Tarsier 117 Jagna
NGCP brown out sked
Octavio Briones NGCP Visayas Operations and Maintenance Division Head and staff presented to Provincial Administrator Alfonso Damalerio II meets the Bohol Comprehensive Maintenance Shutdown Schedule. NGCP are setting a one-hour power interruption starting February for the replacement of wooden poles to steel poles, crossarms and associated hardware. A one day power shutdown is tentatively set in June 17. Damalerio requested them to write a letter to governor on the schedules and towns/ areas affected for proper dissemination, particularly to the mayors and those affected. Also present is Betty Martinez, NGCP Visayas Information Officer and EDCOM Head Augustus Escobia.
Bohol declares UN-WTO International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development During 17th Bohol Ubi Festival
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
Effective Development Communications Unit
Bohol declares UN-WTO International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development
During 17th Bohol Ubi Festival
Bohol is first in the country to declare 2017 as United Nations World Tourism Organization (UN-WTO) International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development.
Gov. Edgar Chatto pledged commitment and symbolically sliced an ube open to officially launch in Bohol 2017 as the UN-WTO International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development during the Opening Program of the 17th Ube Festival on Friday, January 20.
The declaration highlights as key Economic, Environment, and Socio cultural aspects of tourism.
Gov. Chatto said agriculture and tourism remain major development pillars for Bohol and the Ube Festival features both agriculture and tourism that is not only distinctive of Bohol but also contributing to economic growth of the province.
Guest speaker Department of Tourism (DOT) Region 7 Director Catalino Chan III, who came on behalf of DOT Sec. Wanda Teo, committed to include the Ube Festival as one of major events in the national tourism calendar.
According to Chan, Bohol is the limelight of the Philippine tourism industry, citing recorded 4.3 million tourists in January for the entire Central Visayas.
The International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017 was officially launched last January 19 at the International Tourism Fair of Spain, FITUR.
Chan also joined Chatto and the rest of provincial and municipal officials as well as agriculture and tourism stakeholders at the ribbon cutting ceremony to open the exhibit at Plaza Rizal.
Apo Hiking Society member Jim Paredes, joined by Chuckie Dreyfus also graced the ribbon cutting rites. They were with a host of bloggers sponsored by Air Asia to experience the Ube Festival as one of stops in their tourism package. This was part of year-round tourism promotions activities planned by the Provincial Tourism Council.
Twenty one booths are displaying varieties of the revered ube at the fair that will run until tomorrow, Monday, January 23, 2017.
The Ube festival kicked off with a motorcade followed by the opening program and exhibit opening simultaneous with Pinaka contests: Pinaka (best quality harvest, best booth and ube exhibit, ube postermaking contest.
The annual festival also featured an ube cook off as well as a literary musical contest that included ube balak, ube kuradang, ube rap and jungle, and bugno sa rondalya.
An investment forum, ube technology updates, agri-tourism forum, and saemul undong lectures were also held.
The festival will close Monday with awarding of winners of the Ube Festival and a recognition of Gulayan sa Paaralan winners for 2016. (Leah/EDCOM)
GOV LAUDS PANGLAO BAY PREMIERE FLAGSHIP TEZ PROJECT
Gov. Edgar Chatto thanked the Alturas Group of Companies, Asia Pacific Projects, Incorporated and Tourism Infrastructure Economic Zone Authority (TIEZA) for starting with the right foot forward in the presentation of the Panglao Bay Premier Flagship Tourism Enterprise Zone Development Plan at South Palms Resort in Panglao on Wednesday.
This is what government expects from big time developers, the governor said.
“All investors should do this: present plans to the stakeholders so that all other players in government and private sectors can support and align prioritization of their own plans consistent with the investors’ directions,” he said.
The Alturas Group gathered local officials, national government agencies, non government organizations, civil society groups in a forum to present the draft plan for the flagship tourism enterprise zone in Panglao, which will be among 5 listed potential flagship tourism enterprise zones.
The priority area for the Panglao Bay Premier Flagship TEZ covers over 50 hectares in Panglao and is about 3 kilometers by road away from the New Bohol Airport.
The development envisions luxury hotels, hotel residences, spa and wellness centers, bed and breakfast places, a village market, shops, among others.
The project is expected to make Bohol a major tourism player than it already is and create additional jobs. The flagship TEZ is seen to create employment of up to 8,000 and generate economic activities for the local communities.
The governor also commended consultants for presenting a plan that was built on sustainable development, that is close to the heart of the Boholanos, making sure to integrate social, economic, and environment impacts into the master plan.
The establishment of flagship tourism zones is part of aim for Philippine tourism to be at par with global players.
The TIEZA program sought out sites with viable tourism potential, have them master planned, and develop them into sustainable tourism destinations, as per the Philippine National Tourism Development Plan, to improve marketing competitiveness of the Philippine tourism product.
The flagship TEZ breathes life to the Tourism Act of 2009 as it is the legal basis of the Panglao Bay Premier Flagship Tourism Enterprize Zone (TEZ) under the support and supervision of the Tourism Infrastructure & Enterprize Zone Authority (TIEZA).
Republic Act 9593 s. 2009 is the bible of Philippine Tourism principally authored by Gov. Chatto and Sen. Gordon in the House and Senate respectively. (Leah/EDCOM)
PH and Singapore reaffirm economic partnership.
The Philippines, through President Rodrigo R. Duterte (center) and the Department of Trade and Industry’s Secretary
Ramon M. Lopez (3rd from right) reaffirm strong economic partnership with Singapore through increased collaboration in sectors such as food, engineering and architecture services, aircraft and MRO services, infrastructure, construction and public-private
partnership (PPP), shipbuilding, Information Technology and Business Process Management (IT-BPM), tourism, and startup sectors. With Singapore Business Federation (SBF) members during the recent presidential visit in December 2016, the two countries discussed
areas of collaboration in support of investment and entrepreneurship of Filipinos in Singapore and the continued efforts of forwarding the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) in the region. In 2015, total Philippine exports to Singapore amounted
to $3.6 billion making it as the 5th largest export market of the country. With heightened collaboration, Philippines eyes expanded exports to Singapore in the coming period.
BEDAG meeting
Gov. Edgar Chatto convened the Bohol Energy Development Advisory Group (BEDAG) on the next steps in ensuring quality, reliable, and affordable power for Bohol.
The group hashed out investor list and power source to discuss viability and distinguish investments that can address baseload and peakload demand for Bohol.
As for policy on which investment Bohol will accept, this is subject to qualification in terms of cost both for providers and consumers with special consideration on environmental factor.
BCCI’s Engr. Albert Uy, Argeo Melisimo, BIPC’s Inday Dominise, and City Councilor Beben Inting also joined the discussions for investment aspect.
The BEDAG is composed of representatives from the power sector as well as the planning, legal office and SP chair on utilities.
