by admin | Jul 26, 2019 | Headlines
Hospitable as they are, Boholanos defended their turf and gave only three of the six championship slots to visiting paddlers in the recently concluded Sandugo Dragon Boat Festival held at the seas, between Dauis and Tagbilaran City Strait, July 20.
Local paddlers showed true grit, strength, endurance and teamwork to leave visiting dragon boat teams, some of them fresh from international competitions, in their wakes after 300 meters of synchronized frenzied paddling.
Amid resounding beats provided by a drum corps stationed at the Miramar Promenade where teams put up their team tents for paddlers to recover, Bohol paddlers of Dumalu-an Beach Resort Pirates A, Dauis Wild Dragons, Bohol Paddlers Association and Pundok Amila built a solid defense but yet allowed visitors to come home claiming also three championship trophies.
In the end, Dumalu-an Beach Resort Pirates A paddled in furious cadence to nail the championship slot for the Small Boat Open Category Small Boat, and another championship trophy for Small Boat Mixed category.
On the other hand, Philippine Accessible Disability Services (PADS) Adaptive Dragon Boat Racing Team of Cebu City, a team which recently bagged an international championship in Hongkong claimed the championship trophy for the Small Boat Women’s Category, and Small Boat Open Masters Category.
Winning for the locals however, was not an easy feat, as it would mean beating an internationally competing team of persons with disability who just wowed the entire dragon boating world with their Hongkong victory.
But, knowing the currents and the waters of Tagbilaran Strait neing their playground, Dauis Wild Dragons breathed fire in their after-burners to grab the Standard longboat Mixed Category, keeping the veterans of the PADS Adaptive Dragon Boat Racing Team, nearly half a boat length in the finish line buoys.
Meanwhile, Sugbo Mighty Dragons carried home the Small Boat Mixed Masters Category in the sunny generally high tide race.
Over-all, for Small boat Womens’ category, a women team of the PADS Adaptive Dragonboat Racing Team showed that even with disabilities, as they have blind, hearing impaired paddlers, they can still put up to speed against Dumaluan Beach Resort Pirates A which settled for the First Runner Up and Dauis Wild Dragon A who settled for the Second Runner Up.
In the Small Boat Open Category, with Dumaluan Beach Resort Pirates A as champions, Sugbu Mighty Dragons contended themselves with the First Runner Up (RU) while Tubigon’s Pundok Amila grabbed second RU.
In the Small Boat Mixed Category, Dumaluan Beach Resort Pirates A claimed the championship, while Cebu’s NAGAbugsay Dragonboat Racing Team of Naga City nailed the first RU and Dauis Wild Dragon A took second RU.
For the Small Boat Open Masters Category, PADS Adaptive Dragonboat Racing Team took the top post, while 1st RU was Bohol Paddlers Association Inc., and 2nd RU was Aboitiz Dragonboat Team.
In the Small Boat Mixed Master Category, Sugbu Mighty Dragons grabbed the championship trophy and PADS Adaptive Dragonboat Racing Team claimed the next spot.
For the Standard Boat (Long Boat) Mixed Category, Dauis Wild Dragon A packed the coveted championship trophy while Dumaluan Beach Resort Pirates A came up First RU and PADS Adaptive Dragonboat Racing Team has to pick second RU.
Dragon boating in Bohol has been identified as a come on for sports enthusiasts and tourists who enjoy water sports, even as Bohol pegs a stake as the eco-tourism capital in the Central Visayas. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)
by admin | Jul 25, 2019 | Headlines
Department of Agriculture (DA) Regional Director for Central Visayas, Atty Salvador Diputado called for Boholano legislators’ help in rallying Boholanos to rescue the dire need for food security amidst dreams of becoming a major tourism destination in the country.
Speaking during the opening of the Sandugo Agri-Fair 2019 now occupying the Bohol Agricultural Promotions Center (BAPC) and the City Hall grounds, Diputado began his appeal for legislators to do something about the present predicament, with a brief comparison with Korea.
The aggie official who is a lawyer by profession but has a background in agriculture, his family being engaged in rice and cacao farming in Carmen, said in Korea, where there is a surplus of rice, the people keeps even the last bit useful.
He narrated that when he was there, the burnt rice on the bottom of the pot becomes the roast coffee that goes with the breakfast.
In the Visayas however, where there is rice shortage, there is so much wastage, he remarked.
While Bohol is the only province in Central Visayas that can almost sufficiently feed itself, much of Bohol’s surplus is wasted, as an estimated three spoons-ful of rice for every Boholano is wasted every day.
At the Sandugo Agri-Fair opening, agriculture authorities who united to campaign for curbing rice wastage put in Panatang Makapalay, a pledge for citizens to conserve rice.
And to press on the matter even further, the DA regional Director shared the complicated truth: the average age of farmers in Bohol is now at 59, and fewer and fewer young people are going to farming.
“There is actually a move to save the farming industry,” Diputado told representatives of the towns bringing their local produce to the Agri-Fair.
All elementary and high school graduating students must engage in school gardening and entrepreneurial skills, he said, and this can only be through an ordinance.
Diputado wants something like an elementary pupil and a high school student to graduate only if he has planted a garden and earned from it.
The lawyer turned agri-chief in Central Visayas also bared that he is with Governor Arthur Yap, who advocates for food consumption quantification program.
Governor Yap, who used to sit as Agriculture secretary and a hard core economist, meant that by food consumption quantification program, it is scientific and evidence based information on the average daily consumption as the sum of the food requirement of everyone in Bohol. This would become the basis for the production targets in the island.
Once we meet our food requirements, then we can meet our food security, Diputado said.
Moreover, the regional director said something must be done about the fast conversion and reclassification of agricultural lands into residential areas.
According to Diputado, agricultural lands are shrinking, people are shunning away from farming, the people are wasting rice and farmers are not even using the right technologies to maximize harvest.
Over this, Atty Diputado wants legislators to put up ordinances that would strictly implement the ban on reclassification and conversion, especially of agricultural lots that can still be very productive.
That day, the government through the DA, also distributed farm equipment and machineries in efforts to motivate farmer organizations to boost production.
Handed to peoples’ organizations and farmers associations were floating tillers, hand tractor with accessories, drum seeder, rice combine harvester, rice transplanter-Walk Behind and 4 wheel-drive tractors.
With these, Diputado exhorted the farmer beneficiaries to use the government help to alleviate and lessen poverty incidence in the region.
We will show our love for agriculture, as farming has always been a noble profession, he stressed. (rahc/PIA_7/Bohol)
by admin | Jul 24, 2019 | Headlines
For the Philippine Ports Authority’s (PPA) programmed ports development alone, the government puts in over P2.2 billion to complete an inter-modal transport system under its Build, Build program.
This is according to PPA Bohol Ports Manager Engr. James Gantalao, during a Department of Transportation (dotr) hosted Media familiarization Tour to the Port of Tubigon, a newly completed port that the PPA callef as , its major port in Bohol’s northwestern quadrant.
The low-key and yet consummate performer port manager who has roots in Maribojoc, explained that the PPA was looking at dividing Bohol into four, so as to rationalize its development to benefit the entire island.
While the PPA has major ports in Tagbilaran, Jagna, Ubay, Talibon, Getafe and Tubigon, the government has also looked at focusing on the four ports of Tagbilaran, Jagna, Ubay with Tapal, Getafe, which is closer to Cordova in Cebu and Tubigon.
The idea is to make all these ports pick the same standard for international tourists that the tourism port of Tagbilaran has since adopted, according to Engr. Gantalao.
Getting the lion share in the Build, Build, Build funds through the PPA is Tubigon Port, which has a proposed P 500 million fund for the 23,385 square meters of additional space the government is reclaiming.
The port of Tubigon had DOTr Secretary Art Tugade officiating its project turn over early this year.
But even with some parts of the port showing the devastation caused by the 2013 earthquake, the PPA has managed to complete the port management’s administration building with one-stop service station, and the 200 seats passenger terminal building as previously planned.
With the port getting more port calls, a passenger volume of about 6,000 now, and Bohol’s identified rolling cargo port, expanding the port’s spaces come as a necessity.
On this, the PPA, through the Build, Build, Build is again putting up half a billion fund.
This would expand the port into a convenient and spacious gateway to Bohol, Engr Gantalao shared.
Then, Ubay port, has a total of P200 million allocation, Gantalao updated the media.
With about 5 hectares of planned reclamation, when completed, Ubay port would soon be Bohol’s biggest port which would serve the Leyte-Bohol Roll-On, Roll-Off link.
Moreover, its municipal ports of Tapal and Aguining are also allocated development funds.
For the port of Tagbilaran, while Gantalao said they have good raves from international guests, it is the locals who find the facility always wanting in service.
Already among the countrys best managed ports, Tagbilaran still has to step up especially when a huge bulk of Bohols trade and.industry uses this port.
And with limited parking space, and a small passenger terminal building, the need for another passenger terminal hub in the port complex is imperative.
For the port of Tagbilaran, which now has 22 Oceanjet trips alone, the government is putting up another P150 M, for an expansion and a new and bigger Passenger Terminal Building, and more parking spaces.
Tagbilaran is the strategic port that connects aa western Mindanao, Negros and Cebu.
According to the PPA, the port of Getafe, the one closest to Cordova in Cebu, with a travel time of 45 minutes, takes the government’s attention.
For the port that is getting busier now, the government has allotted P150 million for its improvement.
Development planners at the PPA believe that the strategic port of Getafe can boost economic and tourism activities in northern Bohol.
On the southeast side is Bohol’s gateway to Mindanao.
Jagna Port, owing to its being a strong link to Mindanao gets P97 million this time from the Build Build Build.
Other than Jagna, the Port of Maribojoc, which has the potential to be a cargo port is now eyed for a P450 million port development in this year’s infrastructure projects.
Other ports which the government splurging on infrastructure that ferries development are the ports of Aguining, Popoo, Tapal, and Albur, PPA said. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)
MANAGING THE PORTS BUILD. PPA Manager Engr James Gantalao briefs media on the improvement plans for the Tubigon port, the biggest rolling cargo port aoutside Tagbilaran. PPA gets P2.2 B in ports development from the government’s Build Build Build. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)
by admin | Jul 8, 2019 | Headlines
Having a soft spot for farmers, Gov. Art Yap took no time to listen to the updates of the cloud seeding operations in Bohol.
Based on the report; Cloud Seeding Operations were conducted last July 05 with Pilots; CAPT Badhran & CAPT Soliton using cherokee# RPC 2872.
Also with the team are 1LT MERCADO (flyer), MSg Fabro PAF , Spotter: TSg Maborrang PAF and
BSWM rep: Engr. Corazon Ditarro
On target for the operation is over the Malinao dam in San miguel.
They loaded about 15sacks/ 475kgs of salt which resulted to heavy rains in the said area.
As of July 5, 2019, there have been a total of 14 sorties conducted with 20+34 Hours flight time and consumed about 210 bags salt (5,250 kls.) used for Cloud Seeding 0perations in Bohol.
Yap was grateful for the accomplishments which he said, greatly helped our farmers. He also reiterated his support to the operations and to continue if needed. [Edcom]
by admin | Jul 7, 2019 | Local News / Bohol Balita
HNP SUPPORT
Rep. Aris, Gov. Art, team
talk tourism for 2nd District
By: JUNE S. BLANCO
DEVELOP more tourism destinations in the 2nd District to make a new loop that will expose the potentials of the other side of Bohol.
This was the consensus of Rep. Erico Aristotle Aumentado of Bohol’s 2nd District, newly minted Gov. Arthur Yap and the latter’s economic advisers in a meeting July 2 at the Shang Palace in Northtown, Taloto District, Tagbilaran City.
Aumentado said the work on the extension of the Ubay Aiport is ongoing such that it will soon become as long as the Tagbilaran Airport. When that happens, it can already accommodate planes like those that used to land at the Tagbilaran Airport.
With this infrastructure shaping up, next to the fine white sand beaches of Anda town that is a mere 45 minutes from the Ubay Airport, the solon, the governor and the economic advisers agreed that the tourism come-ons of a new loop, say of Ubay, Danao and Buenavista, must be developed in order to entice local and foreign tourists.
Danao already has its adventure park featuring the zip line, canyon jump, cliff rappelling and other activities for the not so faint-hearted. These may ned enhancement, even as Ubay has water sports in the dam reservoir to offer. Buenavista has its canoe paddling and oyster feast to boast off.
These can be improved, connected and arranged for a day tour. But the tourists’ stay can be extended if these towns can provide areas, food, more activities and facilities for camping or, if they want, glamorous camping or “glamping”.
At the same time, Aumentado said, this will be a captured market for the farmers in these areas. The farmers can directly sell their produce to institutions catering to the needs of the tourists, thereby removing the average of two to three middlemen who mark up the prices even before these reach the market.
The farmers, he added, must also be trained to augment their rice with high value cash crops (HVCCs), planted “round robin” so that the they harvest every one or two months. After all, when rice farmers harvest, they will have nothing for the next three or so months until the next harvest.
Improving the local vegetable or other crop yield will definitely fill the gap now being supplied by “imports” from Mindanao and even southern Cebu, and improve the lot of the Boholano farmers, Aumentado concluded.
TALE OF TWO “A”s. Rep. Erico Aristotle Aumentado of Bohol’s 2nd District (left) gets to tour the Capitol, courtesy of newly minted Gov. Arthur Yap. Both pose in front of the imposing façade of the new building. Photo: Facebook Account of ArisAumentado
