October 15 will be a day of prayer and thanksgiving in the entire province as it commemorates the first anniversary of the magnitude 7.2 earthquake that struck the province last year. Gov. Edgar Chatto had issued an Executive Order forming the Executive Committee comprised of the Provincial Government of Bohol, the City of Tagbilaran, and the Dioceses of Tagbilaran and Talibon tasked to line up activities for the memorial. OktubreKinse, a Bohol Earthquake Memorial is dedicated to prayer and thanksgiving to honor the memory of those, whose lives were lost during the quake, and to recognize those who helped alleviate the suffering of the people and those whose efforts continue in building back better. The commemoration will also be a time to reflect on the significance, challenges, and opportunities that the experience presented.

The Executive Order said that while the devastation claimed lives and damaged homes, churches, and infrastructure, it also showcased in a grand manner the resilience and courage of the Boholano spirit. It is this profound Boholano spirit which will be celebrated on the anniversary of the earthquake. At exactly 8:12 in the morning of October 15, bells will toll, horns will blow, and patrols cars and ambulances will sound off for 33 seconds throughout Bohol in commemoration of the great Bohol earthquake. After which, a simultaneous Eucharistic Celebration and Prayer Services will be held throughout all churches in the Dioceses of Tagbilaran and Talibon. Nine days prior to the anniversary, daily prayers will be incorporated in dawn rosaries and holy masses in the churches, followed by a prayer vigil at the Plaza Rizal will be observed the night of October 14.

On the day of the anniversary itself, government leaders and the religious sector will also break ground for the proposed memorial shrine at Mt. Banat-I, before heading to the Sta. Monica Parish Convent in Albur for the inauguration of the Art Gallery which will feature documentary reports on the impact of the earthquake to Bohol. Core shelter houses under the partnership of the Department of Social Welfare and Development with Habitat for Humanity and the Provincial Government are also set to be turned over to beneficiaries in Cortes on the same day. A commemorative program will be held at 4:00 pm at the CPG Sports Complex in a convergence of national agencies, provincial government offices, the religious sector, Non-Government Organizations, and the civil society. Capping off the day's lineup is a repeat of the successful Bohol Sandugo International Fusion Night at the Plaza Rizal. (EDCOM)