Showing posts with label alona beach. Show all posts
Showing posts with label alona beach. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Hudyaka sa Panglao bursting with colors & cheers

Wake-uppers:
Seen:  Commander Agapito Bibat of the Philippine Navy was chosen as class president of International Maritime Offices Course Class 52 by the International Maritime Officers Course (IMOC) School in the US with 36 participants from 26 participating countries around the world.

Scene: Pat Ruiz was among those who attended the early mass at the St. Joseph Cathedral for the August 25 nationwide against the pork barrel system and term extension of elected officials. Pat Ruiz said, “We had offered the highest form of prayer thru a mass in relation to the existing pork barrel in our country. We have still pork, it is still not pork less. The congressmen had identified projects using the national agencies and it is lump sum. In this regard, we call for active citizenship that people in Tagbilaran will also be taking into account that we are not yet pork less. And pork barrel is the cause of corruption, if there is corruption there is poverty. That is why it is a continuing advocacy that we will say no to any form of pork barrel.”

***
Bursting with colors and cheers, the culminating events 
of the annual Hudyaka sa Panglao, took place last  August 27-28
 in honor of Panglao’s patron, Señor San Agustin. 
The festivities were led by Mayor Nila Montero.- LPU
The last time I was in Panglao Island, the Alona Beach was showing itself in full magnificent glory, breathtakingly beautiful, as it always did every day except when nasty weather or habagat is in the country.

Early last week, I was at Alona Beach, it is beautiful as ever, awesome, breathtaking, spellbinding and totally majestic, still transfixed me in awe, holding me (actually us) in captive seduction as the waves were rushing into the shore as if flirting with us as we were at the Alona Tropical for a presscon with Panglao Mayor Nila Montero and Vice Mayor Pedro Fuertes.

Our group — from the Bohol media— had a sumptuous lunch together with Mayor Montero and some guests. Some media friends had stayed overnight at Alona Tropical where they had experienced the hospitality of  the resort staff including Roldan Cuevas, Rico Guigue and Deo Guden.

...with the members with Bohol media
Mayor Montero and Vice Mayor Pedro Fuertes also shared to the media the latest developments and projects of Montero-Fuertes administration. They also boast of the town’s establishment of Panglao Solid Waste Utilization and Conversion Technology.

During break, I brought Christopher Lumactud (Bohol Chronicle’s layout and graphic artist) to the nearby Amorita Resort for a quick look-see of an (old) friend Cesar Paterno, an executive producer of ABS-CBN, who was with Katherine De Castro. Kat (she was also doing her ice bucket challenge), was doing a story on Bohol for her show on ABS-CBN.  When Kat saw me, she asked in jest if I owned a resort in Panglao for which I vehemently denied. Ha! Ha! Ha! Those Magandang Gabi, Bayan days!

At the Panglao town plaza, we were told that ten contingents were joining this year’s Hudyaka.

“Hudyaka is about merry making and thanksgiving to our patron saint Augustine,” said Mayor Montero.

BC’s layout and graphic artist Christopher Lumactud 
with ABS-CBN reporter and host Katherine De Castro. -LPU
August is probably Panglaoanons’ most colorful month for celebrating the Hudyaka festival honoring the blessed San Agustin. Aside from the usual revelry — pulsating drumbeats, colorful floats, fluvial parade and Hudyaka street dances — the attendance of some celebrities in this extraordinary celebration made it more memorable to all the Panglaoanons.

While taking pictures during the street dance parade, someone surprised me. There was Rebecca “Bikay” Lusterio, the pride of Panglao! Bikay went home to attend the town’s fiesta. She is taking up her Masteral studies in Denmark.

 “It is my home and I missed it. It’s so nice to see it again,” said the former best child actress. “It’s very beautiful, colorful...it’s nice to see the talents of the people of my hometown.”

At the height of the euphoria, there was another power interruption.  And it was raining. Someone told me that the search for the Festival Queen held on the vesper night was stopped because of power interruption. Imagine a celebration with no electricity! But it didn’t dampen the spirit of the Panglaoanons.

The 5 in 1 for the environment Climate Change Advocacy 
Campaign of the PIA-Bohol. Courtesy: Elvie Bongosia
Panglao is soaring to even greater heights, making stellar improvements in economy, education, environment and health. Like the white-sandy beaches of the town is so famous for. Panglao, the jewel of the south, is making waves!

***
Students & volunteers plant trees to fight climate change

Students, teachers and volunteers engaged in tree planting and sensitization discussions on climate change mitigation in Ubay town on Friday.

The event, tagged ‘Climate Change Advocacy Campaign’ centered around engaging students from the third district of Bohol on the importance of tree planting; its social and economic benefit to combat global warming and contributes to the global mitigation efforts with local actions.

One of the practical ways to combat climate change is to plant more trees in order to take more carbon out of the atmosphere. The organizers said that it is important to make sure that climate change information gets to the grass roots to enable the young people to know what it is all about.

Former child actress Rebecca “Bikay” Lusterio
 with her fiancé during the town fiesta. -LPU
 “I join this tree planting because I want to help the environment back to its normal balance,” said Jeselle Bautista. 

Spearheaded by the PIA-Bohol, the students also had a journalism seminar on news writing, feature writing, photojournalism and broadcasting.  

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

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Grace Poe and her Bohol connection; Louie Digal’s Facebook account hacked

• Grace Poe and her Bohol connection
• Louie Digal’s Facebook account hacked
 
Wake-uppers:
Scene: The statue of St. Pedro Calungsod, the second Filipino saint, will arrive today, Nov. 25, at 10 a.m. at the Carlos P. Garcia Sports Complex.  A short motorcade will bring the statue to St. Joseph Cathedral passing through CPG Ave. where a liturgical ceremony will be held before the start of a Holy Mass. The Cathedral will be opened 24 hours for the veneration on Sunday. The statue will be brought to the Diocese of Talibon in a motorcade the following day.
 
Seen: Cory Quirino, owner of Miss World-Philippines franchise, was spotted in Bohol last Nov. 12. She dined at Gerarda’s (30 J.S Torralba Street, Tagbilaran City; Tel No. 038- 412 3044).  
 
Scene: The clan members of the Udtohan/Pajota will gather today, Nov. 25, to reconnect with family members and to celebrate the foundation of who they are. The 7th grand reunion and election officers will be held at Libaong, Panglao. Assembly time is 7 a.m.at the residence of businessman Benjamin Udtohan, Sr along Airport Road, Tagbilaran City. The Udtohans from Tagbilaran City, Batuan, Bilar, Carmen, Sevilla, Danao and Sierra Bullones are expected to attend. Special guests are Gov. Edgar Chatto and 3rd district Rep. Art Yap. Benjamin Udtohan, Sr. is this year’s over-all chair.
 
Seen:  Senatorial aspirant Rep. JV Ejercito of San Juan, Metro Manila was in Bohol recently. “I have my commitment to Bohol especially on tourism,” he said. He was all praises to the P-Noy’s administration in the government’s commitment of “daang matuwid” and “kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap” campaign.
 
***
Grace Poe and her Bohol connection
 
Did you know that besides senatoriables Zambales Rep. Milagros “Mitos” Magsaysay (whose relatives are the Pernias in Panglao. She told Bared in May 2012: “Dami kong mga kamag-anak dito na mga Pernia ng Panglao.”) and San Juan Rep. JV Ejercito (with JCI friends  including Gov. Edgar Chatto and Rep. Rene Relampagos. He said, “Pabalik-balik na ako ng Bohol.”), former Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) chair Grace Poe -Llamanzares has strong Bohol connections? Grace Poe is running for senator in next year’s elections, an independent candidate, and FPJ die-hard supporters in Bohol are all-out behind her, even hosting a presscon among local reporters for her recently.
 
Da King's daughter
So what’s Grace Poe's other Bohol connection?

Although her Bohol visit was her first time, she has an attachment to Bohol because her father, the late Fernando Poe, Jr. (FPJ) or Da King,  told her many stories about Bohol. In fact, when she was a kid, Grace Poe was thinking the chocolate hills of Bohol were really made of chocolate.

“Akala ko totoong chocolate ang Chocolate Hills,” she told members of the press.
 
FPJ did shoot Esteban in 1972. The famous Alona Beach is named after FPJ's leading lady Alona Alegre.

"Malapit ito sa puso ng tatay ko sapagkat dito siya nagshooting ng pelikulang Esteban noong 1972," she said.

FPJ saw the beauty of Bohol when it was not yet a popular destination.

"Pero noon pa man hindi pa masyadong sikat ang Bohol sa mga turista, nakita na ni FPJ ang kagandahan ng lugar ninyo. Kaya kahit papaano ay merun po tayong attachment dito sa lugar na ito," said Grace Poe, "kaya kung ano ang aking magagawa para sa ikauunlad ng Bohol ay para na rin sa alaala ni FPJ."

She jested, "sana may FPJ beach din kayo."

Wife to Neil Llamanzares and mother of three (Bryan, Hannah and Nika), she is also planning to hold a film festival in Bohol to showcase FPJ films.
 
Grace Poe as a young girl with her parents, the Queen of Philippine Movies Susan Roces and the late FPJ. Courtesy: TeamGracePoe on Facebook/Twitter
From the time she was a little girl, Grace Poe was fascinated by politics and social issues. Grace Poe sees the need to focus poverty alleviation efforts on the family as a basic social institution. She wants government to take a more active role in helping children of poor families. She believes that the future of Philippines depends on the kind of citizens these children will become.
 
Last Friday, I (and other media friends, too), ehem,  got a text message from Grace Poe: “Maraming salamat po sa mainit ninyong pagtanggap sa akin. Mahalaga at makabuluhang karanasan po ang ating pagtatagpo. Inaasahan  ko pong simula lamang ito ng ating bukas, malaya at malalim na ugnayan. Maraming salamat poe! Karangalan ko pong makapiling kayo. Magkita-kita poe ulit tayo!”
 
See you next time Poe!

***
Vice Mayor Louie Digal’s Facebook account hacked
 
Loboc Vice Mayor Louie Digal fell victim to internet pranksters on Wednesday, Nov. 21, when his Facebook account was hacked.
 
Digal
A message promoting “political and venomous announcements” popped up on the mayoralty candidate’s page, and Digal was unimpressed that his account had been illegally accessed.
 
“Someone hacked into my account.Please ignore all the rubbish being posted,” texted Digal.
 
Digal's Facebook friends reacted with a mixture of confusion and dismay, with Tessie Labunog-Sumampong  saying: "Louya sad ni vice gibinuangan! "

Another suggested the messages may not have come from Digal himself, while Cirilo Matildo Rule
said: "dili unta mag binuang! kay ang mga taga loboc nakahibalo na ug kinsa ang angayan para sa position nga ilang gi ilogan. be fair lang gud!”

Digal scored his political enemies are behind the hacking.
 
He has regained control of his FB last Friday. He hired a technician to help him recover the password.
 
"Finally, after days of investigating and waiting, the account is back to its rightful owner," said Digal.
 
Last August, Facebook had revamped its privacy settings, making it easier for users to secure their photos, status updates and personal data.
 
It can be noted that Digal, who is running for Mayor in Loboc against Mayor Leon Calipusan, has been vocal of saying Calipusan’s administration is full of corruption. Lately, he filed string of cases against Calipusan before the office of the Ombudsman-Visayas for the malicious mischief and grave threats and for backhoe overprice.
***
A screenshot of the hacked Facebook page of Loboc Vice Mayor Louie Digal. Courtesy: Tessie Labunog-Sumampong
Thanks for your letters, all will be answered. Comments welcome at leoudtohan@yahoo.com, follow leoudtohan at Twitter /Facebook.

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Who will run in 2013 elections in Bohol & other tidbits

• Who will run, who will not, who may, who might
• Family and friends mourn the death of Uly Dolojol
 
Wake-uppers:
Seen:  VanVan aka Guadalajara Mimosa de Salamanca is representing Miss Paraguay in the Queen of Cebu 2012, a pageant for alternatives, on Nov. 9.  “She is another pride of Bohol beaming towards bagging the most prestigious Search for Queen of Cebu 2012,” says fashion icon EJ Relampagos. To support Miss Paraguay, visit Queen of Cebu on Facebook.
 
Scene: Some 6,000 barangay officials from the 1,109 barangays all over Bohol and other invited guests welcomed Pres. Noynoy Aquino on Sept. 26, at the Bohol Wisdom School gym for the 1st Bohol Barangay Day celebration. Pres. Aquino also stood as witness to the oathtaking of hundreds of converts of the Liberal Party. Spotted were Senator TJ Guingona,  Energy Secretary Rene Almendras, Secretary Edwin Lacierda, Akbayan Rep. Riza Hontiveros , Gov. Edgar Chatto, Vice Gov. Concepcion Lim, Rep. Rene Relampagos (1st district, Bohol), Trinidad Mayor Roberto Cajes, ABC President Crispina Vergara, Ae Damalerio and provincial board members .
 
Scene: Alay Lakad 2012 is on October 7 instead of Sept. 30, which is Milo Marathon day.
 
***
The sudden death of eventologist and Alona's darling, Uly Dolojol, last Sunday, Sept. 23, shocked friends all over Bohol. The outpouring of grief was immediate, with one common refrain: Alona Beach had lost one of its greatest persons.
 
Bohol's seasoned host Raul Gatal, one of Uly’s closest friends, says it all:
 
I have been in a state of catatonia since I received the devastating news yesterday morning that a good friend of mine has just passed away.
 
Raul and Uly (right) in 2009
I am grieving and I am so saddened by his untimely demise. Mind you, it's not pro forma grief but real pain and anguish
 
Early last year, just before the 10th year bash of his swinging Oops! Bar which is ideally located right smack in the middle of the entire Alona Beach stretch, we had a falling out. It was a simple, petty misunderstanding that soon blew out of proportion. Add some intrigues here and bloated egos there and it was a point of no return. Some well- meaning friends tried to step in and intervene but these were simply exercises in futility
 
Crossing paths in a very small community where everybody knows everybody became an acid test for civility. Exchanging dagger looks and giving each other the cold shoulder treatment became a common occurrence that it soon bordered on the comical. But what's funny about losing a friend? The wedges between us became so deep that it became clear to those in the know that it was impossible for us to become friends again. 
 
I thought I had moved on. I thought I had everything covered. I was coasting along with my second lease on life when the call came yesterday morning
 
Right now, I am so distraught and my heart bleeds for dear Uly with whom I shared a lot of personal and private triumphs, the small intoxicating doses of hedonism and his constant advice on how to live a worry- free life. He is gone now and I really regret that I wasn't able to say sorry and for not telling him how wonderful he was as a friend
 
Alona Beach would never be the same again. Uly was the master planner and a wiz when it comes to events and especially when it has something to do with creating noise and making waves.  The signature pose, his boisterous laughter and his witty punchlines ...all these would be memories from now on. 
 
I'm sure right now as I am blogging this very minute that Uly is up there and peering down from where he is ensconced, he is asking "My oh my, what's the big fuss dahleeng?"
 
Uly, sleep tight now.  Goodbye, my friend...
 
***
“Yes, wala nay atrasay, go, go, go na si Congressman Arthur Yap,” a political consultant and businesswoman aka the Genius Lady (GL) told Bared in a chance interview the other day at The Buzzz Cafe.
 
The widely-smiling GL was shopping alone, sans the usual alalay (factotum) rich people can’t do without.
 
“I love reading your column but you no longer include tsismis and blind items!” said GL. “Those are colorful elements of entertainment column.”
 
With a glass of corn coffee and carrot muffins, the conversation proceeded without any further hitch.
 
Dong Leo, Yap is not afraid of Loboc Mayor Leon Calipusan, businessman Angelo Balili and Dr. Elpidio Jala this coming election. Yap is really prepared,” warned GL, making the sign of “okay”.
 
3rd district Rep. Arthur Yap (center) who is seeking reelection might face businessman Angelo Balili (left) and educator Elpidio Jala in 2013 elections.
Added GL: “Congressman Yap is running to further serve the people of third district because three years is  too short a period for a long list of projects and full program to make up for the many years prior his stint that 3rd district  had been lagging behind the two other districts in the province.”
 
How about the critics who are (again) saying Rep.Yap is not a pure Boholano?
 
“Who is lumad nga Bol-anon among us? It’s the Eskaya tribe. Not the critics. Moreover, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has already resolved the issue on his residency wherein Comelec ruled that Yap has complied the minimum length of time required for him to qualify to run as congressman of 3rd district. That cropped up in 2010 elections. And after having served for over two years and a half, obviously the issue is moot and academic. The people will vote you not because you are Boholano or not, but because you showed sincerity and your intentions are genuine. Depriving one to serve because he is not lumad Bol-anon is racial discrimination.”
 
Flashing a big mysterious smile, GL whispered, “There will be a lot of surprises next week! You wait and see!”
 
And while we are at it, here’s a rundown of those who will run, who will not run, who may run and who might not run in 2013 elections (that is, if, a big if, there would be elections next year). We will know who are officially running after the filing of certificate of candidacy (CoC) on Oct. 1-5. The list will grow longer and longer. You bet?

WHO WILL RUN

• Incumbent Gov. Edgar Chatto (For same position)

• Carmen Mayor Che Toribio-Delos Reyes (For Governor)
 
• Rep. Rene Relampagos (For reelection)
 
• Rep. Arthur Yap (For same position)
• Vice Governor Conching Lim (For reelection?)
 
• Rep. Erico Aumentado (For same position)                        
 
• Dr. Abe Lim (For Mayor of Tagbilaran City)                        
 
• Ex-Tagbilaran City Councilor Dodong Gonzaga (For Mayor of Tagbilaran City)
 
• Ex-Tagbilaran City Vice Mayor Toto Veloso (For Vice Mayor of Tagbilaran City)
 
• Trinidad Mayor Roberto Cajes (For Congressman of 2nd District of Bohol)
 
• Tagbilaran City Councilor Baba Yap (For Mayor of Tagbilaran)
 
• Tagbilaran City Councilor Kit Oppus (For Vice Mayor of Tagbilaran)
 
Danao Mayor Thomas Gonzaga (For reelection)
 
Panglao Vice-Mayor Evangeline Lazaro (For Mayor of Panglao?)
 
• Tagbilaran City Vice-Mayor Nuevas Tirol-Montes (For reelection)
 
Ubay Mayor Eutiquio Bernales (For reelection)
 
Dauis Mayor Jimmy Jimenez (For reelection)
 
• Sevilla Mayor Ernesita Digal (For reelection)
 
• Former Dagohoy Mayor Sofronio Apat (For Mayor)
 
• Loay Mayor Rosemarie Imboy (For reelection)
 
Buenavista Mayor Ronald Lowell Tirol (For reelection)
 
• Mark Leo Monton (For Mayor of Balilihan)
 
• Ex-Tagbilaran City Councilor Dandan Bantugan (For Councilor of Tagbilaran City?)
 
• Inabanga Mayor Jono Jumamoy (For reelection)
 
• Bien Unido Mayor Niño Rey Boniel (For reelection)
 
Gerry Pabe (For Councilor of Tagbilaran City)


WHO WILL NOT
• Ex-barangay captain Glorivic Yap ("Running for Tagbilaran City Councilor? She is campaigning for Gonzaga-Veloso!")

• Tessie Labunog-Sumampong ("For Councilor of Loboc? My husband Libby will run!")
 
• Aris Aumentado (“For board member? He will file his CoC in 2016!”)
 
• Ex-Mayor Jose Torralba (“For Mayor of Tagbilaran City? He will be campaigning for his wife Councilor Betty Torralba!”)
 
• Ex-Provincial Board Member Amalia Reyes-Tirol (“For Mayor of Ubay? She is busy as a wife and grandma!”)
 
• UB Registrar Leah Tirol-Magno (“For Councilor of Tagbilaran City? She is busy as an ICT Princess!”)
 
• Dr. Mutya Kismet Tirol- Macuno (“For Mayor of Ubay? She runs too, and plays tennis also!”)


WHO MAY RUN
• Businessman Angelo Balili (For Congressman of the 3rd district of Bohol?)
 
• Ex-Dauis Mayor Lulu Bongalos (For Mayor?                                                           )
 
Andy Manatad (For Congressman of the 2nd district of Bohol?)

• Tagbilaran City Mayor Dan Lim (For Congressman of 1st district of Bohol?)
 
• Ex-Catigbian Councilor Doris Dinorog-Obena (For Mayor of Catigbian?)

• Ex-Panglao Councilor Nila Montero (For Mayor of Panglao?)

• Dr. Elpidio Jala (For Congressman of the 3rd district of Bohol?)

• Ex Vice-Governor Julius Cesar Herrera (For Vice Governor? Or, for Congressman of the 1st district of Bohol?)
 
• Former SK Bohol President Bobbith Cajes-Auza (For Mayor of Talibon?)
 
• Ex-provincial board member Corazon Galbreath (For Mayor of Bilar?)   
 
• Provincial Administrator Ae Damalerio (For Vice Governor?)
 
• Catigbian Mayor Bert Salinas (For Board Member? Or, for Congressman of the 1st district of Bohol?)
 
• Former Panglao Vice Mayor Pedro Fuertes (For Vice Mayor of Panglao?)
 

WHO MIGHT RUN

• Dr. Sharleen Lim (For Vice Governor?)

• Ed Macalandag (For Councilor of Tagbilaran City?)

• Barangay Captain Arlene Karaan (For board member?)
 
• Booy Barangay Captain Jun Telmo (For Councilor of Tagbilaran City?)
 
• Actor Cesar Montano (For Bohol Governor? "He is running in Manila.")
 
• Former Governor David Tirol (For Board Member? (“I didn’t hear it too. But he is running everyday, about more than 1 km. a day!”)

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

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Candy Cumayas & a few of her favorite things

Wake-uppers:
 
Seen: Miss Netherlands 2006 Sheryl Lynn Baas was in Valencia town to judge Miss Valencia 2012.  A half-Pinay, half-Dutch, Sheryl competed in the Miss World 2006 in Poland. “Sheryl Lynn is in the Philippines for her Sheryl Lynn Foundation. This foundation was started by Sheryl when she was Miss Netherlands and she wanted to use her title not only for herself but also for the people who are in need in the Philippines. She is now in Leyte with her mother Susana Paderes-Baas,” reported Bared’s VRS.

Seen: Miss Ubay 2012 is Melody Macalolot. The yearly pageant was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Ubay. Also seen during the pageant were Ubay Mayor Eutiquio Bernales, Rotarians Greenie Aumentado, Leah Tirol-Magno, Irena Heberer, Rose Soy, Louela Bantol and Bohol’s first lady Pureza Chatto. 

Scene:  The Valencia Residents of Southern California (VALRESCA) celebrated their annual Señor Santo Niño Fiesta at the City of Buena Park, California on January 21. The show was hosted by Dr. Corazon C. Medina.
Macalolot

Seen: Boholano actress and performer Lailette Geulen-Boiser will be seen on Biritera (The Belter), an upcoming Philippine musical drama aired on GMA Network starring Dennis Trillo, Glaiza de Castro and Angelika dela Cruz. It is directed by another Boholano award-winning director Maryo J. de los Reyes. Lailette was last seen on GMA’s Time of My Life.

***
You didn’t know that one of the beauties in Rotary’s Santacruzan (a popular religious festival in the country as the highlight of the month-long celebration of Flores de Mayo during the month of May, and is considered to be the "Queen of Filipino Festivals") is a Panglaoanon, did you? I first heard about it last year when I was in Alona Beach for a spree. It was Bohol’s seasoned host and personality guru Raul Gatal who told me that the Reyna Elena or Queen Helena (the discoverer of the true Cross, symbolized by the small cross she carries) is one of Panglao’s beautiful young ladies. I got curious and interested when Raul said she could be a future beauty queen.

Anyway, the Reyna Elena is none other than Candy Cumayas, who is pure Panglaoanon. Raul sent me a nice story about Candy. Here’s Raul’s report:

Tall and Tan and Young and Lovely. Except that she’s not from Ipanema. This sweet 5’ 8” sixteener who has a pair of kilometric legs that could go on for miles and miles is from our very own Alona Beach in Tawala, Panglao.

Who is she? She is Candy Cumayas, the middle of three children of Marcosa Horcerada-Cumayas and the late Fernando Cumayas. She is presently in her sophomore year taking BS Tourism Management at the Holy Name University.

Why the course? Candy foresees the time that she will take over their tourism oriented- family businesses; Spiked Coconut Bar, one of the hottest party places in Alona Beach noted for its acoustic music, and Mhar’s Paradise, a quaint bed and breakfast inn 

Born under the zodiac sign of Aquarius, Candy is creative, funny, gifted with a sense of humor and whiles away her time by strumming her guitar.

Candy Cumayas
When asked who her greatest inspiration is, she said it’s her mom Marcosa who single-handedly raised her and her siblings when their dad met his untimely demise.

With her facial beauty that resembles Assunta de Rossi in her younger years, statuesque figure and towering height, she was asked if she has plans of joining beauty pageants. “I reluctantly joined the 2011 Miss Panglao Pageant after the organizers led by SK Panglao Chair Aya Montero discovered me during the Rotary 2011 Santacruzan where I reigned as Reyna Elena. To my surprise, I made the Top Eight and was voted as Miss Globe and Face of the Night. Hopefully, with luck, timing and ample preparation, I just might join again and win a crown next time,” said Candy.

Who knows? With the right mentor and if it’s destined for her, Candy Cumayas just might be the next Panglaoanon to make a splash in the Binibining Pilipinas pageant!

And get to know a little more about Candy as she "plays favorites."

• ACTOR (foreign): Taylor Lautner

• ACTRESS (foreign): Angelina Jolie

• ACTORS (local): Coco Martin

• ACTRESS (local): Angel Locsin

• MOVIE: Twilight trilogy, Harry Potter series, Sherlock Holmes

• TV SHOWS (foreign): Glee, America’s Next Top Model

• TV SHOW (local): Showtime

• SONG: A Thousand Years

• SINGER(s) (foreign): JLo

• SINGER(s) (local): Kean Cipriano and Sitti

• CRUSH: A Mr. Teen Bohol winner

• HIDEAWAY: Secluded part of Alona Beach

• HOBBIES: Guitar- strumming

• RECIPE(s): Leche Flan

• TIME OF DAY: wee hours of the morning

• DAY OF THE WEEK: Thank God It’s Friday! (LOL)

• RESTAURANT: Golden Cowrie Restaurant

• BEAUTY PARLOR: David’s Salon

• FOOD (Filipino): lechon

• DRINK(s): Iced Tea

• FRUIT: Watermelon

• FLOWER: Red roses for they represent romance and passion.

• COLOR: White for it represents cleanliness. I’m a neat freak.

• HANGOUT: Alona Beach

• CITY: Of course, the City of friendship, Tagbilaran!

• FRIENDS: Too many to mention!

• SUBJECTS (in school): Accounting and English

• AUTHOR: Nicholas Sparks

• PART OF HER FACE: My tantalizing eyes.

• PART OF A BOY’S BODY: The arms!

• COMICS CHARACTER: Superman

• EXPRESSION: Buak ra ang show!
     
Valencia Residents of Southern California fiesta

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