THE BOHOL Lady Lion’s Club owes its conception and eventual birthing to the Bohol Island Lion’s Club, the all-male club founded some twenty-five years ago in Tagbilaran City. Credit goes to the Bohol Island Lion’s Club for sponsoring the all-female Bohol Lady Lion’s Club founded on February 19, 2019.
Since its founding, the club has undertaken activities that cater to the needs of the community particularly those affected by disasters. Immediately following super typhoon Odette which hit Bohol on December 16, 2021, the club implemented relief missions in devastated communities in Batuan, two times in Tubigon, Calape, Ubay, and Talibon. The club brought foodstuff and used clothing to affected residents.
In March, the club held a medical mission with Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS) medical consult at Poblacion 3 covered court, Tagbilaran City serving eighty residents while in April 2022, the lady lions organized and implemented a tree-planting activity in Barangay Lourdes, Cortes, Bohol where eighty fruit-bearing trees were planted in an undeveloped property.
Moving forward, in May 2022, the club held two activities: an FBS medical consult and lecture on cervical cancer and menopause at Purok 2, K of C, Gallares St., Tagbilaran, and a relief mission in Pamilacan Island, Baclayon, Bohol where one hundred island residents received foodstuff and used clothing donated by Lion friends from the USA.
Just recently, on June 23, 2022, to celebrate the birthdays of Pres. Juvy Lim and Lion Zen Lim, the club sponsored a “Vision Screening Project” benefiting fifty kids of Purok 4, Barangay Taloto. The project used the Snellen Chart to check the kids’ vision, and thereafter, a pack of goodies was given to each child.
The 2022-2023 officers of the club include: President Juvy Lim; 1st Vice President Caroline Rubillar; 2nd Vice President Maria Flores “Mitchum” Vaño-Adiong; Secretary Angeline Qualvar; Treasurer Pamela Anne Gallardo; Membership Chairperson Reina Estrosos; Service Chairperson Milagros “Mila” Calope Galvan – my beauteous aunt; Marketing and Communications Chairperson Zeneline Lim; Director/Adviser Marivic Nazareno; and Immediate Past President/Lions Clubs International Foundation Coordinator Rachelle Sombrio.
For those interested to join the club, please contact Lion Zeneline Lim via https://web.facebook.com/Bohol-Lady-Lions-Club-District-301-B2.
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Old Soul
Over the years that I drove to Balilihan – the birthplace of my mother, I had always wanted to drop by the Cortes church and check its interior. I’ve never done it though and it’s probably because it’s part of the route going to Balilihan. Translation: because I always passed by the church, it was passed up! Isn’t that unfortunate!
However, finally Monday afternoon this week, together with elementary classmate and friend Dolores “Lulu” Manlupig, I finally explored the area. The church’s doors were close, but we had fun exploring the environs and taking good photographs. Photographs and memories, don’t we all crave that! Some other time for the interiors then.
Without any doubt, it’s my old soul finding connection with another historic structure. The structure was built in 1892. Imagine that! Bohol is really a museum of a province! It’s a gem to be born here. Filipinos living outside Bohol need to come over to appreciate the province’s history and the famed historical structures while Boholanos residing in the island live with these treasures every single day of their lives!
I never tire of visiting old churches. I am fascinated by its history, architecture, and soul. Soulful is my family name, you know my first name.
While in Bohol, I also got to visit Plaza De Jagna which is looking crisp and clean, and more importantly, comfortable for residents, and even for visitors like me since many benches are spread throughout the plaza edges. I also peeked at the Jagna church and once again, was amazed by its interior. The church marker said it was built by the Jesuits in 1631; survived the burning of Jagna town by American forces in 1901; church building was renovated in 1968; and struck by the February 8, 1990 earthquake. How’s that for history!
I was looking for the old convent of Colegio de la Medalla Milagrosa whose supervision then was under my mother because I had memories sleeping there with my sister Charmaine, and even sat as judge in the school’s beauty pageant competition way back in 1990 while I worked for National Power Corporation-Visayas Regional Center in Cebu City. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find it anymore. Perhaps it gave way to the new structure, or I got lost somewhere, haha!
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By July, I will provide two sets of training activity for Department of Social Welfare and Development XII. One is for public speaking, another one for feature writing. Kudos goes to these millennials for organizing these professional skills upgrade opportunities: Jerry Dumdum, Drey Amarante-Soliva, and Patrick Villas. There’s nothing like a good training for professional growth and development.
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Writer can be reached at belindabelsales@gmail.com. Twitter @ShilohRuthie./PN
