Chatto tells vice pres that Bohol has big dreams, & then launches DReAMS

Gov. Edgar Chatto told Sandugo’s climax Sunday celebration honored guest Vice Pres. Jejomar Binay that Bohol not just has bolder vision but big dreams.

Later, on Thursday, the governor launched together with the province’s project partners and stakeholders what is so fittingly coined the Realising DReAMS Project, a European Union-funded initiative.

The DReAMS will open the Bohol leaders, especially those in the level of the municipal local government units (LGUs), to new ideas, strategies and developments that enhance their service delivery capacities, Chatto said in its launching.

The DReAMS means Development of Resources and Access to Municipal Services. The project’s complete official name is Realising DReAMS for South and Southeast Asian Local Authorities.

DReAMS people led by their project manager, Dr. Nestor Petelos, facilitated the local kick-off activity for Bohol province.

A three-man team from Strung Teng, Cambodia, a DREAMS project partner, headed by Provincial Director for Planning Peou Duong participated in the kick-off activity at Bohol Plaza in Dauis.

Four days before it, Chatto told Binay in an interaction with the local leaders, including the mayors, at the People’s Mansion here, “The Province of Bohol has big dreams, Mr. Vice President.”

The country’s second highest official visited here on Sunday as the honored guest and important spectator of the streetdance showdown, Sandugo’s climax activity, at the CPG Sports Complex where he was joined, too, by the governor.

Binay, who met with Chatto, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan members and mayors at the People’s Mansion before the Sandugo mardi gras, assured the Bohol leaders to be their “representative” to the national government.

The vice president said he will not be a “spare tire” in the Aquino administration. He vowed to return to Bohol and sit with its leaders on housing concern. Binay has been appointed by Pres. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III to take charge of the national housing program.

Chatto and other local leaders expect the vice president to honor his words since as a former local chief executive himself, Binay is aware that the lack of shelter is one satellite of poverty.

In the DReAMS launching, working sessions were held on the latest features of the Poverty Database Monitoring System (PDMS).

It was further primarily projected to orient select officials of the five pilot towns----Maribojoc, Tubigon, Talibon, Jagna and Pilar----on the project; conduct preliminary activity on “ecobudget”; and agree on the province’s work plan for the adoption and execution of the DReAMS project.

The DREAMS test areas were chosen for their having shown vital indicators that can conclude that each has one of the DREAMS programs respectively implemented there even before the DREAMS had to be introduced to this province-part of the country.


Chatto, in his speeches even long before, has consistently been emphasizing that it is always for a dream that one can start with the big things.

He has been stressing that “happy are those who dream dreams, even big dreams, as long as we are willing to pay the prize to realize such dreams.” (Ven rebo Arigo)