the Penafrancia festival even as the city 1 Welcome to the City of Naga! Dubbed by the famous Filipino writer Nick Joaquin as one of the original seven golden cities of the sun, Maogmang Naga today pulsates with a unique culture and colorful history against the backdrop of a dynamic economy and a local government acclaimed for innovative governance and best practices globally. Take a look and you will see a full range of exquisite and chili hot dishes. Wholesome entertainment as well as natural wonders also abound in Naga with its ancient and storied churches and museums that remind us of the distant colonial past. As the city beckons to delight the eye and the palate, her people will delight you with their charm, hospitality and good cheer. These sights and sounds are just within the city limits and a few kilometers away by public and private transport are the sea and white beaches, a world-class watersports complex, pristine hot springs and awe- some rain forests, teeming with diverse wildlife, flora and fauna preserved for centuries in the Mt. Isarog Natural Park. Every September, devotees and pilgrims from all corners of the archipelago and abroad flock to the city for the annual feast of Our Lady of Penafrancia, which is conceded to be Asia’s biggest and most spectacular Marian devotion. We shall honor her this year with a grand celebration as we mark our 300th year of undying devotion to God’s immaculate mother whom we also fondly call as our Ina. Indeed, visitors are advised not just to plan to “see” Naga. They are invited to feel and be part of Naga…its homely charm and mystique energy, its boundless piety, and its people’s warmth and hospitality as they lead you to discover, experience, and celebrate a city that is free, peaceful, and happy. Naga smiles at you and the world! Dagos po kamo! John G. Bongat City Mayor Hon.CITY John MAYOR G. Bongat Hon. GabrielCITY VICE H. Bordado, MAYOR Jr. A quarterly magazine published by the City Government of Naga Vol. I No. 1 September 2010 City of Naga, Bikol, Philippines EDITOR MANAGING EDITORS GRAPHICS CIRCULATION CONTRIBUTORS Jose B. Perez Alec A. Santos Ansel B. Maño Ruel O. Barrios Jason B. Neola Jan Rev L. Davila Rolly Campillos | Imee Abardo-Estrada | Alexander Cayetano Rey Ubaldo Joel P. Martin | Nestor Villanea | Huberto I. Ursua EDITORIAL CONSULTANTS Nicolas Motos, Jr. | Ernesto Elcamel 2 Florencio T. Mongoso, Jr. | Reuel M. Oliver INAUGURAL ADDRESS OF MAYOR JOHN G. BONGAT “Whenever we think unsel1shly of others, we become genuine Nagueños. Whenever we shout with conviction the ills of our government and society, we become genuine Nagueños. But most of all, we become genuine Nagueños when we unite as one community, one city poised to do not only greater things but the greatest things that can ever happen to our generation and the next.” FRIDAY, June 18, 2010 The Tent, Avenue Plaza Hotel Magsaysay Avenue, Naga City Justice Ramon Cruz, former IBP national president Joel Cadiz, the honorable judges and prosecutors who are here, kaiba an sakuyang pamilya, my wife Farah and my daughter Jade, Mayor Jesse Robredo and first lady Atty. Leni Robredo, Vice Mayor Gabby Bordado and Team Naga members and their families, councilors Lourdes Asence, William Del Rosario and Badette Roco, barangay officials, my colleagues in city hall, Ateneo high school batch ’81, Tiyo Nitoy Sibulo representing former mayor Ramon H. Felipe, the UNC Glee club, friends, guests, my fellow Nagueños: Dios marhay na aga po sa indo gabos. What does being a mayor mean to me? Is it about a position? Is it about a title? Or, is it about making a difference in the life of the ordinary Nagueño? I believe that leadership is never defined by a position. Neither does a title define a leader. A leader is defined by the lives he has touched and the people he has helped change for the better. Being a mayor in Naga is being able to touch the lives of the ordinary Nagueños; by being a model Nagueño by heart, by spirit and by deed. Allow me to express my heartfelt gratitude for the immense honor you have given me, my family and the entire team Naga. I should thank God for all the blessings and guidance through the years since 2001 when you first elected me as councilor. Unlike what many people believe, public office is not really an alluring job. It requires a special kind of expertise in time management: that natural ability to effectively divide one’s time between family and the community deserving of the same level and quality of attention. Being an elective public official is not something that children often aspire to be when they grow up. I never aspired to be a politician. I aspired to become a lawyer. Children don’t understand a lot of things but in spite of this limitation they crave for quick answers to their simple, endless questions. My heart breaks, for instance, whenever my only daughter, Jade, asks me where I will be going after dinner. “Daddy, saan ka na naman po pupunta?,” she quips. “Sino po ba ang patay?” “Puede po ba akong sumama?” “Love mo ba ako Daddy?” And so on and so forth. Padangat ta po baga an satuyang mga aki. Pirmi ta na sanang pig-iisip kun ano an makakarahay sainda. We always want to be the best father we can be to them. We owe it to our own children to become good examples for them. Asin ako po bilang bagong ama kan Naga, I owe it to all of you, my fellow Nagueños, to become the best father I can possibly be to you. I recall in a lull during the campaign asin mantang nagdadrive ako kaibanan ko an agom kong si Farah asin aki kong si Jade para magpasyar, I casually asked my daughter this question: “Jade, sino’ng gusto mong manalong mayor?” Of course, I was confident and expecting her naturally to say my name. To my great surprise, Jade innocently uttered my opponent’s name.