Bohol’s temporary trials
ACOUPLE of weeks after the earthquake that jolted Bohol in October 2013, tents dotted the yards of many homes. Still anxious about aftershocks, many families felt safer spending their nights outdoors, at least until their houses were fixed.
A different kind of anxiety surrounded some communities in Bohol in these last two weeks, after two encounters between Abu Sayyaf bandits and government forces in the towns of Inabanga and Clarin. This time, the anxiety is more localized. It hovers mostly over the families who’ve had to be herded away from two barangays in the two towns and who’ve spent their nights in public classrooms converted into temporary evacuation centers.
Among Bohol’s officials, two messages have surfaced: first, that much of the province remains safe and ready to host tourists and vacationing families during the summer and beyond; and second, that the bandits responsible for the past two weeks’ disruptions and worries will be dealt with severely.
Indeed, soldiers and police, supported by the cooperation of civilians, quickly foiled the bandits, taking out two of their supposed leaders. That one of them turned out to have been from Bohol rubbed salt in many a Boholano’s wounds. They are famous for taking pride in their homes and for their hospitality, both traits apparent in the summer, when they celebrate a progression of fiestas. The idea of a Boholano willfully bringing danger to Bohol’s doorstep must rankle. How these recent trials will change Bohol’s fortunes, if at all, it is too early to tell.
We can take some comfort in Boholano resilience, as shown in their recovery from that earthquake three and a half years ago. The province’s tourism arrivals have risen steadily since 2001; in 2014, some 17 percent more tourists went to Bohol despite the previous year’s quake. Bohol’s poverty incidence has declined, also steadily. In 2006, government figures showed that some 41 percent of all families in Bohol were poor; that was higher than both the regional (35 percent) and national (23.4 percent) averages. Yet in the first half of 2015, that figure had already dropped to 24.7 percent.
The hunt for three Abu Sayyaf fugitives continues, and we are hopeful that civilians in Bohol and the rest of Central Visayas will keep helping soldiers and police who are risking their necks to bring these bandits to justice.
In the meantime, Bohol’s natural attractions remain mostly unspoiled: the hush of Bilar’s mahogany forest; the Chocolate Hills, best viewed at this time of the year; the bright beaches and vivid sunsets of Panglao. Above all, the unassuming but spirited Boholanos, whose courage will outlast this ordeal.