Panglao Mayor Leonila Montero declares that the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) that have been crafted for a provincial ordinance are stale or “pan-os”.

The lady mayor used the Boholano term “pan-os” to refer to the IRR as she expressed herself in the dialect during an interview in one of the top-rated radio programs called “What’s On in Panglao” over DYTR aired everyday, from Monday to Friday, from 1:00 to 2:00 in the afternoon and hosted by Chandymar Araneta Batoy.

In a very composed voice, filled with determination, Montero on Friday, Nov. 6, 2020, aired her declarations mainly discussing the IRR that have been formulated for Provincial Ordinance No. 2020-019 and approved in August 2020. This ordinance is authored by Third District Board Member Jade Bautista. The ordinance is known as “An Ordinance Establishing Policies and Regulations for the New Normal for Bohol Tourism and Instituting Penalties for Violations Thereof.”

Montero, in that radio interview, said that the town has its own guidelines on the conduct of the tourism activities for the new normal and these guidelines already came out way ahead of the IRR of the province based as based on the provincial ordinance.

The town government of Panglao, Montero said, has already come up with guidelines for the operation of water-related tourism activities, restaurants, hospitality and accommodation facilities and tourist transport, amon others. In fact, these guidelines were published in an earlier report by The Bohol Tribune back In June 2020.

Montero insists that the guidelines, formulated by LGU Panglao, for the reopening of the tourism industry in the town, are products of brilliant minds that include the Panglao stakeholders.

The mayor also insists that the town’s guidelines should be the ones followed by tourism industry players in Panglao and not the IRR prepared by the province. She said the new IRR will lead to confusion.

In the same interview, Montero assailed the provincial government for claiming to care a lot for the Boholanos, but such government is implementing and wants to implement policies which make things difficult for ordinary folks to get on with their livelihood and to survive amidst the economic impact caused by the pandemic.

She criticized the guidelines, policies and processes coming from the province saying they are not “timely”.

It is not timely, the mayor explained, because everyone is still struggling on how to revive the economy.

In the same interview, she assailed the Ultimate Bohol Experience (UBE) seal, among others, as something that is unnecessary and, again, not timely. She did not offer an explanation why the UBE seal is not appropriate at this time.

The UBE seal is a certification given by the provincial government to tourism-related businesses as a means of compliance with the regulations of operating under the so-called “new normal”.

“Thousands of Boholanos have lost their jobs in the tourism industry,” Montero pointed out in the interview. According to the provincial government, at least 211,000 Boholanos lost their jobs or livelihood due to the pandemic.

She added that the provincial government, in what it is doing, is denying the Boholanos the opportunity for the tourism industry to rebound because of the entry of restrictions making it difficult for tourists to visit the province.

Moreover, Montero questioned why there were (are) some top government officials who were (are) seen on social media without their face masks on but are not being questioned and reprimanded.

She lamented over her observation that there are personalities who are trying to belittle her role as a leader of a town and who are trying to undermine and erode her capability as a town mayor.

Moreover, Montero also criticized persons who focus on allegations against her as she has been the subject of controversies these past few weeks.

The Panglao lady mayor is advising the provincial officials to focus on preparing for incoming natural disasters and veer away from dipping their hands into the affairs of the tourism industry of Panglao whose system has already been established for several months.

CONTROLLING THE BUSINESSES

Montero hinted that there are some personalities out to control the businesses and the business owners in her town.

Without naming names, the mayor said, that these people who want to control the business owners of Panglao are sowing confusion in the place. The mayor did not elaborate on her allegations.

ENTRY RESTRICTIONS

On Oct. 29, 2020, the chairman of the Henann Group of Resorts, Dr. Henry Chuseuy, chided the policy of the provincial government to require tourists to secure polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test results prior to their arrival here in the province.

Chuseuy chairs the Henann Group of Resorts, which owns the Henann Resort in Alona Beach, at barangay Tawala, Panglao town.

Chuseuy made his statement recently during the press briefing featuring Sec. Harry Roque Montero in Panglao, specifically at Henann Resort.

For her part, Mayor Montero also said that if no tourists will arrive in Panglao, it will be difficult to look for ways to help alleviate the economic plight of her constituents especially those working in the tourism industry.

Like Choseuy, Montero believes that to help the tourism industry, the entry protocols should be relaxed a bit to encourage more visitors to come to her place.

ON THE HALLOWEEN PARTIES ISSUE

Montero denied insinuations that came out in some media outlets and in social media that the halloween parties that allegedly transpired on Nov. 1, 2020 were initiated by the LGU of Panglao.

She said that while there were photographs of her during the said function that surfaced on social media, it does not follow that her presence in the party was an indication that the town government had a hand in organizing those events.

Montero explained that during that activity, there was a time that she had to remove her face mask as she was eating the food served to her when she dropped by the party place. No one can eat with her face mask on, she said. She issued this statement as there have been allegations that photos of the mayor were seen on social media attending the party without wearing a face mask.

Montero continued by saying that she obliged to a photo session request in one of the halloween parties when she did her role of monitoring activities in her town. While doing the monitoring job, some party goers who recognized her, asked for some photo opportunities with her. These photos eventually got uploaded on social media. The mayor asserted that the photo opportunities were quick and lasted only for a few moments.

The mayor also emphasized that it was impossible for the LGU to have organized that activity because she even went to the place for her monitoring role wearing a simple attire. Montero added that if it were an LGU organized party, she would have attended the event fully attired in accordance to the theme of the celebration which is Halloween.

The mayor explained that as part of the effort of the town government to restart the tourism industry, there are some activities allowed under the guidelines promulgated by the LGU. As said, she was monitoring establishments in the town and finding out if activities are following the guidelines set by the town’s local government are being followed.

In the same radio interview, Montero stated that the establishments organizing the event followed the health protocols set by the LGU which is part of the reopening of Panglao’s tourism industry.

She thanked the people who visited Panglao during the event as their visit generated economic activity for the municipality.

The lady mayor also stressed that LGU Panglao restarted the tourism industry, at least for local Boholano tourists, on June 21, 2020. 

COUNTERATTACK

Montero also aired during the interview a cryptic message to a person whom she said was unable to win a seat as a board member.

She said, the person might now be working in the Capitol. The mayor did not mention the name but chided the person for being an ingrate.

However, the mayor dropped clues regarding the person. The person, who allegedly lost his/her political bid for a seat in the provincial board, used to lambast a top government official of the previous prov’l government administration, but now the person is allegedly singing praises for the former top government official. This former top government official is now a private citizen.