Deliberations were made on major development initiatives aimed at advancing education, workforce development, infrastructure, and poverty reduction in Bohol.
This was after the Provincial Development Council (PDC) held its 4th Executive Committee (EXECOM) meeting on June 3, 2026, at the Juanito Cambangay Hall of the Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO), New Provincial Capitol.
The meeting was presided over by Provincial Administrator (PA) Asteria Caberte with PPDO Head Atty. John Titus Vistal, and Board Member Romulo Cepedoza.
Also present were representatives from the offices of the First, Second, and Third District Congressional Representatives, Department of Education (DepEd) – Bohol Schools District Superintendent Dr. Fay Luarez, Education Development Center (EDC) Officer-in-Charge Jaypee Ian Morgia, and other partners and stakeholders.
One of the key agenda items was the presentation of the DepEd-Bohol’s Advancing Climate-smart, Quality, Inclusive and Resilient Education (ACQUIRE) Project by Adolf Aguilar, Project Development Officer V of DepEd Regional Office VII.
Co-implemented with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and supported through financing from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the project aims to strengthen school digitalization, enhance Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education, and promote climate resilience in the basic education sector.
Recognizing its potential impact on the education system, the committee favorably endorsed the project to the Social Development Committee (SDC) for further consideration.
The deliberations also resulted in the proposed crafting of a Memorandum of Agreement among the Department of Education (DepEd), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and concerned stakeholders to modify the prioritization of beneficiaries under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in relation to qualified public school teachers, ensuring merit-based selection processes.
The committee likewise agreed to endorse a resolution supporting the creation of two additional DepEd divisions within the Bohol Island UNESCO Global Geopark and another resolution identifying potential schools for conversion into Science High Schools.
Meanwhile, Supervising TESD Specialist Joan Sayon of TESDA-Bohol presented the agency’s Enterprise-Based Education and Training (EBET) Program, a workforce development strategy institutionalized through Republic Act No. 12063, or the EBET Framework Act of 2024.
The program promotes a demand-driven approach to Technical-Vocational Education and Training (TVET) by placing enterprises at the center of training delivery and workforce development.
Through EBET, learners are equipped with practical and industry-relevant skills through hands-on training in actual or simulated work environments.
PA Caberte emphasized the need for aggressive promotion of the program, citing its potential benefits for TESDA scholars and future workers.
Sayon also presented the proposal for the establishment of the Bohol Polytechnic State Institute (BPSI) through the integration of the province’s five existing TESDA Provincial Training Centers (PTCs), aimed at strengthening technical and vocational education in Bohol.
On infrastructure development, Bien Unido Mayor John Felix Garcia presented the proposed Repair and Extension of the Bien Unido Municipal Port located in Barangay Poblacion, Bien Unido.
The project, estimated at ₱50 million and proposed for funding by the Department of Transportation (DOTr), seeks to improve port facilities, ensure safer maritime operations, and accommodate increasing passenger and cargo demands.
Planned components include the extension and widening of the existing port, foundation works, concrete facing, curb and gutter construction, PCCP slab installation, concrete stairs, and navigational safety facilities such as lighting and mooring systems.
Guindulman Mayor Engr. Jimmy Busano likewise presented the proposed Guindulman Port Expansion Project in Barangay Tabajan, Guindulman, with an estimated cost of ₱300 million for inclusion in the DOTr’s CY 2027 Infrastructure Program.
The project is expected to deliver significant benefits, including improved maritime connectivity, increased economic activities, employment generation, enhanced fisheries productivity, improved agricultural market access, tourism development, strengthened disaster preparedness, and emergency response capabilities.
This will also add increased local government revenues, attraction of private investments, and the establishment of a regional development hub for southeastern Bohol.
Among the proposed project components are wharf extension, berthing facilities, RoRo ramp improvements, a passenger terminal building, cargo handling areas, port lighting systems, drainage systems, breakwater protection, parking facilities, and enhanced security infrastructure.
Concluding the meeting, Chief Statistical Specialist Jessamyn Anne Alcazaren of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)-Bohol Provincial Statistical Office presented the 2023 City and Municipal-Level Poverty Estimates in Bohol using Small Area Estimation (SAE).
Based on the report, 25 municipalities and Tagbilaran City, representing 54.2 percent of local government units in Bohol, recorded poverty incidence rates of 20 percent or below in 2023.
Meanwhile, 22 municipalities posted poverty incidence rates ranging from 20.1 to 40 percent, with no LGU exceeding the 40 percent mark, indicating improvements in poverty distribution across the province.
The 2023 per capita poverty threshold in Bohol was estimated at ₱30,981 annually or ₱2,581.75 monthly.
Corella registered the lowest poverty incidence rate at 9.8 percent, while the municipalities of Danao and President Carlos P. Garcia recorded the highest at 26.5 percent.
Following thorough deliberations, the EXECOM approved and endorsed all agenda items and project proposals presented during the meeting for appropriate action and further processing by the concerned bodies and agencies.
The meeting underscored the PGBh’s continued commitment to advancing inclusive development through strategic investments in education, workforce development, infrastructure modernization, and evidence-based policymaking for the benefit of all Bol-anons. (PIMO/RJG)
