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  PEP IN SoCCSKSarGen Dr. Troy Alexander G. Miano 08 June 2024 I yearned to travel around Region 12, famously labeled as SoCCSKSarGen, a unique acronym for the Provinces of South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and the City of General Santos (GenSan), for so long a time and I was given this great opportunity upon the invitation of my colleague, Department of Tourism (DOT) Regional Director for Region XII, Nelia R. Arina and our Secretary by being a participant in the 8th leg of the Philippine Experience Program (PEP), a national activity of the DOT and the Marcos Administration. My entry and starting point was the highly urbanized city of GenSan and I was billeted at the Greenleaf Hotel. The last time I was at the region was during the Tourism Marketing Seminar on Regional Branding initiated by the DOT, University of the Philippines – Asian Institute of Tourism (UP-AIT) and the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines held from December 4 to 6 in 2017 at the Eas...

  MIAMI & SEATRADE CRUISE GLOBAL 2024 Troy Alexander G. Miano 13 April 2024 It has been two decades since I last stepped on the land of Uncle Sam when I was sent by the Rotary International (RI) District 3770 to RI District 7620 in Maryland and Washington, D.C. as Ambassador of Goodwill and Understanding (Group Study Exchange - an international professional development program). This week, I went back as one of the representatives of the Department of Tourism (DOT) and of our country in the Seatrade Cruise Global 2024 at Miami Beach Convention Center, Miami, Florida spanning from April 8 to 11. It was a very long flight leaving Manila on April 6 Saturday, 12 high noon and arrived at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), United States (US) past 12 midnight same day Manila time (past 12 noon LA time). The domestic flight to Miami, Florida commenced before 4 in the afternoon and reached Miami International Airport at past 8 in the evening (8AM Manila time) still April 6 Satur...

I NAILED IT! ISABELA GOV JOHNSTON Troy Alexander Gozum Miano 16 January 2024 At long last, a few minutes ago, I was able to capture the profile of William Hartshorne Johnston Jr., the first governor of the Province of Isabela. The search took a quarter of a century. I started scribbling the background of the province in 1990, at the age of 16 while collecting data for the historical development of my beloved town Cabatuan. In the 1982 book, “Isabela” published by the Provincial Government of Isabela, “R. Johnson” was listed as the first governor of the province with no other data supporting the name. In 2001, I was able to draft my version of the history of the province during the centennial of the capture of General Emilio Aguinaldo. In 2006, I published the “Chronological History of Isabela” to commemorate the 150th founding anniversary of the province. I was able to research again the whole name of the American governor by browsing the pages of the minutes of session and reports ...

  DR. ATANASIO TOMACRUZ DAYRIT, JR., THE 6TH MAYOR OF CABATUAN Troy Alexander Gozum Miano 04 November 2023 In 2009, the then incumbent Mayor Jun Dayrit, called me at his residence and asked me to scribble his biography. On September 14 of the same year, I handed over the draft and he returned the sketch with minor corrections. This year, on his 89th birthday, I visited him in his abode and handed over a gift from our fellow brothers of the Knights of Columbus. He then asked me to deliver his biography when he leaves for the Great Beyond. I instantly left since I felt his favor is very morbid since he is still alive and kicking. The last Sunday before his demise, I visited him again but left teary eyed for I cannot stand staring at his frail face because I am used in seeing him jolly and active. I served twice as Sangguniang Bayan Member during his third and fifth term as mayor and another term under his son, Dr. Cid in 2010. Mayor Dayrit is our relative by affinity since the olde...

  BUGUEY - CRAB CAPITAL OF THE PHILIPPINES Dr. Troy Alexander G. Miano 27 October 2023 I was struck with awe when I witnessed a metric ton of crabs piled in one site during the Buguey 2nd Crab Festival 2023. I again looked around the festival grounds to make sure that I am in the Philippines. I experienced this scenario of seeing hundreds of crabs when I was in Baltimore City in Maryland, USA in 2004. I was sent in the United States as a member of the Group Study Exchange cum Ambassador of Goodwill and Understanding of the Rotary International and we got the rare chance of swooping the Chesapeake Bay area where the famous blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) are bred, propagated, preserved and served in restaurants. For a couple of days, I would order crabcakes with tartar sauce on every meal which later gave me dizziness and stomachaches. During my younger years, my paternal grandmother, Consorcia Tarrayo Ybañez would bring pasalubongs from Calbayog City, Samar to our apartment in ...

  PHILIPPINE EXPERIENCE - BICOL Dr. Troy Alexander G. Miano 10 October 2023 The Bicolandia is not new to me. In my younger years, I have been traversing this great peninsula on my way to my father’s hometown in Calbayog City, Samar. During those times, the Quirino Highway (also known as Rolando Andaya Highway, Camarines Sur-Quezon Road or N68) was not yet cemented and complete so I have to take the old route passing through the capital-town of Daet in Camarines Norte. The sceneries of the beautiful provinces of Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Albay and Sorsogon replaced my weariness during the long travel from Manila especially when the majestic Mayon Volcano reveals its splendor from the horizon until it fades away at the rear. All my Bicol trips were capped with a stop-over at the famous Cagsawa Ruins in Barangay Busay in Daraga, Albay where the perfect view of the Mayon can be seen. I also travelled to Bicol during my Senate years and DENR days. The Bicol region was known as...