By Leo Udtohan
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In 2021, miraculously effective vaccines showed up, people cared thru
community pantries, and more familiar and colorful faces for the May
2022 elections.
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What a year it has been. 2021 began with the hope that we would turn the corner on the pandemic. And while things did take steps toward returning to normal, there were spectacular finales making 2021 has been anything but.
2021 was a year with many history-making moments.
VRS takes a look back at all of the important news and characters we can't forget that captivated much of our attention.
Caring for others
Giving has surged during the coronavirus crisis. In Bohol, several community pantries have sprouted in Tagbilaran, Alona Beach in Panglao, Jagna and Talibon towns.
Mercy Tapia had to endure the long que during the opening of the Bohol Community Pantry at the St. Joseph the Worker Cathedral in this city.
At least 2,000 beneficiaries hoped to get some foods and goods for their families.
Tapia, 42, a wife of a fisherman, said the inclement weather in the past days due to typhoon Bising left her and her family struggling for food.
The Church’s pantry is providing free rice, eggs, instant noodles, vegetables, fruits and other basic necessities. There is also free porridge and pancakes from "Gugma Tagbilaran Mobile Kusina," a project of Tagbilaran's First Lady Jane Yap.
Tapia was able to get rice, eggs, vegetables and fruits. She also received free porridge and pancakes.
Bishop Uy said community pantries not only provide the needs of our less-fortunate countrymen but it also unite people to share the love of G-d.
He said pantries also build empathy by engaging meaningfully with others, being aware of other people's needs, and being kind to others and ourselves.
"There will be a big impact not only to the poor but also to the rich people who are given the opportunity to help and share the blessings they have. This is also an eye- opener that we need to help each other in order to survive the pandemic," he said.
Businesswoman Meg Raynaldo, owner of the D'Box in Tagbilaran City, also set up her own Paw Pantry to give free food to cats and dogs.
Charity is not limited to gifts of money. Sharing time, expertise, or even a kind smile are all forms of charity. Nothing in your pocket? Show some empathy.
No matter how much you were blessed with, you can always share with others.
It makes sense: you take care of others, and G‑d takes care of you.
Get vaccinated
A year ago, vaccine drives against COVID-19 were just beginning. Now, more than 382,000 people have had one or more dose.
The vaccination has saved huge numbers of lives and is a triumph for science and research.
Sadly, the vaccines have not been shared or taken up equitably across the world, nor even, sometimes, within nations.
Bohol has accomplished 40% vaccination of the 70% of the population which authorities identified as needing to get full protection against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and its mutation strains
Heath authorities have reported that as of December 9, 2021, vaccination teams in Bohol have reached out to some 382,492 Boholanos who were given the necessary two doses of the COVID-19 vaccines administered at least about a month apart.
In Tagbilaran, together with their parents, children trooped to vaccination sites in this city inoculation program for children 12 to 17 years old.
Tagbilaran has the highest vaccination rate in Central Visayas, where 64.09% of its target population had been vaccinated.
The city government was helping vaccinate non-Tagbilaran residents.
Local leaders have been encouraging eligible minors to get vaccinated against the virus.
The pandemic isn't over and there's no way to tell who's been vaccinated on the street.
Understandably, there are inoculations that are produced by multiple pharmaceutical companies, but for the past months these vaccines have been safely tried and proven.
Meta-analysis readings confirmed that therefore, once a vaccine’s reliability is firmly established, there is no worry.
Encourage your loved ones to get vaccinated. The more people in our community get vaccinated, the better everyone will be protected.
Do not set yourself apart from the community.
COC filing lures more aspirants
Familiar faces, and even obscure personalities, flocked to local COMELEC offices last October to formally throw their hat into the 2022 national elections ring.
In Tagbilaran City, the vicinity of the local Commission on Elections (Comelec) office exploded with a riot of colors on the last day of filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs).
Two colors — green and white — dominated the area. Drumbeats and loud cheers echo the crowd’s excitement (of course, with social distancing).
Vice Mayor Jose Antonio Veloso filed his COC for mayor. His running-mate is Councilor Augustinus Gonzaga. Familiar face in his slate was Councilor Jonas Cacho who is seeking reelection.
"This is my last term as Vice Mayor and I have been supporting the programs and activities of the city. What is the best for the city, we will continue. We will improve and expand the programs especially for the youth, senior citizens and education and healthcare," said Veloso.
He said while the city progresses the residents should follow the same and not only for some few families.
"Ang Tagbilaran usa ka dakbayan, dili gingharian (Tagbilaran is a city, it is not a kingdom)," he said.
Jane Yap, a former national youth leader and wife of outgoing mayor John Geesnell "Baba" Yap II, filed her COC for mayor.
If she wins, she will be the first elected lady mayor of Tagbilaran.
Lawyer Adam Relson Jala, who is in his last term as councilor, is her runningmate. In her slate, familiar faces were Ondoy Borja, who is seeking reelection, and Charles Borja who is running for councilor.
Yap said she will continue the projects and brand of service of her husband to better serve the city residents.
"Our priority is to keep our city more progressive. We all know that there is still a pandemic, and the next three years will be very critical for Tagbilaran City. It is also critical that the pandemic will hinder the progress but we will continue what Mayor Baba has already started," she said.
Yap became Sangguniang Kabataan (SK president in Bohol. She was elected president in the National SK Federation and Ex-Officio Commissioner of the National Youth Commission (NYC).
She also founded the charitable organization "Gugma Tagbilaran" which helps the different sectors in the city.
Earlier, Councilor Vicente "Agalon" Polinar filed his COC. He rode a pedicab going to the city's COMELEC. He said his running is a liberation for Tagbilaran City from the bondage of high prices of commodities.
"Liberation has begun in Tagbilaran! Liberation from the bondage of expensive fish, petroleum products, water, and most of all liberation from the bondage of illegal clamping," he said.
Big names include Gov. Art Yap (for reelection), Vice Governor Rene Relampagos (for reelection), senior board member Victor Balite (for vice governor) , Reps. Edgar Chatto (for reelection), Erico Aristotle Aumentado (for governor) and Alexie Besas-Tutor (for reelection).
"It is our hope that we can continue to pursue our plans, programs, and activities, including important legislation, towards more growth and development for Bohol," Chatto said.
If elected, Aumentado said he would work towards strengthening the economy of Bohol by establishing the economic zone.
"This is to give more job opportunities," Aumentado said.
Tutor said she would work towards strengthening agriculture, tourism, healthcare and infrastructure like multi-purpose building and road concreting.
She would also continue her personal advocacies like her ongoing pabahay program and patient transport vehicle in her district.
"I will never be tired of what I am doing. When you are happy with what you are doing, it should not be considered as work," Tutor said during a mediacon.
More popular candidates – who have had years of experience working in the legislature –who filed their candidacies were Inabanga Councilor Jono Jumamoy (for mayor), outgoing Inabanga Mayor Roygie Jumamoy (vice mayor), outgoing Candijay Mayor Christopher Tutor for vice mayor, lawyer Tomas Abapo Jr for board member, Balilihan Mayor Pureza Chatto for reelection, outgoing Garcia Hernandez Mayor Tita Baja (for board member in 3rd district), former board member Jaja Jumamoy for 2nd district representative, Dauis Mayor Marietta Sumaylo (for vice mayor), Getafe Mayor Casey Shaun Camacho (for vice mayor), board member Jed Bautista (for mayor in Garcia Hernandez, Panglao Mayor Leonila Montero (for councilor), Lila Mayor Arturo "Jed" Piollo for reelection, and Lila Vice Mayor Regina Salazar (for reelection)
Jade Bautista, who is running with her slogan “Team GHugma", said the overwhelming support has strengthened and inspired her to strive even harder to pursue her dreams for Garcia Hernandez and the people.
Bautista said Garcia Hernandez has untapped opportunities and sectors needing further development to realize full potential.
Since Lila is a small town with a population of 12,000, Piollo said he would focus to improve the economic enterprise, health, education and social services.
Piollo said he wants to develop the giant bamboos as part of the environmental protection effort which was not realized due to the pandemic.
There were new comers. They were Roman "Amoi" Bullen for mayor in Dauis town and Edgar "Boy" Arcay for mayor in Panglao.
Bullen said he wants to improve waterworks, tourism, health, and livelihood in the town.
"I will eradicate dynasty in Dauis," said Bullen.
In Sevilla, a former SK president Marie Karen Joy Digal-Asoy filed her certificate of candidacy for town councillor.
Goldie Herrera, daughter of former Vice Gov. Julius Cesar Herrera, Lucille Lagunay were running for 1st district board members, while lawyer Jiselle Rae Aumentado Villamor filed her COC for board member in the second district.
"This is a big opportunity for me to serve the Boholanos. What I can offer to the Sanggunian, I will be a consensus builder and having conscience. Being a lawyer I am cautious," said Villamor who is a pro-bono lawyer.
Maria Vanessa Cadorna-Aumentado---a former beauty queen, registered nurse, and entrepreneur---filed her certificate of candidacy for Bohol 2nd District congressional post.
She aims to continue her husband's public service for the second district through representing the province in Congress.
"I believe I have the capacity to serve the people especially the second district with competence, commitment, passion and dedication. I am for the continuity of what has been started by my husband. We all know how he nurtured and served the second district. His good programs are what we will continue," Cadorna-Aumentado said.
A number of media personalities were seeking elective posts at stake in the 2022 general elections. They were dyRD's Rey Tutas (for Lila councilor), dyTR's Dodong Libatona (for reelection in Balilihan councilor), dyRD's Anthony Aniscal (for Jagna councilor), Bohol Balita Daily News BBDN's Wilson Subrio (for Trinidad councilor), Noel Cagol (for city councilor), and publisher-editor (of BBDN) Jhonny Orioque for mayor in Trinidad.
Oriqoue said he would focus on the town’s agriculture, which is often neglected.
Fighting discrimination and striving for greater rights for the LGBTQIA+ community, Lovely Anzano, a transgender woman, is seeking political empowerment as she filed her certificate of candidacy in Inabanga town.
Anzano, 43, from Barangay Sua, will appear on the ballot under her given name of Fernan Suhayon Anza as an independent candidate.
She said if elected, Inabanga would have an LGBTQIA+ member on its council — possibly a province's first.
“For many years, we are silent and it is high time for us to speak out and be empowered,” Anzano said.
Benjie Oliva, former commissioner of the National Youth Commission and chairperson of the Cooperative Development Authority, has one more dream. He wants to be the “father” in the Halls of Congress for cooperatives, farmers and fisherfolks through KOOP KAMPI Partylist by providing policies and programs that would uplift their lives and their living conditions.
KOOP KAMPI stands for Kooperatiba Kahugpungan sa mga Mag-uuma ug Mangingisda sa Pilipinas.
Two colorful characters filed their intentions to run for the May 2019 midterm polls. They are Concepcion Flores, a self-acclaimed "billionaire", who is running for governor and Santos Amaga Abella who is running for second district of the provincial board.
With P500 in his pocket, Abella, took a public bus to provincial COMELEC office to file his candidacy for board member of the 2nd district on Tuesday, Oct. 5.
But Abella was not usual candidate, he was in clad-suit with an umbrella to match when he filed his candidacy.
Abella, 59, said he is faithful and willing to serve the people even he has no money.
"It's just true service from my heart," said Abella, a native of Barangay Candelaria in Dagohoy town.
He ran for the same position in 2016 and 2019 elections.
"I will never give up. If you will give up you don't believe in your dream," he said when asked if he was tired for losing twice.
Before he left the COMELEC, he performed a song dedicated to the Boholano farmers to the amusement of spectators and other filers.
Aspiring for public office is a political right.
1st Mister Bohol
After delays, the Miss Universe Philippines (MUP) was held in Bohol on September 30 at the Henann Resort Convention Center in Panglao.
Beatrice Luigi Gomez, an openly gay model-athlete from Cebu, was crowned Miss Universe Philippines 2021. She bested 27 other candidates for the prestigious crown.
In the final Q&A, Gomez was asked: “If during your reign as Miss Universe Philippines, things happen in your life that make you sad and uninspired, how would you be able to continue inspiring others?”
Gomez answered: “It is very evident that all of us went through difficulties during this pandemic, but it is also true that we are able to rise to the occasion. And if anything happened to me during my race, I will not give up and inspire others by rising to the problems that I am encountering, and whatever you’re going through, you will be able to overcome it.”
For its first edition, Mister Bohol crowned Arneil Kadudale of Trinidad town as the winner.
Kadusale, 24, who also won the Best in Interview and Barong Tagalog, bested other 26 other aspirants from different towns of the province's first "no audience" male pageant.
"To be a Mister Bohol 2021 is someone who can carry responsibility with passion and dedication," Kadusale said after the pageant.
As a licensed professional teacher and as a Sangguniang Kabataan chairperson at the same time, he said he joined the competition to bring his advocacy on education in order to encourage bigger audience of youth to value and prioritize their education.
"Education is really the thing that I am advocating (with) because I am firm believer that it is a doorway to success and it serves as our strongest and the most power weapon in life to get victory and success," he added.
Kadusale is presently a college teacher at BIT-International College in Tagbilaran.
Dan Joshua Olaco of Panglao town was declared Mister Bohol Tourism and Jeff Nheil Usaraga of Inabanga town was proclaimed Mister Bohol Ambassador.
Paul Pegi of Calape who finished first runner-up, and John Michael Eyo of Alburquerque placed second runner-up.
According to Gerry Lugod, the pageant director, Mister Bohol was conceptualized by the late Boholano acclaimed film and TV director Maryo de los Reyes in 2018. De los Reyes was known for award-winning movies Magnifico and Naglalayag.
"It's a tribute to Direk Maryo," Lugod said.
'Ripa' scam
I was one of the thousands of Boholanos duped by people behind a new scam- ripa/repa.
It was so late to notice some warning signs to watch out for - "too good to be true", the resellers have no personality or capacity to refund the money, and pressure to "buy" the slots for a limited time.
It's not about "phantom riches" but
unscrupulous people who will try to take advantage of people’s needs this pandemic.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has warned the public to be cautious in putting their money in investment instruments like "ripa" or “paluwagan,” an informal group money-lending system.
“Do not invest in schemes that are not registered, because you might find yourself on the losing end,” the agency said.
“If it is too good to be true, and the transaction is done in a discreet manner, the people should suspect [the legitimacy of the scheme],” it added.
The SEC has been raising alert over schemes, especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic when people are looking for immediate sources of income.
A help center supervised by the provincial government, the police, NBI and the CIDG was put up to assist the victims. Local officials have urged other investors to file their complaints.
The scam takes off from the paluwagan, a traditional money-saving practice among groups whose members know one another, either because they are officemates or friends or they belong to a clan or family.
What lured many of the investors was the high returns received by those who joined the scheme earlier.
Members usually contribute to a pot of money that each of them will receive when their turn comes. The rotation is usually decided by drawing lots (ripa).
As practiced, ripa is built on trust and that no profit is promised because the total amount of the pot at a given time is the same that one will contribute over the entire life of the scheme.
In Bohol, the scheme has many “administrators” who are usually hiding from its investors.
A woman went to the provincial police headquarters at Camp Francisco Dagohoy last week, asking policemen to help her recover P35 million which was set to be returned to her clients whom she called “buyers.”
She said she failed to release the payout to her “buyers” when the administrators and coordinators disappeared.
“I have been receiving death threats from my buyers. If I can’t return the money or even the capital, they said they will kill me,” she said.
The woman said she didn’t know the “administrators” since she just remitted the money to a “coordinator.”
It was estimated that the "ripa" scheme duped over 1,000 Boholanos and amassed over P2 billion.
Remember, “if it sounds too good to be true," it usually is.
Sa Bisaya pa, "Di na gyud ko muusab, kausa nalang..."
Homeless at Christmas
Visayans who survived the fiercest typhoon in 2021 are struggling to find water, food, fuel and cash, days after Typhoon “Odette” (Rai) ravaged the region last Dec. 16, 2021. Many areas still do not have electricity and telecommunication services are still intermittent.
In Bohol, major streets in the capital city of Tagbilaran are experiencing gridlocks as residents packed grocery stores to buy bottled water while others queued at automated teller machines (ATMs) and money remittance centers.
Nearly 4 million people in Visayas and Mindanao were affected by Typhoon Rai, according to the Philippine National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).
In Bohol, thousands remained displaced during Christmas and New Year -- one of the most important holidays in the Catholic-majority nation.
The province was still plunged in darkness.
But typhoon evacuees still celebrated the coming of the new year with simple gatherings.
“We just slept,” said Ma. Rosa Batuan whose house in Barangay Calanggaman was destroyed by the typhoon.
While the New Year celebration was met with fireworks, these were significantly fewer and shorter duration compared to previous years.
The death toll in Bohol has climbed to at least 109 people.
Those we lost in 2021: A remembrance
Comedian Inday Ruping, whose real names was Rizalino Torralba, drifted into an eternal sleep last Saturday night (March 27). He was 45.
Simply Titon to his the family, friends and the entertainment industry, the famous DJ loved for his hearty laughter.
In 2006, when a radio program "Bisaya" was vacated in by Inday Cristala (who's in Taiwan now), Titon tried to apply just for fun. He chose the screen name DJ Ruffa, but the name wasn't a click and was changed into Inday Rufing/Ruping. As manghuhula would say, he was destined to become a star who carved a name in the airwaves; it was written in the stars.
And the rest was history. Inday Ruping became an household name who tickled our funny bones.
Titon was fun to be with...witty, well-read and without any air or superiority complex.
In the entertainment industry, he was the real "Mother." With his passion and knowledge, he made sure that the industry was constantly improving. He made sure other talents were given an oportunity to shine and earn. He was admired and respected in the industry. As a person, he was very thoughtful, generous and compassionate.
My most unforgettable interview with Titon was in May 2008 while writing for the defunct Bohol Sunday Post. Among the biggest bombshells: He was raped by a woman, and, he had a son! And that explosive revelations that shocked the world are still the talk of the town 13 years later.
Titon was an open book, an exciting interviewee who fielded every question you threw at him, even the most personal ones, and did it with wit and humor. Maybe that’s one thing the new breed of entertainers can learn from Titon — not to be over-protective of themselves, not to be onion-skinned and not to flaunt any symptoms of star complex. Until the very end, Titon remained accessible, humble and lovable.
On Christmas Day, Ferome Jusgorge Almine, the "The Big Man with a Big Voice", also left us. He was a dedicated public servant who served as Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Chair and Barangay Kagawad of Barangay Mansasa, Tagbilaran City. He was also a popular figure in Bohol's events industry which included government activities, festivals, talent competitions, concerts, beauty pageants, birthdays, and weddings.
He had exhibited remarkable talents in hosting, organizing, and designing.
We also lost our media colleagues: Jessie Bantugan, Nilo Sapong, Prof. Reinerio Augusto Real, and former editor and DJ June Blanco.
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