#BoholIsPink: Over 80k supporters show up for Leni-Kiko in Bohol rally

By Leo Udtohan 

Presidential aspirant Vice President Leni Robredo speaks before a crowd of about 80,000 pink-clad supporters during a campaign rally dubbed “Dilaab: Bohol People’s Rally” in Tagbilaran City, Bohol on Friday, April 1, 2022. Photo: VP Leni Robredo FB

 

 

 

 

It was not fiesta month but Boholanos on Friday, April 1, welcomed Vice President Leni Robredo and running mate Senator Kiko Pangilinan during the "Dilaab: Bohol People's Rally". 

Speaking before 80,000 people at old Tagbilaran Airport, Robredo vowed to help the province's tourism recovery and stable power supply. 

"Ngayong pandemya isa po ang turismo sa mga sektor na pinaka-apektado. At ramdam na ramdam ito ng mga Boholano. Ang nawala na kita sa probinsya dahil sa pandemya bilyun-bilyon na," said Robredo who wants a  sustainable tourism development to draw more visitors and hasten tourism recovery. 

The pandemic brought the global tourism industry to its knees last year. The sector in Bohol was not spared.

On Panglao Island, the tourism jewel of Bohol, resorts, hotels, cafes and restaurants were closed with only a handful few were operating during the pandemic.

Tourism makes up 15% of Bohol economic output. Bo­hol hosted 1.5 mil­lion for­eign and do­mes­tic tourists in 2019, with Chi­nese visi­tors lead­ing the ar­rivals, fol­lowed by Kore­ans, records from the Bo­hol Tourism Of­fice showed.

These tourists dis­ap­peared when prov­inces started clos­ing their bor­ders as strict quar­an­tine guide­lines had to be fol­lowed in March 2020 in a bid to con­trol the spread of COVID-19.

There were 85,000 tourists from January to February 2020 before the lockdown in 2020.

The provincial government created programs to lure tourists. In November 2020, Bohol reopened to local visitors who arrived by plane, ending the travel ban in hopes of reviving a lockdown-devastated tourism industry that has fed many Boholano workers in the different tourism services.

“Ang pangako ko po sa mga Boholano na palakasin at paunlarin ang buong industriya at lahat na bahagi nito-mga empleyado, mga negosyo pati komunidad mismo. Sisiguraduhin natin na turismo ay hindi lang safe kundi sustainable,” said Robredo.

Power supply remains a big problem in Bohol as brownouts are frequent in the province.

“Naalala ko ang tagal ninyo nawalan ng kuryente. Ang pangako ko po sa inyo ang Bohol personal kong tututukan ito para masiguro ang suplay ninyo bukod na sapat ito dapat lagi ninyong maaasahan,” said Robredo.

Even as a prime tourist destination, Bohol still does not have a sufficient in-island power supply and has been largely dependent on energy sources in Leyte to meet its daily power requirement.

The daily power requirement for Bohol is 90 megawatts (MW).

When a 5.9 magnitude earthquake hit Leyte Province on July 6, 2017, it damaged the geothermal plants.

After Typhoon Odette hit the province on December 16, 2021, it affected the province’s power supply.

Robredo’s rally in Tagbilaran was one of the three rallies her team held in Bohol.

Earlier in the afternoon, Robredo and Pangilinan visited Jagna town where 3,000 people showed up in the rally inside the Jagna gymnasium past 1:30 p. m. 

She urged supporters to choose leaders who are “visible” not only during elections.

Robredo said she had visited Bohol for several projects through her Angat Buhay program. When Typhoon Odette (international name: Rai) devastated the province last Dec. 16, 2021, she visited the province the following day and came back twice.

After Jagna, they proceeded to Talibon town for another rally. 

But it was in Tagbilaran where the crowd was at its biggest.

At least 80,000 people filled the more than half of the 1.7-kilometer long runway of the old Tagbilaran City Airport.

Robredo likened the rally to a fiesta celebration, which Boholanos would celebrate in the whole month of May.

Even before Robredo took the stage at around 8 p.m, pink-clad supporters already trooped to the venue where they watched the performances of artists such Yeng Constantino, Gab Valenciano, Sponge Cola and Ben & Ben. 

In between chants of “Leni!” and “Madam President,” Robredo thanked Boholanos for voting for her in 2016 elections. 

She won by just 283, 589 votes against her rival, former Senator Ferdinand "BongBong" Marcos Jr who had 79,729 votes. 

Bohol has 949,791 registered voters, making it 20th vote rich-vote province. 

A supporter waves the rainbow flag to celebrate LGBTQIA+ rights during the “Dilaab: Bohol People’s Rally” in Tagbilaran City, Bohol on Friday, April 1, 2022. Photo: VP Leni Robredo FB

She asked for the same support. 

"Makasalig ba ako sa maong suporta? Nga maangkon nato ang mas labaw pang kadaugan?" asked Robredo. 

Amid cheers, Robredo said she and Kiko offer a governance where people are inspired to help and contribute.

"Ang inyong yangungo atuang paminawon, kung aduna moy problema atuang sulbarun. Paningkamutan nato. Ito po ang totoong unity, hindi pagkakaisa ng mga pulitiko, kundi pagkakaisa ng mga Pilipino. Pagkakaisa ng pagmamahal, pagkakaisa ng pangarap, pagkakaisa ng pag-asa," Robredo said. 

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Music, love on Earth Day

Wake-upper:

Scene: Motivational speaker and author Bo Sanchez at the 7^th year anniversary of the Feast Tagbilaran last Friday at the Bohol Cultural Center. Everyone was inspired and blessed.

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There are worlds within worlds... Everything in our world is connected by the delicate strands of the web of life, which is a balance between the forces of destruction and the magical forces of creation.- Magi Lune  to Crista (Fern Gully)

In Bohol, the rice bowl of Central Visayas, drought affects farmer significantly. Crops have already been ruined by withering heat which affected farmers in 27 towns of Bohol who are now at the mercy of erratic weather. In times of drought, there is often not enough water available for people to drink and bathe regularly. In Barangay Bantolinao in Antequera, west of Tagbilaran City, an ordinance was strictly enforce prohibiting people to bathe and wash their clothes in all springs and creeks in the barangay since drought dried up their water sources. Leo Udtohan/Chronicle

To my friends and I, Friday’s Earth Day was our celebration.

It was a night when my friends’ mixed bag of spirituality culminates in a wild night of music, art, nature, food and love.

Different Earth Day activities were held to show our general appreciation for the planet.

The Earth Day celebration was marked by the country’s signing of the Paris Agreement, a legally binding agreement forged  between United Nations member-countries held in Paris, France, in December last year, to reduce carbon emission and limit global temperature rise below 1.5 degrees Celsius.

In Tagbilaran City, members and supporters of the Bohol Nature Conservation Society (Bonaconso) gathered on Friday morning to celebrate Earth Day with a special ritual.

At night, a “Bohol Earth Day Concert” was held at the K of C promenade with Tadiyandi and multiawarded singer-songwriter Joey Ayala.  Ayala is a towering figure in the local music scene, his critically-acclaimed albums are inspired by Mother Nature and social concerns. As a musician and artist, he believed in the healing power of song, as well as the connection to the earth that it provided.

Singer-songwriter Joey Ayala who is known for his songs’

 relevance of subject matter – environment, society, values – 

celebrates Earth Day in Bohol province. Leo Udtohan/Chronicle

The Climate Change Primer of Bonaconso said that man’s disregard to God’s call to cultivate and take care of Earth, we are faced with the great havoc mostly inflicted by man’s activities which we call in this present age as “Climate Change” or “Global warming.”

Scientists agree that climate change is a real and urgent threat.

Pat Ruiz, president of Bonaconso, blamed the environmentally destructive projects that contributed to the effects of the El Niño, which is strongly being felt in various parts of the country.

The Earth Day Celebration was also significant as the province of Bohol is experiencing deepening drought due to El Niño.

The drought is aggravating the situation in the countryside. The farmers are reeling from the effects of the dry spell that is expected to last either late May or early June.

Bohol’s central ground and northern lowlands have fertile grounds and abundant water supply. It has 2,224 springs, 59 rivers and 200 creeks.

However, the springs and creeks as well as the four major dams-- Malinao Dam in Pilar town, Bayongan Dam in San Miguel town, Capayas Dam in Ubay town and Zamora Dam in Talibon town—in the province are drying up.

According to Larry Pamugas, assistant provincial agriculturist, 42 of the 47 towns in Bohol, were affected.

Pamugas said at least P388M worth of crops had been damaged by the drought in Bohol which had not experienced any downpour since January.

The drought did not just affect the farmlands but also the sources of drinking water of residents especially those in the mountain areas.

“We lack portable water. Other municipalities use firetrucks just to supply water in their respective barangays,” Pamugas said.

In the municipalities of Albur and Dauis, local officials ordered the towns' firetrucks to deliver water to some barangays where the water sources have dried up. Some residents would line up on the streets, bringing their empty gallons, waiting for the firetrucks to arrive.

Russel Villas, Sangguniang Bayan secretary and Information Officer of Antequera town, said surface water sources such as springs and ponds have dried up. The water level of their reservoir in Barangays Tabuan and Ubojan has also gone down due to the drought.

The municipality of Antequera has been placed under a state of calamity since March 21 when their water supply has dwindled, affecting all its 21 barangays and the farmlands.

Antequera officials bought water tanks that were used to ration potable drinking water to barangays.

Potable drinking water is a problem especially in Barangay Bantolinao since one third of its 1,226 residents depend on community pumps and deep wells.

Since water has become a precious commodity, the village has started to strictly implement a barangay ordinance that prohibits bathing in the water pump to limit the use of water to drinking.

A wooden signage posted in the area reads: “Ginadili ang pagkaligo dinhing dapita kay nagkainit ang panahon...P200 ag multa kung naay malego. Thank you (It is not allowed to bathe here due to the intense hot weather. A fine of P200 will be imposed on those who take a bath).”

Bantolinao Barangay Captain Conrada Pagod said the ordinance has been in existence since 2014 which bans bathing and washing in traditional water source such as tubod (creeks) in order not to pollute their water source.

First offense carries a penalty of P100, P200 for second offense and P300 for third offense.

“Dili na paliguan ang tubod karung panahuna sa among barangay. Sa tubod tigkuha og imnunon kay dili man tigpalit og bottled water kay mahal (Bathing in the creek is not allowed in our village especially now. We get our drinking water from the creeks because bottled water is expensive),”Pagod said.

Women from Bantolinao and other neighboring barangays have to walk at least 7 km to go to a nearest river in Barangay Can-umay to wash their clothes.

In some towns, women and children spend hours walking to and from existing pumps and wells just to provide water for their families.

Ruiz said reclamation projects will not only bring more environmental devastation, and more community displacements, and worsen the city’s vulnerabilities to climate change.

Bonaconso also emphasized on morality crisis. The youth today are taught they must change the world, not their souls. So, they change the world, and it becomes worse. Without moral absolutes to distinguish right from wrong, there is no real basis for ethics.

Bonaconso also said we have to redeem the entire created order for God by making all things right in the environment-ecologically, socially, morally and spiritually.

We are hopeful that the future generation will inherit a cleaner, healthier and a safer planet.

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6,000 crowd for Roxas-Robredo rally

Ubay, Bohol – Presidential candidate Mar Roxas and his running-mate Rep. Leni Robredo, including some senatorial bets of the Daang Matuwid coalition, on Wednesday night campaigned in Bohol province, the bailiwick of the LP party.

Vice Presidential aspirant Rep. Leni Robredo 

celebrates her birthday in Bohol province (her birthday was

 actually celebrated yesterday) as she receives a birthday cake 

from LP-Bohol’s leaders Bohol Gov. Edgar Chatto 

and Rep. Rene Relampagos. Leo Udtohan/Chronicle

At least 3,000 people gathered here to show their support for the Roxas-Robredo tandem at the Ubay public market at around 6 p.m.

Ubay town, which has a registered voters of 40,803 and is located 113 km from capital city of Tagbilaran,  is considered the turf of incumbent 2nd district Congressman Aristotle “Aris” Aumentado of  Nationalist People’s Coalition  (NPC) who is supporting Vice President Jejomar Binay and Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

Roxas told the crowd that he would continue the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) if he will be elected president.

Robredo, who turned 52 yesterday, also received a birthday cake shaped like a slipper prepared for her by the local LP leaders.  The supporters sang for her the customary birthday song.

Asked what would be her birthday wish, she answered, “ano lang po, yung sa akin parati lang good health at tsaka safety ng pamilya.”

She also said she didn’t wish to win the May 9 elections.

“Sa akin po, hindi ko winiwish yun, kug anong ibibigay sa akin handa kong tatanggapin,” she said.

Robredo said she was overwhelmed and at the same time humbled after leading in the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) mobile survey commissioned by TV5 for the vice presidential aspirants.

“Merun pang 19 days, pero masaya tayo sa results ng pinakabagong survey dahil nangunguna tayo. Pero hindi siya dahilan para makapanti tayo. Mahigit 2 linggo at marami pang mangyayari. Kaya lalo pa nating sisipagan sa susunod na mga araw. Naniniwala tayo po tayo kasi hindi ito nagdedetermine ng election pero magandang basehan kung ano ang pulso ng tao at saan pa kami magtrabaho,” she said.

Robredo obtained 30 percent, three points ahead of Marcos who got 27 percent while Escudero got 25 percent.  Senators Alan Peter Cayetano, Antonio Trillanes IV and Gregorio Honasan II got 13, 3 and 1 percent, respectively.

After Ubay’s rally, the tandem proceeded to Pilar town, to attend another rally with an estimated crowd of 3,000 at Pilar municipal ground.

Pilar has 15,169 registered voters.

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

How to avoid falling prey to 'laglag bala' scheme

Wake-uppers:

Seen: Benjie Oliva on CPG: President Carlos P. Garcia (CPG) has been my inspiration in pursuing my career in government with utmost integrity, excellence and performance starting as a casual employee of the provincial government of Bohol to National Youth Commission (NYC) Commissioner and currently as Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) Administrator. His virtues and brand of leadership has been my guide that honed me as a better public servant and a better Boholano. His principle and his being a nationalist has been my direction in d formulation of policies and development programs. How I wish I could follow his footsteps in politics.

Scene:  World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF), the world’s largest conservation organization, named lawyer Ingemar Macarine aka Pinoy Aquaman as one of its three environmental “heroes” this year for “pioneering solo channel swimming in the Philippines to promote marine conservation.”

Scene: Ramon Einstein Acuña on the ‘”no show” of  James Reid and Nadine Lustre  (JaDine) in Bohol: Inuulit ko pong humihingi ako ng kapatawaran sa Viva, sa Vantage International Bohol, kina James Reid at Nadine Lustre, sa mga taga suporta ng 'JaDine' at sa lahat ng taong naloko ko sa ginawa kong panlilinlang. Lahat ng bumili ng tikets para sa 'big event' ay bibigyan ko po ng refund.

Benjie Oliva with Rep. Leni Robredo at the Tagbilaran
 Airport. Robredo was the guest of
 honor during the 119^th birth anniversary
 of Pres. Carlos P. Garcia on Nov. 4. Contributed Photo

Scene:  Bohol police were able to execute 26 search warrants, nabbed 53 personalities, recovered two high powered firearms and seized 355 grams of shabu with an estimated street value of about P4.2 million in its “One-Time-Big-Time Anti-Criminality Campaign (OTBT),” a provincewide operations against drug personalities, syndicated criminal gangs and wanted criminals on Nov. 5-6. To capture 50 personalities was also the “gift” of police chiefs to PSSupt. Dennis Agustin who celebrated his 50th birthday on Nov. 5, said Supt. Nicomedes Olaivar, head of the provincial Public Safety Company.

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Bohol-Buhol at Artologist Gallery

The Artologist Gallery will present an art exhibit entitled “Bohol-Buhol” on Nov. 10.

Featured artists include Boggs Castro, Rhants Anunciado, Eric Catot, Edgar Cornito, Jhacky Curambao, Roi Ferre, Irish Glori Galon, Joey Labrador, Glenn Lumantao, Henri Cainglet, Sam Penaso, Rico Tompong, Jeff Sisican, Melbourne Aquino, Chrisylli ibaya, Daisy Daqs, Elvin Vitor, Gay Bernaldez, Geovanni Abing, Gladys Bojo, Glems Barte, Josefino Montano, Joselito Alipala, Joseph ingking, Lloyd Lusica, Lucell Larawan, Milagros Fullido, Polo Joeven, Sandra dela Serna, She Lee, Vida Tirol- de Juan and Vincent Omar Daydayan. 

The artists are a vibrant mix of established and emerging artists who are natives of Bohol, some of whom are still based in their hometown and some based in Manila. Their works showcase the wealth of Boholano artistry spanning a healthy breadth of genres from realist works that stress the island’s natural wonders, to abstractions that have challenged the works of contemporary artists in the country and around the world.

The Artologist Gallery is located at 81 Xavier St. Xavier residences Unit 203, Greenhills San Juan (across Xavier School).

Bohol-Buhol  will run from Nov. 10, ( 6 p.m.) to  Nov. 20.

For details, contact 5460169/ 09178403585.

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The recent incidents of “laglag  bala” (bullet dropping) or "tanim bala" ( bullet planting) scheme at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) is quite alarming.

Cynthia Velasquez, 52, sealed her luggage with a packaging tape at her home in Anda town before she went to Tagbilaran Airport.

Cynthia Velasquez/Leo Udtohan

“This is 100 percent safe,” she said, gesturing toward her luggage, visibly secured by packaging tape on the outside.

“They are indiscriminate in choosing their victims,” said Velasquez, referring to the tanim-bala extortion ring. “Better safe than sorry,” she said.

But according to the PNP-Aviation Security Group, there is no reported “laglag-bala” incident in Tagbilaran Airport.

Tagbilaran City is the main gateway to the province.

Maria Glendale Ramos, Intel Officer III, Civil Aviation Security Bureau in Tagbilaran said that screener officers were also subject for a check-up before entering the airport.

“Our screeners undergo a pat down and secondary screening to make it sure they don’t bring anything,” said Ramos.

The “no touch policy” at the Tagbilaran Airport was also strengthened to prevent such incident. Screeners are not allowed to handle or touch baggage to prevent any incident of so-called planting of contraband or other illegal items on passengers’ belongings.

Aside from these, Ramos said that lists of prohibited items are posted inside and outside the airport to warn passengers.

Closed-circuit televisions (CCTVs) were installed in departure and arrival areas, airport lounges, screening areas, and other key places in the passengers terminal, according to Ramos.

No lag-lag bala at Tagbilaran Airport/Leo Udtohan

Ramos said if anything suspicious appears on the X-ray machine, police and a witness would be called and the passenger would be the one to open his or her bag for checking.

If a bullet, or any banned substance, is found, a police officer would conduct an investigation and determine probable cause to file a case.

However, she said that although there were no reported incidents of “laglag bala” at Tagbilaran Airport, but there were cases of passengers found with bullets.

“Passenger carrying a bullet is not a new case,” she said.

She said, however, most of these bullets were amulets or anting-anting. “Many people believed that a bullet can be an amulet, that it has the power to protect its owner from danger or harm,” she said. 

In 2012, a passenger was arrested for carrying bullets at the Tagbilaran Airport.  Seven live cartridges were found neatly packed and kept in the passenger’s bag when screening officers found it on x-tray. The passenger could not offer a satisfactory explanation or the necessary documents for carrying the bullets. Passenger was immediately apprehended. A case was filed against the passenger.

Carrying ammunition on a plane is prohibited by law.

The incidence of bullets being “planted” in the luggage of travelers is very scary and I am sure, you don’t want to happen to you.

Tagbilaran Airport/Leo Udtohan

Here are five tips to avoid the tanim-bala racket: keep a close eye on luggage and never allow strangers to handle these; close all zippers, pockets of luggage and seal these; keep an eye on the luggage as it passes through X-ray machines and metal detectors; quickly retrieve bags in the X-ray machines; and never accept luggage from strangers.

Do not accept packages (padala/pasalubong) from anyone. If you accept any padala/pasalubong, check thoroughly its content even if it came from your relative and friends.

In a Facebook post, the Philippine Expats/OFW Blog Awards gave four tips on what to do when an airport personnel accused a traveller of having a bullet in his or her luggage.

1. Don't agree to have your baggage opened. Ask for the airport police or a relative who can immediately call a lawyer for you. Don't also agree when airport personnel ask you to open the luggage yourself.

2. When airport police are present, ask them to open the bag and retrieve the bullet. If the bullet found in the luggage is not really yours, it won't have your fingerprint.

3. After the bullet is retrieved by authorities, ask them to do a fingerprint test.

4. If the result shows that no traces of your fingerprints were found in the bullet then you can file a case against the airport personnel including damages for lost time and inconvenience.

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