Bohol On My Mind

Discover Bohol video promotion

noreply@blogger.com (Pinoyborian) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 22:42:00 +0000

Bohol beaches

noreply@blogger.com (Pinoyborian) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 17:19:00 +0000

Beach in Pamilacan island in Baclayon, Bohol (Source: tommyschultz.com)

Beautiful beaches are among Bohol’s major tourism assets.

I found this blog, Philippines Beaches on the internet. It features some of the best and premiere beaches and resorts in the Philippines.

As you guessed it right, it features a long list (and no doubt an incomplete one) of Bohol’s best and premiere beaches and resorts and invites you to explore them.

Go on visit Philippines Beaches and enjoy reading.

Stories from Dr Jose Rizal's errand boy (Part 2)

noreply@blogger.com (Pinoyborian) — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 05:12:00 +0000

Part 1 Part 2

Sundry Chronicle
by Jes B Tirol

Proem

Here is the second of the two stories left behind in Antequera, Bohol by Alonso Rodriguez, who was the errand boy of Dr. Jose Rizal.

This story is found on page 20 of the Antequera, Bohol Centennial publication published in 1976. This article has no author. Therefore we can attribute it to the Editorial Board headed by Mr. Exuperio Barrera.

2nd Story

“Dr. Jose Rizal was a great teacher. In Dapitan, he had twelve students of various ages. He did not use any classroom. My master would transfer from one place to another in the open field to impart knowledge to his students.”

“One day while my master was teaching under a coconut grove, he said, ‘Our lesson now is geography.’ ‘Who would like to see London?’, my master asked his class. Several hands were raised in the air. He pointed to one student and summoned him. ‘Alright boy’, he said. ‘You climb that tall coconut tree.’ The boy obediently followed the instruction of his teacher. When he reached the top of the tree, he wondered what he would do next. ‘Look to your right’, Rizal shouted to the boy. The boy complied and began to exclaim in amazement: ‘I see big and tall buildings! There are also wide and beautiful streets! There is that tower with a big clock!’ The boy was busy with his right hand pointing to the objects he saw far away. ‘That is London’, Rizal said, and he told the boy to get down. When the student rejoined the group, his classmates gathered around him to inquire for more on what he saw while he was up there on the tree.”

“My master proceeded with the lesson. He sent up the tree one boy after another to see Paris, Rome and Berlin. The experience was the same. The observer would always exclaim as he saw the objects which actually existed in the city named by their teacher. With such extraordinary method of teaching, the students enjoyed and learned fast.”

This 2nd story of Alonso Rodriguez was said to be published in “Graphic” national weekly magazine in 1935.

Can You Explain It?

It is possible that as a medical student in Europe, Dr. Rizal also dabbled in mesmerism or the present day hypnotism. Therefore it was possible that Dr. Rizal “hypnotized” the boys in order that they can see what their teacher wanted them to see.

The most logical explanation is that the errand boy Alonso Rodriguez misunderstood the teaching methodology used by Dr. Rizal.

The school of Dr. Jose Rizal was patterned after the “Academy” of the Greek philosopher Plato. The teacher and the students would roam around a grove of trees and engaged in question and answer conversation.

In this situation the best teaching method to use is the “Integrated Approach” and “Role Playing”. If a boy would ask about London, Dr. Rizal will tell him about London. To emphasize the lesson, Dr. Rizal would let the student climb a coco tree and pretend to see the objects that was told to him by the teacher. The added lesson in the situation was that the student would know how to climb a coco tree. (Note: The tree or palm is called “coco”. The “coconut” is the fruit. Technically it is not correct to say “coconut tree”. – JBT).

In his innocence about teaching methods, errand boy Alonso Rodriguez confused the sequence of the situation. He thought that the student actually saw the streets and buildings of far away places instead of it being role-played by the students.

Be that as it may, we had a firsthand account of how Dr. Rizal taught his students.

Stories from Dr Jose Rizal's errand boy (Part 1)

noreply@blogger.com (Pinoyborian) — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 05:44:00 +0000

Part 1 Part 2

Sundry Chronicle
by Jes B Tirol

Proem

June 19, 2011 is the 150th birth anniversary of our national hero Dr. Jose Rizal. As part of the celebration we will print or reprint some unusual stories about Dr. Jose Rizal.

The stories in the present series are found in the Centennial Anniversary Publication of Antequera, Bohol published in 1976.

I am not sure who the author of these articles is because there is none given in the program. Nonetheless we can attribute it to the Editorial Board headed by Mr. Exuperio O. Barrera.

The Errand Boy

When Dr. Jose Rizal was exiled in Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte, he had an errand boy named Alonzo Rodriguez. When Dr. Jose Rizal went back to Manila, Alonzo Rodriguez tried his best to follow his master. He arrived in Manila just in time to witness the execution of our national hero at Bagumbayan.

After his master was gone, Alonzo felt distraught and abandoned. The next few years he was in Cebu City. Later on he drifted to Maribojoc, Bohol and later on to barrio Abehilan of Antequera. At Abehilan he got married and stayed from the 1920’s until the later part of the 1930’s. Just before 1941 and the Second World War he went back to Mindanao and was never heard of again.

In Antequera, Bohol he left behind some unsual stories about Dr. Jose Rizal.

Rizal Made Rainfall

Dr. Rizal was a priso caballero (gentleman prisoner) at Dapitan, Zamboanga. His situation was similar to today’s “parolee” in which the prisoner was permitted to live outside prison but required to regularly report to the authorities.

Alonzo Rodriguez narrated; “One warm evening, we were at the tribunal (municipal hall) where my master and his friends were enjoying a lively story-telling session. Later on, one of the guardia civil (civil guard) commented about the hot weather. Rizal paused and asked, ‘Would you like to cool off, gentlemen?’ Everybody nodded in approval. Rizal asked for a big jar to be brought in the middle of the room and filled with water. After it was done by some prisoners, Rizal said, ‘Alright, let us resume with our stories.’ Everybody returned to their seats and the guardia civil who complained, wondered how the jar of water could provide them with cool air.”

“As Rizal was busy talking, the guardias civil felt raindrops falling on their shoulders. Then a few seconds later the raindrops turned into a heavy rain. In order not to be drenched, all the guards run out of the tribunal. To their surprise, there was no rain outside the tribunal. When the rain ceased inside the tribunal, the guardias civil were curious and returned inside the building and peeped inside the jar. To their surprise the jar was already empty. They all broke into laughter and the guardias (guards) patted the back of Rizal for the unbelievable feat they have witnessed for the first time.”

Can You Explain It?

Magic was among the many talents of Dr. Jose Rizal. At the Fort Santiago Museum I have seen the cane used by Dr. Rizal that he can turn into a snake. The cane has a hole and inside is a snake-like apparatus. It was said that he would insert the cane inside his coat sleeve and by sleight of hand out will come the snake.

I am not a magician so I can not explain how Dr. Rizal performed his magic. It is possible that while Rizal was entertaining the guards with stories, someone went upstairs and poured water on the floor that was viewed as “rain” by the guards. Since the guards run outside, it would be easy for Dr. Rizal to pour the water from the jar. That water could not be distinguished from the water poured from the second floor.

Bear in mind that errand boy Alonzo Rodriguez did not say where he was during all that time. He could not be listening to the stories because he did not understand Spanish. Since he knew of the event, it was possible that he was the one who poured the water from the second floor. Bear in mine also that it was already “evening” and nobody would be working upstairs.

Be that as it may, we have one “Rizal Story” that is not found in textbooks.

Source: The Bohol Chronicle

Bol-anon 'ko Nyor

noreply@blogger.com (Pinoyborian) — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 18:19:00 +0000

'Bol-anon 'ko nyor' is not just a hackneyed phrase. It has a legend to tell arising from an actual incident that happened in Davao City.

It was at a time when Davao was just a frontier town of about 70,000 residents. It had only 27 policemen who did not carry firearms on duty except nightsticks and a whistle. In the absence of telephone, the police response on emergencies was very slow.

Every time word was passed around warning the neighborhood of a juramentado loose in the community, people scampered for safety in their homes. A juramentado in those days was a Moro fanatic brainwashed by their religious leaders to kill Chris-tians whom they regarded as enemy of Islam.

One day a Bol-anon peddler selling varied merchandises was talking to a woman by the road-side in the coastal village of Piapi trying to convince her to buy some of his wares when a fellow came running by, yelling - juramentado! juramentado! The woman suddenly turned her back on the peddler and ran in fear to the nearby store where the storekeeper was just about to bolt his shop for safety.

Left alone in wonderment as to what the hysteria was all about, the Bol-anon peddler just gathered his merchandise and was about to go when he saw a man naked to his waist with only a piece of white clothe covering his loin strutting towards him menacingly brandishing a barong, a specially-made bolo that could par in sharpness with the blade of an Arabian scimitar. The peddler calmly put down his merchandise and took out his 'ulisi'.

An ulisi is a thinly carved baton two feet long and two inches in width made of seasoned palm wood hardened by long exposure to the heat of fire. Bol-anon peddlers traveling on foot from house to house equip themselves with it to ward off fierce dogs on the way. But it is also a lethal weapon that can smash a man's skull.

During those ancient times Bol-anon traders were trained in martial arts on Filipino-style fencing so-called doce pares to be able to defend themselves against hostile elements as they engage in trade with the people in other regions. Most of the ambulant peddlers trading with the natives in Davao were natives of Bohol who came to this region in huge sailboats called pharao mostly in the months of October or November when the north wind Amihan favored their course sailing south and sailed back to Bohol in the month of May when the southwesterly wind Habagat begun to blow favoring their course back to their native province in time for their annual fiesta.

True enough as expected the juramentado attacked the Bol-anon merchant. The peddler reared to avoid the hacking blade of the barong and with a swift funny movement of his hand landed a crushing blow of his ulisi on the head of his assailant throwing his adversary off-balance followed by a quick smashing backstroke of his baton on the forearm of the Moro fanatic divesting him of his weapon. The juramentado fell on the ground in a heap dazed, his arm broken, head bleeding.

Just as when the Bol-anon trader was about to deliver the coup de grace on his crippled adversary when a policeman came running towards him frantically blowing his whistle followed by a jubilant crowd of people now feeling secured that a policeman had come to protect them. The peddler calmly put down his ulisi as a curious crowd began to swell around him.

The policeman just stood incredulously staring wide-eyed at the crippled Moro fanatic helplessly sitting on the ground cradling his broken arm grimacing in pain. Never before had a Moro juramentado been captured alive. The kind of fanatics would rather face the nuzzle of the gun and die fighting the enemy than being taken alive and thrown to prison suffering in jail with Christian offenders.

"Who are you?" The policeman demanded, accosting the peddler.

"Bol-anon 'ko Nyor," the peddler replied addressing the policeman Senior and humbly introducing himself a native of Bohol without mentioning his name.

Without saying further, the Bol-anon trader lifted his bundle of merchandises and melted into the crowd of people milling around the captured Moro fanatic.

That's the legend of Bol-anon 'ko Nyor.

Source: Mindanao Daily Mirror

I read the news

noreply@blogger.com (Pinoyborian) — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 17:04:00 +0000

Despite the great distance, I still keep in touch with my homeland through online news. I have been an avid news reader since childhood. Sundays would be empty if I have not read the Bohol Chronicle, the premiere weekly (now semi-weekly) newspaper in the province.

And thanks to the internet, Bohol news is but a click away. Check out the links below to some of Bohol's local newspapers.

All about.me

noreply@blogger.com (Pinoyborian) — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 22:06:00 +0000

The website about.me enables you to make your own individual splash page to present your complete online identity to any visitor, be it your personal friends or professional colleagues.

Read more at Pinoyborian blog.

What's up with Bohol?

noreply@blogger.com (Pinoyborian) — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 17:22:00 +0000

Photo: Dauis Church from bohol-philippines.com

What's up with Bohol?*
TRAVEL UPDATE By Marlinda Angbetic Tan (The Freeman)
Updated July 15, 2010 12:00 AM

I have just been to Bohol last weekend to attend the wedding of Enrico Miquiabas, a handsome young man teaching in an International School in Mainland China, to Austrian (of Italian descent) Maria Kattavenos who looks like a dark-haired Barbie doll. The wedding took place in the charming 16th century church of Our Lady of the Assumption Shrine in Dauis. There were over 20 Austrians who came all the way to Bohol for the wedding, while we were close to 50 from all over the Philippines representing the groom’s side.

That was my fifth wedding in Bohol, of couples who came to this lovely province for a vacation, loved with the ancient churches and the white sand beaches and decided to make Bohol their wedding venue. It helps that the resorts are ideal for romantic wedding receptions, with staff eager to give newlyweds a moment to last their lifetime. Marching down the aisle of a centuries-old place of worship, lit by the glow of intricate altar retablos and glittering chandeliers hanging from high ceilings, elicits overall dignity lent by the historic landmark.

Bohol also provides lots of attractions and diversions for the visitors. Tours can be easily arranged for the Loboc River cruise, over lunch or at night. Of course, the fame of the healthy dishes you get at Bee Farm – all organic ingredients freshly picked from the gardens – should not be missed. Don’t forget to have a photo taken with you holding a beehive!

Not to be outdone are the cuddly tarsiers, huge-eyed tiny mouse-like creatures, which can be viewed up close near the pier where you get unto your daytime river cruise. Then, a couple of hours away from Tagbilaran are the equally world-famous Chocolate Hills. The climb up to the viewing deck may be challenging but well worth it.

The Bohol Beach Club, where we stayed and where the beachside reception took place, boasts of having the longest beach area in Panglao Island (where most of the white sand resorts are located). Service is also excellent, even if room facilities need upgrading as this resort is the pioneer upscale resort in Panglao established way back during the Marcos era. Food is delicious and prices are reasonable, the reason why locals prefer to spend day trips here.

However, there are resorts nearby that price themselves way out of competition. Marketing for these places are probably done out of the country, as room rates are ridiculously high -- what we call “dollar-pegged prices.” I will not mention names but you will be astounded as to their price range after you check the vicinity they are in, amenities notwithstanding.

Yet, one can find Boracay-like gaiety and party-like atmosphere along Alona Beach where resort rates are much more pocket-friendly. The young travelers and families stay in this area and they do wedding receptions as elegantly as the high-end resorts. Beware! The noise level, like in Boracay, may not be ideal for a relaxing break. Stay here if you want to party all night and wake up late the next morning. (No guarantee for early morning peace, though! Travelers arrive at all hours here.)

Bohol is fast overtaking Cebu as the preferred destination. With convenient flights direct from Manila, as well as almost hourly trips to Cebu and to other islands in the Visayas and Mindanao (three shipping lines ply the fastcraft ferry routes: Supercat, Ocean Jet and Weesam), Bohol has become tantalizingly accessible.

Take a day trip to Bohol: early morning Cebu-Bohol boat trip (two hours) which allows for a city tour and even a side trip to the Chocolate Hills. Lunch can be at either Bee Farm or the Loboc River lunch cruise. Then catch the trip back to Cebu by 5pm.

Travel easy now!

-------------------------------

First accessed from The Freeman newspaper on 16 July 2010.

Awit sa Bohol (Bohol Hymn) video

noreply@blogger.com (Pinoyborian) — Mon, 31 May 2010 22:50:00 +0000

You've read the lyrics, now learn how to sing through this great video!

Why Bohol fiestas are held in May

noreply@blogger.com (Pinoyborian) — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 17:15:00 +0000

Why most fiestas are in May?
PIA-Bohol (30 April 2010)

Photo: Tubag Bohol

THE FIESTA month of May announces its sidling entrance with homing overloaded boats navigating the narrow channel carved in the shallows towards their berthing places at the Tagbilaran pier.

But, why May, many have asked.

Answering the question may have something to do with understanding the word Tagbilaran, the name that never is in the Cebuano-Bisayan lexicon, says a self confessed local historian in Bohol.

Tagbilaran, the place with its heart nestled on top of a thickly forested rocky hill, may have been coined from two words: “tago” and “Bila” and could be a name given by grateful natives who clambered for safety and used the forests as their temporary shelter during the raids by Bila pirates, he said humbly refusing to have his name printed.

The feared Bila pirates made annual raids on coastal villages in the Visayan islands leaving at their wakes plumes of smoke from looted villages and wails of despair for kidnapped relatives.

Riding sleek sail boats, the pirates ride the Habagat, or the southeast monsoon which would make their journey fast and thus villages are often caught off-guard.

At the sight of the pirates, the natives would climb and lose themselves in the forests on the rocky hill. There, they wait it out until the pirates leave or until the Habagat gives in to Amihan or the northwest monsoon where it would be easy for the pirates to sail back.

That time, the pirates sailboats would again ride the wind to disappear into the horizon towards Mindanao.

The bluff, which by 1720s has been the refuge of people who used the hill as vantage point to guard against the raids soon supported a cluster of homes which ultimately spread to the hill’s eastern parts, he said.

With people there, the Spanish doctrine teachers put up chapel which then became a regular visita of missionaries from the nearby parish in Baclayon.

Now protected by the pirates, the natives dedicated the place to their protector Saint Joseph whose staff also protected the Holy Family in their narrow escape from the wrath of Herod.

On the same site rose a stone church that would soon host the seat of the Diocese. The Saint Joseph the Worker Parish rose and underwent numerous changes through the years until now, he added.

“By Jesus Christ protected, by the people of Tagbilaran erected” is etched in a pedestal below the statue of St. Joseph in front of the cathedral now.

According to local fishermen, Habagat season peaks between September to December and Amihan on the other hand peaks in March to June.

While it would be inappropriate to put up celebrations at a time when the pirates could get you off guard, locals then use the peak of the Amihan to gather and offer thanksgiving to their protector.

Most Bohol fiestas especially for older parishes are on the month of May and extends to July, notably the time when the winds would prevent the coming of raiders from the south to ride against the winds.

Now, wouldn’t it be fair if people gather for festivities during the safest time of year to thank their patrons? (PIA-Bohol)

-----------------------------------

Note:

This is an interesting take on history. I first read this in Tubag Bohol discussion forum and traced the source in PIA-Bohol blog.

Bohol Provincial Flag and Seal

noreply@blogger.com (Pinoyborian) — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 06:05:00 +0000

The Provincial Flag of Bohol

The Provincial Flag shall have the following design and symbolism:

Size and Dimension: It shall have the same size and dimension as the Philippine National Flag.

Colors: The provincial flag shall have three (3) colors, namely ; blue for nobility, white for purity, and red for courage. The path and/or strip of the blue and red runs in a perpendicular grain with the patch of white in-between.

Chocolate Hills: This famous tourist attraction symbolizes the abundance of natural beauty that the Creator has bestowed on Bohol. The supplementary background of green in the reproduction of the province's coat of arms is interpretative of Bohol as an agricultural province, most of its people depend on farming for their livelihood.

Blood Compact: The Sikatuna - Legaspi Blood Compact symbolizes the Boholano's love for peace.

The two Bolos: The bolos with their handle and hand-guards on top, reclining respectively towards the left and right depict the Dagohoy and Tamblot revolts; that a true Boholano will rise and fight if supervening factors embroil them into something beyond reason or tolerance.

The Lone Star: The Lone Star represents Carlos P. Garcia, a native son of Talibon who was the only Philippine President produced by the province . Another star shall be added for every Boholano who shall also become president of the Philippines.

The Provincial Seal of Bohol

The Provincial Seal of Bohol has the following inscriptions:

Chocolate Hills: This famous tourist attraction symbolizes the abundance of natural beauty that the Creator has bestowed on Bohol. The supplementary background of green in the reproduction of the province's coat of arms is interpretative of Bohol as an agricultural province, most of its people depend on farming for their livelihood.

Blood Compact: The Sikatuna - Legaspi Blood Compact symbolizes the Boholano's love for peace.

Source: Bohol LGU website

Bohol Provincial Symbols

noreply@blogger.com (Pinoyborian) — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 12:56:00 +0000

Hero
The Provincial Hero is Francisco Sendrijas, also popularly known as Francisco Dagohoy or Dagohoy. He was known to have led the longest revolt in the Philippine history.

Dance
The Provincial Dance is the Kuratcha Boholana.

Plant
The Provincial Plant is the Ubi Kinampay, a rootcrop with white or light to dark purple meat. These rootcrops are very aromatic and is cooked as plainly boiled, mixed to other vegetables or dried and used as a flavoring for ice creams, candies, cakes and other goodies. The best kind of ubi is believed to be found only in Bohol. An Ubi Festival is celebrated every January in Bohol.

Tree
The Provincial Tree is the sturdy molave (Vitex parviflora), which is locally know as "tugas".

Flower
The Provincial Flower is the White Gumamela which symbolizes the characteristics of simplicity and naturalness of the Boholano. Its extra-length and bowing stamen evokes a language of welcome, its tender structure with pollens characterize the people's simple tastes and simple needs. The greenish, close-knit petals depict the loyalty and constancy of the Boholano family towards each of its members, conspicuous of the bond and the blood that join them together whether in adversity or in joy.

Bird
The Provincial Bird is the colorful Antolihaw or Dimodlaw (Oriole: Oriolus Chinensis) which is found all over the province.

Fruit
Bohol Mangga. Mango is botanically designated as Mangifera indica L. It belongs to the family Anacardiaceas, and its most important commercially viable cultivars are the carabao and pico, both of which abound in Bohol.

Our predominantly limestone soils produce the sweetest mangoes in the Philippines. The fruits are peculiarly tender and melting sweet in flavor and could compare with the best in the world. To date, there are about 500,000 mango trees grown in Bohol and is expected to reach one million by the year 2005.

Source: Bohol LGU website

Awit sa Bohol (Bohol Hymn)

noreply@blogger.com (Pinoyborian) — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 18:48:00 +0000

Visayan Version

Awit sa Bohol

Yuta kong minahal,
Hatag ni Bathala;
Sa adlaw’g gabi-i,
Taknang tanan
Dinasig sa kinaiyahan
Sa mga bayaning yutawhan
Imong kalinaw gi-ampingan
Lungsod sa bungtod nga matunhay
Ug matam-is nga kinampay

Puti ang kabaybayunan
Walog sa suba binisbisan
Bahandi sa dagat ug kapatagan
Gugma ang tuburan
Sa kagawasan sa tanan
Panalanginan ka
Ihalad ko lawas ug kalag
Sa mutya kong Bohol.

English Version

Bohol Hymn

This is the land I love,
The land God gave to me,
Caressed by the sun,
Bathed by the sea,
And kissed by the cool breeze
Night and day.
Here’s where the early heroes lived,
Here’s where they wrought peace
and here they bled,
Here rise the marvelous cone-shaped hills,
Here sweet kinampay grows.

Blessed with white sandy beaches,
Rivers that water valleys,
Seas teem with fishes and cows graze
on the plains,
In ev’ry home love reigns,
God keep my homeland always free,
Let her forever be,
I pledge my strength, my heart and soul,
To my dear home, Bohol.

Source: Bohol LGU website

A tale of two divergent tourism plans

noreply@blogger.com (Pinoyborian) — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 11:39:00 +0000

Photo: Travelpod

A tale of two divergent tourism plans
OFF TANGENT By Aven Piramide (The Freeman)
Updated February 11, 2010 12:00 AM

In the last few months, I had been shuttling between Cebu and Bohol, on one hand and between Cebu and Southern Leyte, on the other hand. No matter how inconsequential my uneducated observation may be, I cannot help but note the wide gap in the development of the tourism industry between Bohol and Southern Leyte.

I noticed this distortion even from one simple indicator – sea travel. What may catch anyone’s attention is the fact that Bohol, my province of birth, is very much accessible compared to Southern Leyte, where we do a modest business. There are many seaports serving the Boholanos that anytime of the day this province can be reached from Cebu. The frequency of fast crafts servicing Tagbilaran is phenomenal. There are trips early morning, noontime, and evening, and in air conditioned comfort. Still, their percentage of passenger loads, travel season or not, appears to be satisfactorily high as to support the industry.

There are also boats calling other Bohol ports. I understand that the traffic alone between Tubigon town and Cebu of one trip every two hours should pay the operators of sea vessels plying this route a reasonable return of investment or they would have closed shop. Then, there too, is the port of Getafe which receives daily its good share of the volume of passengers coming from and going to Cebu. And still another company operating from Cebu City, calls the port Ubay.

By my last count, there are at least six Cebu-based shipping companies making about 12 daily trips to and from Bohol. Many of these bottoms are of the Roll-on-Roll-off type. The roro vessels make it more comfortable for people to travel to Bohol because, while in that island province, they can drive their own vehicles.

In most of these sea travels to and from Bohol, tourists comprise an appreciable percentage.

Photo: Itchyfeet07

To compare, only one shipping company seems to be calling the port of Maasin City, in Southern Leyte. In fact, until lately, Maasin City was not the end destination. It just happened to be along the way of vessels headed for the northeastern part of Mindanao. And we have no choice but take only an evening trip. That is it. There are no daytime travels.

In the case of trips coming from Maasin City, the story is worse. The boats departing from that capital Southern Leyte city to Cebu, really come from Surigao City. They just drop by Maasin to pick up their passengers. Because these vessels leave Surigao City at about 6 or 7 o’clock in the evening, they drop their anchors at Maasin at around midnight. Sadly, waiting passengers have just to be seated at the port terminal.

Even then, if one takes great effort to count the tourists, foreign or local, on board these vessels to and from Southern Leyte, he may only be dismayed by the resulting figures.

Tourism must be far developed in Bohol than in Southern Leyte. It must be a credit to the men and women at the helm of that island’s tourism program that they attract tourists in great quantities. Caucasians, and chink-eyed Asians, come in huge flocks. Balikbayanas are not to be outdone. When I lately hosted few of them from California, they made it clear to me that Bohol was, to them, a must destination. Their account of what to expect from that island emphasized the success of Bohol officials in putting their province on the tourism map of must see.

On the other hand, I had the opportunity to talk to a much smaller number of Europeans from some dive points off our town of Padre Burgos, in Southern Leyte. No, they did not come to visit Limasawa, (formerly a barangay of Padre Burgos) the site of the first Catholic mass in the Philippines. Rather, they came on the word of mouth of fellow Europeans that the underwater sights there fare better to the best in the world! In glowing accounts, they spoke of their experience.

As regards developing their tourism potentials, there is an obvious disparity between these two provinces. The officials of Southern Leyte can learn something from the efforts of Boholanos. We must remember that tourism brings in a lot of economic multipliers and unless Southern Leytenos raise their bar of achievements, they can only lean on their poor agriculture to sustain them.

Kayaking Champ

noreply@blogger.com (Pinoyborian) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 00:37:00 +0000

Photo and Text: Bohol Chronicle

The final leg of the 2009 Philippine Kayaking Series was held in Cebu and BOHOL.

Bol-anon physician (EENT specialist) Doyet Dumaluan (middle of above photo) emerged victorious as the champion in the singles division. In the tandem division, Bohol's Jerome Abuyabor and Jerwin Castro came in second.

The 125-kilometre Red Bull Kayak Explore Cebu-Bohol Crossing started last 4 December 2009 at Tambuli Beach Club in Mactan, Cebu and ended two days later at Bohol Beach Club in Panglao, Bohol.

The first leg of the race started in Mactan Island, passing by Pandanon Island, Buenavista and ended at Tubigon Port, where participants spent the night to rest.

The second leg covered a distance of 30 kilometres starting from Tubigon Port until Punta Cruz Watchtower in Maribojoc town.

The third and final leg of the race ran from Cortes town up to barangay Bolod in Panglao, covering a total distance of 25 kilometres.

The Philippine Kayaking Series is promoted by the Department of Tourism and aims to identify kayaking trails in the country. It not only promotes kayaking as an adventure sport, this event also wants to establish sustainable eco-tourism programs in different provinces.

For more information about this event, read on the news article in the Bohol Chronicle.

Idja-idja, aho-aho!

noreply@blogger.com (Pinoyborian) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 17:53:00 +0000

Photo: Flickr Hive Mind

CHILD OF THE SUN: Idja-idja, aho-aho! By Ting Tiongco
by Ting Tiongco/MindaNews
Tuesday, 28 July 2009 23:29

(Speech of acceptance as one of the Ten Outstanding Boholano Award (Tobaw) delivered at the Tapok Bol-anon Tibuok Kalibutan awarding ceremonies on 25 July).

TAGBILARAN, Bohol (MindaNews/28 July) -- I accept this award both with great pride and humility. I dedicate this award to my late parents who came from Bohol; my father from Bilar, and my mother, a Manigque from Tagbilaran. My mother, who died a few months ago, lived 63 out of her 86 years in Mindanao. But she died a true Boholana, speaking Binol-anon to the end. I was not born in Bohol. Neither did I grow up here. My parents made it clear to their children who were growing up in Mindanao that we are Bol-anons. Ang Bol-anon, murag Amerkano. Maskin asa ka ma tawo, basta Amerkano ang imong tatay o nanay, Amerkano ka lang guihapon. Ang Bol-anon, mao sad. Maskin asa ka matawo, basta Bol-anon ang imong kaguikan, Bol-anon ka lang guihapon. Mailhan man gud ang Bol-anon sa uban, kay tag-as man ug ilong.

I was often puzzled, growing up as Bol-anon in Davao where a welter of cultures flourish; the moment my companions knew I was Bol-anon, I was immediately set apart as different from the rest. I was puzzled by the saying ‘idja-idja, aho-aho!’ often said in jest by classmates. And this was usually followed by the declaration that Bohol was ‘outside da Pilipins’. Predictably there ensued a typical schoolboy fistfight. Sinumbagay!

I often asked my mother what all this was about but she only told me to be proud of such things. There was a history and a culture behind this that she did not bother to explain because perhaps she knew that sometime in my life I would realize what it meant.

And indeed, I did. It happened the first time I came to Bohol to set up a health cooperative. I was warned that the Bol-anon attitude of ‘idja-idja aho-aho’ was against the basic principles of cooperativism. But setting up a hospital and health services cooperative in the land of my parents, ang akong yutang guinikanan, was a promise I made my father before he died.

So 15 years ago I landed in Tagbilaran, walked to a restaurant, and unthinkingly ordered more lunch than I could consume. I had the rest packed in a brown paper bag to give to a hungry street child.

Outside, I met a raggedy malnourished little boy and wordlessly handed him the brown paper bag. He looked suspiciously at me and asked what was in it. Learning it was food, he immediately ran away, shrieking ‘Di ko!’ (No!)

I was surprised, a bit disheartened. So I walked to the cathedral where I expected to find beggars. There I found an old woman sitting on the ground by the main door, in the heat of noon, clutching a rosary. This time I was more circumspect. I explained to her that I had ordered too much for lunch and I was loathe to see so much food wasted and I was wondering if she would accept the rest, assuring her that it was clean. She gladly took the brown paper bag, thanking me profusely. Then, as I was leaving, happy that no food was wasted, she called after me.

‘Doy,’ ingon siya, ‘pila man ni?’ (‘Doy,’ she asked, ‘how much is this?’)

I was floored. Only then did I realize what ‘idja-idja, aho-aho’ means.

It means the Bol-anon does not beg!

It means that I belong to a noble culture that believes Man must provide for himself and the community he belongs to. It means that we are free of the humiliating cultural muck of Mendicancy that the rest of our country is drowning in.

It means that we believe in ourselves. In our own capacity to provide for our own needs through our own resources.

Happily, this is what cooperativism is all about. Self-sufficiency and pride in one’s own.

Then this could be very well our battle cry: ‘idja-idja, aho-aho!’. With this, from ‘outside da Pilipins’ we may be able to rebuild the Philippines, flattened by financial crises, sucked dry by unscrupulous politicians, debased in its own eyes by cultural pollution and disoriented by a demented media that foists the ‘Wowowee’ mentality on Filipinos in massive daily noontime doses.

Idja-idja, aho-aho!

Mabuhi ang Bol-anon!

Mabuhi ang Filipinas!

[Dr. Jose “Ting” M. Tiongco, chief executive officer of the Medical Mission Group Hospitals and Health Services Cooperative-Philippines Federation, writes a column, Child of the Sun, for MindaNews. He is author of two books, “Child of the Sun Returning” (1996) and “Surgeons Do Not Cry” (2008). The second book is available at UP bookstore, National bookstore and MindaNews]

I first came across this article from a fellow Bol-anon blogger. I went to the original source and from there copied and pasted the whole article for you to read.

In case you don't know it yet, the title's meaning is "What's his/hers is his/hers, what's mine is mine!"

Kayaking from Cebu to Bohol

noreply@blogger.com (Pinoyborian) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 01:31:00 +0000

Photo: Kayak Philippines

The third and final leg of this year’s Philippine Kayaking Series was held in Cebu and Bohol last 3-6 of December.

Paddlers from all over the country competed on this leg, which covers a total distance of 125 kilometers crossing from Cebu to Bohol.

German Paz and Johnder Austria, both windsurfers from Batangas, won the leg.

Endorsed by the Department of Tourism, the race aims to promote kayaking into a sustainable eco-adventure attraction in coastal communities.

Click on the video link below (taken by INQUIRER.net's Izah Morales) to watch highlights of the race.

INQUIRER.net VDO - Inquirer.net

Biyahe Baclayon

noreply@blogger.com (Pinoyborian) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 06:29:00 +0000

Baclayon is no longer about visiting Baclayon Church, if you are a tourist!

BEZO Initiatives, an organisation which aims to provide sustainable socio-economic programs through eco-tourism have teamed up with the local government to come up with a program that lets you experience a different Baclayon.

One such program is Byahe Baclayon. It is composed of three tours designed for visitors who want to explore Baclayon's natural wonders and heritage and cultural sites.

Heritage Walk aims to promote Baclayon's culture by bringing visitors to the town's delicacy shops that sell unique Baclayon food such as broas (lady fingers), tableyas (local chocolate tablets) and ube kinampay (local root crop), and to workshops where crafts and souvenir items are designed and manufactured.

Adventure Trail covers almost the entire town of Baclayon. It includes hiking trails and trails for mountain bikes, dirt bikes and quads. The routes have been designed to pass by lakes, caves, springs and deep sinkholes. Several stops and points along the trail offer panoramic views of the town. Aside from these trails, there is a plan to offer kayaking in the lakes and to install zip lines for extreme adventurers.

Whale/dolphin watching and Pamilacan island tour involves an early morning boat ride from Baclayon town centre to the island of Pamilacan. The body of water between Baclayon and Pamilacan is frequented by butandings (whale sharks), dolphins and manta rays. Upon reaching Pamilacan, guest may opt to visit diving sites, swim in the beach or have a massage from the women members of the local cooperative.

When our family next go home to Bohol, we will surely give serious thought about doing the Biyahe Baclayon tours. This is certainly great for our children for them to know more about their Bol-anon roots.

If you are interested to try the Biyahe Baclayon experience, you can visit BEZO Initiatives website (www.bezo.org.ph).

Photos: Inday Guapa blog, BEZO Initiatives
Text: BEZO Initiatives

Tasty Boholanos

noreply@blogger.com (Pinoyborian) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:27:00 +0000

Photos: Market Manila blog

Care for some tasty Boholanos, anyone?

You have probably heard, or tasted, the Filipinos biscuit so why not indulge on this tasty biscuit as well.

The "Boholano" is made up of two Osang's broas with a filling of rich chocolate cream.

This tasty treat was invented by food blogger Marketman who traces his roots in Bohol. He blogs at Market Manila.

Vote for Efren Penaflorida as CNN Hero 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Pinoyborian) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:05:00 +0000

I have cast my vote for Efren Penaflorida, which I am proud to call my fellow Filipino, as my CNN Hero 2009. Please support Efren with your vote!

Click on the widget above and you will be led on to a CNN webpage showing all nominated heroes. Click on Efren's picture and you will be able to read on his heroic story that is very much worth reflecting on and emulating especially by our youth.

The Philippines national hero Jose Rizal described the youth as the hope of the fatherland. Efren's story makes you still believe in Rizal's words.

Chocolate Hills featured in Bing

noreply@blogger.com (Pinoyborian) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:11:00 +0000

Photo: MSN UK tech and gadgets

Chocolate Hills was featured in the search engine Bing.

The search engine Bing is Microsoft's answer to Google and Yahoo search engines. It went live in June of this year.

One feature that makes Microsoft's Bing interesting is their use of background images. Changed daily, these images are of amazing places around the world.

Chocolate Hills appeared in Bing Australia last 9 June. There is a short description of Chocolate Hills in MSN UK tech and gadgets.

I first came across this feature of Chocolate Hills by Bing a few months back through SEO Hong Kong. This website is published by a Filipino of Bol-anon roots.

Playing Tennis With Dad

noreply@blogger.com (Pinoyborian) — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 22:52:00 +0000

My father taught me to play lawn tennis. Now it's my turn to teach my sons.

I started playing tennis when I was 9 (or 10) years old. At that time, it was only me and my eldest brother who were interested (forced and obliged?) to play the game.

DBP tennis club

My first home court was the DBP tennis court located in CPG North Avenue in Tagbilaran. Dad was a retired accountant from that bank; incidentally, our former house was also conveniently located close to it.

There were so few of Dad's colleagues who play tennis back then. So, I played a lot of tennis when I was starting out. The tennis court surface, which is hard court, was great to play in. It was much better than some of the tennis courts I have played.

Dad helped train some of his colleagues and so the number of tennis players in the bank increased. Eventually, they formed their own tennis club and held friendly tournaments with other clubs, company-related and municipal clubs.

I tagged along during those friendly tournaments. Not only did it helped me honed my tennis skills, it also gave me the incentive of going to other places. I have played in Garcia-Hernandez (against the Philippine Sinter Corporation club), Antequera, Loon and other Tagbilaran courts like Mansasa and the Napocor compound.

Baclayon tennis club

When Dad retired early from DBP we moved to Baclayon a few years later. And so we started playing in the local town club.

Again, through friendly tournaments I was able to play in Jagna, Lindaville and even in Cebu City.

But this time, I played less in Baclayon because I was already living and working in Cebu City or elsewhere since my university days in the late 1980s. However, whenever I went home to Baclayon on weekends, if there was a friendly tournament, I played.

Tennis playing family

There is one wonderful memory that still pervades in my mind until now. For a short period (maybe a few weeks) during my early teens, we played tennis as a family.

We were watching a GMA 7 show featuring a Hollywood actor and his tennis playing family (wife and children). The actor father trained his children through formation drills. Forming a line, each child take turns hitting the balls in the different strokes like forehand, backhand, lob, service and others.

Dad was really inspired by that show and decided to try it on us. Imagine 7 boys in line formation, age ranging from 7 to 15 years old, taking turns hitting the balls in forehand, backhand, lob and service strokes.

What great fun we had back then! Oh, and yes, Mum was our no. 1 fan.

Although it did not last long, it succeeded in raising interest in our younger siblings. So, when we went to university in Cebu, Dad still has our younger brothers to play with regularly.

Continuing the tradition

I finally relented to my wife to train her in tennis. Since we have to bring the boys along during our training sessions, they are learning, too. I reckon they are about the right age to develop their interest in tennis anyway.

For now, I just let the boys enjoy playing around with their rackets and balls. Occasionally, I teach them how to hit the ball properly.

It really has gone full circle. After my Dad, it's now my turn to train my kids. It is a father's wish for their children to grow up and become better than himself. That, too, is my aim and hope for my sons in their life. And in particular, in terms of tennis.

So, game on!

Bohol In Pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Pinoyborian) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 17:36:00 +0000

Photos: www.indayguapa.com

I miss Bohol... then I stumbled upon Inday Guapa's blog and saw some wonderful Bohol pictures, and I miss it even more!

I came across Wanderlust In Motion blog (www.indayguapa.com) while googling for blogs about Bohol by Bol-anons. The author, Inday Guapa, who describes herself as an adventurer at heart, writes about her travel adventures on this blog.

In this particular blogpost, a bit of cebu lovin' and a dash of bohol too, she put out some great pictures of Bohol (and Cebu), some of which I freely used on this post but properly acknowledged.

Like Inday Guapa, I consider (still do) Bohol and Cebu as home. Bohol is my Dad's home province and my home until mid-teens. My parents still lives in our ancestral house (inherited by Dad from his parents by virtue of him being the youngest child) in Baclayon.

I went to university in Cebu and have been calling it home since then. But I stayed a Bol-anon, always going to Bohol for a visit whenever I can. Oh, and yes, I stayed a Bohol registered voter until now. What other better way to show your loyalty to the province than that.

I like her blog since I once fancied about traveling the Philippines, which I did in few occasions. I did not only traveled the Philippines, I lived and worked in some of the places I have been to.

I Am Pinoyborian

noreply@blogger.com (Pinoyborian) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 18:08:00 +0000

Bohol is and will always be on my mind. But I am now a Pinoyborian.

Pinoyborian is the name of my other blog, which is currently more active than Bohol On My Mind. It is where I share my views and observations as a Pinoy expat on life in the UK, my home now since 2002.

The name Pinoyborian is a combination of the words Pinoy, the informal name we Filipinos like to call ourselves (similar to Brits for British), and of Peterborian, a native of Peterborough, my home city in the UK.

This personal blog, to reiterate, will talk about my views and observations on my UK life from a Filipino perspective, making comparisons on similarities and differences between these two cultures (British and Filipino).

In addition, I will also blog on a smorgasbord of views, ideas and interesting information about the UK, the Philippines and the rest of the world (if it caught my fancy).

My wife and I are true-blooded Bol-anons, and although we're thousands of miles away from the homeland, we still eat, talk and think Bohol everyday... still breathing Bohol, if you like.

But we now live in the present (most of the time) and it is reflected in my Pinoyborian blog. So, if you arrive on Bohol On My Mind (this blog) and all is quite, hop on to its sibling from the other side of the world, Pinoyborian (http://pinoyborian.blogspot.com). Who knows, you might get something useful from reading it.

Dream House

noreply@blogger.com (Pinoyborian) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 17:46:00 +0000

I found my dream house! (although I must hasten to add it keeps on changing all the time) Anyway, I found this photo of a retired Boeing 727 converted into a hotel, nestled deep in a Costa Rican national park.

This plane will do well in my wife's hometown of Alicia. There is an elevated area there that can be seen from afar, which I imagine have great views of the sea and the town. Many people will be awed at the site of a plane protruding from a cliff! And how about from the cliffs in Dauis!

If only I can find that prize winning lottery ticket to fund my dream...