TAGBILARAN CITY – The provinces of Cebu and Bohol thru their respective provincial boards forged sisterhood agreement which will soon be signed in Bohol. This came during the joint session of both legislative bodies in a joint session held at the social hall of Cebu Capitol in Cebu City on November 18.
The joint session, which was not the first, presided over by Cebu Vice-Gov. Hilario Davide and Bohol Vice-Gov. Tita V. Baja passed the joint Resolution. It is forging a sisterhood agreement to strengthen and foster the bond of cooperation in the field of tourism, commerce, business and inter-economy and other shared benefits for growth of the region. The said Resolution was authored by Cebu’s Glenn Anthony Soco and Michael Joseph Villamor and Bohol’s Jiselle Rae A. Villamor and sponsored en masse.
The passage of the said Resolution has something to do with the separation of the provinces of Negros Oriental and Siquijor that are now become members of the Negros Island Region (NIR) created by law recently signed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.
The formation of new economic NIR has left Cebu and Bohol with P1.1+ trillion of gross regional domestic product (GRDP) from P1.3 trillion. The deduction of P179 billion after Negros Oriental and Siquijor split has prompted Cebu and Bohol to forge an agreement.
Prior to the departure of N.O. and Siquijor, region 7, then composed of Cebu, Bohol, N.O. and Siquijor, boasts of its gross domestic product with Cebu province contributing the biggest (30.1%) chunk; Cebu city, 22%; Bohol, 13.3%; Lapu-Lapu, 11.8% and Mandaue City, 8.5%.
Gov. Garcia, in her speech, said that even without N.O. and Siquijor, Cebu and Bohol could still be an economic powerhouse hub in the region, if not in the entire country.
“Watch out! Bohol and Cebu will become a powerhouse in the Visayas and the entire country,” she added.
Bohol Gov. Aumentado said that the sisterhood pact with Cebu would help boost the economic status of Bohol with the aim of reducing poverty incidence now at 14.8%.
“By joining forces, these two remaining provinces in Region 7 will prove to the nation that Central Visayas remains an economic powerhouse. This partnership will unlock new opportunities, foster mutual growth, and celebrate the rich historical kinship between the Boholanos and Cebuanos,” he added.
Both Gov. Garcia and Gov. Aumentado coined the term “SugBohol,” a combination of Sugbu and Bohol. Sugbu, for most of Cebuanos, an old term they usually used, refers to Cebu.
Provincial Board Member Atty. Vencenzo “Benjie” Arcamo cited more advantages than disadvantages for the formation of “SugBohol.”
He told separate media interview that Bohol look at Cebu as its “big brother,” adding that both provinces had already high economic achievements even before the split of Central Visayas region.
He likened the SugBohol to choosing a mango fruit having a state of decay and remove those part of the deteriorating in a mango and cleansed. He said that in saying this he meant no offense, nor belittling those not part of the new Central Visayas region.
He said that the national agencies may have easy things to be done to fast address concerns of public interest since there are only Cebu and Bohol they have attend to.
Both Arcamo and BM Villamor said they agreed the idea of “SugBohol” as Gov. Aumentado suggesting that the first letter “o” of Bohol be printed in a heart form, apparently to signify love for Cebu and Bohol.
The approved Resolution for “SugBohol” may be construed as first step while a sisterhood agreement is still being drafted and its signing is slated in Bohol soon, Baja said. (rvo)
