By: MIKE ORTEGA LIGALIG

PANGLAO ISLAND, Bohol – Bohol officials welcomed Canadian Ambassador to the Philippines Neil Reeder who paid a three-day visit to the province where he led the turn-over of donations consisting of a firetruck, computer sets, and several medical equipment to the municipality of Panglao, a beach-resort-studded island town about 18 kilometers from the capital city of Tagbilaran. Reeder on Thursday was guest of honor during the ceremonial turn-over of a modern firetruck donated by Rotary World Help (Canada), Rotary District 3860, Rotary Club of Panglao, and Filipino-Chinese Volunteer Fire Brigade. Panglao Mayor Nila P. Montero said the firetruck is the first for her tourist-favorite island town, which for decades has been dependent on firetruck support from Tagbilaran City.Several years ago, a resort in Alona, Panglao was quickly gobbled up by fire after it took an hour before a firetruck from the city arrived in the town.

During a medical mission in Panglao last January, 2014 conducted by Rotary members from Canada, Montero, a past Rotarian governor, was asked of the most pressing need of the island town and she revealed it was a “firetruck.” Coming back to Canada, the visiting Rotarians then pooled their resources to answer Panglao'scritical need of a firetruck. Earlier, Reeder had informed Montero that her wish would soon come true. Reeder, accompanied by wife Irene, arrived in Bohol on Thursday. The following day, he paid a courtesy call on Panglao mayor's office before he witnessed the turn-over of firetruck donation, desktop computer sets, and medical equipment courtesy of Rotary World Help (Canada).

After the turn-over in Panglao, Reeder met with Bohol Gov. Edgar M. Chatto and several provincial officials at the People's Mansion. At the meeting, Reeder and Chatto had discussed on fostering closer ties between Bohol and Canada, strategic projects in Bohol funded by Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), and matters concerning on the Local Governance Support Program for Local Economic Development (LGSP-LED), an 8-year program collaborated by the governments of Canada and the Philippines. On Saturday (August 2), Reeder proceeded to Maribojoc town, one of the hardest-hit towns in the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck Bohol on Oct. 15, 2013, where he witnessed the turn-over of World Vision's Central Visayas Earthquake Emergency Response Project.