The children from the landlocked province of Sichaun in China gushed, oohed-and-aahed, shrieked, laughed, danced and totally enjoyed good, clean fun during their two-day Bohol stay.
Their leaders and teachers enjoyed as well, especially the night cruise up the magically lighted Loboc River – especially at the stops on the way back at the rafts or balsa where Special Envoy to China Carlos Chan led the delegates’ participation in jivy native dances, tinikling included performed to the accompaniment of ukeleles and banjos. The song-and-dance groups and accompanists included both children and adults.
The Bohol leg formed part of the Sichuan secondary students’ itinerary in their week-long stay in the Philippines. The students had lost close relatives during the Magnitude 8 earthquake that hit their province on May 12 last year. The quake left almost 80,000 people dead and over 18,000 missing.
The children made the trip to the Philippines on the invitation of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. This after President Hu Jintao of the People’s Republic of China accepted Arroyo’s invitation for 100 children that she conveyed during her visit to the Chinese capital Beijing on August 9, 2008.
Chan’s assistant however intimated that only 99 children made it to Bohol. One was left in Manila because of a minor ailment.
Gov. Erico Aumentado led local officials and the Capitol Band at the reception line at the Tagbilaran Airport in meeting delegation head Du Kewei and his assistant Liu Dong, Charge d’Affaires Deng Xijun and Assistant Director Jesusa Susana Paez of the Department of Foreign Affairs, the 99 children and their teachers as they disembarked from the chartered Philippine Airlines plane. Chan introduced the leaders to Aumentado.
From the airport, the convoy of a coaster, three tourist buses, an ambulance, a police mobile car in front, with another for tail security and two motorcycles as sweepers proceeded to the Bohol Cultural Center where students from the Bohol Wisdom School welcomed their counterparts with leis.
Aumentado formally welcomed the delegates while Du gave his response. BWS teacher Jennifer Diez translated Aumentado’s message that included the hope for sister-province relations with Sichuan at the proper time while Kong Xiangwen of the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines, protocol officer for the children’s visit, translated Du’s response capped with an invitation to visit his province. - source: The Bohol Chronicle
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