Guv defends choice of delegation to Jiangxi

GOV. Erico Aumentado Friday defended the choice of delegates who will go with him to China in May. Aumentado is returning the visit of Secretary Meng Jianzhu with whom he signed an agreement for Jiangxi province and Bohol to embark into friendly exchanges and cooperation at the MetroCentre Hotel in Tagbilaran City last year. Only last April 9, Executive Vice Gov. Wu Xinxiong of the Jiangxi Provincial People's Government wrote Aumentado to reiterate Meng's invitation. Wu thanked Aumentado for meeting him during his visit to Manila . He also joined Aumentado's belief that the memorandum on friendly exchange and cooperation will be well carried out and implemented under their common efforts. “I look forward to meeting you and your delegation in early May in Nanchang ,” Wu said.

The trip

The trip to Jiangxi for the signing of the sisterhood pact of the two provinces includes visits to elementary and high schools for the Bohol group to observe China 's educational system and culture as can be captured and project by the pupils and students. In exchange, the Loboc Children's Choir will hold one-hour-20-minute concerts in Nanchang and Jiujiang cities. Filipino-Chinese Carlos Chan who donated P1 million for the Bohol Diagnostic Center is sponsoring the Bohol delegation's Tagbilaran-Manila-China and back travel expenses. This is the second time he sponsored Aumentado's and the choir's China visit. Chan however limited the delegation size to 40 although he later gave the go-signal for Loboc Mayor Leon Calipusan to join the group. Aumentado said also traveling with the delegation is Consul General Corazon Yap-Bahjin.

The delegates

Being an official function, Chan had specified that the delegation be composed of policy makers, hence the Provincial Board members. He allocated 20 slots only the choir. “Protocol dictates that Mrs. Aumentado who acted as hostess during Secretary Meng's visit here should be in the delegation,” the governor said. He is also bringing along Engr. Edwin Vallejos, provincial general services officer (GSO) who took care of the preparations for Meng's Bohol visit. Jiangxi is not just a stone's throw away so that while the delegation is there – at no expense to Bohol to boot – the two provinces will immediately tackle brass tacks. “As GSO, logistics and coordination for future exchanges are Engr. Vallejos' department. I cannot expect that the Board members will do this job for him. This is not within their province, expertise, training or job description,” Aumentado said. Anne Mariquit Oppus, chief of staff of the Vice Governor's Office (VGO) is representing Vice Gov. Julius Caesar Herrera who to a large extent is taking charge of the fiesta activities of his hometown of Calape, he said. “Attracting investors in business and tourism is another purpose of the visit. Mr. Chan is helping us in this area. For the specifics, we need the help of Mr. Norris Oculam who heads the Bohol Chamber of Commerce and Industry [BCCI] and Dr. Simplicio Yap Jr., president of the local chapter of the Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry [FCCCI] and Tagbilaran City Councilor Jose Antonio Veloso who chairs the Committee on Tourism,” he added. It is a known fact that business ventures boom when handled by the private sector, he observed. The lawmakers in the delegation include Dionisio Balite, Concepcion Lim, Godofreda Tirol, Eufracio Mascariñas, Brigido Imboy, Felix Uy, Cariso Camacho, Jose Veloso, Amalia Tirol, Ma. Fe Camacho-Lejos and Ester Corazon Galbreath.

The choir

The Loboc Children's Choir has 22 members. Musical Directress Alma Taldo says all of them understand that the opportunity to travel abroad is there but it may or may not come to them at the same time due to circumstances beyond their control. On learning of the invitation, Taldo called the children to practice and to bring two copies of passport-size colored pictures. When one of the pupils did not come, she had her checked, only to find out that she was at home sleeping. “This means lack of interest in her part, so I dropped her,” Taldo explained.

As she will be bringing accompanist Lina Jala and a male companion to help bring their electric piano and other props, that leaves only 17 slots for the choir members. For the male companion who will also help see to the children's needs, she is tapping her husband Hidolito. He has been with them to other trips abroad and can therefore anticipate their needs including those in the electrical department. To compensate for the voices of those who cannot come because of the slot limitation and still come up with the right voice mix, Taldo is bringing choir reserve Mirzi Therese Taldo, her daughter. Taldo needs Mirzi's experience from previous trips abroad, and as “elder sister” to the choristers, help see to their needs including in the make up department.

Balite

City Mayor Dan Lim took potshots at Balite in his radio program over dyRD yesterday morning. He named Balite a traitor for allegedly disapproving a city legislation giving economic amelioration to City Hall employees. Balite had presided over that session, he claimed. He said he does want the City Hall workers to reimburse the amelioration. Balite however said he could not recall disapproving such a measure. He was on his way to Bilar when sought for his reaction so that he had had no time to check his agenda folder to refresh his memory. With reports from Bruce Eric Gideon T. Zabala

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