“Am I meeting the next President of the Philippines”?

Without batting an eyelash, thus declared former city councilor Segundo Lim and father of the city mayor when he was greeted on his birthday yesterday at his residence by V-President Jejomar Binay. Hitting the 90-year old mark and one of the last remaining pillars of city politics, Lim marks another milestone in his storied career as a businessman-politician when he celebrates his birthday today. The trip to the Lim’s residence was part of the vice president’s itinerary while in a Bohol visit to launch the Bohol Yacth Club in B-Unido early today. By the time he will finish his B-Unido sortie, he will proceed to Danao to grace the town’s 50 th Foundation Day. Both Mayors Rey Nino Boniel of B-Unido and Thomas Louis Gonzaga of Danao will welcome the political dignitary as he sets foot in their respective towns this morning.

At the city airport, City Mayor Dan Neri Lim led the welcome reception at 4:00 pm yesterday. The second highest elective official of the country was ushered in upon arrival yesterday at the St. Joseph Cathedral where he heard an anticipated mass. From the church, he made the rounds of the city’s public markets. The visit included site inspection of the Cogon and Manga markets. From there, he proceeded to the Lim’s residence to greet the “birthday boy” who turns 90 today. It was during the Lim-Binay meeting that the former city councilor made the remarks matter-of-factly that he was seeing the next President. Often touted as a heartbeat away from the presidency, the Lim repartee would if end up prophetic if indeed Binay becomes the next President by 2016.

NEW ALIGNMENTS

In fact, also part of his visit was an occasion to size up new political alignments in Bohol after the 2010 elections. Mayor Lim, Binay’s trusted lieutenant in Bohol, invited town mayors to attend a gathering hosted for the vice-president at the plush Peacock Garden Resort and Spa in Upper Laya, Baclayon last night. It may be recalled that prior to the 2010 polls, Bohol was considered Lakas country because an overwhelming majority of the elective officials were allied with the then party in power. Former Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo won overwhelmingly in Bohol in the 2004 polls, the fourth highest margin she received in hotly-contested election. In last year’s polls, however, Arroyo’s handpicked candidate, former Secretary Gilberto Teodoro lost miserably to Pres. Benigno Simeon Aquino III. Teodoro won only in Balilihan, the hometown of Gov. Edgar Chatto. Last month, Chatto admitted joining the Liberal Party (LP) along with Rep. Rene Relampagos who jumped to the new administration party before the inaugural session.

Lim supported majority of the winning mayors in the first district last year but is no longer sure about their political affiliations in the light of the recent developments. Among those whom Lim campaigned for in the first district were Mayors Leoncio Evasco of Maribojoc, Jaime Jimenez, Dauis; Alvin Uy, Baclayon; Jose Nicanor Tocmo, Corella; Jose Ellorimo, Sikatuna; Jasmine Balistoy, Cortes; William Jao, Tubigon; and Roberto Salinas, Catigbian. “If they come, it means we will be together in supporting Vice Pres. Binay. If they don’t, it means I am free to support their rivals,” Lim reportedly said prior to the event. The first district equation is particularly crucial because the second district is still considered as the bailiwick of Rep. Erico Aumentado. In a previous interview, Aumentado was asked what will happen if his arch-rival, Trinidad Mayor Roberto Cajes, joins Chatto in the exodus to the LP.   Aumentado reportedly did not appear threatened saying anybody is free to challenge him.

The third district is also expected to be shaken up since incumbent Rep. Arthur Yap is not inclined to join the LP considering his ties to Arroyo. If the Relampagos-Chatto alliance holds, the first district will be a crucial battle ground since the third district equation is still unclear. Lim says he likes the odds better this time. “There is a growing perception that Vice Pres. Binay has a good chance of making it all the way in 2016 so it increases the pressure on those who will not support him,” the mayor said. Lim himself has not issued any categorical statement on his political plans in the 2013 polls. “Gov. Chatto’s boys insist I will challenge him while Cong. Relampagos thinks I will run against him in the first district,” he noted. The mayor said he does not feel any pressure because he can run in either of the two positions or he can simply retire. “I am not desperate for any position. I am comfortable where I am,” Lim concluded.

WHILE IN B-UNIDO

While the vice president is in B-Unido today, he will preside over the launching of the multi-million Bohol Yacht Club. A Dubai-based company, JC Armamento Development (JCAD), is behind the B-Unido project dubbed as the “playground of the rich and the investors”. With 15 years in the business has cemented JCAD Inc.’s refutation as a highly-regarded builder of quality homes in the country and abroad. In Tagbilaran, the firm owns the Bethlehem Garden Homes in Tiptip, this city, which has so far distributed eight units to its owners-beneficiaries. Believing that the Philippines is on a steady and upward trend, as opposed to feeling the effects of the worldwide recession, JCAD has decided to pursue further investments in the country through housing and lifestyle-oriented projects. This gave rise to the company’s tie-up with the Municipality of Bien Unido to establish the Bohol Yacht Club, a P60-million investment to be known as the ‘playground of the rich and the investors.

Thus, the Bohol Yacht Club is conceived and to rise up at Port San Pedro in B-Unido. Roughly 3,000 sq. m. in lot area, the Bohol Yacht Club will have 30 bedroom accommodations, function rooms, bars, and an infinity pool. Meanwhile, the marina will have room for 20 medium-sized yachts. Known as Bohol’s Last Frontier, Bien Unido is home to the Danajon double barrier reef, the only one in Asia. Other natural wonders include an underwater bridge formed from years of coral growth, and sightings of sharks, manta rays and whale sharks. But perhaps Bien Unido’s main attraction is the underwater grotto, featuring 14-foot statues of the Virgin Mary and the Sto. Niño. This is the only underwater grotto in the Philippines, and one out of five in the world. With JCAD committed to a paradigm shift in the real estate industry of the Philippines, the Bohol Yacht Club is expected to live up to the company’s high standards of craftsmanship, design and workmanship when it opens in the second quarter of 2012.

BINAY AS INSPIRATION

Binay’s meteoric rise to Philippine politics-- starting as Makati mayor to the vice presidency, was an inspiration to Bohol young mayors like Mayors Boniel and Gonzaga. Also young in their own right, the two Bohol mayors inspired other mayors similarly within their age range to emulate Binay as a consummate governance expert model. In Bohol, about seven towns, most of them with young mayors have earlier forged sisterhood agreement with the City of Makati, Binay’s turf. The towns of Danao, Bien Unido, Getafe, Baclayon, Loay, Tagbilaran City and San Miguel have forged sisterhood agreements and are benefiting greatly from the exchange, said Mayor Gonzaga, during a chance interview at the MetroCenter Hotel last July 8. The man, who is referred to as the country’s spare tire, has been in fact a true blue-blooded man from the ranks who has shown the immense power of local government units daring to think differently, said Gonzaga, who was there to meet the veep’s advance party in Tagbilaran.

We did the sisterhood agreement in 2008, firmly believing that we have a lot to learn from the management system [of Makati] as an inspiration to bring in a similar economic emancipation template in our 5 th class towns, Mayors Gonzaga and Boniel admitted. Makati had been so blessed and its excess wealth, it shared among its sister towns, Veep Binay’s political officer Erwin Maceda said. The sisterhood agreement,” added the Danao mayor who ventured into an untested extreme eco-adventure for his town, “has exposed our local government officials by allowing us to study the system implemented by the country’s richest city”. He has proven to be a consummate local government chief operating officer, one tough job we, young town executives would wish to imbibe from the man, the 42 year old bachelor executive prided.

The health care benefits we give our people is just one of our programs lifted from the Makati templates of experience, he said. While Makati City offers 90% free health care services to its residents when they get to Ospital ng Makati, the city also gives full PhilHealth coverage to all its residents, beamed Henry Caunan, one of VP Binay’s political officers. That’s practically free hospitalization and other bills, he added. Maceda, who is the son of senator Ernesto Maceda added when Binay assumed the top post in Makati, the city was in some P40 million economic deficit. Three terms later, Makati’s wealth bloated from P300 million to P11 billion. (With reports from Sun Star Daily Cebu and Rey Chiu)