Village Connect
Bohol’s tourism industry continues to gain momentum, bringing more travelers to its beaches, diving destinations and island communities. Alongside this growth, local stakeholders are strengthening another important part of the visitor experience—ensuring communities are prepared to respond when emergencies happen.
The province welcomed 1.43 million tourist arrivals in 2025, representing a 4.18 percent increase from the previous year, according to the Bohol Provincial Tourism Office. Panglao, one of Bohol’s busiest tourism centers, recorded more than 62,000 visitors during the 2025 Christmas long break alone.
As visitor numbers increase, preparedness becomes increasingly important, particularly in coastal areas where residents, tourism workers and travelers spend much of their time around the water.
Recognizing this need, Bell-Kenz Pharma brought its Sagip CPR advocacy to Panglao, providing local communities with practical knowledge that could help save lives during emergencies.
Held at the Panglao Cultural Center on September 21, the activity gathered fisherfolk, persons with disabilities, disaster risk reduction and management officers, barangay health workers, solo parents and other residents from Panglao and Dauis.
Participants received training in Hands-Only CPR and the proper use of an automated external defibrillator or AED. The program also incorporated drowning prevention based on the Drowning Chain of Survival.
The training emphasized essential actions such as preventing drowning, recognizing when someone is in distress, immediately calling for assistance, providing flotation, safely removing a person from the water and delivering appropriate care.
For Bohol, where tourism is closely connected to beaches, diving, boating and other water-based activities, strengthening emergency preparedness at the community level adds another layer of protection for both residents and visitors.
“Tourism and safety must go hand in hand,” said Patrick Larraga, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Head of Bell-Kenz Pharma. “Through Sagip CPR, we want to help communities become more prepared to respond when an emergency happens. When residents are equipped with life-saving knowledge, they become an important part of creating safer and more prepared destinations for everyone.”
Drowning remains a significant public-safety concern in the Philippines. Philippine Statistics Authority data recorded 955 deaths from accidental drowning and submersion in 2025, based on information processed as of September 30, 2025.
The figures reinforce the importance of extending emergency-response education beyond professional rescuers and healthcare personnel and into communities, especially those located near beaches and other bodies of water.
Bohol’s continuing tourism expansion makes such community involvement increasingly relevant. The Bohol-Panglao International Airport handled 2.22 million passengers in 2025, reflecting the significant volume of people traveling through the province.
While resorts, hotels, restaurants, transportation providers and tourism attractions remain essential to destination development, residents also play an important role in creating a tourism-ready community.
Through Sagip CPR, Bell-Kenz Pharma is helping place preparedness closer to the people who may be among the first to witness an emergency.
As Bohol welcomes more visitors, building communities equipped with basic life-saving skills can help ensure that tourism growth is accompanied by greater awareness, preparedness and responsibility—making the province not only an attractive destination, but also a safer one for everyone.
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