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ATBANG FARM WINS AS ONE OF TOP 5 BEST TABLEA DRINK IN THE PHILIPPINES
Atbang Farm’s tablea is named one of the Philippines’ top five tablea drink during the recently concluded KakaoKonek 2019, the biggest annual event of cacao farmers and chocolatiers in the country. A total of 38 entries from all over the country participated the first ever National Tablea Drink Contest and had their tablea chocolate drink entries subjected to taste tests by more than 30 jurors from all regions of the country, following specific set of rules and guidelines set by the event organizers. The conference, dubbed as “Filipinas Tablea and Chocolate Expo and Cacao Conference” was held last October 17 – 18, 2019 in Davao City, and was organized by the Philippine Cacao Industry Development Council (PCIDC) in partnership with the Cacao Industry Development Association of Mindanao, Inc. (CIDAMI). More than a thousand attendees from the 14 regions in the country attended the event which was held at the SMX Convention Center in Lanang. This year, 12 Women Micro Entrepeneurs (WMEs) participated in this 2-day activity allowing them to network and appreciate innovations and development directions for the cacao industry in the country. Their participation was made possible with support from the Provincial Government, the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Agriculture through the Great Women Project 2. One of the highlights of KakaoKonek 2019 was the awarding of the Top 5 Philippine National Tablea Drink. Months back, the province of Bohol through the prodding of the Department of Trade and Industry together with the Bohol Cacao Development Council sent 5 entries to the said contest to include the following firms: Atbang Farm of Ms. Efrenia... read moreBohol top cop bares new anticrime marching order
Bohol police under newly assigned police chief, Police Colonel Jonathan Cabal have three priority marching orders from the governor, ones which could define crime prevention as well as bring Bohol to a new level in peace and security for investments to thrive. Speaking at the Kapihan Sa PIA commemorating Crime Prevention Week, Colonel Cabal who just took the top seat of the Bohol Provincial Police Station weeks ago said the governor wanted police to intensify intelligence operations, secure tourism spots and intensify the campaign against illegal drugs. Cabal, who had a successful stint as the director for Regional Intelligence Division decorated by the neutralization of the Abu Sayyaf terrorists who tried getting their lucrative terroristic activities to Bohol, said he supports the governor considering that police work starts and ends in intelligence. Col Cabal was Regional Logistics chief before he assumed the Bohol post. On the matter of tourism and securing tourism spots, Cabal said there would be changes in the Bohol Tourist Police set-up. He said, in his administration, he wants all men doing what they do best: police work. He noticed that those assigned at the Tourist Police Units are somewhat “underutilized” and are shaking off investigation work, which has the police at the losing end of the pole. We have ample tourist police, we have audited their performance; how they go about their activities, Cabal said. But stagnation within the ranks of the tourist police may have hit the new police director. Every four years, police have to go to another station, he bared the tour of duty tradition of the force, a hint to the... read more
Aris’ previous statement on power ‘not misleading’
By: JUNE S. BLANCO REP. Erico Aristotle Aumentado of Bohol’s 2nd District stands by his previous statement that “the Cantakoy hydroelectric project found no support from the next administration. This solon emphasized that “this was not a misleading statement”, but a statement of facts. Aumentado said partners Ayala Group and Sta. Clara Power Corp. were well on their way in establishing the Cantakoy project – taking extra diligent care in providing mitigating measures for what experts had described “critical” and “dangerous” – during the incumbency of his namesake father and immediate congressional predecessor, former governor Erico Boyles Aumentado. Sta. Clara Power Corporation is an independent power producing company in the Philippines. It focuses on hydro power development. The company was founded in 2003 and is based in Mandaluyong, the Philippines. Sta. Clara Power Corporation operates as a subsidiary of Sta. Clara International Corporation But for reasons of their own, the next administration did not pursue Cantakoy – despite the impending and expected stark increase in power consumption due to the operationalization of the Panglao Bohol International Airport. Airports are stand-alone natural investment come-ons, but since Bohol has been vigorously inviting investors, the province should have taken more aggressive steps in meeting the increasing power demand. After all, he said, only in the power industry is redundancy welcome. The recent price hike scare prompted Aumentado to walk what has so far been merely talk. The resumption of the Cantakoy project would be his “little contribution” to ease the current power crisis in Bohol. He said Cantakoy can augment the power “imported” from the Tongonan Geothermal Plant in Leyte by from...Free, fast wifi to open in BISU thru Google-Smart
Private sector partnership now joins in the government orchestrated move to provide the infrastructure for development in opening a fast and free wireless fidelity (wifi) connection at the government’s state college here. Thanks to Google’s Google Stations in partnership with Smart Communications, the ripples from the Presidential promise of making accessible free wifi hotspots anyone can connect to, gets to Bohol Island State University, this month, according to Smart. During the 2016’s State of the Nation Address, President Rodrigo Duterte has promised to put up free wifi hotspots in public areas in the country. Even as the government stirred itself to provide a strong broadband backbone from which this wifi can get through, a latest report from the World Bank on fast broadband speeds says, every 10-percent increase in broadband internet penetration, this translates to a 1.38-percent increase in a country’s gross domestic product growth. As shown that internet penetration is directly proportional to economic growth, the government through its Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) put up its Pipol Konek: Free Wi-Fi Internet Access in Public Places Project which aims to accelerate the Philippine government’s efforts in enhancing internet accessibility for Filipinos so that, in turn, economic, social, and educational opportunities will be bolstered, and the growing Digital Divide can be bridged. Pipol Konek have live spots in Alburquerque HS, gym, Anda, Baclayon HS, Calape RHC, Dagohoy, Danao, Dauis, Tagbilaran City, Garcia Hernandez, Guindulman, Getafe plaza, Maribojoc town Hall and RHU, Loon town hall and plaza, Baclayon in Montaña and Plaza, Loay, Lila, Mabini, Jagna, Guindulman plazas, Sagbayan, Pilar, CPG Pitogo, Pangalo, San Miguel, Sierra Bullones, Sikatuna,...Local News/ Bohol Balita
The Call from the TAPP:
Alicia opens trail Until January 25 TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol January 12 (PIA)–The gorgeous trails leading to the best panoramic views in eastern Bohol open again this year for the annual The Alicia Panoramic Park (TAPP) Trail Run 2019 in time for the foundation days celebration of the town, 100 kilometers from this capital city. Said to be most brutally beautiful race that allows trail masters to get a glimpse, or a selfie at the scenery, the TAPP trail run gets a trail runner from The Farm in Barangay Cambaol, Alicia to dizzying elevations by following the pasture trails that make their way to Mount Labawan, the trail’s highest peak at over 350 meters towering over the largely rolling landscape. Now fast becoming the town’s most popular sports tourism product, the trail run this year, set February 24, Sunday, is open for 5 kilometer kiddie, the 10 kilometers and the 30 kilometers trail for the hardcore runners who have found the real challenge off-road and away from the pavements. With registration opening since December, the TAPP trail run attempts to limit the number of runners considering the trails’ carrying capacity, according to town tourism officer Godelia Lumugdang. When there were over 350 runners who registered in last year’s TAPP Trail series for the 21 kilometers, organizers this year opened limited 150 slots for the 30 kilometers, another 150 slots for the 10 kilometers and 50 slots for the kiddie 3 kilometer race, she added. Registration for the 30 kilometer race is P1,200, for the 10 kilometer race, P700 and for the 5 kilometer kiddie, P500. Registration which includes an event...Aris thanks Japan for ODA grants
By JUNE S. BLANCO REP. Erico Aristotle Aumentado (Bohol, 2nd District) expressed gratitude to the Japanese parliamentarians at a recent dinner hosted by House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Aumentado acknowledged the “very significant” assistance from Japan that the province now enjoys – given during his namesake father and immediate congressional predecessor Erico B. Aumentado’s watch – the Bohol Circumferential Road. The solon is now trying to rekindle the ties his father once had with Japan, and exploring if it still has official development assistance (ODA) available, and what specific projects can qualify. After all, he said, Japanese ODA has the most reasonable cost of money – more affordable than China’s interest rate – lower than by as much as 50%. It is high time, he said, that Bohol further builds its network, with no intention of letting up, in order to make it a top notch province, of international standards, especially where roads, ports, airport and other infrastructure are...Lower House Oks space agency bill
By JUNE S. BLANCO THE Philippines has taken another giant step towards the realization of creating its own space agency. This after the Lower House this week passed on third and final reading House Bill No. 8541 – the Philippine Space Development Act. Science and Technology Committee Chair and main author Rep. Erico Aristotle Aumentado (Bohol 2nd District) and co-authors led by Rep. Seth Frederick Jalosjos (Zamboanga del Norte, 1st District) had pushed for the creation of the Philippine Space Agency (Philsa) – to be under the Department of Science and Technology (DoST). Aumentado said it is high time that the Philippines upgrades its technology, to better communicate information to the people, and to better predict the weather, among others. The solon said the agency would be under the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). He said on top of information gathering, satellites can also be a peace and order tool. He said they can best be maximized in surveillance activities as they can easily track the movements of people with suspicious moves. Satellites can locate suspects with surgical accuracy, he said. Applying the satellite to the Marawi City scenario, the solon said it can trace “with pinpoint accuracy” the location of the Maute terrorists agitating a rising rebellion in Muslim Mindanao. The 297-strong Lower House had voted unanimously in favor of the bill. When created, Philsa will have its offices in the Clark Special Economic Zone, in Pampanga and Tarlac – tasked primarily with safeguarding the country/s sovereignty and territorial integrity. It will also conduct space research and development, space industry and capacity building, space education and awareness,...Lady legislator models Bohol HIV testing drive
If only to personally jumpstart the World AIDS Day and its succeeding activities, a nurse and sitting legislator in Bohol, volunteers to have a Human Immune deficiency Virus (HIV) testing December 1, at the Panda Tea Garden and Suites. Waiving her right provided by the Philippine AIDS Control and Prevention Act, Third District Board Member Jade Acapulco Bautista, formerly US based nurse by and now a legislator at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan in Bohol subjected herself to an HIV testing and in fact, performed for herself the capillary pricking necessary to extract sufficient blood samples for the test to determine reactivity. Intending to help but still constrained to a task she is demanded to do as a legislator, BM Bautista said she is still open to suggestions in legislating measures to reverse the spread of HIV, a deadly virus, especially in Bohol. Herself the SP Committee chair on Health and Public Sanitation, BM Dano who sits as a model for HIV testing as a medical professional, allowed herself to the test, if only to show there is nothing to fear, in fact, get a reassurance that one can keep an HIV-free status from then on. “It is more reassuring that one can get an additional sense of responsibility especially in advocating for more protection and in maintaining the already attained HIV status,” another Department of Health nurse Nickson Felix Epe said. Dano, who said Bohol’s [anti-HIV] campaign is doing very well, also admitted further that sustainability of the campaign can only be attained with everybody’s cooperation. “The Provincial Health Office is doing very well [as regards the campaign], but they...Aris to seek add’l funding for brgy multipurpose bldgs in 2nd
By JUNE S. BLANCO ALL barangays in Bohol’s 2nd District will soon have a multi-purpose building each –courtesy of Rep. Erico Aristotle Aumentado. The solon said some barangays have completed theirs through this counter-parting project. However, some “poorer” barangays could not come up with their respective counterparts, leaving the project unfinished until now. Aumentado continues to make the rounds of his district for ocular inspections to assess the ongoing multipurpose building projects to determine which are not yet complete. For these, he said, he will request for additional funding at P1 million next year. Current funding, he said, is P750,000 from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). The multi-purpose buildings can serve as the barangay’s meeting or assembly area, or evacuation center in times of calamities. The buildings have rain water collectors. The water can then be used by the community for the building’s toilet, for their respective laundry and other water needs. Aumentado said the amount may not be that much, but he gave all the barangays in his district such funds equally for the multi-purpose buildings not considering if he won or lost in that barangay in the last elections. He emphasized that he does not want to give just a few barangays from two to three million pesos if this means sacrificing the needs ofd the other barangays. He wants all barangays to receive equal amounts. The solon said after the election results are out, he always puts politics behind. This is most effective, he said, to heal “election wounds”. His unprecedented zero dissatisfaction rating in the latest round of Bohol Polls conducted by...National News
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