Headlines
Bikers clean up Banat-I trails For World Environment Day
When most of the people took more time in their cozy beds on the early hours of June 5, it being a holiday, mountain bikers were already on the trails of Tagbilaran City’s cross country trail training site, spare gloves on the ready, for the World Environment Day Banat-I clean-up. While the government declared June 5 as the Eid’lFit’r, and as a regular holiday for both Muslims and non-Muslims, the day also afforded many the rest they needed so breakfasts were mostly delayed as there was no hurry for the day. For young and professionals who take on to their bikes for the daily sweat dose, that day was one they would be ticking two on their bucket list: go get sweating cranking for the climb and do something for the environment for the day. The challenging climb at Banat-I Park is painful but like all hard efforts, the rewards in the spectacular view from the top easily erases all the pains. But the garbage that has accumulated in Banat-i, brought by hikers, trail runners or lovers who take the views of the hill, has become an eye-sore for the environment biased bikers and trail runners. Empty water bottles, soda PET bottles, wine bottles, junk food foil packs, cellophane packaging, styrofoam and food packaging are strewn on the trails, in the camp site and even along the access road, that has marred the beauty of the place. It is about time we need to do something about it, said biker Engr Rey Tirol, who organized the clean up. Many trails crisscross Banat-i, that for bikers, the grueling small ring-big... read moreDepEd Tagbilaran City Division held its first state of the division address earlier today at the Bohol Tropics Resort.
Dr. Neri Ojastro, the OIC schools division superintendent stated the achievements and future plans of the division. He added that DepEd’s goal is to bring students to school, to make them learn, and to provide quality education. He also stated that the real challenge is to keep the students in school. Dr. Ojastro proudly shared that all schools have been provided with cctv cameras, while all public elementary schools will be provided with air conditioning units. He also said that the division aims to modernize education management and governance, enhance the electronic database like records, recruitment, rewards and recognition process. He added that the division intends to achieve 100% complaint to COA rules and to release teachers benefits on time. Lastly, he said that DepEd continues to improve itself for the better. Provincial Administrator Alfonso Damalerio and “Tatay” Billy Tongco attended the event on behalf of Gov. Edgar Chatto. Dr. Ojastro expressed his gratitude to the Provincial Government of Bohol led by Gov. Chatto for the unceasing support to all of DepEd’s projects and undertakings. Provincial Administrator Damalerio in his message stressed that the provincial government is likewise thankful to DepEd. Education has been one of the pillars in Governor Chatto’s HEAT IT Development Agenda. His participative approach in governance has seen its progress to different programs which the provincial government and Deped have implemented. He also reiterated that the incoming administration of Governor Elect Art Yap will continue to extend its full support to DepEd and its teachers. Yap has stated this in his messages during his campaign sorties. DepEd, during the program also recognizes outstanding education program... read more
PHL to have ‘eye in sky’ soon
By JUNE S. BLANCO THE bill seeking to create the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) now awaits the signature of President Rodrigo Duterte. Rep. Erico Aristotle Aumentado of Bohol’s 2nd District, chair of the House Committee on Science and Technology, and author of the bill, said the bill is one step towards realization after the Senate passed its own version. Aumentado said it is high time that the country fully harnesses available resources and advances made in science to provide precision the guide for man that technology can offer. The solon refers a satellite that the country may launch to provide hairline accuracy for peace and order enforcement, national security, climate change monitoring and hazard management, weather forecasting and communications. The Philippines, even if located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, remains to be an agricultural country. This means, Aumentado said, the data that such satellite can beam will go a long way towards preparedness for any eventuality in cases of calamities. At the same time, he said, it can assist in surveillance and even actual operations during events of crime or threats to security. The Science Education Institute und the Department of Science and Technology is handling the Philippines Space Science Education Program. When the proposed Philippine Spaces Act will be signed by President Duterte, this program will be given focus by the...Fin-tech Dragonpay gathers top digital platforms in Cebu summit
Seven key players of e-commerce and social media platforms will be helping grow local SMEs with the latest in finance technology during the first DIGIBEEZ Summit on March 20, 2019, at Seda Hotel, Cebu City. The digital business summit organized by the local finance technology firm Dragonpay is expected to gather Small-Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Central Visayas. With the theme “Digibeez: Growing the hive of finance technology”, Dragonpay aims to connect with local businesses and share fintech best practices through the event. With speakers from reknowned e-commerce and social media platforms such as Sam Leblanc, Sales Manager of Google; Ash Mandhyan, Client Solutions Head of Facebook; Martin Yu, Business Intelligence Head of Shopee; Allan Brizuela, President of Black Arrow; Itamar Gero, Founder and CEO of Truelogic; Ron Baetiong, Founder and CEO of Chatbox PH, and Denise Haak, CEO of Quiddity, we are optimistic that this event will open better business opportunities for the local business sector,” said Robertson Chiang, founder and COO of Dragonpay Corp. “This event will help entrepreneurs and the business community learn ways to increase revenue and expand their business through online payments and related services”, Chiang added. Dragonpay is a Filipino-owned finance company that helps facilitate alternative payment schemes for online shoppers without bank accounts or credit cards. Its mission is to make e-commerce available to all Filipinos. For over eight years, Dragonpay has become a trailblazer in the finance technology (fintech) industry with over 118 million completed transactions and 11 million unique users, most of whom are based in the Philippines. With this success, Dragonpay has created a buzzing hive for local businesses. There...Local News/ Bohol Balita
The Call from the TAPP:
Alicia opens trail Until January 25 TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol January 12 (PIA)–The gorgeous trails leading to the best panoramic views in eastern Bohol open again this year for the annual The Alicia Panoramic Park (TAPP) Trail Run 2019 in time for the foundation days celebration of the town, 100 kilometers from this capital city. Said to be most brutally beautiful race that allows trail masters to get a glimpse, or a selfie at the scenery, the TAPP trail run gets a trail runner from The Farm in Barangay Cambaol, Alicia to dizzying elevations by following the pasture trails that make their way to Mount Labawan, the trail’s highest peak at over 350 meters towering over the largely rolling landscape. Now fast becoming the town’s most popular sports tourism product, the trail run this year, set February 24, Sunday, is open for 5 kilometer kiddie, the 10 kilometers and the 30 kilometers trail for the hardcore runners who have found the real challenge off-road and away from the pavements. With registration opening since December, the TAPP trail run attempts to limit the number of runners considering the trails’ carrying capacity, according to town tourism officer Godelia Lumugdang. When there were over 350 runners who registered in last year’s TAPP Trail series for the 21 kilometers, organizers this year opened limited 150 slots for the 30 kilometers, another 150 slots for the 10 kilometers and 50 slots for the kiddie 3 kilometer race, she added. Registration for the 30 kilometer race is P1,200, for the 10 kilometer race, P700 and for the 5 kilometer kiddie, P500. Registration which includes an event...Aris thanks Japan for ODA grants
By JUNE S. BLANCO REP. Erico Aristotle Aumentado (Bohol, 2nd District) expressed gratitude to the Japanese parliamentarians at a recent dinner hosted by House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Aumentado acknowledged the “very significant” assistance from Japan that the province now enjoys – given during his namesake father and immediate congressional predecessor Erico B. Aumentado’s watch – the Bohol Circumferential Road. The solon is now trying to rekindle the ties his father once had with Japan, and exploring if it still has official development assistance (ODA) available, and what specific projects can qualify. After all, he said, Japanese ODA has the most reasonable cost of money – more affordable than China’s interest rate – lower than by as much as 50%. It is high time, he said, that Bohol further builds its network, with no intention of letting up, in order to make it a top notch province, of international standards, especially where roads, ports, airport and other infrastructure are...Lower House Oks space agency bill
By JUNE S. BLANCO THE Philippines has taken another giant step towards the realization of creating its own space agency. This after the Lower House this week passed on third and final reading House Bill No. 8541 – the Philippine Space Development Act. Science and Technology Committee Chair and main author Rep. Erico Aristotle Aumentado (Bohol 2nd District) and co-authors led by Rep. Seth Frederick Jalosjos (Zamboanga del Norte, 1st District) had pushed for the creation of the Philippine Space Agency (Philsa) – to be under the Department of Science and Technology (DoST). Aumentado said it is high time that the Philippines upgrades its technology, to better communicate information to the people, and to better predict the weather, among others. The solon said the agency would be under the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). He said on top of information gathering, satellites can also be a peace and order tool. He said they can best be maximized in surveillance activities as they can easily track the movements of people with suspicious moves. Satellites can locate suspects with surgical accuracy, he said. Applying the satellite to the Marawi City scenario, the solon said it can trace “with pinpoint accuracy” the location of the Maute terrorists agitating a rising rebellion in Muslim Mindanao. The 297-strong Lower House had voted unanimously in favor of the bill. When created, Philsa will have its offices in the Clark Special Economic Zone, in Pampanga and Tarlac – tasked primarily with safeguarding the country/s sovereignty and territorial integrity. It will also conduct space research and development, space industry and capacity building, space education and awareness,...Lady legislator models Bohol HIV testing drive
If only to personally jumpstart the World AIDS Day and its succeeding activities, a nurse and sitting legislator in Bohol, volunteers to have a Human Immune deficiency Virus (HIV) testing December 1, at the Panda Tea Garden and Suites. Waiving her right provided by the Philippine AIDS Control and Prevention Act, Third District Board Member Jade Acapulco Bautista, formerly US based nurse by and now a legislator at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan in Bohol subjected herself to an HIV testing and in fact, performed for herself the capillary pricking necessary to extract sufficient blood samples for the test to determine reactivity. Intending to help but still constrained to a task she is demanded to do as a legislator, BM Bautista said she is still open to suggestions in legislating measures to reverse the spread of HIV, a deadly virus, especially in Bohol. Herself the SP Committee chair on Health and Public Sanitation, BM Dano who sits as a model for HIV testing as a medical professional, allowed herself to the test, if only to show there is nothing to fear, in fact, get a reassurance that one can keep an HIV-free status from then on. “It is more reassuring that one can get an additional sense of responsibility especially in advocating for more protection and in maintaining the already attained HIV status,” another Department of Health nurse Nickson Felix Epe said. Dano, who said Bohol’s [anti-HIV] campaign is doing very well, also admitted further that sustainability of the campaign can only be attained with everybody’s cooperation. “The Provincial Health Office is doing very well [as regards the campaign], but they...Aris to seek add’l funding for brgy multipurpose bldgs in 2nd
By JUNE S. BLANCO ALL barangays in Bohol’s 2nd District will soon have a multi-purpose building each –courtesy of Rep. Erico Aristotle Aumentado. The solon said some barangays have completed theirs through this counter-parting project. However, some “poorer” barangays could not come up with their respective counterparts, leaving the project unfinished until now. Aumentado continues to make the rounds of his district for ocular inspections to assess the ongoing multipurpose building projects to determine which are not yet complete. For these, he said, he will request for additional funding at P1 million next year. Current funding, he said, is P750,000 from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). The multi-purpose buildings can serve as the barangay’s meeting or assembly area, or evacuation center in times of calamities. The buildings have rain water collectors. The water can then be used by the community for the building’s toilet, for their respective laundry and other water needs. Aumentado said the amount may not be that much, but he gave all the barangays in his district such funds equally for the multi-purpose buildings not considering if he won or lost in that barangay in the last elections. He emphasized that he does not want to give just a few barangays from two to three million pesos if this means sacrificing the needs ofd the other barangays. He wants all barangays to receive equal amounts. The solon said after the election results are out, he always puts politics behind. This is most effective, he said, to heal “election wounds”. His unprecedented zero dissatisfaction rating in the latest round of Bohol Polls conducted by...National News
Latest News
Contributors
Daily News
