Bohol digs paddles to stir

sleeping ‘dragonboating’

CORTES, Bohol, Jan 28 (PIA)—In a bid to reclaim and reassert its dominance in the water sports of dragon boating, local officials and civil society representatives dug in their paddles to create a stir that awakens the dragonboating for physical fitness and tourism here, in time for the Chinese New Year, January 22.

Led by Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado, represented by provincial executive assistant Atty Antonio Amora Jr., private sector and Modala Resort Vice President for Operations Rommel Gonzales, Bohol Paddlers Association Incorporated president Dr. Theodore Dumaluan, former police general Arturo Evangelista and community leaders drew fire in the eyes of the sleeping dragon boat head, in simple ceremonies symbolic of awakening the dragon in the Chines New Year’s year of the water rabbit.

Dragon boating as a sport started in Bohol, shared Dr Dumalu-an who recalled that at those times, Bohol has hosted national and international races.

He said when a dragonboat team came in to introduce the sport, local enthusiasts insisted that they build their own boat so they can hold independent races without bothering their Manila trainors.

As the private sector during that time saw the potential for sports tourism, the Bohol Association of Hotels, Resorts and Restaurants decided to fund the building of one dragonboat, while the provincial government also paid for the building of two more dragon boats.

Those times, we transport our [dragon] boats to Cebu to organize their races, while we had regular domestic tune up races, the schools, local government units and large business establishments creating their paddling crew, Dumaluan, who is also an avid paddler added.

Gonzales, whose resort now has a veritable crew of paddlers, said he saw how dragonboat crew and their families can easily fill up hotel rooms during competitions, and did not think twice in lending his company’s support and resources to the water sport that can be made into his resort’s in-house water sport attraction.

Then however, Bohol still has limited rooms that holding events like dragonboating which entails a crew of at least 10 to 22, and their families, officials found it hard for a suitable billeting.

As Bohol’s dragonboating surged to its popularity, the pandemic hit Bohol and sports activities, especially dragonboating has to be regulated or stopped.

This then put the dragon boating plans in the back rooms.

Those times too, as most hotels and resorts closed to tourists, some investors in Bohol found it as the chance to retrofit, and build additional rooms to cater to the tourists during the reopening of the borders.

There are thousands of dragonboat teams out there, just waiting to be invited, Dr. Dumaluan pointed out. Now is the perfect time to reawaken the dragon and use it as a means to ferry Bohol to a faster economic recovery, while instilling physical fitness, mental health and team spirit among Boholanos, he said.

Bohol is hosting a national dragonboat races in July, the first of these races after the pandemic. Now that the lead paddlers are dipping their paddles into the goal, it now depends on the engine paddlers and the boosters to provide the thrust and the drummer to set the tempo for recovery. (RAHC/PIA_7/Bohol)

GETTING THE FIRE LIT. Dr Theodore Dumaluan, president of the Bohol Paddlers Association Incorporated along with police general Arturo Evangelista stir the dragonboat head by marking the fire in the dragon’s eyes as Bohol aspires to make dragonboating in Bohol in 2023 a tourism revenue grosser. (PIAbohol)

THE DRAGON AWAKES. After being dormant for two years due to the pandemic, Bohol is now ready to unleash its fiery tourism recovery program with the recent relaunching of its dragon boats for soirts tourism and general fitness to the Boholanos. (PIABohol)