A Warm Welcome

  We have good news!  We all got to Bohol safely and ready to make a difference here.  We were completely overwhelmed with the most amazing rock star arrival ceremony.  The mayor of Tagbilaran, Dan Lim had organized a welcome team of about 100 adults and children with banners, a band playing and with just about every kind of handmade necklaces you can imagine.  For some of us on our first mission, you can imagine how it gave us the sense of security we needed and the love the community has for this mission as we get started.

Here’s a little more information about Bohol.  Bohol is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, consisting of Bohol Island and 75 minor surrounding islands.  You can see many of  the smaller islands from the plane on our final approach.  Its capital is Tagbilaran City  - where we’ll be stationed.  With a land area is about  1,500 square miles with a coastline 162 miles long, Bohol is the tenth largest island of the Philippines.  Bohol is a popular tourist destination with many beach resorts.  The Chocolate Hills, numerous mounds of limestone formation, is the most popular attraction. The island of Panglao, located just southwest of Tagbilaran City, is famous for diving and is often listed as one of the top ten diving spots in the world.  We are hoping to be able to spend a little time in the water towards the end of the week.
Here are some other interesting facts about Bohol:

• The population of Bohol is 1.3 million.
• They have a high literacy rate – 93%.  They say it’s primarily because most of the children attend Catholic schools.
• The poverty incidence rate here is about 40%, higher than the national average.  The average family annual income is P57,000 (pesos -- approx. $1,200 USD)
• The average size of a household is 5.41, also higher than the national average.
• Temp right now – high’s in the low 90s, lows in high 70s – and humid, 66%
• Limestone tops their list of exported commodities, followed by rice, bananas, mangoes and cattle.

Last night’s welcome reception was spent on board a large covered river raft.  We were served traditional Filipino foods as we floated down Loboc River.  That was just the beginning.  After we finished dinner, we stopped at one of the “ports” on the side of the river and about 50 kids entertained us.  They danced, they played instruments and they sang songs -- with perfection.  Many of our mission team members took part in the performances. After we docked the raft, they took us to a local performance center, called the Bohol Children’s Palace.  A 45-piece middle school brass and rhythm band, the Youth Ambassadors, performed some great American classics for us and and their families.  It’s hard to describe this experience.  It was tough for all of us to hold back the tears seeing the enthusiasm these kids had wanting to play for us. It’s 9:00 am and we’re about to leave for Governor Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital, Ramiro Community Hospital and Tagbilaran City Health Clinic. 

Today is going to be spent meeting with all the patients and their families and also setting up the operating rooms and clinics.  Recently, we found out that we qualified for a grant from an organization called The Smile Train.  Smile Train is an organization that provides funding for cleft lip & palate surgeries all over the world.  In order to receive the grant, it requires a great deal of documentation.  We’ll be doing that today as well.