Mar Roxas: ‘I courted Korina here!’

Heavy rains didn’t dampen the spirits of an estimated 1,300 supporters who gathered at Trinidad Gymnasium in Bohol province on Wednesday to meet and greet Liberal Party (LP) presidentiable bet Mar Roxas.

According to the event host, there were at least 200 local officials who are running in 2016 under LP from all over Bohol attended the event dubbed “Daghang Salamat Mar Roxas; Padayon Bohol” (Thank you Mar Roxas; Continue Bohol).

Councilor- to beTessie Labunog-Sumampong, who is running for Loboc
councilor under LP, meets Presidentiable Mar Roxas.  Courtesy: Ric Obedencio

The venue was literally filled with people, mostly students from Trinidad Municipal College, wearing yellow shirts, the official color of LP.

Bohol Governor Edgar Chatto said Roxas’ was instrumental for helping Bohol’s rehabilitation and recovery after a strong earthquake in 2013 that devastated the province.  A total of P2.3 billion check was given to Bohol through the Bohol Earthquake Assistance (BEA) when he was interior secretary.

In his message, Roxas told the crowd that Bohol is special to his heart.

He said Trinidad town (with a population of at least 30,000) was named after Roxas’ grandmother Trinidad de Leon-Roxas.

Trinidad Mayor Judith Cajes said that Roxas’ visit was “Indeed a historical and unforgettable happening that is taking place in the town. Historic that in a  sense, for the first time, the grandson of the late Pres. Manuel Roxas the very place which his lolo was founded 68 years ago thru his Exec. No. 18 signed on Aug. 14, 1947.” Trinidad was formerly known barangay Ipil of Talibon town, birthplace of the late Pres. Carlos P. Garcia, before it became independent.

Roxas also told the crowd about his Bohol connection which he said was his secret.

“Nakalimutan mo sabihin na si Mar Roxas,  anak ng Bohol. Kaya ganun nalang ang aking pagtingin sa Bohol, sa Bol-anon, sa inyong lahat, ang liderato, at mga kababayan natin dito dahil sikreto sa inyo, feel kausa ako sa inyo.. dahil dito ko niligawan ang aking misis na si Korina,” he said. Although he didn’t elaborate when he courted the veteran broadcaster but it elicited applause and yells from the crowd.

Roxas also added that his visit was to know more of the local candidates.

“Kumbinsido na ba kayo? Sa palakpak ninyo kumbinsido na kayo. Gusto ko kilalanin ang mga kandidto,” he said.

A member of the LP Party, who asked for anonymity, said that Roxas’ visit to Bohol was a “loyalty check.”

An LP official said that a “close- in meeting” was conducted by Roxas with local LP key players prior to his departure to Cebu City.

Roxas challenged the local candidates to support the “Daang matuwid” campaign of the Aquino administration.

“Magiging kasangkapan tayo sa pag-unlad ng ating pamayanan.... para sa ating mahal na Bohol,” Roxas said.

Cancelled flights due to Apec

Rudyard Japhet Josol, 28, of Calape town has changed the date of his trip to Manila . Instead on Nov. 17, he decided to reschedule his trip last week of the month.

Josol and other Boholano travelers, including incoming tourists will be affected once the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) Summit opens in Manila on Monday, Nov. 16.

Various airlines have announced the cancellation of domestic and international flights.

Josol should be in Manila for a job interview at Abojeb Manpower Solutions, Inc.

“I just informed the agency that I can’t come because of no flight,” said Josol.

“Hasol gyud kay daghan importante lakaw ma pending tungod ana pero unsaon wala tay mahimo kita nalang ang mo-adjust (The flight disruption is inconvenient, most especially that you have an important thing to do. But we can’t do anything so we just adjust our trip), ” he said.

Ludine Dano of IJea Travel and Tours in Tagbilaran told her clients two weeks ago about the cancellation of flights due to Apec.

“I told my clients about the unavailability of flights on the said dates,” said Dano.

Miraflor Lawangon of Wow Bohol Travel and Tours also said that some of her clients had rescheduled their trips to Bohol last week of November. “Others have moved their tours in December,” she said.

The closure of runways to give time to the arrival and departure of world leaders have Philippine Airlines (PAL), Cebu Pacific, Cebu Pacific-Tiger Air (CebGo), and Air Asia Philippines canceled flights from Nov. 15 to 20.

PAL said passengers with confirmed flights can rebook prior to or within 30 days from their original flight date, with rebooking and penalty charges waived.

Affected Cebu Pacific and Air Asia passengers also have the options to either rebook their flights for travel within 30 days from the original departure date or get a refund.

Twenty flights from Manila and back are confirmed cancelled as of yesterday while more cancellations are expected in the succeeding bulletins coming from Philippine Airlines, Air Asia and Cebu Pacific.

The cancelled flights in the Manila-Tagbilaran-Manila route are:

For PAL, flight PR 2777/2778 is cancelled on Nov. 17.

For Air Asia, fights Z2 352 and Z2 353, Z2 354 and Z2 355 are cancelled on Nov. 17;  flights Z2 354 and Z2 355, Z2 350 and Z2 351 on Nov. 18; Z2 352 and Z2 353 on Nov. 19.

For Cebu Pacific, flights 5J621/622 is cancelled on Nov. 16; 5J621/622, Nov. 17; 5J621/622, Nov. 19; and 5J617/618, Nov. 20.

‘Suicide Squad’ star Margot Robbie visits Bohol 

Hollywood actress Margot Robbie
 at the Chocolate Hills in Bohol.
Courtesy: Margot Robbie Fans Instagram Page

While you and I were sleeping, the star of the highly anticipated DC movie “Suicide Squad” Margot Robbie had visited the Philippines, including our Bohol.

She shared a short video of her ziplining across a river. She simply captioned the video with #bohol #philippines.  Netizens identified the place-Bohol’s famed Loboc River (where councilor- to be Tessie Labunog-Sumampong hails from), one of the major tourist destinations in the country.

The Hollywood actress even asked her 1.3 million followers on Instagram to visit the Philippines or donate to the foundation.

“Suicide Squad” will be on theaters in August 2016. Robbie will star in the film along other A-list celebrities like Will Smith, Viola Davis, Jared Leto and Cara Delevingne.

In a post on her Instagram account, she said found her “heaven” in the country.

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