AURORA PATRIA ROA HAS BEEN with the Department of Tourism (DOT) for the past 32 years. Friends and relations, as well as associates and those whose lives she has touched affectionately, call her Dawn or Dawnie.
For the past 17 years, Dawn has been the DOT director in Region VII, with its headquarters in Cebu. Now she has officially retired but remains to steer her successor Maria Rica Bueno, who herself has been with DOT for 20 years.
Rica is familiar with Cebu, of course, with Cebu being one of the country?s prime destinations. She has roots in the south, being from Cotabato where they speak Cebuano, and her mother hails from Iloilo.
Dawn Roa is a tough act to follow, and Rica is among the first to say so. Dawn quickly counters that a leader is as good as the people they work with and the community that gives support. Rica will reside in Cebu, she avows.
How valuable she is and how dear to all was evident at the merienda organized in her honor by Mila Espina and Lita Urbina at the latter?s Laguna Garden Cafe in the Terraces of Ayala Center. Province of Cebu Board Member Agnes Magpale, who is in the tourism committee, sat with Dawn and Rica at the central table.
Mila Espina was toast master. She appraised the attendance and exclaimed: ?Everyone who is anyone in Cebu is here!? Dawn said that this was her fourth party in a week, but as she quipped: ?Who can say no to Mila?? The gathering had been hatched in less than 24 hours through blitz of text messages and a flurry of handwritten notes delivered all over town.
Up on the dais to present Dawn with flowers were top men from the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry like Jose Ng, Honorary Consul of Portugal Sammy Chioson, and its president Francis Monera, president of Cebu Holdings of which the Ayala Mall is an integral part.
There were words from Enrison Benedicto, representing the One Cebu movement of Gov. Gwen Garcia. As he ended, there was a hush, for weaving her way in was Amparito Llamas Lhuillier, dramatic in black and a blaze of crystal beads. She was already dressed for the series of events that followed this one, the Miss Cebu pageant included.
Mila called out prominent personalities to give their testimonials; Zonta Club I president Rufina Tanchan accompanied by Tessie Chan; UK Honorary Consul Moya Jackson as secretary of the Cebu Consular Corps; and the US Consular Agent Jogn Domingo for the Cebu chapter of the American Chamber of Commerce.
Hans Hauri, general manager of the Marco Polo Plaza Hotel, in behalf of the hoteliers, praised Dawn to the high heavens. Then came the travel trade group led by Cecile Sa-a and Alice Queblatin with her daughter Cookie Chan, Zenaida Chua, Cherry Callelero, and many more who almost spilled off the podium.
Mila recalled Dawn?s role in the pageant ?Women Legends? as the intrepid Gabriela Silang, complete with unsheathed sword, and went to call more names: Joy Polloso of Ayala Center; Melanie Ng of Premium Concepts; and a large representation from the Cebu media. The testimonial in their behalf came from Eileen Mangubat of Cebu Daily News, sister publication of PDI.
Overwhelmed
Rica was feeling quite at ease by now, and in a way overwhelmed by the outpouring of appreciation for Dawn. Mila is the type who may break into song extemporaneously at the mention of a lead line. But she had thought of a song to dedicate to Rica from everyone present. The lyrics flashed on a screen and everyone just sang along ?You?ve Got a Friend.? Rica?s table mates told her at the end: ?You?ve already made dozens.?
Next on the spotlight was Francis Monera who led the toast. He mentioned that Dawnie?s years had seen the decisive breakthrough of Cebu tourism. That was supposed to clinch the program, but there was definitely more in store.
Dawn was asked to give a response. She said her 17 years of directorship had been a valuable, pioneering period. Her eyes scanned the faces of those present as she said: ?Everything you?ve asked from me, I have given.? She stated that Cebu has itself to thank for the success of its tourism program.
In recent weeks, 28 bilateral agreements have been made, all of them with Cebu as the destination point. The Cebu International Airport in Mactan is already undergoing expansion. The number of hotel rooms are increasing from day to day. ?This is just the start of more, and more, and more,? she said further.
For Rica, this day was also her start in the Cebu limelight. She was asked to grace the opening of Sugbusog, a festival of Cebuano cuisine at the Marco Polo Plaza right after the event. And so there we all trooped. Val Sandiego and his dance studio performers were doing the Sinulog at the lobby, followed by an expo of more than 20 Sto. Niño images from Val?s collection, and the food fest formal opening.
Instead of a ribbon to cut, there was a Cebu lechon to chop-chop. The festival?s food consultant Jessica Avila was duly congratulated and so was her daughter Katrina who is learning the intricacies and subtleties of Cebu?s traditional cooking.
