Catigbian gets 3.2 hectares lot, portion for CNHS. Cementing a strong educational foundation for...

Katigbawan: carrier for Catigbian’s ‘good news.’ Catigbian's promotion as Bohol’s progress hub...

Banking on blood to save somebody’s life. What a better way to show one’s idea of the...

Catigbian gets 3.2 hectares lot, portion for CNHS
By: Rey Chiu / PIA
June 15, 2008

Cementing a strong educational foundation for the next three years, local officials here have gained step one, pushed by the common desire to uplift the life of the people and transform Catigbian into a green haven of peace, progress and development.

In this line, the local government officials led by Mayor Roberto Salinas and Vice Mayor Niceta Digaum were just too happy to announce the town’s acquisition of a 4.2 hectare lot in Barangay Haguilanan.

As this happens, the highlight would be good news as the town prepares for the Katigbawan Festival, a jubilee timed for Catigbian Foundation Days this week.

Mayor Salinas, through a text message said, a hectare of the lot would be donated to the Department of Education (Dep-ED) for the construction of a school building as an annex to the Catigbian National High School (CNHS).

The lot, situated along the national road was acquired at the measly cost of P700,000.

The latest acquisition has raised the town’s land assets to 11 hectares. Aside from assets it acquired in the past, the town was also able to get 3.2 hectares farm, upon where now occupies the town’s demonstration farm in Poblacion.

Interestingly, the same investment again allows access to informal education to its farmers and younger generation of leaders.

The Catigbian officials’ action to put up the CNHS annex building was also seen as a pro-active step.

Parents have raised alarm over evaluations that the school is not that safe after all.

CNHS sits atop a cave, according to Dep-ed reports. Now with an increasing number of student population, local officials have decided it as an imperative to be decongested and an annex be relocated at the new site.

As for the remaining 3.2 hectares, Salinas said it would allow the local government unit a wider room for future developments.

Part of the plan, according to the two-term mayor, is to put up a dairy farm, an eco park with a wildlife sanctuary.

He also admitted the town leaders have been contemplating putting up socialized housing in tandem with gawad kalinga, if their local funds warrant it.

If such a plan materializes, Catigbian would again trail-blaze in socialized benefits, which a lot more wealthier local government units in Bohol have not dared think about.

Based on Catigbian’s Executive Legislative Agenda for 2007-2010, leaders have also identified a P2.5M investment in education for the next three years.

Aside from the CHNS annex building construction, they also press for the repair of more school buildings, construction of two more computer rooms, establishment of more pre-schools in 6 barangays and proposed for a program for out of school youth development trainings.

Still pitching for more as Catigbian slowly carves a name as one of Bohol’s fastest emerging giants, local leaders agree that the town civil festival has done what the town could do in months.

And as Catigbian strings the welcome banners this June 13-17, local officials led by Mayor Roberto Salinas bared that this year’s Katigbawan would be adopting the festival as “Tinubdan sa Catigbianong Kahiusahan ug Kaugmaran” as a tribute to the event and the people.

All through the years, Katigbawan has manifested itself as a very potent tool for our telling the whole world that there is something good happening in Catigbian, Salinas said.

Katigbawan, coined after Katigbi, Tigbaw and Kabawan is a festival of culture and tradition conceived by the town leadership as tool for promotions in tourism, ecology, agriculture, folk beliefs and natural environment.

It has also been referred to progress, a name the town leaders suggest for adoption by local residents.

Katigbawan is now harnessed to showcase the whole image of a struggling town and slowly winning its battles, Salinas, a retired navy captain revealed.

This year’s Katigbawan brings in the best of Catigbian: agricultural products at the agri-fair, Katigbi crafts at the crafts fair, best athletes in boxing, basketball, and traditional games, best fighting cocks in the traditional Carambola derby, best livestock and carabaos in the recently popularized Carabao pageant, best dancers in the street dancing competitions, best amateur singers in the musical competitions and the best ladies in the search for Miss Katigbawan 2008.

The festival officially starts June 13 with the thanksgiving mass at the Immaculate Conception Church at 8:00 followed by a parade from the church to the Catigbian Livestock and Auction Center, festival organizers said.

At the CLAC, the opening of the Agri fair and the Onte-Town-One Product (OTOP) fair officially starts with the ribbon cutting ceremonies in the presence of town and Department of Trade and Industry officials.

Expected to be displayed are Katigbi crafts. Barangay delegations are accordingly putting up displays for an inter-barangay contest, said Dr. Ronald Pumatong, event coordinator.

A volleyball game is also an event filler at the CLAC compound while the people are awaiting for the formal ceremonies.

Boxing hostilities take the center arena at the CLAC at 1:00 PM and extends until the next activity set at 5:00 with the Miss Katigbawan Talent Show to unfold at the Catigbian Business Center.

Music and entertainment extends until about 9:00 when the inter-barangay amateur singing competition picks up at the same venue.

June 16 is Katigbawan’s Livestock Day at the CLAC and Provincial veterinarian authorities would be dispensing technical help along with local livestock growers.

At the same time, the Municipal Demo Farm opens its gates for technical advice and seedling dispersal to interested residents and guests.

Simultaneously, at 9:00, the famous Karambola unleashes gaffs at the town cockpit arena.

Activity shifts to the CLAC at 1:00 where the best decorated and made-up carabaos take the ramp in Bohol’s Carabao pageant.

Laughter is sure to spill with the traditional Hog Catching also at the CLAC after the Carabao Pageant.

At 3:00, another activity takes the courts of Catigbian Community Stage where an exhibition game tips off with the local law enforcers tackling the local members of the Association of Barangay Councils.

At 7:00, the night curtains open for the Miss Katigbawan pageant night presentation at the CBAC.

The following day, June 17 Tuesday, opens with the blood letting and blood sugar determination with the local medical professionals and volunteers at the CBAC.

At the same time, traditional games are set to unroll at the sports oval. Throbs of the drums and the tempo of dancing feet gather everyone to the Catigbian Sports Oval at 1:00 PM for the annual festival street dancing competitions.

The festival’s closing ceremonies and awarding of winners is set Tuesday at 5:00 at the oval.

Revelers are also treated to a grand fireworks display at the oval and later, a dinner for all and dance party at the CBAC, organizers reveal.

Over all these developments, Mayor Salinas bared, “it is not just the local government showing the world the good news.”

“It is also the people who started to pick up our new identity: that Catigbian can indeed be the green haven for peace and development,” he continued.

For the achievement, he also cited the town’s program managers whom he calls as the “Catigbian Performance Team” who strived to bring development and translate all the perceived stumbling blocks into significant stepping-stones of opportunities.”

Moreover, he also added the achievements as fruits of participatory planning, the relentless efforts and the sleepless nights that paved the way for what we have achieved now.

Celebrating another milestone in the town’s history, Catigbian would be handling to Bohol health authorities bags of blood from volunteers who wish to make a difference to the lives of patients needing such help.

At this year’s Katigbawan Festival, residents bank on their blood to save somebody else’s life.

This as authorities expect 120 blood donors from different barangays to submit themselves voluntarily to a cause they have committed to support.

On June 17, 2008, volunteers are expected to troop to the Catigbian Business Activity Center, where the Blood Coordinating Council of Gov. Celestino Gallares Hospital, Tagbilaran City with the assistance of the Municipal Health Staff and some personnel from the Catigbian District Hospital will be waiting for them.

When the idea of a Voluntary Blood Donation (VBD) first came, no other than Mayor Roberto Salinas personally and willingly modeled the program and submitted himself to the health personnel during the first bloodletting event, three years ago, Catigbian sources said.

The program also happens to be the Department of Health’s venue of ensuring that distribution of blood supply and blood products are adequate, safe, affordable and equitable at local blood banks.

Doctors have also said that regular bloodletting events are healthful means of giving out blood compared to commercialized blood donation.

Earlier, the personnel at the Municipal Health Office has spread advocacies on the VBD in the barangays.

Because of such, barangay captains have coordinated recruitment of blood donors through community and purok meetings.

This year, blood donors from different barangays need not come with tentative health concerns having been advised of the advantages and benefits of the activity.

Also included in the activity are free screening for blood-borne diseases such as HIV, Hepatitis B, Malaria and Syphilis and most importantly.

Vice Mayor Necita Digaum also said that the activity assures the people of Catigbian free blood and blood products in times of emergency and illnesses that may require blood transfusion, by virtue of an existing agreement with hospitals and medical establishments.