Kids learn more than football at BOHFA free clinics

Wake-uppers:

Scene: Eighty exhibitors from Central Visayas and Mindanao are expected to participate in this year’s Sandugo Trade Expo on July 23-27 at the ICM Food Court (for food products) and The Block (for non-food items which are usually home furnishings, fashion accessories, travel and tourism services, etc).  It’s a "tradition" of the Sandugo which started with the showcasing of the best products of Bohol, then has reached out to the neighboring provinces of Cebu, Negros Oriental and Siquijor and then in the recent years has attracted the exhibitors of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao provinces.  Anchoring the theme, “Gearing up for Asean 2015,”this year’s trade expo will serve as a platform for earthquake-affected small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to showcase their products to potential buyers, especially in the tourism industry.

“Never hold your breathe” is the #boholselfie entry of Neiman Flint Gatal. “My girlfriend came back home from Australia and she really misses the beaches here in Bohol so I took her scuba diving in the wonderful reefs of Balicasag island,” says Neiman. “We both love the beach and the sea, I for one have been diving for 13 years and all I can say is that Bohol is one of the most majestic places to dive.” Join the #boholselfie photo contest and win cash prizes!

Scene: Tell us your favorite thing about Bohol thru #BoholSelfie photo contest. July is Bohol Sandugo Festival. Here at #BoholSelfie, we'd like to celebrate by making a list of your favorite things about Bohol. To participate, join the #BoholSelfie photo contest that showcases how creative we are in capturing Bohol's magnificent sceneries by taking selfies of our own.  Tell us your favorite thing about Bohol. Is it a beautiful province? The best beaches? The highest waterfalls? A particularly delectable dish? A relatively unknown custom? Tell us what it is and why it's important to you. The contest is on July 1-26. Winners will receive cash prizes. Visit www.facebook.com/boholselfie.

Scene: Join the Pitik Tres: Tipik sa Usa ka Dugong Bol-anon streetdancing photo contest. The contest is open for both amateur and professional photographers. Participants shall pre-register at the contest information booth located in front of Fuji Films at BQ Mall on July 23-27. Big cash prizes await the winners. Text or call Pitik Group Coordinator Nilo Sapong at 0926-778-2282/0918 355 5551.

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Millions of German football fans reacted with unbridled joy when Mario Goetze struck late in extra-time for Germany to win the World Cup 2014 with a 1-0 victory over Argentina.

Soccer used to be their game -- the South Americans, the Europeans, and the Africans. Today, it is our game, too. It is now woven inextricably into the fabric of Filipino life that we’re glued on TV to watch the action, embrace its athleticism and share the excitement.

Bohol learns to love soccer. Youngsters wait for a kick during training organized by BOHFA.

Like other provinces, we do not have football culture yet. There were a handful of football teams before but it lacked the support from the local government units. Despite of this lack of appreciation of the football game, football teams are now sprouting like mushrooms in towns. It is a manifestation that a changing Bohol has become younger and more diverse, and the kids simply love soccer more than their parents. Thanks to the Azkals! Thanks, thanks to Bohol Football Association (BOHFA) headed by Edmar Thaddeus Simpao.

Although BOHFA has no financial support from the provincial government, it is still conducting free clinics to teach young people about athleticism and discipline. But lately the BOHFA has been going the extra mile. This month, their clinics have been emphasizing responsible citizenship, self-respect, education, and good behavior as valuable assets on and off the field.

The excitement grew bigger when Elmer Lacknet Bedia visited Bohol and personally mentored the 150 participants in the free football clinic recently organized by BOHFA. Bedia gave an extra lesson on football along with the keys to the game.

I brought my nine-year old nephew Kotik during the free clinic. It was important for Kotik to learn how to be with other kids and to learn team spirit, football could teach that. Football has given him a lot of confidence.

"If you can teach these kids at a young age to be active on football, it really does go a long way," said Bedia.

Football is all about sportsmanship and responsible citizenship, according to (l-r) Edmar Thaddeus Simpao, Elmer Lacknet Bedia, Kelvin Dinsay, Karl Paumig and Mr. Racho.

Most of the participants have had no shoes and uniforms. They might be poor, but the smiles on their faces when they took to the field were as wide as the Bohol grandstand. They played every game with great enthusiasm, unbridled joy, knocking the ball around, dribbling, taking pride in the way they showed off their repertoire.

Bedia is Philippines’ Mr. Football.  At 13, he was playing football using coconut drupe which was wrapped with cloth in his hometown in Barotac Nuevo, IloIlo, and the rest is history.

At 24, he was recruited by an Australian professional team, the Brisbane Olympic United Football Club. From 1986 until now he remains in Brisbane with his wife Maria Theresa Salazar Bedia and their six children.

In personal development sessions, Bedia and BOHFA officers gave the participants plenty of advice on technique, tricks, shooting, dribbling and spontaneity.

By reaching the kids who will one day play professionally, BOHFA hopes to produce great players.

“Gusto ko may magiging member ng Azkals from Bohol,” said Bedia.

Bedia also brought and handed football equipments, shoes, socks and balls to the poor football playing kids of Bohol.

He also supports the anti-bullying campaign (also for Mexico’s anti-bullying campaign, El Bullying No Es Un Juego or Bullying is not a game). He and other people in the world within the entertainment and sport communities have raised their voice against school violence.

“Never do bullying,” said Bedia. “I emphasized to be a good player, show respect and not to bully with other player.”

Many students are bullied in schools and in the internet. Not only to students because bullying can happen anywhere and to anyone.

“Hopefully this message gonna be around the world to keep the sport as the number one sports,” shared Bedia.

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Miss Bohol 2014: Meet the 18 contestants

Wake-uppers:

Scene: From Llew Kutamura: Eduardo Boyles Davalan was promoted to Brigadier General and appointed as Commander to the First Scout Ranger Regiment, a Philippine Army Special Operations Command unit, and specializes in anti-guerrilla warfare.

Scene: From Emerson Pinos: Love taking Selfies? In time for Sandugo Festival 2014, join the ‪#‎BoholSelfie Contest. #BoholSelfie is a photo contest that showcases how creative we are in capturing Bohol's magnificent sceneries by taking selfies of our own. The contest starts on July 1 and ends on July 26, 2014. Winners will receive cash prizes and freebies from our sponsors. For more info, visit www.facebook.com/boholselfie.

Scene: The Holy Trinity Foundation School in Upper Mansasa District, Tagbilaran City, placed second in the National Achievement Test (NAT) in all elementary schools in Tagbilaran. It is owned and operated by the Little Handmaids of the Most Holy Trinity. School principal Carmencita Formilleza- Maniwang attributed their noteworthy achievement to the school’s excellence in education. “Such achievement validates and rewards the continuing commitment of the Holy Trinity Foundation School to equip the students with quality Christian education whose dreams and vision centered on a genuine Christian life, touches every person, every relationship and every learning experience, ‘that all may have life in its fullness’ in the Most Holy Trinity,” said Maniwang.

Scene: After the “hellish” journey at BIR, I'm done na! Thanks to my lawyer-accountant-bookkeeper Atty. Licelle Zamora, CPA (of Marapao Street, Tagbilaran City) for the assistance and guidance. One thing I've learned from her: Pay your taxes on time to avoid penalty.

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Who among them will have the chance to win Miss Bohol crown and (hopefully) represent the province in the national beauty pageant stage?

Wearing their swimwear, the 18 (not 17 as earlier reported) candidates of the Miss Bohol 2014: The Quintessential Boholana introduced themselves during the pageant's press presentation on Friday, June 27.

The 18 candidates of Miss Bohol 2014 with the pageant chairman Bohol’s first lady Pureza Veloso-Chatto. Courtesy: Pureza Chatto

Members of the press also had the chance to ask and interact with the candidates.

The Miss Bohol 2014 committee decided to drop the Sandugo so that it would be like the mother pageant in Bohol and not only a festival pageant.

Through the years, the Miss Bohol pageant has maintained its reputation as the province’s most prestigious beauty pageant. The pageant, however, needs to reinvent itself in order to keep up with the times.

Aside from being the quintessential symbol of Boholana beauty, brains and breeding, Miss Bohol should also be the epitome of the modern Boholana. Confident, charming and career-oriented, she is also a unique and privileged position to use her popularity and personality for a good cause to promote   and support worthy various  projects , causes and advocacies as well as a positive role model for her peers and for the community.

The presscon also turned-out to be an instant reunion with VRS and former beauty queen Anna Maris Igpit.  There were also Bohol’s first lady Pureza Chatto, the lady boss of Miss Bohol, Bohol’s Queen Of All Media Ardy Araneta-Batoy, Bohol’s seasoned host Raul Gatal, the handlers, make-up artists and hairstylists.

Anyway, here are the 18 official candidates of Miss Bohol 2014:

Jassenie Mangaron (Loon)- 33-24-32; She is a consistent honor student from Cebu Normal University taking up Bachelor in Secondary Education. She is a dog lover and a big fan of the movie “Hachiko” which touched her so much. She wants to sustain the resilience and cooperative spirit of her fellow Loonanons so that they can all rise from the rubble.

Jaya Lozano (Tubigon)- 34-24-35; She wants to date Brad Pitt and to know Pitt’s secret of keeping a strong relationship with Angelina Jolie despite their busy schedule. Jaya wants to promote Tubigon’s Cabgan, a bat sanctuary which represents the town’s preservation of its natural beauty.

Allyson Mycee Escobia (Anda)- 33 ½-26 ½-38 ½; She is graduate of Silliman University and is currently working as  nurse at the Provincial Office of the Governor. She loves to read books and surf the net during her spare time. She joins Miss Bohol to prove that she can go beyond her limits and let people be aware of the beauty of her town Anda.

Liss Lee Centillas (Buenavista)- 32-26-33; Liss is a nurse by profession and graduated from Mater Dei College. She believes that heartbreak is God’s way of leading the path to meeting a better person. For her, the people of Buenavista are very supportive people despite of being a small town.

Joyce Trexie Marie Cagabnot (Bohol Island State University)- 31-24-35; She is a huge fan of Dan Brown’s Angels and Demons because she loves the development and the twists of the story. She is proud to represent her school because it produces competent professionals.

Clowie Lim (Ubay); Kim Kim is third year college student taking up Bachelor in Elementary Education at the Bohol Northern Star College. She hopes to work with Miss World 2013 Megan Young someday as she is her inspiration.

Annaleah Saga (Carmen)- 35-25-36; 5’3”; Yhang Yhang is a graduating student of BS-Hotel and Restaurants Service Technology from BISU.

Farwah Nijah Soriano (Pilar)- 32-27-35; 5;5”; Farwah is a student of Holy Name University. She wishes to date Prince Harry because she has always dreamed of becoming a princess. She believes that joining Miss Bohol is not about being there as herself but embodying her town Pilar. This is her way of thanking her fellowmen for believing in her.

Mary Rose Butalid (Panglao)- Rose, 16, is the youngest of this year’s Miss Bohol candidates.  If she wins Miss Bohol, she wants to focus an advocacy that would address kids’ pre-mature indulgence of technology advancements like computer games and social media and bring back their interest in reading books through putting up mini-libraries mot especially in rural communities in Bohol.

Imaculada Cleofe Leopardas (Barbara Pearls Cosmetics)-33-26-36; 5’7”; Ima was a student leader and a former editor-in-chief of her school paper in high school. She loves to compose songs and write poems. She lives her life keeping in mind the best lesson she got from her parents- to respect everyone regardless of their status, gender, beliefs and culture.

Liezel May Turtoga (Getafe)- 31-23-35; 5’7”; Liezel is a part time model. She loves to sing and dance. As a big fan of “Frozen,” she is proud of her Getafe’s Pandanon Island and Banaco Mangrove Forest.

Geraldine Topsnik (Tagbilaran)- This 17-year-old half-German half-Filipino describes herself as a “full Filipina and a true Boholana” and aspires to become a successful businesswoman. She loves to cook and bake.

Genina Abrau (Sierra-Bullones)- 34-25-35; 5’5”; Nina is a scholar of DOST. She is a graduating student taking up Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering at BISU. She is a student leader and a senator in her school. She is a fan of anime and wishes to visit Japan someday.

Maria Tiffany Tabigue (Balilihan)- Tipan is currently the tourism officer of her town. She was tasked to call the girls in her hometown to join Miss Bohol but she was chosen instead. She was a former SK chairperson in her barangay.

Natasha Amethyst Torralba (Duero)- 34-27-37; 5’3”1/2. Nash is an active member of different youth organizations. She loves to watch movies with her younger siblings. The best advice she learned from heartbreak is to embrace pain because that will make her stronger.

Christine Mae Cuarto (Jagna)- 31-22-33; Mae aspires as a good policewoman. She graduated BS-Criminology at BIT-International College-Jagna. She is also a DJ of “Radyo Natin” Jagna. She joins Miss Bohol to improve her personality and confidence.

Queenie Melody Fullante (Dauis)- 36-25-36; 5’3”; She is a half-Bengali half-Filipina who works as an NGO worker that provides shelter to disaster hit areas.  She grew up under the care of her aunt while her mother is working in Manila. She finished Bachelor of Science in Accountancy at UB. She hopes to be a merchant to be able to travel and meet people from all walks of life.

Diozel Namoco (Dimiao)- 34-23-36; 5’3”; Zhel is a graduating student from HNU. She dreams to manage her own 5-star hotel someday. She loves to watch TV and read books.

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