SunStar
+ April 29, 2021 The last decade has seen the emergence of young political leaders in Cebu. Among our city mayors, the youngest is Talisay’s Samsam Gullas who is only 36; he was 29 when he was first elected to Congress, representing the first district in 2013. Last time I heard, he is doing very well as Talisay’s chief executive.
A little older than Samsam, Mayors Kristine Vanessa Chiong of Naga and Carlo Martinez of Bogo are barely in their forties. Mandaue’s Jonas Cortes and Lapu-Lapu’s Ahong Chan are comparatively older, but they’re only 54 and 53 years old, respectively.
On the other end of the spectrum, another Gullas holds the distinction of being the oldest and currently longest-serving public official in Cebu. With the death of former senator Sonny Osmeña early this year, of former representatives Tony Cuenco and Tito Calderon last year, and the retirement of former representative Pablo Garcia in 2013, Eddie Gullas, Samsam’s grandfather
Senator Christopher “Bong” Go recognized the sacrifices and selfless service of healthcare workers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic during the launch of the country’s 103rd Malasakit Center at the Carcar Provincial Hospital (CPH) in Carcar City, Cebu on Tuesday, April 27.
The CPH is the
SunStar
+ March 16, 2021
“I also want to change the messaging in regard to Covid. The messaging has to change for us to be successful in this fight.” Talisay City Mayor Gerald Anthony “Samsam” Gullas Jr.
ONE of the better performing local government units in Cebu in the course of the Covid-19 pandemic is Talisay City. The only time it suffered a setback in its level of quarantine last year was only because of its limited capacity in terms of available tertiary critical care. Other than that, the City has kept its number of cases to a trickle.
Going the rounds recently is a video message of Mayor Gerald Anthony “Samsam” Gullas Jr., who fell through dire straits as a symptomatic Covid-19 positive early in February.
SunStar
bobby nalzaro February 25, 2021 Gov. Gwen Garcia has been bashed on social media and criticized by her critics on her controversial memorandum last Feb. 3, 2021 addressed to all local chief executives and city and municipal health officers in the province on the conduct of Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) on asymptomatic persons. In that memorandum, the governor advised local chief executives and heath officials that “only those showing symptoms of the coronavirus disease (Covid 19) shall be subjected to an RT-PCR test. Any request for an RT-PCR test by an asymptomatic person shall not be entertained nor accommodated.”
In fairness to the governor, her memorandum has basis. It was not a unilateral decision, but based on the guidelines released by the Department of Health (DOH) central office. Days ago, the governor issued an executive order that RT-PCR test is no longer required for tourists visiting the province. There are only th