They may be just like your neighborhood kids. Given the slip, they'd willingly dunk a scoop of ice-cream, mess their faces along the way and use their t-shirt's sleeves as table napkins. Perhaps, the rest they'd do, willingly too. Except the ice-cream routine. Its strictly no-no. That's discipline to them.

The Loboc Children's Choir. You let them sing you'll have your mouths agape. Close your eyes and you'd feel heaven a meter away, the angels at only an arm distant. Once they let go of their innocence via songs, their childlike character drowns in a melody that's distinctly angelic. The experience becomes spiritually exhilarating and distinctly cherubic. So much so that they are now invited to comprise half of Bohol 's official delegation to China .

You see, there is a Sandugo in the offing. Bohol officials see the opportunity for bilateral agreements and trade sharing with China as that which hands Bohol immense, meaning a trillion opportunities for industry leaps. Talk about trade relations, technology transfers and cooperation, name it, its going to happen soon. So, sisterhood agreements need to be signed, albeit formally.

Meaning, it's a red carpet event and some Bohol officials are a must. Not that they are indispensable, because to say all of them are, is too much. Definitely not all in the list that was earlier cleared by the Chinese embassy in Manila is indispensable, observers note.

Initial perusal of the list of 40 official delegates accordingly provided by China makes the choir play the second fiddle. Of course, the event is purely official government to government affair. Arts perhaps can come later. So the choir only need to sing their angelic renditions to lend the ambiance and possibly to delight Chinese dignitaries who still have the love of arts. Now the 30 member choir could not go in full force. No, we do not mean they now are out of tune. There may be only three of them and the sound is still the same. The harmony is unbelievable. Bringing them all would ultimately cut the official delegation in for the major event, the sisterhood signing.

But for some, leaving three or even five choir members due to short listing is unfair. In another light, the short-listed children do not seem to give a damn about taking the next trip out. After all, China was a destination they have been to. Part of the choir member's acquired talent is humility in knowing his capabilities and his skills at the moment. He would know where he belongs. In shortlists, a Choirmaster as well as a choir member knows who needs to play back-up and who needs to go solo. You question that, you go find a baton. And organize a group.

However, if the Chinese embassy really says they only need 40 delegates and the official delegation can not anymore be shortlisted because it renders the event null and void, the choir perhaps can shortlist. But just what crucial tasks would 20 Bohol officials do in China to allow them to push their way in and choke the definitely more presentable and perhaps better working ambassadors from Bohol?

Perhaps a heroic act from any of those officials who feel junket can easily be masked is now appreciated. It may even silence those who have started banging the can? Because, sans the heroic effort, we may have reasons to say that the children's choir may be in for a sour note, right from the start.