Coming in to inspire…

Bohol unity, leadership

inspires CabSec Abalos

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol (PIA)—He came to inspire, but Cabinet Secretary Benjamin Benhur Abalos; consummate statesman and multi-awarded leader was instead, inspired by Bohol.

Coming in as the keynote speaker for the 172nd Bohol Day, July 22, 2026, Abalos, whose stint in government service and whose career is defined by integrity and action, could have been a national figure that provincial officials look up to as their model.

Instead, the coordinator of government agencies in translating p[residential priorities into responsive and efficient programs, still finds the character of the Boholano unity and resilience to rise above the challenges, something beyond any born-leader’s realm.

Having been a mayor and congressman who heaped accolades for his kind of leadership, Abalos who led Mandaluyong City to great governance heights through introduction of innovations, still has something to credit Bohol to: unity.

IN his message for Boholanos on their 172nd foundation anniversary and in time for the country’s historic Sandugo festival, Abalos who frequents Bohol and Cebu, noted the Boholano character and unity as a standout field that makes leaders very effective.

“The blood compact symbolizes the compact between two leaders, and for me, it symbolizes the relationship between the local authorities and the people of Bohol,” the President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s cabinet secretary said.

Seeing Bohol in different perspectives: when then slumped by earthquakes, mashed by typhoons, and other calamities, he went on to pick on the resiliency of the people in unity as the big difference.

“It is because of the resiliency of the people. You all united and rose, and that is the essence,” Abalos said, adding as highlight Bohol’s meteoric flight to be the bastion for investments.

That is what defines Bohol. It is character, it is its people. It is about unity of the whole province, that is the essence, the keynote speaker shared his thoughts.

He also pointed out how local leaders are so passionate and dedicated to the task they vowed to make.

Citing past Boholano leaders who to him were so passionate and whom he was privileged to work with, Abalos cited Aumentado, Cajes and other leaders whom he credits for Bohol’s successes.

Reading an economic appraisal of the reputable LeechiuProperty Consultants, he said many of his friends are taking the advice.

“If you want to invest in the Philippines, you should invest in Bohol,” Abalos re-echoed Leechiu Property Consultants appraisal.

That same day, a global leader in technology and artificial intelligence-led healthcare opened its virtual service delivery Visayas operations center where 1,500 Boholanos would be working as healthcare virtual assistants, which also stirs subsequent indirect economic opportunities for Bohol.

All of these, Abalos credits to leadership and the unity.

Napakaswerte ninyo that you were given the leaders who were chosen to lead Bohol, he said. But leaders do not stay long, so he issued a call.

Let’s work together, do whatever things we can because the next years, we can not foresee. One thing Bohol can do however is prepare for it, work for it and do our duty, he said.

On his behalf, Bohol governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado promised that the Bohol that has been going through a fast paced development, remains to be the home for the Boholano.

The rest of the world may change, but Bohol will always remain a home for every Boholano, the governor said.

For the governor, the island where Bohol stories begin, where values are shaped, and where Boholano hearts always find their way back, is a treasure that Boholanos need to protect with their lives.

While history tells that Bohol became a province 172 years ago, it is love that reminds Boholanos that the place has always been home, reminds the young leader.

And, as if in reply to what cabinet secretary Abalos would say later, Aumentado said “May the spirit of the Sandugo sa Bohol continue to strengthen the bonds that unite us, inspire us to create greater opportunities for one another, and encourage us to build a future worthy of the generations yet to come.

He also wished that Boholanos continue to reflect Bohol, not only in the pride they carry, but also in the service they render and the legacy they leave behind.

And wherever life may lead us, may we always carry Bohol in our hearts, just as Bohol will always welcome us home, he said. (PIABohol).

VENI, VEDI, INSPIRATUS SUM. Cabinet secretary Benjamin Abalos came to Bohol to inspire Boholanos in his keynote address during the 172nd Bohol Day. Instead, he was inspired to see how Boholanos and their officials united to bring Bohol to attract investors. Himself a veteran of innovations in governance, Abalos cites the character of the Boholanos as what makes the system work. (PIAbobol)