OUR BEAUTIFUL PLACE
“BOHOL”
Sometimes the best experiences in traveling are the
unexpected finds. And so it is with Bohol, that island province that is
nestled in the heart of Central Visayas and is aptly called "God's Little
Paradise" by those who are caught off-guard by its mystery and
charm.
Located southeast of
Cebu and southwest of Leyte, Bohol is comprised of 47 towns and its
capital, Tagbilaran City. Oval in shape like the provencial ubing
kinampay or purple yam, its total land area is 411,726 hectares
including 73 other islands and islets.
Upon hearing about
Bohol, most people would surmise it to be a typical uncolorful province with
only the world-famous Chocolate Hills as its attraction. But the
marvelous 1,001 nature-perfected conic hills aren't all there is. Blessed
with Mother Nature's bounty, Bohol has numerous natural attractions that will
captivate a person, hold him in breathless admiration and beckon him to keep
coming back for more.
Bohol's beauty lies in
its unpolluted waters and shorelines of white sand beaches. Lovers of
scuba diving can explore the depths of Bohol's waters which are rated among the
best diving havens in the world and famous not only for its richness in marine
life and corals but also for its being the home of the world's rarest
shells such as the Gloria Maris and the Golden Cowry.
Bohol is also the home
of the tarsier, the big-eyed insect insect-eating primate whose size is smaller
than one's fist. Scientists regard the tarsier as the oldest mammal now
inhabiting the earth.
Other added
attractions are waterfalls amidst verdant forests, caves with stalagmites and
stalactites, natural parks, exotic wildlife, centuries old churches, and many
historical landmarks. Delicacies too, which are truly Boholano like the
sticky concoction in a coconut shell called calamay, mouth-watering
peanut kisses, hojaldres, kinatloan and many
more.
Bohol has a rich
historical and cultural heritage. History tells us that the first
international peace treaty, otherwise known as the "Blood Compact"
between Sikatuna and Legazpi, was made on the island.
Boholanos are said to
be valiant in character as accounted for by the Tamblot and Dagohoy rebellions.
At the same time they are peaceful, self-reliant and deeply religious. But the
peace-loving Boholanos are not docile, weak or submissive people when their
rights are trampled or provoked.
Determined to go with
the national trend towards progress, the province has now joined the
bandwagon of urban and countryside development. Industries have sprouted along
continuous improvement of infrastructure and other physical resources. Like her
booming neighbor Cebu, Tagbilaran is already fast becoming highly
commercialized with increased trading activities. And with the recent
declaration of Panglao Island as the first tourism estate in the country,
investors keep pouring in.
It's only a matter of
time, given the necessary impetus for economic development, that progress for Bohol
will finally be achieved. And this dream is not far behind considering the
resiliency and industry of the Boholano people.
Come to Bohol and taste a different kind of experience as
its surprises unfold to pleasure and thrill.
BOHOL’S BEAUTIFUL SPOTS
Sandugo Shrine (One Blood), Bohol, Philippines
Tagbilaran City is a 2nd class city in the province of Bohol, Philippines. It is the capital and a component city of the island of Bohol. It is situated some 630 kilometers southeast of Manila and 72 kilometers south of Cebu City. Tagbilaran lies on the southwestern part of the province, and has a total land area of 32.7 km², including about 13 km. of coastline. The town of Cortes is situated to the north of the city, the town of Corella is on its northeast side, while the town of Baclayon is on its eastern side.
It is the principal gateway to the island province of Bohol and is known as the "City of Peace and Friendship". It is one of the eight Philippine Dream Cities along with the Island Garden City of Samal, San Fernando, La Union, Cebu City, Iloilo City, Marikina, Naga, Calbayog City and Surigao City.
There are 15 barangays comprising Tagbilaran, with an population of 92,297 for the year 2007 census, with an annual growth rate of 3.6%. However, 41% of the entire population reside in the 4 urban districts where trade and commerce are concentrated.
LOBOC RIVER CRUISE
Loboc is known for its floating restaurants along the scenic and winding Loboc River. Tourists also come to see the tarsier, a small nocturnal animal with large eyes. It is one of the world's smallest primates. Unfortunately, the tarsiers here are kept in an inadequate cage, and better be observed in the Tarsier Sanctuary in Corella.
Portions of the St. Peter Parish Church Complex (specifically parts of what is now the Convento or Priests' Residence) are thought to be the oldest standing ecclesiastical structures in Bohol Province. The Loboc Children's Choir has won numerous competitions both local and international, most notably festival competition in Barcelona, Spain, entitled "Europe and its Songs", on September 17–21, 2003.
THE PHILIPPINE TARSIER (Tarsius syrichta) is very peculiar small animal. In fact it is one of the smallest known primates, no larger than a adult men's hand. Mostly active at night, it lives on a diet of insects. Folk traditions sometimes has it that tarsiers eat charcoal, but actually they retrieve the insects from (sometimes burned) wood. It can be found in the islands of Samar, Leyte, Bohol, and Mindanao in the Philippines.
If no action is taken, the tarsier might not survive. Although it is a protected species, and the practice of catching them and then selling them as stuffed tarsiers to tourists has stopped, the species is still threatened by the destruction of his natural forest habitat. Many years of both legal and illegal logging and slash-and-burn agriculture have greatly reduced these forests, and reduced the tarsier population to a dangerously small size. If no action is taken now, the Philippine tarsier can soon be added to the list of extinct species.
The Bohol Man-Made is a mahogany forest stretching in a 2km stretch of densely planted with Mahogany trees located in the border of Loboc and Bilar towns. Before and after you reach the man-made forest there are also naturally grown forests of Loboc and Bilar which has a thick kaleidoscope of green foliage, different kinds of trees and giant ferns lining the road.
The man-made forest stands out because of the uniformity in height of the big trees, the spread of its branches, thickness and design of leaves. Seedlings abound around the older trees. Trunks, some thick and others just a few months old, grow resplendently straight up towards the sky which is obscured by the branches and the thick leaves.
The Chocolate Hills are probably Bohol's most famous tourist attraction. They look like giant mole hills, or as some say, women's breasts, and remind us of the hills in a small child's drawing. Most people who first see pictures of this landscape can hardly believe that these hills are not a man-made artifact. However, this idea is quickly abandoned, as the effort would surely surpass the construction of the pyramids in Egypt. The chocolate hills consist of are no less than 1268 hills (some claim this to be the exact number). They are very uniform in shape and mostly between 30 and 50 meters high. They are covered with grass, which, at the end of the dry season, turns chocolate brown. From this color, the hills derive their name. At other times, the hills are green, and the association may be a bit difficult to make.
Legend has it that the hills came into existence when two giants threw stones and sand at each other in a fight that lasted for days. When they were finally exhausted, they made friends and left the island, but left behind the mess they made. For the more romantically inclined is the tale of Arogo, a young and very strong giant who fell in love with an ordinary mortal girl called Aloya. After she died, the giant Arogo cried bitterly. His tears then turned into hills, as a lasting proof of his grief.
However, up to this day, even geologists have not reached consensus on how they where formed. The most commonly accept theory is that they are the weathered formations of a kind of marine limestone on top of a impermeable layer of clay. If you climb the 214 steps to the top of the observation hill near the complex, you can read this explanation on a bronze plaque.
Bohol's newest tourism boom is Sagbayan Peak. This five-hectare mountaintop resort and recreation center offers massive, spectacular viewing for nature lovers. Its viewing deck offers a 360-degree perspective of the Chocolate Hills plus the blue sea that separates Bohol and Cebu. The high-powered telescopes on the view deck are a treat. With a 10-peso coin, you can have a view of Cebu City from across the sea for a minute or two. There's a playground in the middle of a grassy field, while a flea market at a side offered native products and delicacies. Caf' Baudillo is an imposing structure on Sagbayan Peak, with its spacious veranda and congenial ambience. As of March 20, 2005 the management has added attraction to the influx of both local and foreign tourists by bringing the life-size giant dinosaur known as T-rex. It is 19 feet in length and 10 feet in height and is properly situated at the old parking lot near the stairs leading to the pavilion area. Myrna Torrefranca is the operations manager and wife of Mayor Jimmy Torrefranca. They purchased the T-rex all the way from Pampanga by Manila-based business couple Allan and Delia Torrefranca only to give additional attraction to the site even with the existence of another cartoon character like Duffy Duck, Bugs Bunny, Lola, Marilyn Monroe, Donald Duck, Pizza Man, Snow White and 7 Dwarfs, Lion King, Tiger and other dinosaurs. Sagbayan before, was known as an ambush area. Since Jimmy Torrefrance became chief executive, here the Torrefranca family worked hard if only to change the image of the town into a tourist destination until the Sagbayan Peak was born.
BADIANG SPRING RESORT
Badiang Spring is a nicely developed destination resort located in Valencia Bohol around 41-42 kilometers away from Tagbilaran City. Badiang Spring Resort offers its visitors the option to plunge either into the beautifully landscaped area swimming pool complete with tables and cottages or in the open sea water located few feet below. Two water pipes releasing huge volumes of water creating waterfall effects attracts visitors to check out this well-developed resort.
MAG ASO FALLS
The Mag-aso Falls is one of Bohol’s natural treasures. With a height of 25 feet, the twin falls is picturesque against a backdrop of tall trees, wild plants including giant ferns, and deep ravines. Once on the site, while bathing and surrounded by the natural landscape, one feels immersed in a middle of a jungle with the sound of the interminable chirping of the birds and the rush of flowing waters playing music to your ears.
Carved out under the cascading waters is a pool, naturally deep under the falls and shallower at the rim with a deep ravine at one side and the other side a bit developed with concrete steps and shelters.
Though the concrete steps may be disappointing to some nature seekers, it was deemed necessary for those who do not have the energy and capacity to traverse slippery trails. The shelters would have been more apt if they were made with thatched roofing and wood materials to go with the surroundings. Yet the cement seats and tables are convenient enough.
PANGLAO ISLAND WHITE SAND BEACHES
Panglao is an island in the Philippines located in the Central Visayas, with an area of 80.5 sq. kilometers. Politically, it is divided into two municipalities: Dauis and Panglao, part of Bohol Province. Panglao is located southwest of the island of Bohol and east of Cebu. It is a popular tourist destination in the Philippines and includes several small islands like Gak-ang, Pontod, and Balicasag. In 2010 Panglao Island counted a total population of 68,051 people.
Panglao was known to Chinese, Malay, Siamese and Indonesian traders. In 1803, Spanish explorers came to the shores of Panglao in search of fresh water. At the time a couple of natives on the seashore were making fishing devices called "panggaw". One of the Spaniards asked what the name of the island was. The natives--who thought the visitors were asking what they were making--then replied "panggaw". Hence, from that term, was derived the name Panglao.
Panglao has a terrain that range from plain, hilly to mountainous. Panglao is made of Maribojoc Limestone, the youngest of the limestone units found in the western area of Bohol. The limestone composition halted the development of an airport as coralline limestone is soluble which causes formation of caves and sinkholes. One interesting geological feature found in the island is the Hinagdanan Cave which has an underground water source. The cave is an important water source as the island has no rivers or lakes.
BAYONGAN DAM OF SAN MIGUEL
The Bayongan Dam is a reservoir-type dam located at the heart of the municipality of San Miguel in Bohol,Philippines. The dam was built to augment the existing water supply for the farmlands of the municipalities ofSan Miguel, Ubay and Trinidad which has more or less 3,605 farmers tilling over 5,300 hectares of land. Hopefully, through the dam, the farmer’s living standards will be uplifted and the economic growth in the 2nd District of Bohol will be enhanced.
Construction of the dam went under so much controversy over its funding yet now that it is standing and complete, it has become a favorite hideaway of picnickers from the local vicinity and neighboring towns.The Bayongan Dam is often a chosen destination during outings or group tours.
Desired water elevation for the dam is 52 meters with an estimated impounded water volume of 34.6-million cubic meters. This elevation was reached during the past rainy season; however, at the time of our visit, the water level was way below the chute where excess water was to flow out. This may be due to the dry spell that the area is experiencing.
PUNTA CRUZ WATCH TOWER
In Maribojoc, some 14 km west of Tagbilaran City, a curious triangular watch tower oversees the seas South of Bohol. From its windows at the top, you can see Cebu, Siquijor, and Mindanao. The Spanish had it build in 1796 as a look-out post against pirates and Muslim marauders, who at that time where a plague to the people of Bohol.
Today the Punta Cruz watch tower still provides an excellent view. The site now offers a small stall for buying drinks and snacks and makes a good spot for a picnic and a swim -- although you'll have to watch out when you climb on the very sharp rocks.
Getting there. Catch a bus at the Tagbilaran Integrated Bus Terminal in Dao. Most buses going in to Tubigon will pass along Punta Cruz. Ask the driver to drop you off at Punta Cruz, and walk down for about 500 meters to the watch tower.
To put it simply, if you can only visit one place in the Philippines then better make it to Bohol. It has everything the rest of the tropical country can offer: beautiful, fine, white-sand beaches, indigenous flora and fauna, wonders of nature you can only find in this great island. Be dazzled and captivated by Bohol, truly a jewel of the Philippine archipelago.
GOD BLESS BOHOL
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