Alicia re-opens TAPP with

brutal Enduro trail challenge

ALICIA. Bohol, March 7 (PIA) – The often desolate and rain-rutted trails of The Alicia Panoramic Park (TAPP) quivered to the rampaging endure bikes and heavily modified underbones as over 120 sports motorcycle enthusiasts ripped through the park’s ten kilometers of trails when the mayor Dong T Torres Alicia TAPP Enduro Trail challenge 2021, officially announced the reopening of the most gorgeous extreme sports park in Bohol as yet.

Sunday morning March 7, the makeshift basketball court and community center of sitio Binabaje in barangay Cambaol Alicia, purred and shrieked as endure motorcycles were pre-heated after being off-loaded from their transport trucks: most of these bikes have been so modified they sometimes lose their being street legal and can only ride on designated off-road trails.

Below the inflated giant Smart event balloon, bikers huddle in small groups, several more moving around inspecting newer bike conversions from plain motocross or dirt bike set-ups to forks with oversized travel, burly tires and re-bored engines from production platforms.

Some riders, in full faced helmets with go-Pro attachments wave at acquaintances, others made unrecognizable by the face mask and the bonnets that go with the full-faced headgears nod, or intentionally rev their engines to as shriek to catch somebody’s attention.

“This is this year’s first open and invitational all-Bohol enduro motorbike trail racing,” Alicia Mayor Victoriano Torres announced at the opening program, minutes before the race’s Solo Ultimate Open was let off.

Already known internationally as TAPP and the venue of the most brutally beautiful climb in trail running in the region, TAPP features seemingly insurmountable climbs with stiff gradients, notoriously rain-rutted trails bordered by cogon grasses that gets entangled with the motorcycle’s wheels and the dizzying downhills that exhilarate those with nerves of steel and guts of metal.

The race takes the trails of Cambaol which gets to barangay road segments before veering off-road to single track trails that ascend to heights and ridges leading to Mount Labawan, the fifth highest elevation in Bohol.

For safety purposes, we chose the enduro timed races, because we do not want to clog the narrow trails with competing riders when it becomes dangerous, shares Alicia Tourism Officer Godelia Lumugdang.

Opened for the day were Solo Ultimate Open Race, the Solo Production Open, the three-man four stroke engine race, the three-man 2-stroke engine race and the Backride category, according to race organizer and Bohol East trail Biker Benjie Gundaya.

The race course also features technical segments, 50 to 60 percent gradient long climbs and long dizzying downhills that make chickens out of men.

It took some three hours for some riders to finish the ten kilometre course, the fastest time however was 29 minutes and 36 seconds.

Released in staggered formats, riders taking the shortest time to complete the loop in their category wins the race, and several riders who endured mechanical problems or technical issues with their rides have to be walked down the hills.

WINNERS

For the Solo Production Open Race, a rider from Sierra Bullones, wearing race number P10 Kirby Digal, crossed the finish line in spectacular fashion clocking a 29:36:00 to claim the top podium. His closest competitor, Greg Gallogo from Carmen, on race number P05 would come 5 minutes later, or officially completing the course at 35:04.

Third in the category was Bilar’s (P06) Louie Jay at 44:18, followed by another townmate Jun Jaycob Cal (P07). Fifth to cross the line was Corella’s Dave Aboloc (P08) at 1:55:40 forllowed by Sixth Christian Labajo of Mabini (P01) at 2:41:46.

For the Solo Ultimate Open, rider U001 Martin Cagande of Ubay crossed the finish line after 33:12, followed by E003 rider Nico Redulla of Tagbilaran at 35:07 to occupy the second podium space. Third is Corella rider Norman Valle (U013) at 36:47 while fourth was rider E005 from Sierra Bullones Jyco Amora. Fifth was rider E013 Venzrie Awatin from Talibon with 37:30 and sixth was U007 Joel Barcenat of Ubay who completed the loop at 37:48.

On the seventh place was U028 rider from Pilar Michael Calamba with 38:28 and eighth was U004 Rovejan Busano of Pilar crossing the line at 40:49. Ninth was Tagbilaran City rider U003Biejy Baro at 41:50 followed by U005 Ruel Curiba of Alicia, finishing at 42:26.

In the three-man four stroke engine category, Candijay’s Rommel Autor, Loloy Autor and Cyrus Oray (race number 404) crossed the line first at 1:15:16 followed by a selection for Tagbilaran’s Jyco Anoba, Marlon Gambuta and Biejy Baro (#417) at 1:30:08 and then riders wearing #407 from Guindulman with Michael Tan, Von Anthony Laconde and Jhon Francis Jaspe at 1:33:12.

Fourth were #402 with Alexis Eroy, Berie Manticnap and Jimmy Tutor of Mabini finishing at 1:58:25, team #406 with Cydon, Jimber and Bobby Elemeos of Team Getafe at 2:00:47 and on sixth were #405 with Romulo Buscabus, Danilo Mutuc and Kit Socorin of Danao at 2:01:00.

In the three man 2 stroke category, winners were #201 with Rodnie Jugarap, Alfie Missional and Carlo Cempron of Mabini at 1:04:46, second podium was #206 with Marvin Unajan, Wendell Unajan and Argie Virador of Sierra Bullones crossing the finish line at 1:32:23 and third was #205 with Rey Anthony Pioc, Joel maldo and Jhunrey Pioc of Albur-Sevilla at 1:46:23.

Fourth was #202 from Pilar with Willard Auguis, Joel Nunez and Johnil Curayag; fifth was #204 team from Danao Ezeliel Calvano, Nino Buyan and Eric Mutoc at 2:10:32, followed by #207 Richard Felisilda, Eruel galia and Antonio Escobilla of Duero crossing at 2:11:10 while #208 of Budok, Carias crossed at 2:25:35.

In the backride category, team 408 of Christopher Cordoto and Mayong Platino, came slightly ahead of Kirby Digal and Wilfredo Caga tandem followed by Aldrin Galagar and Along Aton.

At the awarding ceremonies held at the Alicia Municipal Plaza, riders enjoyed their recovery feast and drinks with an acoustic band, the plaza water fountain and cascade operating.

When everyone was in a celebratory mood, the biggest winner would be the town’s victory against the pandemic with its economy bannered by tourism now open and beckoning once again. (rahchiu/PIA-7/Bohol)

SMARTDECISION? Enduro riders take a pose with their racing machines below the sponsor balloon which helped the town announce its reopening of the TAPP trails, the playground for those into extreme sports like trail running, extreme mountain bikes and enduro racing machines. (rahchiu/PIA-7/Bohol)

BRUTALLY DANGEROUS. Yes, that's cogon wrapped around the diskbrake rotors, one that could slow the run if not totally clog the mechanism. Single track rain rutted and eroded trails are the secondary obstacles riders have to maneuver here at the #TAPP, playground for those with iron nerves and gut of steel. (rahchiu/PIA-7/Bohol)

With a fancy wheelie and exhaust smoke trailing, an enduro trail racer wheezed by during the 2021 Mayor Dong Torres TAPP ALicia Enduro Trail Challenge March 7, which officially opened the town's prime tourism product playground for those into extreme sports. (PIABohol)

Capitol urges authorities

to nab protocol violators

CORTES, Bohol, March 13 (PIA) – In a span of one week, coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in Bohol streaked upwards 60 percent, which has Capitol getting concerned.

In an online press conference Friday, Provincial Administrator Atty. Katherin Pioquinto has urged local authorities mandated to implement the COVOD-19 protocols to help in controlling the spread of the disease, with local transmission gaining momentum to potentially cause another outbreak.

While she urges everyone to always follow the COVID protocols, she also asks the help of authorities to apprehend people who are in flagrante delicto, or caught in the act of doing contrary to the provisions of the national and local measures to curb the spread of the virus.

The move could stem from two problems that local authorities have to face squarely: a surge of COVID cases brought in by those who have been motivated to cross the borders to Bohol following the loosened travel restrictions and a more alarming exponential increase in local transmission.

In fact, Friday March 12 also marked the highest number of COVID active cases in a day in Bohol with 224, since the first case was recorded sometime in March of last year.

In its 8 AM Daily COVID Monitoring Report March 6, Bohol posts 91 active cases where 61 are cases involving local transmission and the remaining 30 cases brought in by returning residents (RR), Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW), Authorized Persons Outside Residence (APOR) and non-APORS.

The day’s report is not much of an improvement from the same tracker a week before.

On March 1, 2021, Bohol records 92 active cases wherein there was one new case for the day, 78 cases by local transmission and 13 cases brought in by RRs, OFWs, APORs and non-APORs.

On March 2, Bohol notes 84 active cases, where 73 of these cases were local transmission and 11 were brought in by those coming in from places outside Bohol.

It was on March 3 when Governor Arthur Yap signed Executive Order No. 17, series of 2021, which removed the mandated repeat COVID test through Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) upon the fifth day of the traveller’s arrival in Bohol having earlier presented a negative for COVID-19 in an RT PCR test which was taken 72 hours prior to arrival in Bohol.

The same EO 17 also removed the requirement for Medical Clearance Certificate and the Philippine National Police Travel Authority, in consonance with the national Inter-Agency Task Force Resolution which intends to loosen the travel requirements to bolster the recuperating economy and motivate domestic tourism and travel.

By March 4, when the EO 17 was announced as effective, Bohol saw 89 active cases.

While the day registered no new cases, local transmission on record was at 66 while the day’s arrival of travellers from outside Bohol nearly doubled: from 14 to 23.

On March 5, 2021, the day showed a glimmer of hope with just 74 cases: 4 new cases, 49 from local transmission and 21 cases noted from new arrivals.

Last March 6, Bohol posts 91 active cases: no new case but local transmission surged from 49 in the previous day to 61, and the COVID cases detected from ROF, OFW, APORs and non APORs started to spike at 30 from 21 on the previous day.

In its 9 PM Daily COVID tracker March 7, as issued by the Bohol Inter Agency Task Force, the active cases nearly doubled with recorded 151 cases where 39 are new cases from single digits earlier.

From this day onwards, active cases in Bohol start to noticeably climb.

The day’s local transmission seemed stable at 62 or one new addition but the COVID cases brought in by travellers from outside skyrocketed to 50 from 30 earlier.

On March 8, Bohol had 138 active cases, a noted reduction in overall active cases.

But with 28 more cases detected from entering RRs, OFWs, APORS and non-APORs, or from 50 to 78, it was more than enough for the governor to amend its earlier EO-17.

That day, Capitol issued Executive Order 17-A, which now disallows entry to Bohol of individuals who could not present a negative RT-PCR test result, by swab specimen taken 72 hours before the traveller departs for Bohol.

This also scraps the testing upon arrival by those who could not present a negative for COVID test results by accredited RT-PCR laboratories.

By 1 PM of March 9, the active cases continue to track diagonally with 153 active cases for the day: 68 of these cases by local transmission and 85 from new arrivals.

At 3 PM of March 10, Bohol already had 180 active cases: 81 from local transmission and a still rising 99 COVID cases from new arrivals.

At 9PM of March 11, BIATF reports 210 active COVID cases in Bohol: when from zero cases in the previous three days, new cases rose to 13, local transmission grew to 85 from 81 and COVID cases brought in by entering RRs, ROFs, APORs and non-APORs further zoomed to 112.

Last Friday, March 12, Bohol has 224 active COVID cases: 14 new cases, 94 from local transmission and 116 cases brought in by the horde of people intending to return to Bohol, APORs and non-APORs. (rahchiu/PIA-7/Bohol)

Get protected anti-COVID:

“Choose to be vaccinated”

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, March 11 (PIA) – Amidst the reported diminishing acceptability of the Filipinos to vaccination owing to discordant information emanating from unchecked and unverified sources, an epidemiologist at the Department of Health (DOH) Center for Health and Development in Region 7 calls on Boholanos to get the last and final individual protection against corona virus disease (COVID).

Dr, Juanitu Zuasola Jr., epidemiologist at the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (RESU) of the DOH in Central Visayas explained that vaccination is important for the country to be able to attain herd immunity.

Herd immunity, according to health practitioners, is a form of indirect protection from infectious disease that can occur with some diseases when a sufficient percentage of a population has become immune to an infection, whether through vaccination or previous infections, thereby reducing the likelihood of infection for individuals who lack immunity.

This is also in consideration that there are people in the community who can not be vaccinated for several reasons: an underlying illness that could trigger fatal reactions with the vaccine, those with compromised auto-immune systems like those with HIV or kidney transplant patients or those contraindicated to the kind of vaccine used.

By attaining herd immunity, it simply means a largely diminished possibility of infection because the virus would have significantly low chances of getting passed as most people already attaining immunity.

Polio, for example needs 80 percent of the population to be immune, before a community can attain hered immunity, while for measles, the viral airborne disease needs 95% of the total population vaccinated to keep the remaining 5% who can not be vaccinated safe.

However, while other diseases have known population thresholds or percentage of the population to be immune from the disease to attain herd immunity, COVID, the novel viral disease has left scientists baffled as to its threshold.

According to Dr. Zuasola, they country’s health department has pegged an initial threshold of between 70 to 75 percent of the population immunized through vaccination or direct infection to attain herd immunity.

With the arrival of the first vaccines that reportedly came from China, misinformation began to be shared on social media, pushing more and more less informed individuals to chicken out.

To prove that the vaccine is safe and effective, government authorities flooded television and social media with assurances from medical front-liners who already got the vaccine jabs.

Sinovac, the first vaccine that arrived uses inactivated virus, and this has not much contraindications

Dr. Zuasola however, toeing the line of the medical experts, stressed that the best vaccine is the one that is available for now.

Even then, the epidemiologist bared that as of now, nobody still knows how long can the vaccination provide for one’s protection.

“As to how long we can have the protection [from vaccination], we still have no information,” he told members of the information officers gathered at the Azalea Hall of the Reynas Garden, March 11.

Unlike polio vaccine which provides a lifetime immunity, COVID vaccine manufacturers have no luxury of time to study and put into medical test the length of protection the vaccines, which are now issued emergency use authority, offer.

Along this, Dr Zuasola added, even if one is already vaccinated, that does not mean that he can stop wearing face masks, face shields, or stop the habit of disinfecting by constant washing of hands and keeping the physical distance. (rahchiu/PIA-7/Bohol)

BEST AND FINAL INDIVIDUAL PROTECTION. In his online message to Boholanos, DOH 7 epidemiologist Dr Juanito Zualsola Jr., urges Boholanos to get the vaccines free from the government so that the country could attain a high proportion of population who would be immune to the virus to attain herd immunity and help protect those who could not physically take the jabs. (rahchiu/PIA-7/Bohol)

PROMISE. As information officers. AUDIO members would be getting from the DOH its frequently asked questions regarding vaccination to increase people’s confidence and help attain for the country a high proportion of population getting immunity. (rahchiu/PIA-7/Bohol)

USAID gives laptops for

City ALS implementers

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, March 12 (PIA) – If you think out-of-school youth are fated to be inferior, having been left out by their peers, know that it is different in Tagbilaran City and in 11 other cities across the country.

Considering itself lucky to partner with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Department of Education (DepED) in a project called USAID Opportunity 2.0, Tagbilaran City and the City DepED Division received some nine brand-new laptop computers to be used by the city’s 8 mobile teachers and another one for the city Division’s focal person.

These laptops would be used as part of the Opportunity 2.0’s support in building the capacities of the city’s Alternative Learning System (ALS) implementers, shared USAID representative Lucille Alcala-Dabhi, during the simple ceremony held early afternoon of March 12 at the City Hall Atrium.

In the ceremony were USAID representative Lucille Alcala Dabhi, City Mayor John Geesnell Yap II, DepED Bohol Assistant Division Superintendent Dr. Casiana Caberte, City Division Curriculum Implementation chief John Ariel Lagura, ALS Divison Focal person Elizabeth Rosil Escolano, City DepED School Governance and Operation chief Beatriz Luga, City Sangguniang Kabataan Federation President Raul Aparicio, and ALS mobile teachers recipients of the laptops.

While mainstream educators are struggling to adapt and find new modalities upon which to course learnings to students off sites, the ALS all the more has to improvise especially when some of its students are also engaged in some kind of informal work.

The new equipment is expected to aid the city’s ALS implementers in meeting the widening needs of the OSY population and in the delivery of instructions to those who are enrolled with the DepEDs ALS.

Mayor John Geesnell Yap II, bringing the entire City Government’s gratefulness expressed the profound gratitude to the American people in helping the city by complementing its efforts.

Our teachers are also adapting and learning new modalities to deliver the instructions in these COVID times, and by these help, this will support the students’ dreams to be productive or at least contribute to their success, the young mayor pointed out.

Opportunity 2.0 which provides second-chance opportunities to OSYs is a five year P1.9 billion ($37.5 million) USAID funded project that builds, and advances the on-going programs and existing education systems of the Philippine’s DepED and the country’s premier technical vocational training agency in the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

City Division Curriculum Implementation Chief Dr. John Ariel Lagura bared that the program in partnership with the TESDA hopes to augment the relevant educational training and enhance the employability skills and work chances of the city’s OSY and of the OSYs in the 11 cities across the country.

For her part, Assistant Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Casiana Caberte pointed out that while it is noteworthy that Tagbilaran has been selected among the 12 cities in the country to have the project, she also bared that the city is the first to get the computer laptops. (rahchiu/PIA-7/Bohol)

DOUBLE THUMBS-UP. City Mayor John Geesnell Yap led the DepED City Division in thanking the American people for Opportunity 2.0 which focuses on helping the city’s out of school youth to get trained some more and compete with the others who go through the mainstream educational system and get the edge in employability. (rahchiu/PIA-7/Bohol)

RESPONDING TO THE DIVERSE ALS EDUCATIONAL NEEDS. Lenovo thinkpads get to 9 Alternative Learning System implementers in the City from the USAID Opportunity 2.0 project which aims to give second-chance opportunities to the city’s OSYs. (rahchiu/PIA-7/Bohol)

Felix Barrete: on his way to

his dreams on a wheel chair

After standing to honor the national anthem, a guy with an unmistakable Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) vest walked up to him, to offer him a seat. But, Felix Barrete, 51 years old and a native of Agape Loay knows that there are still more hymns to honor, so he remained standing, balancing his good feet with a bamboo cane.

Felix, who has been crippled for seven years now, shared an incident where he bathed in the overflow of a water tank while he was 7 years old led. That night, he had a fever, which lasted for over a week.

ROLLING TO HIS DREAMS. With a new wheel chair to replace his bamboo cane, Felix Barrete, a woodcarver from Agape Loay could roll towards his dream faster, or attain it if he still gets lucky to find a capital to start off his own furniture shop so he could continue his job as a breadwinner for his family and a beacon for his relatives. With Barrete are Samantha dela Pena (Sen Bong Go’s representative), Loay Mayor Hilario Ayuban, and DSWD Asec Jade Jamolod. (rahchiu/PIA-7/Bohol)

Having no money to spend for medications, Felix’s parents opted to get a quack doctor’s remedy.

Months later, he felt he is slowly losing his muscles. That was when their neighbors told him and his family that he had polio.

Born from a tuba gatherer and a sickly mother, Felix and his siblings were at the tipping end of the pole. His younger brothers, too have afflictions that bore on the family’s meager income.

Sometime, Felix had problem urinating, they resorted to a home-remedy, which also somehow restored some functions in his feet.

From then on, he would drag himself from bed to his chores at home. That is, even when he too would have to defend himself from a brother who gets to him because he could hardly move.

Losing the strength of the muscles in his feet however did not affect his desire to live his life. Even if he has to limp his way to elementary school which is over a kilometer away, Felix was the dirt road fixture day in and out.

One time, I walked with him, a vehicle stopped and offered him a ride. Naturally, because we were together, I too hitched in the ride. More often, we walk or ride together from then on, confessed Ernesto Obod, a school mate.

As if the misery befalling Felix was not enough, a bunch of young coconuts hit him in the head, when he was younger.

Still nurturing a resolve to learn, Felix limped through elementary and, having gained unusual upper body strength, he learned woodcarving, if only to start earning and be productive.

When his parents died, Felix stood, no limped, up to the task of becoming the head of the family.

“It was hard for him to stand to stand, but still he worked tirelessly, devoting his skill in furniture, while sending us to school,” narrates Felix’s nephew, Nerie Santos.

“He urged me to train with him in wood carving, because I had no job then. I did, and realized it was good because I have something now, states Renren Barrete, a cousin.

Now a full time wood carver and into furniture, Felix converts his house’s front porch into a makeshift shop, accepting small orders enough to feed the family.

Now at 51, Felix, who feeds his two unmarried and physically incapacitated brothers and helps his nephews and nieces, now dreams of going farther from his shop.

“I saw an e-trike, and I think I can operate that,” he mused, as he was sitting on a monobloc chair at the Loay Gynmasium.

MARKED DISBELIEF. With a mark of disbelief in his face, Felix Barrete could only smile when DSWD Asec Jade Jamolod and Loay mayor Hilario Ayuban wheeled to him a wheel chair, as the turn-over of assistance to individuals in crisis situations continue on stage. (rahchiu/PIA-7/Bohol)

With that, maybe I can go to places where there are furniture orders, somewhere where my bamboo cane could no help me, he said, showing a rutted cut bamboo pole, even knowing that the luxury of buying that would seem so distant.

My neighbors, Agape viners did a story of my life and uploaded it on youtube, we were hoping this could reach “Wish Ko Lang,” a popular wish TV show. Up to now, we have not heard from them, he timidly said.

Still not losing the itch for life, when most persons with standing disability would simply honor the Philippine flag and sit while singing the national anthem, Felix stood at the front of the line, one gnarled leg in front of the other, the bamboo cane providing his other support.

Felix was among the 998 PWDs, workers displaced by the corona virus pandemic and motorcycle service drivers who were set to receive the government’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS).

Coursed through the DSWD, the AICS distribution also came together with the assistance of Senator Christopher Lawrence Bong Go, in the form of grocery packs, food packs, face masks and shields, sports shoes for men and women, ten mountain bikes for additional family mobility in crisis and 10 computer tablets to aid students in their online classes.

There, the DSWD also brought in unannounced, two wheel chairs.

Unknown to Felix, who had his right hand over his chest singing the national anthem and Bohol Hymn in his full heart, across the gym was DSWD undersecretary Jade Jamolod wanting to just allow Felix to sit through the hymns.

After the hymns, I saw the guy wheel the wheelchair to me, and placed it beside my chair, Felix said.

I asked him, how much would this chair be, he told asked me instead, do you wish for this?

I have no money to buy that, he humbly remarked.

I will give this to you, from the government, the DSWD guy accordingly told him.

Not long later, DSWD Usec Jamolod and Loay mayor Hilario Ayuban helped Felix into the new wheel chair, his now ride.

DEFINITELY NOT THAT. Woordcarver and crippled by poliomyelitis, Felix Barrete admitted he prayed to get an e-trike when his friends uploaded his story at “GMA’s Wish Ko Lang” television docu drama. The e trike would definitely help him get to work his furniture making skills farther, he said. The TV program however has already concluded its last episode in 2020. If the e-trike is too much, Barrete said a starting capital for a home furniture shop would be great. (rahchiu/PIA-7/Bohol)

In an interview later, Felix said he asked God for an e-trike, or if not, a little capital to start his own furniture shop in his barangay in Agape.

Now, with a two wheeled chair, and some P5,000 pesos as a gift from the DSWD for his medicines and needs, with brimming happiness, Felix thanked the President Duterte, Senator Go, the DSWD and the people who motivated him to struggle some more.

With the infectious joie de vivre Felix showed, gratefulness spilling in his words, getting a wheel chair could be giving him a good rolling start. (rahchiu/PIA-7/Bohol)

Panglao optimistic with new
Travel rules, Balik Bohol sale

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, March 5, (PIA) – A day before Governor Arthur Yap issued Executive Order No 17 which removed the medical clearance certificate and police issued travel authority as well as the imposition of repeat testing in Bohol, Panglao Mayor Leonila Montero reports encouraging numbers.

Feeling optimistic with the result of “Balik sa Bohol Online sale” which ran from February 21 to March 14 and with the loosening up of the travel requirements and protocols in the new normal, Montero said Panglaoanons greet the news with excitement.

Congratulations for Balik sa Bohol marketing initiative, with this, we are confident that this jumpstarts tourism again, she said during the online sale launching.

A town that hosts Bohol’s prime tourist amenities and beaches comparable to the best in the world, Panglao has slowly picked on tourism as a major industry, with thousands of residents engaged in tourism and its countless support activities.

Everything however went awry when the government imposed travel restrictions due to efforts to contain and prevent the further spread of the disease that has toppled world economies.

Thousands of Panglao residents suddenly found themselves jobless, and desperately looked for alternative incomes, even as the town attempted to reopen its businesses for domestic Boholano tourists in July of 2021.

“We were in the new normal as early as June 21, 202, when the Modified General Community Quarantine was hoisted over Bohol,” Montero told Network Briefing host JV Arcena.

But we found it difficult to get local tourists coming because of the provincial measures on closing town borders, she continued on national radio.

Panglao however is not new to climbing over its obstacles.

Having survived the millennium bug scare and Dos Palmas incident, Panglao, through Mayor Montero assured local leaders that they will manage this COVID, because we can, Montero assured.

Recently, Bohol Governor Arthur Yap issued Executive Order No. 17, series of 2021 which implements a resolution from the Inter Agency Task Force on the management of Emerging Infectious Disease (ATF EID) removing travel requirements to motivate people to travel to help revive the economy and perk up, especially the local tourism industry.

“From less than 100 a day, we are now between 200 to 300 tourist arrivals a day,” Mayor Montero updated the Boholanos and Filipinos tuned to the Network Briefing March 4, 2021 and aired live over Radyo Pilipinas and government information media sites.

For tourists now, with the EO, a tourist would only need to show a negative for COVID test result in a Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction Test (RT-PCR) in a test taken 72 hours prior to departure for Bohol and a Certificate of Acceptance once they register online as tourists.

We are asking for Acceptance to help us regulate the tourists and to issue them the necessary Quick Response Code they would need for an efficient contact tracing, Montero added.

On this, the mayor said, Panglaoanons can come home now, we are ready and we assure you that we are ready to have you, stressed Montero who just led another successful round of the 7th Panglao Tourism Summit this week. (rahchiu/PIA-7/Bohol)

WE ARE READY. Panglao mayor Leonila Montero believes, with the figures coming out now, Bohol’s new normal marketing initiatives coupled with a lifting of the travel restrictions would jumpstart the tourism economy in Panglao which stuttered when the government closed Bohol for tourists to help curb the spread of the COVID here. (rahchiu/PIABohol files)

A local tourist basks in the setting sun having Bellevue’s infinity pool by herself as Panglao is starting to believe that soon, the tourists would be back and the industry would restart in the new normal. (rahchiu/PIA-7/Bohol)

If needed, Montero to get
COVID jabs first as model

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, March 5 (PIA) – If it is necessary to be modeling for her constituents, Panglao Mayor Leonila Montero would be first in line if only to assure that the vaccine is safe, and is what Panglao direly needs to get the wheels of tourism spinning again.

Speaking during the Network Briefing aired over Radyo Pilipinas and broadcast across all Presidential Communications and Operation Office (PCOO) social media account and Philippine Information Agency (PIA) pages, the lady mayor reported that the case in Panglao is a bit different.

When in areas where people are getting the bulk of the sketchy information against the Chinese SinoVac which incidentally is the first vaccine available in the country donated by China out of the landmark of friendship between countries, and where people are reportedly shunning away from inoculations, Panglao, where majority of its people thrive in the scuttled tourism industry, has fewer doubting Thomases.

“Few are having fear as most people here are already expecting the vaccine considering that the industry here is tourism,” the lady mayor told Network Briefing host JV Arcena.

Arcena was sitting on the program for its regular host PCOO Secretary Jose Ruperto Martin Andanar asked Montero about the general sentiments of the people now that the vaccines have arrived and that the general sector could have the vaccines by April or May as what the vaccine czar initially shared.

Much of the high vaccine-acceptability in town, the mayor credits to the information drive of the municipality, through the Municipal Health Office, barangay health workers, Barangay officials who brought the message that vaccination is the next best thing to protect the town from the disease, thereby raising acceptability.

To the few who are still unconvinced, Montero, who led the town in announcing the re-opening Panglao tourism in July of last year, after the Modified General Community Quarantine was declared all over Bohol since March 16, defended her statement that she will be first to be inoculated if needed.

“Importante po talaga, kasi ang mga tao, tumitingin sa atin as leaders,” she declared.

She said, if needed, she, the town medical frontlines, barangay captains and town political leaders may have to take the line first.

For apparent lack of curated information about the vaccines and its expected normal side effects, people are shying away, many fears bolstered by false claims spread on social media.

“My siblings in Europe have been vaccinated, two doses already and they had no problem,” Montero shared.

As to her roll-out in Panglao, the town is still preparing for the advice from the Department of Health, and the Municipal Health Office on the kind of vaccines that will arrive, as she understands, there are vaccines that need complicated handling.

Now with the report of the vaccines already being given to Cebuanos, it may not be long before Boholanos could prioritized medical frontlines could get the jabs.

The mayor also thanked the Inter Agency task Force for lifting the quarantine protocols, except only to those who arrive with symptoms or those who are temporarily awaiting or their swab test results.

On this, the mayor enjoined Panglaoanons who have been out of the town in the last 11 months, we are now accepting you, only those who could not present a negative for COVID test result are set for the quarantine. We will not have problems, because we are all responsible. (rahchiu/PIA-7/Bohol)

WILLING TO TAKE THE LEAD. Panglao Mator Leonila Montero said if there is a need to get the COVID jobs first if only to assure her constituents that this is safe and the only redemption for a slumped tourism industry, she would and ask her town officials to also do the same. (rahchiu/PIA-7/Bohol)

STILL FAR BEHIND. Even with its reopening of its tourism industry in 2020, local travel restrictions still barred Boholanos from enjoying Panglao that the beach behind, which usually teems with tourists is still unusually empty. Panglao hopes the coming of the vaccines in Bohol changes that. (rahchiu/PIA-7/Bohol)