NATURE
CHOCOLATE HILLS The famous tourist attraction in Bohol is located in barangay , town of Carmen, Bohol, 55 kilometers from Tagbilaran City. It has 1,268 nearly perfect cone-shaped hills which abound in Central Bohol while two of the hills have been developed. On top of one of the hills there is an observation deck with 213 concrete steps.
TARSIER Considered as the smallest primate in the whole world with big round eyes and the oldest living mammal, the tarsier can be found in the town of Corella, 10 km. from Tagbilaran City. It was believed that the Philippine archipelago had been a part of mainland Asia and is considered as one of the havens of rare floras and faunas. The tarsier measures from 4 to 5 inches with tail that is longer than its body.
HINAGDANAN CAVE Located at Dauis, 6 km. from Tagbilaran City, the Hinagdanan Cave has clean, fresh water gushing from its rocky sides, an eerie underworld of stalactites and stalagmites with a bathing pool underneath. This cave is about 2 1/2 km away from Poblacion, Dauis.
LOBOC RIVER Located 21 km. away from Tagbilaran City, a fascinating boat ride along the Loboc river . Motorized boat start the exciting boat ride from Loay bridge which is the outlet of Loboc River and cruise along palm-fringed banks inland and serene waters. The boat ride ends near the Tontonan falls providing a pleasant bathing session.
MAG-ASO FALLS Found in Antequera, 20 km. away from Tagbilaran City. About 25 feet tall with a verdant forest as fitting background for the placid waters, a very beautiful bathing resort with its cool cascading waters and scenic surroundings.
DIVING
The diving season in Bohol is year-round. Expect some monsoon rains between July and September. But it is generally too far south to be affected by the rainy season typhoons. This area of the Philippines offers a wide selection of the best undamaged coral reefs in the world, including both soft and hard coral formations.
PANGLAO ISLAND This site is located on the southwestern tip of Bohol directly opposite Tagbilaran City. The northern and western sections of this reef are noteworthy , with a reef platform that is relatively narrow and shallow (4.5 to 6 meters). The reef has an edge terminating in perpendicular submarine cliffs which plunge down to depths of 30 to 48 meters. The reef is thickly covered with hard and soft corals. Water is crystal clear with visiblity of up to 30 meters.
BEACHES
ALONA BEACH Located in barangay Tawala, Panglao, 20 km. away from Tagbilaran City; a beach covered with fine sands facing the Mindanao sea. One can take off from this beach to cross by pump-boat to Balicasag and Pamilacan islands whose surrounding waters are considered one of the best diving sites.
BOHOL BEACH CLUB Located in barangay Bolod, Panglao, 18 km. from Tagbilaran City, Bohol Beach Club offers 73 rooms, 40 of them set a short walk off the white beachfront by rows of splendid coconut trees; the remainder are just a few from playful waves. The club provides a 3.5 meter-long stretch of privacy from which to experience island life at its most idyllic. It is only 25 minutes ride from the city.
ANDA BEACH Located along the Poblacion of Anda, Bohol and covered with white sand, 101 km. away from Tagbilaran City.
DAPDAP BEACH One of the favorite beaches covered with white sand. This beach is visited by numbers of picnickers during holidays. It is one of the most popular resorts in the area and about 1.5 km. from the Poblacion of Anda.
BADIANG SPRING Located in the town of Valencia, 44 km. away from the city. The volume of water that gushes from twin pipes makes the place fascinating. People from neighboring towns come to this unique bathing place during weekends, the bathers choose from among the swimming pool, the waterfall and the beach, all situated in one place.
DIVE SITES
BALICASAG ISLAND Accessible by a 35-minute ride from the town of Panglao Island, Balicasag has been developed into a dive resort for people who have a keen sense of awareness for marine preservation. Whale watching expeditions can be organized from here.
PANTUDLAN, CABILAO ISLAND Accessible in an hour by pump boat from the mainland of Loon, this island is also one of the best underwater sites frequented by foreign tourists. Pantudlan is located at the tip and western part of Cabilao Island. The deep sea is only a few meters from its white sandy beach with a lighthouse and cottage. Beautiful colored fishes, coral rocks and seashells are abundant in the deep sea.
PAMILACAN ISLAND One of the country's richest scuba diving site, Pamilacan is noted for its huge whales and manta rays called sanga. It is between the deep sea of Bohol and Mindanao. Beautiful colored fishes are prized; Gloria Maris seashells also bound in its surrounding waters. Accessible in an hour's ride by pump-boat from Baclayon, a whale watching expedition can also be organized.
CULTURAL
BLOOD COMPACT SITE Located in Bool District, Tagbilaran City a marker which commemorates the spot the Datu Sikatuna, a native chieftain, forged a blood compact with Don Miguel Lopez Legazpi, representing the king of Spain for the purpose of fostering friendly relations between the two countries. The blood compact on March 16, 1565 is considered as the first Treaty of Friendship between the brown and white races.
BOHOL MUSEUM Located in Tagbilaran City, the Bohol Museum was once the home of former Pres. Carlos P. Garcia and his family, the fourth president of the Philippine Republic and the greatest statesman in Bohol was, is and will be. On display are the late President and his family's memorabilia, old relics plus a collection of shells found in Bohol shores.
BACLAYON MUSEUM Located inside the convent of Baclayon Church, this museum contains a rich collection of religious art, ecclesiastical vestments. librettos of church music in Latin printed on animal skins and other priceless relics and artifacts dating back to the early 16th century.
CLARIN ANCESTRAL HOUSE Located in the town of Loay, 18 km. away from the city the Clarin Ancestral House was built in 1840 and was declared by the National Historical Institute as heritage house. Foundation is made of coral stone; fabrics is indigenous material of wood; thatched nipa roofing; and vaulted receiving hall. The House is residence of the politically prominent Clarin family.
ERMITA RUINS HISTORICAL SITE Located in the town of Dimiao, 37 km. away from the city, the so-called Ermita Ruins are coralline limestone structures built parallel to the nave of the St. Nicholas Tolentino Parish Church in Dimiao. It is a secondary burial site and is one of only two of its kind in the Phil, the other being Paco Park. The National Museum conducted archaeological excavations in 1995 and 1998. It plans to declare the structures as a site museum.
BOHOL WATCHTOWER SYSTEM SOUTHERN BOHOL AREA: PANGLAO, DAUIS, LOAY, PUNTA CRUZ, PAMILACAN ISLAND, TAGBILARAN CATHEDRAL (BELL TOWER), BACLAYON (BELL TOWER), BALILIHAN
The watchtowers erected on southern Bohol area served as a crude network. Constructed either of mamposteria or sillares, they were mostly built by the Jesuit and Augustinian Recollect friars known in history as El Padre Capitan
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION PARISH CHURCH AND COMPLEX BACLAYON
Declared by the National Historical Institute (NHI) a national historical landmark in 1995. Definitely not the oldest stone church in the country, but the best preserved Jesuit-built church in the region. Christian community organized by the Jesuits on 17 November 1596 and thereafter a visit was erected; canonically raised to the status of a parish in 1717; present stone church completed in 1727. Casa parroquial built by the Augustinian recollects in 1872. Ecclesiastical museum established in 1969/70; now a branch of the Diocesan Museum of Tagbilaran museum system. Its narthex has the cuadro paintings of the historically acclaimed Filipino painter Liberato Gatchalian. Paintings were executed in 1859.
SAINT PETER THE APOSTLE PARISH CHURCH AND COMPLEX LOBOC
Declared by the NHI as a national historic landmark in December 1998. Established as a visita by the Jesuits on May 1597 and was used as Bohol residence of the Jesuits effective 1600. Presumably became a parish in 1602. In 1605, a boarding school for boys was established. The rectory is a three-story casa parroquial, the only one of its kind in the entire country. It is reputedly the fabric of the older church built after the 1638 fire and completed in 1670. The present coralstone church was constructed in 1734. Ecclesiastical museum established in May 1998 and now a branch of the Diocesan Museum of Tagbilaran museum system.
IDENTIFIED HERITAGE CHURCHES The Diocesan Commission for the Cultural Patrimony of the Church, Diocese of Tagbilaran, has identified the following churches as heritage structures: aside from Baclayon and Loboc, the list includes Loon, Maribojoc, Cortes, Balilihan, Tagbilaran Cathedral, Lila, Loay, Dauis, Panglao, Valencia, Alburquerque, Dimiao, Calape and Tubigon. Citeria presence of preserved, though deteriorating ceiling paintings executed by Ray Francia and Canuto Avila in the 1920; presence of pipe organ earmarked for full restoration e.g., Loay; architectural fabric is made of coral stones and constructed out of Filipino indigenous materials and style; uniqueness due to architectural style, e.g. Calape in the neo-Gothic revival style; presence of parquette flooring e.g., Valencia; baldaquin retablos of the neo-classical style e.g. Loon, Dauis, Valencia, Loay Filipino baroque retablos e.g. Maribojoc, Loon, Baclayon, Loboc.
SITIO UBOS HERITAGE ZONE TAGBILARAN CITY The National Historical Institute may declare the area a heritage zone depending on legislative measures for scientific conservation and provisions for enforcement. The zone will highlight the Rocha Houses, The Mendoza Houses, The Suarez House, The Beldia House and other such similar structures.
DIOCESAN MUSEUM OF TAGBILARAN Implemented for organization, institutionalization, and professionalism by decree of the First Diocesan Synod of Tagb. in 1997. The DMT is a museum system involving the ecclesiastical museums of Baclayon, Loboc, Maribojoc and Dimiao as its branches. Work is on-going.
BOHOL ARCHIVES, LOAY The Bohol Achieves consist of the archival materials from the municipalities and parishes in Bohol and are to be housed in the 3 archives buildings constructed of coral stone at Loay, Bohol, flanking the Most Holy Trinity Parish Church at present, it is owned by the Municipal Government of Loay under usufruct by the DECS-Bohol. NCCA has earmarked a P5M grant for its restoration. Work will commence within 4 months. When completed all archival documents of the Bohol municipalities will be housed in the so-called Bohol Provincial Archives, and all the archival documents of the parishes will be housed in the so-called Diocesan Historical Archives of Tagbilaran.
ECO-TOURISM
GETAFE (Handumon, Jandayan Island)Handumon is a village of Jandayan Island of the town of Getafe which is situated off north Bohol. It is a beautiful island surrounded in par by an unusual double barrier reef. The simple life and tranquil setting offers a refreshing escape from the mayhem of the city. On walks around the island you will come across clusters of native homes among the palm trees, colorful bancas drawn up on the shoreline in shady alcoves, local crops and fishponds; all this and the friendly attitude of the locals makes for a very special atmosphere. Whilst we hope to enlighten you about some of the island's pleasures, we don't want to disillusion you: this is a poor area and it may be beautiful but it does not have the white sand beaches, luxury living or service that resorts may offer. Your stay here will be integrated with local life and conservation (the extent is effectively up to you). There is no running water nor electricity and the accommodation is clean and basic, the food is delicious - also simple, almost exclusively seafood's and rice.
BANACON ISLAND Banacon Island of the town of Buenavista located north of the Bohol province. It has a total area of about 425 hectares, out of which only 15 hectares are the populated dry land and the rest are extensive mangrove/tidal flat areas. The area is popular because of its outstanding success in having established the biggest mangrove plantation in the country through community effort. Mangrove plantation development efforts of the islanders started in 1957.
Today, the most important commodities in Banacon Island are the mangrove plantation which is practically a monoculture of Rhizopora stylosa and the natural stock of blue crab (Potunus pelagicus) which the islanders attribute to their extensive mangrove plantation. Almost all households in the island have their own plantation as source of firewood and poles for the construction of their houses and fish catching devices. Some of the islanders are engaged in selling firewood, poles and Rhizopora stylosa propagules to neighboring islands and the main lands of Bohol and Cebu Provinces.
BUENAVISTA (BARANGAY CAMBUHAT) Activities at barangay Cambuhat include canoe sailing at Cambuhat river, visit community oyster farm along the river, trekking at Sitio Pandayan, buri products making demonstration tour, loom weaving of raffia, nipa thatches making, broom making, kinugay and natok making.
FESTIVALS
SANDUGO FESTIVAL The annual spectacular festival featuring an agro-industrial fair, cultural and historical shows, sports events, pageants, balls and dances, entertainment shows and street-dancing which culminates in the re-enactment of the blood compact or Sandugo of Datu Sikatuna and Don Miguel Lopez de Legazpi. Celebrated every March 16 of the year.
BOLIBONGKINGKING FESTIVAL A music and dance festivity depicting the history, folklore and traditions of the Lobocanons. Bolibongkingking is a term applied to the drums and gongs and their rhythm used to accompany the supplication dance ritual in front of the Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the second Patron of Loboc. The festival is celebrated by the Lobocanons every 23rd of May.
SUROY SA MUSIKERO This is revelry the Loboc town musicians cover daily the assigned areas to partake the food serve by the host and to play music to the tune of Kuradang, Dalaga sa Baybayon, etc. This is also the period that carolers render Christmas songs to the families of the host area. It is celebrated every December 25 to February 2 at the town of Loboc.
SAMBAT MASCARA Y REGATTA FESTIVAL Celebrated every 1st Saturday of December. The festival is celebrated in honor of Loay town's second Patron Saint, St. Francis Xavier. Colorful activities are lined up, like agro-industrial fair, group masked street dancing, drum bugle competition, boat racing along the river and many more. The event is highlighted by a fluvial parade of the Image along the river.
CRAFTS (ANTEQUERA) Basketry is one of the earliest industries to have been established in Bohol particularly in the town of Antequera. Weavers from this town who are mostly women make the smallest to the biggest basket. On Sundays, the town's market day, baskets coming from all over Antequera are brought to the town square that traders from Tagbilaran and Cebu await to ship these to exporters in Cebu and Manila.
TUBIGON Known as the loom weaving center of the province. The loom weavers are put together in a common service facility located in the Barangay of Pinayagan Norte. They utilize raffia fibers from buri leaves found in their locality and neighboring towns. The center is open everyday and all their products like raffia rolls, place mats, beach mats, and table runners with different designs and colors, are displayed for tourists and visitors to see and buy from.
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