Bohol at 164: Outstanding Boholanos to be honored

AGBILARAN CITY – Bohol is celebrating its 164th founding anniversary today with various activities and festivities lined up.

Five notable Boholanos will receive the Governor’s Award during the program at the Bohol Cultural Center.

The Outstanding Boholano Award Worldwide (TOBAW) rites will also be held in the evening at the Bohol Tropics Resort.

The festivities today will start with a Holy Mass at St. Joseph’s Cathedral.

After the Bohol Day program at the Bohol Cultural Center, the Bohol branch of the National Museum will be opened to the public.

The five notable Boholanos to be awarded are Engr. Albert Uy for business, Fr. Florante Camacho for social development, Maxelende Ganade for music, Julius Tongco for visual arts and Teofredo Araneta for public service through broadcasting.

Uy’s achievements and contributions in business and community development have resulted in the economic and enterpreneurial advancements and creation of employment opportunities for Boholanos.

Camacho has been serving the people of Bohol for several decades as a priest, educator, church builder, school builder and leader of civil society organizations.

Ganade is a musician, lyricist, and composer.

He translated the English lyrics of the Bohol Hymn to Visayan.

Tongco is a mouth painter from Antequera.

His various paintings feature Bohol’s landscape, heritage, tourism sites, and sceneries are sold here and abroad.

He is currently a grantee of a Scholarship Award from the Association of Mouth and Foot Painting Artists of the World.

Araneta is a recognized broadcasting icon in Bohol.

He helped transform the local broadcast industry into an instrument for public service.

Officers of the Tigum Bol-anon sa Tibuok Kalibutan (TBTK) will turn over the TBTK 2015 project to the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) Bohol Chapter.

Dr. Neil Bonje and David Fabiosa will represent TBTK while Clarin Mayor Allen Rey Piezas, the president of the LMP in Bohol, will represent the mayors of different towns of the province.

Rep. Karlo Alexei B. Nograles is the keynote speaker and guest of honor.

Nograles is serving his third term in Congress and currently chairs the House Committee on Appropriations.

Postmaster General Joel Otarra will also deliver a message to the Boholano people.

Otarra, together with other provincial government officials, will launch the Heritage Stamps Exhibition.

Republic Act No. 7683 declares July 22 as Bohol Day.

It is also a special non-working holiday in the province.

It was on July 22, 1854, when Bohol separated from Cebu and was declared a politico-military province under the Spanish regime.

Thereafter, Bohol was recognized as a province under the American rule.