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Bohol Guide and Information

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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 proverbial 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.

 


Borcay Island Guide and Information

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The first settlers of Boracay in Panay are called Negritos or Atis. Panay are then called "Land of the Atis" These Negritos are the indeginuous people of the Philippines and they farmed and fished in Boracay for centuries.


During the 1940s and 1950s, the Boracaynons or the people of boracay, depended largely on fishing and coconut plantation. Copra, the dried meat of coconut, was traded to businessmen from Aklan in exchange for rice and other goods and commodities.


During the 1960s and 1970s, Boracay became popular among families from Panay. When a German writer published a book about the Philippines in 1978, describing boracay history and the beautiful island in details, the island was introduced to the world. This mark the beginning of tourist "boom" with tourist.


Since then, The onset of tourism changed Boracay completely. As word of its exceptional beauty--specifically the immaculate white sands of White Beach spread, tourists began arriving. Suddenly, from a sleepy, sparsely populated island, Boracay was transformed into a major destination on the international travel circuit. Whether the change was for the better or worse is an open question, but it was certainly a turning point in the history of Boracay Island.

 


Cebu Guide and Information

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Originally, Cebu was called Sugbo. Cebuanos lived in stilt houses made of bamboo, wood and nipa. Men were extensively tattooed and women were lavishly ornamented with gold jewelries, silks and lip color.


Prior to Spanish colonization, the city was the center of trade in the south, where Chinese ships arrived with silks and porcelains which they exchanged for honey, gold, wood and spices from Mollucas. Unreasonable trade restrictions of the colonizing Spanish caused the rapid decline of Cebu as a trading port. However, in 19th century, restrictions were lifted and brought back the commercial life of the city.


The Spanish troops headed by Ferdinand Magellan arrived Cebu in 1521 with a friendly reception from the island villagers. He made friends with Rajah Humabon and converted most of the locals to Christians including the leader's family. But when Magellan reached the narrow strait to Mactan Island, the reception was not similar. He encountered a negative response and had a hard time entering the area. Lapu Lapu, the chief, resisted his entry and fought against the Spanish troops leaving Magellan lifeless on the ground. Cebu's invasion was delayed until Legazpi and Fray Andres de Urdaneta arrived in 1566.


The historic Fort San Pedro has served many purposes to the Cebuanos. It was constructed in 1565 upon the arrival of Legazpi on the ship San Pedro but remained unfinished until 1738. Originally intended to protect the island from Muslim raiders, the port also served as the barracks and defense post of the US army during the American occupation; a prison camp during the 3 year Japanese invasion; the city zoo; and now a small park. For many centuries, renovations have removed the waterfront lying few blocks from the Fort.

 


Palawan Guide and Information

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One thousand years ago, Chinese traders named the island Pa Lao Yu, or land of beautiful safe harbor because of its many safe places to land their ships.


This is where the relics of earliest settlers were found and have been unearthed and dated 22,000 years ago while its human habitation evidently proved about 50,000 years old.


Some of the tribes known to inhabit the islands such as Batak, Palawan and Tagbanuas may be descendants of the early settlers, who came via ice-age land bridges and of later migrants who came on boats. They were followed in the 13th century by the Indonesians of Madjapahit Empire.


During the arrival of the Spanish, Palawan was ruled by Borneo from Jolo. The Spanish first took over the northern part of the island and worked south from Cuyo and Taytay. The Spanish invaded Palawan in 18th century forcing the Sultan of Borneo to give up its full autonomy. From Taytay, the capital was moved to Puerto Princesa.


Nowadays, Palawan is an island of mixed tribes, who have been pushed to the interior, and of Muslim, Visayan and Tagalog settlers along the borders.

 


Puerto Galera Guide and Information

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Much like the province of Oriental Mindoro to which it belongs, Puerto Galera is very rich in history. Literally meaning "Port of Galleons," it became popular among seafarers during the prosperous years of the galleon trade beginning on the 10th century. Owing to its excellent natural harbor - which until now is considered one of the most beautiful and safest in the world - Puerto Galera became a regular stopover for merchant vessels sailing along the important trade routes of the Near East, Indian coast, Indo-Chinese coast, China, Philippines, Sumatra, and Java.


The Muelle Bay area, in particular, was used extensively for dock repairs and as a safe anchorage for all types of sailing vessels. Here, too, a lot of merchant ships docked to trade with the natives.


Location of Puerto Galera in Philippines


Puerto Galera was such important port that some historians even believe the name "Mindoro" was derived from Minolo, one of Puerto Galera's old settlements. These are claims, too, that 16th century references to Mindoro often only meant the harbor of Minolo. Also spelled Minoro, Minolo was a small coastal settlement northwest of the Poblacion of present-day Puerto Galera. then the center of trading, Chinese merchants bartered with natives of Minolo, exhanging glazed porcelains for gold, jade, corals, shells, birds, rattan, and other forest products that were abundant in the island. An excavation of an ancient gravesite near Minolo lends proof to this - the antiques unearthed from the gravesites were traced back to the 10th and 15th centuries, mostly from China, Thailand, and Vietnam.


By the 17th century, under its Spanish colonizers, the island of Mindoro was organized into a coregimiento, with Puerto Galera as the capital. The seat of government remained here throughout the Spanish and American rules, up until 1903.


After more than two centuries, the capital of the province was transferred to Calapan (now a city and the present capital of Oriental Mindoro), which was geograpically blessed with wide agricultural lands. Puerto Galera was then annexed to Calapan as a barrio. Finally, on December 7, 1927, the Philippine Congress passed Act 3415 creating the independent municipality of Puerto Galera.


Epigraphs referring to two historical landmarks have now become major tourist attractions in Puerto Galera - the commemoration Cross for Cañonero Mariveles and the Black Rice display-board, both in Muelle Pier.


When Puerto Galera was made capital of Mindoro, it was originally located in Barrio Lagundian. But the frequency of the Moro attacks forced the Spaniards not only to transfer the seat government to its present site, but also to build watchtowers and station battleship that guarded the waters of Puerto Galera was the Cañonero Mariveles, which sunk due to a violent storm in 1879. To remember the battleships, a wooden corss was built at Muelle Pier with the following inscription: "Ultima tierra que pesarou los tripolantes del cañoneros Marivelles el 18 de Noviembre de 1879." One of the greatest relics of the past century, this Cross was renovated in 1938 by a Spaniard named Luis Gomez y Sotto.


Aside form introducing tools to increase farm productivity, the Spaniards also built a rice granary in Puerto Galera to stash grains ready for shipment. This storage is believed to have caught fire in the late of 18th century, and a huge volume of palay (rice grains) were burned and tossed into the sea. It would decompose and eventually vanish. But for some magical reason, the burned rice grains were preserved by seawaters. to this day, handful of whole charcoal-black rice grains continue to appear on the banks of Muelle Bay, mysteriously carried by the waves with the changing of tides. A huge glasscase collecting them now stands along the tricyle terminal on Muelle Pier. Tricycles are pretty much like Philippine verions of car hire ireland. Often called motor-taxis, tricycles are motorcycles that have attached sidecars or passenger cabins. These vehicles can be seen in different forms and length and are often used in areas where buses and jeepneys rarely operate.


 

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