CIVIC-MINDEDNESS TRANSCENDING BOUNDARIES

PaWhen Her Excellency Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo announced that Bohol was adjudged in the 13th Travel Mart as “The Number One Tourist Destination of the Philippines,” she was met with thunderous applause and cheers emanating from more than 15,000 people, representing the 47 municipalities and lone city of Bohol, who flocked to the CPG Sports Complex to celebrate the birth anniversary of the Greatest Boholano, former President Carlos Polestico Garcia.

The news headlines about the distinction elicited world-wide jubilation. Not because being declared the best was an obsession, for there was no such apparent effort towards that goal; it was a spontaneous reaction to a commendation that was not expected but well deserved. Yet, the more than one-million Boholanos residing in the island province and the millions more all over the country and the world, saw only the icing to the cake. They did not know the countless individuals behind the scenes.  Most especially those who labored day and night to make Bohol the focus in the tourism map. Although the local officialdom was instrumental in the feat, the bigger dirty jobs were done by private individuals here and abroad who spent their time, money and talents, and exerted unrestrained efforts for a cause...gratis et amore. All for the love of Bohol .

      One such civic-minded leader is Maria Elizabeth Veloso-Garcia, the Chairperson of TBTK (Tigum Bol-anon Sa Tibuok Kalibutan) 2006. As President of Tagbilaranons of Eastern USA for two terms (2003-2004), and Over-All Coordinator of the CONBUSAC (Confederation of Boholanos in the United States and Canada ) 9th Biennial Convention in Tagbilaran City , she was one those at the helm in making TBTK 2003 a big success.

Prior to the Convention she initiated a gathering of Boholanos in the Kalayaan Hall, Philippine Center, New York City on August 18, 2002 highlighted by an open forum with the Secretary of the Department of Tourism, Richard Gordon, who was then personally marketing Philippine tourism. In the same occasion was discussed and finalized a Memorandum of Agreement signed by Secretary Gordon, Governor Aumentado, and Mrs. Garcia, stipulating among other things: commitment to the Volunteer 12 Program of the DOT, specifically in recruiting tourism volunteers as well as inviting at least one foreign guest per month to the Philippines; assistance to the campaign for all tourism promotional programs of the DOT particularly the Visit Philippines 2003 program; and providing the DOT with marketing leads. It also gave the DOT Secretary with first-hand knowledge about TBTK and its mechanics, which impressed him no end that he decided to motivate other provinces of the country to adopt a similar scheme. And most impressive were the hundreds of Boholanos who attended the gathering in his honor.

Betty Garcia formalized the request for an audience with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo at Malacanang, and she received an affirmative response from the President herself through a letter dated March 3, 2003 . The President had to cut short her trip in Mindanao to be with the Boholano delegation on July 11, 2003 . Just like Gordon, she was again impressed by the big turn-out of Boholanos in Malacanang; she even tendered a formal dinner for the group.

Mrs. Garcia comes from a family of professionals. Her father was Jose Redulla Veloso, an Auditor in the Commission On Audit, and her mother is Primitiva Salera-Veloso, an Administrator and Professor at the Divine Word College (now Holy Name University), and later a Councilor of Tagbilaran City, before her retirement. Her other siblings and herself all finished studies at DWC. Michael finished BSC and is now a Territory Sales Manager of San Miguel Corporation. Jose Antonio also finished a Commerce degree, and is presently a City Councilor who, because youth is on his side, may sit at the city's helm in the near future. Maria Pureza Chatto is a graduate of Mass Communications at the University of the Philippines , and BSN at DWC; she is the manager-Proprietor of First Flower Avenue, and a review center for nurses, but most of her time is spent as the supportive wife of Congressman Edgar Chatto. Raymond graduated with a BSC degree and is now based in Orange County , California . Gerardine Lisondra is a Nurse and is employed at the Provincial Treasurer's Office. The youngest, Dominic also finished BSN, and now, is a business entrepreneur in Valencia City , Bukidnon.

Betty was born in Tagbilaran City on May 5, 1957 . She commenced her educational pursuits at the College of the Holy Spirit, then went to DWC for her high school studies. She finished Nursing at the Bohol Provincial Hospital School of Nursing (1977), and graduated BSN at the University of Bohol in l981. In 1977she spent a year in Larena, Siquijor's Rural Health Unit for the required rural practice. Then Fr. Joseph Bates, SVD took her as a member of the Health Staff of Bagong Pag-asa Foundation in Quezon, Palawan , a remote area in the midst of a thick forest with most natives living in trees and caves. In 1979 she joined the Staff of the Tagbilaran Puericulture Center ; and from l980 to l985 she was a Nurse Instructor at the Bohol Provincial Hospital School of Nursing, In April l985 she left for the US and was employed at New York University Downtown Hospital as Assistant Nursing Care Coordinator. From 1990 to the present she works in a 20-bed capacity Intensive Care Unit, after being experienced as Charge Nurse and a Certified Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN). She is also a Certified Advance Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), a Pediatric Advance Life Support (PALS), and a Basic Life Support (BLS).

She is a member of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses. She is the Chairperson of Folklorico Filipino Dance Company of New York , a world group founded in 1973, the only Filipino dance company that has staged three major performances at the prestigious Lincoln Center , and has represented the Philippines three times at the World Expo, Spain , Portugal , and other countries. Mrs. Garcia was the Festival Chairperson of the Philippine Independence Day Celebration in New York (2003), and a Director of Home Reach Foundation.

As acknowledgements of her accomplishments, she has been accorded several awards, some of them are: Recognition from Home Reach Foundation (July 2001); Pride of NYU Downtown Hospital, for her valor and professionalism after the tragic bombing of the World Trade Center (September 2001); Outstanding Community Leader, from the New York Jaycees (March 2002); Award of Excellence as President of Tagbilaranons of Eastern USA (May 2002); and Recognition from Governor Erico Aumentado, Mayor Jose Torralba, and Bishop Leopoldo Tumulak for her leadership of the TBTK.

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