by anyajulia | Jul 28, 2009 | Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita
PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo inaugurated on Wednesday the Bohol Medical Care Institute (BMCI), a facility that will provide cheap socialized medical and diagnostic services to indigent families of this island province.
Immediately upon her arrival at the Barangay Dao District here, the President unveiled the marker of the P20 million BMCI facility located at the right side of the building’s main entrance.
On hand to assist the President were Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, Education Secretary Jesli Lapus, Governor Erico Aumentado, Tagbilaran City Mayor Dan Lim, and First Consolidated Bank foundation chairman.
In his brief remarks, Governor Aumentado said the opening of the BMCI and the Sandugo Regional One Town, One Product (OTOP) provincial trade fair reflects the administration’s focus on key areas of success in the province especially in health, trade, agriculture, education and livelihood.
He stressed that the formal opening of the BMCI “will address the shortage of appropriate diagnostic facilities in Bohol” and the prohibitive cost of medical care services whenever Boholanos go to the cities of Cebu, Manila, Cagayan de Oro or Davao for diagnosis or treatment.
The BMCI will house diagnostic equipment and specialists clinics designed to provide indigents and middle class patients socialized services.
These include radiology, laboratory/pathology, endoscopy, treatment of eye, ear, nose, throat (EENT) diseases, therapy/pain management, internal medicine, cardiology and ambulatory services.
The BMCI is a joint project of the provincial government, First Consolidated Bank (FCB) Foundation, Bohol Chronicle-DYRD- Inyong Alagad Foundation and the New York-based Home Reach Foundation aimed to provide indigent and middle class families socialized medical/diagnostic services.
by anyajulia | Jul 28, 2009 | Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita
NOT really spared from the adverse effects of the global financial crisis, the Central Visayas economic performance slowed down following a holding back stance until the economy starts to bounce.
But according to the Regional Development Council in its Full Council Meeting held Friday at the posh Bohol Tropics Resort here, tourism, one of Visayas’ major economic drivers remained vibrant.
The vibrant status can be gleaned from visitor arrival data in the fourth quarter of 2008 which exceeded last year’s level by 9.6%, the RDC briefing notes reveal.
The continued influx of foreign travelers coming to the region despite the recession in the United States and other major economies has been the main reason why the region squeezed a double digit increase in foreign visitor arrivals.
In fact, observers have noted that a large bulk of foreign arrivals visiting the region were balikbayan homing for the holidays and the festivals in the region in the first quarter of the new year.
For foreign travelers, Koreans still remain to be on top comprising more than one-fourth of the total foreign visitors in the region. Japanese ranked next with about 18%.
Chinese tourists, perhaps owing to the travel campaigns made by local officials to China have doubled their arrivals since fourth quarter of 2007.
In domestic travel, the market showed a slow-down from its previous year’s high double-digit performance of 12.5% in the fourth quarter of 2007 to 8.1% in 2008.
In Bohol, from 54,915 tourists in 2006, it went up to 62.033 in 2007 and then rose to 71,366 to an annual average of 15.05%.
Industry players in the region also confirmed the growth, however slower than the previous year, says the Department of Tourism.
Reports reaching DOT revealed that tourism stakeholders noted that occupancy rates in the region’s hotels remained high, despite clear close-cutting measures in the light of the crisis.
This was also noted by authorities in Bohol when reports stream of declined interest in investing in the industry, possibly because tourism sector still remains to be one of the most vulnerable industries to the crisis. (PIA)
by anyajulia | Jul 28, 2009 | Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita
TWELVE young Boholanos receive training certificates for special skills from President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in ceremonies in time for the 155th celebration of the Bohol Day at the Bohol Cultural Center, July 22.
The 12 training beneficiaries who were not formally employed as yet, represents the 12 employable workers of each barangay in Bohol who benefits from the Skills Trainings Advocating Reliance and Self-employment (STARS).
STARS is a project of the local government of Bohol, the Bohol Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), Bohol’s congressional representatives and the President through her social funds.
The project has a funding requirement of P26M in funds, and as agreed, 25% of it would be shouldered by the Capitol, another 25T sources our from the three Bohol Congressional Representatives while the President, through her social fund has pitched in the remaining 50% of the funding requirement, explains Governor Erico Aumentado earlier.
The 12 beneficiaries, or 24 special skilled workers after the second year of the project get free trainings from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and would hopefully be unemployed, explains Vice Governor Julius Caesar Herrera in an interview.
The project is mainly a part of the government’s bid to put up emergency employment and livelihood opportunities to keep people above water in this time of economic turn-down, he stressed.
The project, as conceptualized by the Bohol Chamber of Commerce and Industry aims to generate as much as 26,616 jobs in two years also would hopefully start some P204M income opportunities for Bohol, explains past president Norris Joseph Oculam.
Lucky training beneficiaries are Angeline Estenzo for reflexology, Regie Rulida for Basic Electricity, Ma. Alva Rebuta for Manicure/Pedicure and Marieta Ingcol for Tour Guiding.
For small engine repair; Arnel Monteron, for Television and radio repair: Arield Antasuda; for Welding technology: Jose Rey Nuez and Bea Torreon for Hair Styling.
Rico Lagare for driving, Mariquieta Paig for Household Service, John Lester Bonghanoy for Cellphone Repair and Nelson Ipanag for plumbing. (PIA)
by btpo | Jul 28, 2009 | Headlines
Making strategic areas across the country, especially Bohol and 7 other provinces, into tourism enterprise zones takes effect the new law President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo signed recently, and which the president reiterated in her speech during her visit in the province as the guest of honor to the recently held Tigum Bol-anon Tibuok Kalibutan (TBTK) . It may be recalled that the move was through Bohol Representative Edgar M. Chatto and his counterpart at the Senate who authored the making of the Philippine tourism globally competitive and puts it as primary engine for investment, employment and national development. And prior to the president’s signing of the law, Representative Chatto explained that it will spur the creation of jobs and open additional channels for the infusion of much-needed investments as well as give the people the power to pull themselves out of the economic recession. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo signed May 12, the National Tourism Act of 2009 (Republic Act 9593) declaring a national tourism policy and attempts to integrate all tourism development efforts to boost the country’s competitiveness. The president in her recent visit in the province as the invited guest to the TBTK was impressed and overwhelmed on the unity that the Boholanos exhibited through their joint efforts in gathering Boholano folks coming from the different parts of the continent. The president said that such move could vastly promote tourism industry of the province and be globally competitive.
Other than Bohol, other tourism zones to be established are in Cebu, Davao, Laguna, Cavite, Boracay, Palawan and Iloilo: all of these to foreign investors and tourists to visit places rich in history and culture.
by btpo | Jul 28, 2009 | Headlines
In MARIBOJOC town in the province of Bohol. Chairman Ambeth R. Ocampo, of the National Historical Institute lauded the effective church-and-state relations of parish vicars and the municipal government headed by Mayor Leoncio Evasco, Jr. during the recent unveiling of the historical marker and declaration of the Punta Cruz Watchtower as a National Landmark at the Punta Cruz Watchtower Complex, Punta Cruz, this town.
“The joint efforts of church authorities and the local government unit resulted to this successful launching of this project,” the NHI Chairman Ocampo stressed. Earlier, Bishop Leonardo Medroso expressed the Church’s gratitude for this laudable project. The diocesan head accepted earlier the historical marker of the Sta. Cruz Parish Church, also known as the San Vicente Ferrer Shrine Church after the Eucharistic celebration officiated by Fr. Efren Dolauta, Fr. Johnson Ente and Fr. Oriel Echavia.
Jesuit Fr. Rene Javellana of the Society of Jesus explained the historical significance of the Punta Kruz Watchtower while Executive Director Cecille Guidote Alvarez expressed her appreciation of the place which she have often heard before but it’s only now have she personally have seen and felt the beauty of the historical spot. Alvarez represented Chair Wilma Labrador of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts. In the unveiling ceremony, Mayor Evasco welcomed guests and audience in behalf of the municipality while Punta Cruz punong barangay Faustino de la Cerna welcomed them in behalf of his barangay. Later, Evasco read Sangguniang Bayan Resolutions expressing thanks and appreciation to Chairman Ocampo. A l5-minute presentation billed “Tawag sa Lantawan” that earned kudos at their Intramuros performance recently highlighted the affair.
