MikeLigalig.com

Published by The Bohol Chronicle in June 2004
By MICHAEL O. LIGALIGTo cushion a potential tourism setback, Gov. Erico Aumentado will take over today the chairmanship of the Sandugo foundation from city mayor Joe Torralba, who had admitted failures to jazz up the monthlong revelry.

Reeling from the mayoralty loss of his wife, Betty, the mayor is set to give up the baton of leadership of the Bohol Sandugo Foundation, Inc. (BSFI) to Aumentado, who is also the BSFI’s co-chairman, during a formal meeting today at the Capitol.

There were no details yet of the extent of help the provincial government would lend to the reportedly “mismanaged” founda-tion. But the Capitol has been doling out at least P300,000 to the BSFI every year.

It was not also clear if city mayor-elect Dan Lim would join the meeting today. But he had expressed an all-out support to Aumentado upon the former’s entry to city hall on July 1, the city’s charter day and kick off day of the festivities.

This is the first time that a governor takes over the Sandugo leadership since Torralba has been BSFI’s chairman over the past nine years.

But according to a Capitol source, the governor had an option not to get involve since the celebration has been managed by a privatized foundation.

In fact, Aumentado said last week he was not keen on the takeover since there is a foundation that has been handling the affair for years now.

But the governor, according to the source, had no other option but to occupy the front seat of the preparation, "for the sake of tourism."

“Bisan limitado na kaayo ang panahon, apan atong paninkamotan nga aduna gyud kitay Sandugo celebration (Despite the limited time we will ensure the pushing through of the Sandugo celebration),” Aumentado told dyRD’s Inyong Alagad yesterday.

“We cannot afford without having the celebration,” Aumen-tado said. “It will affect our tourism efforts.”

Linkback: https://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=114179.0