From the Boholano balikbayans’ appointed meeting with President Gloria M. Arroyo in Malacanang Palace in the nation’s capital of Manila on day one, to the subsequent social functions calendared in the days thereafter. Many of which are held in Tagbilaran City,Bohol, the venue site of most TBTK activities. So also in the neighboring municipalities as Baclayon, where an International Derby is to be held. Panglao, where the Boholano European community will present their DREAM show at the Panglao Island Resort and in Calape where the Miss Bohol International Beauty Pageant will take place in their 7,000 seat capacity Sports Center, respectively.

Be that as it may, the dates of July 20 and 21, a Monday and Tuesday, will be the most awaited by our Boholano brothers and sisters who have their own medical and health concerns. Those who can’t afford to seek treatment with specialist medical practitioners or in a private tertiary hospital. For topnotch doctors, surgeons, dentists, nurses, and other medical practitioners from hospital institutions abroad will be coming to Bohol as part of the TBTK delegation.

They will spearhead the two-day Medical-Surgical Mission lead by a Boholana physician based in California, Dr. Anita Cal-Jackson, the incumbent Chairperson of the Tagbilaran Association of California(TAC) and the designated Coordinator, International TBTK Medical Surgical Mission 2009. To be held at the newly refurbished Tagbilaran Puericulture and Maternity House, Inc.

Dr. Jackson’s staff will be accompanied by a Maxillofacial Surgical team headed by Dr. Theodore Micholoff from St. Martin de Porres and Makati Medical Center, the Boholano-couple physician from New York, Dr. Teofilo”Pepe” Recitas and wife Diane, representing the Home-Reach foundation, as well as Mrs. Fancy Baluyot and staff of the Philippine Gift of Life and the Provincial Health Office under Dr. Rey Moses Cabagnot.

The TBTK Medical-Surgical Mission will be bringing with them specialized equipment and free prescriptive medicines to the Boholano patient-recipients. The TBTK Chair, Mrs. Betty Veloso-Garcia, a Nurse by profession and is connected with the New York Downtown Hospital, as well as her nurse daughter Maribeth, will also be present to administer to the needs of the visiting Medical Corps who will be billeted at the Metro Center during their Bohol stay, as well as to monitor the progress of the humanitarian undertaking.

Dr. Anita Jackson-Cal is calling on all overseas Boholano medical practitioners to take part in this laudable project and do their share in alleviating the plight of our indigent patients in the Province of Bohol. To the rest of our Paisanos, they can contribute financially or give whatever material support for the intended project that is considered one highlight activity of the TBTK 2009 Global Homecoming. (Douglas B. Hontanosas)

On the idea, Governor Erico Aumentado re-echoed a lesson learned from a recent one-week study-training on water resources in Korea where they adopt a system of advance wastewater treatment technology using Yakurt Media (YM) by Han-Sung E.N.G.

Aumentado presided the meeting of the inter-agency technical committee on the proposed memorandum of agreement to save Balicasag island on April 21 at the Philippine Coast Guard headquarters in port area, Manila.

The meeting gathered together representatives of government agencies involved in the protection of Balicasag Island- -PCG Vice Commander for Operation Ramon Liwag, Panglao Mayor Benedicto Alcala, Provincial Board Member Alfonso Damalerio II, Provincial Legal Officer Handel Lagunay, Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA) Deputy Manager for Operation Jethro Lozada, Philippine Navy Deputy Aaron Fetaleno of N5, Pietro Velasco of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Department of Tourism (DOT) Legal Services Director Evelyn Cajigal, DOT Legal Services LRD Chief Reynaldo Ching, BFAR-7 Regional Director Andres Bojos, PN Researcher/ Analyst Maureen Malonso, PN Legal Officer Beniluz Engracial, PN Admin and Logistics Officer Chris Baron Ascano, First District Rep. Edgar Chatto’s chief of staff Minjoe Luspo, and the PCG team.

Upon Alcala’s motion as seconded by Damalerio, the inter-agency technical committee unanimously approved a resolution requesting DOT Secretary Joseph Ace Durano and PTA General Manager Mark Lapid to provide and allocate sufficient funds for the construction and maintenance of a wastewater treatment facility at Balicasag Island.

“In view of the importance of the dive sites and marine life in Balicasag Island to the country’s tourism industry, there is a need to introduce interventions such as the installation of a waste water treatment facility to mitigate the adverse impacts of solid and liquid wastes generated by domestic activities on the island and the surrounding marine life,” the resolution cited.

The inter-agency technical committee expressed concern as the population of settlers in the island has already reached a big number, “whose domestic activities inevitably generated solid and liquid wastes”.

These activities have started affecting the island, the surrounding waters, coral reefs and its marine life, in the absence of appropriate mitigating facilities.

The resolution cited the role of PTA as an attached agency to the DOT that operates the Balicasag Island Dive Resort in Balisag Island, Panglao.

The resolution further cited that “Balicasag Island plays a vital role in the tourism industry of the country, as its surrounding water is the location of internationally-renowned dive sites with Level 3 classification characterized, by good coral cover, high diversity of marine life and abundance of fish”.

Earlier, DOT had provided P1.9 million for the construction and development of a waste water treatment facility in Malapascua Island which has lesser population than Balicasag Island.

Lagunay, who serves as acting secretary of the inter-agency technical committee, yesterday accompanied Hanjin’s Yung Qu Park, whose brother is connected with Han-Sung ENG, to Balicasag to determine the volume of wastewater discharge in the island and come up with an estimate on the actual project cost.

On Park’s estimate, Balicasag Island dive resort generates 50-100 tons (142-283 cubic meters) of waste, Lagunay relayed to media.

Park submitted to Aumentado on Friday night, the estimated cost of the treatment facility that can handle this volume of waste.

Lagunay said Park still has to come up with another computation if the wastewater treatment facility is for the entire Balicasag Island which has an area of at least 25 hectares and a total population of 745 based on PTA survey in 2008.

A wastewater treatment technology using Yakurt Media that can accommodate 100 cubic meters of waste per day costs P14.1 million, while a 220-cubic-meter facility costs P17.4 million, and a 500-cubic-meter one costs P32.17 million.

Professor Ishii of Japan first designed it in 1977, and Kyungnam Universtity in Korea pursued its commercial plant design in 1993.

Then the mass media introduced it as excellent process in 1994 and got a patent in Korea in 2000.

The advanced process developed in 2002 with Kist, and the patent for advanced process using YM came in 2006.
Since 2006 up to the present, Han-Sung E.N.G. has constructed and operated YM process in communities, schools, hotels, and resorts.

In the YM wastewater treatment process, the influent is screened with the removal of debris by interception, while soil and coarse solids are removed by gravity sedimentation. Level control by sensor follows at the equalization tank that also damps flowrate variations.

Denitrification by facultative biomass under anoxic condition follows, leading to nitrification by biofilm and decay in the oxic tank with the Yakurt media.

Then, the clarifier removes sludge floc, and the materials settle and return some sludge produced at the thickening tank and goes back to the equalization tank, then to the anoxic basin, to the oxic tank then back to the clarifier.

From the clarifier, other materials go to the defoamer tank that removes foam caused by surfactants, grease, and other substances, then the effluent is produced after UV disinfection at the disinfection tank and gray water results for reclamation and reuse in toilet, landscape, irrigation waters, and others. (ANGELINE VALENCIA)

Bohol Gov. Erico Aumentado made this comment after three groups have expressed their intention to harness the Upper Abatan River and Loboc River for the potable and other domestic water use of Metro Tagbilaran that includes its namesake city and the two towns in Panglao Island , as well as those that the pipelines will traverse from the source.

STA. CLARA

Aumentado and Nicandro Linao, president of the Mandaluyong City-based Sta. Clara International Corp. (SCIC) recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) formalizing the bulk water supply project in the light of the increasing need for the commodity that is attendant to Bohol ’s becoming the top eco-cultural heritage tourism destination in the country today.

Bohol has seven major watersheds but nearest to Metro Tagbilaran is the Upper Abatan River with headwaters in San Isidro and Catigbian towns.

The river can even be tapped also for irrigation, power generation and eco-tourism facilities.

SCIC has extensive experience in the development, construction and operation of infrastructure facilities in the Philippines and abroad, and has expressed the wish to develop the Sinakayanan River in Catigbian and Sampilangon River in San Isidro – both tributaries of Upper Abatan for beneficial uses in support of Bohol ’s economy.

To note, SCIC now operates the Loboc Mini-Hydroelectric Plant tapping the Tontonan Falls in Gotozon, Loboc.
It now wants to conduct a feasibility study on the potentials especially of Sinakayanan to ascertain its technical feasibility, financial viability and the appropriate contractual engagement for such purposes named above.

Under the MOU, Bohol will provide SCIC with access to the river and peripheral areas while the latter will ensure the safety and security of its personnel in the course of the study.

Bohol will also provide the latter with needed data. In return, SCIC will provide Bohol gratuitously with a copy of the study although subject to confidentiality undertaking.

If feasible, SCIC has expressed the intention of undertaking the project on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) scheme, it was learned, hence there will be no cash out on the part of the province – in the process, freeing its money for other projects.

To save on construction materials and finish the project more quickly, Aumentado said SCIC intends to provide a short cut from the water source to the beneficiary by boring a tunnel through mountains or rock formations.

It has a tunneling machine it extensively uses in jobs abroad.

Aumentado said the study will take around two months to complete.

MAYNILAD

On the other hand, the Maynilad Water Services Inc. of the Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) chaired by Manuel Pangilinan has similarly expressed interest in developing also the Loboc River for bulk potable and domestic water use for Metro Tagbilaran.

To note, Maynilad’s good performance swung MPIC to profits in 2008.

With this experience to back it up, Aumentado said Maynilad will similarly need around two months to complete its study.

He said this spells two sources of water for Metro Tagbilaran – this time, surface water.

To note, Tagbilaran now also experiences salt water intrusion with the apparent over-extraction than the underground water can replenish itself, thereby the shift to surface water.

Panglao has no choice. It being an island, it has to source its fresh water from the mainland. The resort island is connected to the mainland through two causeways.

BWUI

Not to be left behind in the water study is the Bohol Water Utilities, Inc. (BWUI). Getting most of its supply for urban Tagbilaran from groundwater drilled in nearby Corella town, it has expressed interest in getting surface water from Upper Abatan River also in order to supply the future requirements of Panglao Island .

Having laid out its pipes to Dauis town already, it is the best bet to supply the water needs for the construction – to start within this year – of the Panglao Bohol International Airport.

But its current supply definitely cannot meet the needs of the airport terminal building as well as its attendant mushrooming tourism-oriented and tourism-related businesses, hence the need to harness the Upper Abatan River . (JUNE S. BLANCO)

Liga ng mga Barangay sa Pilipinas intends to advance the benefits of members through legislation, lobbying, coordination with national government agencies, technical assistance and cooperation with bilateral and multilateral foreign organizations, and partnership with private corporations, according to LnB national chapter Rico Judge Echiverri.

He said the National Executive Board initiated the activity after the initial success of “programs that promote synergy” between the different branches of government and the barangays that had invigorated the different barangay chapters.

“The regional barangays or super-chapters are envisioned to promote greater cooperation among the interdependent levels of administration for a more participative and effective governance,” Echiverri said.

LnB also seeks to establish closer coordination and cooperation of municipal chapters and the regional super-chapters to form vital influence in the local government hierarchy, he said.

Upon the request of LnB national chapter, DILG Undersecretary for Local Governments Austere Panadero called on all governors, highly urbanized cities, component cities and municipal mayors to allow their respective Liga local chapter presidents and other Liga officials to participate in the activity on official business.

In a memorandum circular addressed to all governors, mayors, Liga chapter presidents DILG regional directors, Panadero sought support in disseminating the information about the activity to encourage big participation.

The Office of Governor Erico Aumentado recently received a copy of the memorandum circular, which also contained Panadero’s appeal to all DILG regional directors and field officers to direct dissemination of his communication.

Panadero advised all governors, mayors, Liga chapter presidents, DILG regional directors and others concerned to charge the traveling expenses and registration fee to their respective local funds except the 20 percent development fund.

Panadero explained that the registration fee covers accommodation, kits, meals and other incidental expense. (Angeline Valencia/PGMA)

According to Department of Agriculture Regional Executive Director Ricardo Oblena, the Regional GMA Corn Program designed the activity to “update the technical skills and capacitate agricultural technicians on the Kasakalikasan-Integrated Pest Management Concept”.

In his letter to Governor Erico Aumentado, Oblena invited the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist to send 16 agricultural technicians to participate in the season-long training.

Oblena had also requested Provincial Agriculturist Liza Quirog to pick out participants who are below 50 years old and would “still be in government service within the next five years to implement the program”.

They must also be “physically and emotionally fit to undergo a season-long training, and committed to work with Integrated Pest Management Corn Program, especially for the Farmer Field School”, Oblena stated in the letter.

Participants must also be willing to undergo training without expecting any allowances or renumeration during the training period and willing to promote the ideology of Integrated Pest Management, he added.

The first two weeks of the training will be intensive, a Monday-to-Friday schedule and the succeeding weeks allow rest from Wednesday to Friday each week.

According to Oblena, GMA Corn Program shoulders all direct expenses, including board and lodging, and actual travel expenses in going to and from the training venue which will be based on the least cost and most direct route. (Angeline Valencia/PGMA)

Members of the Association of United Development Information Officers (AUDIO) in Bohol say that Danao has indeed braved the way and pioneered in establishing a new niche for tourism in Bohol.

Far from the usual destinations where tourists see beautiful and amazing features, Danao dips one into an outdoor experience that tests his body strength and stamina against the natural forces of nature, all along, learning how it was then at a time when the place sheltered the rebels under Francisco Dagohoy.

Extreme eco-adventures in Danao include the country’s highest and longest (to date) zipline, 100 meter or 60 meter rappels, root climbing, bouldering, kayaking, rubber tubing, spelunking, river trekking, historical tours and village interaction.

“Here, we allow the guests to be filled with nature experience,” says Anna Loinda Saluan, town tourism officer designate, adding that it is precisely what EAT Danao means.

Danao is not for the weak hearted and soft willed, says AUDIO president Ric Obedencio, who took the liberty of documenting his members’ experiences.

And it is definitely exciting, agreed AUDIO members who had their skills enhancement and personality development workshop in Magtangtang Eco-Adventure Park April 23-24.

Working on ways to enhance and develop information officers’ skills to make tourism promotion agents for their respective towns, or government development writers, the AUDIO Bohol used the Danao experience as jump-off experience for the workshop.

After logging hours on write-shop inputs, members gathered details for their feature articles by experiencing extreme adventure.

AUDIO members took on the famed suislide here; a traverse 300 meters up and at least 900 meters far to get their minds into a working mode.

And just as Danao puts up this kind of high for tourists, the country reaped another international tourism accolade, it being the most popular and well-liked travel destination in Asia.

In this year’s World Travel Fair held in Shanghai, China, the Philippines won over popular public vote over other destinations participating in the fair.

“In spite of the global financial crisis, things continue going our way,” the President said as she cited some very encouraging developments that have raised the Filipinos’ optimism about the future of the country. (rachiu/PIA)

We have a mighty task before us. The earth needs our assistance

The science of ecology, based as it is upon the study of the relation between plants, animals and peoples and their environment, has contributed significantly to this enormous upsurge in environmental awareness. We think of ecology as a relatively new science but, in fact, it draws upon an ancient heritage. Francesco di Castri , the Director of UNESCO’s Division of Ecological Sciences, writes that all ancient civilizations had within them elements of the principles of ecology. He cites examples from the Roman civilization and, he continues “Stretching a point one could even say that, in order to survive harsh climate and hunt reindeer and mammoth, cave-men had to show a more highly developed ecological sense than many modern ecologists. “We have only to listen to the “peoples of the earth,” the American Indians, the Maori and others to know that their cultures were centered affinity with nature. The American Indians, for instance, spoke of the land as sacred. The old tribal way of life is described by Chief Luther Standing Bear as one where “kinship with all creatures of the earth, sky and water was a real and active principle.” The Indian “knew that man’s heart away from nature becomes hard; he knew that lack of respect for growing, living things soon led to lack of respect for humans too.”

Our present materialistic civilization has resulted in devastation of the environment. New-found scientific and technological skills have been used to exploit natural resources to the maximum, with almost total disregard for resulting environmental degradation and pollution. The massive rise in human population in this century has also put greatly increased pressure on the environment. The ancient wisdom of living in harmony with the rest of nature has been ignored, only now is it dawning on us at what enormous cost, not only to humanity but to all life on earth.

The science of ecology strongly affirms that the human kingdom is a part of nature. From its narrow focus last century upon descriptive natural history and the study of isolated species in their immediate environment, ecology has evolved into one of the most holistic of modern sciences. Ecology is now concerned with relationships within the biosphere – that thin layer which envelopes the whole planet and on which the living things on earth depend for survival. Humanity is now seen to be an integral part of the biosphere. Indeed the human impact on the environment is so dominant that people’s aspirations, attitudes and values have become factors of central importance to ecologists.

It is when we consider the global scale of humanity’s influence within the biosphere that we can really appreciate the “mighty task” before us. In essence it is to transform humanity’s relationship with the earth from one which is harmful and destructive to one of responsible, benevolent stewardship.

Major changes in thinking about the environment are already taking place. That the precious life support systems of the planet cannot sustain our present level of abuse has been the message of ecologists and conservation groups for the last two decades. Now this understanding is steadily gaining ground in public consciousness. There is deep public anxiety at the dangers of exposure to pollution and toxic waste, and outrage at well publicized problems such as acid rain. Recent opinion pools in Europe and the United States indicate that people are prepared to make material sacrifices where certain environmental protection measures are concerned.

The creation of an informed public opinion is central to the work of the conservation movement, for governments have in the past, shown themselves reluctant to act on even the most urgent ecological problems. Today the pressure of public opinion is beginning to change this situation. Governments throughout the world are beginning to incorporate an ecological perspective in their basic policies and programs. Yet, there is so much still to be done before the right level of international commitment to action is to be achieved. The will to act to save the earth is needed in the individual, in governments and in the international community. For ultimately the collective will to sacrifice short-term material gains for the long-term interest of a healthy environment will only manifest when a sufficient number of men and women of goodwill demand it. It is the minds and hearts of people which must be changed.

Appalling is the environmental crisis may be, we are learning from it. A new spirit of relationship with the earth is emerging in human consciousness. The international organizational ecological movement is today a great network of service embracing official government bodies, local, national and international organizations such as the World Wildlife Fund, Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace; political parties such as the “Green parties in Europe. Servers in this field are pioneering a new global ethic – a “reverence for life.” They are helping to heal, to make whole, the earth and the human family. Their vision and their work are leading humanity to accept its responsibility as a center of creative and intelligent goodwill within the planetary life.

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NOTE: Theosophy is the wisdom underlying all religions when they are stripped of accretions and superstitions. It offers a philosophy which renders life intelligible and demonstrates that justice and love guide the cosmos. Its teachings aid the unfoldment of the latent spiritual nature in the human being, without dependence or fear.

The Theosophical Society, founded in 1875, is a worldwide body whose primary object is Universal Brotherhood based on the realization that life, in all its diverse forms, human and non-human, is indivisibly One.

The Society imposes no belief on its members, who are united by a common search for truth and the desire to learn the meaning and purpose of existence by engaging themselves in study, reflection, purity of life and loving service. For more information please contact 09214764154.

IF there’s a will, there’s a way, er… a processional road.

Pulling his latest act, Catigbian Mayor Roberto Salinas succeeded in getting P3M from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Central Office, to pave the town’s inner and outer religious processional roads.
The project, paving the town’s processional roads may not really pass government audit, observers once told Mayor Salinas, but that did not deter him to brave the odds.

The road is also owned by the government and the people who deserve to get their share of the taxes, Salinas explained.

For the national government funds, almost a kilometer of standard government public roads are paved in concrete, filled with standard shouldering materials and asserts the governor’s executive order reflecting the provisions of the national law on municipal roads, Mayor Salinas claimed.

And over comments that the fund could be out of order with the church benefiting from the government, the forward looking retired navy captain, now mayor said “there is no separation [of church and state] in cooperation.”

Leading the new breed of local executives whose leadership is characterized by innovative governance in partnerships, Salinas, who heads the League of Municipalites of the Philippines (LMP) Bohol Chapter admitted that it took him two visits to the public works office in Manila to get his P3M wish.

Granted by the DPWH Central Office and implemented by the District Engineers, the Catigbian municipal roads concreting project used the standard 3.5 meter from center of the road and includes road shouldering, says Salinas.

Still the only one of such in Bohol and possibly the only one in the entire country being granted the fund for such a project, the processional road, as the name suggests, is the premier road which the town‘s Mary Immaculate Parish uses in its religious processions.

“It consists of the inner and an outer road with a combined total length of almost a kilometer,” Salinas beamed as he relished in the singular pride of being the only town granted the fund despite the odds.

“Even the parish priest could not believe it could be done,” he said as he continued, I was just was so certain that if it would be for his people, then it is worth pursuing. (rachiu/PIA)

The suspect, a certain Junrey Polinosa, a resident of Wale, Pagadian City and who is allegedly a member of the Smack Boys Gang of Pagadian City, was identified by at least four witnesses; two waitress, a lady cashier and the bouncer of the SHE Bar in Tawala, Panglao owned by the complainant, British national Martin Williams.

Witness Ludy Vanessa Galo, a waitress of the bar said respondent had already a plan to kill Martin Williams.

On January 2, 2009, respondent convinced Galo to put something maybe poisonous to mix the coffee to be drink by Williams and in fact made follow-up the following day, again persuading Galo to put something bad in the coffee of the intended victim Williams.

On the evening of January 11, 2009, respondent executed his plan to kill Williams but respondent was not successful for failure to hit the target bar owner Williams. If not of the shout of the bouncer Conrado Arbitrario who heard the first gunshot and who immediately warned Williams to go inside, the latter might have been hit. Arbitrario testified that he positively can identify the suspect who was only 8 meters away from him when the shooting happened.

Cashier Angelica Arboleras also testified that she knew the name of the suspect from her fellow worker Galo who told her the name Junrey Polinosa, as the suspect gunman. Waitress Shiela Sumampong also corroborated the statements of Arboleras as quoted from what Galo revealed to them about the motives of the suspect Polinosa.

Complainant-intended victim Williams allegedly raped the girlfriend of the suspect hence he was out to revenge what happened to his girlfriend allegedly in the hands of Williams.

Respondent failed to refute the testimony of the complainant Williams and his witnesses, The bail bond for the suspect’s temporary liberty was set atP120,000.

WHO WAS THE MASTERMIND?
In another sworn statement made by a witness in the tramped-up cases of attempted rape and rape against Williams which were later dismissed by the provincial prosecutor, Eden Gabrieles, also a worker at the SHE Bar Cocktail Lounge owned by Williams, said she was present when witness Galo was interviewed by the Panglao Tourist Police and that she (Galo) even told the police in her presence that she knows the suspect Polinosa and that the suspect told him that it was Williams’ wife who was the one who hired him to kill Martin Williams.

However, when Galo’s affidavit was submitted to the Provincial Prosecutors Office, and upon reading said Affidavit, she was surprised that the contents were different from what she actually told the police at the time she was interviewed in her presence.

The wife referred to is a certain Margie Gamayot, a native of Maasin City, Leyte, who was reportedly estranged with husband Williams and was no longer staying in the bar at Tawala Panglao, even before the shooting incident.
Martin Williams was found dead with 14 stabbed wounds all over his body in the early morning of March 23, 2009 at Boloc-Boloc Spring, Mansasa District this city.

The wife was reported to have occupied the SHE Bar Cocktail Lounge and the house at Tawala , Panglao immediately after the death of Williams.