Tourism in the Philippines

Central Visayas' unique natural wonders and cultural heritage complemented by the extraordinary hospitality and warmth of their people make its potential as a world class tourist destination strong.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (PGMA) has to admit this, during possibly her last official visit to the tourism super region comprised mostly of five regions in Central Philippines.

PGMA came here last week to speak before tourism and hospitality management courses to bare the government's infrastructure support investments in the Central Philippines, the one region packaged for tourism.

The tourism super regions, as the country's official tourism packaged destination comprises of Region IV-A, V, VI, VII and VII including Camiguin and Siargao island, she explained.

The region includes Boracay, Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan, or the typical areas where ideal vacations are usually spent, the executive clarified.

Eyeing the unique potential of the region in its showings in the global tourism market statistics, the government heavily invested on the brisk tourism arrivals in the country despite seen decline in almost all regions, according to the president.

In her speech, PGMA said the administration has strongly invested in tourism infrastructure in the region since 2001.

This as her engagement's backdrop mapped the tangible projects implemented under her administration: 42 airports built or upgraded in the region: 108 ports including roll-on roll-ff accesses, 145 municipal fish ports and almost 9,000 kilometers of tourism highways, she narrated duing her 26 minutes speech. 

She also thanked the private sector investments in tourism facilities in Central Philippines for complementing the government efforts. 

 

PGMA said tourism investments reached P271.45 billion since 2004 with about 20 projects, mostly resorts and hotels, were registered with the BOI, costing P6.6 billion.

The President personally mentioned institutions like Holy Name University for their efforts to strengthen tourism by putting up related courses for young stakeholders.

She said the institution has helped young people be assured of jobs as soon as they finish school.

Over all these, she resounded the call for all Boholanos to help preserve the culture and the environment of Bohol, two of the greatest hinges in the region's potentials for tourism. - (PIA) 

Bohol Politician Framed Up?

A string report run by a national daily paper could put any one of the 28 Boholano candidates for Board members (BM) at ill ease: one among them is under probe for alleged links to illegal drug trade.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer, in reports has bared one Boholano BM candidate as among the six candidates in Western Visayas and two in Central Visayas with alleged links with drug personalities.

The report cited the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) confirming that six candidates in Western Visayas eye various posts in government while two more candidates in Central Visayas running for public posts have links with drug personalities and groups.

PDEA Central Visayas regional director Randy Pedroso also revealed that two local candidates, one in Cebu and another in Bohol, were also being investigated for their alleged links to the illegal drug trade, the same report said.

He however admitted that the government agents are still heaping up evidence to support a case, should one be filed against any one.

Pedroso said that the Cebuano under investigation is a candidate for councilor in Cebu City.

Meanwhile, the un-named candidate for board member in Bohol is similarly under the narcotics agent's scopes.

Both candidates accordingly have a history of arrests due to their involvement in illegal drugs.

PDEA did not also identify if the alleged personalities were men or women.

Over these reports, about twenty three male candidates and women candidates in Bohol's three districts may be into an uncomfortable position.

 

The drug trade has become lucrative that drug dealers have shifted to narco-politics to protect their interests.

 

The US State Department has also said drug money may affect the upcoming Philippine elections in May 2010.  

Development in Bohol Island

  This is the development style Bohol Gov. Erico Aumentado is pushing for the countryside – piloting the second district for better manageability.

  Referring to the plan as the present provincial administration's "graceful exit for a dramatic entrance", the governor said the Barangay Master Planning under the Integrated Area Development Strategy lays down the finishing touches on the needs of the common people.

  He presented the concept to barangay captains and municipal officials during the string of inaugurations of school buildings in San Miguel and Inabanga towns in his trip last week.

  For the simultaneous growth and development of the villages in the pilot district, Aumentado allocated P1 million for Barangay Master Planning to be conducted by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA).

  Under this plan, more school buildings will be built. He will distribute brand new computer units with internet connection for which he has asked the Bohol Division of the Department of Education (DepEd) to inventory the existing functional computers in the schools throughout the province.

  These will be used, he said, to implement the Gearing-up Internet Literacy and Access for Students (GILAS) project in partnership with Ayala Foundation, and the revival of the Sine'skwela in partnership with ABS-CBN. a 30-minute television show on science and technology shown in the mid 90's educate and entertain children.

  "This is to uplift the quality of education in public schools, so they can stand at par the private and leading institutions," Aumentado explained.

  He also proposed the Barangay Road Support Program, completion of the Bohol Circumferential Road Improvement Project Phase 3 that includes concreting of the roads traversing the towns of Ubay to Mabini, Candijay, Cogtong, Anda and Guindulman or the Anda Peninsula Highway, with funding assistance of P1.4 billion from the Korean government.

  The only hitch remaining is the conversion of the road from provincial to national since the Official Development Assistance (ODA) concessional loan will be paid by the national government.        

  Waterworks systems and electrification are also top in the barangay development agenda, as well as the improvement of ports including the development of the Tapal Wharf in Ubay into a multi-industry cluster (MIC) seaport.

  As such, it will serve as the major port for the transportation of products from multi-million investments like the bio-ethanol, organic fertilizer and biomass electricity to be extracted from seaweeds, jatropha and other raw materials.

  The Ubay Airport will also be developed to cater to domestic aircraft and training aircraft of aeronautic schools.

  He also identified the Bohol-Cebu Multi-Access Friendship Bridge, anchoring in Getafe town on the Bohol side and Cordova, Mactan on the other side, as the leverage to cascade economic activities to the towns of Clarin, Inabanga and Ubay.

  The bridge will also complement the eyed special economic zone to rise in barangays Tanghaligue, Bagacay and Burgos in Talibon town with expansion eyed to reach barangays Tulang and San Jose on the Getafe side.

  To connect the interior town of San Miguel to the special economic zone and onwards to the proposed friendship bridge, the provincial government will allocate an additional P3 million to open a road leading to the coastal area.

  In a recent meeting at the Korean Embassy in the Philippines, Aumentado said the Korea International Cooperation Agency (Koica) will soon start the feasibility study and drafting of the detailed engineering design for the 22-kilometer bridge after the proposed project site had been inspected by Man Hwan Park, country director of the Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) of the Korea Export-Import Bank (Eximbank), and Korean Ambassador Choi Joong-Kyung, together with a technical team.

  Koica will spend US$3 million for the feasibility study. For the actual construction, Park estimates the cost at about P30-40 million.

  The interior part will be developed for agriculture and eco-tourism, the governor said, as he welcomes San Miguel Mayor Claudio Bonior's initiative to draft a tourism plan for his town.

  Aumentado also proposed to develop the raffia industry and other handicrafts or cottage industries in the second district to boost the micro, small and medium enterprises and to strengthen the cooperatives of farmers, fisherfolk and other cooperatives.

  He has facilitated the release of P60-million to implement small reservoir irrigation projects (SRIP) in Bonotbonot in Buenavista town, Hibale in Danao town, and Benliw-Cagting in Ubay town, each starting with P20-million from the Department of Agriculture's 2010 budget.

  Also in Inabanga, the Provincial Engineer's Office will implement the asphalting of the town's circumferential road from the highway in Poblacion to the church up to the Riverside tourism center where officials usually hold meetings to the tune of P4 million.

  Still in Inabanga, the governor had also requested Vice-Governor Julius Caesar Herrera and Provincial Board Members Josephine Socorro Jumamoy and Ma. Fe Camacho-Lejos to take charge of the legislative requirements to convert the road along Nabuad High School (NHS) in barangay Nabuad into a provincial road so that it can be allocated with a budget for maintenance.

  Moreover, Aumentado said, he had agreed with Herrera and Jumamoy to raise P40,000 as counterpart to the P20,000 allocation from the municipal government to complete the construction of a fence around NHS.

  The governor also announced the approval of his recommendation to allocate P36.5 million as counterpart for road construction connecting San Miguel-Danao, San Isidro-Catigbian, Sagbayan-Danao, Danao-Mahayag, Danao-Panghagban (Buenavista)-Lapacan (Inabanga), Cangmundo (Getafe)-Kauswagan (Trinidad)-Tomoc (San Miguel) and other areas that need road improvement to boost food production, tourism, education and efficient delivery of health and basic services to the people.

  He said the Provincial Road Management Facility (PRMF) funded by the Australian Agency for International Development AusAID) is already up for bidding as discussed during the governor's meeting with the management team, taking as priority the Danao-Mahayag and San Isidro-Catigbian roads, these being the components of the project. It will be through an international competitive bidding to ensure that international standards will be followed.

  AusAID already has P48 million for the two roads while the provincial government will release P36.5 million as counterpart.

  He thanked Vice-Governor Julius Caesar Herrera, Jumamoy and her colleague Amalia Tirol for pushing the approval of a P28 million supplemental budget as additional funding since the 2010 budget carried only P6.9 million. AusAID had required a 12% equity from the province. 

Bohol’s close tie with the administration assures of more development projects

By Angeline Valencia 

Bohol's close tie with the administration assures of more development projects.
Sticking with a winnable presidential bet spells best political stunt geared towards sustaining infrastructure projects and even more of it, according to Gov. Erico Aumentado.

The governor, seeking a return to Congress, urged barangay officials in second district to support Lakas-Kampi-CMD standard-bearer Gilberto Teodoro Jr. to keep their present development endeavors on the track.

The governor had a chance to interact with barangay officials during the distribution of checks worth P50,000 for each of the 18 barangays in San Miguel on Wednesday, 23 barangays in President Carlos P. Garcia on Thursday, and 24 barangays in Getafe on Friday.

As a precedent, Aumentado cited the continuity of the implementation of the Bohol Circumferential Road Improvement Project (BCRIP) phase 1, the Bohol Irrigation Project (BHIP) phase 1 and the Leyte-Bohol Interconnection Project from the time of former President Fidel Ramos up to the second stages of the projects and the inauguration of Ubay substation of the Leyte-Bohol Interconnection Project when President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo took over.

Up for implementation are the third stages of BCRIP and BHIP.

"Labing maayo nga makasandig ta og kandidato nga mahimong presidente aron mapatuman ang mga proyekto (It's better that we can stick with a candidate who will become president so we can implement these projects)," Aumentado said.

He said that Teodoro was already leading in the survey conducted by Strat Poll- -a more recent one.

Just like the 1992 trend, FVR has been consistent as No. 4 in surveys, yet he made it to Malacañang after a late-blooming lead by March then, though as a minority President having garnered only 23 percent of the total votes cast.

"So, Gibo has big chances, especially that Lakas-Kampi-CMD is the only party with 98-percent complete slate down to municipal level, while Liberal Party only has 42 percent, and Nacionalista Party has 48 percent. [Former President Joseph Estrada's] PMP has only 22 percent and their candidates are even almost rarely visible," Aumentado said.

Prayer for El Nino

Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal will soon issue an "oratio emperata" or a special prayer to guide the faithful in coping with the effects of the El Niño phenomenon, which is causing droughts and water shortage in some parts of Luzon and Mindanao. 

Vidal said the faithful need to be informed of the situation.

An "oratio imperata" is a special prayer for a special intention, besides the ones prescribed by rituals, that the Pope or the bishop of a diocese may require to be said during Mass in all parishes.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) has predicted that the El Nino phenomenon hitting the country is expected to worsen in the coming months.

The government urged the public to conserve water, around 10 percent, to diminish El Nino's effect.

Vidal recently met with officials from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and discussed with them about the programs in the parishes on environmental issues.

Environmental advocacy on the part of the Catholic Church is in line with Pope Benedict XVI's message urging Catholics to "protect peace by protecting creation."

Nacionalista Party standard-bearer Manuel Villar, who visited Cebu over the weekend, said solutions to counter a possible destructive El Niño must depend on strong political will, by putting up quick irrigation for farmers whose crops were affected by the drought.- PNA

Philippine Politicians

By Satur P. Apoyon

In the Philippines, politicians are pestered with all kinds of moochings or solicitations especially during election season.

The money-making assault is carried out either by individuals or groups, associations or religious congregations.

Only a few dozen among politicians in this former Spanish colony of four hundred years, especially those with party support and tossed by advocacy groups, who can withstand the onslaughts of fund-raisers that some have adopted as an industry.

The media industry is not spared in the madness of such a culture that has barnacled in the psyche of a large segment of the Filipino population up to these days.

Some scoundrels out to misappropriate the clout it brings to the community adopt a myriad of schemes.

One of their modus operandi is to organize an instant press association involving popular journalists in the roster of membership for media plan quota.

Sad to say, the scandalous operation oftentimes prosper due to gullibility or plain tolerance of some politicians or staff of a party media bureau.

In 1992, for example, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and fellow senatorial bet former Health Secretary Juan Flavier were among those molested by pseudo media persons for broadcast propaganda money, knocking their hotel rooms in this city even at bed time.

Other scalawags, competing with so-called barangay ward leaders bringing lists of their controlled voters for funding, would whip out newspaper advertising rate card that does not even exist.

The professional moochers also hound candidates with a string of hospital billings or prescriptions of medicines needing immediate cash allocation, too.

There are also genuine poorest of the poor who would beg from politicians to take care of the transport of the cadaver of kin or give them transportation money to go back to their place of origin from the big city to the province.

The Davao or Mindanao experience can also be prevalent elsewhere in many towns, cities and provinces in the country's archipelago of 7,100 islands.

It is a never-ending charitable obligation for a Pinoy politician to get elected or reelected especially in this time of financial scarcity hitting the majority of the country's burgeoning population now in the vicinity of 93 million.

But not in the United States of Uncle Sam.

According to my fan on Bisayan fiction and now intimate friend, Briccio, a native of Loay, Bohol who now lives in Vallejo, California, USA, it is the other way around there.

Briccio, 80 plus, said in his latest overseas call it is the electorate who are being taxed by American candidates from either the Republicans or Democrats.

He said voters in USA are asked which political party he belongs upon registration in a state electoral office.

As the election campaign starts, solicitation from either the Republicans or Democrats, Briccio said, is mailed to their "members" to give some contribution for the party expenses.

Big contributors are given presentable certificates of appreciation and sometimes given special attention by the victorious party.

In the case of my fan and fellow provinciano, he would only give a little and sometimes made excuses to skip his voluntary obligation being a small-time retiree.

Thus, the system seems to echo the philosophy of John F. Kennedy, one of the great presidents of New England, which summarizes this way: "Think of what you can dole out for a candidate rather than squeezing him or his party of a few dollars".

Briccio did not yet mention the corporate or millionaire's party contribution to the two leading political parties, one of which is that of Barack Obama, the incumbent and first African-American president ever elected since l776.

With our culture as certified blue-blooded everlasting blessed receiver of gifts in cash or in kind such Americanism will ever or will never come to pass yet in our time.

Therefore, Pinoy politicians take cover from pests out to take away a part of your campaign fund or to say the least your pocket money in the sortie trail. (PNA)

One of Asia's freest press is the Philippine's rambunctious, noisy press

Bohol Chronicle Editorial: To be able to live and breathe democracy, after 14 years of Martial Law, is a luxury many have often taken for granted. But we should not.

A Congress to make laws and democratically-elected LGUs to govern communities, by and large, are there to see. One of Asia's freest press is the Philippine's rambunctious, noisy press. Largely, there is freedom of expression - let us cherish that.

Philippine elections showcase this type of democracy, though sometimes marred by guns and gold that alter the outcome of the popular will. But it can pass the test.

That is why the decision of progressive groups like those under the wings of Makabayan and Akbayan, among others, to come into the open to compete in the democratic debate of ideas through election to Congress, must be respected.

It is the COMELEC, a constitutional body, which is the only entity empowered by law to accredit candidates and their parties as qualified to run for the people's mandate - not the military nor the police. These groups should be allowed to freely campaign for the people's vote.

It would be unfair to dump all of them as communist fronts since they were precisely accredited by COMELEC since they represent a marginalized constituency that renounces violence as a method for reforms and change. That's why they run for office.

Besides, the military has been specifically mandated by law to remain non-partisan in elections but just maintain peace and order. If the Army runs after rebels asking for permit-to-campaign funds - that is their sound duty. But to discredit COMELEC approved Party List groups and other candidates as "communists" is not part of their job.

Among those parties under the Makabayan wing are: Bayan Muna, Anak Pawis, Gabriela, Kabataan and ACT Teacher. Akbayan has produced some of most avid nationalist-reformists in Etta Rosales, Risa Hontiveros and Walden Bello. Communists?

They should be allowed to say their piece in the same way that Retired Army Major General Jovito Palparan of the Bantay Party List was accredited and then elected as Party List Congressman for 2007.

Palparan was given the chance to debate with the "communists" in Congress which means that is the democratic route for reform in this country. No double standard, please.

Let us be on guard because if we sleep on our sacred duties, we could lose the cherish freedoms that our heroes and the EDSA freedom warriors had fought for.

Let us cite one other example.

The raid and detention of 43 health workers doing a seminar in a resort in Morong Rizal and detained for three days - incommunicado- is a throw back to the Dark Days of Martial Law, that we should never allow to happen again.

Reports of psychological torture and sexual harassment by their captors in Camp Capinpin, Tanay have been media subject for days.

The Military defied for days the order of the Supreme Court of the land to produce the 43 victims before the Court of Appeals. Even AFP Chief Victor Ibrado and former Defense Chief and Lakas presidential candidate Gibo Teodoro were aghast at the Military's violation of a constitutional mandates by not immediately producing the victims in court.

Talk about abuse with impunity.

The Military accused some of the 43 of manufacturing bombs (during the seminar?) and as being active members of the NPA.

If that is so, why the need for interrogation and detention when the Military could just throw the book at them and jail them if indeed the Army had the goods on them?

If only some of them were suspect, why then hold the entire 43 health workers in detention -blindfolded, forced fed and mentally tortured?

Martial Law had caused us so much loss - that of our freedom and bread.

We have not regained the bread - for many are still poor - and now our precious freedom is slowly being carted away with impunity.

In Bohol, seven reformist-leaders have disappeared or died from assassins' bullets.

Today, there are talks that armed men have landed on our shores for the May 2010 elections - which can therefore become bloody.

That is the reason the Sanguniang Panlalawigan had endorsed a Motion to place the entire Bohol under COMELEC control. Fine by us, actually.

That might be the only way we can maintain the respect for democratic space on our way to national reform and progress.

Defense boss presides over turnover of rowhouses worth P6-M to former Bohol rebels

Defense boss presides over turnover of rowhouses worth P6-M to former Bohol rebels
By JUNE S. BLANCO 

FORMER rebels, now Kauban sa Reporma (KRs) or comrades in reform in Bohol stand to get their own houses, homelots and farmlots with the launching Thursday of the Kalayaan Resettlement Center in Brgy. Remedios, Danao, Bohol.

Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales, Undersecretary Danilo Encinas of the Office of the Presidential Assistant on the Peace Process, Major Cristobal J.P. Perez of the Presidential Management Staff (PMS), Gov. Erico Aumentado and top military and police officials led launching rites for the 25-unit rowhouse costing P6 million.

Fifteen members of the Bohol Composite Farmers Association led by former New People's Army (NPA) strategist circa '70s and '80s Epitacio Ramirez who went by the nom de guerre "Kumander Vargas", and 10 other farmers who already live in the area will occupy the units.

Convergence

The project is a product of Aumentado's signature convergence strategy. For the purpose, he leveraged P1.5 million from the provincial coffers to magnet P3 million from the Office of the President-President's Social Fund (OP-PSF) and another P1.5 million from Opapp.

The Engineer Support Battalion (ESBn) under Lt. Col. Ramon Evan Ruiz based in Brgy. Macaas in Tubigon town will build the rowhouses. The battalion is already a veteran of many school building projects of Aumentado and President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, as well as the Department of Education (DepEd).

The homelots and farmlots are on a sprawling 50-hectare area made available by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). The Bohol Poverty Reduction Management Office (BPRMO) and the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) will provide technical assistance in growing oil palm or jatropha as well as seeds or planting materials for vegetables and other high value cash crops that can be planted between rows while the main crops are still young and unproductive.

On the other hand, the Office of the Provincial Veterinarian (OPV) has an ongoing livestock dispersal program that the new Remedios settlers can also avail of. That same day, Dr. Stella Marie Lapiz, OPV head, had asked Aumentado to lead the passing-on-the gift ceremony for 11 heads of carabaos and more goats to their new owners during the civic action at the Remedios barangay hall. These are offspring of animals given to first round beneficiaries.

Remedios is only around three kilometers from Danao town proper.

SND's message

Gonzales said through all these years that he and Aumentado have joined forces to address the decades-old insurgency problem, Bohol has always pushed ahead earlier of the other provinces.

Being one of the most successful provinces in addressing insurgency, he said the Bohol experience should be replicated in the rest of the country.

He noted that in another first – Aumentado who also chairs the Bohol Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC), Chief Supt. Lani-o Nerez, Central Visayas regional police director and Maj. Gen. Arthur Tabaquero, commander of the Philippine Army's 8th Infantry Division based in Samar signed a joint resolution declaring Bohol insurgency-free.

Where the Government of the Philippines (GOP) and Communist Party of the Philippines leader Jose Ma. Sison have not been very successful, Aumentado has succeeded, Gonzales said, referring to the peace talks in Utrecht that have now stalled.

While Norway, the third party that has been giving support for the talks to continue is now apparently at a loss as to what to do next, Aumentado has found the key – talk to everyone interested and come up with a solution acceptable by all stakeholders: the Kalayaan Resettlement Center in Bohol's case.

Vice Gov. Julius Caesar Herrera, Col. Alan Luga, commander of the 802nd Brigade, Sr. Supt. Anthony Obenza, Bohol police provincial director, Maj. Gen. Ralph Villanueva of the Central Command and Gonzales signed as witnesses.

With Bohol already insurgency-free and therefore "cleared", Aumentado, Tabaquero and Nerez also signed a memorandum of agreement transferring the active role in internal security operations (ISO) from the military to the police pursuant to the National Internal Security Plan (NISP) crafted by the National Security Council that President Arroyo has approved – for the "hold" phase.

The MOA also specified that the Bohol PPOC will take the lead in the "consolidation" and on to the "development" phases.

Tagbilaran Bohol Corruption

Sunday Post: The war of attrition between Mayor Lim and Vice Mayor Veloso arising from the P50 million DBP loan and the subsequent walkout of minority councilors has rubbed in to members of the city's majority bloc. 

Commenting on the walk-out, Councilor Oscar Glovasa said the city is the biggest loser in the controversial gesture of the minority members of the SP Monday.

"We have encountered another delay in the rehabilitation of our city roads because of our own making," he said of his peers.

Friday's session was marred by a walk-out by the minority members led by Vice Mayor Veloso and his allies, Councilors Edgar Kapirig, Zenaido Rama, Anne Mariq uit Oppus and Bebiano Inting.

The minority bloc claimed there was no walk-out.

Inting said they left the session after it was already adjourned.

Interviewed after the incident, Veloso said he adjourned the session after it became "unruly".

This version of the incident was denied by the majority bloc which continued the session after the walk-out.

Councilor Danilo Bantugan said Veloso could not adjourn the session since there was no motion.

"Even an ordinary councilman in the barrio knows that for the presiding officer to adjourn the proceedings, a motion is first required," he added.

Councilor Leonides Borja also disputed Veloso's claim that the session had become unruly saying the recordings of the proceedings will bear this out.

"Maybe they forgot that the session was covered live and that the people heard what actually transpired," he added.

Glovasa said that the walk-out again delayed the approval of the resolution authorizing the mayor to sign the agreement with the Development Bank of the Philippines with the city treasurer.

"It means that the people who have been clamoring for the rehabilitation of the city roads will have to wait a little longer," he added.

Glovasa, who is wrapping up his second term as councilor to run for Congress, said the walk-out is "an embarrassment" to the city because it shows what kind of councilors the city has.

Calling the walk-out gimmickry, Glovasa said it shows that the minority councilors are more concerned with stunts than with actual results.

Councilor Edgar Bompat, who presided over the session after Veloso and his group walked out, said the majority bloc is considering the possibility of censuring the minority councilors for their acts of disrespect to the council.

Bantugan said that if the minority bloc refuses to participate in the next session, they will resort to extreme measures.

"If they have no respect for us and for the city government, they should at least respect the people who pay our salaries for us to attend the sessions," he added.

Borja lamented that while they have moved the session day next week from Friday to Tuesday so that they will not miss a session day, the minority bloc instead defaulted on their responsibilities.

Glovasa denied there is any irregularity in the loan and in the implementation of the project saying the Commission on Audit is vigilant in ensuring that the public funds are well spent.

Political Trend in Bohol Province

From Bohol Sunday Post
There are widening cracks within the ruling Lakas-Kampi Party, and daily the cracks are widening and getting uglier. Unlike in previous elections, where the party stalwarts were united, .today there is an in-fighting among its ranks.

Take the case of Governor Erico Aumentado, who almost lost the position as the official candidate for Congressman of the second district for Lakas-Kampi when the certificate of nomination was awarded to Trinidad Mayor Judith Cajes. Although, this was promptly revoked, Aumentado supporters suspect that Cong. Cajes and Congressman Edgar Chatto were behind it. They cannot forgive the two party stalwarts. So it is an open secret that mayors identified with Aumentado, although official Lakas-Kampi candidates will support

Vice-Governor Julius Herrera. Chatto has to watch his back carefully for those mayoral candidates disguising as Lakas-Kampi candidates but secretly supporting Herrera.

Definitely, Chatto cannot expect Aumentado's support. After the elections, I doubt if Lakas-Kampi will still be intact as the party of domination in Bohol. But well, these are political realities.

Although Chatto has still an advantage at this start of the campaign, there are still several months to go, before the elections. Chatto has to assess carefully his strengths and weaknesses and concentrate his campaigning to areas where his opponent is strong

He must fight like a Packman if he is to win convincingly in the elections. He has to watch his back and trust nobody. Sadly enough these are games of politics.

I am supporting Chatto because he is young and has a vision for Bohol. He listens to suggestions and will surely be guided by the composite opinion of Boholanos.

One big factor is, the money politics, and ironically sometimes, this is the deciding factor. Boholanos especially the old voters still go to the candidates who can buy their votes. What is the extent of vote-buying nobody knows but Chatto should get well prepared for it at this time

At this time, it is easy to predict that the first district will be won by ex-Governor Rene Relampagos. Our good friend, Oscar Glovasa has virtually no chances to win the elections despite the loud support of Tagbilaran City Mayor Dan Lim. Outside of Tagbilaran, Glovasa has no known political bailiwick. He cannot be even sure of Tagbilaran.

Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap has no opponent so he is as good as elected.