Aris wants Gatas Bol-anon as

Bohol tourists’ welcome drink

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, July 22 (PIA) –Seriously intent in helping Bohol’s dairy industry, Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado, said he would come up with an executive order mandating the use of Gatas Bol-anon as the official welcome drink in Bohol tourist destinations as well as in the Capitol offices.

Gatas Bol-anon, which is a locally processed cow or carabao milk in pure or chocolate and other fruity flavors, is processed by the National Dairy Authority (NDA) or the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) after proving its economic viability as providing alternative income to farmers.

The move of promoting and patronizing local products become part of the governor’s mandate to promote and patronize local farm products like the processed milk, which he is set to sign anytime soon.

The young Aumentado, who admitted he stands in the shadow of Bohol’s most illustrious son and Bohol’s mega-infrastructure builder and father governor Erico Aumentado, picks a local version of Garcia’s Filipino-First-Policy.

Speaking during the 6th Bohol Milk Festival in Bood, Ubay where a new transport and food terminal is set to be inaugurated anytime, Aumentado cited the critical role the dairy industry can give to health and the economy.

Bohol Milk Festival, this time celebrates the resilience of the industry, which has suffered the blunt edge of the typhoon and the series of calamities that affected the milk yields of the stressed animals, according to Festival convenor and Provincial Veterinarian Dr. Stella Marie Lapiz.

Spreading the celebration now to eastern Bohol with the milk festival, Aumentado has asked the organizers to fix the second day of the annual Sandugo Agricultural Fair, being the livestock day, as highlighting the milk festival.

The annual Sandugo Festival events happen mostly in Tagbilaran, and just this year, an event gets to Ubay, spreading the celebration to the far end of the Sandugo festivities in Tagbilaran.

Aumentado who saw the viability of dairy industry especially when it largely contributes to the effort to give kids proper nutrition, also cites the dairy enterprise capability or giving a livestock farmer an additional income in the milk he can sell to the government.

A dairy farmer from an Vicente, Ubay, Fernando Dupalco, in an interview said he has six female carabaos he uses to milk.

His carabaos, most of them cross breeds can give between 6-15 liters of milk a day, which sells for P50 a liter.

Dupalco, who sits as a member of the Bohol Dairy Cooperative board, said most of their members are now seeking ways to obtain more female carabaos, seeing that if two of his milking carabaos can give a combined milk yield of 16 liters a day, we could have P800 in a day.

A collector from the nearby Philippine Carabao Center collects his harvested milk, processes it and sells it to the government’s supplemental feeding program.

Compared to cow’s milk, a carabaos milk contains between 7-8% fat which provides more nutritional energy in increase muscle mass, has 10% less lactose, has a low cholesterol content, has over 10% proteins, is superior in calcium, iron and phosphorus, and is much better dietary food.

The governor also hailed the cooperative system of farming adopted by BODACO, one which contributes largely to Aumentado’s development agenda for Bohol in balanced agriculture and tourism.

Aumentado, in his stint as House Representative for Bohol’s Second District has pushed for House Bill 02105 which declares the municipality of Ubay in Bohol as the Farm Tourism Capital in Bohol.

The bill however, he wants refilled by his wife and now Bohol Second District Representative Vanessa C Aumentado and to be amended to include not just Ubay but the whole of the second district.

The move would also benefit the Ubay Stock Farm; the agri park in Lomangog, and the agri tourism destinations in the neighboring towns. (rahc/PIA_7/Bohol)

WELCOME TO BOHOL. While the past administration used buko drink as the Capitol Welcome drink, Gov Aris Aumentado now wants to use Gatas Bol-anon, a cow or carabao milk in different flavors, to help dairy farmers and support the nutrition needs of the Filipinos. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

VP Duterte commends Boholanos for 

‘unified efforts’ in bouncing back from adversity

TAGBILARAN CITY, July 22 (PIA)--Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte praised Boholanos for their “united efforts” to bounce back from the devastation brought by the onslaught of Typhoon Odette last year.

“Moving to a better tomorrow through a united vision is a noble gift in our hands. Not every place has a gift like this,” said Duterte during the province’s 168th founding anniversary on Friday, July 22.

Duterte was the keynote speaker during the province’s founding day held at the Bohol Cultural Center in Tagbilaran City. Under Republic Act No. 7683, July 22 of every year is declared as a special non-working holiday in the Province of Bohol and the City of Tagbilaran known as “Bohol Day.”

“Bohol is dear to my heart. I was with you when you surmounted the devastation of typhoon Odette. Those were difficult, sleepless days and nights for all of you. Yet, I witnessed how you ascended to acceptance, forgiveness, and starting anew. Out of this shared experience comes your collective courage to rebuild the province back into its iconic beauty,” Duterte added.

She said Bohol has a special place in her heart as her mother Elizabeth likes the Boholano dialect.

In her speech, she likewise expressed gratitude for receiving an invitation to attend the Bohol Day celebration, noting that this gave her an opportunity to meet teachers, regional directors of the Department of Education (DepEd), as well as Schools Division Superintendent to discuss the needed repairs and reconstructions of buildings that were damaged by Odette.

Before gracing the Bohol Day celebration, Duterte visited the Clarin National School of Fisheries in the town of Clarin to personally see the schools that were ravaged by Typhoon Odette in December 2021.

She thanked the teachers and employees of the Clarin National School of Fisheries for the time they took to talk to her about their needs and concerns.

As the second highest-ranking official, Duterte thanked Boholanos for helping catapult her to the vice presidency and supporting the administration of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte. (ecb/PIA7-Bohol)

Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte (center) attends the 168th Bohol Day Celebration at the Bohol Cultural Center on July 22, 2022. (ecb/PIA7-Bohol)