BALANGA CITY – About 40 city mayors early morning of Friday had the taste of birdwatching and marketing for dried and smoked fish and cookies in the last day of strategic planning session of the League of Cities of the Philippines here.
Balanga City Mayor Jose Enrique Garcia III accompanied the city executives in a breakfast by the bay on board a fl oating “balsa” at the entrance to the Wetland Park in Tortugas seaside village in the city.
The next stop was the park where with the use of giant telescopes they watched some migratory birds feeding near mangroves. Some officers of the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines were on hand and briefed them about the birds.
Zamboanga City Mayor Beng Climaco, LCP treasurer, seemed to be excited. She was overheard inviting Michael Lu, WBCP official and Mayor Garcia to the City of Flowers.
The mayors, officials of the National Executive Board of the LCP, then had the feel of World War II when Bataan fell on April 9, 1942. They toured the WWII museum and the Surrender Site Monument at the back of the Balanga Elementary School in barangay Talisay where children staged a short skit on the “Death March.”
The final stop for the day was their taste of marketing at the modern Balanga City public market where they bought smoked and dried fish, squid and some araro cookies. Loud cheers from the big crowd composed of vendors and market goers were heard when Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista arrived. He is LCP president and known to his fans as “Bistik”.
The former movie actor carrying a marketing basket was mobbed as he scouted for dried squid and other dried fish.
