President Rodrigo Duterte is scheduled to visit Bohol on Friday in what will be his first trip to the province since the pandemic broke out early in 2020.
According to Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO) chief Anthony Damalerio, Duterte will lead the simultaneous inauguration of seven port development projects in the province.
The total costs of the projects, which started to be implemented in 2014, were estimated at P900 million.
Damalerio said Duterte will arrive at the Bohol Panglao International Airport in Panglao Island at an unspecified time.
The president will then be flown via a chopper from Panglao to the Tagbilaran City City Tourist Port for the simultaneous inauguration at 4 p.m.
“Discussion was the official visit will be held at the Maribojoc port but due to the recommendation of the Presidential Security Group and security matters, it is now transferred at Tagbilaran port, Damalerio said in an announcement before the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP).
Damalerio added that all top government officials of the province were invited to attend the event.
Those asked to join were Governor Art Yap, Vice Governor Rene Relampagos, Rep.Edgar Chatto, Rep. Aris Aumentado, Rep. Alexie Tutor, the 12 SP members and all 48 mayors.
All of those attending the event including security personnel from the Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine Coast Guard will be subjected to a mandatory RT-PCR testing.
“We have arranged two swabbing teams from the Provincial Health Office to take swabs tomorrow, once you are swabbed tomorrow all specimens will be run immediately by the PHO molecular laboratory in time for Friday’s activity,” said Damalerio.
Duterte was last scheduled to visit Bohol between February and March, 2020 supposedly to help boost the domestic tourism industry amid the coronavirus scare.
However, the plan which was arranged by the Department of Tourism did not push through after COVID-19 started to spread rapidly in the country prompting the government to impose its first lockdown in mid-March. (with a report from R. Tutas)