Bad weather cancels PGMA trip to Antique
SAN JOSE, Antique—Better safe than sorry.
Bad weather yesterday forced the cancellation of President Macapagal-Arroyo's trip to this province amid a grand reception for the President.
Presidential Assistant for Western Visayas Raul Banias said the President's trip from Cebu to the province of Antique was canceled because of poor visibility in Cebu and along the route of the flight.
The President was scheduled to arrive at 9:30 a.m. on board and eight-seater plane at the capital town of San Jose where she was the main guest in the province's Binirayan Festival.
She was also scheduled to award certificates of ancestral domain titles (CADT) covering 6,680 hectares to 171 families of the Iraynon-Bukidnon indigenous peoples group from Barangay San Agustin in Valerrama town in Antique.
But her trip was called off at the last minute because of the difficulty of the aircraft to take off. Only light aircrafts can land the San Jose airport.
The cancellation of her trip came three weeks after a presidential chopper carrying eight of her staff, aides and the crew crashed on April 7 in the forested mountains of Ifugao killing everyone on board. Poor visibility due to dad weather was initially blamed for the crash.
Upon her instruction, the ceremonies proceeded despite the President's absence.
Banias along with Antique Gov. Salvacion Zaldivar-Perez and Rep. Exequiel Javier presided over the handing out of CADTs together with officials of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples.
The festival was extended for a day to accommodate the visit of the President who was also in Valderrama town in Antique on April 23.
It commemorates the legend of the arrival of the 10 Bornean datus and their families in the mid-13th century on the island of Aninipay now known as Panay.
Binirayan literally means ‘where they sailed,’ referring to the landing. A highlight of the festival festival is a fluvial parade from the port of San Jose to Malandog Beach in Hamtic town, believed to be the original settlement of the Bornean datus.