City hosts 2018 PRISAA NG 

CV to defend winning streak 

TAGBILARAN CITY, April 21 (PIA)--Hosts Bohol and Tagbilaran City opens its doors to over six thousand athletes, coaches, delegation officials and technical staff of the Private Schools Athletic Association National Games (PRISAA-NG) 2018 April 21-28, 2018 in different sporting venues in Tagbilaran and nearby towns as powerhouse team Central Visayas sets eyes on another championship. 

The number does not even include individual private coaches, chaperons, parents, relatives and well as well wishers, organizers of the private schools from the country's 17 regions meeting in Tagbilaran said. 

The event might as well be a dry-run for the City Fiesta activities which is now also building in momentum to the biggest of all days May 1 when the CPG Avenue throbs in activity for the Saulog 2018 StreetDancing competitions. 

Central Visayas host team, along with Bohol and City local government have committed their security and safety assets, a thousand volunteers including over 700 police officers, Bureau of Fire personnel, Philippine Army, police special weapons and tactics operatives, as well as emergency rescue teams from TaRSIER 117, assures Fr Vicente Uy, PRISAA National president and Boholano sports director of the Holy Name University. 

Concerned of the abusive tendencies of sector workers like drivers and store owners overpricing, Fr. Uy immediately pleads, report it and the City Government has assured immediate action. 

In fact, a contingent representative has shared that the lady police officer assigned to them has been overly cooperative, the cop also acted as a local tour guide and security escort to their athletes taking advantage of the opportunity to be in Bohol. 

That is how we easily felt at home and comfortable, she shared. 

The national games formally open Sunday April 22 at the 2:00 Mass at St. Joseph Cathedral and the Grand parade from the Plaza Rizal to the CPG sports Complex, the main venue of the sports hostilities. 

At the week-long meet, Team PRISAA Central Visayas intends to continue asserting its dominance as the country's force in the private schools to contend with, and playing to the hilt the home crowd and home court advantage. 

But PRISAA National President and Region VII president, Holy Name University's sports director Fr. Vicente L. Uy hints that that the aim might not be that easy. 

Speaking during a Press Conference Saturday held at the MetroCenter Hotel, Fr Uy. who was wearing a light blue t-shirt with Our Lady of Simala print, showed his back which had "Pray for Us" print, to illustrate his point. 

Team Central Visayas has been a consistent team champion for the last, maybe 5 years, PRISAA national executive director Elbert Atilano Sr. pointed out. 

The national games is competed by over 400 private schools, teamed across 17 regions aiming to reign supreme in 18 sports events and five cultural events. 

Events in the games include baseball for men and boys (Maribojoc Elementary School grounds), basketball men, boys, women and girls (HNU Barder Gym and Dauis Gym), Beach Volleyball for men, women, boys and girls (VDTALC), football men and boys (CPG Sports Complex). 

Sepak Takraw for men and boys (HNU elementary gym), Softball for women and girls (HNU Oval), Volleyball men (UB Gym), Volleyball women (BIT-IC Gym) and boys and girls (HNU HS gym), Athletics for men, women, boys, girls (CPG Sports Complex) and badminton for men, women, boys, girls (Galeria Luisa). 

Boxing for men and boys (BISU), Chess for men and women (BIT Main AVR) and boys and girls (BIT Main Library), Dancesport couple youth and seniors (Bohol Cultural Center), Karatedo men, women, boys and girls (PMI Main Campus Gym). 

Tennis for men and boys (CPG Complex Tennis Court) and women and girls (HNU Tennis Court), Swimming for men and boys, women and girls (VDTALC), Table Tennis for men, women, boys and girls (NIA Tagbilaran), taekwondo for men, women, boys, girls (HNU Janseen Gym) and Weightlifting for men, women, boys and girls (HNU Activity Center). 

The national games also include Cultural activities as PRISAAyawan (ICM), Oratorical Contest (UB-IRC), Vocal Solo and Duet (ICM), Mutya ng Prisaa Talent (UB-IRC) and Mutya ng Prisaa Pageant (Bohol Cultural Center), according to PRISAA National Executive Director Elbert Atillano. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol) 

PRISAA National President and Boholano Fr. Vicente L. Uy assures delegates and athletes of their safety while in Bohol even as Bohol leaders have called for locals to show hospitality and make the national games and events a dry run for the 2018 Saulog Fiesta sa Tagbilaran. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

At ATI Reg Farm Family Forum... 

Best Farm Tourism Lay-out, 

Indigenous plaque for Bohol 

TAGBILARAN CITY, April 21 (PIA)--Bohol delegates to the Agricultural Training Institute's (ATI) 28th Regional Farm Family Congress and 4H Youth Encampment made their presence known as they came home with two major Regional Championship Awards and two runner-ups for 4 4H Mayor Categories as Bohol delegations heads see this as excellent accomplishment for the year. 

At the 28th Regional Farm Family Congress and 4H Youth Encampment held April 18-20 at the Cebu Business Hotel, ATI gathered farmers, fishers and their associations as well as rural-based organizations including the institutionalized Rural Improvement Clubs (RICs) and Head, Heart Hands and Health (4H Club) in the region for three days of agricultural inputs, fellowships and contests. 

Established as an extension work of the Department of Agriculture's ATI, the Congress is a way of government support to the ATI mandate on the “provision of training, information, and support services to agriculture and fisheries sectors to improve the technical, business, and social capabilities of farmers and fisher folk.” 

Inputs include Aflatoxin Awareness, Basic Food Safety, Farm Tourism Act. 

The event is a follow-on and a reiteration that we believe rural-based organizations play very critical roles in the empowerment, poverty alleviation and advancement of farmers and the rural communities, by strengthening the farmer's presence to significantly influence policy makers and the community in general, according to the ATI. 

With these people learning and gaining more skills from their co-sector workers, getting new knowledge and technologies, engaging into economic ventures and marketing and promotions also increase their chances of income, agriculturist Helen Igot explained. 

The government and its extension workers, farm technicians network with farmers, fishermen and other rural underprivileged individuals to gather data needed to craft initiatives to make them produce, add more value to their products, sell commodities and develop effective linkages with input agencies like financial service providers, as well as markets. 

Forum contests include 4 major 4H skills in Edible Dish Gardening, Oyster Mushroom Food Processing and Packaging, Innovative Farm Tourism Lay-out Making and Indigenous Plaque Making, while the 4 4H minor categories inlcude Quiz Bee, Agri-tourism Video making, Extemporaneous Speech and Singing. 

Bohol delegates: young farmers, members of 4H Clubs and RICs, fisherfolks and potential farmers brought home major awards by excelling in this year's newest contest categories. 

A Cortes 4HClub contestant did an integrated organic tourism farm layout from a one hectare lot, providing smart climate change adaptation innovations and farm technologies. 

His layout include contour farming, multiple cropping, integrated pest management, drip irrigation systems, aquaculture, livestock and CHARITY poultry including a FAITH Bahay Kubo vegetable patch with HOPE herbal and organic plants, solar powered main-house and windmill powered water pumps for its drip irrigation to win the judges thumbs up for the 4H Innovative Farm Tourism Lay-out. 

A young weaver from the basket weaving experts of Quinapon-an Antequera RIC also did a woven bamboo amakan backed plaque holder with nito, buntal and bamboo frame, as the judges gave her work the regional award for 4H Indigenous Plaque Making. 

Other winners in the 4H Club Major category includes a second place for Edible Dish Gardening with Manga National High School's Mark Vincent Arabejo and Floreven Jay Gambe's Chocolate coated Oyster Mushroom got second for 4H Value Added Food processing and Packaging. 

Other Bohol winners for the 4H minor categories include second place for Vocal Solo with DCPNHS Jescel Marie Salas and Lindsey Marie Doblas, second for Agri-Tourism Video making. 

For the RIC categories, Maria Nenita Podador also came home with the third prize for RIC Fruit Vegetable Carving contest and another delegate won for Best Healthy Welcome Drink and Beverage. 

In the Fisherfolk Category, Apolonio Manatad got second for the Best Tilapia Recipe. 

Bohol brought no delegates for the Farmer Category for Innovative Tourism Lay-out and Jingle making. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol) 

WINNERS GALLERY. Bohol delegation won big in the recent 28th Farm Family Forum and 4H Youth Encampment held at the Cebu Business Hotel, April 18-20, 2018. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol/contributed foto)

PTC bullish on upped tourists 

as Panglao airport operates 

TAGBILARAN CITY, April 20 (PIA)--Tourism arrivals in Bohol in 2017 has reached 1.1 million already and Provincial Tourism Council Chairman Atty Lucas Nunag is bullish that 2018 would even be more promising. 

Speaking during the ceremonial signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on tourism promotions and marketing between Bohol and AirAsia Philippines, the tourism chair said Bohol resorts report high occupancy rates in the first quarter of the year. 

The prospects of the increase in tourism arrivals in fact soar higher as the new Panglao Bohol Airport that is built to cater to international flights is equipped with an Instrument Landing System (ILS) that upgrades airport operations to night time. 

The government has pushed for the implementation of the P7.73 billion new Panglao Airport designed to be a showcase for sustainable environment. 

Replacing Tagbilaran Airport which is categorized as a sunrise to sunset visual landing facility which offers flight visual landings only, the new Panglao airport opening in August cater to nigh flights and keeps a Precision Approach path Indicator (PAPI), Short Approach Lighting System (SALS), ILS-Lit Landing Zone, using high intensity lights, according to Department of Transportation (DOTr) project Engr. Edgardo Mangalili. 

And while Tagbilaran Airport is constrained to a limited number of flights owing to a short runway and single capacity parking tarmac, the new airport in Panglao would have an estimated 20 shuttles to Manila and 4 to Cebu on its daily operations. 

Initially planned considering some parameters, the new airport should have at least served 1.44 million passengers for its air traffic demand for 2020, the airport would have attained its 375 domestic and 128 international flights. 

That too, gives the DOTR only about a year to attain that, with a delayed project implementation, said Mangalili during a presentation to AirAsia officials April 17 at the new airport complex. 

By 2020, authorities see 42 domestic trips and 4 international flights daily flights from Panglao, an undated DOTR multimedia presentation showed. 

The projection is based on the new airport features like wide aprons and three multi-angled Passenger Boarding Bridges (PBBs), capable of serving six boarding gates and a remote stand for another plane, added Mangalili. 

As to passenger comfort, the new airport would have not just one storey as initially designed but was upgraded to two-storey passenger terminal building with a floor space occupying 13,337 square meters to house 13 check in kiosks, 20 check in counters for both domestic and international flights. 

The airport would also have ample space for passenger baggage claim and carousel, check in halls, security checks, passenger pre departures halls and areas for concessions apart from the normal rest room provisions. 

As projected, the New Bohol Airport in Panglao would serve 1.44 million passengers and tourists for Bohol in 2020, a figure that would be reaching 1.96 million by 2030 considering an apron occupancy of 7 aircrafts, according to DOTr. 

Apart from the apparent advantage of a variety of destination options while in Bohol, the airport puts tourists barely five minutes away from the beach resorts and the resorts. 

Up in the pipeline at 6 big hotel projects to double the number of rooms that can room in these passengers and tourists, Nunag said. 

Over all these, the tourism council chair boldly said there will be dramatic changes in Bohol's tourism dynamics with Panglao airport opening in August and with Air Asia already telegraphing its interest in making the island airport its secondary hub in the region. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol) 

Resting not on its laurels, the Provincial Tourism Council under clairman Atty. Lucal Nunag stretches Bohol promotions with press conferences to advance the information that Bohol is preparing for the opening of Panglao Airport and in accommodating guests. This was during a media press conference to announce the Sandugo 2018 season at the Donatela Hotel in Panglao. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol) 

Look for stamps, inspection 

certs in meat stalls -NMIC 

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, April 20 (PIA)--As the fiesta season is upcoming and to be aware of government regulations on food safety, authorities shared two things to check before buying that displayed meat from you favorite market stall. 

After the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) of the Department of Agriculture (DA) has discovered some NMIS-marked meat supply displayed in the markets are obtained from questionable sources, a decision came out. 

Not only would the meats on display bear the NMIS stamp, it must also be displayed with the NMIS Certification of the bulk of meat on display for the day, including the hour when the animal was slaughtered, according to NMIS Maria Liz Calunsag. 

Speaking at the Regional Farm Family Congress and 4H Club Encampment held in Cebu City, Calunsag explained that the additional requirement came after they found out it was easy to fake the NMIS stamp and suppliers simply make rubber stamps to copy the NMIS mark on the meat. 

Informing the gathering of young farmers and rural improvement clubs attending the gathering that meat displayed outside a temperature controlled counter would only last for eight hours at most before spoiling, she said the NMIS figured out that a separate NMIS certificate on the day's display would be in order. 

As the government agency mandated to accredit slaughter houses, poultry dressing plants, meat cutting plants, meat transport vehicles equipment fabricators as well as assesses cold storages, the NMIC has other tasks in their charter. 

NMIC also accredits mat and meat product importers, exporters, distributors, wholesalers, retailers, meat handlers, meat brokers and registers locally manufactured and imported meat products, all to insure that everything available in the markets are safe to eat and are processed in sanitary conditions. 

Absent these certifications, NMIS warns: the meat could come from questionable sources. 

By questionable sources, Calunsag means "botcha," double dead, those slaughtered despite diseases, or those slaughtered from non accredited slaughter houses by non accredited meat handlers which often result in contaminated meat. 

Improperly prepared meat can lead to food poisoning due to the growth of bacteria that can produce toxins in unsanitary conditions, reminded the NMIS. 

NMIS insists that meat handlers must maintain proper hygiene at all times, and religiously keep the proper meat handling methods which they get from the training. 

At the same time, the government agency also reminds consumers to store their food properly always. 

This means food like raw meat must be stored properly in freezers or refrigerators with controlled temperature to kill bacteria or stop its growth. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol) 

NMIS Calunsag bared that to ensure food safety, apart from looking for the NMIS stamps on inspected and safe meat, the government is also now demanding meat stall vendors to display their daily meat display certificates from NMIS or its deputized agents. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

Surcharges on credit 

card buys, illegal-DTI

TAGBILARAN CITY, April 20 (PIA)--While surrendering your credit cards to a cashier and allowing the debit of funds without you seeing the process is bad enough, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) hints: the practices can also lead to crediting surcharges without one knowing. 

DTI Regional Director Asteria Caberte, in a press statement has alerted consumers of the practice of unscrupulous business establishments taking advantage of credit card holders by imposing surcharges.

Earlier, government authorities have advised credit card holders not to let their cards off their eyes, especially to cashiers who might have a skimming device used to extract important information from the security tabks on the card and cardholder including tampering on the deposits. 

Through a method called skimming, a scammer uses a skimming device, also called an ATM or credit card reader than has the capacity to copy important depositor data and store it for future use. 

After the data is skimmed, it would be easy to clone the card by making a copy and then ordering online goods using the depositor's money without him knowing anything about the transaction. 

A card owner often discovers the fraud only after he sees that charges have been made in his account without his approval. 

Still another danger of surrendering your card without you looking is this allows business establishments can to put in their illicit tactics imposing additional charges on items purchased through credit cards.

"These are illegal," Caberte declared. 

“All retailers who accept credit cards for payment should not require the cardholders to pay additional charge over and above the price tag on the consumer goods and services,” Caberte said, citing Article 81, or the “Price Tag Requirement.” 

The price tag requirement of Republic Act 7394, or “Consumer Act of the Philippines,” says goods and services must have only an appropriate price tag or label. 

It [goods and services] must not be sold at a higher price with what is stated [in the price tag] and without discrimination to all buyers.

Caberte also advised consumers who were tricked into paying the surcharges to ask for a refund and report the incident to the DTI.

“Retailers should not pass surcharges to consumers for they are already paying annual membership fee for using credit cards,” Caberte added. 

“In ensuring consumers’ rights, she revealed that the DTI is regularly monitoring business establishments.” 

Caberte also warned violators that DTI is regularly monitoring business establishments to ensure that consumer rights are upheld.

She underscored that unscrupulous retailers will be fined depending on the gravity, and their business permit and license may be revoked.

For consumer complaints and questions, consumers are advised to call or visit the Consumer Protection Division at the PTI Bohol provincial office, 2F FCB Bldg., CPG Ave., Tagbilaran City. Tel. # (63) 038-501-8260, she said. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol/DTI Bohol) 

Credit card use to pay for goods and services must not have surcharges, and making sure the consumer knows how much was charged is a responsibility that can not be delegated, hints the DTI amidst complaints of credit card use surcharges and skimming victims. (PIABohol/foto from atimes.com)

More fast-crafts needed to bring 

Boracay-bound tourists to Bohol 

TAGBILARAN CITY, April 19 (PIA)—The fastcraft shipping industry servicing the Cebu-Tagbilaran-Cebu route is in need of Boholano investors to be able to cash in on the influx of tourists who find Boracay closed for them. 

This fairly sums up the pronouncements of Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) Port of Tagbilaran Manager Engr. James Gantalao, during a meeting with national media and bloggers brought in by AirAsia Philippines to Bohol. 

At the meeting held at the Multi-Purpose Hall of the PPA in Tagbilaran, AirAsia Philippine Chief Executive Officer Captain Dexter Comendador revealed that the moment the government leaked the plan to close Boracay for six months to allow the top tourism destination to recuperate and recover from abusive environmental practices, they were thinking of diverting their flights to Bohol. 

The shutting down of Boracay impacts largely upon the Chinese tourists who are culturally inclined to travel in May, to keep their luck coming, Comendador added. 

This is a huge market and we proposed to send them to Bohol instead, the flying CEO bared. 

But, with Tagbilaran City Airport among the smallest airports in the country, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines has implemented a one-plane on the tarmac policy in compliance with safety regulations. 

This move drastically reduced the number of flights that Tagbilaran Airport, Bohol’s air gateway could serve no more flights other than that which is served at present. 

That means, even with the strong intent, AirAsia could not simply add more flights to the already dedicated slots in Tagbilaran. 

This then pushed AirAsia to fly their passengers instead to Cebu and Davao. 

With the Cebu tourists however, the 23 fastcraft trips to Tagbilaran daily may not be enough to serve the influx. 

But, according to Engr. Gantalao, the fastcraft berthing area at the port can accommodate four vessels at a time, while only two fast craft companies are plying the route at almost the same time. 

Additional fast craft trips are still welcome, the port manager who has led the PPA into allowing the port to stand up after the devastating challenge of the earthquake in 2013 revealed. 

At present, the port of Tagbilaran serves about 5,000 to 6,000 passengers daily, and any additional trips would also increase the PPA responsibilities, but the government corporation is good with that. 

We can still accept at least two more fast craft companies who can put up their service, he hinted. 

Even then, Captain Comendador added that at present, the low fare airline company added they are arranging with tour and travel agencies and companies to set up a seamless airport to port shuttle service so that their air passengers could be presented an option to go to Bohol instead. 

The government through the Regional Development Council is also looking at the problem of the lack of travel connectivity from Mactan to the ports of Cebu, to assure seamless and hassle-less transfers. 

Bohol needs to take on this opportunity as the closing of Boracay gets the tourism island a lead time of at least a year to cash in on the Boracay-bound tourists, Capt Comendador urged. 

It could have been an entirely different story, had Panglao airport been operational at present, AirAsia top official said. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol) 

PPA Manager Engr James Gantalao assures AirAsia that the Ports of Bohol is still open and would keep up to the challenge posed by the opening of the modern airport in Panglao. fastcraft berthing stations at the port, he said, can accommodate 4 vessels at the same time that it can serve twice the 23 trips Bohol now has to Cebu. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

AirAsia intends to make 

Panglao airport its hub 

TAGBILARAN CITY, April 18 (PIA)—Even before the New Panglao Airport could start its operations, the country’s largest low-cost airline carrier has showed interest in making it its secondary hub of its regional operations outside Manila and . 

AirAsia Philippines Chief Executive Officer and airline captain Dexter Comendador, who represented he company in firming up the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) in the partnership for tourism marketing promotions for behold Bohol 2018 said with the expected opening of Panglao Airport, we have another opportunity to bring Bohol to new heights not only as a premier tourism destination in the Philippines but in the whole of the ASEAN. 

AirAsia Philippines fleeting may not be as huge, with only 17 aircraft in its domestic and international flights out of its Manila, Cebu, Clark and Kalibo hubs, it has however been tagged as the largest low cost carrier in Asia. 

In the Asian region, Air Asia Group, where the AirAsia Philippines belongs, services the most extensive network with over 120 destinations, according to a press briefer by AirAsia communications Jenny Bugarin-Tan. 

In fact, the flying CEO revealed that when the government announced the closing of Boracay, AirAsia immediately looked at diverting their Kalibo flights to Tagbilaran, but the already congested Tagbilaran Airport did not allow that. 

Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines stands to its one plane on the tarmac policy, as a measure to ensure aviation safety. 

Before then, Tagbilaran Airport, despite its being unusually crowded and being so close to the city, used to have two or three aircrafts on different processes of pre-take-off preparations, a practice that luckily did not have any hitches. 

The captain CEO added, they are now into making arrangements so that the tourists intending to get to Boracay can get to Bohol instead, from Cebu. 

Arrangements with travel companies are accordingly in place to make the Mactan-Pier in Cebu travel seamless, while Air Asia could no longer add additional flights due to limited vacant time slots. 

Captain Comendador also said if they can get the airport to be a hub for their operations in the region, immediately AirAsia could put in three planes complete with a manning crew of 50 aircraft maintenance, ground crew, and flight assistants for each plane and these people need to be based in Bohol for quick aircraft deployment. 

Comendador led AirAsia in Bohol for the MOA signing of the third year of partnership in the Behold Bohol 2018 tourism promotions in an agreement that includes brand advertising, promotional activities and campaigns, familiarization trips for consumer and trade associations, media, travel agencies, trade fairs partnerships and still several other help menu. 

At the MOA signing, Bohol Administrator Alfonso Damalerio III represented Governor Edgar Chatto while Bohol Tourism Council Officials led by Chairman Atty. Lucas Nunag, Peter Dejaresco, Executive Director Emmylou Palacio-Noel and Tourism Officer Josephine Cabarrus at the Amorita Resort in Panglao. 

First among the agreements is making AirAsia the official carrier of the guests and tourists coming in for the Behold Bohol trips. 

And to celebrate the signing, AirAsia offers promo rates from as low as P1990 one way from airasia.com starting April 17 until April 22. 

This is for travel period between November 1, 2018 to May 31, 2019. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

Bohol tourism bigwigs Administrator Alfonso Damalerio III, Peter Dejaresco, PTC Cahir Atty Lucas Nunag and Boholano female pilot Capt Jaja Jumamot exchange banter with AirAsia Philippine CEO Captain Dexter Comendador as the airline company leaks their plan to make the Panglao Airport their secondary hub in the region outside Manila. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

ATI-7 collaborates with AUDIO-Bohol

on their climate change campaign

TAGBILARAN CITY, April 19 (PIA)--The Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) Central Visayas collaborated with the Association of United Development Information Officers (AUDIO) in Bohol on their advocacy campaign on climate change.

“Climate change is not fake news, it is real!” ATI-7 Regional Training Center Director Dr. Carolyn May Daquio told information officers during the group’s general assembly meeting and Bisita Opisina hosted by ATI-7.

Daquio emphasized that climate change is everybody’s concern as it affects not only the environment but also the natural resources, our individual families, especially the agriculture and all the sectors.

“We have to do something because each one of us is contributing to the change in our environment, in one way or another. We also have to contribute our share in mitigating and do some adaptation measures”, Daquio said.

The disturbing weather patterns caused by climate variability and change pushed ATI-7 to create a general consciousness on the flexibility of climate change adaptation and coping practices including reduction of disaster risk in the communities especially in the field of agriculture.

ATI-7 discussed their Climate Change program thru the agency’s focal person, Ms. Joemelyn Sumagang to the AUDIO-Bohol members on April 12, 2018 at the ATI Regional Training Center VII in Cabawan District, this city.

The AUDIO-Bohol is an aggrupation of information officers of the municipalities and national government agencies based in Bohol and one of their activities is the ‘Bisita Opisina’, wherein they visit government offices and conduct discussions and learn about their programs so they can assist them in their communication needs.

ATI-7 as a training institute believes that collaborating with these information officers, the advocacy and campaign on climate change will be widely reached.

Daquio emphasized to AUDIO-Bohol members to be responsible for whatever information that they disseminate to the public.

  

As spokesperson of their respective agencies and local government units, she told the IOs to make the most of the 4 channels of information --- TV, broadcast, print & social media to reach out to a wide area of their clients to help reduce & eliminate poverty.

The campaign was also in collaboration with Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Bohol, where they are responsible for the Visayan translation of the climate change advocacy materials. (ecb/PIA7-Bohol).

Members and officers of AUDIO-Bohol during their general assembly meeting and Bisita Opisina hosted by ATI-7 at ATI Regional Training Center VII in Cabawan District, Tagbilaran City on April 12, 2018. (ecb/PIA7-Bohol).

PRA, AJTC signs MOC for Bohol 

jatropha processing plant

 

TAGBILARAN CITY, April 17 (PIA)--The Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) and Aoyama Jatropha Trading Corporation (AJTC) on April 13 signed a memorandum of collaboration (MOC) for the Reclamation Component of Bohol Jatropha Processing Plant.

PRA General Manager Janilo Rubiato and AJTC Chief Executive Officer Isao Aoyama signed the memorandum of collaboration at the Metro Centre Hotel, this city.

Provincial Legal Officer Atty. Mitchell John Boiser, representing the provincial government of Bohol and officials of the local government of Buenavista headed by Mayor Ronald Lowell Tirol witnessed the MOC signing which is on the matter of application by AJTC with PRA for the reclamation component of their Bohol Jatropha Processing Project.

Through the memorandum of collaboration, AJTC is given one year to secure all the needed requirements, including that from the local government unit.

As the company needs 40,000 hectares for the plantation of jatropha or locally known as tuba-tuba, AJTC will connect to potential planters within Bohol and the neighboring provinces like Masbate and Negros Oriental.

PRA assured that AJTC will be required to strictly follow the requisites for a reclamation project that is needed for the area that will house a 40-hectare processing plant in barangay Asinan in Buenavista town.

Rubiato assured that AJTC will be closely monitored in its compliance with the environmental standards set by the law and will be required to submit a study on geohazards to ensure that impact to the environment is minimized.

To reclaim a 40-hectare area, Rubiato said that it will require 3.2 million cubic meters of filling materials wherein part of the filling materials will be taken from the seabed, especially from the navigational approach channel that will be dredged to be able to accommodate large vessels.

The project includes a port component that can accommodate a panama vessel which usually has a dimension of 110 feet wide, 1,050 feet long and 41.2 feet depth.

Mayor Tirol on his part said this project will be a game changer in his town’s goal to achieve its mission and vision of becoming a progressive eco-tourism destination as the company also plans to construct a hydro-power plant that will tap from the dam being developed in Buenavista.

AJTC includes in its corporate social responsibility for residents of the host LGU to be given priority in livelihood opportunities and free ambulance service. AJCT is 40% Japanese owned and 60% Filipino owned. (ecb/PIA7-Bohol).

The signing of the memorandum of collaboration between Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) and Aoyama Jatropha Trading Corporation (AJTC) for the Reclamation Component of Bohol Jatropha Processing Plant in barangay Asinan in Buenavista, Bohol on April 13, 2018 at Metro Centre Hotel in Tagbilaran City, Bohol. (ecb/PIA7-Bohol).