Bohol News, Hotels, Travel and Real Estate Property

For three long days, Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay discovered for himself that  his city, dubbed as the country's financial capital, has three "poor" siblings in Bohol .  With Binay reunited with his city's sisters in Bohol , the Makati mayor lost no time in legitimizing their relations.  Sisterhood pacts were immediately signed  between Makati and the towns of Loay, Getafe and Danao.  But there's more than meets the eye in the sisterhood agreements, according to political watchers trailing Binay's Bohol sorties.  It was widely believed that the sister was Binay's way of touching base with Bohol leaders who are perceived to be proven vote getters.  And he was no less correct in choosing his first set of towns having sisterhood connection.  A perusal of who are at the helm of Makati's sisters in Bohol would indicate they are no pushover.  All administration stalwarts, all three mayors whom Binay agreed to legitimize their sister relations are ...

Tagbilaran Mayor Dan Lim yesterday issued a challenge for people to adopt the "Olympic" spirit.  Lim issued the challenge a day after the opening ceremonies for the Beijing Olympics.  The mayor noted that while host and traditional powerhouse China fielded 639 athletes to compete in all 28 sports, the Philippines can only send 15 athletes and 10 officials to Beijing .  Although most people would readily point to the fact that economics largely determine sports development, Lim said it is also worth considering that many nations smaller, younger and poorer than the Philippines have performed better in the past.  To this day, the Philippines still continues to aim for the elusive gold medal unlike some less developed nations.   "One of the reasons for this is that as a people we are happy-go-lucky and are not known for our work ethics," the mayor said.  Lim said that while other people particularly those in poorer nations work very hard at the sport which...

Before his enemies of the Sangguniang Panglungsud drew first blood on his P 1 billion loan application, City Mayor Dan Neri Lim Friday  immediately withdrew his request for SP authority.   It was expected that the minority block of the city law-making would make mincemeat out of the loan proposal but the city mayor jumped the gun on his critics.   The sudden turnabout has something to do with what the city mayor called as political grandstanding.   Even before the loan application saw the light of day in the halls of the SP, the mayor was not hiding his displeasure  about the reaction of his critics prompting him to accuse them of grandstanding.   Earlier, Mayor Lim sought the SP's authority that he would be allowed to negotiate a loan facility with the Development Bank of the Phils. for use in the city's  infrastructure projects including the purchase of land for the Centralized Waste water Treatment Facility and Solid waste Managemen...

Rice traders in Bohol can now heave a collective sigh of relief.   This after Gov. Erico Aumentado amended the executive order limiting the shipment by large-scale rice traders and millers of palay and milled rice from Bohol to only 500 sacks at 50 kilos net per shipment a week – and even lesser for medium and small traders and millers.   Aumentado issued the amendment upon the recommendation of the Task Force Rice Accelerated Enhancement Response (Racer) that includes, among others, Provincial Agriculturist Liza Quirog and Dr. Jose Quitazol, the governor's consultant on agriculture.   Executive Order (EO) No. 6 that he signed last April 8 had provided that the regulation "shall continue to remain in force until the supply of palay for the province shall have been stabilized or normalized as certified by the Department of Agriculture (DA)."   Amendatory EO No. 6-A prescribed bigger allowable volumes for shipping out of the province after the buying price of palay...

The Muslim communities scattered all over Bohol stood us one Friday to make an unfavorable position of the hasty agreement defining the so-called ancestral domain of the Bangsamoro people.   The ethnic leaders assembled Friday at Camp Dagohoy to witness the blessing and inauguration of the  new police center catering to Muslim issues and concerns. It is called Sala'am Center.   It was an opportune time for the Post to get the reaction of the Muslim leaders given the combustible issue of a peace agreement between the government and the Moro Islam Liberation Front (MILF) now catching fire from all segments of Philippine society.   The government and the MILF on Tuesday were set to sign a memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain following 10 years of off-and-on negotiations. But the Supreme Court stopped the ceremony after local Mindanao officials protested the inclusion of their areas in an expanded Moro homeland without consultations.   Cri...

By Ciriaco Guingguing Bohol Sunday Post   Why do you think Makati City Mayor Jojo Binay is making a big fuss in making sisterhood pacts with three Bohol municipalities ?  First off. As an opposition stalwart Binay is surely a presidential timber. Minus Erap, that's what he said. If Erap is not barred from running for president, then he can be the actor's running mate. Nice team up.  But of course. With President GMA's approval rating at its record lows, any presidentiable getting her blessing will have to kiss his or her chances goodbye. Remember the debacle of Team Unity?  Billed as the most hated President after Ferdinand Marcos, GMA's unpopularity cut across geographical boundaries and economic classes. This means that her disapproval ratings were already felt all over the country. She is also unpopular in practically all economic segments. Where before she was the darling of the eyes of the Visayan and Mindanao people, not anymore, this time.  The reality...

By Joe Espiritu, Bohol Sunday Post Our Boholano expats in southwestern Mindanao may be in for trouble. The Moro Islamic Liberation Front is on the warpath. The claim on their so-called ancestral domain was rejected by the residents of the area and they are moving to enforce it. Somehow, they do not have any right to claim what is not theirs but they intend to legitimize their claim by force. What started it all was when Muslims of the southernmost part of the Philippines calling themselves Moro National Liberation Front wanted to break away from the Republic. At least that was their original aim. They must have seen how Pakistan broke away from India. Indian Muslims wanted a separate state from a predominantly Hindu India. Under Mohammad Ali Jinna, they claimed a western portion of the Indian subcontinent to be a Muslim Republic. A mass migration took place and Pakistan, the Land of the Pure was established.  However, the Philippine Republic is not to be dismembered. The MNLF nu...

By Loy Palapos, Sunday Post Being a new municipality, which used to be a part of Talibon, Bien Unido is a rib of an infant cradled by the birthplace of Carlos P. Garcia, the town of Governor Erico B. Aumentado , and the home of Congressman Roberto C. Cajes . Talibon and Ubay are obviously the frontliners in economic progress (one of them possibly to become a city in the near future) and Trinidad is in the throes of big positive changes. The tipmost fishing village and its surrounding islands comprise a sleepy town of more than 24, 000 inhabitants. The burden of placing Bien Unido in the map is the main obsession of a young and handsome Chief Executive (who could have outshone in comparison not a few actors of the small and big screen), whose sturdy shoulders (Thanks, God!) holds a brilliant head.  He is not a total neophyte to the political scene, for his father was the mayor of Bien Unido for several years, after the fall of the Marcos conjugal dictatorship. His upbringing emanat...

The Sala'am Center located in the premises of Camp Dagohoy was inaugurated during simple ceremonies Friday attended top leaders of the local Muslim community. The construction of the center was part of the continuing quest for peace and development through the cooperation and support of  Muslim brothers and sisters. the blessing rites were jointly officiated by Imam Cosain Umpar (Islam priest) and Rev. Fr. James Darunday of the Virgin sa Barangay Parish. Several Muslim communities from Tagbilaran, Jagna and Ubay led by Datu Manong Ambor, president of Muslim Urban Organization and Bohol Ulama League for Propagation and Guidance with Dimakota L. Alngadi, president of Bohol Islamic Center, Poblacion  III, Adbul Karim Sirad, president. of Darussalam Muslim United Brothers Inc,  Baguinda Cadar, Pres.of Islamic Brotherhood Organization, Tagb City ; Benjie Ali of Ubay and Medal B. Gasa of Jagna. Bohol Chamber of Commerce and Industry; lawyer Risty N. Sibay, provincial chief of...

Bohol Governor Erico Aumentado and the Central Visayas Regional Development Council (RDC 7) have brought the proposed P1.6-billion Bohol Backbone Transmission Project (BBTP) one step closer to realization.   This after they successfully endorsed the project to the National Economic and Development Authority's Investment Coordination Committee Technical Board (Neda-ICC-TB).during a recent meeting at Neda's Ortigas Center headquarters.   Aumentado is bullish over TransCo's project as it will provide more efficient and more dependable power with trip-offs reduced to the barest minimum.   He also said the project will be funded with TransCo internally generated income, hence, no need for Official Development Assistance (ODA) or outside loans.   The project proposes to expand the existing Ubay sub-station and install high-tension steel towers like those stringing the cable from the island municipality of President Garcia to Ubay town.   The new steel towers will...

Bohol Vice Gov. Julius Caesar Herrera says the efforts to attain peace in Mindanao should involve all sectors.             Herrera said the involvement of all affected sectors is crucial for the peace initiative to be successful.             The vice-governor made the comment after local government officials in North Cotabato , Zamboanga and Iligan protested the signing of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the so-called Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE).             The MOA signing between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front was stalled after the Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order on the petition filed by North Cotabato officials led by Vice Gov. Emmanuel Piñol.             Herrera said the gripes of the local government ...

Tubigon Bohol Mayor Luna Piezas added feather to his cap as first timer mayor when the municipality bagged the regional plan in nutrition program implementation. Mayor Piezas personally received the award as the outstanding municipality in nutrition among the provinces and municipalities of Region VII. One of the town's awardees was Diosdada Abarquez, barangay health worker of barangay Panadtaran, Tubigon. She was also chosen as the Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Scholar for the regional search for nutrition. With her was their barangay captain Alberto Hadlocon who assisted in receiving the plaque.   Aside from the awards and plaque received, Tubigon was also the awardee of 2007 Regional Search for Nutrition. Mayor Piezas expressed elation for the nutrition feat. Adfter receiving the award, the Tubigon executive was made to render  an inspirational message during the awarding ceremony. The affair was held  last Aug. 4 at the Cebu International Convention Center in Cebu...

Catigbian, Bohol - Vaccines for the Philippines, a foundation based in Utah conducted a medical mission that offered free medical, dental, Operation Tuli with free medicines and haircut services to the residents of barangays Maitum, Liboron and Cang-iras. The activity  was supported and coordinated by LGU-Catigbian, 802 nd Infantry Battalion based in Katipunan, Carmen and 2 nd Special Forces based in Riverside, Bilar. It was part of the projects and programs of the this year's foundation event.. Peter Thomas Reichman, president and founder of the medical mission explained that the foundation started by giving simple sanitation kit and used clothing to identified beneficiaries but now it already extended medical missions, built restrooms, improved identified provincial government-owned hospitals including Catigbian District Hospital. This year it pioneered the construction of a descent home for the less fortunate brothers and tree planting in selected areas in the pr...

The cycle was completed last week with the distribution of foodstuffs at the Dagohoy Park through barangay captains and elementary schoolteachers.   Mayor Jose Jono Jumamoy said the money to buy the commodities came from the P250,000 that came with the plaque that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo awarded the town in November last year in Manila for bagging the National Nutrition Award as well as the counterpart that the local government unit (LGU) put up.   Municipal Health Officer Mae Lilibeth Melicor, all Sangguniang Bayan (SB) members and the LGU staff were on hand to assist in the distribution of rice, sugar, milk, cacao-chocolate as well as vitamins and seeds especially to malnourished children in primary schools.   Jumamoy said it was his pride that through the collective efforts of all Inabangnons, "we have gone this far."   "We have now shared the fruits of our efforts especially with our undernourished children. These may just be 'small things' but t...

Inabanga Bohol played host recently to Japanese intern volunteer students who came all the way from Waseda University to Barangay Tungod for their community immersion.   Isao Murase, Shunsuke Komatsu, Mariko Nakatsura, Mariko Ishimoto and Kei Nakayama, with Field Development Officer Salome Llorente of Feed the Children, Inc. as guide, observed and helped in the feeding, monthly weighing of children, and other activities in Tungod.   They also visited other project sites.   The immersion provided the visiting students on their first time to the Philippines with glimpses and insights into the Boholanos' ordinary lives.   They expressed gratitude to Mayor Jose Jono Jumamoy for hosting them. At the same time, Jumamoy thanked the students for choosing his town for their immersion. - Sunday Post  

      The regional office of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) had asked the Governor's Office to stop issuing special permits to mining-related activities, pending compliance of the standard procedures by the permit holders.       This was after MGB-7 found some undesirable quarry and mining activities in sites of permit holders.       Provincial Administrator Tomas Abapo Jr. forwarded the MGB-7 report to Bohol Environmental Management Office (BEMO) Head Rene Villaber.       A team from MGB-7 inspected at least six sites of mining, quarrying and mineral processing operations in the towns of Loon, Talibon, Alicia, and Candijay on July 3, a day before the scheduled regular meeting of the Bohol Provincial Mining Regulatory Board (PMRB-Bohol).       The team was composed of by MGB Senior Environme...