ARTS MONTH culminates on a magical Abatan backdrop

by admin | Mar 11, 2017 | Headlines, Kita ug ang Gobernador, Local News / Bohol Balita

FEBRUARY IS NOT only the Love Month but it also is the time of year when Filipinos can have their fill of our rich culture and feast their eyes on colorful events and activities.

This is because the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) has chosen February as the country’s National Arts Month (NAM).

NCCA is the country’s prime agency for arts and culture and is leading the whole nation in celebrating artistry, creativity and a whole lot of imagination, led by National Artist Virgilio Almario as Chair, and OIC-Executive Director Marichu G. Tellano.

The NAM had its opening salvo last February 5 at the Rizal Park, followed by a month-long celebration with an impressive line-up of activities and events all over the country.

NCCA’s Sub-Commission on the Arts (SCA) led by Teddy Co has come up with this year’s theme as “Malikhain. Mapagbago. Filipino.”

The SCA comprises the national committees on architecture, cinema, dance, literature, music, theater and the visual arts.

Here in Bohol, the Provincial Government led by Gov. Edgar M. Chatto celebrated the NAM with a string of activities like an exhibit on industrial design and visual arts, a theater festival, drama workshops, an art fair, printmaking workshop, a film screening and forum, and a musical tertulla.

The opening celebration at the Bohol Cultural Center last February 7 was followed by a “Drama Explosion of Creative Transformative Filipinos,” “Visual Arts and Literary Explosion of Creative Transformative Art Works,” “Cinema Explosion of Creative Transformative Filipino Films,” and eventually, the culmination and closing program, an expo/explosion of Boholano creativity, innovation and transformation.

The closing program consequently also became the blessing and re-launching of the enhanced Abatan River Amphitheater Space at the Abatan River Main Village Center in Cortes.

Gov. Chatto graced the occasion with his lady, Balilihan Mayor and Abatan River Development Management Council (ARDMC) Chair Pureza Veloso-Chatto; together with other local chief executives of the Abatan River Life Tour municipalities of Maribojoc, Antequera, Catigbian and the host-town of Cortes led by Mayor Lynn Iven Lim.

The musical and culture-rich evening began with an afternoon of sights, sounds and magic right after the blessing of the Abatan River Theater Space, which incidentally became a live backdrop of green mangroves and a rainbow of colors too beautiful to behold.

As always, the world-famous Loboc Children’s Choir and the HNU Chorale wowed the crowd with their usual world-class singing prowess.

Romulo Tagaan of the Center for Culture and the Arts (CCAD) of the Provincial Government gave the event’s statement of purpose, followed immediately by PROCESS Bohol Executive Director Emmie Roslinda.

Other true-blooded Boholano talents worthy of praise and applause who shared their God-given talents with the audience were the Lingcud Maribojoc Cultural Collectives, the WinArts Dance Company, HNU Diwanag Dance Theater, Rodolfo Mercado, Noel Tuazon, Paul Joseph Vistal, Kasing Sining Blue Way Dance Ensemble, Tagbilaran City Balitaw Champions, Kasing Sining Teatro Bol-anon Ensemble, and the Bohol Singing Champions, who have given additional laurels to Bohol by having won in different singing competitions.

Bernan Joseph Cruz of the NCCA Plan/Policy Formulation and Programming Division could not contain his excitement due to all the excellent and explosive performances he has witnessed and admitted that “as of this moment, I am already thinking of a thousand ways of how to make use of all these Boholano talents and promote Bohol, not only in the local, but also in the global market as well.”

Given the theatrical ambience, organizers deemed it apt to have the oath taking of the officers of the Bohol Film Commission at the culmination program with Gov. Chatto swearing them all in to subsequently officially assume their posts.

An excerpt of the musical drama “Dagon sa Hoyohoy” got an explosive encore from the audience, especially when its Masters of Ceremonies Lutgardo L. Labad and Marianito Luspo mentioned that First Lady Pureza Chatto was part of the original cast as Dagohoy’s wife.

For that wonderful evening of lights, sounds, dances, songs and world-class talents, Gov. Chatto had this to say: “Let’s keep the tradition of excellence going. We won’t settle for anything less. Behold the beautiful music! BEHOLD BOHOL!”

And this is more than the Muses could hope for. (JLV/PGBh/EDCom)

Bohol records 15.78% fewer crimes by first 53 days of ’17

by admin | Mar 1, 2017 | Headlines, Kita ug ang Gobernador, Local News / Bohol Balita

TAGBILARAN CITY, March 1 (PIA)–Take it from the logs, there have been far fewer crimes in Bohol when the anti-drug drive floored it in 2016 compared to the same stretch in 2017.
In a report which the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Bohol delivered before the Provincial Peace and Order Council assembled at the People’s Mansion Conference Hall February 28, Bohol police Camp Dagohoy spokesperson PSInspector Vincent Paul Dumaguing revealed that total crimes in the first 53 days of 2016 was 187 incidents higher than the same period in 2017.
Within the first 53 days of 2017, Camp Dagohoy police headquarters registered an average monthly crime rate of 37 from 42 last year, or 6 cases variance.
For average monthly index crime rates, Camp Dagohoy also noted similar down trend of 13 from 17 recorded in 2016 and or 4 cases variance, Inspector Dumaguing pointed out.
As to crime solution efficiency, Bohol police pegged a 45%, solving 528 of 1185 crimes in January to February 2016.
In 2017, the crime busters noted a 51% crime solution efficiency solving 511 of 998 crimes in the beginning days of 2017.
According to Camp Dagohoy Chief PSSUpt Felipe Natividad, police would consider a crime solved when they have identified the suspect, filed appropriate charges and has arrested the culprit or suspect.
And as to its crime clearance efficiency, in 2016, Bohol police lumped a 51% in 2016, a record which improved in 2017 with 60% by clearing 598 of 998 crimes recorded.
Cleared crimes are those which police have identified the suspects, and a case has been filed relative to the accusations of a crime, Col. Natividad added.
Inspector Dumaguing showed that in January to February 22, 2016, total crimes in Bohol reached 1,185.
By the same period of 2017, or from January to last week, crimes decreased by 15.78 %, which redounds to 187 less incidents.
Citing data from the Provincial Investigation Detection and Management Bureau, Inspector Dumaguing showed the index crimes data which details 114 cases less in 2017 at only 363 incidents recorded. This is a 23.9% percent down trend.
For non-index crimes, police statisticians noted 73 cases less, or a 10.31 % decrease from 708 to 635 cases.
And as to crimes against person, only physical injuries and homicide showed significant increases in 2017 with 35 incidents more from 94 in 2016 to 129 and from 2 to 4 in 2o17 respectively.
The rest, like murder and rape decreased: 9 incidents less for rape and 7 incidents less for murder.
And as to crimes against property, except for cattle rustling which showed 6 cases over none in 2016, robbery, theft and carnapping each enjoyed 16 less, 102 less and 22 less cases for robbery, theft and carnapping.
Except for other non index crimes which showed a significant increase of 29 cases increase in 2017, crimes against special laws and traffic related incidents registered huge down trends.
Crimes against special laws registered 23 incidents less in 2017 while traffic related incidents scored highest with 90 cases less this year. (rac/PIA-7/Bohol)

Crimes are going down despite an anti drug drive which several people ascribe to killings and abuses, police data at the PPOC showed. (rac/PIA-7/Bohol)

CHATTO’S BIRTHDAY, DAY OF SERVICE

by admin | Feb 25, 2017 | Headlines, Kita ug ang Gobernador, Local News / Bohol Balita

A life lived in service for others is a life worth celebrating. And what better way to celebrate than with the people to whom this life of service is offered. Thus, Gov. Edgar Chatto who celebrated his 57^th birthday on February 21, spent the entire day with various Boholano sectors.
After mass officiated by Fr. Lito Geangan at the chapel in their Balilihan home, the governor shared breakfast with family, first lady and Balilihan mayor Pureza Veloso-Chatto, municipal and barangay officials, relatives, Capitol employees, and friends. He also met with Philhealth team led by Regional Vice President William O. Chavez and Philhealth Bohol Chief Social Insurance Officer Mona Liza O. De Veyra.

Inaugurates Infra Projects
Chatto then proceeded to Catigbian to meet with Vice Gov. Dionisio Balite, Catigbian Mayor Boy Lurot, Brgy. Capt. Darwin Lanoy, and the Provincial Engineer’s Office headed by Engr. Ben Redulla for the blessing and inauguration of the reconstructed Causwagan Box Culvert in which leads to Bogtongbod, Clarin. The project was implemented by the Provincial Engineer’s Office.
Later in Sagbayan, the governor, vice governor, engineering team were joined by Sagbayan Mayor Ric Suarez and DILG Provincial Director Ma. Louisella Lucino at the blessing, ribbon cutting and re-opening of reconstructed San Antonio and Calangahan Bridges. Both projects were completed under the Bohol Earthquake Assistance program.

TARSIER 117 Jagna

In the afternoon, Chatto led the opening of TaRSIER117 sub-office in Jagna.
22 new members for TaRSIER117 Jagna have been trained by TaRSIER117 senior personnel.

The opening of the new office aspires to meet standards for emergency management as part of public service.

TaRSIER117 offices will be opened in Carmen in September and in Loon next year to make emergency response strategic, efficient, and effective.

Jagna District Hospital-Teodoro B. Galagar District Hospital headed by Dr. Miguelito Jayoma also blessed its new elevator and equipment as part of hospital modernization program.
In the evening, the governor spent time with the Bohol Federation of Persons with Disabilities, Inc. led by Sir Toting Quilas. The BDFPI who are 18 years strong as an organization on the same day as the governor’s birthday has become an even more empowered sector in Bohol with its own training center and facility for the making of assistive devices.
The day came to a close in true spirit of genuine service and sacrifice at the recognition program for Operation Giving Back Bohol Surgical Mission led by Dr. Renato Rivera.

The surgical mission that has run for 12 years now is sponsored by the Provincial Government of Bohol, coordinated by the Philippine Gift of Life through president/CEO Fancy Baluyot, supported by the City Government of Tagbilaran led by Mayor Baba Yap, Borja Community Hospital headed by Dr. Melinda Borja, and the Bohol Medical Society led by Dr. Kazan Baluyot, and assisted by the DOH and the Rotary Club of Tagbilaran.

The surgical mission is a gift of both Chatto as well as Dr. Rivera who celebrated his birthday on February 24 to Boholano constituents to improve quality of lives through health. Bishop Abet Uy and Msgr. Jeff Malanog joined the honoring of medical volunteers.

Despite the long day, Chatto paid his last respects to the late Atty. Mia Mascarinas-Green who was laid to final rest that same afternoon. (Leah/EDCOM)

Gov. Edgar Chatto with vice gov Dionisio Balite and Mayor Ric Suarez during the blessing, ribbon cutting and re-opening of reconstructed San Antonio and Calangahan Bridges in Sagbayan. The projects were completed under the Bohol Earthquake Assistance program. In Sagbayan. Also in the picture are DILG Provincial Director Loisella Lucino, Provincial Engineer Ben Redulla and barangay officials.