The Bard from Bohol II

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During World War II, Garcia was active in the resistance movement in Bohol and was hunted by the Japanese military authority because of his refusal to surrender and cooperate with the occupation government. After the war, he received a citation from the late President Manuel L. Quezon. He also became part of several missions to Washington intended to secure the approval of the Philippine Rehabilitation and War Damage Claims.

Garcia came to the notice of both President Quezon and Vice-President Osmeña and was drafted to the Nacionalista Party’s senatorial ticket in 1941. He was elected Senator for three consecutive terms, from 1941 to 1953. When he was in the Senate, he was chairman and member of numerous key committees, among them government reorganization, foreign affairs, public works, army and navy, and justice. He was also a member of the Senate Electoral Tribunal. From 1946 to 1951 Garcia served as minority floor leader of the Senate.

From 1947 to 1953, Garcia was vice president of the Nacionalista Party directorate. In November 1953, he was elected Vice-President of the Republic of the Philippines under the ticket of the Nacionalista Party. He served not only as vice-president to President Ramon Magsaysay but also as a member of his Cabinet and Secretary of Foreign Affairs.

In fact, Garcia's most important achievements before he became President involved his work as foreign policy expert for the government. He was a delegate to the World Conference at San Francisco in May 1945 which drafted the charter of the United Nations. As Secretary of Foreign Affairs, he opened formal reparation negotiations in an effort to end the nine-year technical state of war between Japan and the Philippines, leading to an agreement in April 1954.

During the Geneva Conference on Korean unification and other Asian problems, Garcia,as chairman of the Philippine delegation, attacked communist promises in Asia and defended the U.S. policy in the Far East. He acted as chairman and presiding officer of the eight-nation Southeast Asian Security Conference held in Manila in September 1954, which led to the development of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO).

When President Magsaysay was killed in an airplane accident in March 17, 1957, Garcia took his oath as President of the Republic of the Philippines and became the fourth President of the Republic after it gained independence in 1946. Garcia served the unexpired term of his predecessor. Then, in the Presidential elections held in the same year, he won over three other candidates and obtained a fresh four-year term mandate.

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White sands of Candabong, Anda, Bohol

No doubt it was the highlight of our vacation in Bohol. Last December 30, we trooped from the mountains of Sudlon, Alicia, Bohol, where my wife hails, to the enchanting white sands of Candabong, Anda, a nearby town, for a cool Rizal Day splash. The beach was public. We paid absolutely nothing to get in. The sand was creamy white and not artificial, unlike those in other private resorts in the province. At the farthest end of the semi-oval stretch of white sand is a small rock/island shaped like a soldier's helmet. Along the shore were lines of boats and huts lying idly, as if time has stopped in that corner of the world. When we arrived (at around 9am) there was nobody there. We had the whole place to ourselves. When my 5-year old son saw the place, he smiled all the way up to his ears. Then he plunged and spent the whole day on the water. A few other groups arrived later, but there was still plenty of space run around. In fact, there was plenty of space to do our barbecue and some...

A pilgrimage to the Baclayon Church

Sometimes, when we are too close to something, we fail to see its beauty. This is probably the reason why there are still many Boholanos, especially those living at the coastal areas, who have yet to visit the viewing deck of the Chocolate Hills in Carmen, Bohol, or even the new one in Sagbayan, Bohol. Because we know it is just nearby, we sort of miss out on how extraordinary the thing is. It is exactly the same with the Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception in Baclayon, Bohol, the second oldest stone Church in the Philippines. I don't think many really appreciate its place in the history of our country. Baclayon is a municipality which is 6 kilometers east of Tagbilaran City. It is Bohol's oldest municipality and the mother of 3 other municipalities, namely, Alburquerqe, Balilihan and Sikatuna. In Cebuano, "baclayon" means the distance that one needs to walk. This is probably the reason why the town was so named as it is located at the coast of Bohol sever...

List of Bohol Town Fiestas

They say that the island of Bohol sinks about an inch in May due to the thousands of Bol-anons who come home to attend the many town and barrio fiestas celebrated during the month. You can almost feel this once you disembark from those overloaded ships docking at the Tagbilaran Port in May. Fiestas in Bohol are occasions of great joy and merry-making, as well as lots of free food. Almost every household in town or in the barrio is on a welcome mode and, yes, you can literally go to any house, even if you do not know the owner, and eat your heart out. Experience this to believe. The following is a list of Bohol town fiestas in chronological order and with their corresponding patron saints. January 16 - Cortes - Santo Niño January 16 - Pres. Garcia - Holy Child January 16 - Valencia Sr. - Santo Niño January 17 - Carmen Saint - Anthony de Abbot January 29 - Ubay - Holy Child Last Saturday of January - Getafe - Holy Infant February 11 - Dagohoy - Our Lady of Lourdes April 27 - Corella - N...

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