What could be considered a long lasting legacy of Mayor Leon Calipusan for Loboc is turning the once sleepy town into a tourism hub.

But this does not stop his desire to achieve some more as the three-term mayor now ventures into offering free college education to young deserving Boholanos.

Very soon, Loboc will be recognized as a cradle of higher learning and not just a town that prides of its success in the highly competitive tourism business by cashing in on the scenic Loboc River.

Mayor Calipusan may well be credited for the innovations that propelled a fifth-class municipality into one of the major iteneraries for tourists that come to the Philippines.

This time, giving premium to quality education, Calipusan has ventured into establishing a multi-million pesos college campus, complete with modern facilities. The school building situated in Barangay Gotozon is nearing completion and will cater to the needs of free college education to talented and deserving students.

In an interview, Mayor Calipusan disclosed that the campus within a four-hectare lot will initially have 10-classrooms that will be completed early October this year.

The institution of higher learning will be known as Loboc Learning College for Excellence (LLCE) that will primarily offer courses in tourism and education.

Calipusan, himself a self-made man, added that the project was first conceptualized to help enhance the talents and potentials of his constituencies in Loboc which are internationally known for their adroitness in music.

More than 180 students, mostly members of the Youth Ambassador Band and Loboc Children’s Choir are now enrolled in different colleges in Bohol availing the local scholarship program instituted during the mayor’s term.

However, Calipusan realized that free education as a tool of molding morally-oriented leaders should not only be confined to musicians and to Lobocanons, but to every deserving Boholano youth endowed with leadership potentials – the soon to be advocates of good governance.

It is expected that free college education program will be made operational come June in school year 2013-2014.

The Loboc town mayor added that the development thrust of his town is a never ending vision after having been inspired by “landmark” projects like the Loboc River Tourism Complex which includes the well appointed docking port of the floating restaurants and the recently opened Loboc Eco Adventure Park.

The adventure park which has its own zipline and a cable car cost the Loboc municipal government P14-million. Also situated at the site is the recently completed restaurant and a view deck which formally opened last May. The park is generating an average gross income of P600,000 per month which is expected to increase in its full operation.

The docking port which was the first gigantic project of Mayor Calipusan’s administration is now generating a monthly gross income of P3.5 million.

The town takes pride to be the highest paying LGU for casual employees who get a daily wage of P230 per day, even higher than what the Tagbilaran LGU is paying. Likewise, LGU-paid workers are manning the tourism sites benefitting more local residents.