Local Bounty

This issue marks the return of one of my favorite sections – “Geographics.” When we first launched this magazine ten years ago, it was our intention to focus some attention on prospective business locations in the different regions of the Philippines. Since then, we have featured such locations as Cebu, Davao, General Santos City, Iloilo, Baguio, Subic Bay, Clark Air Base, and other locations. After pretty well running out of locations to cover, the “Geographics” section ceased to appear for a while.

Until now. We’ve decided to bring back the regional features to cover new areas and to revisit old ones. This time, we’ve decided to add a new twist and introduce some items about tourism destinations in the regions. Thus this issue features Bohol, an island in Central Visayas rich in heritage, tropical beauty, and business potential. Not incidentally, it is also a great travel destination (just think of Chocolate Hills, tarsiers, the Loboc River cruise, and diving).

Speaking of travel, regular readers may have noticed that we also increased our section on travel and renamed it “Lifestyle.” Apart from being thoroughly focused on business and the economy, we thought the magazine should also provide business readers with options for lifestyle, travel, and leisure. You’ll find plenty on Bohol in both the “Geographics” and “Lifestyle” sections in specially written articles by Jose Cortez and Teddy Montelibano. Cortez recently traveled to Bohol to assist in an MBC project to provide computers for high schools and ended up staying to sample the island’s hospitality with artist and photographer Louie Bañaga. Montelibano, a travel buff and certified gourmand, also wrote the feature article on chef Antonio “Tonyboy” Escalante and his new restaurant in the hills of Tagaytay.

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