By the Bohol Chronicle
China has committed more support for Bohol's tourism and agriculture - and even in the inclusion of its top tourist destination, the Chocolate Hills, in the New 7 Wonders of Nature.
Ambassador Song Tao of the People's Republic of China gave this assurance during his recent courtesy call on Bohol Gov. Erico Aumentado at the latter's office at the Capitol.
Song told Aumentado that China is ready to give technical assistance to local agriculturists especially in the areas of hybrid rice and hybrid corn production.
The ambassador expressed elation on learning that the governor had been to Jilin province in China four years ago where he saw foot-long ears of hybrid corn.
At the sane time, he invited Aumentado and his agriculture men and women to visit Hunan province some time. Hunan, he said, is China's top hybrid rice producer.
Aumentado accepted the invitation, saying that he wanted to push even more rice and corn production in Bohol.
"Bohol is now the top rice producer in Central Visayas , but it still is only 82.5 percent self-sufficient,' he told Song.
The province can expand its area planted to rice by only so much. To achieve self- sufficiency, he said, the key is to increase production through irrigation, better-yielding seeds and good fertilization techniques, he said of one of Bohol's two economic drivers.
The other, he said, is tourism.
Song said he observed that the resort where his delegation was staying was full of Chinese tourists.
Aumentado said it will even be easier to come to Bohol in the next few years because the Panglao Bohol International Airport will be completed by then.
Simultaneous onstruction of the runway and the terminal building and their appurtenances will start in December or January, with the inauguration indicatively slated on April 5, 2010 - coinciding with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's birthday.
The ambassador also vowed to campaign among his provincemates and other places in China the voting for the inclusion of the Chocolate Hills in the N7W of Nature.
Song comes from Fujian province.
He was elated on knowing that former chair Meng Jianzhu of the party standing committee of the People's Provincial Government of Jiangxi and now Minister of Public Security of the People's Republic of China also visited Aumentado in the same office two years back.
"He has been promoted!" Song said of Meng.
With Song were his wife Guo Jianli; Economic and Commercial Counselor Wu Zhengping; First Secretaries Liu Lujun and Qiu Zhongyi; Third Secretaries Xu Hangtian and Zhou Xiang all from the Embassy Office in Makati City; as well as Consul General He Shijing and Consular Attache Jiang Jun from the Consular Office in Cebu City. They were shepherded by Dr. Simplicio Yap who heads the local Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCCI) and other members.
Song also hosted dinner for Aumentado and other provincial and city officials that evening.
The ambassador also expressed excitement over his visit to the Chocolate Hills the following day. Their tour was capped with dinner al fresco at one of the floating restaurants on the Loboc River courtesy of Mayor Leon Calipusan - with the added attraction of a performance by the Loboc Youth Band.
The proposed Bohol Mining Code seeks to regulate small-scale mineral extraction in the province with the provincial government issuing permits to applicants.
Even Vice Gov. Julius Caesar Herrera has criticized the approval of mining applications in Bohol.
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