Bohol Biodiversity Center in Bilar

propagates 16 of 25 dipterocarps

Did you know that there is a forest giant in Bohol that was believed among the rarest in the Philippines and was thought to be extinct in the country, but is still existent, although endangered?

Quisumbing-guisok (Hopea quisumbingiana) or siyam and sungkad in Samar and Leyte is a dipterocarp, meaning its fruit have two wings (di-ptero-carpus) is critically endangered and has been thought of as extinct, but a few are still surviving in Bohol, according to Restituto Piolio, center chief at the Capitol-owned Bohol Biodiversity Center (BBC) in Bilar.

In fact, another dipterocarp, Yakal Saplongan (Hopea plagata) has also been found and only in Sierra Bullones in Bohol, he added.

In the country, we have 24 dipterocarp species and 4 sub species, he said as he explained how dipterocarps grow strong and straight in the forests, lording it over other species in the battle for sunlight.

Before the dipterocarp project, publications has it that Bohol has only three species, but with Edwino Fernando and accompanying taxonomists of the University of the Philippines, Visayas State University and Soils and Water Conservation Foundation, we found out that we have 16 and not just three species as earlier published.

And to make sure that these species are again seen, the Bohol Environment Code of 1998 put up the BBC in a government property in Bilar to make sure that propagation of these rare disappearing species can start and rejuvenating the province’s forests of its endemic giants and endemic trees can take a good root.

“Before, we did not know where these trees can be found, it was the SWCF and company who went out and identified these trees especially the dipterocarps and where they are located, they started it all,” confesses Jimmy Rautraut, who was among those who would be sent out to the forests to gather wildlings and seeds that fall from the fruiting giants and endemic plants.

With over six years of service and now the center water system management manager in the nursery, Rautraut, who is well past his sixty, continues to enjoy bagging the wildlings, some of which he could not identify as he modestly admits he still has to know much about these trees.

With the Bohol Environment Code, the BBC has been mandated to propagate these trees so seedlings can be available any time people go on tree planting programs.

Rolando Agpaoa, nursery in charge, said “based on our semestral target, we are to produce 160K assorted seedlings but this year, we targeted 200K native, endemic and dipterocarp seedlings, others we planted, some we collected while others are planting,” as he was pointing to a crude greenhouse topped with palm leaves where the delicate wildlings are hardened before they can be properly bagged.

Beside these crude green houses are rows upon rows of bagged and labeled seedlings of Guijo (Shorea guiso) for construction, ship and boat building, Palosapis (Shorea palosapis), Narig (Vatica elliptica), Quisumbing guisok (Hopea quisumbingiana), Manggachapui (Hopea acuminate) famed for being the materials for Manila galeons and Guisok-guisok (Hopea philippinensis), neatly arranged.

On the other side, Yakal Saplungan (Hopea plagata), the Philippines fifth hardest wood, Mayapis (Dipterocarpus turbinatus) which is a source of medicines from its resin to it bark and the wood is material for plywood, White lauan (Shorea contorta), Apitong (Dipterocarpus grandiflorus), Yakal malibato (Shorea malibato), Tanguile (Shorea polysperma), Almon (Shorea almon), Manggasinoro (Shorea assamica ssp. Philippinensis), Hasselts panau (Dipterocarpus hasseltii) and Malaanonang (Parashorea malaanonan).

“Majority of these, we have propagated at the bursary, but some hardwoods do have erratic flowering and fruiting seasons, some between 2-10 years, other from 10-20, so we really have to wait,” Piolio said.

Ang the BBC has also kept plots upon plots of bagged endemic and native tree species.

Endemic species are those that can also be found in other provinces and islands in the region like Mindanao and Luzon, while native species are those which can only be found in Bohol.

Endemic species like Talisay gubat (Terminalia foeditisimma), Bani (Pongamia pinnata), Sagimsim (Syzygium brevistylum), Libas (Spondias pinnata), Aniam gubat (Antedesma sobolivaceum), Bitanghol (Callophyllum blancoi), Toog (Petersianthus quadrialatus), Siar (Peltophorum pterocarpum), Kalingag (Cinnamomum mercadoi), Langin (Micromelum caudatum), Antipolo (Artocarpus blancoi),Tagibokbok (Gomphandra apoensis), Cacao (Theobroma cacao), and still a hundred more or less, are also neatly stocked in the nursery, awaiting for Boholanos to do their share of the planting.

These species are adapted to the local climate, can withstand extreme heat and weather conditions prevalent in the tropics, helps conserve areas of biodiversity as well as maintain the balance in the ecosystem, foresters all agree.

And to think that we are only getting these wildlings from a few areas where the SWCF went, and there are still forest areas in Bohol where no focused study have been started, you could just simply gape at the possibilities, Rautraut said.

And now that the local authorities have pushed for the endemic, native, fruit bearing and dipterocarps in tree planting activities, BBC is there to serve and stay.

Those interested in planting these, can visit the BBC in Bilar or request from the Office of the Governor for seedlings over 50 pcs.

BBC staff also monitors and evaluates those trees whose seedlings were sourced out there, to make sure that technical assistance can be given and that those requesting parties truly nurture their planted trees.

And thanks to the BBC staff led by Piolio, there is always that tree seedling of a rare Boholnative trees that will soon rise and regain the forest cover we have lost in the last decades. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol

Baclayon ancient uplifted marine

terraces in Bohol geoparks bid list

CORTES, Bohol, Nov 26 (PIA) –One need not go far to see a ‘marvel’ caused by the earth’s movements through the eons, a few steps off the eastern highway a few blocks before the ancient church in Baclayon is a proof that Bohol indeed rose from under the sea.

Here, a diligent observer would see giant-steps-like gradation of the landscape, one that forms terraces, clearly recognizable on aerial view.

This is what studying geologists call as Baclayon Uplifted marine Terraces, or Baclayon Ancient Uplifted Marine Terraces.

Caused by drastic environmental changes like melting glaciers during the Pleistocene period and the fluctuating levels of seawater plus local tectonic and environmental conditions, these forces have contributed to an uplift that left three land terraces that is visibly exposed in Baclayon, Dauis and some areas.

Part of the natural geological formations that could help boost Bohol’s aspirations to be enrolled into the United Nations Educational, Scientific, Cultural Organization (UNESCO) global geoparks, the Baclayon Uplifted Marine Terraces were formed much older than the uplifted coastlines of the areas in Maribojoc and Loon.

Formed during the Pliocene-Pleistocene time, which is about 5 million years to 11,000 years ago, the Baclayon Uplifted Marine Terraces is what geologists termed as half-Horst structure where an upthrown block lying between two steep-angled fault blocks are pushed up by vertical tectonic movements, producing three levels of uplift spanning roughly two million years.

The subsequent vertical tectonic movements have resulted in landforms manifested in terraces that rise from 20 to 40 to 60 feet above the mean sea level, as is visible in Poblacion, Baclayon stretching towards Montana.

The same uplift can also be documented in Dauis, in the cliff behind the catholic cemetery and rising up to barangay Mayacabac to parts of Catarman.

In the vicinity of Baclayon, there are morphologically three terraces with elevations of 20 meters, 40 meters and 60 meters above sea levels, published a study, suggesting the intensive tectonic uplift of the island as seen in this site.

In dating the uplift, geologists used Uranium-Thorium isotope analysis and this indicated that the first terrace at 20 meters above sea level emerged between 129,000 years ago, and the third terrace which is at 60 meters high emerged about 310,000 years ago.

A rather graphic representation of the global footprint during the ice age, the terraced marine structure true enough, have indications of being long underwater with the presence of large and petrified fragments of giant bivalve sea shells and gastropods as collected by geologists Gero Hillmer and Joachim Scholz (Hillmer and Scholz) as published in 1986.

In Bohol, the bid for declaration as among the 177 UNESCO Global Geoparks in 46 countries could be the Philippines first entry.

UNESCO has opened up the geoparks for unified geographical areas where sites and landscapes of international geological significance are studied and managed with a holistic concept of protection, education and sustainable development.

A UNESCO Global Geopark uses its geological heritage, in connection with all other aspects of the area’s natural and cultural heritage, to enhance awareness and understanding of key issues facing society, such as using our earth’s resources sustainably, mitigating the effects of climate change and reducing natural disasters-related risks.”

Along with Baclayon Uplifted Marine Terraces are the Chocolate Hills, Alicia Schist, The Alicia Panoramic Park, Loon Uplifted Marine Terraces and Coral Garden, Maribojoc Uplifted Marine Terrace, Hinagdanan Cave, Cagongcagong Cave System including Princess Manan-aw Cave, Batongay Cave System in Trinidad, Lamanoc Island in Anda, Canawa Cold Spring in Candijay, Can-umangtad Falls, Danajon Double Barrier Reef, Anda Cave Pools, Inabanga Fault Scarp, Cadapdapan Rice Terraces, Baclayon Church, Dauis Church and Eskaya Indigenous Cultural Community. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

Church as theater, actors

in Sta Cecilia The Musical

LOBOC Bohol, November 22 (PIA)—The choir loft was the ‘orchestral pit’ sending the folksy notes plucked from bandurrias and chirping octavinas into the curved ceilings of the newly restored church of Saints Peter and Paul in Loboc, transforms the entire stone structure into an acoustic sound room as organizers staged this year’s commemorative program of Saint Cecilia, patroness of music and musicians and the music town’s inspiration.

And a living church, literally the whole community: a grade school kid in the play, a septuagenarian using a folk instrument, teen pop singers on the cast: an engineer director, an accomplished contactor on a saxophone, the Loboc Youth Ambassadors Band, the famed Loboc Children’s Choir, Children’s choir alumni, multi awarded musical directors and professionals in the production staff attempted the almost impossible: Santa Cecilia The Musical: A Journey of Faith of Lobocanons, 2022.

Yet Bohol’s biggest assemblage of musicians and music artists in an hour-long musical play on the life of Santa Cecilia, the music capital’s patroness, on her day, November 22, The Musical is this year’s annual traditional event for the virgin martyr who sang her way to sainthood.

And there is no other Bohol town that can pull it off, other than Loboc.

A musical play that retells the life of Santa Cecilia in the Roman period, Loboc playwrights brought relevance to the story by integrating in a neat juxtaposition of a modern story of peer pressure, unplanned pregnancy, spiritual guidance provided by a deeply rooted faith and redemption which culminates in a story that every contemporary teen has to ponder upon and take lessons from.

Presented in a brilliant stitching of modern, traditional and experimental multi-staging, the play incorporates multi-media projection, traditional and original music handed down from generations, church music and the recreation of traditional activities steeped in music and the town’s intangible heritage.

Staged in a town which distinguishes itself as the host of the Jesuit missionary priests who introduced music to the converts in the Hispanic times, Loboc has since kept the tradition alive by teaching and introducing music to the kids through free public grade school Solfeggio vocal exercises.

It was said that when the Spaniards introduced music, converts would wake the priests up at dawn, so they could make the dawn procession singing, a resident shared.

Reinforced by proper voice coaching classes in the children’s choir membership auditions, regular singing competitions, church activities that are inseparable with the music traditions like Flores de Mayo, Hugos, and the Suroy sa mga Musikero, a daily dose of music wafting from the floating restaurants, Loboc Childrens’ Choir rehearsals, Youth Ambassador Band performances, local rondallas and comparzas and a history that says once upon a time that every house in Loboc had a piano, residents here literally grow in an environment that one can easily get saturated with.

Play director Jirrey Aguilar said it was, for him a dream come true to have a collaboration with Loboc's community of artists and our Kasing Sining.”

Agular who grew up listening to the sound of the rehearsals of these groups admitted he was still hesitant because “it is my first time to direct a musical, but I will be working with artists, teachers and people whom I look up to and were part of my formation as a person and artist. But I took a leap of faith and accepted that trust given to me by Sir the rest of the core group of this production.

Using the story of Cecille, a kid bullied in grade school as she was born out of proper wedding in a religiously conservative Loboc, the story then presents the parallel story of Santa Cecilia and her suffered pressures in her lifetime.

Woven in the journey of faith of the Lobocanons, Cecille’s story becomes an avid retelling of the story of Santa Cecilia, in the eyes of the Boholanos who are also called to be witnesses of faith in this repressive society, if only to be modern ‘models’ of conversion.

Brought to stage by the expert staging and direction of Bohol’s most active theater group, Kasing Sining founded by multi-awarded theater and music director Gardy Labad, in partnership with multi awarded musical scorer Odoni Pestelos, Santa Cecilia The Musical is Kasing Sining’s other religious musical after Paingin sa Pagkasantos which recounts the stories of Blessed Jose Rada and Leon Inchausti.

Recounting the dynamic process of the staging, Aguilar hailed the actors and performers, artistic team and organizing team for making everything come together and deliver all the hopes and his vision on stage. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

BULLIED AND YET HUMBLE. Cecille, the grade school kid born born out of wedlock, has to take on the pressures exerted by the community of conservative Catholics and still live up to the faith, nurtured by the strong music tradition of Loboc, to retell the story of Santa Cecilia in the Roman times. Sta Cecilia The Musical also reenacts Loboc’s unparalleled music tradition and faith heritage. (PIABohol/foto from KasingSining)

ALL STAR CAST. Sta. Cecilia The Musical converted the Loboc Church into a gigantic theater, the choirloft into an orchestral pit and the entire church acoustic properties lent to the play its desired audio effect highlighting the town’s music tradition, faith community and journeying together. (PIABohol/fotos from KasingSining)

Holiday Market brings out

‘best from Boholano hands’

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Nov 22 (PIA) – Creativity and meticulous attention to details in its handicrafts all spread in an array of colors, shapes, textures take on the Island City Mall’s display booths and special display set-up as the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) bring to Boholanos the second Holiday Market and Crafts Fair which runs from November 21 to 26, 2022.

The Christmas crafts bazaar which features the most recent creations of 22 micro small and medium enterprises into the manufacture of wearables and home decors, 13 investors in processed food and 8 who have spent considerable investments in furniture, is one of DTI’s initiatives to help these MSMEs bounce back and recover from the economic inactivity brought about by the pandemic.

During those times, the DTI never ceased to help hand hold these entrepreneurs who struggled to survive as the world nearly ground to a halt.

In her message read by DTI Bohol SMED Division Chief Vierna Teresa Ligan, DTI Provincial Director Maria Soledad Balistoy said “Yes, we have faced great challenges in the past but our initiative and our passion to help our MSMEs bounce back and recover have never ceased.. product development, marketing efforts, mentoring and coaching have been continuously done and now our micro entrepreneurs have started picking up and are doing well even in the export market.”

During those difficult times too, DTI challenged everyone to continue to create, to innovate, and think of some other ways to move on, move up, and get sales.

It was just lucky that digital platforms and technical innovations allowed for online mentoring and coaching, trainings, meetings with our MSMEs and opened up wider marketing initiatives that kept businesses going, according to the DTI.

During those times, while the cessation of global trade happened, Bohol MSMEs went back to product development, innovated and pooled ideas and brought them to production, all of which they are bringing now in the showcase.

The pandemic and the calamities in between have also contributed to the variety of the showcase.

Giang lawaan and molave trees felled during the typhoon became the raw materials for furniture manufacturers which has upped their display with world class offers that could make Ikea shoppers drool.

Food processors for the holidays offer the famed Robustas of Bohol, the cacao and the ubiquitous tableya, corn brew, egg white based cookies, traditional tortas, chicharon, calamay and still many other Boholano products you would definitely want on your Christmas table.

And then there are the hand and loom woven products, raffia, raffia table runners, bags with loom and upcycled accents, upcycled rubber boats made into bags, native wovens, and wearables like wooden ear rings, bracelets, necklaces, tribal wears and still a profuse number of creations of the Boholano hand.

“To our shoppers, we have a lot of products to offer and we have new MSMEs in this show. Daghan ang namugna sa mga Bol-anong kamot. That’s how talented, creative and resilient Boholanos are. And we are very much excited for some more new things to come, Ligan read Balistoy’s message.

Meanwhile, former DTI Assistant Secretary and Bohol Provincial Administrator Aster Cabertecalled this year’s Christmas Bazaar as a coming out party for Bohol MSMEs from COVID.

The biggest coming out party however happens next year, when the City Government, the local government units and Capitol.

Make your budget grand, and Capitol will make an equally big counterpart, Caberte, whose first half of the year was spent as DTI exec and half of the month is sting considered young

On this note, I would like to congratulate our micro entrepreneurs and I would like to thank the local govt units, the City of Tagbilaran, the Provincial Govt of Bohol, our partners from the government and the private sector who have never ceased to support DTI’s journey to help our MSMEs, Balistoy through Ligan said. (PIA-7/Bohol)

GIFT IDEAS FOR SELF. This dainty narra sala set with holiday themed throwpillows and many other furniture products populate the 2022 Holiday Market and Crafts Fair now at the Island City mall until November 26. Wearables and home decors, as well as processed food comprise this year’s handicraft product-lines showcase. (RAHC/PIA-7/Bohol)

MSME BOUNCING BACK. Former DTI Assistant Secretary Aster Caberte and City mayor Jane Cajes-Yap along with Vice Governor Victor Dionisio Balite and DTI SME Division Chief Vierna Teresa Ligan cut the ceremonial ribbon opening the Christmas crafts showcase at the ICM. The MSME crafts fair allowed the MSME to bounce back after a series of calamities and the pandemic. (RAHC/PIA-7/Bohol)