President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's visit here last Monday ended on a high note as she announced a fresh infusion of funds for vital projects here in the province in a jam-packed gymnasium in the town of Lila.

The president, who was supposed to be accompanied by First Gentleman Mike Arroyo, arrived on a chartered Learjet from Manila at 9:40 in the morning.

She visited the province, the second of at least three this year, to inaugurate the Tagbilaran City-Lila section of the P1.856 billion Bohol Circumferential Road Improvement Project (BCRIP) Phase 2 and sign into law Republic Act 9345 nationalizing the Panglao Island Circumferential Road.

After receiving a warm welcome at the city airport led by Vice Gov. Julius Cesar Herrera and City Mayor Dan Neri Lim together with provincial and regional officials, Pres. Arroyo immediately proceeded to the 40th wedding anniversary and renewal of vows of Gov. Erico Aumentado and better-half Grenie at the St. Joseph's Cathedral.

Also with the welcoming party were congressmen Edgar Chatto, Roberto Cajes and Eladio Jala, provincial board members, Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, Tourism Secretary Ace Durano III, DPWH Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane and presidential assistant for central Visayas Felix Guanzon.
After standing as main sponsor of the ruby wedding rites, Arroyo, together with Sec. Ebdane, conducted a drive-through inspection of the newly completed 36-kilometer stretch of the Tagbilaran to Lila road concreting, part of Package 1 of the Calape-Tagbilaran-Valencia section of the BCRIP-Phase 2.

In Lila, the President was briefed by Sec. Ebdane on the various aspects of the BCRIP at the Lila gymnasium. She was welcomed by Lila town mayor Telesforo Balagosa.

Also present during the briefing were Secretaries Durano, Cerge Remonde of the government mass media and Presidential Management Staff (PMS) and Presidential Adviser on Job Generation Arthur Yap and Gov. Aumentado.

Delivering her entire speech in Cebuano, which drew pleasure and interrupted with frequent applause from the crowd, Arroyo vowed government support for the development of Bohol's tourist industry.

Following the governor's claim that Bohol is currently getting an estimate of one million tourist arrivals in the recent year, the president said that she is committed to make the province a leading tourist destination in the Visayas.

Arroyo made the assurance after signing into law RA 9345 converting the Panglao Island Circumferential Road and Center Line in the towns of Dauis and Panglao into a national road, including the Suarez Bridge in Sitio Ubos-Totolan.

Cong. Chatto, who authored the House of Representatives' version of the road nationalization, together with Gov. Aumentado, Cong. Cajes and Cong. Jala witnessed the president sign the bill into RA 9345.

Mayors Lim (Tagbilaran), Leonides Tongco (Loay), Doloreich Dumaluan (Panglao), Luciano Bongalos (Dauis), Henrietta Gan (Valencia) and Balagosa also witnessed the signing.

The president, in her speech, assured Boholanos that once the BCRIP is completed early next year, she will push for another flagship project in the province which is the construction of the Panglao International Airport. She stressed that adequate tourism facilities must be in place to accommodate foreign as well as local tourists.

In an interview with the Chronicle, Gov. Aumentado said that infrastructure in the province have to be upgraded to make Bohol more competitive economically.

He said P110 million is already released at the disposal of Transportation and Communication Assistant Secretary Jose Torralba through Tourism Sec. Durano for the purchase of lots that will be traversed by the Panglao airport.

The president said that Bohol used to be a fifth class province in Region 7, but through its booming tourism industry, it is now among the progressive provinces in the country.

The BCRIP is a rehabilitation and concreting project of the Bohol circumferential highway. It is Bohol's main trunk route with a total length of about 260.7 kilometers.

The first phase of BCRIP was already implemented under the Arterial Road Links Development Project (I), funded by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and was completed in 2002. It consisted of three contract packages covering a total length of 124.4 kilometers traversing the towns of Calape - Buenavista - Talibon and Talibon - Candijay sections.

The implementation of the second phase is included in the Arterial Road Links Development Project (IV) consisting two contract packages covering a total length of 136.02 kilometers.

Contract package 1 includes the towns of Calape-Tagbilaran-Valencia while package 2 comprise Candijay-Jagna-Valencia section.

Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Co., Ltd. is undertaking the road construction. Confident with the company's good performance, Korean Ambassador to the Philippines Hong Jong-ki and Hanjin top gun Dir. Jeong Sup Shim attended the partial inauguration.

Meanwhile, the signing of RA 9345 will make the Panglao Circumferential Road and Center Line eligible for Official Development Assistance (ODA) from the Government of Japan through the JBIC, like the BCRIP and the Leyte-Bohol Interconnection Project, the Bohol Irrigation Project and the Panglao International Airport Development, among others.

This will relieve the provincial government from the expensive maintenance of these roads.

Anticipating the conversion, Aumentado has included the Panglao Circumferential Road for development under the Bohol Circumferential Road Improvement Project Phase 3 (BCRIP3).

Pacific Consultants International (PCI), consultant for BCRIP 1 and 2, has already completed the feasibility study for BCRIP 3 pro bono.

The Executive Committee (Execom) of the Provincial Development Council (PDC) also chaired by Aumentado favorably endorsed yesterday the completed study to the Central Visayas Regional Development Council (RDC7) - on its way to the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda).

BCRIP 3 in effect lays the groundwork for the Panglao Airport slated for completion towards the close of President Arroyo's term in 2010.

The President has accepted Aumentado's invitation to attend the Bohol Day celebration at the Bohol Cultural Center, inaugurate the Bohol Irrigation Project Stage 2 (BHIP 2) in Bayongan, San Miguel town, and attend the Bohol Investment Forum at the Bohol Tropics Resort Club on July 22.

She has a fourth visit coming - to inaugurate the Lila to Candijay section of BCRIP 2 in October. Barring changes, the inaugural program will be held in Jagna town.