Winners of the Glow- in- the-Dark Bohol International Dragon Boat Festivall

The successful staging of the first Glow- in- the- Dark Dragon Boat Festival in Bohol generated a lot of mileage & positive vibes not only for the growing number of dragon boat enthusiasts in Bohol but also for the readiness & capability of local organizers to mount a high profile sporting event. 

Participants were all praises for the staging of the races, the warm welcome extended to them and for the overall conduct of the sporting event. This would surely translate into more opportunities to stage future sporting events in the city.

A huge credit goes to the unmatched leadership of Dr. Doyet Dumaluan, the president of Bohol Paddlers Association Inc, the organizing committee. 

The partnership of the city government and the provincial government was an impressive show of unity & cooperation especially the generally peaceful and orderly conduct of the event 

See you at the next dragon boat festival here in Bohol!

And the results are in for the 2026 GLOW - IN- THE- DARK Bohol Dragon Boat Festival held from April 18 to 19 at the Bayfront of the fabulous Bohol Tropics Resort in Tagbilaran City.

The race officials

Vancouver Reign Team

Surviveoars Leyteños Team

PNP Team

Taloto Wild Dragons

Bohol Paddlers Assn Inc

200m Premier Open 12 Category:

• Champion: PNP Team B
• 1st RU: PNP Team A
• 2nd RU: Taloto Wild Dragons 
• 3rd RU: BPAi

200m Premier Women Category: 

• Champion: PNP Maritime Group 
• 1st RU: Taloto Wild Dragons
• 2nd RU: Surviveoars Leyteños 
• 3rd RU: BPAi

200m Senior Mixed Category: 

• Champion: Sugbo Mighty Dragons 
• 1st RU: Surviveoars Leyteños 
• 2nd RU: Taloto Wild Dragons 
• 3rd RU: BPAi

The dragon boat racing event which is one of the highlights of the 2026 Saulog Tagbilaran celebration was a partnership of the LGU of Tagbilaran City and the Bohol Provincial Government and organized by the Bohol Paddlers Association Inc (BPAi) headed by Dr. Doyet Dumaluan.

MAJOR SPONSOR:

• STARLINK

MINOR SPONSOR:

• NATURE'S SPRING
• JJ'S SEAFOOD VILLAGE 
• FCB ( First Consolidated Bank)
• BLUE PROCESS TECHNOLOGIES
• POCARI SWEAT
• OCCIDENTAL ENTERPRISES
• LABB CONSTRUCTION 
• BUGSAI SEA CRAFT
• DU EK SAM
• DUMALUAN BEACH CORPORATION 

GOLD SPONSOR: 

• SANNOVEX PHARMACEUTICALS 

SILVER SPONSOR

• THE BELLEVUE RESORT 

Special Thanks to:

• Bohol Gov. Aris Aumentado
• 1st District Cong. Baba Yap
• 2nd District Cong. Vanessa Aumentado 
• 3rd District Cong. Alexis Tutor
• City Mayor Jane Yap
• Bohol Tropics Resort, event venue

Glow- in- the- Dark Bohol Dragon Boat Festival

The successful staging of the first Glow- in- the- Dark Bohol International Dragon Boat Festival 2026 on April 18 & 19 at the Bohol Tropics Resort once again highlighted Bohol's capability to organize & host national & international sporting event

The event attracted nine local & international teams including Vancouver Reign (Canada), PNP Teams A & B (Manila), Bohol Paddlers Assn, Taloto Wild Dragons, Sugbo Mighty Dragons & Surviveoars Leyteños who will be competing in three categories; Premier Open, Premier Women & Senior Mix.

As one of the highlights of the 2026 Saulog Tagbilaran festivities, the two- day dragon boat  race was co- presented by the City Government of Tagbilaran led by City Mayor Jane Yap and the Bohol Provincial Government led by Gov. Aris Aumentado and organized by the Bohol Paddlers Assn Inc led by Dr. Doyet Dumaluan.

Atty. Villanueva, Dr. Dumaluan, VG Besas & Mayor Yap

As dusk began to enevelop the the race venue,  the whole place took on an enchanting vibe. The illumined dragon boats were a sight to behold as they cast a glow while gliding through the dark waters. The excitement rose to a deafening crescendo amidst the cheers from the spectators and the hypnotic beat from the PRIME Drum & Bugle Corps.

The dragon boat festival opened with the parade of teams who were welcomed by Mayor Jane Yap, Vice Gov Nick Besas, PDBF Pres. Atty. Jay Pee Villanueva & Dr. Doyet Dumaluan.

Your Blogger with the volunteers 

The awakening of the dragon ceremony & oath of sportsmanship immediately followed before the start of the preliminary heats.

The PNP Maritime Group Paddlers after sweeping the Premier Open & Premier Women categories 

1997 Miss Bohol: Socorro D Marie “Talie” Tallo Inting

After an almost disastrous & very controversial pageant the year before, the handling of the Miss Bohol Sandugo Pageant went back to the Rotaract Club of Tagbilaran

The candidates for the 1997 edition of Miss Bohol Sandugo were collectively known as the Magnificent Seven. That’s right, only seven of the several hopefuls survived the tough screening process adopted by the pageant organizers.

A jampacked crowd witnessed the crowning of Tagbilaran City's bet, Talie Tallo Inting as Miss Bohol at the conclusion of the annual search for Bohol’s loveliest at the DWCT Gymnasium, July 15, 1997

Socorro D Marie Tallo Inting 

FRONTRUNNERS & CROWD FAVORITES

Miss Tagbilaran City, Socorro D Marie “Talie” Tallo Inting was pegged by most pageant experts and beauty watchers to win the crown after her stunning victory in the Mutya sa Tagbilaran 1997 Pageant where she topped the Swimsuit, Interview and Evening Gown Competitions.

She even got a 19.8 out of a perfect 20 in a memorable interview where she displayed her charm, candor and confidence

The other favorites were Miss Maribojoc Joanna Bacareza and Miss Calape Ria Nina Cubillo. The tall and willowy Miss Garcia- Hernandez Arbie Entero was also mentioned as a possible spoiler for the crown.

Ketchie Templa of Baclayon was also pegged by pageant experts as one of the girls who would make the final three.

Miss Bohol 1997 & her court

INNOVATIVE PAGEANT. IMPORTED EMCEE. IMPORTANT GUESTS

Bohol’s premier showband, Five Star Band, provided the live music accompaniment for the swimsuit and evening gown competitions

The combination of live music entertainment & the parade of gorgeous girls proved to be a big hit among those who watched the pageant that was emceed by Steven Casanova of Cebu’s 92.3 Killer Bee

1998 Senatorial hopefuls Raul Roco and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo were in the audience

TOP THREE

Miss Baclayon & Miss Tagbilaran 

After all the girls had competed in the three areas of judging, namely; Swimsuits, Evening Gowns & Personal Interviews, the pageant emcee revealed the names of the three highest scorers who would be advancing to the final round

As expected, Miss Tagbilaran City Talie Inting and Miss Garcia- Hernandez Arbie Entero advanced to the final round.  Rounding out the final three was Miss Baclayon Celeste “Ketchie” Templa who gave a very consistent performance in all three rounds of competition.

The stunningly beautiful Joanna Bacareza of Maribojoc and crowd favorite Ria Nina Cubillo didn’t survive the first cut. It would take another two years on her second try before Ms. Cubillo would finally win the crown.

ONE FINAL QUESTION

One final question was asked of the three finalists.

After the deliberations, the Board of Judges gave their final verdict

COMPLETE FINAL RESULTS

1997 Miss Bohol Talie Inting TAGBILARAN CITY 

1st Runner Up Ketchie Templa   BACLAYON 

2^nd Runner Up Arbie Entero GARCIA HERNANDEZ 

SPECIAL AWARDS:

Best in Gown    Joanna Bacareza    MARIBOJOC

Best in Swimsuit  Talie Inting TAGBILARAN CITY 

Miss Photogenic  Ria Nina Cubillo     CALAPE

Miss Friendship Talie Inting  TAGBILARAN CITY 

CORPORATE AWARDS:

Miss AVON   Talie Inting    TAGBILARAN CITY 

Johnson’s Fresh Face   Ria Nina Cubillo  CALAPE 

Negros Navigation Angel  Ketchie Templa BACLAYON 

PRODUCTION TEAM

Pageant Organizer           : The Rotaract Club of Tagbilaran

Pageant Director               : Rotaractor Jon Pascual

Choreographer                  : Rotaractor Ms Mary Ann Udtohan

Technical Director             : Rotaractor Teddy Ramasola

Socorro D Marie Tallo Inting is now a Manila- based lawyer who has the distinction of winning every pageant that she entered.

1995 Miss DWCT where she represented the High School Dept

1997 Mutya sa Tagbilaran

1997 Miss Bohol Sandugo

A member of the DWCT Women’s Basketball Varsity 

Poland Opens Honorary Consulate in Bohol

The province of Bohol has once again lived up to its reputation as a trailblazer in international diplomacy with the formal opening of the Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Poland and the installation of Ms. Zarah Jao Dejaresco, one of the pioneers in the local tourism industry as Honorary Consul of Poland in Bohol.

L-R: Vice Gov Besas, Gov. Aumentado, H.E. Wilkowiecka, Honorary Consul Dejaresco & Consul Kmita

Her Excellency Katarzyna Wilkowiecka, Ambassador of Poland in the Philippines and Consul Sebastian Marek Kmita Kmita led the Polish delegation during the opening ceremony held at Cafe Dolores in Bohol Tropics Resort. 

In her acceptance message, Ms. Dejaresco vowed to carry out her role as honorary consul which includes attending to the concerns of Polish nationals residing in or visiting Bohol and fostering stronger trade & tourism ties between the two nations.

Cong. Baba Yap & City Mayor Jane Yap 
congratulates Ms. Dejaresco

Bohol Gov. Aris Aumentado , Vice Gov. Nick Besas, Provl Administrator Ms. Aster Caberte-, Cong. John Geesnell II Yap and City Mayor Jane Yap lauded the opening of the first consular office in Bohol. 

Joining Ms. Dejaresco during her installation ceremony were her husband Peter Dejaresco of the Bohol Chronicle Radio Corporation and daughter Divine as well as leaders from the business sector, heads of different national & provincial agencies and industry stakeholders. 

Cong. Yap, Vice Gov Besas & Gov. Aumentado 

Divine Dejaresco & City Mayor Jane Yap 

BEDIPO Head Ma. Fe Dominise &
BTO Head Joanne M. Pinat

Dauis Mayor Marietta Sumaylo & MC Raul Gatal 

Businessman Mr Romeo Jabonillo & Atty Lucas Nunag, Co- Chair, Bohol Tourism Council 

Panglao Mayor Edgardo Arcay & First Lady Aniceta Arcay

BCCI Pres. Steven Lim & Mr. Argeo Melisimo, Pres, Bohol Council of Educators in Tourism Industry 

John Maraguinot, Supervising Officer, Office of the Governor & Ms. Mian Bernadette Cirujales, Acting Head, Dept of Foreign Affairs- Tagbilaran 

Raul Gatal, program emcee

The opening of the consulate marks a significant milestone in strengthening the diplomatic, cultural and economic ties between the Philippines and Poland.

Tagbilaran City is Best Component City Police Station, LGU of Tagbilaran City is Also Honored During PNP Day 2026

The Tagbilaran City Police Station (TCPS) proudly earned the distinction as Best Component City Police Station of Region 7 during the Philippine National Police (PNP) Day 2026 Celebration held at Police Regional Office 7 on February 23, 2026.

The prestigious recognition highlights the station’s consistent excellence in law enforcement operations, community engagement, crime prevention initiatives, and organizational management. 

PLTCOL John Karen O. Escober
TCPS Chief of Police 

The achievement reflects the collective dedication of TCPS personnel under the leadership of PLTCOL JOHN KAREEN OLIVEROS ESCOBER, Chief of Police, whose strategic direction elevated the station into greater heights and placed TCPS among the top performing police stations in the region.

Through strengthened operational capability, community partnership programs, and disciplined internal management, TCPS sustained high-impact accomplishments, ultimately bringing the station to the pedestal of excellence among component city police stations in PRO7.

In his message, PLTCOL ESCOBER emphasized that the award is not an individual achievement but a product of teamwork and community support:

“Kining kadaugan dili para sa usa ka tawo lamang kundili para sa tibuok TCPS ug sa katawhan sa Tagbilaran. Ang among kalampusan bunga sa panaghiusa, disiplina, ug suporta sa LGU ug komunidad. Magpadayon kami sa matinud-anon ug lig-ong pag-alagad sa katawhan"

The station also proudly congratulates the following personnel who brought honor to TCPS:

• PMSg Joel Orapa – Best Senior PNCO for Operations

• PSSg Luwen Refulle – Best Junior PNCO for Operations

Their recognition reflects the professionalism, operational competence, and dedication to public safety service.

TAGBILARAN CITY AS OUTSTANDING COMPONENT CITY LGU

During the same ceremony, the City Government of Tagbilaran, under the leadership of Mayor Jane C. Yap and who was represented by City Administrator Alvin Acuzar, was likewise recognized and awarded as Outstanding Component City Local Government Unit (LGU), highlighting the strong partnership between the police and the local government in maintaining peace, order, and public safety in the city.

These recognitions affirm the effectiveness of collaborative governance, proactive policing, and community-centered public safety programs being implemented in Tagbilaran City.

The Tagbilaran City Police Station remains committed to delivering responsive, capable, and trustworthy police service to the people as it continues to uphold the highest standards of the Philippine National Police.

 

Meet the 2026 BPHSN International Homecoming Queen: Margarita Llido-Torn

Last night, Margarita "Jijing" Llido- Torn who represented the Phoebes of Class 1976 was crowned the 2026 BPHSN Grand International Homecoming Queen in glittering  ceremonies at the MetroCentre Hotel & Convention Center.

2026 BPHSN Queen

Her crowning was a date with destiny. 

She was crowned exactly 100 years after her mom, the late Ascension Gaviola- Llido was crowned the first Miss Bohol and the first Boholana to represent the province in a national beauty pageant, the 1926 Miss Philippines search which replaced the Philippines Carnival Queen.

The newly- crowned homecoming queen finished her elementary and high school education in the bustling coastal town of Jagna, Bohol. 

She took her Pre-nursing in Velez College Cebu City and Graduated in BPHSN in 1976. 

After passing the Philippine Licensure Examination for Nurses, she worked as an OR nurse in the Divine Word Hospital managed by the Benedictine Sisters. 

L-R: Regencia, Torn, Hardnett & Anselmo

Named as Princesses Adela Refamonte- Regencia of The Glasgows Batch 85, Milagros Himalaloan - Hardnett of The Theresians Batch 84 and Romana Narisma- Anselmo of The Melchorians Batch 74 

The ladies with their consorts

During the presentation of candidates

The queen with her batchmates

She put her hospital work on hold in 1978 so she can take care of her Mom Ascension in Cebu City. 

She worked briefly as a medical representative of the United American Pharmaceutical Company before she acquired her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree in CCC. 

From 1979 to 1984, she worked as a company nurse at the Floating Casino before moving to the new building in Nivel Hills Cebu City. 

She made her big move in 1984 when she left for New York to accompany her elderly mother. 

She then moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, met and exchanged lifetime vows with the man of her dreams, the wonderful Howard Torn. 

After getting her Registered Nurse License , she worked in John Knox Health until 2007.  

Her greatest passions are fishing, tennis and traveling. She is a member of the Women’s International Fishing Association and is a world record holder of the International Game Fishing Association in Fly Fishing division. 

She still competes in women’s fishing In Inshore and Offshore divisions all over the world as well as being competitive in Singles Tennis division. 

At present, she continues to travel, fish, play tennis and enjoy her life to the fullest.

Screams & Panic as the 1979 Miss Universe Stage Collapses

After weeks of endless photo shoots, wardrobe fittings, promotional tours &rehearsals, the 1979 Miss Universe Pageant finally had its glittering coronation night and beamed live all over the world from was the Perth Entertainment Centre in Perth, Australia. July 20, 1979.

Minutes before the stage collapsed 

The 28th Miss Universe Maritza Sayalero

Maritza Sayalero, 18, confirmed her frontrunner status as she topped the swimsuit, evening gown and interviews during the semifinal round. 

The stars aligned for the 18 year old beauty that evening and before the night was over, Venezuela had won its first Miss Universe crown. 

Maritza pipped Gina Swainson of Bermuda into second place. ( Ms. Swainson went on to win the 1979 Miss World title later that year) Miss England Carolyn Seaward was 2nd RU and Miss Photogenic, Miss Brazil, Martha Jussara de Costa was 3rd RU and Miss Sweden Anette Marie Ekstrom was 4th RU.

Miss England gets a helping hand

Miss Brazil is pulled out from the pile

A few minutes after the pageant had finished its telecast, hysterical screams were heard and pandemonium broke out after part of the stage collapsed. The sudden surge of close to 200 photographers and reporters on the stage designed to hold only 75 girls was the main cause of the accident.

Miss Universe 79 with Miss Malta

Around 20 girls and 30 reporters then fell down from a 6 ft x 9 ft hole and plunged two meters to the ground below.

The girls from Malta and Turkey were taken to the hospital for concussions and leg injuries while Miss Philippines and Miss Costa Rica had bruises after the fall.

It was the new Miss Universe's luck that the crack didn't reach her throne by a few inches sparing her, Miss Bermuda & Miss Sweden from falling into the pit.

Miss Brazil & Miss England, two of the runners up and who were seated closer to the edge were among those who fell with the Brazilian contestant complaining that her $3,000 evening gown was ruined.

It was a good thing that the CBS had just ended its live coverage before the incident otherwise TV audiences from the US and around the world would have seen the shocking incident.

Miss Philippines, Criselda "Dang" Cecilia went on to become a movie actress and played leading lady to top action stars and comedy kings. She later gave up showbusiness when she settled down for good.