We have a strong reason to believe that Bohol is lining up in the runway for a lift off.
Its natural resources abound. The fresh water which flows out to the sea each day eloquently talks about the excesses that Bohol has, which other places in the world can only dream of.
The land lavishly spreads Bohol’s bounty and this speaks of how the soil pays back the sweat that waters the diligence of every Boholano farmer.
Boholanos have been known for being warm, hospitable and hardworking: traits that make them assets by investors, who are lured by these other givens.
And the character of the Boholano, although already a deck-ful of aces, is even hyped by the heaping serving of skills, incomparable with similarly trained workers.
What we are telling is that everything, or almost everything has been set: the playing field is ripe with the promise of a good pay-back.
The conditions are almost perfect here, just a minute tweaking can already make a little over-the-break-even thresholds because worksman-ship and craftsmanship is innate in the Boholano.
The outer environment which is way beyond the worker however is still messed.
Other than inefficient government bureaucracy, circuitous business processes, corruption and inadequate infrastructure form the barriers, which keep the province from really taking flight, politics takes its nastiest self out.
While the country relentlessly pushes for competitiveness, we know of government offices and agencies sleeping on the job, taking things cruise through and sit on business proposals like they are cushions or simply butt wipes.
A business permit is easier to get in Dauis over in Tagbilaran, or maybe in some other areas. We also know that if the applicant is a political butterfly, things are a little bit harder.
Here, there are still processes than can be done faster depending on the obesity of one’s grease money.
While in business, a reliable and fast internet is a plus-plus factor, the only speed Boholanos can get is the quickness local officials talks about these plans.
And then, there is a challenge in keeping the peace now in the otherwise underperforming province.
While the internal security operators here stamp their feet to convince people that Bohol is insurgency free, the Commission on Audit hints that the continued presence of the army tells otherwise.
Death by shooting or execution in Bohol is high, at least a couple or people is killed weekly. Drugs have suddenly become alarming some people are now into the propensity that 70% of the crime cases in Bohol are drug related.
So here is everything but political will. Now that elections are looming and nothing has been as tangible from our leaders here today, the future can be defining for Bohol.
But the question remains. Shall we see the will soon?
