MikeLigalig.com

How much better to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver. â€"Proverbs 16:16

People all over the world are constantly looking for the better item, whether buying fruit in a market or choosing a place to live. We examine, ponder, compare, and finally make a choice based on what we believe is better. I can’t imagine anyone saying, “I’m convinced this one is worse, so I’ll take it.”

The book of Proverbs is filled with comparisons that point us toward the right pathway in life. Because the book’s purpose is to give the reader knowledge and wisdom based on the fear of the Lord (Prov. 1:2,7), it’s not surprising to find statements saying, “This is better than that.”

In Proverbs 16, we read that it is better to get wisdom than gold or silver (v.16); better to be humble among the poor than to be proud among the wealthy (v.19); better to control our temper than to rule a city (v.32). Some people have the ability to be both wise and wealthy. But when faced with a choice between the two, Proverbs says wisdom is the better alternative.

As we read the book of Proverbs, let’s look for those signs that say, “This is better!” When God’s Word shapes our thinking and guides our choices, we’ll discover that His way is always better. â€"David C. McCasland

Not what we have, but what we use,
Not what we see, but what we chooseâ€"
These are the things that mar or bless
The sum of human happiness. â€"Anon.

A little wisdom is better than a lot of wealth.

Balicasag Island, photo courtesy of lilboy432001 of flickr.com

You're welcome, bai!

Pungtod Island, photo by lilboy432001 (flickr.com)

photo by lilboy432001 of flickr.com

(usa ka higayon samtang nagtungha pa ko sa silliman, gi-imagine na ko nga 70 anyos na ko, ug namugna kining maong balak)


kini lang ba diay ang hinungdan
kanako di ka na ganahan
kay mibusyad na akong tiyan
midaghan na akong uban
mihanap na king tinan-awan
ug mokurog na akong tuhod
akong batiis sigeg paminhod
ug daling mopunga inig ginhawa
kay di na lagi makasugakod
sa pagbugsay aron makatumod
sa baybayon sa imong himaya

hain na man diay
kadtong imong giingong gugma?
lab-as lang ba diay to
sa batan-on pa ta?
ug karon napan-os na?

mao diayng wa na ko nimo bayangi
sa imong parayeg ug katawa
sa imong halok ug gakos â€"
kay sama sa dagat nga way bawod
langit nga way panganod
imong gugma:
unod nga way jamong bukog

written by mike ligalig

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Mahimo bang pig-on
Ang ugang balak
Aron manugwak
Ang mga bulak
Sa akong dughan?

Mahimo bang tition
Ang buak nga karon
Aron mayabu
Ang mga aninu
Sa akong kagahapon?

Mahimo bang wiwion
Ang mga gagmayng gisi
Sa akong sugilanon
Aron malili
Ang mga binhi
Sa akong kasingkasing?

Mahimo bang lukoton
Ang tikig nga bukton
Sa akong pahiyom
Aron mahipos
Ang mga luhang naitos?

Mahimo bang angkonon
Ang nagusbat kong pagbati
Aron itapak
Sa nagkayamokat
Mong kinabuhi?

written by: mike ligalig

Hi Lumine,

Maajong pag-abot sa atong site. We are building here Bohol's biggest source of information. Many great things will be happening in Tubag Bohol.

Hope to see you here everyday.

Are you going home this year?

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by Rey Anthony Chiu

Tagbilaran City -- STANDING to plug the perceived gap in government service to the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and as regards access to support, transportation and infrastructure and chain supply efficiency, the local Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said it is implementing a "no noon break" policy on its business name registration counter.

In a press statement, DTI-Bohol through information officer Lucille Autentico said while their office functions break at noontime, their business name counter still accepts business name registrations.

As this developed, applicants may now file their applications from 8:00AM to 5:00PM at the local DTI Office located at 2/F FCB Main Branch Bldg., C.P.G. North Ave., Cogon District, Tagbilaran City, she said.

According to the DTI, original applicants for single proprietorship needs P300 registration fee, must be adult Filipino citizens. If family name is suggestive of alien nationality, applicants need to submit proof of citizenship as PRC ID, birth certificate or voter's ID and latest franchise agreement for franchise holders, a preferred and three alternative business names.

For partnerships and corporations, applicant brings a P500 registration fee, SEC Registration certificate, two sets of corporation articles and By-Laws, a copy of the board resolution or secretary's certificate designating authorized representative to sign in behalf of corporation. They must also prepare one preferred and three alternative business names.

For renewals, applicants bring P300 fee for single proprietorship, P500 for corporations, partnerships and cooperatives while a surcharge of P100 is asked after 90 days from expiry of names. Applicants also need to surrender original BN certificate or Affidavit of Loss and the amended articles of Incorporation and By-Laws, if applicable.

This Bohol DTI initiative also came at the heels of a recent survey released by the United Parcel Service (UPS) Asia Business Monitor concerning 100 MSME respondents. In the survey, the respondents detail a perceived lack of government support on them, Presidential Management Staff Director General and Oversight Official for MSMEs Cerge Remonde said.

Remonde said that the government is currently concocting a new project to further ease the business transaction processes and bring about faster business registration of MSMEs.

He pointed out that the internet-based Philippine Business Registry System "harmonizes all business registration processes performed by different national government agencies and local government units, leading to a seamless transactional environment for business registration."

Even before the survey was conducted, Remonde explained that the government had already thrown its full support for the establishment and propagation of MSMEs and had even implemented a host of initiatives ranging from direct assistance to indirect interventions.

Remonde added that under the Small and Medium Enterprises Development (SMED) Council, the government provided P91.35 billion worth of loans to entrepreneurs from 2004 to 2006 through the SME Unified Lending Opportunities for National Growth (SULONG).

He said government assistance is mainly found in the Medium Term SME Development Plan in the forms of direct assistance as: credit access and guarantees, product development and technology intervention, training and marketing support, advocacy among others.

"Other forms of government assistance include marketing support in trade fairs, local and international, technology upgrades, product development and personnel training," Remonde said.

Over this, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo had directed all government agencies and instrumentalities to simplify rules and regulations, reduce reportorial requirements, and eliminate fees and charges on export clearances, permits and other documentation requirements to cut red tape and to facilitate ease in doing business and encourage more investments in the country. (PIA)

by Rey Anthony Chiu

Tagbilaran City (24 April) -- SOARING real estate sales following Bohol's meteoric rise to the tip of the tourism pole in the last decade has also brought sob tales from prospective investors intending to own properties here.

And with fly by night property dealers victimizing investors, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) through the Bureau of Trade Regulation and Consumer Protection (BTRCP) has put up the alarm and at the same time announces that nothing beats going for the real legal guys.

For those wanting the license, the DTI said a Real Estate Brokers (REB) Examination is set on May 27, 2007, Sunday, 7:30 am - 12 noon at 3/F Allied Sciences Building, Cebu Normal University, Cebu City

Interested applicants may now file their application at the DTI Bohol Provincial Office where the forms are available.

Examination requirements are as follows: 3 pcs. 1x1 ID picture, original copy of proof of educational attainment, self-addressed envelop with stamp and P250 examination fee.

Deadline for submission of application is Thursday, May 17, 2007.

Meanwhile, review classes are conducted by the private sector specifically the Philippine Realtors Board and the Cebu Realtors Board (CEREB); both based in Cebu City for four (4) Saturdays, starting May 5, 2007.

Interested applicants may contact the Phil. Realtors Board at 253-2522/253-5922; CEREB - 232-3940/232-3959 or email at info@ceburealtors.org.

For details, call DTI Bohol at 411-3302, 501-8828 and 501-8260 or please visit local DTI Office at 2/F FCB Main Branch Bldg., C.P.Garcia North Ave., Cogon District, Tagbilaran City. (PIA)

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.” -Ambrose Redmoon

Starting early this month, passengers from Bohol can now take another route via Bato, Leyte without the hassles of disembarking from several transportations to get their way to Manila, thanks to the Strong Republic Nautical Highway program as described in President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo latest State of the Nation Address (SONA) and as outlined in the Medium Term Philippine Development Plan.

The Strong Republic Nautical Highway is a program of the present administration that aims to link the entire country and also connects the Visayas island, in the fastest possible way to Luzon via Roll-On Roll-Off ports in Bato, Leyte.

According to the local booking office operator based in Bato. Leyte, there are already four brand new buses who are operating in the new route at this point in time. However, they are expecting a total of twenty buses to ply the new route from Bohol to Manila.

The daily trip from Bohol conducts passengers to Leyte, Samar, Cubao, Pasay, Alabang and FTI and vise versa in one day, Yvonne Latok, local operator disclosed in an interview with PIA Southern Leyte.

It was further learned that initial schedules records buses left from Tagbilaran, Bohol to Bato at 4:00 in the afternoon. That, everyday, there are two trips being scheduled regularly to ply that kicks off from Bato to Bohol at 9:00 am and 6:00 in the evening, she added.

Meanwhile, in Southern Leyte a Php 60 Billion has been earmarked to fund the upgrading of national roads, highways and bridges, including a 2 kilometer viaduct in Sogod town in Southern Leyte worth about Php 800 Million.

According to DPWH Southern Leyte District Engineer Carlos Veloso, a groundbreaking ceremony for the viaduct in Sogod has been scheduled on April 30, 2007. (PIA Southern Leyte)

Part 1 (Psychology)   

    1. Power up your brain with some exercise. Research suggests that people who get plenty of physical exercise can wind up with better brains. Exercise boosts circulation, including blood flow to the brain, which uses a full 25% of the oxygen that enters our lungs. It also bolsters brain-nurturing chemicals and reduces stress, which has been shown to damage the brain. Physical activity can also ease depression, which slows thinking and may precede the onset of Alzheimer’s. So get out the door and exercise your lazy body, you’ll boost your brain power by up to 30%.

    2. Try a Sudoko puzzle. You can actually improve brain function and protect it against cognitive decline with some mental stimulation. Doing logic puzzles in your spare time is a great way to activate your brain and keep it in good working condition. And even if you’re old, your brain can still grow new neurons. Keep in mind that severe mental decline is usually caused by disease, whereas most age-related losses in memory or motor skills simply result from inactivity and a lack of mental exercise and stimulation. In other words, use it or lose it.

    3. Brush teeth with your left hand (right if you’re left-handed). Doing routine tasks in new ways exercises your brain. So experience new tastes and smells; try to do things with your nondominant hand; find new ways to drive to work; travel to some new places; read that Dostoyevsky novel - basically, do anything you can to force yourself out of your mental ruts.

    4. More deadlines to release the pressure. I know it sounds contradictory but break a deadline into sub-deadlines and it’s more manageable. It also means your progress will be more obvious, making the task less daunting.

    5. Laugh more, and laugh harder.Researchers tell us that laughter is good for our health; that it releases endorphins and other positively powerful chemicals into our system. But we don’t really need scientists to tell us that it feels good to laugh. Laughing helps us reduce stress and break old patterns too. So laughter can be like a “quick-charge” for our brain’s batteries.

    6. Prepare them for the storm.Stress experts say the worst thing you can do is bring your problems and worries home. When you get home, tell your family: “I’ve had a really bad day and I’m going to bite your head off if you so much as look at me in a funny way.” They will forgive any outbursts more easily and the act of owning up to your feelings instantly lessens their intensity.

    7. Enjoy the little things in life. Take a break each day and watch a sunset or enjoy the chorus of birds on your walk between classes. Finding beauty and joy in everything, even the stupidest things imaginable will make you happier, healthier, and more receptive to the world around you. And the world will be more receptive to you, as well.

    8. Visualize what you need to learn. Remember that your brain thinks in both words and pictures, so give it both: diagrams and charts, as well as pictures of what you need to know, such as a log cabin with Shakespeare’s birth date above the door.

    9. Live in the present.There is no point in dwelling on the past; you cannot change what already happened. You can only learn from your mistakes and try to avoid making the same ones in the future. Instead focus your attention on the goals at hand, not on missed opportunities. It will help relieve some of the pressure.

    10. Play with passion!You can’t do great work without personal fulfillment. When people are growing through learning and creativity, they are much more fulfilled and give 127% more to their work. Delight yourself and you delight the world. Remember what you loved to do as a child and bring the essence of that activity into your work. This is a clue to your genius; to your natural gifts and talents. da Vinci, Edison, Einstein and Picasso all loved to play and they loved to explore.

    11. Pay attention to what you say to yourself about a stressful situation. Work on changing to more realistic expectations of yourself. And if you’re overreacting and seeing everything as absolutely critical and urgent, try shifting your focus and look at what is really important.

    12. Talk to yourself to improve retention.Reciting as you read and reviewing notes out loud increases attention and motivation, and creates a stronger neural trace of memory by utilizing more senses.

    13. Play a bigger game.Set a goal that does not just satisfy you as an individual, but involves some degree of unselfishness and benefits others. You must embark on a journey into the unknown, where you become a tool for a higher purpose. It requires of you a certain degree of surrender. Why play a bigger game? Because there is no fun in life without playing a bigger game.

    14. Don’t be a slave to technology. Research found that workers distracted by phone calls, e-mails and text messages suffer a greater loss of IQ than if they’d smoked marijuana. The IQ of those juggling messages and work fell by an average of 10 points - equivalent to missing a whole night’s sleep and more than double the four-point fall seen after smoking pot. To keep sharp, resist the urge to check messages continually. Instead, schedule blocks of time throughout the day to retrieve and respond to them.

    15. Blast away bad mood with some music. Almost everyone is familiar with the saying that music soothes the savage beast, and it’s certainly true when the beast is a bad mood. It is one of the most effective fast fixes for a bad mood. So the next time you’re in a bad mood, try blasting it away with a favorite song. Something that makes you smile and dance will get rid of your blues in a flash, but there are plenty of options beyond a upbeat and cheery tune. To shake off a bad mood, try turning on some seriously angry music like punk rock or heavy metal, and turning it way up. Misery loves company, and so long as you do it right, a blast of negativity can actually help lift your bad mood! Just take a deep breath when the song is over, and you’ll feel refreshed as your bad mood flies away.

    16. Spend time with your memories.Get out an old photo album or high school yearbook. Your brain is a memory machine, so give it a chance to work! Let your mind reflect on them and your mind will repay you in positive emotions and new connections from the memories to help you with your current tasks and challenges.

    17. Avoid emotional vampires.Do you attract emotional vampires or losers into your life? Are you a loser magnet? Emotional vampires and losers literally drain our batteries, slow us down and make us upset. To become happier, optimistic and energetic - avoid emotional vampires. Unhappy people allow “emotional vampires” to suck their positive feelings right out of their skulls. Emotional vampires include people who put you down, criticize or mock you, or sabotage your dreams and aspirations.

    18. Sleep on it.Previewing key information and then sleeping on it increases retention 20 to 30 percent. You can leave that information next to the bed for easy access, if it is something that won’t keep you awake. If you are kept awake by your thoughts, writing everything down sometimes gets it “out of your mind,” allowing you to sleep (so keep a pen and paper nearby).

    19. Watch what you say - and never say words such as “try”. One of the most interesting differences between happy and unhappy people is that happy people never or rarely use the word ‘try’ or ‘but.’ These two words leave people feeling hopeless and not in-control of their lives. Happy people feel hopeful, and take tons of responsibility for their lives. The words ‘try’ and ‘but’ are excuses, and unhappy people have a bad case of ‘excuse-itis.

    20. Be a fighter.At the first sign of stress, you often hear people complain, “What did I do to deserve this?” The problem is, feeling like a victim only increases feelings of stress and helplessness. Instead, change your focus on being proactive. If your flight gets canceled, don’t wallow in self-pity. Just get up and find another one. If your office is too hot or too cold, don’t suffer in silence. Call the building manager and ask what can be done to make things more comfortable. Proactive people know that they have control over their own feelings hence their performance remain consistent because it is not hinged on external factors.

    21. Learn to say “No”. How many times have you agreed to do something that you actually didn’t want to do? All you had to do was say no, but the word didn’t come out. So you end up doing it - and later resent it. Trying to do everything is a one-way ticket to serious stress. Be clear about your limits, and stop trying to please everyone all the time.

    22. Stop asking “What is on my mind right now?”Concentration can increase brainpower. Obvious, perhaps, but the thieves of concentration are not always so obvious. Learn to notice when you are distracted. Often the cause is just below consciousness. If there is a phone call you need to make, for example, it might bother you all morning, sapping your ability to think clearly, even while you are unaware of what is bothering you.

    23. Plan something for the weekend. Looking forward to something provides calming perspective. Buy some concert tickets, schedule a weekend getaway, or make an appointment for a massage.

    24. A relaxed mind helps memory. Learn with a relaxed mind. Recall the learned material with a relaxed mind. Let’s take as an example a situation where you misplace your car keys. If you get too agitated with yourself in trying to recall something, as is the case in this example, you are in for frustration. But, if you relax your mind, and calmly go through the events backward, you are more likely to remember where you left them.

    25. Be romantic.Love in your heart makes your mind blossom. Researchers have identified pathways in the brain which light up when we are in love. And falling in love seems to have a similar effect on the brain as using cocaine. It’s so pleasurable it’s almost like an addiction.

    26. Learn another language.Studies show that people experience a general improvement in memory from studying a language. It has also been demonstrated that age-related decline in mental function can be halted by learning a new language.

    27. Ask “Why?” Our brains are wired to be curious.As we grow up and “mature” many of us stifle or deny our natural curiosity. Let yourself be curious! Wonder to yourself about why things are happening. Ask someone in the know. The best way to exercise our curiosity is by asking “Why?” Make it a new habit to ask “why?” at least 10 times a day. Your brain will be happier and you will be amazed at how many opportunities and solutions will show up in your life and work.

    28. Write to be read.There is certainly great value in writing for yourself. Your brain will be greatly stimulated by writing to be read. And the greatest benefit of writing is what it does to expand your brain’s capacity. So find ways to write to be read â€" by writing things for your friends to read, by capturing the stories of your childhood, starting your own blog or whatever â€" just write to be read.

    29. Sit up straight. Posture affects your thinking process. Prove it to yourself by doing math in your head while slouching, looking at the floor and letting your mouth hang open. Then do the mental math while sitting up straight, keeping your mouth closed and looking forward or slightly upwards. You’ll notice that it’s easier to think with the latter posture.

    30. Use your dead time.This is the time that is otherwise wasted or just under-utilized. Driving time, time spent in waiting rooms, or even time spent raking your yard can be included in this. With an iPod and a trip to a public library, you can start to use this time to listen to audiobooks. You may spend 200 hours a year in your car. Just imagine how much you can learn in that time!

    31. Breath deeply. More air in means more oxygen in the blood and therefore in the brain. Breath through your nose and you’ll notice that you use your diaphragm more, drawing air deeper into your lungs. Several deep breaths can also help to relax you, which is conducive to clearer thinking.

    32. Use some techniques for clear thinking. Cluttered rooms and offices can contribute to cluttered thinking. Organize a space for mental work. Sigh, stretch, and take a deep breath before you start on a tough mental job. Plan some distraction-free time for brainstorming.

    33. Don’t take everything so personally. Listen to others objectively; it’s not always about you!

    34. Do one thing at a time.When you are with someone, be with that person and with no one or nothing else. When you are busy with a project, concentrate on doing that project and forget about everything else you have to do.

    35. Make decisions quickly.Accept the risk, stress and conflict that come with making decisions. It is ok to change your mind but don’t make a habit out of reversing decisions. Try to make decisions that produce change. Any decision is better than none.

source: ririanproject.com

Published in the Deseret News, March 10, 2005
written by Paul Alexander, Associated Press

MANILA, Philippines -- Wailing parents carried the bodies of their children from hospitals after a snack of cassava -- a root that's poisonous if not prepared correctly -- bought from an outside vendor killed 27 and sickened 100 others Wednesday at an elementary school in the south-central Philippines.

With the nearest hospital 20 miles away from San Jose school, in Bohol island's Mabini town, some victims died while being carried in a variety of vehicles, including three-wheel motorcycle taxis.

Francisca Doliente said her 9-year-old niece, Arve Tamor, was given some of the deep-fried caramelized cassava by a classmate who bought it from the vendor.

"Her friend is gone. She died," Doliente told The Associated Press. Her niece was being treated, she said.

The roots of the cassava plant, a major crop in Southeast Asia and other parts of the world, are rich in protein, minerals and the vitamins A, B and C. However, cassava is poisonous unless it is peeled and thoroughly cooked. If it is eaten raw or prepared incorrectly, one of its chemical constituents will be attacked by digestive enzymes and give off the deadly poison cyanide. As little as two cassava roots can contain a fatal dose.

"Some said they took only two bites because it tasted bitter and the effects were felt five-10 minutes later," said Dr. Harold Gallego of Garcia Memorial Provincial Hospital in the nearby town of Talibon, where 47 patients were taken.

Mabini Mayor Stephen Rances said 27 students were confirmed dead.

The victims suffered severe stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhea. They were taken to at least four hospitals from the school in Mabini, about 380 miles southeast of the capital, Manila.

Sobbing parents left hospitals carrying the bodies of their children wrapped in blankets.

Some victims were still vomiting nearly 12 hours after eating the morning snack, said Dr. Nenita Po of the government-run Gov. Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital. However, those who were alive when they reached the hospital had a good chance of surviving, Po said.

He said some worried parents brought in their children even if they did not show any symptoms of poisoning.

Grace Vallente said her 7-year-old nephew, Noel, died en route to the hospital and that her 9-year-old niece, Roselle, was undergoing treatment.

"There are many parents here," she said from L.G. Cotamura Community Hospital in Bohol's Ubay town. "The kids who died are lined up on beds. Everybody's grief-stricken."

Dr. Leta Cutamora confirmed 14 dead at the hospital and 35 admitted for treatment.

Po said 15 patients were brought there, including the 68-year- old woman who prepared the cassava along with another woman. Officials wanted to talk with the ailing woman but said she was complaining of pain.

A specimen of the cassava was taken for inspection at the local Crime Laboratory Group.

Copyright C 2005 Deseret News Publishing Co.
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.

Published in the International Wildlife, May-June 2000 Edition


photograph by Nurpu of flickr.com

CARLITO "LITO" PIZARRAS walks silently along a jungle trail on the island of Bohol in the central Philippines. Clad in camouflage, he listens closely for his prey. A high-pitched tone stops him suddenly and he snatches a chirping cricket from the ground. "That's one," says Pizarras, a diminutive 45-year-old with dark eyes and a quick grin.

During the next two hours, he will catch nearly 50 other insects, as well as lizards and small frogs. The creatures are destined for his backyard, where they will be fed to tiny animals with huge eyes and suction-cuplike toes and fingers. These alien-looking critters, primates known as tarsiers, are normally fearful of people, but they cling like babies to Pizarras as he feeds them and coos reassuringly in their ears.

Pizarras started keeping tarsiers more than 30 years ago for his taxidermist father to stuff and sell. But his increasing fascination with the strange animals turned him into an observer and protector of the species. His nightly forays into the woods for bugs and other efforts on behalf of the tarsiers initially provoked ridicule from neighbors in this remote area. But in the past few years, researchers with advanced degrees (Pizar-ras only completed high school) have been coming to his village, seeking to know more about the curious and fast- disappearing animals. And recently a foundation for protecting the tarsiers has sprung up around him, bringing global attention to what was formerly a one-man cause.

When Pizarras was growing up in the remote town of Corella, Bohol, the tarsiers were so abundant they could be picked up from the trees around the village at night. Of all the animals his father stuffed and sold to tourists-wild cats, monitor lizards and snakes-the strange, monkeylike tarsiers were the most popular. Buyers told him it was as if God had created a perfect children's toy.

By the age of 12, Pizarras decided to try to keep a pet tarsier in a cage at his house. But there was little information about the animals in the town library and, despite the fact that they were everywhere, nobody seemed to know about them. The only book that mentioned tarsiers said they ate charcoal. After a week on a diet of charcoal and water, his first pet died. After losing two more to the charcoal diet, Pizarras decided to find out for himself what tarsiers ate. He hiked into the nearby mountains in his thin rubber slippers, shorts and T- shirt to spend nights with the nocturnal creatures.

After weeks of patient observation, Pizarras finally saw a tarsier in the forest that looked like it might be eating charcoal, as the book suggested. The creature was digging its tiny hands into a burnt log, and its face was covered in black soot. But Pizarras could see that the tarsier was not feeding on the burnt wood; it was actually searching for insects buried inside the log. By the time he was 15, Pizarras was keeping a group of tarsiers alive in captivity on a diet of crickets. He later discovered that they eat a variety of insects and small creatures.

By the time Pizarras was in his 20s, he was keenly aware that tarsiers were no longer abundant. Rampant trapping and slash-and-burn farming of their habitat had driven them deep into the forest. The animals that he loved were disappearing. Realizing that it was trappers like himself who were contributing to their decline, the young man made a decision.

"I don't want to kill the tarsiers anymore," he told his father. With that, Carlito Pizarras became a fledgling wildlife conservationist in a place where no one had even heard of the phrase.

The younger Pizarras, by then a part-time farmer and shopkeeper, couldn't stop his neighbors from trapping the tarsiers. It wasn't even against the law. But when people came to the little store he ran in front of his house, he tried to bluff them by concocting wildlife protection laws before they existed.

"That's five years in jail and a fine," he said, knowing he wasn't telling the truth, when someone mentioned trapping a tarsier. His neighbors were skeptical. The town's tiny police force had to deal with communist rebels, among other problems. They weren't about to arrest people for poaching.

Pizarras persisted in his quest to understand and protect the animals, working his farm all day and tending at night to the tarsiers he kept behind his house. Despite the species' aversion to captivity, he successfully bred dozens of the animals. After the babies matured at about six months, he would hike deep into the forest, where he hoped they would be safe, and release them.

"Why are you creeping in the jungle every night?" his neighbors sneered as he disappeared into the forest. Pizarras picked up the derogatory title "tarsier man." Villagers gossiped that he was part monkey.

Soon enough, Pizarras would be vindicated. In the early 1990s, government and university researchers from Manila started showing up at Pizarras' house and asking about tarsiers. The animals by then had nearly disappeared from the forest around his village. They only lived deep in the jungle and nobody knew how many were left.

When these visitors asked why he spent so much time helping the animals, Pizarras struggled for an answer. He had no idea that he was part of a tiny but global effort to understand and save the tarsiers. In the end, he had only a simple answer. "I just learned to love them," he said. "I didn't want them to be gone."

Pizarras learned from the researchers that the animal he was trying to protect was an obscure and threatened species (one of several tarsier species globally; scientists are still arguing about the exact number). He also learned that studies of other tarsier species in Indonesia confirmed many of the observations he had made over the years. To his surprise, he also discovered that American primatologists were not able to match his success in captive breeding.

"We still don't know how to maintain these animals in captivity so that they stay healthy and breed successfully," notes David Haring of Duke University's Primate Center.

Though they are popularly known in the Philippines as the "world's smallest monkey," tarsiers defy easy categorization. Some scientists believe the creatures should be classed as prosimians, an older (or "lower") order of primates that could date back 55 million years. But other researchers think tarsiers are part of a more recent (or "higher") order of primates, like monkeys and humans.

How to classify the Philippine tarsier and its cousins is just one mystery about the animal. "Almost everything about this species needs to be studied," says Sharon Gursky, an anthropologist at Queen's College in New York who has researched tarsiers in the wild.

Some basic facts about tarsiers are known. With grayish brown fur and a nearly naked tail, the animals rarely grow to more than half a foot long. They are nimble climbers in the trees and hop like tiny kangaroos on the ground. They can leap as far as 10 feet (about 20 times their body length) to flee predators. Their huge eyes allow them to see well at night, when they hunt for crickets, beetles, termites and other creatures.

A female tarsier, which has about a six-month gestation period, produces one infant each spring. The infant is carried in its mother's mouth and deposited in places safe from snakes, cats and other predators in the forest while the mother forages for food. The newborn tarsier can cling to branches almost immediately after birth and can leap after about a month. The creature can live for 12 years or longer.

But many aspects of Philippine tarsiers remain a puzzle: how many exist in the wild, which habitats they prefer and how they can be protected. Irene Arboleda, a graduate student at Adelaide University in Australia, is seeking the answers to these questions. Arboleda recently spent time in Bohol studying the animal's home range, reproductive cycle and behaviors, with invaluable assistance from Carlito Pizarras. Though not a scientist, there were few questions he could not answer. "He's been continuously exposed to the animal for 30 years, possibly longer than anyone else alive," said Arboleda. "He has substantial data, but it's all in his head."

Pizarras' knowledge has also been tapped by others: In 1991 the Philippine government sent researchers to his village to determine whether the tarsier should be declared a protected animal. IUCNEThe World Conservation Union responded by giving the species a priority rating of 4, meaning that it was vulnerable and threatened by habitat destruction and hunting.

Despite these actions, Pizarras saw little change in the tarsier's status. Finally, in 1996, a group of prominent Bohol residents joined together to help save the animal that made their island distinctive. With the support of the national government, they established the Philippine Tarsier Foundation.

"One of the reasons the founders were eager to put up the foundation was because Lito was already there," says Danny Nazareno, the foundation's administrator. "He was working every day to conserve the tarsiers and knew all about them. He gave us a head start."

The foundation opened its office in Bohol's capital of Tagbilaran in September 1997 and hired Pizarras as a field officer. The group has since established a research center and a protected breeding area in the jungles of Corella, not far from Pizarras' house. In the past few years, due in part to the foundation's work, the tarsier has found its way into the Philippines' national consciousness. Few Philippine tourist brochures fail to feature an image of the striking creature.

The reputation of the "tarsier man" has also grown. Once regarded as eccentric and foolish for his lonely quest to save the primates, Pizarras is now feted by Philippine leaders. When England's Prince Charles came to visit the country in 1997, Pizarras was invited to the Philippine presidential palace to make a symbolic presentation of a pair of tarsiers to the monarch-to-be. "It was like a dream being in the palace," said Pizarras. "But I was nervous that the tarsiers would run away or jump onto the prince."

Despite the international attention, many challenges remain for the tiny primates and their defenders. Logging and farming continue to decimate the animals' habitat. Human population growth in the Philippines brings with it a host of problems including house cats, which at night kill tarsiers for fun as much as for food. And some farmers continue to kill tarsiers because of the mistaken belief that the animals destroy crops. In actuality, they eat the pests that damage crops.

Pizarras now spends his days at the Philippine Tarsier Foundation, helping to maintain a sanctuary for the animals. And when visitors show up, he's proud to introduce himself by his once derogatory nickname.

"I'm the tarsier man," he says with a friendly grin and an outstretched hand.

Philippines-based writer Floyd Whaley and photographer Kevin Hamdorf collaborated on a story about land mines in the March/April issue.

Pagdapat sa imong mga lapa-lapa sa pantalan sa Tagbilaran, naglumba pagdagan ang nagkadaiyang sugilanon ug kagahapon aron mohangop sa imong paghiabot.

Kadaghanan sa imong mga higala wala masayod sa imong paghidangat karon. Gawas kang Atty. Aleckoy Lim nga nag-monitor kung asa ka na gikan sa airport sa Bangkok ngadto sa NAIA ngadto sa Mactan Airport, walay nahibalo sa adlaw sa imong pagbisita sa dakbayan ug probinsya nga imong gihandom ug gikamingawan.

Nagtindog ka sa hawanan sa pantalan nga jogging-nganan ni Chito Fuentes ug sa iyang asawa nga si Chinky ug imong nalantaw ang opisina ni Raul Oblenda, ang manager sa PPA Tagbilaran. Imong gianinaw ang kalikopan. Imong nalantawan ang Bohol Tropics sa unahan ug nahinumdum ka sa mga botelya sa red wine nga natumba didto ug nadungog mo pag-usab ang kinantahan ni Ric Obedencio ug Dandan Bantugan usa niana ka gabii sa panagtapok sa mga kaubanan sa media sa Bohol.

Wa ka masayod sa imong sunod buhaton. Molakaw lang ba. Magpara ug traysikol. O kaha mohanggap lang sa lab-as nga hangin gikan sa Panglao ug Dauis. Sa pagkakita mo sa isla sa Panglao, nahulagway mo ang resort ni Kagawad Nila Montero, ang dinaug-daug nga resort ni Mayor Doloreich Dumaluan, ug nahinumdum ka sa kaanyag sa Bohol Beach Club.

Nakahukom ka nga mosakay nalang ug traysikol. “Pilay imong hatag”? sukna sa drayber. Kadaghan na ka makabati sa maong pangutana. Mahigalaon gihapon ang mga drayber sa traysikol sa Tagbilaran - pero usahay uban kanila mga balasobas ug kinaiya â€" apan dili pareha kamangtas sa mga taxi driver sa Manila.

Wa ka masayod asa matulog karong gabhiona. Wala na kay madulngan nga pinuy-anan. Ang imong gisak-an sa Dampas lain na ang nagpuyo. Ang imong mga ginikanan ug igsuon tua sa Anda. Kung didto ka magpalabay sa kagabhion sa balay ni Stephen ug Janice Cagulada sa Tiptip, layo na pud kaayo sakyon.

Nakadawat ka ug text sa imong higala. “Dretso diri sa balay.” “F. Rocha Extension ko bai,” matod mo sa drayber sa traysikol.

Daghan ka ug nalabyan nga mga balay patigayon ug nagkadaiyang edipesyo. Nalabyan mo ang DYTR ug nahinumdum ka ni Manny Sales, Dodong Libatona, Lito Responte, Mirabel Gementiza Matig-a, ug Wing Bullecer.

Unya, nalabyan mo ang Brewpoint â€" ang paboritong lugar ni Chito Visarra ug Bachoy Alba â€" ang dapit diin didto mo magkukabildo ni Bobby Cericos, Nilo Sarigumba, o kaha Ricardo Lim â€" diin usahay makatulog nalang ka ug binasa ug libro didto.

Pag-abot mo sa balay ni Atty. Aleckoy Lim, giabi-abi ka ni Atty. Koykoy Lim ug ni Kit, duha ka anak lalaki ni Atty. Lim. Gihimamat ka sa asawa ni Atty. Aleckoy Lim nga si Elsie Lim ug igsuon nga si Atty. Myrna Pagsubiron. Apan wala mo makita si Atty. Alissa Lim, anak babaye ni Aleckoy.

Daghang mga tawo imong nakit-an nga wala ka nakaila. Nakurat ka sa dihang gisangpit ang imong ngalan ni Priscilla Richards, ang columnist sa Bohol Standard. Daghan siyang gisugid nimo nga mga estorya mahitungod sa Bohol ug Tagbilaran ug nalingaw ka naminaw sa iyang mga estorya.

Paghuman ug panihapon, gihatod ka ni Aleckoy sa lugar diin didto ka magpuyo samtang nia ka sa Bohol. Samtang nagdagan ang sakyanan, nakapangutana ka ngano man gyud nga ang anak ni Eladio Jala mao man ang iyang gitukmod sa pagdagan ug congressman. “Kahakog ba kini sa gahom?” nakapangutana ka. “Mga ilaronon ba ang mga Bol-anon nga mopili lang ug congressman tungod sa ngalan sa amahan”? dason mo ug sukna.

“Kinsa may kusog diri sa Tagbilaran”? palain mo sa pangutana. “Naay moingon nga si Dan Lim, nay moingon si Joe: depende lang kinsay pasultion,” matod sa imong amigo.

Dugay ka natulog kay nag-update ka sa imong news blog (www.onlyinphilippines.blogspot.com) ug nagpanday sa imong website (www.mikeligalig.com).

Pagkabuntag, nakahukom ka moadto sa imong gipuy-an kaniadto. Imong gisuta kung duna ka pa bay mga sinina nga isul-ob kay wa kay jamong gidalang sapot gikan sa Thailand. Didto sa maong balay, imong napalgan ang daghang balak nga imong gisulat kaniadto. Nagplano ka imong e-post kini sa friendster.com.

Nag-abot ang imong pamahaw ug paniudto didto sa tapsilogan dapit atbang sa provincial hospital. Magsige ka ug palabay ug oras ning maong dapit nga magbasa ug Time magazine. Gimingaw ka sa maong lugar.

Pagkahuman ug kaon, namaklay lang ka paingon sa Metro Centre. Namalit ka ug grocery sa Sundry alang sa usa ka semana nimong pagpuyo sa Bohol. Unya, miadto ka sa hotel lobby diin sige ka makatulog nga magbasa ug novel. Nag-order ka ug fresh buko. Pagkahuman, miadto ka sa Chez Andre (daw kaluha sa Jojie’s Bakeshop) ug gibilin nimo ang imong laptop. Didto sa BQ, namalit ka ug medyas kay wa kay medyas dala.

Mipalit ka ug Bisaya magazine sa tindahan tapad sa Jojie’s Bakeshop kansang mga tag-iya nga si Arnold Labunog ug Jojie Labunog imong igsuon sa pagtuo. Unya mipalit ka ug banana cake sa Jojie’s Bakeshop, ang imong kinaham.

Ang talithi sa ulan daw naggukod nimo samtang milatas ka sa CPG Avenue; nanubay ka sa daw makalilisang nga Agora Building, ang hulagway sa damgong napusgay. Nakapanampong ka sa imong ilong paglabay sa Agora tungod sa kabaho sa anso. Nahadlok ka ang mga tawo mangasakit tungod sa kabaho sa ihi sa palibot.

Milabay ka sa Alturas ug imong nakita ang nagponsisok nga katawhan sama sa kadaghan sa Bohol Quality.

Sa pagtungod nimo sa building sa DYRD ug Bohol Chronicle, mihunong ka ug lakaw ug nakahuna-huna nga mohapit ug dili na magpaabot ug bisita sa sunod semana.

Halos tua sila tanan didto ang imong kanhi mga kauban sa buhat. Ug naghinangupay mong tanan. Si Bong Recimilla nakurat sa imong pagbutho. Si Ihid, ihid ra gihapon, apan nag-antiyohos na. Si Ali Amoguis, Ali ra gihapon. Si Fe Moncada, tam-is gihapon ug pahiyom. Si Iching Maestrado, sige lang gihapon ug ngisi ug pasiaw. Si Maricel Galero, wa gihapon magpakasal ni Robert. Wala si Sir Peter Dejaresco sa imong pagdalikyat didto.

Taud-taud, niabot si Glenn Lumantao gikan sa Buenavista. Naghinangupay mo sa imong higala nga maoy usahay mohatod nimo ug pauli kung mag-abot mo ug tukaw sa trabaho sa Bohol Chronicle kaniadto.

“Sige, basin naa ko sa Brewpoint karong tungang gabii inig human nako ug sulat,” gisultian nimo si Glenn. Unya miabot si Boyet Requeron ug Ven Arigo, unya si Paul Vistal. Ug gisultian ka ni Ven ug Boyet sa mga politkanhong katikaran sa Tagbilaran. Unya nagplano ka nga pakigkitaan si Fred Amora ug iyang anak nga si Jun Amora, layout artist sa Bohol Standard.

Dihay kahilom. Nagtindog ka sa B. Inting Street ug namalandong: “Unsa kahay kaugmaon sa Tagbilaran kung ituboy pag-usab si Joe pagka-mayor.” Nakapanglingo-lingo ka sa imong ulo.

---------
Published in the Bohol Standard on 04/15/2007
written by www.mikeligalig.com

sinulat ni Errol A. Merquita

Ang kainit sa kayo,

anam anam
midapat
sa tiil,
tinai,
unod,
pako,
batikulon,
ulo.

Samtang ang
kainit
midapat,
hinay hinay
nagtulo,
ang mantika sa
tiil, tinai,
unod, pako,
batikulon, ulo.

Samtang ang
mantika
nagtulo,
nanintal
ang kahumot
sa aso
sa mga
gipanggutom
nga tawo.

Samtang ang
kahumot
nanintal,
laming mikitkit
sa unod ang
mga mikaon
na sa sulod
samtang
nagasyagit
ang nakameyk-ap
nga tindera
“lami nga unod brad, pili lang!”

Samtang murag meyk-ap nga iyang
gipahiran sa tuyo ug lamas
ang tiil, tinai, unod,
pako, batikulon, ulo.

Nakapangutana ko,
unsa kahay bation sa usa ka manok
kung gibarbekyu ang iyahang
isig ka manok?

(July 2005)
posted in: panitikan.com.ph

sinulat ni Jeneen R. Garcia

Gusto unta ko mosuwat og balak
bahin sa dagat, para nimo,
bahin sa tanan nakong nakat-onan
sa pagsawom niining kaladmon:
ang paglutaw dinhi sa bug-at nga tubig
nga nagsangga ning maong isla,
ang pagsagol sa parat ug tam-is
sa tumoy sa akong dila,
ang pagsagubang sa init sa akong panit
samtang ang kabugnaw nibukot
sa akong kaunuran.

Pero ang dagat linaw man karon,
nisanap sa kawanangan,
tin-aw ang kinailadman, sama sa papel
nga nahanawan og mga pulong.
Ug ang tubig nga nagdagayday
sa akong ngabil, wala na’y parat,
naughan sa hangin, nahilom.

source: panitikan.com.ph

Sinulat ni Dr. Erlinda Kintanar Alburo
(Alang kang Rene, sa Leap Year 2004)


Naa pay daghan dihang naglumpayat.
Pananglitan, ang ulan sa sandayong---
               Ang liso sa iyang bayanan --
               Ang itoy nga nagkiat --
               Ang mananaog sa lumba --
               Ang naghikog diha sa taytayan --
               Si Inday nga mao pay pagkadawat
                         og sulat ni Undo --
               ug ang kilatnong silaw gikan ni Buddha.

Makutlo sad gikan sa mga basahon, anaay duruha:
               Ang baki ni Basho nga milukso
               Human sa dakong kahilom
               Diha sa dakong linaw
               Nagpasiplat sa kalunhawng
               Nakapulpog sa tubigong salamin.
               Unya, naa sad diay si Sleeping Beauty
               Nga nahaigking pagbangon
               Ang iyang mga ngabil ug mata
               Napukaw tungod sa anino
               Sa usa ka malamatong halok.

Apan labaw sa tanan:
               Human sa hamubong hulaw
               Ang pinitik sa akong kasingkasing
               Nagkadagma-dagma
               Kay may balangaw ang imong mga mata
               Bisan karon,
               Labina
               Karon.

source: panitikan.com.ph

(a poem of yesteryears. i was 20 or 21 when i wrote this.)

1.
“Naminyo na ra ba si Jo-anne.”
     Naisa ang mga kilay. “Mao ba?” Murag napugwat.
“Iyang manghod gaingon nako.”
    “Kanus-a sya gikasal?” Panagway naminghoy.
“Wa ko kapungatana. Kadali ra kaayo mi nag-estorya.”
    “Kinsa kaha iyang nabana?” Luya ang tingog. “Basin
       kadtong seaman...”  Tubag sa kaugalingong sukna -
                   

dihay hilom nga pagtuaw,
                    mga pagpanghupaw sa kalag.

2.
Kahilom.
Pangisip inanayng giganoy ngadto sa kapunawpunawan
                    sa napalid nga mga adlaw;
mga paghandom nanganawkanaw.  Nanuyhakaw.
Naabli ang ganghaan
sa nagkalayong sugilanon.

    Mga bintana sa gumunhap
         takulahaw natukas:
             nawiwi, naoktaba ang
atop sa mga paghanduraw.

3.
Kahilom.
Nabantang ang mga handumanan
                    sa pahiyom,
                    kaguol,
                    kahangawa,
                    kamingaw,
                    lakip ang kalipay.
Nabati ang talidhay
                    sa mga sungog,
                    pagpangluod,
                    pagselos,
                    pagpasuya,
                    lakip ang paggara-gara.

Ug sa kataposang yugto miginhawa
ang paglaom nga maangkon ka.

Ug gihaya ang akong mga pangandoy.

Gitukbil,
        gikusi
ang mga luha
sa atong kagahapon.

4.
Kahilom.

written by www.mikeligalig.com

(composed about 6 years ago)

Sa tanang mga buyog
nga naniba sa imong kaanyag
akong nasabtan
sa timbangan sa katilingban
ako ang buyog
nga wa magtangag ug bulawan.

ako ang buyog
nga sama sa naglutawlutawng dahon
ug naanod sa imong tiilan â€"
niadtong pyuros pa ang panahon.

buyog nga dili halangdon,
way pakong de makina,
akong tiil naputos sa kapit-os â€"
apan bisan pa man niana
wa mo lingia
ang sapot nga laksot

ug imo kong gipakapyot
sa lunhaw mong aping.

gidapit mo akong
moduyanduyan sa imong mga dahon,
hapo-hapon ang imong pag-inusara.

ug mipuyo ko ug daghang mga adlaw sa kalipay.

gani sa atong pagsinabtanay
mibuhagay sa akong galamhan
ang talagsaong kahidlaw
apan nasawod
sa akong kahadlok sa Kahitas-an.

mao man gani
wa ko kab-ota
ang pungango sa imong himaya.

mao man gani
daghang higayon nahuwad
ang imong katam-is

apan wa ko dimdima bisan
ang pinisik nga nalagsik â€"
kay di sab ko buot
kawad-on ka sa imong kahumot
nga way pagtugot sa Magbubuot

ug malarag ang imong kabatan-on
ug magsapnay ka sa mga pagmahay.

unya kalit mihuros
ang hanging mapintas -

napadpad ko

uban sa atong mga damgo…

ug niadtong luhaang panamilit
imo gihapong nahunghong kanako -

ug akong gigakos â€"
ang himalatyon mong pulong sa gugma...

written by: www.mikeligalig.com

A coastal town having a coastline 14 kilometers long, this town is located at the northern part of the province. It has a good port of entry where ferry boats are plying daily from Cebu and back carrying passengers and cargoes.

The early settlers called the place 'Tubigan' meaning having water or watery because the community was always submerged in water when rivers overflows its banks during rainy seasons. Later, this was changed to 'Tubigon' meaning a place abounding in water, because under the fertile soil there is plenty of water aside from the many springs and streams of the town. At present these sources of water are converted into a giant irrigation dam to regulate the flow of supply of water to the ricefields.

source: The Provincial Government

Tubigon is a 3rd class municipality and seaport in the province of Bohol, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 40,385 people in 7,714 households. It is well known for its "lambay" crabs. It is the nearest seaport in Bohol to Cebu, and has recently expanded its seaport to accommodate additional sea traffic.

Tubigon's attraction is the popular Mt. Ilihan where the popular Princess Analiza has been practising her hermit passion for the past 25 years. Princess Analiza lives at the top of the hill with her daughter Batong Orange Luningning and with the members of the Subano Group Catholic of Holy God Spirit. This group was featured of the then ABS-CBN's Magandang Gabi, Bayan, GMA 7 and in 2006 with On-Foot team of Living Asia Channel hosted by Tim Tayag and produced by Leo Udtohan.

The Lungsuran Performing Arts Ensemble known as Lupae is a must-see when you visit this town.

source: wikipedia.org

Bohol is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region. Its capital is Tagbilaran City. It is the 10th largest island in the country, securely nestled in the heart of the Visayas. [1] To the west of Bohol is Cebu, to the northeast is the island of Leyte and to the south, across the Bohol Sea is Mindanao.

Bohol is a popular tourist destination with its beaches and resorts. The Chocolate Hills, numerous mounds of limestone formation, is the most popular attraction. The island of Panglao, located just southwest of Tagbilaran City, is home to some of the finest beaches in the country. The Philippine Tarsier, considered by some to be the smallest primate, is indigenous to the island.

Boholanos refer to their island homeland as the 'Republic of Bohol' with both conviction and pride. A narrow strait separates the island of Cebu and Bohol and both share a common language, but the Boholanos retain a conscious distinction from the Cebuanos.

Hills dominate the island of Bohol. Two ranges run roughly parallel on the northwest and the southeast. An interior plateau is dominated by limestone hills. In Carmen, Batuan and Sagbayan, these hills form near perfect cones in great numbers and are collectively referred to as the Chocolate Hills.

Bohol's climate is generally dry, with maximum rainfall between the months of June and October. The interior is cooler than the coast.

Bohol is the home province of Carlos P. Garcia, the fourth president of the Republic of the Philippines (1957-1960) who was born in Talibon, Bohol.

source: wikipedia.org

By Atty. Aleck Francis Lim

I just got off the phone with Edito ALA Villamor, who together with Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista and AJ “Bazooka” Banal are in Puerto Rico training with the famed world champion, Oscar “Golden Boy” de la Hoya.

According to Villamor, the two ALA boys are doing very well in their training. The boys at this point and time are still a bit over their fighting weight but Villamor assured me that weight is “not going to be a problem, we still have two weeks to go.”

The boys, he said are “a little bit homesick” since there is nothing much to do except train, go to the grocery, cook, do the laundry and hang out at the room. But, he said they are good and are taking everything in stride.

“One thing for sure, they are focused on their game as they know the importance of what they have do to achieve their goals” Villamor said.

Please tell everyone that the Golden Boy people, particularly Oscar are very good to us. “They treat us a family and that makes a lot of difference to the moral of the boys.”

“The boys are also learning a lot just by watching de la Hoya. He trains like he is as young as the two boys, so his work ethic rubs off to them. Now the boys are more aware what it takes to be a world champion and more important how to stay at the top,” he added.

Villamor and the ALA Boys are arriving in Las Vegas on the 29th of April to participate in the week long media hoopla preceding the big fight at the MGM Hotel Events Center.

*******
Published in the Bohol Standard

SOCIAL payback ripples again hit the Filipino people and hit the Social Security System (SSS) as the country economy improved under the Arroyo administration and President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has ordered the government owned corporation to raise the retirement benefits of its members by ten percent.

The order by the president came less than a year after a similar increase last September.

PGMA cited the pension company’s impressive income resulting from sound investment and efficient premium collection during the agency’s 50th Anniversary and 2nd Annual Convention of Account Executives recently.

Moreover, the government, through SSS will focus on broadening the coverage of the institution to include the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), self-employed workers, and those who operate in the underground economy, bares the social payback plan coverage as presented to the media.

Chairman Thelmo Cunanan said that SSS is going to focus on the OFWs in the US as pilot members to increase the coverage of the SSS.

PGMA expressed confidence that SSS would be able to hurdle the challenges of widening its market, improving benefits and getting into investment areas like microfinance because they have surpassed the seemingly insurmountable challenge of keeping the SSS alive.

The President said the painful adjustments that were enforced since 2001 has led to its long-term, sustained recovery for the benefit of its 27 million membersâ€"1.1 million of whom are pensioners.

SSS President Corazon de la Paz said the SSS Reserve Fund has increased by almost 15 percent, from P196.3 billion in 2005, to P225 billion last year.

“As a result of the SSS reform program, we are really very happy and we must be very proud that the actuarial life of the agency has been extended from 2015 to 2038,” President Arroyo said. (PIA)

VICE-GOV. Julius Caesar Herrera expressed sincere gratitude to the people of Bohol in general for putting their trust in him in the local governance particularly in legislation and steering the Sangguniang Panlalawigan which he chairs.

He said that the result of the latest Bohol Poll 2007 that gave him a net performance rating of +53 indicated that the Boholanos still believe in his capacity as vice-governor of the province. “A great majority of 88% of Boholano voters is aware that Julius Caesar Herrera is the Vice-Governor of the Province,” according to the Bohol Poll 2007.

The Boholano voters being satisfied gave Herrera 66% while those who are not (satisfied) 13%, the Bohol Poll said. The vice-governor, who is the national president of LVGP, got the highest rating of +70 in congressional district two and +30 in third district.

According to Bohol Poll project team led by director Josephine Tortor Cemine, the opinion polling was aimed at measuring government performance in the delivery of basic services. The public presentation of the poll last April 12, 2007 at audio-visual hall of Holy Name University was made possible through the efforts of the project team composed of Cemine, project manager Ernesto Golosino, and their teammates. The presentation was attended by HNU president Fr. Ernesto Lagura, SVD; vice-president for academic affairs Fr. Romeo Bancale, SVD; campus ministry director Fr. Andres Guban, SVD, and local officials, representatives from business, academe, city and provincial government, media, religious and other sectors. Maria Paz Jimenez-Espiritu emceed the Bohol Poll presentation.

Meanwhile, Herrera expressed concern over the plight of old pensioners and other beneficiaries of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS). This surfaced during the meeting with municipal local operations officer of DILG called and presided over by provincial DILG director Rustica Mascarinas.

He said that he would try his best to do something about the various complaints lodged against GSIS’s “dismal” services especially the unnecessary procedures on the release of pensions to the beneficiaries. Herrera, as president of the League of Vice-Governors of the Philippines, assured those affected by making representations to the higher agencies to rectify whatever lapses the GSIS has committed.

*******
Published in the Bohol Standard

GOV. Erico Aumentado the other day sought authority from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to effect a ten-percent across the board increase salary hike for Capitol employees retroactive March 1, 2007.

This after the provincial government of Bohol appropriated P26 million from its savings, generated by his policy of not filling up vacancies, which are not indispensable to public service.

The governor sought the salary increase “to help us improve the quality of life of our personnel in these difficult times.”

“Admittedly, this is one also of the incentives that the provincial government has given to its employees because for the last six years of my administration, not a single office therein has ever been linked to corruption, according to the Holy Name University [HNU] Research Center yearly poll surveys,” he explained.

The HNU Research Center is the only outside Metro Manila-based polling body and trained by the Social Weather Stations.

“Your Excellency’s exemption or authorization will move DBM [Department of Budget and Management] to approve the aforecited appropriation in a supplemental budget for the purpose,” he said. (June Blanco)

*******
Published in the Bohol Standard

GOV. Erico B. Aumentado has assured no less than the highest ranking official of the German government here in the Philippines that justice will be served for the slain Malinka couple.

In his letter to German Ambassador to the Philippines, Axel Weishaupt, dated April 18, 2007, the governor assured the envoy that “the criminals responsible in the killing of German national Helmuth Malinka and his Boholana wife, Eutiquia, will be brought to justice the soonest possible time.”

He explained that the task force composed of the NBI, CIDG and police investigators is about to close its investigation, with one of the suspects already in custody.

Aumentado likewise informed the German government, through the Embassy, of his instructions to police provincial director P/Sr. Supt. Edgardo Ingking to build an airtight case against the suspects and make sure that they are placed behind bars.

Nevertheless, he expressed the provincial government’s regret for the unfortunate incident and condolences over the untimely death of the Malinka couple.

“I assure you also of the safety of the German nationals in Bohol as the Malinka case is an isolated one. Similarly, all foreign nationals now residing in Bohol are given proper protection from criminal elements by the police,” Aumentado stressed.

*******
Published in the Bohol Standard

UNACCOUNTED large cache of firearms now believed to be at the hands of the communist rebels here has the military apprehensive that these could be used to terrorize to demand the permit to campaign from local politicians.

With this and the recent reported sightings of armed communists in the rural areas now desperate to finance their cause, Army’s 302nd Brigade commander Colonel Jesus D. Dellosa has put up a stern warning to unscrupulous politicians willing to stretch their luck to get the votes.

As long as a large number of firearms are still in Bohol and the inter-island movement of rebels goes on across the Visayas, the chance these firearms would be used to demand compliance is there, the seasoned fighter fresh from a Mindanao assignment said.

“We are appealing to all local candidates not to give in to the demands of the communist terrorist movement especially on the PTCs because if they do that, they are just supporting or aiding the enemies of the state,” the army top man said at the recent Kapihan sa PIA held at the Chriscentville.

With campaigns steaming through, the scurry to get to the niches of the rural areas by politicians to gather support heightens and in areas believed to be under rebel influence, rebels demand access fees.

In the past, a military operation has confiscated rebel documents detailing the names of politicians who gave PTCs and their non-monetary contributions to the rebel movement in exchange for access to areas. A candidate them gave an armalite rifle to the rebels, the confiscated documents bared.

The local Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) has kept the records after the military turned it over to them for proper legal action. After a while, speculations floated that the inaction could be because of the repercussions on cases against top politicians abetting the rebellion.

In 1999, a band of rebels, pretending to be DILG authorities succeeded in raiding a police detachment in Batuan and ransacked the installation’s armory, including a still un-recovered .60 caliber machine gun.

“We appeal [to politicians] not to resort to any violent activities because we will use all our resources to stop them and we are going to apply the full force of the law to go after them,” he said over the Kapihan sa PIA aired over a local radio station.

With a generally peaceful assessment on Bohol, Col. Dellosa, whose interview was also aired at Comelec Time said the military should not be too complacent and assured that they are currently checking the real ground situation to avert these incidents. (rachiu/PIA)

*******
Published in the Bohol Standard

Hello Sister Aya,

Finally you arrive here. Maayong Pag-abot! Kumusta ang life sa Japan?
Hope to see you here everyday. Use this site for the improvement of Bohol, our beloved land.

God bless,
Mike

The term 'ubay-ubay' or 'alongside' became the byword of inhabitants or traders who used to travel along the shorelines of Ubay to avoid the strong current of the famous Cunigao Channel.

In the hinterlands there was a single trail to follow by native folks in going to the center to trade. This trail was located alongside (ubay) the sandy beach. Later on the term Ubay became the original name of the community.

Before the Spanish regime, Ubay was a part of Talibon. Berudja Reyes became the renowned leader of the community and was very much respected by the Ubayanons. On Jan. 15, 1876, it separated from Talibon to become an independent muncipality. The first town executive was Toribio Reyes, the son of Berudja Reyes.

source: The Provincial Government of Bohol

Valencia is a 4th class municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 24,363 people in 4,392 households. Valencia is on the southern coast of Bohol. It is forty-two kilometers from the capital. Its former name is said to be "Panangatan," which is derived from "Sang-at", meaning to put up on an elevated place.

It is said that many years ago, on windy days, fishermen from Dimiao and Lila used to seek shelter at the mouth of the Panangatan River when the southwest moonsoon was very strong. Here they would put up (sang-at) their boats on the banks of the river where nipa palms grew in order to prevent them from being washed away by the waves.

When the Spaniards came, Panangatan was still a part of Dimiao. It was separated in 1867, the year a Spanish priest was assigned to the municipality. The priest gave it the new name, after that of a seaport city in Spain. In 1879 Valencia had a population of 7,009.

source: wikipedia.org

FILIPINO-owned company Lamoiyan Corp. (Lamoiyan) is determined to grab the positions enjoyed by multinational companies (MNCs) in the country’s toothpaste market.

Lamoiyan is also set to compete head-on with Unilever and Procter and Gamble (P&G) Co. by investing more than P100 million for marketing and upgrading its manufacturing equipment, said company president and chief executive officer Cecilio Pedro.

The company also plans to venture fully into the country’s cosmetics and household product sectors, which are dominated by both MNCs, by adding more products.

“We are now in the process of analyzing the market for three additional cosmetic products, which we plan to launch soon,” he said in an interview at the Marco Polo Plaza Hotel yesterday.

Manufacturer

Pedro was the speaker of the “Meet the Business Legend,” a monthly project of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI).

Lamoiyan is the manufacturer of Happee toothpaste, Fresher feminine wash and Dazz dish washer.

Lamoiyan’s Happee toothpaste has cornered about 25 percent of the market, third only to Colgate and Closeup, which have market shares of about 40 percent and 30 percent, respectively.

Comparable

“We (Lamoiyan) are ready to fight them (Unilever and P&G) in the country. We are moving to the next level to compete with them. I believe that the Filipinos can excel and that Filipino products, like Happee, are comparable, and are even better than other products (manufactured by foreign companies),” Pedro said.

“But then, making us number one depends on the Filipinos,” he added.

To improve on product quality, Pedro said Lamoiyan will invest some P100 million this year for equipment alone. This is on top of the amount the company will spend on marketing efforts and its human resources.

Advertising

“We have hired the services of an international advertising agency. Our people in our research and development are from Unilever and P&G. This is a very hugeâ€"a growingâ€"investment,” he said.

Pedro said the company’s hiring of international artist Lea Salonga as endorser of Happee is a manifestation of its determination to increase market share in the country.

Prices

Despite the additional investments, he said Lamoiyan will not increase the prices of its products. The toothpaste’s price will remain 20 percent to 30 percent lower than the two leading toothpastes in the market.

“We are compromising our margin because we believe in providing quality yet affordable products to the Filipinos,” Pedro said. (JBN)

Published in the SunStar Cebu

A GROUP running a retirement and nursing home in Japan is now eyeing the Cebu Doctors’ South General Hospital (South Gen) as a potential retirement facility.

“They want a place where it’s near the hospital and the sea,” Dr. Potenciano Larra-zabal Jr., Cebu Doctors’ Hospital Inc. (CDHI) president said.

Larrazabal said CDHI and the Aiko group of Japan are negotiating to have the group relocate its retirees to the hospital’s 70-bed fourth floor.

“It will be a trial run. But the Japanese are decided. They may be here in a couple of months,” he said.

Renovation

While waiting for the plans to materialize, the fourth floor will undergo renovation and additional amenities will be put up.
He said CDHI is already contemplating on hiring Niponggo teachers and a Japanese cook.

Larrazabal said once the deal is inked, the nursing staff will have an opportunity to learn the Japanese culture and to speak Niponggo.

While the initial plan was for the Aiko group to hire some of South Gen’s nurses, he fears this may cause a “culture shock” for some nurses.

Bringing Japanese retirees here instead will be a “win-win” situation to both parties.

Larrazabal said the partnership with the Aiko group is a step closer to CDHI’s realization of establishing a retirement village in southern Cebu.

Aging

“With the growing aging population, I can see that the Philippines, particularly Cebu, has bright prospects to cater to these retirees who are in need of good healthcare facilities and services,” he said earlier.

He said CDHI may utilize a portion of the one-hectare lot in Naga, where the 250-bed Cebu Doctors’ South Gen Hospital sits, for the retirement village or acquire other properties nearby.

There are also plans to construct a “mini mall” within the vicinity of the retirement village.

Larrazabal is optimistic that, in the near future, the healthcare sector will be among the province’s booming industries, along with property development and information and communications technology.

Attract

While some hospitals in Manila make good retirement facilities, he said Cebu has a stronger probability to attract the medical tourism market because of the province’s peace and order situation, better airport facilities, good telecommunications and the Cebuanos’ proficiency in the English language.

In the past years, CDHI has invested in building and improving its network of hospitals in the province, including Cebu Doctors’ Hospital, North General Hospital in Talamban, Cebu City) and South Gen.

Resources

“We have committed our resources in building facilities that enhance the country’s medical industry,” Larrazabal told Sun.Star Cebu in the sidelines of the soft opening of Cebu Doctors’ University at the Mandaue Reclamation Area last Saturday.

The multi-million-peso facility includes a six-story campus and will soon have an Olympic size swimming pool, a track oval and a mixed-use facility.

It sits on a 2.5-hectare lot. (MMM)

Published in SunStar Cebu

A MEXICAN newspaper reported a Manny Pacquiao-Marco Antonio Barrera rematch on Sept. 15 this year in Las Vegas, USA.

The news that came out from Esto last Saturday came as a surprise to the camp of Barrera who is anticipating a Barrera-Juan Manuel Marquez rematch.

But the news brings elation to Barrera who is itching to exact vengeance against the Filipino Mexican Destroyer.

However, the news was not confirmed by the Barrera’s promoter Golden Boy Promotions (GBP) or from Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank.

Plans

The GBP is planning a Barrera-Marquez rematch while Top Rank has scheduled Pacquiao against either Golden Boy’s undefeated WBO superfeatherweight champion Joan Guzman of the Dominican Republic or Mexican Humberto Soto.

Last January the Pacquiao-Barrera rematch was ditched after the Filipino fighter signed up with Top Rank.

The two promoters sent offers and counter-offers but at the end, Barrera fought and lost to Marquez, while Pacquiao humbled the big-mouthed but unheralded Jorge Solis.

Although Barrera lost his belt to Marquez, many believed that a Pacquia-Barrera rematch could generate a huge interest from boxing fans.

Meteoric rise

Barrera lost to Pacquiao in November of 2003 in San Antonio, Texas, which earned the Filipino fighter his meteoric rise to stardom.

Pacquiao fought Marquez to a draw in May 2004 and the mandated Pacquiao-Marquez rematch was put off after the Mexican refused to take a lesser prize purse.

The World Boxing Council had ordered Marquez to make a mandatory title defense against Pacquiao but allowed the Filipino warrior to have a six-month break before pushing for the fight. (RCM)

Published in SunStar Cebu

(I composed this poem right after I talked to a friend, who was  brainwashed by John Lennon. To my lost friend, you may never know that I wrote this poem for you.)

Psalm 14:1 "The fool says in his heart: 'There is no God.'"

Si John Lennon
Kinsa gisakmit na ni kamatayon
Ang imong nang gituohan karon
Ang iyang giingon
Nga ‘God is only a concept’
Mihilo sa imong pangisip
Ug ang Ginoo
Nga kanhi nimo gialagaran
Kaniya wala kana magtuo

Ngano, nganong imong gitalikdan
Ang kinabuhi nga naandan
Ang Pulong Niya
Wa mo na basaha
Sa imong mga pag-ampo
Wa mo na Siya padungga

Nganong misimang ka
Sa dalang buot Niyang ipasubay

Ikaw karon naglatagaw
Haw-ang imong kasingkasing

Bisan unsang butang
Ikaw way pagkatagbaw

Duna kay buot kab-oton
Buot angkonon

Duna kay gipangita
Apan wa ka masayod
Kung unsa kini

Ablihi pag-usab
Ang imong kinabuhi
Ang Ginoo wala mausab
Siya gihapon
Ang imong paglaum

Dili pa ulahi
Ang tanan
Balik sa Diyos
Hinumdumi
Ikaw
santos!

written by www.mikeligalig.com

Naghay-ad sa imong palad
Ang pangontra sa kalintura
Tumara dayon, adlaw-adlawa
Sama nimong kalit magkasakit
Calcium imong paglaum.

                        - composed in Davao City

Note: kalintura is "hilanat" to Dabawenyos

(this poem was published in Sun-Star Daily Cebu, but i never had the chance to get hold of the copy)

Inig mingawon ko kanimo
Sud-ungon ko ang kapanganuran
Kay basin kanang samang mga panganod
Mapadpad tungod sa imong nahimutangan
Ug basin makahangad ka
Ug makita mo usab
Ang akong nasud-ong;
Bisan pa man ang mga panganod
Mausab ang ilang porma ug dagway
Apan nahimo gihapon silang
saksi
Sa akong paghanduraw kanimo

Inig mingawon ko kanimo
Gakson ko ang huyohoy
Pahagkan ko sa hangin
Ang akong aping
Basin ang susamang hangin
Mopanaw ngadto sa imong gipuy-an,
O kaha sa imong gitrabahoan
Ug ang huyuhoy moasoy kanimo
mahitungod
Sa akong mga paghandom

Inig mingawon ko kanimo
Bas-on ko sa dagat
Ang akong mga tiil â€"
Ug ang tubig sa baybayon
Daghan ug agianan
Paingon sa ubang mga dagat sa
kalibotan
Basin ang susamang tubig â€"
Kon ugaling mahianha ikaw
Sa usa ka baybayon â€"

Mohumod sa imong lapa-lapa
Ug ang dagat mohagawhaw
Mahitungod kon unsa ka
lawom
Ang kamingaw ko kanimo

written by www.mikeligalig.com

imong naablihan ang pultahan sa akong kalibutan
ug imong nakita ang mga nangakay-ag kung sugilanon
ug ang mga nalukot kong kapakyasan sa kinabuhi.

nahadlok ako nga kung imong maablihan
ang mga lawak sa akong kagahapon
imong masud-ong ang akong mga pagmahay.

nahadlok ako nga basin diha sa akong mga bintana
imong malantawan sa halayo
ang akong mga kapakyasan sa kinabuhi.

apan gidapit ko ikaw sa pagdayon
ug sudla ang kinauyokan sa akong kalag
ug aninawa ang katahom sa akong kasingkasing,
ang kamadanihon sa akong hunahuna -

kay ikaw man ang higala nga dugay na nga nawala.

written by www.mikeligalig.com

(the incident happened in tagbilaran city. the scene was so morbid that i was compelled to rush to my office and i wrote this poem)                       

giyarok sa ugang kalsada ang mibanaw mong dugo sa dalan b. inting
apan sa dihang milugdang ang imong dugo, midigwa ang kalsada
giluod sa kalang-og sa imong pagtalikod.  hangtod misuka ang kalsada
namoasik ang dugo sa paril sa gallares hospital. nanglagsik ang dugo
subay sa siak sa aspalto ug hangtod ang tanang dugo nabad-ay
sa gagmayng mga bato

kasuka-on gihapon ang gibidling kalsada   

gidungaw sa adlaw ang nagtungok mong dugo.  milingiw ang adlaw
midugok ang daghang langaw, nag-iyahay ug tugdon sa gagmayng lim-aw
sa dugong napan-os.  sama sa adlaw, mikolismaot ang dagway sa mga langaw

kadtong mga estambayng nakasaksi sa imong paglayat sa paril miduyog
sa kasubo sa hoyuhoy sa kaadlawon.  miugbok sila ug tambok nga kandila
gihimo nilang koros ang sinalikwayng lipak sa labat sa atbang â€" nagtaop
pa sa kawayan ang lansang.  ang tayaong lata sa alaska ilang gitisokan
ug lawos nga bugonbilya nga wa kadimdim sa lad-ang tubig sa tagbilaran
gialirongan nila ug mga bato ang koros ug lata

napalong na ang kandila

matag traysikol drayber sa dakbayan milingi tungod sa paril nga imong
gilatayan, mikisdong ang ilang agtang tungod sa naghay-ad mong dugo
matag tawong naglakaw sa kalsada modalikyat ug sud-ong sa dugo
nagpanlingolingo sila.  nanaguto sila.  nanghupaw sila

nasayran, imong asawa nagdangoyngoy samtang gihinabi sa dyrd
matod pa sa kasayorang napupo, ikaw si alfredo, trabahante didtos dao
lumad sa candijay, daghan pag batang panggaon, pakan-on, mahalon
imong asawa gibatil sa kahangangha, katingala ngano samawan kag tawo
hangtod nagsige kag tago sa kasilyas, hangtod miikyas kas mga nars
midagan, midagan ka, ug unya gidupa mo ang gilapdon sa langit ug yuta

written by www.mikeligalig.com

Balak Sa Udtong Tutok
sinulat ni Mike Ortega Ligalig

Sulaton ko kining balak sa dili pa moabot ang udtong tutok
Kay buot kong kanlaton gikan sa akong dughan kining kapungot,
Kalagot, kaaligutgot nga mipilit sa akong kabukogan:
Pagbati nga imong gitisuk sa akong panit (apan wa ka nahibalo),

Ug buot kong laksion sa akong handurawan ang idlas mong panagway,
Buot kong gision ang imong pangalan nga napatik ning alimpatakan.

Maayo pay wa ko motadlas sa kapunaw-punawan sa daw gambang kalibotan
Wa unta ko masaag sa hanap mong nahimutangan diin ka nagpahipi.

Gisulayan ko ug bunlot ang tanod sa atong panagkaila
Nga mikutay sa akong mga sanga, sa akong mga kaugatan

Apan imong gilayong giputol ang bugtong tulay
Nga mao untay mokutay sa nagkabaiwas tang mga dalan

Karon nga mitindog na ang bidlisiw sa silaw nga adlaw
Ug mopahilayo na ako gikan sa tanang mga eskena diin ko ikaw nakita
Ug natapos na ang balak nga gisabak sa mga pagmahay
Sunugon ko sa akong mga mata ang tanang pulong nga nahisulat dinhi.

Baclayon is in the eastern part of Bohol. It is the first municipality to be established in Bohol by the Spaniards and formerly comprised its present territory and those belonging now to Corella, Sikatuna, Alburquerque and Balilihan. This municipality was originally called Bacayan because travellers used to detour (bacay) around a rocky cliff along the shore about half kilometer from the municipal building in order to avoid going over the top of the cliff. The town was founded in 1595 by two Jesuit priests, Fr. Juan de Torres and Fr. Gabriel Sanchez who also built a stone church which is now considered as the oldest stone church in the country. In 1879, Baclayon had a population of 11,142.

source: The Provincial Government of Bohol

I know the colour rose, and it is lovely,
    But not when it ripens in a tumour;
    And healing greens, leaves and grass, so springlike,
    In limbs that fester are not springlike.

    So in the simple blessing of a rainbow,
    In the bevelled edge of a sunlit mirror,
    I have seen visible, Death’s artifact
    Like a soldier’s ribbon on a tunic tacked.

by Dannie Abse

Antequera is a 5th class municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 13,758 people in 2,801 households.

Antequera is an interior town located 19 kilometers from Tagbilaran City and lying northeast of Maribojoc. It used to be a barrio of Maribojoc before it became a municipality. A Spanish official gave it its name after his birthplace, Antequera, a city in Spain. Simeon Villas, one of the early settlers of the place became its first gobernadorcillo. As a barrio, Antequera used to be called Agad.

source: wikipedia.org and the Provincial Capitol of Bohol

Written by Jes Tirol

Proem

The town of Batuanan was different from the present town of Batuan. The town of Batuanan was created as a resettlement area of the surrendered followers of Dagohoy. It never became a separate parish and continued its precarious existence until it was ordered abolished on Sept. 9, 1879. It was re-created a town again by Executive Order of President Elpidio Quirino under the new name of Alicia on Sept. 16, 1949 to be effective on Nov. 8, 1949.

The Name

The name Batuanan was taken from the name of the batuan tree. It has the same origin of the name as the present day Municipality of Batuan.

The batuan tree was a useful tree. The water in which its leaves and fruit are boiled was usable to clean metals; the juice of the fruit when picked ripe is equivalent to the olive oil.

The Town

On 31 August 1829 Major Manuel Sanz made a report to Governor General Mariano Ricafort. The report said that the place “was planned during the start of 1827 with 1981 voluntary surrenderees. On April 1828 there were resettled 2,087 surrenderees. These were added to those who were joined to this visita (mission field) last March. At present, there are 6,266 souls under the temporary administration of the parish priest of Guindulman.”

The town of Batuanan was created by the Military Commander of Bohol Don Manuel Sanz by virtue of an authorization granted by the Governor General on 5 February 1828. It was one of the resettlement areas of the surrendered followers of Dagohoy together with Balilihan, Catigbian, Vilar, Candijay, and Cabulao. However, Cabulao wsa not implemented as a town because all its inhabitants fled to the nearby island of Leyte.

Its Location

The location of Batuanan was very unhealthy. It was located at the bank of a navigable river called Napô. However, the place was infested with malaria-bearing mosquitoes. Many inhabitants died due to sickness. Also, the soil was not fertile. It was a reason why no priest wanted to live in Batuanan.

However, the inhabitants were forced to construct a church, a town hall and schools. When these infrastructures were destroyed by a typhoon on 15 October 1856, the people did not anymore rebuild them.

Without a resident priest to guide them, literacy was neglected and the people became ignorant and lawless. They could not even remember their official names.

The Abolition

By the year 1879, Batuanan became remiss in its payment of taxes. There were many cattle rustles in the place. Even its Gobernadorcillo (Mayor) was arrested for cattle rustling.

In 1879, the Governor of Bohol consulted with leaders of the neighboring towns on what action to take regarding the town. Its was only the parish priest of Ubay who disagreed with its dissolution. On 9 September 1879, the Politico-Military Governor of Bohol, Adolfo Martin de Baños issued an order dissolving the town of Batuanan and converting it into a barrio of Candijay town. However, due to its far distance from Candijay the town of Batuanan continued to have its own town officials even though officially it was already a barrio of Candijay.

American Period

For a long time Batuanan practically existed as a town within a town. That was the reason why the Spaniards never made it into a separate parish.

In 1903, by virtue of Act No. 968 of the Philippine Commission of the Americans, Batuanan was effectively abolished and made a barrio of the new Municipality of Mabini, Bohol. As time went by, the residents of Batuanan became more knowledgeable in the art of government. They produced two Mayors, two Vice Mayors, and many councilors for the town of Mabini.

The attitude of the people had already changed. Whereas in the 1830s the people did not want to continue as a town because it only meant expenses, in the 1940s the people wanted to regain their former status as a town.

In 1949, Pedro Huiso, a local leader of Batuanan and a municipal councilor of Mabini, spearheaded the move to convert barrio Batuanan into a municipality.

On 15 April 1948, while President Qurino was in Dumaguete city campaigning for his election as President of the Philippines, Governor Jacinto Borja of Bohol together with the leaders of Batuanan presented the petition for conversion to a municipality.

On 16 September 1949, President Quirino signed Executive Order No. 265 converting Batuanan into the municipality of Alicia, Bohol.

The leaders of Batuanan promised President Quirino that his opponent would get zero votes in Batuanan. To let the leaders keep their promise, the executive order was made to take effect only on 8 November 1949 after the national election. If the promised was not kept, the Executive Order could be revoked. All went fine and Batuanan became again a new town but with the name Alicia, Bohol.

References: 1. Manuel Sanz, “Conquista De La Isla De Bohol, Abril 1828 hasta 31 de Agosto 1829,” (National Archives, Manila), MSS.

2. Adolfo Martin de Bañs, “Carta Para Señor Gobernador General de Visayas, 9 Septiembre de 1879,” Ereccion de Pueblos: Bohol 1857-1890, Libro 3, (National Archives, Manila), p. 503. MSS.

“You are worthy and capable of becoming successful and prosperous. You focus your mind on studying for and passing the exam. You avoid unnecessary distractions. Your memory is clear, organized and effective. Your attention, retention and recall abilities are very strong. The acquisition of knowledge motivates you. You love to study. You take and pass the exam with an inner calm and focused clarity. The night before the exam you fall asleep easily, sleep soundly and awaken refreshed with a positive attitude. You pass the exam."

photo courtesy of eric roijen

image courtesy of kevinworld of flickr.com

MANILA, Philippines -- Asserting that there is no lack of jobs in the Philippines but only a job-skill mismatch, the Department of Labor and Employment has listed down 29 hard-to-fill jobs in eight sectors.

At the National Human Resource Conference at the Manila Hotel Wednesday, the labor department said jobs that had vacancies but were difficult to fill were those for: geologists, mining engineers, and metallurgical engineers in the mining sector; cooks, tour guides, reservations officers for hotels and travel agencies, butlers, and baristas in the hotel and restaurant sector; welders, fabricators, pipe fitters, marine electricians, and all other jobs related to shipbuilding sector; entrepreneurs for the agribusiness sector; marine officers, seafarers, and culinary chefs for the maritime sector;

Doctors, nurses, massage therapists, and spa therapists in the health, wellness, and medical tourism sector; architects, engineers, heavy equipment mechanics, and other allied workers in the construction sector; engineers, accountants, animators, programmers, contact center agents, and medical transcribers and editors in the cyber services sector.

At the same time, Labor Secretary Arturo Brion said a total of nine million jobs -- four million in the country and five million abroad -- were available from 2006 to 2010.

“One of the most pressing social issues in the country is the outcry for jobs. Media and social discourse can make us believe that there are no more jobs left in the country. The reality, however, is that there are plenty of jobs waiting to be filled up by qualified workers,” he said.

“What we found out is that there are sectors that are in need of workers who possess the critical skills required by the respective industries,” he added.

In its presentation, DoLE defined hard-to-fill jobs as those that were “highly demanded and emerging jobs where supply shortages occur based on recruitment and hiring experiences of the key informants.”

The labor department sourced the mismatch problem principally to low enrolment in the courses for these jobs due to lack of interest, high cost and long duration of training, lack of higher education and technical-vocational institutions that offer these programs, lack of qualified faculty and trainers, and lack of or inadequate training facilities.

These result in the poor performance in licensure exams, especially in the engineering and medical professions.

To address this problem, the Commission on Higher Education and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority agreed to implement several interventions this year and next: to reintegrate skills courses in basic education; add language and information technology units in higher education; and adopt uniform international standards for accreditation.

This way, the Philippines will be able to “take the high road to productivity and competitiveness,” said Brion.

Published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer

Should I say "Happy Birthday" to Tubag Bohol..."We Listen" Team?

Maayong Pag-abot

Published in the Bohol Chronicle on March 7, 2004

*******
"You will be wondering why the platform of eradication of graft and corruption is our no. 1 platform. This is one important aspect of governance in which the present city administration has miserably failed."

With these words, city vice mayor Jorge Cabalit opened his 14-point platform of governance during Friday's mayoralty forum organized by the Bohol Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) and held at the Bohol Tropics Resort.

"Efforts of the present administration to reduce if not eradicate graft and corruption in the city government have been superficial and insignificant," stressed Cabalit, sounding **** bent on bringing down something giant.

Cabalit, who spoke after Cogon barangay captain and Association of Barangay Captains president Betty Torralba's (wife of city mayor Joe Torralba) turn, said that what the present administration had done so far was creating a new bidding and awards committee.

"There are no significant measures to address graft and corruption," Cabalit reiterated even as he cited the Bohol Poll 2003 survey results which gave a -17 rating to the city government's efforts to fight against graft.


During the open forum, however, Cabalit was asked to clarify his claims on graft and corruption in an administration in which he has been part of.

"I am now in the opposition," Cabalit said curtly.

He said since he broke up with the administration, he has been supporting to the creation of the independent composite evaluation team (ICET) who looks into the alleged irregularity in the construction of the new City Hall, and the creation of an ad hoc body who would probe the alleged bidding anomalies at City Hall.


The vice-mayor, once accused by mayor Torralba as "destitute and senile," reiterated his opposition against the 48-hectare bay reclamation.

"Hindi ako nag-iisa (I am not alone)," he said, rebutting mayor Torralba's earlier claims that Cabalit was the lone oppositor to the controversial project.

Cabalit stressed the recla-mation, aside from being hazardous to the environment, would eventually kill tourism.

"Definitely, the Cabalit-Clarin team has the slogan, ‘Save Our City By The Bay," Cabalit said.


Meantime, Mrs. Torralba would push for her STRENGTH platform, which stands for Security, Tourism, Renewal, Education, Employment, Natural Resources Management, Good Governance, Trade and Health and Housing.

BCCI sources, commenting on Mrs. Torralba's speech, said it was somewhat a continuation of her husband's Feb. 9 state of the city address (SOCA).

"Well, more or less, she and her husband have the same mind framework, perhaps of the same speech writer," a BCCI official said on condition of anonymity. "What can you expect?"

The mayor's wife said that within the first year of her administration, whenever she is elected into office, she would bat for the creation of an Economic Enterprise Department "so we can better manage all of the City's enterprises…"

Some of her legislative agenda included, among others, the creation of a Citywide Crime Watch Brigade; creation of City Investment Board; City Cooperatives and People's Initiatives Development Office; and full implementation of the Coastal Resource Management Plan.

"We shall see to it that the local government will be a helping hand as each individual fulfills his p****tials and break free from the shackles of poverty," Mrs. Torralba concluded.


Former OIC mayor Dan Lim did not attend the forum.

Through an advance notice, Lim explained he shunned discussions on political issues as the official campaign trail is yet to start on March 25.

He said that had he attended the forum, he could have not avoided touching on sensitive political issues.

Lim however said he was looking forward to a multi-sectoral forum, together with the mayoralty bets, to be held on March 25.


Lim begged off to attend last Friday's forum after he wrote the Comelec that he did not want to violate Comelec rules.

He noted that the campaign period for local officials will commence on March 25, thus, he considered it not legal and proper to talk about platforms.

The letter of Lim addressed to provincial Comelec supervisor lawyer Fe Virginia Odtohan was signed by his running mate, businessman Djingo Rama, and his slate.

Not included in the forum organized by the Chamber were lawyer Bob Pizarras and Nemesio Monton.

written by: M. Ligalig, former senior writer/editor of the Bohol Chronicle

The fun, the memories...
by filipeanut of flickr.com

Puzzling Chocolate Hills

Anda is a 5th class municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 17,863 people in 3,072 households. Anda has sandy white beaches excellent for sun worshipers and snorkelers. The rock painting found in Lamanok point abode of the stone aged people continues to amaze historians.

Originally, the municipality was called Quinali due to the characteristic land formation of sand, gravel and corals that filed layer after layer amassed by seawaves since time immemorial. Once a barrio of Guindulman, it was made into a municipality on March 12, 1875 and was renamed "Anda" which means walking and moving (to posterity).

PAULINO T. AMPER
Mayor

EDIL F. TAHER
Vice Mayor

Councilors
NILO J. BERSABAL
DOMENCIANO A. DELIGERO
CONCORDIO O. FELICITAS
ALEJANDRO B. TONGCO
REINERIO H. MAKINANO
AGUSTIN C. MAKINANO
HERMONEGILDO H. ESCOBIDO
ERMINIO HE. TINIO

Written by Jes Tirol

Proem

In terms of persistence and peskiness to become a town, no other town in Bohol can beat the town of Anda. From 1856 up to 1875 when it became a town in the civil aspect and until 1885 when it became a town in the religious aspect, the people of Anda was always petitioning to become a separate town. Even though their petition had been denied many times, the people were persistent in petitioning to become a town.

Another Petition

On March 27, 1874 the petition of barrio Quinable to become a town was denied again for the same reason -- the number of taxpayers could not reach the required 500.

On September 23, 1874, only a few months from being denied, the people made another petition. This time the people took another tact.

Independent Lieutenant (Teniente Absoluto) Victorio Felisarta and thirty-seven (37) other signatories made the following reasoning: Their 1856 petition was denied for lacking the required number of taxpayers. Their 1872 petition was denied for the same reason. The number of births far exceeded the number of deaths, but the people migrated to other places due to lack of supervision and opportunities.

The reason why the people want to be a town is to have proper supervision and leadership. Without leadership the number of taxpayers would not increase, so first make Quinale into a town so that the taxpayers could reach 500 and not the other way around.

Provincial Politico-Military Governor Don Joaquin Bengoechea, understood the reasoning. So the provincial governor suggested, make a petition only for the civil aspect of the town. The requirement of 500 taxpayers is only for becoming a town in the religious aspect or becoming a separate parish. So the September 23, 1874 petition requested only to be a town in the civil aspect.

The Usual Rigmarole

The new petition went into rigmarole due to the reluctance of the religious authorities to approve it.

On March 11, 1875 the Consejo De Administracion (Council for Administration) recommended that the visita (mission field) of Quinale be separated in its civil aspect only because the Archbishop was not inclined to separate it on its religious aspect.

On March 12, 1875,, Governor General Don Jose de Malcampoy y Monje issued the decree creating the new town of Anda. The pertinent portion is translated by this writer as follows: "Now therefore, this General Government, in conformity with them (petitioners and recommending officials) decided to decree the creation of the Visita of Quinale into an independent town. It would be named ANDA and separated from its mother town in its civil aspect only in consonance with the desire of the religious authoritiesââ,¬Â¦"

On April 1, 1875 the order was published. The Archbishop of Manila confirmed that the separation was only on the civil aspect of the town.

On May 3, 1875, the local officials of the new town of Anda and the mother town of Guindulman gathered together to determine the boundaries.

A Beneficial Concession

The decree of the Governor General have also this provision: "The natives should be made to understand that they could continue to cultivate their properties in whichever jurisdiction they are locatedââ,¬Â¦" this means that if you are form Anda, you can still cultivate you land in Guindulman and vice versa. The only other time that this concession was given was when the barrio of Panas, Loboc became the town of Sevilla, Bohol. In other instances, the people of the new town will have to abandon their lands in the mother town. You will need a special permit to be able to cultivate your lands located in the mother town. You will need a special permit to be able to cultivate your lands located in the mother town. During that time it was necessary in order to avoid conflict where a person should his tax because taxation was per capita or per person basis and not by income as done nowadays. For example, you live, counted and pay your tax in Tagbilaran but your livelihood is from your farm in Corella, Bohol. You do not pay any tax in Corella, how would the officials in Corella feel?

Religious Aspect of the Town

The decision to separate only the civil aspect of the town proved to be correct. The people did not migrate anymore to other places. Since the people of Anda could still continue to cultivate their lands in Guindulman, their income was not reduced.

Eventually the number of taxpayers increased and Anda was qualified to be a separate town also in the religious aspect.

On July 18, 1885 Anda became an independent parish from Guindulman. It was made a Diocesan Parish on 19 March 1885 and advocated to the Holy Child (Santo Niño). It obained a Royal Approval on 6 January 1885. It was finally implemented on 18 July 1885 with Fr. Julian Cisnero as the first Parish Priest.

A Unique Occurrence

Anda, Bohol is a town that had a Spanish Priest from 1885 up to 1937. In 1898 the Spanish era ended in the Philippines. Most of the Spanish Priest in Bohol fled, but the Spanish Priest of Anda, Fr. Hilario Lopez did not flee. During the American era, the other towns of Bohol had Filipino priests but Anda, Bohol had a Spanish Priests (Order of Augustinian Recollect) until 1937. The last Spanish priest was Fr. Luis Llorente.

Written by Jes Tirol

Proem

A few days ago I was asked about the history of the establishment of the town of Anda, Bohol. When I looked at my past articles. I found out that I have not yet written about the town of Anda, Bohol. So herewith is the history of the establishment of the civil aspect of the town of Anda, Bohol.

The Name

The town now called Anda was once known as Quinale. The word Quinale comes from the Bisayan word calt.

The dictionary Vocabulario De La Lengua Bisaya has the following entry: "Calt -- Cabor o hazer hoyo, como para arrancar raizes, como de ubes o camotes. (To dig of make a hole to pull out roots, yams or sweetpotatoes).

The Bisayan spelling of calt is kalt. In the Bisayan spelling, the infix "ââ,¬Â¦in.." is inserted between the letters "K" and "A" and the word becomes kinalt. It means the result of the action of activity of kalt. It refers to the soil taken out when digging a hole. It does not refer to the hole but to the excavated material. The Spanish way of spelling kinalt is quinale.

The place called Quinale is located near the seashore at the eastern part of the island of Bohol. Its beaches have plenty of sand that looks like the kinalt from some excavations.

The name Quinale is therefore a cachetonym or a name taken from a prominent feature of the place.

When it was made into a separate town, its name was changed to Anda. No explanation was given in the decree why that name was chosen. The accepted explanation in the locality is that Anda refers to Governor General Simon de Anda y Salazar.

Simon de Anda was the member of the Royal Audiencia in the Philippines who did not surrender to the British in 1762. He went to the provinces and organized his own Spanish government and harassed the British who occupied Manila. He became Governor General of the Philippines in 1769-1770.

First Petition

On July 8, 1856 the Visita (Mission field) of Quinale made a petition to become an independent town from its mother town of Guindulman, Bohol.

On September 3, 1856 the Assessor General of the Government endorsed the petition to the Governor General of the Philippines. On September 5, 1856, Governor General Manuel Crespo denied the petition for the reason that Quinale could not meet the required number of 500 tributes or taxpayers.

Second Petition

On December 30, 1872, a new petition was made to become an independent town. The petition was addressed to the Provincial Governor of Bohol and signed by the following: Teniente Absoluto Eusebio Amper; Parish Priest Father Lorenzo Hernandez; Cabezas De Barangay Juda Felisarta; Silverio Escobido; Isidro Amper; Jose Felisarta; Leon Maquibulan; Serapio Felisarta; Gabriel Timaan; Domingo Deloso; Ciriaco Deloso; Nestorio Felisarta; Nicolas Felisarta, Romero Diligero; and Lauriano Jandayan.

The petition stated that the previous petition to become an independent town, only granted the people to have their own Independent Lieutenant (Teniente Absolutio) to govern the place.

The town had already progressed since 1856. The public buildings and church were improved. There was already a horse-carriage road covering the distance of two leagues (approximately 8 kilometers) to the mother town of Guindulman. However, the situation was not advants geous to the Visita. Its farm products would still have to be taken to Guindulman that was two and one-fourth leagues away.

The petition was endorsed to higher authorities. It reached the Consejo De Administracion De Filipinas (Council For Administration of the Philippines), the Father Provincial of the Recollects, and the Archbishop of Manila. It was sent forth and back for more information or data.

Petition Denied Again

On March 27, 1874, Father Patricio Marcellan, the Vicar Provincial of the Recollects in Manila made this comment; "In 1856, Quinale asked to be separated but it was inconvenient because it lacked the required 500 taxpayers. Now, it is still unprepared because there are only 400 taxpayers.

Your days are flying by and you don’t seem to be doing as much as you should. Is it because you have too much work to do or is it because you’re not as productive as you can be?

The answer is probably a mix of both. The idea behind being more productive is learning to develop work strategies that allow people to get work done efficiently. This will yield better results and decrease the stress pending on your shoulders.

So here are 9 simple pointers you can start following right now to cut down drastically on wasted time during the day.

1. Get ready the night before.

    It does make life in the mornings SO much easier. Whatever you can get done the night before, from laying out the outfit you plan to wear, to setting the breakfast table, to checking your to-do list, to filling your car’s gas tank, the more you’ll be able to get done the next day.

2. Don’t go through your day in a random, use your to-do list.

    Don’t go through your day in a random, haphazard fashion. Do one thing at a time as listed on your To Do list, and cross each task off your list as you complete it. The simple action of crossing out things that have been accomplished is rewarding in itself, and makes you more motivated to continue.

3. Set timers, they can be a huge help.

    If you tend to start projects but get distracted and get off track, timers can be a huge help. A timer boosts your productivity two ways. The first, is obvious: it keeps track of time and tells you when the allocated time is over. The second is a bit more subtle. A timer introduces urgency into your tasks. Even though it is really artificial urgency, it still works because your subconscious doesn’t know the difference. You find yourself trying to ‘beat the clock’.

4. Know yourself.

    Your prime time is the time during which you are most energetic and efficient. We all function on different ‘biological clocks.’ Some people feel most energetic and do their best work early in the morning. Others wake up and get moving very slowly, with top efficiency in the late afternoon. So you need to determine if you’re an early bird or a night owl, and schedule your projects accordingly. Work on your most important projects and tasks during the time of day when you feel most energetic and awake.

5. Cut the main barrier of productivity, your clutter.

    The endless slips of paper that we gather around us pile up day after day to become unending ream of paper that one day scream to be sifted through and junked or filed. If you can’t find what you need, or you don’t have enough clear space to work, or you are stressed by the mess, it’s going to be very difficult to get anything done in a timely manner. So make a promise to yourself to begin getting rid of the clutter and keep that promise. It’s an important one.

6. Do whatever you can to eliminate unnecessary interruptions.

    It’s difficult to get things done when you are being interrupted. If you really need to get something done, it’s important to focus. And the only way to focus is to eliminate interruptions. Put a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on your door. Allow your voicemail to field your calls. Turn off the radio and/or the television. Tell visitors you’ll stop by later in the day when you’re done with your project.

7. Stop trying to be a super hero, and delegate as much as possible.

    To often we think we are Superman or Superwoman and able to do everything ourselves. But this thinking reduces your productivity and prevents you from achieving your goals. If you can delegate some tasks to your spouse, your kids, your associates, your co-workers, an outside source, etc., then do it. Once you take the ‘I have to do it all myself’ responsibility off your shoulders, you’ll be able to get more done and feel less exhausted at the end of the day.

8. Take some time off from work.

    Stop right now. Stand up and move away from your computer. Well, read this article first, then do it. A simple thing like getting up from your chair and going to the bathroom can work miracles. Staring at a computer can often lead to brain-dead moments where the mind simply wanders off unconsciously. The idea is to avoid, or at least minimize, these extracurricular midday mental journeys. Going to the window and looking outside allows for a quick fix.

9. Get something done, even if it’s small.

    Try to start and finish your first task of the day. Completing a project early on is great motivation for you to continue being productive. So start your day with a task or project that you can complete in 10 minutes or less. Once you’re done with it, you’ll feel energized and move on to the next task or project of the day with ease.

I know you know this. Sometimes we just need to be reminded of what we intuitively know to be true. That´s really very true and applicable to most things we do that affect our productivity. And there is a lot more that I’m missing out on, so please share your tips if you have any.

source: ririanproject.org

Written by Brian Luce

I’ve never thought the word “Expatriate” was a good word to describe an American living overseas. It sounds like “Ex-patriot”, someone who’s lost his patriotism and has become unpatrioticâ€"and for an American living under the imperial presidency of GW Bush, that’s a frightening label.

Although I don’t like the word, I do like what it impliesâ€"or use to imply at least. Expatriate suggests a Bohemian world of Hemingway and bullfighting or even an aristocratic villain from a 007 movie living in a far-flung mountaintop fortress in the Austrian Alps. Sadly the reality of Expat living is less glamorous. Generally, one doesn’t meet many Bohemian Artists, Hemingways, or Bond Villains. The typical Expat profile is more likely to be a beer guzzling, self-indulgent, sun burnt lout. The drunken lout is the last stage of an unraveling process that results from too much free time, too much liquor, and not enough to do.

To be fair, as with any generalization, there are some wonderful exceptions to this trend. Individuals of remarkable accomplishment are among the dried dead leaves of the Expat community. Such individuals flourish and succeed in the warm and hospitable culture of Bohol. The balmy climate is a great incubator for ideas, goals, any type of creative plan.

I’ve found the best way to avoid the negative trappings of Expatriate living is to understand, accept, and hopefully embrace cultural differences rather than despise them. Growing up in Los Angeles, California I had a leg upâ€"as LA is the most culturally diverse places on the planet. In LA, intolerance is dangerous and can lead to AISS (Acute Ice pick in Skull Syndrome).

Expat communities often become insular. Frustrations over cultural differences are first shared, expanded, and reinforced. This is why Expats need to socialize with Filipinosâ€"Filipinos other than the compulsory stuff associated with their spouses’ immediate family.

Fortunately, Bohol has numerous organizations with foreign and local membership. Such organizations are important in breaking down the walls Expats tend to build between themselves and their host country.

Chris Cranswick and Emilie Bazire are expats living in Bohol in The Philippines.

Emilie originally travelled to the Philippines as a Youth Ambassador for Ausaid.

Chris is a chef from Narrabeen in Sydney. His skills have taken him to Michelin rated eateries in France and London and he currently works at cookery school near Bohol.

source: http://www.abc.net.au/sydney/stories/s872547.htm

“A man who is master of himself can end a sorrow as easily as he can invent a pleasure. I don’t want to be at the mercy of my emotions. I want to use them, to enjoy them, and to dominate them.” - Oscar Wilde

We think of ourselves as balanced individuals. But our lifestyle ensures that all our waking hours are occupied, at home and at work. This often makes us feel overwhelmed. It leads to reactions that are not the wisest, even to very ordinary situations. We’ve all witnessed men who have lost control of their emotions at work, slamming doors, yelling at coworkers or customers, and saying things they’ll soon regret. Reactions that are not appropriate, especially at work.

So, how can we maintain our professionalism and handle emotions at work? Here are a few ideas that will help you raise your emotional energy and help you to focus and succeed:

1. Understand that your emotions are not bigger than you are.

    Sounds easy, right. But have you ever tried doing it? We are fearful of allowing ourselves to really go with an emotion because it threatens to overwhelm us. In reality, that almost never happens. What makes the feeling so powerful is the energy we put into not admitting we are feeling it. Fear, anger, guilt, and resentment - these are all like small children pulling at your leg. They get louder and louder until you finally ask what they want. 99% of the time, their response is “nothing”. What they wanted was your attention, and now that they have it, they can move on.

2. Know what anger and frustration feels like to you.

    Sometimes, we can get really ‘cut off’ from our feelings and act rashly without knowing why. Learn to spot your stress triggers. Spend some time knowing what anger feels like to you, and where you notice it in your body.

3. Set a time limit on how long you are willing to vent, rant or whine.

    Five minutes is usually a good time frame. Most of us will have exhausted all that negativity by the end of those five minutes and we will have freed up a ton of energy that we can put to work on achieving our goals. The very act of setting a time limit gives you a sense of control over the feeling that helps put it into perspective.

4. Take a walk to cool down.

    Excuse yourself from the situation as soon as you feel yourself getting hot under the collar. Fake a page or another call to extricate yourself from a non-productive telephone call so you can step outside to calm yourself. Giving yourself time to cool down will help you clear your mind and may save you from losing your temper.

5. Ask for clarification before reacting.

    Don’t let what someone says to you encourage the wrong reaction. Stall for time by asking questions. If need be, repeat what the other person just said. This ensures you understand the comment and gives your colleague or client the opportunity to clarify any miscommunication.

6. Reflect back, apply now.

    Think of an instance when you have reacted well to a negative situation. Concentrate on the strength you showed and try to apply it to this situation. Keep your cool, when all those around you are losing theirs.

7. Apply the 10-second rule.

    Be aware of how you’re feeling and ensure you’re not overreacting. If you feel your temper flaring on the phone or in a meeting, count to 10 to keep you from losing your cool. Analyze the facts before going on a rant or becoming defensive.

8. Don’t forget the power of the written word.

    Take time to sit down and write out what you are feeling. Any way that you are able to clarify what you are feeling is good. In the heat of any emotion, most of us have the same thoughts rumbling through our brain. Writing it out can bring clarity, and more importantly, release. It can also help you identify productive and destructive states in yourself and others.

9. Distract yourself and calm down.

    Sometimes, getting your mind off the upsetting subject is enough to calm you down. Consider closing your door and playing computer games or something equally mindless (but absorbing). Shifting your focus will shift your attitude. Trust me, it really works.

10. Talk to someone about your frustrations.

    The best way to overcome emotions is to express them. Find a trustworthy friend and talk to him or her. Go for a beer together on a regular basis to vent. You cannot keep all your feelings bottled inside, or your health will suffer.

11. Stay optimistic all the way.

    Emotions affect our ability to think, communicate and act effectively. So instead of focusing on the negatives in your life, try to think of the positives and successes at your job. Make a list of all the good things that happened in your career.

12. Don’t allow any emotion to stop you from taking action.

    I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase, “Feel the fear and do it anyway.” Allowing yourself to take action despite the fear is what makes a true hero. Rather than feeling annoyed and frustrated, transform that energy into positive movement forward, where you can.

13. Work out to work off your anger.

    Don’t blow your professional image by letting others see you freak out, pound the desk or scream. Go to the gym instead. Working out will help you release those pent-up emotions. And remember, if you don’t do anything different you’ll keep getting the same results.

14. Make a strong request.

    Most of us have something that we use to keep us from taking action. But If you would like something to be different, start the process of making it so now! Contact key people, letting them know that you’d like to work on the impasse, and make your needs and those of your business known. Sometimes, just communicating about your desires in the form of an appropriate request can move situations along.

15. Let go of your anger at the end of each day.

    Emotional energy is a very important aspect of your life. So get into the habit of letting go of your anger as you leave work every day. Otherwise it could fester and make you more likely to blow your cool. Focus on doing something you enjoy once you leave the office, whether it’s hanging out with friends or watching the game on TV, and leave the stress and emotion behind.

16. Recognize what ticks you off.

    Become aware of your personal response to different situations, and be alert to those that knock you off-center. If you don’t like questions interrupting your presentation, plan how you’ll handle any hecklers. Planning a positive way to react will help you defuse your anger before it throws you off.

17. Prepare yourself to stay calm.

    The goal of self-development is to grow into someone who can handle anything that comes your way. Anticipate any objections or questions you might face when you’re making a presentation, especially ones that might put you in a bad light. Create a backup plan if there’s a technical glitch in case your PowerPoint presentation freezes on you.

18. Wait before writing a strongly worded letter.

    You should choose your words carefully, ensuring that you don’t hurt the sentiments of the person opposite you. Never disrespect others, even if you’re right. It’s easy to let contempt, fury or resentment cloud our judgment. Hold that strongly worded business e-mail or letter until the next day and reread it.

19. Understand your colleagues.

    Read your colleagues’ signals. What initially seems to be a snide comment might be a feeble attempt at humor. Be professional and tactful. By getting to know your coworkers’ characters and personalities, you won’t be blind-sided when they do or say something that irritates you.

20. Apologize for any emotional outbursts.

    One key to getting along well with people is knowing when to say you’re sorry. You don’t need to offer a long-winded explanation of the pressures you were under, the background on the misunderstanding or the reasons you thought you were right. Saying “I reacted badly and I am sorry” will demonstrate your professionalism, integrity and leadership skills.

Keeping a rein on your emotions while at work goes a long way in achieving healthier relations and professional growth. And no matter what, don’t snap. It takes years to build up a reputation, and only seconds to destroy it.

source: ririanproject.org

Published in the Bohol Times

*******
The USAID last week signed a grant agreement with the Bohol Alliance of Non-Government Organizations (BANGON) for the implementation of a project that intends to establish family planning, and maternal and child health programs in target workplaces and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Bohol.

USAID Mission Director Jon Lindborg and representatives of grantees led by BANGON Executive Director Glenn Labrado and PRISM Project Field Implementation Coordinator Primitivo Fostanes signed the grant agreement on April 19 at the Alona Kew Resort in Tiwala, Panglao.

The PRISM Project is entitled "Installation of Family Welfare and Responsible Parenthood Programs in Major Companies, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and Cooperatives in Bohol Province."

BANGON will implement the project for the benefit of employees and members of target cooperatives.

Emma Magsino, the regional operations director of the Visayas PRISM, takes charge of the workplace project, the Visayas Partners and Direction.

An inter-agency support agreement for workplace initiatives on FP/MCH was also forged among the regional director of DOLE, OHNAP-Cebu Chapter president Jun Villaluna for the accreditation of OHNAP as workplace training support partner, and National Nutrition Council Regional Director Parolita Mission for the three-point agenda on nutrition program in the workplace. (AV-PGMA)

Published in the Bohol Times

*******
TUBIGON, BOHOL. The local government unit of Tubigon in cooperation with Rajah Chris Boxing Promotion, the Bohol American Sports Development and Promotion (BASDAP) and the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP) will sponsor a 36-rounds professional bouts and 10 amateur fights featuring a 10-round grudge fight between PBF No.1, RP No.7 Super featherweight Glen Masicampo of Harada Stable, Tagbilaran City versus PBF No. 10 Featherweight Chris Alag of Cagayan de Oro City.

This will be their second fight as Alag is seeking blood as he has a score to settle being outboxed and floored to the canvas during their initial encounter by wily Masicampo, the up-and-coming Boholano sensation.

The encounter is dubbed as "Bout For Glory" as it will feature Bohol's up and coming superstars against selected talents from Cebu and Mindanao.

Matching was done by Joseph Alturas of Rajah Chris Promotion, with the able assistance of ALA stable officials who also promise to assist during the conduct of the bouts.

Fighting this May 12, 2007 starting at 4:00 o'clock in the afternoon will be 10 amateur fights as arranged and supervised by Mr. Nemie Monton, Bohol's ABAP head.

The professional fights will start at 7:30 in the evening, featuring an eight-round 126-pounder fight of Leon Maratas of Cabilao, Loon, Bohol against Ronald Econas of Mandaue City, 110-pounder Romano Gelig of Jagna, Bohol will slug it out in 6 rounds with equally talented Mark John Yap of Cagayan de Oro City.

Another Bohol's sensation, Tiny Tyson, will trade punches in 6 rounds with Nic Banal of Ermita, Cebu City, while Alfredo Balabat of Jagna, Bohol will clash it out in 6 rounds against 128-pounder Romeo Jacosalem.

This fiesta offering is expected to bring back the sports of boxing into the rural limelight unto the grassroots hoping that it can produce ring heroes in the likes of Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao and Rey "Boom-Boom" Bautista.

Tickets for the fight are pegged at very popular prices of Php 50.00 pesos for General Admission and Php 200.00 for special ringside to encourage participation, interest and patronage.

Published in the Bohol Times

*******
REACTING to the cheap politics waved by a shadowy group identified with the local opposition, Calape mayor Ernest Herrera II called on the group to come out and raise politics to higher levels.

A paid advertisement coming out in a local paper and signed by a group calling themselves "People for Calape" weeks back called on the people to be aware of the alleged "shameful acts of the local chief executive" as it accused Herrera of serious fund mismanagement, abuse of power and failure to show public accountability.

Herrera's supporters have traced the advertisement to a "non-political" group identified by retired Calape municipal health officer Dr. Sulpicio Yu, further connecting it to a political motivation.

Dr. Yu, Mayor Herrera said resigned March 16, 2006 on a four-day notice, putting the local health service in a vacuum. His resignation also put him eligible to run against Herrera's reelection bid.

That's the brand of service Dr. Yu is going to give, Herrera mouthed, saying further that the resort to get a cheap shot at muddling public opinion.

Had he intended to run, the least they could have done is to put up a program of government. But there is bankruptcy of government program, and he miserably failed in his political platform of good governance, the young Herrera claimed.

Denying the allegations outright, Herrera in an interview said the opposition has betrayed itself when it chose to go personal over more legitimate issues of government programs, which they could not come up, two weeks into the campaign.

They could have ascertained before coming out with the accusations, public records are available at the local government departments, the Mayor who is now gunning for another reelection term said.

The advertisement that came out April 8 at the Bohol Chronicle also accused the local police of politicking for Herrera, mis-use of intelligence funds, un-liquidated cash advances and the failure to put up the discretionary funds for barangays.

Over this, Herrera denied all the allegations adding that other than his personal accountability, the group could not make him account other than public service.

The cheap attempt to embarrass the local administration may even have to boomerang, Mayor Herrera hinted, but refused to comment as to how it could hurt the advertisement source.

If I have un-liquidated cash advances, would I be allowed official travels? They should have thought of that, he pointed out.

Commenting on the allegations of fund mismanagement, the young son of a former senator Ernesto Herrera said like they pointed out, the municipal budget officer and accountant can clear him out.

Published in the Bohol Times

*******
A jail guard found himself looking inside out after he was accused of rape by a casual employee of the municipal government in Carmen.

The accused was identified as one JO2 Wendel Mondarte, 32, married and a resident of J.A. Clarin street, Tagbilaran City.

Mondarte was arrested after a female worker claimed she was sexually abused by the jail guard.

The 21-year-old victim said she and her friend were invited for lunch by the accused last April 18 at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology in Carmen.

She said the invitation took place on that day because it happened to be her birthday.

The girl, a native of Barangay Buenos Aires, Carmen, said that afterwards, the accused volunteered to drive her home.

She admitted that she accepted the offer and rode with the accused on his motorcycle.

The victim said she was however surprised because the accused did not drive her home but instead rode all the way to Ubay.

She claimed that Mondarte brought her to a lodging house where he succeeded in raping her.

The complainant further alleged that the accused threatened her not to report the incident.

However, the victim decided to report the rape to authorities inspite of the threat that she received.

Last Friday, an inquest was held on the case after the accused surrendered to the PNP in Carmen.

Mondarte is now detained at the Carmen PNP jail.

Si Bosyo, nga primero pang sakay og eroplano, kuyog ni Onyot nga iyang amigo, diha nilingkud sa window seat...

Bosyo: Bay Onyot, taas na gyud tag giluparan no? Tan-awa gud nang mga tao sa ubosgagmay kaayo morag holmigas.

Onyot: Holmigas na sila nga tinooray, Bay. Wala pa gani molupad ang eroplano.

Pasing: Mare, naunsa man na imong son-in-law nga pila ka tuig na mang walay klarong trabaho?
Claring: Unsaon nga shy man gud na kaayo siya.
Pasing: Shy gud nga tabian man kaayo na!
Claring: Shy tiglaba ba, shy tiglimpyo sa balay, shy say tigluto.

Nag-istoryahanay ang usa ka lalaki ug babaye sa sulod sa barko.

Ulitawo: "Tupad ra ba ta ug teheras, Day. Pasensya ka na ha kay damanonon ra ba kaayo ko. Kung damanon ko no, kusog ra ba ko mananday."

Dalaga: "Ako sab damanon ra ba ko. Kung damanon ko no, mangumot ra ba ko ug itlog."

Caloy: Doc, unsa man nga kada gabii damgohon man ko nga NBA player kuno ko. Ako ang point guard sa Lakers.
Doctor: Buweno, tagaan tika ug reseta aron dili ka na damgohon.
Caloy: Ayaw lang sa Doc! kay championship namo karong gabii.

Maestra:Class, our lesson for today is Tagalog. Juan, use "ng" in a sentence. Gamitin ang salitang "ng" sa wastong pangungusap.

Juan: Maayong gabii, Nang.

papa: dong, paliti kog softdrinks
anak: unsa man pa, coke or sprite?
papa: coke
anak: litro or 8oz?
papa: 8 oz
anak: diet or regular?
papa: ahhhhh! tubig nalang!
anak: Mineral or Purified?
papa: hilommmm!
anak: Viva or Nature's Spring??

Dihay lalaking gigutom ug peso ra ang iyang kwarta.
Busa nangita siya ug baratong pagkaon nga mapalit sa peso. Ug nakakita sya ug tindahan namaligya ug ginamos.

Lalaki: Nang,tagpila mana ang imong ginamos?
Tindira: Lahi-lahi man ni sila ug presyo, Dong. And GINAMAY kay tag 5.00 pesos. Ug ang GIPUSIL kay tag 3.00 pesos og ang GITU-OK KAY tag PESO.
Lalaki:  Nang,unsa mana ang ginamay?
Tindira: Ginamos nga may kamay
Lalaki:  Unsa man sad ang gipusil?
Tindira: Ginamos gipus-an ug sili
Lalaki:  Unsa man sad nang GITU-OK?
Tindira: Ginamos nga gitong-tongan ug ok-ok

Pedro;bay Juan,onsay english sa IRO nga naligsan?
Juan: IRO nga naligsan?kowan bay,DOG-MOK
Pedro:sa iring nga naligsan bay?
Juan:CAT-TAG
Pedro:sa baboy nga naligsan unsa man sad?
Juan:eh, di PIG-SAT

Naghinambugay ang Amerikano, ang Hapon ug ang Filipino kung kinsa ang mas-advance sa technology.

Kano: Sa sa pabrika namo sa America, isulod lang sa makina ang mga thumb tacks, inig gawas TV.
Hapon: Sa Japan, inigsulod lansang, inig gawas awto.
Pinoy: Lupig mo, kay sa amo inig pasok chorizo, inig gawas bata!!!

Si Ramon, nga bag-ong abot sa America. Nangita ug trabaho didto sa San Francisco. Unya iyang nakita si Iko nga silingan niya sa una sa Maribojoc.

Iko: Bay Ramon, kumusta na. Ha-i ka man nagtrabaho ron?
Ramon: Sa PNB ko, Bay.
Iko: Naa bay PNB dinhi sa San Francisco?
Ramon: Naa man. Kanang PIRMING NAAS BAY ba. Ikaw, Bay, hai ka man magtrabaho?
Iko: Sa SSS ko Bay.
Ramon: Sa SSS?
Iko: SIGING SUROY SUROY ba.

MC: Unsay kantahon nimo, Miss?
Contestant: Inday.
MC: Inday? Wala may kanta nga "Inday."
Contestant: Naa uy! Katong kang Whitney Houston'g kanta ba nga "INDAAAAY WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU."

by Ariel Fullido

As the city girds for the annual feast day on May 1, in honor of St. Joseph the Worker. the City Government of Tagbilaran is in full swing of preparation for the different fiesta activities, especially the series of nightly entertainment which will start tonight at the Island City Mall multicab parking area.

The opening night in the nine-day novena is the "Halad-Hadla sa Siyudad" by the City Schools Division of Tagbilaran tonight, April 22, featuring the famed Bukang Liwayway Dance Troupe of Dr. Cecilio Putong National High School, Diwanag Dance Troupe of Holy Name University, and other talents from students of the different schools in the city.

Tomorrow night, April 23, is a variety show of the Bohol Federation of Disabled Persons, Inc., and followed by a cultural show of the National Anti-poverty Commission and Ludabi on Tuesday, April 25.

On Wednesday night, April 25, the Alturas Group of Companies will present "Gabii sa Pasiaw," featuring Dos Machos with Visayan comedian actor known as Kosme of "Milyonaryong Mini," plus the Funny Crazy Acrobats of Cebu and other talents.

The Bohol Gay Association sponsors another variety show on Thursday night, April 26, featuring Miss Gay 2007, doble kara and gay boxing. On Saturday night, April 28, San Miguel Beer presents fiesta concert at the park.

Cruztelco will have another concert dubbed as "Cruzin' at the Mall," on Sunday night, April 29, featuring the best of the 60s, 70s and 80s music with Versatile Band, while Unitop treats fiesta revelers with a night of fun and laughter with Dos Comediantes of Cebu.

The City Government of Tagbilaran will also present "Boxing at the Park" on May 1 at the Island City Mall carpark.

The nightly entertainment at the Island City Mall will start 8 PM, and admission is free to the public.

Published in the Bohol Chronicle

*******
The Bohol Wisdom School High School delegtion to the 20th National Physics Olympics emerge as National Champion.

The four-day affair from April 11-14, 2007, which was also dubbed as the 29th National Physics Seminar-Workshop/Convention and the 15th National Physics Fair, was held at the historic City of Butuan in Agusan del Norte.

Some 350 delegates, seventeen of which coming from Bohol Wisdom School, graced the national confab that was hosted by the Administrative Region of Caraga under the sponsorship of the Philippine Physics Society. The seminar-workshops were conducted at the Father Saturino Urios University within Butuan City. The prestigious Balanghai Hotel housed the national delegates for the said convention and is the host entity for the Physics Olympics held on the afternoon of April 12, Thursday.

To acknowledge the sterling performances rendered by the Bohol delegtes, here are the respective winning entries:

Parachute egg-drop Dianne M. Radaza, Elzon Joseph Chavez; Gold.

Supermagnet Elirozz Carlie Labaria, Thea Joy P. Dominguez; Silver.

Indegenous bridge making Emir Sheikh Saturinas, Ryan Joseph Oclarit; Silver.

Paper airplane John Rovie Abarado, Jules Leo Laberoses; Bronze.

Paper Tower Carmen Camille Logarta, Dawn Iris Liao; Bronze.

Barge making Mary Libertine Centino, Charmaine Virtucio, Gladys Cepe, Thara Jill Anasco; finalist.

Coach Adviser to the BWS group is the ever-supportive Maria Socorro M. Navarrete who was also called to the Philippine Physics Society Order of Newton after the Convention.

Published in the Bohol Chronicle
by Jes Tirol

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Proem

I have been making poll surveys in Bohol since 1978. After 29 years of experience, I could not fail to notice the changes in Boholano culture.

Results of Surveys

For this coming May 14, 2007 election I have already finished three poll surveys for three separate candidates in three different towns in Bohol. Since the surveys were conducted in order to develop campaign strategies, the questions were detailed.

Here is a particular question in Sugboanon Bisaya. (Note: Words in parenthesis are English equivalent for this article while those in brackets are part of the question).

Question: Unsa ang ana-a sa kandidato nga makapaaghat kanamo pagbotar kaniya?

(What is in a candidate that can entice you to vote for him?)

The results for this question are:

Maayo og batasan (Good behavior)- 66.06%
Matinabangon (Helpful)- 56.62%
Adunay kabangkaagan [edukasyon] (Has education)- 49.67%
Adunay plataporma (Has a platform)- 23.01%
Maayo mosulti (Good speaker)- 14.57%
Akong kabanay or paryente (My family relative)- 10.39%
Mohatag kanako og kuwarta (Will give me money)- 4.97%
Sakop sa akong partido sa politika (Member of my political party)- 2.98%
Tim-os [Honest] - 2.32%
The number of samples taken in the survey gave a ±4% error with a confidence level of 95%.

Tim-os [Honest]

When I wrote the question, I was just trying to segregate "Maayong batasan" because batasan can also mean character, habit, trait, or behavior. It turns out, matinabangon, which is part of maayong batasan, obtained a high rating also.

To my surprise, "Tim-os [Honest]" obtained a low rating of 2.32%. Maybe the respondents did not understood "Tim-os [Honest]" even with its accompanying English equivalent word. The word tim-os is the old Bisayan word for honest. However, even in the 1950s, when I was still young, tim-os, as in "Tim-os nga gugma" already means sincere, pure, and honest in its combined English meaning. Even then, the "sincere" aspect of the meaning should merit understanding since the sample-taker was present to explain.

There is no other conclusion to make than that the question was understood and the 2.32% response is correct. It therefore means that nowadays, Boholanos no longer expect a candidate to be honest. What are important are maayo og batasan, matinabangon, and matinagdanon.

Mohatag og kuwarta

"Mohatag kanako og kuwarta (Will give me money)" has only 4.97% response. Is the result of this question not in conflict with the answer "modawat sa kuwarta og mobotar (will accept the money and vote)" with 30.30% response? The answer is no!

The "Mohatag og kuwarta" is viewed in Bohol as vote-buying, locally called as "pusil = 5%." The "Modawat og mobotar" is viewed as inangayan. The inangayan is viewed as a token of appreciation and viewed as a request by the candidate for help.

Many Boholanos will help someone in a bad situation. If you will want to pay, they will not cite an amount. If you will just say "Thank you" it will be okay with them. If you will give any amount as a token of appreciation, it would be much better. This is how inangayan is viewed in Bohol.

If a candidate will brag that he will win because he will give money, that money has little effect. It will be viewed as pusil and only 5% wants it. The money must be accompanied by a request for a vote to be viewed as inangayan. There is a ritual how to do it through hangyò - padili-dili. The giver must say, this is only the amount I can afford because I am poor (Pasensiya na ha? Mao ra gayod kini ang maabot sa akong ka pobrehon.)

Partido (Party)

Before the declaration of martial law in 1971, the membership to a political party was ver important. The two political parties then were the Nacionalista and Liberal parties.

Many people were members of political parties. They will vote according to their political party. If a candidate was not a member of either the Nacionalista or Liberal party, he had a slim chance to win.

Nowadays, we have a multi-party system. It is so confusing that the survey shows that only 2.98% of the voters will vote according to his political party.

Comment

Now think about how our culture has changed. Present day voters no longer factor in honesty as a trait of a candidate. Therefore, calling your opponent as k******n (thief), limbongan (cheater), and tikasan (crook) will have a 2.32% effect.

So again, I will ask the question, "What happened to our value system?" Where did our schools and churches fail in teaching moral values?

Published in the Bohol Chronicle

*******
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has assured to resolve 13 disqualification petitions of local candidates at least two days before the May 14 elections.

This was the assurance given by Comelec Commissioner Resurreccion Borra during an interview with the Chronicle.

As commissioner in-charge for Central and Eastern Visayas, Borra said, he is optimistic that judgment will be rendered on all disqualification cases the soonest time possible.

However, the commissioner explained that while the Comelec make their rulings on the cases on time, most of it is elevated to the higher courts.

The Comelec has no control once a petition for disqualification is being handled by the higher courts, Borra explained.

Presently, there are thirteen disqualification petitions filed against 14 candidates at the provincial Comelec office.

Of the 13 cases for disqualification and cancellation of certificates of candidacies (COC), two involve congressional bets of the third district, while eight are filed against mayoralty candidates, three involving vice-mayoralty bets and two candidates for municipal councilor.

Most of the petitions are based on the grounds that these respondent-candidates lack the residency requirement needed for a particular elective position.

Third district congressional aspirant former Gov. Rene Relampagos is a subject of a disqualification petition filed by lawyer Salvador Diputado who is also a candidate for provincial board member.

The petition revolves on the period of residency which Relampagos has stated in his COC which is questioned by Diputado.

In turn, Relampagos also filed a petition to nullify the COC of opponent, senior board member Dionisio Balite.

The petition questions the validity of Balite's COC which was notarized by the latter's son-in-law, Diputado, violating notarial rules.

A disqualification case is also filed against former Albur mayor Jose Ugdoracion by mayoralty aspirant Ephraim Tungol due to his lack of residency in said town.

Ugdoracion had been residing in the United States in the past years after he served as mayor for three consecutive terms.

Meanwhile, incumbent Dauis Mayor Luciano Bongalos also filed a disqualification petition and the cancellation of the COC of his main rival Victorio Migriño.

Although Migriño is also a longtime resident in the United States, the challenger for Dauis' mayorship has repeatedly said he has already renounced his American citizenship and has sufficiently complied with the residency requirement.

While Migriño is facing a disqualification case, he himself has filed a petition to disqualify another aspirant for the town's mayoralty post which happens to bear a similar name.

The respondent-candidate, Victor A. Migriño, is being petitioned by the former so the Comelec would declare him a nuisance candidate and for the cancellation of the latter's COC.

Meanwhile, in the island town of Pres. Carlos P. Garcia, Tesalonica Boyboy, daughter of outgoing town mayor Eping Boyboy, has also filed a petition to disqualify and declare as nuisance candidate her opponent Angel Boyboy.

Similarly, both Boyboys also have vice mayoralty candidates with the same family names, Dionisio Boyonas Jr (running mate of Tesalonica) and Norberto Boyonas (running mate of Angel Boyboy).

Re-elecitionist Bien Unido Mayor Marianita Garcia, together with her running mate Marcelo Garcia, has filed disqualification cases against her challenger Alejo Boniel and an aspirant for the town's sangguniang bayan, Niño Rey Boniel.

The case also stated lack of residency as ground for disqualification.

Incumbent Trinidad Mayor Osias Flor also filed disqualification complaint against challenger Judith Cajes, wife of 2nd district Rep. Roberto Cajes, also for lack of residency.

Guindulman mayoralty aspirant Renanti Granada, son of outgoing town mayor Oriculo Granada, has also petitioned for the disqualification of his main opponent, Ma. Fe Piezas also for lack of residency.

Incumbent Maribojoc vice mayor Philip Medequiso who is now running for mayor is also asking for the disqualification of mayoralty bet Leoncio Evasco Jr. for lack of residency in said town.

Evasco have been serving as a government executive in Davao before he came back to his hometown.

In Corella town, vice mayoralty bet Rex Romani Tocmo is also seeking for the disqualification of opponent and former town mayor Epifanio Bolando who is now running for vice mayor with incumbent town Mayor Vito Rapal.

Meanwhile, candidates for municipal councilor in Dauis, running under incumbent Mayor Luciano Bongalos, are petitioning for the disqualification of councilor aspirant Silvino Cinches, also due to lack of residency requirement.

Published in the Bohol Chronicle

*******
The 4th Division of the National Labor Relations Commission ordered FTCPI to pay its national director Rosalinda Paredes the amount of P1, 885,900, representing the latter's salaries and allowances, moral and exemplary damages for her dismissal without valid cause.

In its 11-page decision dated March 28, 2007, the NLRC in Cebu City reversed its own decision issued on November 8, 2006 by Labor Arbiter Fructuoso T. Villarin in the case of Paredes against FTCPI as complainant-appellant and respondents, Dr. Virginia Lao, Benjamin Escobia and Hercules Paradiang, respectively. It was docketed as NLRC Case No. V-000074-2007 RAB Case No. VII-11-0124-05-B.

"The decision of the Labor Arbiter dated November 8, 2006 is reversed and set aside and a new one is entered," according to the March 28, 2007 NLRC decision signed by Commissioner Oscar S. Uy, Officer-in-Charge of the NLRC 4th Division.

However, NLRC found that respondents Lao, Paradiang and Escobia, all members of the Board of Trustees of FTCPI, "have no liability for lack of legal basis."

The NLRC said that it was convinced with the argument of the Complainant "that she was constructively dismissed" without valid cause and due process.

Constructive dismissal, according to the NLRC, "is an involuntary resignation resorted to when continued employment is rendered impossible, unreasonable or unlikely, when there is a demotion in rank/or a diminution of pay, or when a clear discrimination, insensibility or disdain by an employer becomes unbearable to the employee that it could foreclose any choice by him to forego his continued employment."

It can also be noted, that both in the March 28,2007 decision signed by Commissioner Uy as well as the November 8, 2006 decision of Labor Arbiter Villarin the allegations of FTCPI and the three members of the Board of Trustees of alleged anomalous and fraudulent transactions of Paredes have been ignored and were not given credence.

In the November 8, 2006 decision of Labor Arbiter Villarin, the Complainant was ordered to pay her employer the amount of P143, 646.73 and $1,000 representing her accountabilities; P500, 000 to Lao, Paradiang and Escobia, respectively, for moral damages; P1M to FTC for moral damages; P100,000 for collective exemplary damages; and attorney's fees of 10% of the award.

Sensing the drawback, Paredes appealed the November 8, 2006 decision rendered by Labor Arbiter Fructuoso Villarin and got justice.

Uy noted that Labor Arbiter Villarin made a mistake in holding that Complainant Paredes voluntarily resigned. Furthermore, the NLRC 4th Division maintained that Villarin "erred in granting respondents Lao, Paradiang and Escobia counterclaims for actual moral and exemplary damages as well as attorney's fees.

Prior to handing over its March 28, 2007 decision completely reversing the one Villarin made in November 8, 2006, the NLRC tacked three issues. It scrutinized the Complainant's dismissal from service, whether the Complainant was entitled to damages and whether the Labor Arbiter had authority to award respondents' counterclaim in terms of damages and attorney's fees. All three issues raised before the NLRC were resolved in favor of the Complainant. (Ric Obedencio)

Published in the Bohol Chronicle

*******
Port Manager Raul "Sonny" Oblenda of the Philippine Ports Authority died at the Chung Hua Hospital in Cebu City last Wednesday.

The 55-year old PPA executive assumed as port manager of Tagbilaran in 2003 amid the brewing controversy of the PPA take-over of the local arrastre service from the Tagbilaran Maritime Services, Inc. (TMSI).

Oblenda is recognized by cross-section of the community as a dynamic port manager under whose term several projects were completed not just in the city but in other ports within the province.

In fact, he was in the thick of the preparation of the newly reopened Jagna Port which will be inaugurated by Pres. Arroyo on Saturday.

Prior his departure for Cebu to have a medical check-up last Tuesday afternoon, Oblenda was in a meeting with Prov'l Tourism Council Chair Peter Dejaresco at the newly completed fully air-conditioned Welcome Center at the City Port. He was concerned on the details of the inauguration of the edifice which has a coffee shop and eight desks of major tourism services here.

During that meeting at the newly completed center, Oblenda narrated the physical stress he was feeling during the past few days. He said he was alarmed since his blood pressure was normal but he can no longer go the usual span of time in his daily walking exercise. He boarded the last trip to Cebu City last Tuesday afternoon for a quick medical checkup at Chung Hua Hospital.

In fact, at 8:56 Wednesday morning, he still texted the PTC chair inquiring on whether there was any word if the center will be included in the President's itinerary this Saturday.

Barely two hours later, the news broke that the PPA manager expired while undergoing a medical check-up at the Chung Hua Hospital.

Gov. Erico Aumentado, in his message, said that "Oblenda was a great loss to the PPA." He expressed admiration on the performance of the port manager during his four year stint here. It was during his term that the Tagbilaran Port was declared by PPA as the first "Tourist Port" in the country.

For his part, Rep. Edgar Chatto, chair of the House committee on tourism condoled with the bereaved family while citing Oblenda for his outstanding performance as port manager. Chatto said that the vital reason why port projects in Bohol are done fast was because of the efficient follow-up of Oblenda to the PPA central offices in Manila.

Oblenda likewise received commendation from the Prov'l Tourism Council (PTC) for his being responsive to the needs of the growing number of visitors entering the province through the Tagbilaran Tourist Port. Recently, he invited stake holders of the local tourism industry for consultation on the proper usage of the P6 million Welcome Center which was supposed to be inaugurated on Saturday. However, due to his demise, Gov. Aumentado requested the inauguration to be postponed to a later date.

Oblenda, a native of Iligan City, is survived by his wife, Lourdes and children Ralph, Angel, Lora, JC and grandchildren Nicco and Nina.

His remains lies in state at their residence at Dona Juana Subd., Iligan City, Interment will be on Saturday at the Ma Christina Gardens Memorial Park after a requiem mass.

Published in the Bohol Chronicle

*******
The Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC) in Tagbilaran City said the Commission on Audit (COA) findings showing a P2.6-million overprice in the construction of the Agora wet market section is "only a tip of the iceberg".

The NPC media bureau issued the statement when it disclosed a COA finding that the construction of the ill-advised Agora building is "excessive".

"This is only the beginning. There are more explosive revelations of the monkey business during the reign of Joe Torralba," the statement declared.

According to the COA, the contract cost of the wet market construction undertaken by Kramnej Construction was P4,394,698.91.

However, the COA said its own cost estimate for the same project was only P2,644,780.15.

The COA itself said this is 85.07% above its own cost.

In its own word, COA said the project costing is "excessive".

Reacting on this, the NPC media bureau said the excessive overprice is one reason why the Agora building was moth-balled.

"If there was excessive overprice every step of the way, it is not surprising why the project could not be completed even though the P45-million of hard-earned people's money has already been spent on it," the statement added.

NPC said that as a consequence, the Agora became a source of embarrassment to the city and its people.

"For many years, the people of Tagbilaran have suffered from the shame and ridicule of guests who shake their heads at the stupidity that was the unfinished Agora project," the NPC statement said.

The NPC media bureau also questioned the silence of Cong. Edgar Chatto who allocated funds from his Countrywide Development Fund for Torralba's pet project "even though it was obvious that the project could not be completed due to insufficient funds".

"Now that the city government wants to complete the project in response to the overwhelming desire of the people, Torralba and his cohorts have the temerity to block it again," the statement added.

NPC said Mayor Dan Lim and Vice Mayor Nuevas Tirol-Montes are now in a "damn-if-you-do, damn-if-you-don't" situation.

"If Mayor Lim and Vice Mayor Montes leave the project as it is to attend to other more pressing concerns, the people want it to be completed. If they complete it, Torralba and his group intend to block it," the NPC added.

Lim said he will listen to the voice of the people and not to discredited politicians.

"The interest of the people and the progress of the city cannot be compromised by obstructionists who are only concerned with making money," he added.

Published in the Bohol Chronicle

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Ninety-nine percent of city residents expressed elation on the final take-off of the rehabilitation work of the former Agora Market which will soon rise as the Tagbilaran Business Center.

In a random telephone/text message survey conducted by top-rated dyRD program "Inyong Alagad" last Monday, residents voiced out their commendation and appreciation for the project to finally commence since the Agora has been a major eyesore during the past 20 years.

Since after the market was razed to the ground by a conflagration, the previous administration failed to finish its reconstruction. In fact, about P50-million was already spent during the nine-year administration of former mayor Joe Torralba. However, only a skeletal structure was seen despite fund assistance coming also from the late Rep. Venice Borja-Agana and Rep. Edgar Chatto, aside from the funds of the city government during Torralba's term.

The public finally believed on the determination of Mayor Dan Lim to rehabilitate the Agora into a modern business complex when the winning bidder, JL Apostol Enterprises Inc., started to fence the area last Tuesday to signal the commencement of the rehabilitate-operate-transfer (ROT) scheme of the project.

Juan Apostol, president of the Tagbilaran Business Center consortium, brought in last Wednesday his engineers, technical men and laborers based in Zamboanga City and started inspecting the site.

One of Apostol's local engineering consultants, Engr. Liberato Lupot, conducted an ocular inspection at the unfinished structure to determine the future arrangement of commercial spaces and the overall status of the structure.

According to Lupot, the actual testing for structural integrity will start this week. He said that over the years that the unfinished building was idle, its materials and components would tend to undergo a natural decay.

The current carrying capacity of the building will also be ascertained since based on the rehabilitation design, a roofdeck will be added to the building which was originally designed as a two-story edifice.

After the contractor has tested the structural integrity of the building, Apostol said, they will start laying out the business center's blueprint which will pave the way for the actual construction work that will start in about a month from now, according to Apostol.

When asked if there will be major alterations on the current structure, Apostol observed that there are too many posts in the unfinished building and they may have to take out some of these if it does not affect the strength of the edifice.

The contractor said that he could already build a complete modern business center out of the P50-million already spent of the skeletal Agora.

Apostol admitted, however, that the awarding of the project that coincided with the election period has put the noble intentions of both the contractor and City Hall in a bad light.

LAUGHS OFF CLAIMS

The contractor laughed off claims that the rehabilitate-operate-transfer (ROT) scheme entered into by his company and City Mayor Dan Lim is grossly disadvantageous to the city government.

Apostol told the Chronicle that the computations provided to him by a group identified with former mayor Joe Torralba is both "unrealistic and ridiculous".

He also brushed aside accusations that he issued a check in the amount of P1.8 million to Mayor Lim in exchange for the awarding of the contract.

The computation estimates that if the city government would undertake the Agora reconstruction and operates it, the construction costs will be recovered after 12 years and will generate over P60-million in revenues annually.

Apostol argued that for more than ten years, the government could hardly fund the completion of the former public market. The P60-million which the consortium will spend for the rehabilitation will be spread over 25 years that the consortium operates the Tagbilaran Business Center.

If the city government intends to operate and recover the costs over a short period, the undertaking is bound to fail, Apostol stressed.

Aside from the guaranteed P5-million yearly net income for the city (whether the consortium gains or sustain losses), other revenues will go to the city in the form of taxes and licenses from the building's tenants.

(Funny survey, I think. Who wouldn't want to see a beautiful Agora in Tagbilaran?)

Published in the Bohol Chronicle

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Panglao Vice Mayor Pedro Fuertes was formally sworn in as acting town mayor after Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Assistant Regional Director Pedro Noval finally served the suspension order of Mayor Doloreich Dumaluan last Sunday.

This development broke the impasse between the DILG and the Panglao officialdom as to who is the town's recognized mayor.

It may be recalled that Fuertes issued a memorandum to all Panglao heads of offices that he has assumed the office of the mayor, in an acting capacity, due to the denial of Dumaluan's petition for the issuance of a permanent injunction and the expiration of the mayor's 60-day temporary restraining order by the Court of Appeals (CA).

This was refuted by the DILG provincial and regional offices since no official directive was issued by their central office.

Meanwhile, Panglao first councilor and vice mayoralty candidate Leonila Montero was also sworn in by Noval as acting vice mayor at the town hall Sunday.

In an interview with the Chronicle, Noval said as early as Saturday they already received advice from Sec. Ronaldo Puno that the suspension order of Dumaluan will be released.

The suspension order came weeks after the CA decided on Dumaluan's petition.

Immediately after serving the 6-month suspension of Dumaluan around 11 o'clock Sunday, Noval proceeded to the residence of the vice mayor to give a copy of the order from Sec. Puno.

Montero, on the other hand, took her oath at the office of the municipal Local Government Operations Officer on the same day.

Dumaluan, who is seeking a re-election, was suspended due to an anti-graft case filed by four municipal councilors at the Ombudsman. The case stemmed from alleged misuse of fuel allocations which were used for the mayor's privately owned vehicles. (Kit Bagaipo)

Published in the Bohol Chronicle

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Third district congressional bet and former Gov. Rene Relampagos is facing another disqualification petition filed at the Commission on Elections yesterday.

The petition was filed by one Wilhelmino Gamus, a resident and registered voter of barangay Canmanico, Valencia town.

In his petition, Gamus cited that under the law, "a candidate for Congress must be a registered voter in the district in which he shall be elected and a resident therein for one year immediately preceding the election," as stated under Sec. 6, Article VI of the Philippine Constitution.

It stated further that, "The term 'residence,' as used in the law prescribing the qualifications for suffrage and for elective office, means the same thing as 'domicile,' which imports not only an intention to reside in a fixed place but also personal presence in that place, coupled with conduct indicative of such intention."

According to Gamus, Relampagos is not qualified to run as Congressman since "he is not an actual and personal resident of Poblacion Ubos, Loay for a period of one year," as evidenced by a certification of Poblacion Ubos barangay captain Pablito Solideo, a copy of which was attached to the petition.

Gamus claimed in his petition that Relampagos "has no actual residence" in Poblacion Ubos, Loay since the house which he (Relampagos) indicated in his certificate of candidacy (COC) as his residence, located along 24 Poblacion Ubos, Loay, does not belong to Relampagos but to one Jescelo Adiong, as evidenced by a barangay certification attached to the petition.

A certification was also obtained by the petitioner (Gamus) from the office of the Loay Assessor that Relampagos "does not have actual landholdings in Poblacion Ubos or even in Loay town.

"In fact, the current registration papers of his motor vehicles at the Land Transportation Office (LTO) indicate his postal and residential address as 69 San Jose Street, Tagbilaran City, and not as Poblacion Ubos, Loay," the petitioner stated further.

According to Gamus, based on the said documents the respondent (Relampagos) has "clearly nothing that indicates actual, physical or personal residence in Poblacion Ubos, Loay" that would clearly establish his "unequivocal intention" to have Poblacion Ubos, Loay as his domicile.

"Instead the documents clearly show that he has not abandoned his domicile in Tagbilaran City, as required by law" the petitioner stated further.

Preliminary hearing is set by Comelec Provincial Elections Supervisor Veronico Petalcorin tomorrow.

It may be recalled that 3rd district board member aspirant lawyer Salvador Diputado has filed a separate disqualification petition and perjury raps against Relampagos.

Diputado, who is son-in-law to Relampagos' opponent in the 3rd district congressional race senior board member Dionisio Balite, cited in his disqualification petition that based on Relampagos' COC, the period of residence was falsely stated.

RENE: WRONG FACTS AGAIN

Former Gov. Relampagos said that for the second time his political detractors are giving wrong information in the latest complaint aiming to disqualify him in the congressional race.

He said that he and his wife, Imee Adiong own a house in Poblacion, Loay town which was donated to them by the late Judge Adiong, his father-in-law.

He clarified that there are two lots in the property, one with their house and the other vacant lot owned by Jescelo Adiong, his brother-in-law.

He said that they should instead question if congressionables Alexander Lim or Adam Jala have houses in the third district while the residence of Board Member Dionisio Balite in Valencia town was already abandoned.

Published in the Bohol Chronicle

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The German community in Bohol has appealed for justice to their slain fellow émigré Helmut Malinka and wife Eutiquia Missiona as both were laid to rest last Sunday at the Loboc Catholic Cemetery.

Members of the close-knit German community here all showed their full support to relatives of the couple and paid their last respects during the funeral rites at the Loboc Church.

German expatriate Hans Schoof, in an interview with the Chronicle during the funeral rites last Sunday, said his fellow Germans are appealing to the police authorities and Gov. Erico Aumentado for justice to the Malinkas.

While Schoof expressed his recognition to the efforts of the joint investigation of the police and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), he asked for the immediate resolution of the case and prosecute those who were responsible.

Schoof, who is actively involved in socio-cultural programs in Bohol, likewise appealed for the security and protection not only of German emigrants now residing here but also to other foreign expatriates.

Meanwhile, police are still pursuing leads to arrest other suspects who aided the couples' house help, Virginia Saluta, 41, in carrying out the crime. Saluta is now facing 2 counts of homicide and robbery charges filed last April 18 at the Provincial Prosecutor's Office and is presently detained at the Bohol Provincial Police Office (BPPO) in Camp Dagohoy, this city.

Bohol PNP Director SSupt. Edgardo Ingking told the Chronicle yesterday, that they are still awaiting results of laboratory tests of other physical evidences recovered at the couple's house which will solidify their case against Saluta which is scheduled for preliminary investigation on May 2 under Prosecutor Macario Delusa.

Gov. Aumentado and SSupt. Ingking assured the German embassy that the other suspects will be identified and prosecuted the soonest time possible.

The Malinkas were murdered early morning of April 13. Helmut was hogtied in his bedroom with 8 stab wounds with blunt lacerations to the head while Eutiquia was found in a separate bedroom also stabbed twice to the chest.

The house helper had claimed the robbers also tied her up before going after the couple. After having freed herself, she reported the incident to police.

Bloodstained clothes was recovered by police at the helper's quarters.

Published in the Bohol Chronicle

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Pres. Arroyo postponed her schedule for inauguration of several projects here.

Gov. Erico Aumentado bared that due to pressing schedules in Manila, the President decided to move her Bohol visit to first week of May. The President was originally scheduled to arrive here on Friday.

She is slated to inaugurate the Bayongan Dam of the Bohol Irrigation Project Stage 2 (BHIP 2) in San Miguel town, the Bohol Circumferential Road Improvement Project Phase 2 (BCRIP 2) and the P60-million Jagna roll on-roll off port, and possibly to include the newly completed Welcome Center at the Tagbilaran City Port, declared as the country's "tourist port."

Gov. Aumentado will fly to Manila for a scheduled meeting with the President tomorrow to finalize the presidential visit here.