by admin | Jan 28, 2019 | Headlines
A Filipino American triathlete who ruled the previous Timex triathlon here is among the big names the country is looking at, as the Gran Fondo New York (GFNY) opens its inaugural Philippine qualifiers to the New York Cycling Marathon in Bohol January 27.
ArlandMacasieb, elite triathlete based in New Jersey along with a good number of promising Filipino speedsters on pedals and Lycra, would be bringing the name of the Philippines as the locals crank it out against 400 other cyclists from 14 countries joining the inaugural mass start GFNY race from the Pavillion of the Bellevue Hotel in Panglao and off to mainland Bohol.
Already rated as among the region’s international greats, Macasieb and a horde of local cyclists can only use the familiarity of the course as their ace on the sleeves, as the best of the best GFNY races in the region have descended here to take a spin at that prestigious front corral in the GFNY world event in May.
Macasieb who has been competing internationally, however, is coming to Bohol with a new excitement: to realize the goal of bringing the international GFNY brand to the Philippines.
Macasieb said the green and GFNY black jerseys are ubiquitous in the NYC area and I know the GFNY series is global with events in our neighboring countries of Malaysia and Indonesia. Coming to the Philippines was the next logical step.
Although admitting that bringing an inaugural event in a place would be tough, Fluhme cited the birth pangs, but nevertheless, they were still able to generate over 400 bikers from 14 countries.
Basically a personal endurance challenge where athletes compete against others, the clock and yourself, the GFNY in Bohol also puts the chance for local cyclists to qualify for a front corral start at the GFNY World Championship in NYC this May, 2019.
Since 2010 when GFNY envisioned the bike race until May, when it started its races at the iconic George Washington Bridge in New York, the gran fondo has maintained its characteristics as a mass start race with an individual chip timing from start to finish, and since this means racing against the self, the race ensures closed roads or police moderated traffic so cyclists would need not stop during the race.
GFNY president Lidia Fluhme said since 2014 when GFNY first held its world event in Italy, the race has transformed into the world’s largest cycling marathon series with 20 events held in Argentina, Brasil, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Indonesia, Italy, Israel, Mexico, Panama, Portugal Uruguay, the USA and the Philippines.
Upon invitation of the Department of Tourism, Tourism Promotions Board and Susan del Mundo, tourism attache in New York, GFNY came to the Philippines and immediately considered Bohol, Fluhme bared.
ForMacasieb who came to Bohol for the GFNY route ocular inspection, he said Bohol will always have a special place in his heart.
“I won the inaugural Timex 226 Iron distance triathlon there back in 2011. The roads in Bohol are nice with awesome views and low traffic,” he said.
“There is light traffic and there is a great scenery, warm people and the community support is always evident,” another GFNY registered racer who had his race course familiarization, said on Friday.
Fluhme who finished Hawaii triathlon 7 times and who races with her husband, also explained: GFNY is not just a race. It is families bonding, and the presence of various destinations here, Bohol is an ideal vacation hideaway for the family of the bikers.
In Bohol for the first time as it is in the Philippines, GFNY in Bohol features a race for the long route which is 144KM and includes 1611 meters of climbs where only the finishers of are given category rankings and overall as well as podium awards.
From these, top ten of the age categories are qualified for the race corral at the GFNY world event.
Also open is the medium course of 66 kilometers and 554 meters of climb.
Featuring chip timing system, the race put in chips in every competitor, which by radio frequency identification system, can be read as the bikers pass close to a proximity sensor which records their time.
As to the Bohol hosting the race, local authorities including the DOT, TPB, Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zones Authority, Bohol Provincial Government and Bellevue Hotels have organized coordination meetings with LGUs especially those within the race course to assure the safety and security of the race.
We have seen the LGUs work and we are excited at the way they are helping us, Fluhme told media during a press conference Friday.
Bohol Governor Edgar Chatto, who admitted he had no second thoughts about hosting the event.
In fact, with the GFNY here, organizers are already planning for another race in September, here in Bohol.
Boholanos are very excited, be assured that we are more than willing to host the next event, Chatto bared. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)
by admin | Jan 26, 2019 | Headlines
Bohol crime busters celebrate as they enter 2019, with a badge of 1,506 crimes less in 2018 compared to a high 8,214 in 2016.
The crime dip is a 18.33% reduction from the index crime rates that Camp Francisco Dagohoycrime statisticians tracked across the three years featuring its January to December of every year.
In 2016, Bohol records 2,859 index and 5,355 non index crimes to reach a yearly total of 8,214.
By 2017, Bohol crime watchers noted 2,545 index crimes and 5,336 non index crimes for a total of 7,881.
By 2018, index crimes noted were 1,751 across Bohol while non index crimes reached 4,957 to a sum of 6,708.
From 2016 to 2017, Bohol police earned a -4.05% crime decrease, a figure which further dipped, allowing them to a 14.88% less crimes pin.
The accomplishment also held true to the average monthly index crime rates which showed that in 2016, the monthly average was 17.28, which lowered to 15.38 in 2017 and further sagged to 10.58 in 2018, the Philippine National Police’s next generation investigation tracking system.
The police based the crime tracking from the entries in their enhanced e-Blotter or Crime Information Reporting and Analysis System (CIRAS); Case Information Database Management System (CIDMS); Case Management and Analysis System (CMAS); e- Subpoena System; e-Rogues Gallery and, e-Warrant System.
In fact, in the last three years, police crime fighting largely dented so much on its focused crimes, which marred crime records in the past years.
In the focused crimes, theft, which soared to 1291 in 2016 sagged to just 736 in 2018, while physical injuries which had 683 cases in 2016, recently showed only 434 cases.
Robbery, which had 400 in 2016, rose to 457 in 2017, but the police managed to bring down the cases to 234 last year.
For these victories, the PNP credited to OplanSita: a crime prevention strategy that puts most of the organic police elements in the streets and hyped on police visibility.
It is a strategic patrolling system based on the presence of crime-prone areas and enhanced police visibility that handed us much of our anti-crime victories, a police official timidly shared, during the recent Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) meeting last week.
Commuters also considered OplanSita as vital in regulating the number of illegal unregistered or vehicles with expired registration off the streets and unlicensed drivers by putting roadside checkpoints as a proactive measure against crimes.
With Bohol suffering from physical injuries brought largely by motor vehicle accidents, the police measure to implement the Motorcycle Helmet Law has also drastically reduced the crime incidence for motor vehicle accidents.
From these, police authorities have scored a -13.25% crime rate in 2019 as against 2017, Camp Dagohoy CIRAS also showed.
Moreover, the more proactive partnership building between stakeholders, allied forces, the community and the security forces also rendered more victories as anti-crime information just flows, Camp Dagohoy sources revealed. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)
by admin | Jan 20, 2019 | Headlines
It may not be epic distance, but the 35 kilometer combination of single tracks, barangay roads, fire lines and highway crossings spice up the punishing climbs and the steep downhill sections that characterize Bohol’s still to beat extreme cross country mountain bike in season three of KinatkataysaBinabaje 2019.
In Bohol where several roadies are mountain bikers in disguise, a good 140 kilometer lead heaps on the men in sleek tires spinning for the Gran Fondo New York Philippine eliminations this week that cranking up for The Alicia Panoramic Park (TAPP) Extreme cross country mountain bike might just not be an issue.
But a cross country mountain bike is a ton heavier than a road bike, and pedaling on the pavement on fully inflated tires is a breeze compared to the steep gradients of Cambaol and in sitioBinabaje, here the boys and the men separate.
Promised to be on a friendlier route after last year’s off saddle sections pushed bikers with cleats shoes on clawing the cliffs, this year’s Kinatkatay swerves from the notoriously undulating hills of Cambaol to Cabatang, cross the highway to Untaga, go up the hilly Del Monteand then descend to Putlongcam to the highway in Napo, cross to Cayacay and then pedal off back to Cambaol for the entire loop.
Now among Bohol’s hardest, thus extreme cross country mountain bike race, the 35 kilometer loop has enough share of the easy to technical climbs, easy to hardcore downhill sections and promises to be a wicked test to those unfamiliar with the trails, thus participants can start their familiarization track reads anytime.
KinatkataysaBinabajealso pairs with TAPP Trail Run 2019 series which uses the gorgeous hills with panoramic views as its arena.
Now considered one of the leading eco-tourism activities after the town developed the product and organized eco-sports activities which would highlight the town’s potential
Leading Cebuano MTB trail racers have conquered the trail in its first extreme cross country trail, but last year, Boholanos showed unusual determination to grab the title and strip the visitors of the trophy.
A local in fact pumped rather desperately to the finish line in the beginners’ category to become a local trail hero.
This year, the race opens to five categories: Elite, Masters (45 and above), Senior (31-44), Juniors (30 years old and below), and the beginners.
KinatkataysaBinabajeregistration is at P400 and closes on February 9.
Registration includes race shirt, post race lunch and finishers’ medals.
While the registration can be processed personally at the Alicia Tourism Office, organizers have opened online registration system, to help race participants who are too far out to register.
Registration fees can be deposited to any of the following accounts: BPI Checking Account, Account Name: Venus Dy, Account Number: 1685-0020-23 (BPI Alfaro, Makati), or BDO Checking Account, under account Name: Venus Dy, Account Number: 00168-802-4303 (BDO PhilAm-Valero, Makati) or through PeraPadala (Palawan Express / MLhuiller), send to Eva Dy, 09171688571 or 09198102647.
Race participants only need to fill-out the following: First Name, Last Name, Race Category, Age, Gender, Email address, Shirt size, Phone Number and Address and email these together with an attached scanned copy / photo / screenshot of the deposit slip / receipt totapptrailrun2019@gmail.com, putting kinatkataysaBinabaje, as race Category) as subject.
A confirmation would be sent as soon as the payment has been verified, organizers said.
As the race starts in the morning on February 25, athletes who are up to test their core strengths, endurance and muscles may have to camp in at The Farm on the night before the gun start. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)
by admin | Jan 14, 2019 | Headlines
The opening of the mulled Tagbilaran City College won’t compete with the private tertiary educational institutions here, assured City Mayor John Geesnell Yap.
Speaking during the recent Kapihansa PIA held inside the office of the City Mayor at the City Hall, the young son of city’s respected businessmen parents hinted that a college institution that would be government owned and an additional to the already saturated catchment would be a bad idea, if it would earn the ire of the established educational establishments.
However, when the mulled City college opens, it won’t be offering courses which are now already offered by the private institutions in the city, the mayor said.
They do not need to be afraid, the mayor assured, even as he bared that he has met the school administrators to explain to them the need for the city to implement a plan that would soon spice up the city’s inventory of skills which the private colleges and universities have not supplied as yet.
Except for tourism, we won’t be into the same course offers that the city based colleges are offering.
Beyond that, opening up a city college which would be opening free college education with the same high standard that every parent of a poor college kid could dream of for his children, would be big relief, the mayor excitedly said.
The opening of the city college would also be a relief for the city which is sending to school 500 scholars and is paying for the tuition fees and allowances of these students now enrolled in major tertiary schools here in Tagbilaran.
And while the city college is still on its final stages of implementation, the sporty city mayor said the city is doubling up the tuition fees and allowances for these city paid learners.
From P5,000, we are increasing the tuition assistance to our scholars to P1,000 beginning this year.
As to the courses the mulled city college would be into, many have suggested that propping up the city’s labor force in the blue collar job fields would be a great idea to explore.
While the city has been cited now for outstanding fiscal management, losing an additional P5,000 for the city scholars, a new city college would be another way of recovering these spending.
The plan to open up its own college, according to Mayor Yap, has excited the government’s Commission on Higher Education, who promised to lend technical and financial assistance to the city.
We earlier though we would be totally spending for the opening of the college, its infrastructure and organizational staffing when we learned that the CHED is helping, he shared during the radio interview.
Now, we are given another opportunity for opening another economic enterprise, the mayor revealed.
For the education of its constituents, the mayor believes starting the kids while young would be a good gamble at success.
The city, he reported has just finished putting up air conditioned classrooms for the city’s day care centers.
Now, next on the line and starting this year, is to bring that same service to the city’s elementary schools, as he assured the putting up of more comfortable public elementary classroom would start this year.
Also, the project of erecting multi-purpose covered courts (MPCC) in all public schools in the city continues this year until all would have a good venue for public engagements, and schools would finally have a comfortable wide space for parents’ and teachers’ meeting.
The same MPCCs would also be temporary shelters for constituents during disasters, he said. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)
by admin | Jan 6, 2019 | Headlines, Sports
Without much of an effort but putting up the right infrastructure, Bohol inches its way to its new assertion as among the country’s emerging sports tourism capitals.
This month, Bohol’s gorgeous country roads, challenging hills and magnificent scenery plus its warm people would be receiving the internationally acclaimed international cycling marathon in its qualifying runs: the prestigious Gran Fondo New York (GFNY).
GFNY is a personal endurance challenge where you compete against others, the clock and yourself, Bohol local organizer David Aliño bared at the Kapihansa PIA.
Coming first in the Philippines after its inaugural Gran Fondo New York race in the United States in 2011, organizers accordingly did not think twice about the proposal to hold the first ever GFNY in the Philippines in Bohol, revealed Bohol Department of Tourism (DOT) officer in charge JaypeeOrcullo.
Well paved roads, magnificent scenery, great backroads and warm people, DOT said as the New York DOT sold Bohol to the GFNY.
Set this last week of January, a brood of international and local cyclists would be descending to Bohol, gather up at the Bellevue Hotel in Panglao and get familiar with the race route, Bohol’s tourism sites and the warm people before gearing it out for the race on the 27th.
The Bohol GFNY would be a two category event: a 140 kilometer race through Bohol’s scenic country roads featuring some 1554 meters of elevation and the easier non-competitive fun ride route of 66 kilometers with 554 meters of elevation gain, Aliño of the home team Paseo de Loon bared.
What makes the gran fondo (or big challenge) is that this was initially created to honor pro cycling legends in their hometown or over an iconic race route. In Bohol, it is more of the iconic race route.
Gran fondos must be a timed race of at least 74 miles (120km) long, and prizes and awards are awarded to top finishers in each category.
In Bohol, over the minimum requirements, the gran fondo takes over the four days set beginning Thursday January 24, where the multi-day celebration starts with a celebration of Boholano music, food and beverages, shared Bohol Department of Tourism (DOT) officer JaypeeOrcullo during the forum aired live over DyTR.
Basically chip timed event, cyclists in both competitive and non-competitive segments get to be timed so one knows whether he beats his best distance record, while at the same time pitting himself against other cyclists, Aliño said.
While the top three of each age group competitor in the race gets to have podium honors, he added that the top 10 finishers for each category can get an invite to the front corral of the prestigious Campagnolo GFNY this May 19, starting off at the iconic George Washington Bridge in New York for the GFNY World Championships.
A mass start race, Bohol organizers have said they are about to complete the final coordination as the individual chip timing from start to finish needs to be coordinated with police moderated traffic to ensure riders do not have to stop during the race, Orcullo said.
GFNY is the latest of the international road races which have found their way to love Bohol roads.
In December of 2011, the Timex 226 Bohol Triathlon found the Anda to Panglao route a neat challenge.
The succeeding years, Bellevue put in its own brand of triathlons followed the Ironman 5150 as it found its home to the hotel since then.
Before that, another gran fondo type of fun ride: Giro d Luca found its way to Bohol too, making it the first regular annual long distance fun ride here.
GFNY registration is ongoing at www.gfnyph.com, registration includes pro-level imported jersey (mandatory race attire), race goodie bag, which includes a GFNY PH 800ml Elite Italy bike bottle, fully supported course with police, medical, mechanical, staff and volunteers, 6 fully stocked aid stations, finishers medal, post-race meal, pre-race group rides on Thursday, Friday and Saturday during race week and a fun and challenging day of cycling in an International peloton.
GFNY is the latest and the most competitive full bike race. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)
CRANKING FOR MORE SPORTS EVENTS. Bohol is not giving up on developing and inviting more sports activities, this time, with the Department of Tourism and the Tourism Promotions Board of the Philippines, bring the Gran Fondo New York qualifiers, which will bring in international and national cyclists sidling for a berth at the Campagnolo GFNY International Championship in New York this May 19. (PIABohol)
GFNYPh BOHOL. Gran Fondo New York Bohol event organizer David Aliño of Team Paseo de Loon explains the mechanics of the gran fondo type of race in Bohol this January 27. With him is DOT Bohol officer in charge JaypeeOrcullo. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)
by admin | Dec 4, 2018 | Headlines
In case you get to the Tagbilaran City Airport to find the air facility closed, do not panic.
Instead, compose yourself, pick your trusted tricycle driver and ask the driver to get you to Dao Integrated Bus Terminal where the airport air-conditioned shuttle buses stop.
Or, you can just wait for the bus to get past the Port of Tagbilaran, the Plaza or Dauis Junction and catch a ride from there.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has provided these buses to facilitate the transfer of passengers from the airport to the city terminals and then to the port and back to Panglao airport, to Alona and them through the Panglao Circumferential Road on a looped service, for 40-50 pesos.
On the other hand, it would finally be different mornings from then on to residents near the Tagbilaran airport, the unusual calm which only happens during ill weather would now be permanent.
Gone, starting 6:00 PM November 27 would be the shrieking jet engines warming up, or the sonic booms that could usually bust lightbulbs in nearby houses as each departing plane wiggles its tail for their goodbyes.
Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) has issued the Notice to All Airmen (NOTAM) that the Tagbilaran City Airport has been closed for operation effective the last flight November 27, 2018, and the has been transferred to the new Bohol Panglao International Airport (BPIA) effective November 28, 2018.
And as the last plane, Philippine Airlines flight 2778 flew off Tagbilaran City’s runway C1/17-35 and disappeared over the tall Maribojoc mountains to Manila, the control tower lights dimmed and finally sent out the flight plan for Air Force 1 leading it to the controllers of the new PBIA.
Onboard AirForce 1 is President Rodrigo RoaDuterte, who would be leading the unveiling of the airport markers signaling the opening of the new facility that would be Bohol’s latest ace on the sleeve in tourism arrivals.
As Tagbilaran City’s runway C1/ 17-35 closed, the NOTAM consequently opened BPIA runway 03-21.
The opening of the BPIA now elates pilots.
Any delays in Tagbilaran City aiport’s last flight at 4:00 PM could spell a whole lot of problems.
Operating as a sunrise to sunset airport, any flight delay would detain the last flight, for safety purposes.
Not only does Tagbilaran City airport keep one of the shortest runways in the country at 1.8 kilometers, the absence of navigation guides makes keeping the plane grounded a prudent call for even the best pilots.
At the new BPIA, aside from a longer runway 03-21, the new P 8.9 billon features state of the art Instrument Landing System (ILS) that even pilots of lesser flight hours will find the runway throroughly sufficient, and without any obstruction unlike the tall buildings in Tagbilaran and the Dayo Hill or Maribojoc Mountains.
In Tagbilaran, a where a touchdown forces the aviators to immediately lower the flaps, pull the thrusts in reverse, or the plane stops on somebody’s yard of gets stopped by the perimeter fence, PBIA has properly marked lengthy blacktops.
Night landing or takeoff here won’t be a problem as the new facility even features glide slope guides, that a pilot can easily land a plane without even looking out the aircraft window.
As the last PAL flight from Tagbilaran soars into the dusk, the old city airport also bows out after serving decades as a provincial airport bringing in a huge chunk of Bohol’s development and progress.
An identified ace upon Bohol sleeves during the start of the provincial campaign as eco-cultural tourism destination, tourists taking the Tagbilaran Airport are those who do not necessarily go to Cebu, while most Cebu tourists make it a point to go to Bohol.
The following day, November 28, air controllers who have resettled in Panglao accepted to runway 03-21 Cebu Pacific flight 5J 619, the first commercial flight that landed in Panglao.
The day before, a special inaugural flight of Air Asia flight RPC 8950 flown by Boholano pilots and crew landed in Panglao, the first Airbus 320 which made a historic landing.
On command was Anda’s Captain Primo Dagondon along with First Officers JovannaJumamoy (Inabanga) and Kristine Boniel (Bien Unido) bringing in the plane in the morning before the official Presidential launching. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)
PANGLAO SHUTTLE BUSES. The Department of Transportation presented these brand new shuttle buses which will serve the transport of airport passengers and tourists in Panglao, over 10 of these air-conditioned buses serve on a looped route from Panglao to Tagbilaran daily, for the convenience of commuters. (PIABohol/DOTr)
