China envoy to Phl visits Bohol

TAGBILARAN CITY, Philippines – Ambassador to the Philippines Ma Keqing of the People’s Republic of China (PROC) has visited Bohol, arriving in this capital city at noon last Saturday (Jan. 26).

Keqing, on an official visit here, intended to open up more partnership and friendship in this part of the country, according to her itinerary provided by Capitol officials.

The Chinese envoy, stayed at the posh Bellevue Resort in Panglao and expected to stay here for a few days more to savor Bohol’s kind of hospitality and tourism, said a Capitol source.

After disembarking from a Philippine Airlines plane, Keqing was welcomed at the airport by provincial administrator Alfonso Damalerio II, Provincial Board Member Benjie Arcamo, Capitol department heads and local and business sectors’ officials.

Keqing proceeded to the People’s Mansion where Gov. Edgar Chatto waited for her for the luncheon. She was welcomed at the mansion’s entrance by governor’s wife Pureza, and 1st district Rep. Rene Relampagos.

On Sunday, Keqing visited the provincial government-owned Bohol Biodiversity Center in Bilar town and planted an endemic tree seedling prepared by the provincial government, said a source of the Bohol Environment Management Office that manage the facility.

The relationship between China and Bohol is not new. The world-famed Chocolate Hills—located in Carmen, Sagbayan and Batuan in the hinterland part—is a member of the Association for the World Famous Mountains (AWFM).

The late governor and congressman Erico Aumentado signed an agreement of the AWFM when the 1st World Famous Mountains forum was held in Mount Lushan in Jiujiang City , Jiangxi province, China.

Lushan is a counterpart of the Chocolate Hills along with other country-members: Table Mountain of South Africa; Mount Gambier of Australia; Mount Hood of USA; Nature Park Eisenwurzen in Austria; Bergstasse Odenwald Global Geopark in Germany; Gaina Mountain and Covasna Mountain in Romania; Mount Tai of China; Kilimanjaro in Tanzania; and Araripe Geopark in Brazil. (FREEMAN)