Tagbilaran City youths win in int’l karate tilt

City Mayor John Geesnell Yap II (back row, 3rd f from left) and Tagbilaran City’s First Lady Jane Yap (back row, -4th from left) stand with the World Budokan Series 3 winners, (front row, from left): silver medalist Justie Athena Jaspe, gold medalist Andrea Rose Abuyabor, gold medalist Dale Malcolm Edillo, gold medalist Stiffany Mae Alvarez. (back  row from left) silver medalist Jerik James Suma-oy, coach Sonny Alvarez, bronze medalist Zackarie Señoron, and bronze medalist Richard Maglente. Contributed photo

The fighting spirit of the Tagbilaranons cannot be stopped by the pandemic.

Despite the strict health protocol imposed upon various sports competitions, the Tagbilaran City Karatedo Team Sphinx Shotokan Karatedo International Japan Karate Shoto (SSKI-JKS) did not lose its fighting spirit.

Young martial arts enthusiasts from Tagbilaran City emerged victorious in the World Budokan Series 3 participated which was participated in by New Zealand, Malaysia, India, Macao, Hongkong, Indonesia, Taiwan, and Taipei held on June 12 to 13, 2021.

About 8 young athletes from the University of Bohol-SSKI Karatedo Team won in the said international competition led by gold medalists Stiffany Mae Alvarez, Andrea Rose Abuyabor, Dale Malcolm Edillo, sliver medalists Justie Athena Jaspe, Jerik James Suma-oy, and bronze medalists Zackarie Señoron, Eric Albofera, and Richard Maglente. 

City Mayor John Geesnell Yap II congratulated the team and acknowledged the pride which the team gave to Tagbilaran City.

“The victories they have achieved during this health crisis is truly commendable. It goes to show that no obstacles can stop their aspiration to harness their craft. More than the competition, it is their optimism and positivity that makes us proud,” Mayor Yap said.

The team also won in the Ramon S. Franco Online e-Kata Tournament and in the Luzvimin International Friendship Game e-Kata Tournament held last January and February 2021 respectively.

Mayor Yap awarded cash incentives in a simple awarding ceremony held in the City Hall Atrium on July 21, 2021.

Mayor Yap is truly proud of these young champions, especially that two of the medalists are also Tagbilaran City Scholars. 

Jaspe and Lloren are both Criminology students from the University of Bohol.

“We have been supportive of our youth. We provide tuition fee subsidies. Prior to the pandemic, we have also made various sports competition a staple in every barangay like basketball, tennis, swimming, volleyball.  These athletic events are important for it is a venue where the youth could develop sportsmanship, integrity, endurance, and honesty”, Yap said.

Tag bags Safety Seal from DILG

Tagbilaran City bags the Safety Seal Certification from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in simple rites on July 8, 2021, according to a report from the City Media Bureau.

The Safety Seal Certification is a voluntary certification scheme that affirms that an establishment is compliant with the minimum public health standards set by the government and integrates its contact tracing system with staysafe.ph application.

 The City Government of Tagbilaran received its Safety Seal Certification from the DILG which was represented by its City Local Government Operations Officer (CLGOO) Regina Bastes, Chief of Police, Police Lt. Col. Mary Crystal Peralta, and Fire Chief Inspector Marlito Bayoro.

The City General Services Office; (CGSO)was also awarded the Safety Seal Certification last July 8, 2021 for its compliance with the health and safety protocol against Coronavirus disease (Covid).

Roel Sarmiento of the CGSO accepted the award from the Safety Seal Inspection and Certification Committee composed of the DILG, Philippine National Police (PNP), and Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) during the ceremonial awarding at the Tagbilaran City Hall Atrium.

City Mayor John Geesnell Yap II along with Bastes, City Legal Office representative Colleen Guantero, City PNP representative Police Lt. Joseph Mandal, and City Fire representative SF03 Vilma Lopena also gave the Safety Seal Certification to Island City Mall (ICM) represented by its General Manager Mario Cirujales. 

About 21 tenants from ICM also passed the inspection and earned the Safety Seal Certificate. It means the establishments given the Safety Seal Certificate have been found to be compliant with all health protocol as implemented by the City Government.

Mayor Yap encouraged all the business establishments in Tagbilaran to apply for the said safety seal.

“Customers will feel safe if your business place has the safety seal. It just goes to show that you are strictly enforcing the health protocols to mitigate the spread of the virus that causes Covid. The City Mayor’s Office would gladly assist our businesses in applying for the seal,” Mayor Yap reminded the public.

The awarding of Safety Seal Certification is part of the “Disiplina Muna” national campaign which was launched in the City of Manila two years ago. It was an initiative by the DILG as the chair of the Cabinet’s Participatory Governance Cluster (PGC), which seeks to rebuild the culture of discipline among Filipinos. 

The thrust is to “increase the consciousness among Filipinos of their critical role in sustainable and inclusive development and maintenance of peace and order as a shared responsibility.”

 In mid-August of 2020, the DILG and the Department of Health (DOH) conducted the physical national launch of the joint campaign called “Bida ang May Disiplina: Solusyon sa COVID-19” in Marikina City.

 The joint campaign merged the DILG-led Disiplina Muna campaign and the DOH-led BIda Ang May Disiplina Solusyon sa COVID-19. A month after the launching in Marikina City, the Department issued the DILG Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 2020-116 which provided guidelines to all local government units (LGU) and all the DILG attached agencies to refocus the Disiplina Muna campaign to address the COVID-19 pandemic through the “BIda ang May Disiplina: Solusyon sa COVID-19” campaign.

Subsequently, the DILG issued Memorandum Circular 2020-170 to inform all LGUs, DILG Regional and Field Offices, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao’s Ministry of Local Government on the designation of select local chief executives (LCE) as ambassadors of the “Bida ang May Disiplina: Solusyon sa COVID-19” campaign.

These ambassadors will then become the advocates of the campaign among their fellow LCEs in the regions and their constituents.