There is a need to immortalize the life and acts of President Carlos P. Garcia, fourth president of the Philippine Republic and the most revered Boholano.

If indeed clothed with that distinction, every Boholano and tourist that steps into the province must pass by the home of the "Balak King" who has one of the best credentials in being elected both nationally as president in 1957 and as president of the 1971 Constitutional Convention.

We honor war time Boholano heroes resisting the Japanese invasion of the country in World War II and the brave warriors in Dagohoy and Tamblot who dared stand against the tyranny of Spain during her 400 years of colonization of the Philippines. That's fine and well.

Just as well is the recognition of strong leader Datu Sikatuna, who unlike his warlike brother in Mactan called Lapulapu, drank wine and blood in a goblet to welcome to the shores foreigners led by Miguel Lopez de Legaspi of Spain. The Blood Compact, in fact, is a requisite in a day-tour of places and event markers in the tourist's wish list.

We could honor our beloved Caloy by joining the project to save the Garcia Ancestral Home in Tagbilaran City and make it a tourist must-see destination. To immortalize Garcia, in fact, the Bohol Association of Metro Manila (BAMMI) and the Carlos P. Garcia Foundation have launched a project: "Preserve CPG's Heritage: Save the Museum" with the first pledging session held at the Sunset Room of the Manila Yacht Club last week.

The fund-raising session of Project Director Joseph Rañola and hosted by the Editor of the Chronicle and Binibining Pilipinas-World, Boholana Anna Mariz Igpit, was able to raise P600,000 of the initial P1-million needed for the short term rehabilitation of the ancestral house and memorabilia.

The rest of the P400,000 is expected to be raised in Bohol during the 2nd Pledging session scheduled in January 2007 in Tagbilaran City at the CPG Ancestral House to be led by Bohol-based Friends of CPG. The P1-million will be used for: (a) Saving and conducting initial restoration of the President's memorabilia through the use of professional restorers from the Metropolitan Museum and the National Museum (P300,000); (b) Repairs on the existing building (P300,000); and (c) Operating expenses for one year to cover security, utilities and upkeep of the facilities (P400,000).

As you may recall, in 1961, President Garcia's residence in the city was designated as the Bohol Museum to showcase the province's history, culture and natural resources and to house the president's and his family's personal memorabilia. The Bohol Museum has already moved the province's display at the old Escuela de Ninos (Provincial Library near the Provincial Capitol). Likewise, the provincial government's subsidy and operation of that, will expire by the end of year 2006.

The more ambitious project is the P10-million Long-Term expansion of the project with the completion and restoration of the residence to be accompanied by the construction of commercial space, a café and restaurant and a souvenir shop. The funding would come from other fund raising activities, grants from government and other funding agencies.

Other businessmen who may want to initiate a joint venture project on the proposed commercial edifice may also give their proposals to BAMMI or other persons to be designated by the CPG Foundation.

A revered statesman and president, Carlos Polistico Garcia deserves the attention and honor we can give. His brand of nationalism, depicted as visionary-like, left indelible marks in the nation's history. Garcia's relentless vigilance on the issues of the Bohlen-Serrano Agreement shortened the lease of the United States Bases from 99 to 25 years, renewable every five years, in the country.

During World War II, CPG was a vaunted guerilla leader resisting the Japanese marauders - he was then already a senator of the republic. His parents owned the biggest house in Talibon which was burned down by the Japanese when they learned about the active role of Garcia in the Guerilla Movement.

As senator and later as president, CPG was the main exponent of the admirable "Filipino First Policy," which heavily favored Filipino-led firms over foreign investors. This singular act held at a distance the potential stranglehold of the Chinese businessmen over the country's retail trade.

It is believed that Garcia's predilection to favor Filipino interests, were he alive today, would have been a wellspring of inspiration of nationalists fighting the ill-effects of the globalization and the Visiting Forces Agreement today.

The grandson of the late president Jose Carlos Garcia Campos recalled that during the 1971 pre-Concon days, the then president Ferdinand Marcos sent emissaries to CPG to persuade him to shift from the presidential to the parliamentary form of government which the Boholano leader thought was too early to consider. Garcia sent Marcos errand boys back to him after Garcia frowned at the idea of supporting the parliamentary form in exchange for Marcos's votes to get the Concon presidency.

History has it that Garcia beat his rival Diosdado Macapagal for the Concon presidency which he yielded, however, four days after, when he succumbed to a heart attack.

As a governor, congressman, senator, vice president and president, CPG maintained his humble demeanor and left the presidency in the same financial condition he entered it in 1957 with the fatal death of president Ramon Magsaysay in the mountains of Cebu. In his impending defeat in the 1961 polls to Liberal Party candidate Dadong Macapagal, his lieutenants suggested manipulating the Mindanao votes (true since then) in order to cheat Macapagal of victory. The Honest Caloy refused and accepted defeat like a man.

Garcia never even granted special favors to Bohol like the asphalting of roads since, he reasoned, he was elected president of the country, not a province.

His ascent has been likened to that of the United States President Harry Truman who became president upon the death of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Both had a daughter each and gifted with the glib of tongue and rose from humble beginnings - Garcia from the obscurity of Talibon and Truman as a prairie farmer in America.

It is for these historic achievements and personal values in life that has made President Carlos Garcia - larger in death than in life - and makes this great undertaking to immortalize his name as Bohol's greatest - truly a project that every Boholano - here and abroad, must support.