Bohol’s tourism is back, says Lourdes Sultan

Wake-uppers:

Scene: The art classes (De Juan School for Music and the Arts Recreational Training or The One SMART School) will start on April 6. Enrollment will be on March 30. The Tambahayan Cafe and the school are located at the basement of Garcia-Sarmiento Building along Ma. Clara Street, Tagbilaran City. It's between Cristal E-College and the UB gym.

Scene: Dr. Freddie Bernal, director IV of the Commission on Higher Education, is the guest speaker of University of Bohol’s 146^th Commencement Exercises on March 31.

Scene: Atty. Julius Gregory Batausa Delgado posted on Facebook: Announcing the Bohol Football Summer Camp brought to you by Football and Futsal Association of Bohol, Inc. (FFABI), ClassAct Philippines (formerly Oplan Bangon Bohol), Kaya F.C. and Stallions F.C. on April 14-16, 2014 in HNU Football Field and CPG Grandtstand. Featuring the following: 1) Free Football Clinic for Boys and Girls with UFL Players; 2) Coaching Seminar with Australian Kaya F.C. Coach David Perkovic and National Women's Football Team Coach Ernest Nieras; 3) Football Festival; and 4) Exhibition Match: Kaya-Bohol East Team vs. Stallions-Bohol West Team. For more details please contact FFABI Officials: Coach John Torregosa (President), Coach Erwin Angalot (EVP), Coach Clarence Rosco (Auditor) or Coach Bruce Zabala (PRO) or Bb. Pilipinas World 2006 Anna Maris Igpit or Atty. Greg Delgado. See you Boholano Footboleros!

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Perfect beaches. Interesting places. Friendly locals. Fascinating history.

Lourdes Sultan Photo by: Ric Obedencio

That is how tour operator and businesswoman Lourdes Sultan of Travel Village Tours and Travel (inside Bohol Tropics Resort Club, Graham Avenue, Tagbilaran City, Bohol, Philippines; Tel. No: (+63 38) 411.4023 / 411-5928/501-8078; Mobile: +639228996107; Email:  tvillage@yahoo.com.ph) wants to sell Bohol to boost the province’s tourism using her expertise in marketing, advertising and promotions.

Last week, Lourdes was very busy entertaining her guests onboard the luxury ship Happag Lloyd’s Ms Europa 2. With her was Bohol tourism officer Josephine Remolador-Cabarrus (“Bohol is a place and is back to normal and back to 

business again.”) who welcomed MS Europa’s second visit to Bohol this year.

But despite her busy schedule, she still had time to answer our queries.

“Thank God! Improving ang atong figures although we are not expecting to hit the same figure last summer but we are going there,” shared the hopeful Lourdes.  

Our tourism industry was affected after the killer quake last year. There were renovations, twists, and a facelift of our attractions to invite tourists to come back to Bohol.

 “We never lose hope,” said Lourdes. “We just have to work hard for promotions, telling our friends and everyone we are up on our faith.”

Lourdes Sultan (2^nd from left) with Ric Obedencio, Leo Udtohan, Bohol Tourism Officer Jo Remolador-Cabarrus and Edward Guyano. Courtesy: Ric Obedencio

As a tourist destination, the island-province of Bohol in the Philippines is loaded with the attractions travelers dream of: clean and white-sandy beaches, interesting places, friendly locals and fascinating history.

Antequera’s majestic Mag-aso Falls...so cool this summer. –LPU

Yet for all its advantages, the province has a big problem attracting travelers after the quake.

“We need expertise in hospitality management for us to be competitive,” said Lourdes who also owns the Travel Village floating resto in Loboc.  

The biggest challenge, according to Lourdes, is the need of a bigger airport to accommodate the expected tourism influx with updated airport facilities. Five star resorts and hotels in the province can magnetically attract visitors.   

Lourdes also shared that rebranding and selling Bohol should begin with Boholano themselves.

“Believe in the beauty of our province of Bohol. We are a beautiful place to sell at every turn. Sell it to all your friends on Facebook and Twitter,” encouraged Lourdes. “We should also help each other especially the tourism stakeholders. At the end of the day, it will not be Loboc River, it will not be Travel Village but Bohol. It’s still Bohol.”

One of Bohol’s enchanted rivers, Makapiko remains beautiful.- LPU

While we are at it, Inday Charity and I visited some tourist attractions in Bohol for our Summer Gimik 2014.

The Mag-aso Falls in barangay Can-umay in Antequera town is back to normal. Belyn Omila, the caretaker of Mag-aso Falls, shared that their guests have tripled this year. Most of them are European visitors. Entrance fee is Php 20 pesos for adults and Php 10 pesos for kids (and there is a toll fee of 10 pesos per vehicle), you will enjoy the falls to sawa.

Last Friday, we went to Chocolate Hills Adventure Park in barangay Buenos Aires,Carmen town. I’d found the place so relaxing. If you like nature trek, you will love this place. It has a well-manicured garden with different species of plants, trees and flowers.  The entrance fee is Php60 pesos.

Check “serpentarium” which houses pythons and oriental whip snakes. They are extremely slender snakes.

If you have Php 400, you can try Bike Zip to experience the excitement and thrill riding a mountain bike on a zip line. 

Ang Pinaka host and model Rovilson Fernandez at the Chocolate Hills Adventure Park. ‘Zip-line? Nope. Zip-BIKE! Cycling above the Chocolate Hills cause' that's how I roll.’ Courtesy: Rovilson Fernandez

While I had my muni-muni at the top of the hill, Inday Charity convinced me to visit Makapiko Nature Park in barangay Rizal in Batuan town. Inday visited the place in 2005 where adventure trip using tubes, paddles and life vests were necessary to float down the Makapiko River. But when we checked the place, it’s already abandoned. However, the river remains beautiful.

...What’s up?

Last week’s VRS about a former queen who is battling the Big C drew a lot of reactions from our readers. An email from Erma Sarigumba: A diagnosis of cancer, or even being told of a suspicion of cancer, can make you extremely fearful. You reflect on friends or family who died of cancer or of celebrities with cancer that died. Cancer is one most feared disease in the world. I advised women to have a regular check-up. Lumps are usually visible on a mammogram long before they can be seen or felt. Although lumps are usually painless, pain or tenderness in the breast can be a sign of breast cancer. Another reaction from beauty watcher James Obedencio who shared that 1977 Most Beautiful Bohalana Ellen Campbell has succumbed to cancer, too. “She would always be remembered as one of the loveliest Miss Bohol winners,” said Raul Gatal on Campbell in his blog.

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Thanks for your letters, all will be answered. Comments welcome at leoudtohan@yahoo.com, follow leoudtohan at Twitter /Facebook.