Pres. Benigno S. Aquino III has picked Bohol as one of the provinces where the administration is determined to pour its budget to boost its infrastructure projects in line with the government’s target of making Bohol as one of the top tourist destinations in the country.

Of the P5 billion earmarked under the so-called Tourism Convergence Program, the province as extended 20 percent of said budget which will be released n July this year, according to Rep. Rene Relampagos, one of the stalwarts of the administration backed Liberal Party.

The fund outlay is expected to be released two months from now while Bohol is significantly highlighted in the “More Fun in the Philippines” ad campaign in the CNN worldwide. The Chocolate Hills and the tarsier are included in the TV as which is aired on CNN following the TV ad contract inked with the Department of Tourism (DOT) under Sec. Ramon Jimenez, an advertising expert hired by the Aquino administration to head the DOT.

No less than P1 billion of the P5 billion budget intended for tourist destination provinces will go to Bohol, the solon said while thanking the President for his concern for the development of the province.

In a verification by the Chronicle, it was learned Relampagos is a known buddy of Cavite Rep. Jun Abaya who is the chairman of the House committee on appropriations and at the same time the LP secretary general. It may be recalled that the solon was the first Boholano official to support the LP after the elections.

In fact, the Bohol solon was handpicked by Rep. Abaya to head the House secretariat of the Impeachment Court of which the latter was the House impeachment manager.

With this funding, the province will have more better road networks which will augur well and draw more tourists to visit the destinations of their choices here.

The momentum of Bohol generating the support from the administration continues as it was the same scenario the time of then Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo where then Gov. Erico Aumentado who was a close ally of Mrs. Arroyo thereby getting numerous project funding from the former lady president.

Relampagos told the Chronicle that of the P1 billion appropriated for Bohol, the first district will benefit P608 million, P222 million for the second and P239 million for the third district.

The solon likewise confirmed that prior this scheduled fund release in July, the province was already extended almost P1 billion last January for various infrastructure projects, P490 million for the first district and almost P500 million for the second and third districts.

The bonanza of projects in the first district includes the Panglao Island circumferential road, Tagbilaran North Road (Tagbilaran-Cortes-Tubigon); Balilihan-Hanopol-Batuan Road, Tagbilaran-Corella road, widening/concreting of Dauis-Panglao Central Road, and the Maribojoc-Antequera-Catagbacan, Loon road.

Likewise included in the budget is the improvement of the Tagbilaran City Airport.

Rep. Relampagos bared that the other two districts will likewise benefit from the tourism-backed funding as the second district will have P222 million to upgrade the Buenavista-Carmen road, Danao/Carmen including bridges.

The third district is earmarked with P239 million for the Batuan section of the Balilihan-Batuan road, Jagna-Sierra Bullones road, Dat-an Carmen-Sierra Bullones-Pilar-Alicia road and the asphalt overlay of the LOay Interior Road.

Rep. Relampagos said that with this P1 billion additional outlay, the province will continue to generate praises from tourists and visitors on having a well paved road network in the entire province.

The Bohol Chronicle
June 10, 2012